ABOUT DIANA WATERS

When Riding Looked Good But Felt Wrong

In my early twenties, I had one clear dream: to ride in complete harmony with my horse.

I studied, qualified, sat exams, and worked at riding centres across the UK. From the outside, I was doing well. I passed advanced tests and was often told my riding looked good.

Inside, though, it felt different.

Riding required constant effort. My legs and hands were always doing something. Every moment felt managed rather than shared. Nothing was technically wrong, yet the ride never felt quiet, light, or truly connected.

What troubled me most was that no one seemed able to teach what I was searching for. I began to wonder whether the kind of riding I longed for was unrealistic, or reserved for riders with more talent, better timing, or something I simply did not have.

The Turning Point

Two experiences shifted everything for me.

The first was discovering my mentor, Heather Moffett, and the French classical movement known as the School Walk.

The second was working with my Icelandic horse, Svalur, where I made the decision to slow everything down far beyond what felt normal or comfortable.

As I did, I began to see what I had been missing all along.

The secret to effortless riding was not hidden in advanced movements or building rider strength and fitness. It was hidden in the most underestimated gait of all. The walk.

Not a hurried walk. Not a marching walk. But a slow, connected walk that reveals balance, flow and truth.

As we worked this way, Svalur’s movement transformed across every gait. His posture, balance, and willingness improved so profoundly that we went on to win the British Championship.

More importantly, riding stopped feeling like something I was doing to him. It became something we were creating together.

Why Walk Changes Everything

When you understand walk, you understand the horse.

This is where imbalance shows itself, resistance becomes visible and genuine connection builds.

Through what I now call Slow Walk Work, I began to see consistent changes, not only in my own horses, but in the horses of riders I worked with:

Horses choosing to stand square without being placed. Toplines rounding and strengthening, contact softening, movement becoming freer and more organised. Horses becoming calmer, happier, and more willing to offer forward energy.

Just as importantly, riders became quieter and stiller, flowing seamlessly with the horse. Aids became invisible.. The constant need to correct faded away.

The quality you find in the walk flows into every other gait, every transition, and every ride.

This Is Not About Talent

This kind of riding is not reserved for the naturally gifted or the most experienced.

It does not rely on strength or force. It relies on awareness, timing, and feel. It is a skill that can be learned.

Over time, I distilled this work into a clear, practical method that riders could apply with their own horses, regardless of discipline or background.

That method is The Power of Walk.

A Grounded Foundation

My background includes BHS and EA coaching qualifications and training as an Enlightened Equitation instructor. 

But The Power of Walk did not grow from qualifications alone.

It grew from years of questioning what truly creates ease, balance, and connection. From observing what horses consistently offer when pressure is reduced. From listening closely to what changes when riders stop doing more and begin doing less.

The Power of Walk is built on that foundation, shaped by lived experience, careful observation, and a commitment to riding that feels as good as it looks.

DECEMBER 2025

Ride iQ Ask The Expert

 In this podcast I chat with Jessa from Ride IQ and answer her questions and those from their members about Walk Work and what really happens when you lean into slowing down. We talk through some common misconceptions about walk work, including the difference between a lazy walk and a slow walk.

OCTOBER 2025

Unbridled Conversations

A great listen - full of good old-fashioned British humour, a touch of cynicism, and brutal honesty! Hannah and Charlotte ask me the questions everyone’s thinking but no one quite knows how to say!

OCTOBER 2025

Listen with Equiteam

Listen to my conversation with Liz Daniels from Equiteam, where I share how teaching a true slow walk can ‘unkink the hose’, improving posture, balance and connection, and how small changes can create big transformation.

SEPTEMBER 2025

The Curious Equestrian Podcast

Listen (or watch!) as I chat with the brilliant Anna Louise Claydon from Curious Equestrian about what makes Slow Walk Work so powerful. A great resource if you want a clear overview of Slow Walk Work and how it can transform the way you connect with your horse.

APRIL 2024

The Whole Horse Podcast

Listen to my conversation with Alexa Linton from the Whole Horse Podcast where I discuss my passion for training in walk as well as an a difficult but important discussion about what we do when we are unable to help a horse in profound pain.

FEBRUARY 2024

Horse Chats

Here I talk with Glenys Cox of the Horse Chats podcast about my experiences using walk work in French classical dressage and the misconceptions that surround the idea of letting our horses slow down.