In Hand exercises help the horse both physically and mentally, developing them to be more strong, supple, and balanced in their body as well as calm and focused in their mind.
Through In Hand work, we teach the horse to be aware of his body, to bend evenly to both sides, and to move forwards, backwards, and laterally smoothly and softly. |
In 18 years of teaching clinics around the world and starting over 3,000 young horses, Patrick has refined the in hand work he teaches to a simple progression of exercises.
Patrick has a unique breadth of experience, riding in varied disciplines, and studying with many other master horsemen, including Ray Hunt, Mark Russell, and Master Luis Valenca. He specializes in teaching the principles of classical dressage to riders from ALL disciplines. In this training, Patrick King is going to take you through a series of fun exercises that will help your horse find relaxation, to both move and feel better. |
Patrick is engaging and clear in how he teaches. I love that he gives the horses confidence and allows them to have some expression in the process. ~ Dani Henry |
I just want to say thank you and let you know how much this is helping both my horse and me. We’re really making progress with position 1 and 2. I think my horse is really enjoying this ground work and the thoughtful yet quietness of it. ~ Amy |
Thank you! I have 3 rescue horses and they raced and each has a different issue. Your explanations are easy to understand! I'm very happy because I know I'll be able to help my mares with your guidance. ~ Anne Testa |
Each Lesson is broken into manageable videos so you can watch as little or as much as you have time for - and review specific lessons quickly and easily.
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In this first part of the course, you will learn why in hand work is important for any horse, and the essential responses your horse will need to understand before getting started with this work.
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Once you've gone through the preparation work with your horse, you’re ready to work on basic in hand exercises.
Regardless of the discipline you're riding, these in hand exercises are going to help your horse to achieve better alignment of his body, better engagement of his haunches, and more freedom through the shoulders.
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We began with exercises to develop mobility in your horse’s body as well as rhythm in his movement. Now we progress to exercises that lead us further on the path to collection and build strength in the horse’s body.
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We are now moving on to exercises in the bridle, where we have an outside rein to connect and collect the horse.
In this section, we ask our horse for more engagement and connection to the hindquarters. From here we can change position and do more lateral work, affecting the position of the haunches, the engagement, and ultimately the degree of collection that we get from our horse. This is where it starts to get really fun!
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Now that you have gone through the first steps of the positions, it is time to practice patterns. These patterns will encourage you to move through the transitions more fluidly from one position to another.
In this section, you will work through several of the patterns with your horse, plus watch Patrick coach several other horse/rider pairs through the patterns.
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The Online Course WorkbookGo through each Lesson in your personal workbook, answering questions about you and your horse, and recording your thoughts and ideas while you are in the moment.
The workbook reinforces your learning by having an easy to access manual to follow along with during the course videos and to refer back to. |
BONUS › Anatomy of Collection
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BONUS › One on One Video Coaching with PatrickAs part of this In Hand program, you get to work one on one with Patrick through video coaching.
Send in two videos with you and your horse - one as you begin the course to get Patrick's expert feedback on the fundamental positions, and then another video any time you would like feedback on your progress to more advanced work. |
BONUS › The Pattern PackThe Pattern Pack contains 5 additional patterns to keep your In Hand work focused, interesting, and challenging for you and your horse.
The Patterns provide direction and purpose to your practice. If you ever go into a training session and feel as though you get stuck now knowing what to work on next, practicing the patterns keeps you focused and moving ahead! |
Join in the first 48 hours to reserve your virtual seat at the Bonus Live Class with Patrick and have the opportunity to get Live Feedback for you and your horse!
This is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and get the solutions for where you may be stuck, or simply to know which exercise to focus on for you and your horse. There will be an opportunity to send in a video for a video “hotseat” on the call, with personalized feedback from Patrick. This is in addition to the one on one video coaching already included in the course! The Live Class will be recorded, so you can also send in questions early and watch the recording later if you can’t make it live. |
Grace Has Come A Long Way... |
Our Bond Has Improved... |
Detailed explanation, clear videos, builds relaxation, balance and most interestingly improved our relationship by having quiet quality slow work time together instead of always working on forward. Also great for off weather practice when the ground prohibits riding. ~ Ro Wellmaker |
I loved the flow of the course, the short segments, along with the written (digital) content I can print and study from. Viewed all, but still working on position 1 and 2... Grace has blossomed from this in hand work and it has given me more confidence to handle her. Looking forward to seeing how she will respond under saddle. ~ Christa Page |
A real a-ha! moment for me with the description of what is likely going on when I hear people say 'dropped shoulder' on the circle. This is the first completely understandable description I've ever heard of what is going on and why it's a balance problem. Thanks for communicating this in a way that I can understand! ~ Deborah H |