Training Piaffe & The Road to Collection: Connection, Communication, & Biomechanics with Kelly de Geus

In this episode of The Horsemanship Breakthroughs Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Kelly de Geus: an amazing horsewoman known for her ability to train horses the piaffe in a light, soft, willing, biomechanically correct way. Kelly de Geus is a dedicated horse trainer and coach from the Netherlands, who has been captivated by horses for as long as she can remember. For over a decade, Kelly's main focus has been on training horses herself, developing a specialty in teaching horses to piaffe and passage in hand. This is always a result of optimal communication and body use, and never a quick fix or trick. Having trained over 1000 horses in hand, Kelly now primarily focuses on sharing the knowledge she gained by doing so, thereby helping more people (and, in turn, more horses) feel better, improve posture and optimise performance.

I first reached out to Kelly for online lessons years ago after being mesmerised by how light and happy her horses looked in the piaffe. At the time, she didn’t have online resources, but she agreed to help me through online lessons and I was blown away by her approach. She taught me that that piaffe is reflection of correct basics, and that there are a sequence of things that need to be in place before the piaffe is possible. Her values in training horses align closely to my own so I am so happy to share her voice with the horse world.

In this episode, we cover:

✨ The true purpose of piaffe as a diagnostic and gymnastic exercise (it’s more than just fancy footwork and it’s not a ‘circus trick’!)

✨The importance of conncection, communication, & biomechanics ✨ Common mistakes & how to know if your horse is ready to start training the piaffe

✨ The groundwork that sets the foundation for collection ✨ Adjusting her training approach to different horses

✨The role of positive reinforcement in her training

✨Plus so much more!

If you’ve ever dreamed of training the piaffe, this is THE episode for you!

🎧 Listen now and check out the links below to learn more from Kelly!

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🔗 LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:

• The Road to Collection course: https://www.kellydegeus.com/the-road-to-collection
• Warm-Up Mini Course: https://www.kellydegeus.com/mini-course-warm-up-reinvented
• Kelly’s webinars: https://www.kellydegeus.com/webinars

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📚 Kelly’s Recommended Books:

• Tug of War: Classical Versus “Modern” Dressage by Gerd Heuschmann
• Hope... From the Heart of Horses: How Horses Teach Us About Presence, Strength, and Awareness by Kathy Pike
• The Principles of Training by Warwick Schiller
• Wired for Connection: How Horses Teach Us to Understand Ourselves by Lucie Klaassen

And remember you can get a free PDF document of all the books & recommendations mentioned on the podcast here →amaliadempsey.com/booklist

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EXTRA RESOURCES TO HELP YOU AND YOUR HORSE:

📚 Book & Resource List: Get all the books & recommendations mentioned on the podcast → amaliadempsey.com/booklist

🐴 Free Mini-Course: Build a deeper connection & communication with your horse → amaliadempsey.com/ccmc

🏋️‍♀️ Free Rider Exercises: Improve your biomechanics with 10 unmounted exercises → amaliadempsey.com/exercises

💪 8-Week Rider Exercise Program: Transform your riding with structured, rider-specific exercises → amaliadempsey.com/8-week-rider-specific-exercise-program

🐎 Horsemanship Fundamentals Academy: Create a happy, confident, and trusting partnership with your horse on the ground and in the saddle → amaliadempsey.com/Horsemanship-Fundamentals-Academy

🚛 Trailer Loading Success: Say goodbye to stressful trailer loading with this $9 roadmap → amaliadempsey.com/trailer-loading-success-roadmap

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📸 Take a screenshot and share this episode on social media! I'd love to hear what resonated with you the most! And knowing that this pod has made an impact makes my day!

🤝 Connect with me on Instagram @amalia_horses and Facebook: Amalia Dempsey Horsemanship

💕 Explore more horsemanship resources at www.amaliadempsey.com

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Keywords: Horsemanship, Rider Biomechanics, Positive Reinforcement, Horse Training, Liberty Training, Postpartum Riding Fitness, Equine Welfare, Ethical Horse Training, Groundwork Exercises, Enrichment for Horses, Clicker Training, Horse & Rider Connection, Strength & Mobility for Riders, Return to Riding Program, Balanced Riding, Harmony with Horses, Horse Behavior & Communication, Holistic Horsemanship, Ethical Riding Practices, Mindful Horsemanship, Classical Dressage, Softness & Lightness, Rider Posture & Alignment, Core Strength for Riders, Horse Agility, Bitless Riding, Bareback Riding, Young Horse Development, Confidence Building for Riders, Problem-Solving in Horse Training, Kelly de Geus, Piaffe, Road to Collection, Training Collection, Dressage, In-Hand Dressage, Later movements, Grand Prix Dressage