Connected Riding with Peggy Cummings'

21/01/2025

🔥Peggy and Connected Riding Instructors utilize what is known as a “neutral pelvis position” core modality for riders to readily balance themselves while supporting their horses to rebalance at the same time.

✅ In this position, the rider’s core muscles automatically engage during movement to stabilize and rebalance the rider’s upper body.

✅ Neutral pelvis is the only posture where the rider’s extremities do not have to “hold on” to find balance. Once a rider’s body can “buoy” and rebalance freely with each stride, the horse carries the rider as live weight, allowing him to engage his hindquarters and lift his back without restriction.

✅ As riders learn to continually unlock, and sustain the freedom of movement in their own bodies, they consequently free up and maintain the flow of movement in their horse’s body.

🙏🏼 Attend one of Peggy Cummings clinic, courses, online sessions, private or group lessons to learn more about Connected Riding and share the magic of her work.

👩‍🏫Reach out to a CR Instructor today and book a lesson, a clinic, a course or an online session.

👩‍💻Go to Connected Riding website www.connectedriding.com

🗓️Check out CR CALENDAR to find dates

👩‍🎓Check out CR INSTRUCTOR page to find an instructor in your area!

✈️Instructors travel and will come to you!

🧳Or travel to an Instructor!

🔥Conneccted Riding is offered all over the world. We have INSTRUCTORS in ✔️USA
✔️Canada
✔️Europe
✔️Germany
✔️Spain
✔️United Kingdom
💥with many traveling throughout the continents!

15/01/2025

🙌 How Connected Riding Works for Both Horse and Rider 🙌

✅ It is essential to learn how to feel how different body parts move when in neutral posture, and what changes when you are not in neutral posture.

🐴 Peggy Cummings’ techniques involve learning the feeling and physical sensation of connection by riders recognizing when they are bracing against the horse’s movement and how to change it to receive and allow the movement through their bodies.

✅ This “allowing” through feel, timing, and rebalancing one’s body in motion must be developed just like any other form of dance 💃🏻 until the exercises are mastered to 💪muscle memory.

🎉 This is the point when riders realize the depth of the method! Peggy calls this “riding from the inside to the outside.”

🧭 When a rider is tense and out of balance, they brace to balance themselves becoming a “dead weight” drag against the horse’s movement. This immediately flattens the horse’s suspension, restricting freedom of motion, especially if the rider squeezes and bears downward on the back, which lessens the horse’s ability to lift, push, and move freely. Also, putting the horse “on the bit” or using gadgets (side reins, draw reins etc.) further puts the horse in a “false frame” of carriage especially since many horses are not started under saddle with the muscular development of a weight-bearing posture that allows them to carry both themselves and a rider in movement.

👩‍🏫Reach out to a CR Instructor today and book a lesson, a clinic, a course or an online session.

👩‍💻Go to Connected Riding website www.connectedriding.com

🗓️Check out CR CALENDAR to find dates

👩‍🎓Check out CR INSTRUCTOR page to find an instructor in your area!

✈️Instructors travel and will come to you!

🧳Or travel to an Instructor!

🔥Conneccted Riding is offered all over the world. We have INSTRUCTORS in ✔️USA
✔️Canada
✔️Europe
✔️Germany
✔️Spain
✔️United Kingdom
💥with many traveling throughout the continents!

13/01/2025

Connected Riding Synchronizes You with Your Horse!

🐴If you want to be one with your horse and ride in harmony, pain-free for hours, then Connected Riding is for you.

🏆Peggy Cummings, creator and founder of Connected Riding, has been teaching riders for over 50 years how to synchronize in movement with their horses.

📋Peggy has combined her lifelong observations of horses and riders with studies of biomechanics, human and equine mental disciplines, and energy techniques to devise an approach that is uniquely her own, always with the well-being of the horse in mind.

📓From years of research and experimentation, she has created a wholistic system of riding based on three modalities:

✔️Connected Riding ✔️Connected Groundwork
✔️Connected Movement

👩‍🏫Reach out to a CR Instructor today and book a lesson, a clinic, a course or an online session.

👩‍💻Go to Connected Riding website www.connectedriding.com

🗓️Check out CR CALENDAR to find dates

👩‍🎓Check out CR INSTRUCTOR page to find an instructor in your area!

✈️Instructors travel and will come to you!

🧳Or travel to an Instructor!

03/01/2025

🎉Happy New Year!! 🎊

I will be back on the road soon with my first stop in Virginia. 📍

✅Slide to access our website calendar for more details🌍

I hope that you can join me at one or all of my clinics! 😊

🍀My clinics are integrative to what riders needs are, reassurance, strengthening skills and more! I touch on all basics of Connected Riding.

