Many equestrians and riding instructors use balls to improve their posture, movement, and cues. Almost none of them are certified in Franklin Method® (FM) Balls, which means most riders and teachers are missing out on 75% of the benefits of using balls.

Now there’s a chance to expand your toolkit by learning Franklin Method® philosophy, embodied function, and Dynamic Neuro-cognitive Imagery™.

If you’re already using the balls, your results are going to multiply. If you’ve never tried them, you’ll unleash a whole new level of potential in yourself and your horse.

“As a rider and keen proponent of classical dressage I was very aware of my own weaknesses and asymmetries but never very sure of how I could address them, something always seemed to be missing. The Franklin Method workshop has really helped to bridge that understanding, specifically by waking up my awareness of what it was that I was actually doing. The workshop is really thorough taking you through various exercises from head to toe. I was amazed at what I found out about myself from doing some of the tiniest movements. I followed the exercises and was really impressed with the effects, particularly in terms of achieving more suppleness, which has had positive consequences for my riding. “

-Jane Moon

Why take this certification workshop?

Perhaps you know what you should be doing in the saddle, but sometimes you just feel physically and/or mentally off, and you know your horse can feel that too. You want a practical approach to improving your riding skills and your connection with your horse.

If you’re a teacher, you’d take this certification workshop to expand your skill set, transform your teaching style, and guide your students to self-correct. No matter how good your cues are, if your students don’t have accurate body awareness and sharp focus, they can’t make the necessary corrections.

Your seat can’t be stiff and tight, because your horse will sense it and freeze up too. The same goes for your mindset. If you’re anxious or scatterbrained, your horse will feel that and take on that propensity as well.

You’ll learn exactly how to move your pelvis with your horse so you can communicate clearly and efficiently through your seat. Your horse will no longer have to compensate for your misalignments, freeing him or her up to perform at a higher level.

Improper movement creates “static” in your connection with your horse, which ultimately wastes time and energy. No matter how good your instructor is, if you can’t self-correct your alignment you can’t improve your skill level.

Instructors will learn how to help their students self-correct through anatomical cues, imagery, and aligned movement.

It’s easier to make self-corrections when you’re highly in tune with your body, mentally focused, and deeply aware of how your muscles, bones, and organs work.

Franklin Method® gives you practical tools to focus your mind and become more self-aware so you can improve your connection with your horse. The FM approach also greatly improves proprioception, or your ability to feel what’s going on in your own body, and what’s going on for your horse.

Eric Franklin is the founder and director of the Franklin Method. He created the Method over 25 years ago, first teaching in Switzerland, Germany and Austria and further in the USA, China, Japan and many other countries. He earned his BS from the University of Zurich and his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Eric teaches at universities and schools throughout the world including the Juilliard School in New York, Rutgers University, the University of Vienna, the Royal Ballet School and the Laban Center in London. He has taught Beyonce’s & Celine Dion’s world tour dance companies.  In 1998 he introduced the first dance conditioning methodology to mainland China. Eric presents his work at numerous conferences, and is the author of 21 books teaching on the Franklin Method.

Alysen Starko – Bowes is a level 3 Franklin Method Educator, Franklin Method Faculty Member and Franklin Method Equestrian Educator. She studied Psychology in University and has a movement background in dance and pilates.

Alysen got started in the horse world while working with a professional dressage rider to prepare her for showing. Since then, she’s been working extensively with equestrians from several disciplines on improving their mind-body coordination both in and out of the saddle. In 2017, she partnered with Franklin Method founder Eric Franklin to create the first official Franklin Method online course for equestrians. This course shows you how the Franklin Method can be applied within riding.  As the leader of FM Equestrian, she travels across North America teaching workshops, riding clinics and teacher trainings.

“USING THE FRANKLIN METHOD, INFLUENCED ME TO THINK ABOUT HOW EVERY MOVEMENT OR ALIGNMENT OF THE BODY FELT TO THE BODY AS A WHOLE. I BEGAN TO GET INTO BETTER TOUCH WITH NOT ONLY MY SEAT, BUT EVERY PART OF MY BODY, AND MY BODY BETTER CONNECTED WITH MY MIND.  WHEN I BEGAN RIDING AGAIN IN THE SPRING, I FELT THAT I WAS ABLE TO MENTALLY CONNECT WITH MY MARE VERY QUICKLY, AS MY BODY/MIND WERE GREATLY IMPROVED WITH THE TEACHINGS.  MY APPROACH TO RIDING SESSIONS SEEMED CALMER AND QUIETER, AND I WAS ABLE TO BECOME A SOFTER AND BETTER RIDER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.”

-NANCY SPEAR

Do you already have your Franklin Method Balls? If not you can find the full set here!