Who is Erica Poseley and how can she improve my riding?
Erica Poseley is a rider biomechanics expert, who specializes in lunging riders to
improve their seats. She is also a certified Ride With Your Mind
Coach. In addition she is the first person in the United States to earn
a Diploma of Equitation Science from Dr. Andrew McLean’s
International course on Equine Learning Theory.
Erica has trained and competed horses in dressage through all of the US national levels.
Her lifetime with horses includes showing horses in hand, jumping, eventing,
dressage and teaching all ages. She has earned her USDF Bronze
medal. Here you can read some Testimonials
from Erica's students to see how she has helped them.
Erica Introduces Herself:
Erica Poseley shares her inspirational
story of searching through four different counties to find the
answers to ride, train, and teach in the most effective, safe, humane and
kind way.
"Hi, I'm Erica Poseley and I have spent the last 30 years developing an
expertise in the dressage seat and position. I have ridden dressage since 1970
and have always had a nice seat, but as an athletic woman checking in at
only 5'1" and 100 pounds, I had to get a "doctorate" in advanced seat and position
to be effective with any equine larger than a St. Bernard!"
"My background in martial arts (3rd degree black belt), tennis, skiing,
surfing and a lifetime of riding gives me a deep understanding of the many
ways to teach and communicate with riders. My background as a philosophy
graduate (Cum Laude BA from UCLA) has given me the tools to communicate clearly.
During lunging and riding lessons, I can give you the immediate, in the moment
feedback that is essential to improving your riding, whether it be concerning
your position or the application of Equine Learning Theory to your riding.
I take your learning seriously and will do everything I can to help you
achieve your goal. Some riders are apprehensive about lunging or have a
horse who isn't reliable on the lunge -
my techniques work well on and off the lunge.
My goal is to improve your seat and position to enable you to improve both
your communication and relationship with your horse."
Early Education:,
Erica's education includes traveling from Maui, Hawaii to be a working student
during the summers for three years with
J. Ashton Moore and Elizabeth Searle of Osierlea,
followed by a one and a half year apprenticeship with them.
Through Liz and Jeff, Erica was able
participated in a 3 week intensive study with the Baron
von Blixen-Finecke. She has also studied with Jennifer Roth,
who introduced her to Dietrich von Hoppfgarten with whom
Erica attended regular clinics for almost ten years.
In the mid 1990's Erica started riding with FEI trainer and judge
Sandy Howard, who would become one of her long term mentors
until her death in 2013.
Introduction to Mary Wanless:
Sandy Howard introduced Erica to Mary Wanless in the early 90's and Erica has
studied with her ever since. Mary is renowned for her knowledge of rider biomechanics and
has also given Erica advanced training in teaching riding biomechanics.
Mary visits the US for clinics in which Erica participates at least once a year.
Off to Germany!
Erica went to Germany in 1996 on a quest to improve her seat and riding, inspired to
ride at the school of the mentor of her teacher Dietrich von Hoppfgarten, Egon von Neindorff.
von Neindorff was one of the most renowned masters of developing the seat. She studied
at Reitinstitut von Neindorff in Karlsruhe, Germany.
While there Erica studied with Head Rider Melissa Sims
for a month and learned, among other things, the classical art
of lunging the rider. Erica worked for Melissa Sims in California for the
summer the following year and began to specialize in teaching the rider on the lunge.
Journeys to the UK:
In 2011, Erica journeyed to England for a month of intensive seat work
with Mary Wanless and met her colleague Ali Wakelin.
She returned to the UK several more times to ride and study with both with
Mary Wanless and Ali Wakelin. Erica spent three weeks of
intensive training with Mary, including one on one training sessions and
completing several Teacher Training Courses. This culminated in Erica receiving
her coaching accreditation and she is a certified
Mary Wanless Ride With Your Mind Coach.
Improving training and teaching with Learning Theory:
While working with Ali Wakelin in the UK, Erica received her
first exposure to Dr. Andrew and Manuela McLean,
as Ali is also one of their students. Ali
showed Erica Dr. McLean's ground work methods and she was hooked. Since then
Erica has traveled to both Canada and Australia to work with Andrew and
his wife Manuela in person for weeks at a time. She was able to learn a
scientific evidence based system of how horses truly
learn from one of the founders of the very recent field called equitation science.
Erica is the first person in the United States to be awarded a
Diploma of Equitation Science from Dr. Andrew
McLean’s International course on Equine Learning Theory after two years of study.
"I teach clinics throughout the West Coast and I am also available for clinics
anywhere in North American. During lunging and riding lessons,
I break down each element that creates the correct seat and focus on what
your specific needs are at any given time. A better seat enables you
to give clear cues, improving communication with your horse
and making for a more harmonious ride. Students are consistently amazed at
their improvement in a short period of time through increasing their
awareness of their body."
To Schedule an Seat Lesson or Equine Learning Theory Consultation:
Contact Erica at erica@gotseat.com or
call Erica at (831) 206-9613
Long distance Video Consultations also available, click
Here
for more details.
Combining an understanding of how the horse learns with improved rider biomechanics
makes the whole riding experience more harmonious and satisfying.
How do we communicate with
our horse? Via cues or pressures. A correct seat gives you the tools
to give these cues in a very precise, clear way,
improving your communication with your horse.
"Horse training is not a magical process,
it is a systematic science. Learning theory explains how learning
occurs and gives clear guidelines for effective training"
Broaden your horizons with Erica's library of instructional videos on
rider biomechanics, dressage training and the basics of Equine Learning Theory.
Erica strives to breakdown these topics into bite size lessons.
Who is Erica Poseley?
And what can she do for you? Meet Erica and see how
her breadth of knowledge can give you the tools to improve
both your communication and relationship with your horse.