🐴 I work with all types of riders; beginners, seasoned, retired ~ everyone is welcome.

🤗Clinics are open to all and I am looking forward to meeting new and past riders, so please do not hesitate in contacting our awesome organizers to book your spot or ask questions!

🕊️My hope is for everyone to experience Connected Riding to change old habits and begin new healthy ones for the New Year!

🙌 If you are unable to make one of my clinics please reach out to one of our instructors!

🔥CR instructors are always on the road so you might catch one of them in your area or better yet schedule your own exciting clinic!

🗓️Check our website for dates; they are always changing.

🎉It’s time for a fresh start for you and your horse. 🪅

✏️Reserve your spot today!!

Auditors Welcome 🤠

31/12/2024

It was another busy year and to close it out, here are a few pics from some of the places I have been this year:

I have taught in Washington State, Oregon, South Carolina, Michigan and Wisconsin in the USA. When I fly across the pond I stay very busy in Germany, Spain and the UK.
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A big thanks to Bibi Degn from Germany who has moved to southern Spain. She organized eight days of horses and rider combinations so that I could teach different concepts of Connected Riding. All the work was videoed and we will be able to use these videos for educational purposes once they are edited. We were blessed by the last-minute gift of being able to use high quality audio and video equipment. I am really looking forward to the finished products.
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I spent a few days with Robyn Hood and Mandy Pretty up in Canada.. These two very busy gals are such a support and inspiration to me and I treasure their advice and friendship. What a treat to reconnect!
The out of the box activities that I get to do continue to inspire me and I see the far reaching effect of Connected Movement. I co-taught a day workshop for Saddle Fitters in the UK with Sara Udal of Connect Equine Saddles. She is doing amazing work educating and raising awareness about saddle fit and the saddles allow the riders to sit in neutral posture. I also work with people that need help walking running or doing another sport such as biking, skiing. This work is so rewarding as it all begins with the alignment of the human body to create ease in movement.
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The joy of teaching and seeing returning students and meeting new ones is always inspiring to me. What is it that makes me pack my bags and travel?? Its to teach someone to recognize what bracing and rigidity does to inhibit movement, to feel the difference Neutral posture allows, and learn to find it again if they lose it. In addition, the Groundwork that these students do with their horses to loosen their bracing patterns and improve their ability to carry weight efficiently is rewarding to witness.

25/12/2024

I am grateful to all of you who have embraced learning this body of work and for the difference it is making to you and your horses. A special thanks to all the instructors and organizers and assistants and volutneers as you are indeed “critical spokes of the wheel”.


My special thanks to these ladies
Stephanie Jacobson my administrative assistant and she wears many hats.
Stephenie Willius who is in charge of the USA store and ordering all the product.
Trudy Affleck who is in charge of the CR Store in the UK and Elke Granzin in Germany.


I am really glad to be home at this time and through January. I relish being able to spend more time with my family and my wonderful dog Ozzie.


Happy Holidays to you all and I look forward to more adventures with you in the coming year!!

Peggy Cummings Founder of Connected Riding

23/12/2024

19/12/2024

Need a last minute Holiday Gift? Visit our ONLINE STORE today!

Discover amazing products curated by Peggy Cummings for you, your friend and/or horse.

Just starting your journey? Gear is seeing better days? Our store is a great place to start!!

Our books, halters, lines are not only for you but for you and your beloved horse, give him a special treat today!

Our Products

Peggy Cummings founder of Connected Riding has put together items for your enjoyment, learning and toolbox.
These are recommendations and items Peggy uses daily in her riding.
Some items have been developed exclusively for Connected Riding and are not for sale anywhere else. Our products are very popular and we hope that you find them to be beneficial in your everyday riding journey.

CONSIDER VISITING WWW.CONNECTEDRIDING.COM FOR YOUR HORSE TACK NEEDS!!!

SHOP LOCAL, SHOP SMALL BUSINESS, SUPPORT CONNECTED RIDING

PRODUCT MADE IN USA & GERMANY!! QUALITY MADE ITEMS TO LAST FOREVER!!

18/12/2024

Peggy Cummings founder of Connected Riding will discuss the following with a presentation that includes videos and a Q&A

WINTER IS COMING
“Party Tricks!”
EXERCISES FOR THE WINTER

MEMBERS ONLY
JOIN TODAY FOR ONLY $35.00 A YEAR
Can’t make this live zoom call, no worries all calls are recorded for later access.

