Hollie McNeil: Senior Instructor & Manager
40 Fundamentals of English Riding, written by Hollie
Riding Author
Hollie is the author of 40 Fundamentals of English Riding, the bestselling equestrian book/DVD published by Storey Publishing. All the teaching at Riding Right reflects the same approach to riding which is emphasized throughout the book, marrying classical techniques with up-to-the-minute biomechanics and sports physiology, organized in a careful, systematic approach.
The book - published by Storey Publishing - provides detailed explanations for 40 fundamental ideas and techniques for all types on English riding, whether dressage, jumping, or even just a relaxed trail ride. It also includes a 90 minute DVD, which takes the same 40 topics and explores them in moving images. (It is available in Cambridge at Battenkill Books, and from Amazom.com.)
Hollie recieving her Trainer's License from Chief Olympic Ground Judge Martin Plewa
FEI Recognized Instructor
Hollie holds a Trainer's C License from the German National Riding Federation, one of only a handful of Americans to earn this prestigious certification. The examination included written, oral, and practical testing on Dressage, Stadium Jumping, Cross Country, Stable Management, Equine Physiology and Behavior, and Sports Education. To earn her German License, Hollie took extensive training and testing at the German National Riding School, in Warendorf, Germany, and the Westfalen Riding School in Munster, Germany.In connection with her German qualifications, Hollie has also been recognized as a certified instructor by the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), the international body governing equestrian sports. Hollie received her equestrian passport, which entitled her to teach internationally as well.
Hollie teaching at Equine Affaire
Clinics and Presentations
As a skilled presenter (her background prior to riding was as a television reporter, anchor, and producer), Hollie is a popular speaker and clinician at equine events, such as Equine Affaire, Lendon Gray's Annual Weekend Equestrian Educational Program for Dressage and Event Riders, the Saratoga Horse Symposium, and others. She gives presentations and clinics on classical horsemanship, dressage, use of dressage techniques in other riding disciplines, riding position, the mind-body connection in riding, horsemanship in history and its effect on modern riding, and many others.
Her work as a clinician includes a focus on body-awareness for the rider, traditional English riding clinics, and most recently her innovative 'instant replay' clinics, combining traditional instruction with instant video playback in slow-motion, allowing the rider to see their riding in detail and make changes while still mounted.
German Performance Medals
German Riding Medals
Hollie has also been recognized as a rider (rather than as an instructor) by the German Equestrian Federation, which has awarded her the Small and Large Bronze Performance Medals (see right), after she passed comprehensive examinations on dressage, stadium, and cross-country riding, as well as extensive equestrian theory subjects.
WRGB-TV
Hollie was asked by WRGB-TV (CBS 6, in Albany/Schnectady/Troy) to write for them on equestrian topics, which has evolved into her "Riding Right" blog for the station, one of its most popular.
Balimo Instructor & Other Experience
With over thirty years of riding experience, Hollie has trained horses and shown in dressage through the FEI level and jumped competitively. She has coached riders who have competed at Pony Club Nationals and the Lendon Gray Youth Dressage Festival. Hollie is also a Graduate Riding Instructor of the innovative Balimo Riding Program. Hollie's horse-related studies also include work on equine physiology at Cornell University, natural horsemanship seminars, and many, many others.
Lessons Blog
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May Dressage Photos
Just a quick note to say that photos from the May Dressage Schooling Show are on-line. We’ve uploaded the photos from the full day, including shots of every single rider. They’re on our photos page.
-Michael
Clever Marketing
When you spend time walking around an event like the Equine Affaire you get to see up close and personal how the marketing wheels in the horse industry are turning.
I suppose it didn’t take a marketing genius to come up with this one: a pink manure spreader. The facts are pretty clear. Women are the vast majority of riders in this country. Horses leave behind a pile of manure every day. Put these two together and ta-DA– you’ve got yourself a pink manure spreader.
I’ve never seen a pink manure spreader before but hey- why not? Do they have to be red? If women are going to be using them pink seems like a perfectly good color.
I did notice that it was the little manure spreader that was pink. The bigger one was still red. It’s an interesting marketing gamble. I wonder how many the Mill Creek Manufacturing Company will sell?
-Hollie McNeil, Owner/Trainer:Riding Right Farm, Author:40 Fundamentals of English Riding
Hair Everywhere
Yup, it’s that time of year when hair is everywhere. I wonder sometimes how much horse hair I’ve ingested over the years. Think about it. Six to seven days a week I’m in the presence of horses and this time of year their shedding coats look something akin to a snow flurry. That hair is truly everywhere. It’s in my hair, on my face, in my eyes, and always going in my mouth (can be somewhat disgusting really).
All this hair makes you rethink what you’re going to wear to the barn. If you’ve got a fleece jacket or vest you can pretty much count on being a furry mess before you leave the barn. Fleece can act like a magnet to loose horse hair. Sweaters aren’t too much better. It was chilly yesterday morning so I put on one of my favorite wool sweaters I picked up in New Zealand years ago. By the time I made a mad dash to the grocery store yesterday (before my family starved) there was no doubt what I had been doing all day. Standing in line as my items were being scanned I looked down at my blue sweater. Umm- it looked a little more white than blue. Good thing I don’t embarrass easily because frankly I was a mess. It looked like I took half the hair in the barn with me.
Its a common misconception that horses shed based on heat. Shedding is more aligned with minutes of day light hours and how much sun the horse is taking in. Mother Nature has her own way of dealing with building up the winter coat in the fall and taking off the winter coat in spring. Soon enough all the horses’ coats will be ready for summer and we’ll still be cleaning up the hairy debris left behind on everything from saddle pads to girths, blankets and our clothing.
-Hollie McNeil, Owner/Trainer:Riding Right Farm, Author:40 Fundamentals of English Riding
Cool Quadrille
For Fun Friday this week, a quadrille (four horses doing a synchronized dressage performance) with a bit of a twist. This quadrille was performed at the Canadian Royal Fair in Toronto in November. The twist is that the lights in the arena were turned off and lights on the horses were turned on.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Hollie McNeil, Author:40 Fundamentals of English Riding, Owner/Trainer:Riding Right Farm
February Morning
Just a quiet look at the farm in February (not your normal February, mind you).
Enjoy our Fun Friday:
Click here to view the embedded video.
-Hollie McNeil, Author:40 Fundamentals of English Riding, Owner/Trainer:Riding Right Farm
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