Horse trainer & Riding
instructor
Bob Wood is a lifelong horseman trained in the 1950s by a US Cavalry instructor, with the highest standards of horsemanship in the Balanced/Fort Riley Seat. He has trained horses for 40 years, and successfully competed, taught and coached in the traditional equestrian sports of polo, fox hunting and eventing. "Riding is a sport, not a hobby" is Bob's favorite saying, and his method is more one of a coach than of the contemporary "heels down" instructional approach.
Bob Wood began riding in 1953 under the direction
of a U.S. Cavalry instructor. The Cavalry was dismounted ten years before, in
favor of "mechanized" transportation. During this time, many Cavalrymen
began to train young riders with the sincere belief that the Army would recover
their senses, and return the horse in the ranks. A surprising number of riding
schools in the 50's taught the military seat with this goal of ultimately
preserving the military seat for the military
Bob Wood, along with many young boys of that
period, learned to ride primarily over difficult terrain, with their instructor
commanding the “troop” using military hand signals. The correct answer to
questions such as, "Why do we ride forward down a steep slope?" was
"Because we make a smaller target." For a young boy riding his first
horse, this military atmosphere made an exciting experience into even more of an
exhilarating and noble pursuit. Elements like character and bravery were
inseparable from concepts of balance and timing in the process of learning to
ride. |
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Bob Wood teaches from the tradition of military
"Campaign Riding" using the Balanced Seat. The traditions and the seat of this school of thought
are global. They have their roots in Russian Cossacks and Hussars, the Cadre
Noir of Saumur, and the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley. These are not
trendy equestrian concepts, or stylized show riding, but rather battle tested
principles of the relationship between a horse and rider that kept men alive on
their horses in the most dire circumstances. This particular way of riding was
practical for the military rider over terrain, and used the horse to it's
fullest potential.
Today, especially dangerous sports like polo, eventing and
fox hunting, the majority of riders still employ many or all of the advanced
fundamentals of the military seat, leaving the contemporary innovations to the
show riders who are comfortable in flat arenas with their evenly groomed
footing. |
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At twenty, Bob moved west to work on a breeding
ranch in California. The word "breaking" was still used to start young
horses, but the ranch trainer that he worked under interpreted breaking to mean
discovering how to type a horse by temperament and ability, and then use that
information to develop a horse’s potential. This sort of natural horsemanship
(small "n" small "h") pre-dated the big name trainers of
today, and the method was simply considered the easiest way to get the training
day’s work done.
In his journeyman days after the ranch, Bob
worked at a number of varied barns, and learned from horsemen and women ranging
from nationally known breed trainers, professional international polo players, and show
jumpers. Throughout his experiences he continued to measure what he learned
against in terms of his early training in the military seat.
Over the years Bob
has evolved his own style of teaching and training incorporating increasing
amounts of dressage as well as other refinements that have proven useful to him
in his work over the years.
Bob has helped beginning, intermediate, and
advanced riders and horse owners build their confidence, knowledge, and skill in a
number of equestrian athletic disciplines. His primary focus is on developing a
rider’s relationship with their horse through relaxation and unity, in order
to increase performance level through communication. Bob has trained horses and riders for equestrian
sports, primarily polo and cross-country jumping, while competing in these and
other sports like fox hunting, team penning, and endurance riding.
His trademark
opposition to trends, packaged systems, and short cuts, in favor of learning
primarily from the horse you are riding is simple to understand. It teaches a
rider to use common sense and logic to understand and develop his or her
relationship with the horse. |
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