DECEMBER 19, THURSDAY

USA 11:00 AM PST PACIFIC STANDARD TIME USA ~ Check the world clock for your country time based on USA

MEMBERS: Log in to access your zoom link - Once logged in, go to Membership and Go to Member Content to find the zoom link under HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY SKILLS WITHOUT A HORSE.
Non Members: Purchase a membership through our online store or click Membership to buy your membership today.
All members must create an account to access articles, past and current zoom calls. Plus a 5% discount on store items.

19/11/2024

Peggy Cummings founder of Connected Riding will discuss the following with a presentation that includes videos and a Q&A

WHY DO GROUNDWORK ~
• To teach a horse a weight bearing posture
• Maintain a horse when not being ridden
• Teach the horse a new skill
• Rehabilitate a horse that has issues

What is Special About Connected Riding
Connected Riding and Groundwork Core Principals
What is the Goal
Exercises

MEMBERS ONLY
JOIN TODAY FOR ONLY $35.00 A YEAR
Can’t make this live zoom call, no worries all calls are recorded for later access.

November 20, Wednesday

USA 11:00AM PST check the world clock for your country time based on PST pacific time USA

CONNECTED RIDING GROUNDWORK

Why do I do groundwork?
And what is special about Connected Riding Groundwork?
How does the horse learn to let go and find balance?
What advantages does this give me when riding?

MEMBERS: Log in to access your zoom link - Once logged in, go to Membership and Go to Member Content to find the zoom link under Connected Groundwork.
Non Members: Purchase a membership through our online store or click Membership to buy your membership today.
All members must create an account to access articles, past and current zoom calls. Plus a 5% discount on store items.

14/11/2024

𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅
Everyone likes to talk about the harm caused when a horse is ridden behind the vertical... but have you ever wondered why?

One (of the many) problems with a BTV position is that encourages incorrect flexion in the neck. In a healthy horse, the head will flex up and down at the first cervical vertebrae. This bone is known as the atlas or C1.

In an effort to avoid excessive pressure caused by a harsh bit, rider or gadgets (especially draw reins) many horses will begin flexing at the 3rd vertebrae (C3). "Broken at the 3rd" creates incorrect movement throughout the body and will quickly lead to pain and damage. Once a horse begins moving in this manner, it is extremely hard for them to unlearn and they may continue this harmful posture even when at or above the vertical.

16/09/2024

Horse and rider doing a fantastic job finding balance and Connection.

16/08/2024

ATTENTION CONNECTED RIDERS

WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE MUCH ANTICIPATED PRE-RECORDED ZOOM CALL FROM JULY 2

CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND JOIN OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO WATCH PEGGY DISCUSS FINDING NEUTRAL PELVIS

AND DONT FORGET TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR PEGGY'S NEXT ZOOM CALL AUGUST 22 11:00AMPST

https://youtu.be/dr6gWONS4Rk?si=fPj11KR_45vB9Y29

05/08/2024

Connection starts with good posture. Connection is synchronizing horse and rider. Connect with Peggy by listening to this awesome video. ENJOY!

29/07/2024

27/07/2024

25/07/2024

During and after a clinic, I love to try to summarize my take aways.

Clinics can leave you with an overwhelming amount of information and we can all only take in what we can take in. So, sometimes I think it can be helpful to see what others took from the experience.

For me, I was overwhelmed by the importance of finding neutral within our bodies. Not just as it relates to handling and riding our horses either.
I can only describe it as having given me better stability in my existence. There is undoubtedly a connection between posture, behavior and emotion...we know this is true with our horses, but it is also true for ourselves.

As people found neutral, you could see and feel them release on a variety levels. You could see people melt and watch their person fill with joy and positive energy. Is that not a incredibly powerful tool for life? We will all have "things". The point is not to try to stay in neutral always...but be able to find it and return to it. Something that will get more effortless with time and consistency.

That will help us in life and in our horsemanship.

When we lose neutral, we create a kink in our flow of energy...one that our horses feel immediately. They are such a great gauge of when we have it and when we lose it. When it's there, it's effortless. When it's not, everything becomes harder than it has to be.

The work shouldn't be hard but that doesn't mean the journey is easy. The challenge lies within us and our ability to be consistent in developing our awareness and new habits. To start, it requires a significant amount of mental focus and attention...we need to "remember to remember".

I leave this weekend feeling empowered and very responsible for my own body. I am so excited to move forward with this work and blend it with all of the brain training and other Feldenkrais inspired work I have had the privilege of experiencing.

Where can I be a year from now? Where can you be a year from now? Where can your horse be a year from now?

If you attended the clinic this weekend, as either a participant or auditor, and want to share anything in the comments - please feel free!

- Terra

Connected Riding with Peggy Cummings'

Photo credit - Angela Booth