Communion with Horses – Multi-Level, Open Format Course – April 29-May 4 – Harrogate, SA

This course offers a unique and deeply rewarding path to soul-level connection, powerful biomechanics, joyful ground play, and balanced riding—whether for pleasure or powerful performance.

Communion with Horses

It’s where wisdom, knowledge, physics, and soul meet—in the space between horse and human. Be inspired—and inspire your horse to want to participate.

 

What You'll Learn & Experience

  • Build an extraordinary relationship based on connection and feel
  • Learn safe, savvy ground skills to develop confidence and joyful ground play
  • Help your horse develop strength, posture, and athleticism through groundwork therapy
  • Cultivate essential rider skills—timing, balance, intuition, communication, and energy awareness
  • Learn riding dynamics that all horses wish their riders understood
  • Discover how biomechanics and energy flow create harmony and softness in motion

Just Imagine...

A horse with cruise control—smooth, soft, and balanced. No brace. No resistance. Just willingness, confidence, and joyful expression. They stop, go, slow, flow, and turn with the subtlest of cues—because you're truly together. This is what’s possible. This is what this course can help you create.

 

This Course Can Also Help You With:

  • Trailer loading, leading, feet handling, or other behavioral challenges—done calmly and with connection
  • Building confidence and relaxation for pleasure or trail riding
  • Progressing toward performance or competition—like dressage or working equitation
  • Creating a sound, happy, healthy, and inspired horse—mentally, emotionally, and physically

The Heart of It All

We put the horse first—always. Their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing shapes everything we do. This isn’t just about training—it’s about healing, partnership, and mutual growth. My highest priority is a happy horse—calm, confident, and physically empowered to participate in a way that benefits them on every level: mind, body, and spirit.

 

Course Details – Multi-Level, Open Format

  • Come with or without your horse
  • Attend all 6 days, or drop in for just a few
  • Suitable for all levels—from beginners to advanced riders and trainers

Investment

  • With your horse: $265/day
  • Without a horse (audit): $85/day

Where and When:

Barbara Cooper's property 463 Gladigau Rd Woodside/Harrogate

April 29 - May 4    9:00 - 5:00

'Functional Saddling' consultations, BALANCE saddles, Private lessons & Bodywork sessions -

PRIVATE SESSIONS are usually available the day after the course or sometimes in the morning or late afternoon of the course days. Make sure you book these in advance, especially if you are interested in the saddle fitting so I am sure to have the saddles/pads with me that may be required and I allow enough time to fit you in.

Find out more details about these sessions

COMPREHENSIVE saddling consultations where you test ride several BALANCE saddles or saddles of your choice take 1.5 to 2 hrs. and cost $220. They involve riding in your own current saddle and experimenting with padding arrangements and or adjusting gullets (if possible) to see if  we can improve things with your current saddle. You can ride in several saddles of your choosing (that you bring along) and that you wish to get feedback on. We then test ride a BALANCE saddle to use as a comparison to determine how well your horse moves in its own saddle/s compared to a saddle that is known to be ergonomically designed for horses and riders to maximise comfort and performance.
 
Riding in the saddles is the best way to get direct feedback from the horse - this way we listen to the horse's opinion (and yours) rather than someone else's. Having a few saddles to feel as comparisons is important (BALANCE saddles or other) in this process.
 
If your horse did prefer the BALANCE saddle and you were potentially interested in purchasing one (second hand or new), we would then test ride several different models of the BALANCE saddles to see exactly which one is the best for both the horse and yourself. Interlaced into this session is advice on riding and biomechanics for horse and rider as required and as appropriate to the level of experience of the horse and rider.
 
MINI saddle consultations - It is possible to do shorter saddling consults where we do not test ride many or any saddles and I can just give you my opinion and recommendations on how you may be able to improve your current saddle with re-flocking, gullet changes or padding changes. This is priced according to the time taken. eg. $66 for 30 mins. Get in touch if you want advice on whether you need a Comprehensive saddle consult or if a Mini consult will suffice.
 
Private Lessons/ Training sessions  are $145/hr  plus travel if I travel to you or venue hire if required. (Coaching in groundwork, riding, trailer loading, problem solving, healthcare and management).
 
Bodywork   Energetic Bodywork,  PEMF, Equissage, Postural Development & Rehabilitation Therapy, General Healthcare & Horse Husbandry advice $145/hr   

 

Come along with or without your horse.

Of course if you can bring your horse along your learning will be maximized as nothing beats hands on experience and having direct feedback from a supportive instructor to accelerate your learning. However the other option for attending these courses is to come and participate without a horse, in which case you would actively participate in all of the theory sessions, Q & A sessions, most  simulations as well as watch the demonstrations and observe those with horses practice the techniques. People coming without their horses are not just fence sitters. All of these "non-hands on" with horses sessions actually make up a big percentage of this course so the fee is priced appropriately.

VENUE DETAILS

Barbara Cooper's property
463 Gladigau Rd
Woodside/Harrogate

barb.cooper463@gmail.com

0492 444 562‬

Barb's property is a purpose built horsemanship centre with many great horse training areas, great horse accomodation with very safe small paddocks and yards. It is one of my favourite places to teach.

Register on line

You can make your payment by direct deposit, credit card (2% surcharge) or by PayPal (2.6% surcharge). If you are booking for more than one course you can just fill out one form and put all the courses on there that you wish to regsiter for.
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