Work With Me
For Horses
For horses, I offer TTEAM (Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method).
For Riders
For riders, I offer individual Feldenkrais lessons, as well as group classes.
For Horses and Riders
I offer mounted Feldenkrais, classical in-hand, and long-reining lessons.
For horses, I offer TTEAM groundwork and bodywork.
TTEAM
TTEAM (Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method) is a teaching method for horses and other animals. TTEAM incorporates body work, ground exercises and ridden work as appropriate, to improve co-ordination and balance/athletic ability, whilst deepening communication, understanding and respect between an animal and its owner or trainer.
TTEAM helps increase levels of self-confidence and self-control. It also reduces the physical and mental stress created by human contact, handling, environment and other sub optimum environmental conditions. It reduces chronic pain and poor functioning, which also cause stress.
TTOUCH
TTOUCH finds areas in the animal’s body that indicate tension, fear of contact or discomfort. Specific movements and Ttouches are used to improve circulation, release tension and promote a greater sense of well-being. Learning just a few of the body Ttouches by working with a trained practitioner or attending a workshop can make a difference to an animal’s life.
Leading and Confidence Course
TTEAM leading exercises enable the horse to override old patterns of movement and behaviour without the use of fear or force. This type of groundwork improves co-ordination, confidence, focus, self control, balance and co-operation.
Ridden Exercises
These help the horse to move in a more balanced, co-ordinated , confident and fluid manner.
I'm based at the Dovecote Stables, Hastings Hill, Churchill, OX7 6NG (www.equinethos.co.uk/home/the-dovecote-stables).
Contact me on 01865 862272 or joy@thejoyofmovement.co.uk to find out more about how I can help your horse develop their ability in a calm, focused mode.
Like trying to do brain surgery with a garden hoe, the poor seat and position cannot be used with the refinement needed to do excellent work. The last four percent of the position corrections brings most of the good effects to our aiding influence on the horse. ~ Erik Herbermann, A Horseman’s Notes
For riders, I use the Feldenkrais Method to offer group Awareness Through Movement classes and individual Functional Integration lessons.
Regular Feldenkrais lessons can improve posture, balance and co-ordination, all of which are vital for horse-riding.
Stretching a muscle group in isolation is a popular method of overcoming stiffness, but unless the nervous system is re-programmed then there will still be a continuous conscious struggle to overcome old habits. How much more effective it is to re-educate the nervous system than to fight it.
Feldenkrais makes the job of the riding instructor so much easier – a pupil who is aware of their own body can respond with desired changes much more accurately than one who is still struggling to control their own body let alone that of the horse. My mentor called it an ‘amplifier’ for progress in my own development as a rider.
A warning – results from this work are not always instant, but I have noticed that those who feel the least effect initially are often the ones who benefit most in the long term.
I currently offer fortnightly group Feldenkrais classes for riders in Cumnor, OX2 9QF, as well as monthly workshops at Dovecote Stables, Hastings Hill, Churchill, OX7 6NG (www.equinethos.co.uk/home/the-dovecote-stables).
Contact me on 01865 862272 or joy@thejoyofmovement.co.uk to find out more about individual Feldenkrais lessons, and upcoming classes and workshops aimed specifically at riders. Alternatively, sign up to mailing list at the bottom of the page or have a look at my News section for all the latest workshops and events.
The Feldenkrais Method is a valuable tool in the rider’s toolbox. I have personally experienced significant changes and development in my riding through sessions with trainer, Joy Morris. I am consistently impressed with the improvements in my client’s body awareness and feel after practising Feldenkrais. Joy Morris is an enthusiastic coach and has provided fun and informative sessions which have been enjoyed and appreciated by all attending – I highly recommend Feldenkrais, not only for horse riders but for anyone wishing to improve their flexibility, body awareness or aiding recovery after injury. ~ Emily Jane Baker, Director Equinethos LTD and The Dovecote Stables, International Trainer, Rider and NLP Coach
For horses and riders, I offer a variety of clinics and lessons. In addition to mounted Feldenkrais lessons, I offer classical in-hand and long-reining lessons following the Portuguese tradition as taught by the world-renowned master Luis Valenca.
I also create full-day bespoke packages for you and your horse. These are tailored to your requirements and can include TTEAM groundwork and bodywork, as well as the items mentioned above.
Lessons and bespoke packages usually take place at Dovecote Stables in Oxfordshire (www.equinethos.co.uk/home/the-dovecote-stables).
I am also a teacher on Arrow Week at Arrow Equestrian (www.arrowequestrian.co.uk) where there is the opportunity of riding classically trained schoolmasters.
Contact me on 01865 862272 or joy@thejoyofmovement.co.uk to discuss your individual requirements and to find out more about upcoming classes and workshops. Alternatively, sign up to my mailing list at the bottom of the page, or have a look at my News section for all the latest workshops and events.
I first met Joy when she came to me for a lesson on the vaulting roller some 12 years ago and we have been firm friends ever since. We have shared a wide range of experiences – riding in Portugal, clinics with Filipa Valenca and Erik Herbermann plus 'body work' for both horse and rider. Her boundless enthusiasm is infectious and her desire to see others succeed makes her an excellent teacher and therapist. I have found her Feldenkrais and Craniosacral sessions hugely beneficial both for my riding and for my general wellbeing. She is a regular teacher at our Annual Arrow Equestrian Week, offering Work in Hand, Long Reining, mounted Feldenkrais and TTEAM lessons and is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes dull world of 'Serious Dressage'. You will always come out of a session with Joy with a smile on your face. She is well named – Joy! ~ Sue Nevill Parker, Arrow Equestrian Centre
