What is Manolo's Philosophy for Training Horses?
Manolo lives, trains and teaches by the tenet that true harmony and understanding between horse and human can never be attained if the human wants only to exploit the horse to serve his purpose. It must be about what the human can give to the horse.
Therefore, the health and welfare of the horse should be paramount in training for any discipline and at any level. The purpose of such training should be to allow the horse to reach his full potential with his full and willing cooperation and without compromising his integrity or pushing him beyond his mental and physical abilities as an individual. Manolo has held these beliefs throughout his life.
Manolo has observed that in many cases, training shortcuts are taken, so that horses are pushed to perform high school movements before they are strong enough or mature enough, and forced into false collection by means of bit and spurs. That is why riding is - and remains - an education in humanity.
Manolo's training method is simple and uncomplicated to the horse's mind. Yet to describe "how" Manolo goes about his training is difficult to capture in its entirety. Every situation is different and training is adapted to suit the horse and rider combination. However, Manolo stresses that setting the foundation for more advanced training is extremely important to a horse's mental and physical state as a whole. The training scale that Manolo adopts is felxible.
To better understand Manolo's training methods, an insight into "why" he trains the way he does is explored. Several articles have been written to explain certain aspects of Manolo's training.
To view current articles, please click here.
Manolo is dedicated to the concept of a soft, sympathetic and thorough training method - which will prepare your horse physically and psychologially for each stage of training.
One of the select few that truly understands the art of lunging and in-hand work, Manolo creates softness, trust and correct muscle development. It is a beneficial part of training as it encourages the horse to relax and focus on you - and teaches the rider timing and feel that is crucial for good riding.
Manolo fosters the art of Classical Dressage through confidence and happiness of the horse. He trains horses and riders to the highest international level.