Yes, because it’s a practical course you will need a horse to work with and a space where you are able to focus without distractions. If it’s not your own horse, for example if you are borrowing somebody else’s horse, the owner needs to be happy to allow you the space to do things “your way”. It is better if you work with the same horse for the duration of the course.

The Power of Walk is designed as a fully self-led course, without live coaching or group calls.

This is because the work you’re learning isn’t about being corrected in the moment or relying on someone else to tell you what to do. It’s about developing your own eye, feel, and judgement so that you can respond to your horse independently.

Over time, this tends to create deeper and more lasting change, as you’re learning how to notice and adjust for yourself rather than waiting for external feedback.

Yes, with some consideration.

You can continue gentle activities such as relaxed hacking, trail rides, or allowing your horse free movement. These often support the work rather than interfere with it.

While you are actively working through the programme, it’s important to avoid riding with strong or forceful aids. The Power of Walk is about reducing pressure and helping the horse rediscover willingness and self-organisation. Mixing this with strong riding can slow progress or create confusion, particularly for horses who have previously been ridden with a lot of pressure.

Horses need time to trust that this change is real.

If you compete, many riders find it helpful to pause competitions while focusing on the work. When they return, the quality of the connection, balance, and ease is often noticeably improved.

The aim is not to do less with your horse, but to give this work the clarity and consistency it needs to take root.

Essential

• Horse: You need a horse you can work with regularly, ideally one that is not being worked by others at the same time. The horse must be sound in walk, safe to lead, and have hooves that are correctly trimmed, balanced, and comfortable.
  
  
• Work area: A quiet, flat area with firm, level footing, away from distractions. If you are sensitive to the judgement of others, choose a space where you can work undisturbed.
  
  
• Bridle: A comfortable bridle with reins, bitted or bitless. If bitless, it should not tighten around the nose or face. Comfort for the horse is the priority.
  
  
• Saddle or bareback pad (if riding): Must fit both horse and rider, be balanced and comfortable, and allow you to sit upright and relaxed. The saddle should not tilt back and should place the rider over the ribcage, not too far back.
  
  

Optional

• An enclosed arena
  
  
• A dressage whip
  
  
• A Pivo (video robot) for recording sessions and receiving feedback or group coaching
  
  
• Pelham with double reins or Kimblewick with a soft elastic curb chain (and a lip strap for Pelhams), for horses already comfortable wearing a bit. This is only for students learning the optional jaw release technique. For general work, your horse’s usual bit or bitless bridle is fine.

The course materials are for your personal use and are not intended to be shared.

The Power of Walk represents many years of study, refinement, and lived experience, and the course is priced accordingly. We ask that you respect that by not sharing videos, materials, or logins.

You are, of course, very welcome to talk about the ideas, principles, and changes you experience through the work. Many riders find those conversations deepen their own understanding.

If a friend is curious, the best next step is for them to explore the course in their own time.

Yes.

Many riders who come to this work are not trying to fix a problem. They’re responding to a sense that riding still requires more effort and management than it should.

The Power of Walk is designed to help you understand why that effort is there, and how to reduce it by changing the underlying organisation rather than correcting symptoms.

Riders often discover that small shifts in awareness and timing create changes they had been working hard to achieve in other ways.

No specific level or discipline is required.

The work applies across disciplines because it focuses on balance, self-carriage, and connection rather than movements or outlines. Riders from a wide range of backgrounds find the principles translate clearly to their own goals.

What matters most is a willingness to slow down and pay attention to what is happening in the walk.

Although the work begins in the walk, it is not limited to the walk.

The quality developed there flows directly into every other gait. As balance, clarity, and self-carriage improve in the walk, riders commonly notice changes in transitions, rhythm, and ease throughout the ride.

The walk is where the foundation is built. Everything else rests on it.

The lessons are designed to be clear, practical, and easy to apply, so you always know what to focus on and what to observe.

You’re shown what the work should look like, what it should feel like, and some of the common patterns that can show up along the way, along with guidance on how to adjust when they do. You’ll also have access to the Course Extras and troubleshooting resources, which address common questions and sticking points in more detail and help you understand what to change when something doesn’t feel quite right.

Because you have lifetime access, you can revisit any lesson as often as you like and take the time you and your horse need to settle each step. Most sticking points soften simply by slowing down, reviewing the guidance, and returning to the foundations, which is very much part of how the course is intended to work.

Most riders find that around 20 minutes, three times a week is enough to see meaningful change.

The work is designed to integrate into your existing riding rather than add extra workload. Short, focused sessions are more effective than longer, effortful ones.

You are encouraged to move at a pace that suits both you and your horse.

No.

The course includes clear, step by step guidance for the in-hand work, even if this is completely new to you. Many riders begin without prior experience and find this part of the work especially valuable for developing feel and understanding.

Nothing is assumed. Everything is taught from the beginning.

The Power of Walk is not built around exercises designed to make something happen.

Instead, it teaches you how to see and feel what is already happening, and how to respond in a way that allows the horse to organise themselves. Riders often describe doing less, feeling more, and achieving changes that previously required constant effort.

The work is subtle, but the effects are lasting.

In most cases, yes.

The Power of Walk is designed to support both performance and wellbeing, and the method is gentle, consent-based, and guided by a clear principle of doing no harm. Because of this, most horses will gain some benefit from the work when it is applied thoughtfully.

Your horse should be comfortable and sound in the walk, meaning they can move freely on the surface you work on and are not in pain or footsore.

Very young horses may benefit from small, simple elements of the approach, but the full course is not recommended for horses under three years old, as their brains are still developing and sustained focus can be difficult at that stage.

As with any training, progress can be influenced by factors such as underlying physical or medical issues, saddle fit, hoof balance, rider weight, or participation in activities that place strain on the body. The course does not replace appropriate veterinary, bodywork, or professional support where these are needed.

You are encouraged to work at a pace that feels appropriate for your horse and to listen closely to what their body is telling you.

You will have lifetime access to the recorded course materials.

This allows you to revisit lessons, return to the work over time, and deepen your understanding as your riding evolves. Live elements run during the 10 week programme, with replays available where applicable.

I am sometimes asked to recommend equipment for those buying new gear. Here is my list of suggested items:

Bitless Bridles

• Lightrider Amalia Bitless Bridle
  
  
• Riding Halter Bitless Bridle
  
  

Pelham Bits (Optional)

• Any fixed mouthpiece (not jointed). Many horses like the Pelham Happy Tongue
  
  
• Use with an elastic curb strap and a lip strap (sold separately)
  
  

Saddles
For horses with wide, flat backs:

• Karlslund Kontakt3 Saddle — custom order recommended for old-style flat panels and no knee pads
  
  
• Total Contact Treeless Synthetic Saddle — requires appropriate padding
  
  

For narrower horses:

• Heather Moffett FlexEE Saddle — available in synthetic or leather

Bareback pad

• https://naturalhorseworld.com/product/lightrider-micro-suede-bareback-pad/

Pivo (Video Recording Device)

• Pivo Pod Equestrian Pack — ensure you get the Silver model. Accessories are not required unless you want them. Can also be found second hand.