www.classical-equitation.com. The home of French Classical Dressage instructor, trainer and clinicia Let us know if we can be of service to you and your horse.
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The page for the National School of Academic equitation is the interactive space where riders can get updates about our programs, clinics, training and lessons, and where our boarders and students can keep in touch with changes and updates at the farm. The farm is managed and the education offered by Mary Anne Campbell and a great team of riders, trainers and teachers. Take a moment to lo
ok through the posts and images to get a feel for the work we do, and then if you're interested further go check out the website, www.classical-equitation.com, where there is much, much more information. We offer boarding and riding instruction both on line and in person, and clinics world wide.
My farm has been sold to a lovely young couple, Katie and Isaiah, and they'll be running it as a boarding facility. They're a joy. I am very grateful that this beautiful land and the horses I've loved for so many years are being passed on to such a delightful pair. At the end of September the next chapter begins for all of us. Me in Portland somewhere, them here in the heart of the community I love so much.
Craig's memorial at our farm in Snohomish is up now on YouTube. It was a beautiful day.
The memorial starts with an introduction, it's a little hard to hear but we fix that in a little bit...
Then a beautiful song by Linnea
Then a montage of photos and memories and music...
Then remembrances.
And finally a special treat: Marie Haglund receives her certification as a Foundation for the Equestrian Arts instructor... a very big deal.
Thank you Craig, for all you gave us.
This is the tribute that we gave at the home he lived in at NSAE, in Snohomish, for Craig P. Stevens.He was a man who loved horses. From Craig's origins in N...
We lost the horseman who started NSAE last night.
Craig P. Stevens passed away in his sleep, taking with him a lifetime of study into classical riding. He influenced and mentored so many people around the world over decades of teaching in Europe and across the Americas. He continued to work horses, to study the literature, and to learn, to teach, to train and to write to his last day. Our hearts go out to his fiancée Gail and to his stepdaughter Kat and granddaughter Kai. Sending deep love to Megan Rau and to all the community at Falcon's Landing in Colorado where he spent the last several years. And here at home where he taught for two decades our hearts are broken too. Thank you Craig, for your mastery and your curiosity, your wit, your genius and your terrible sense of humor, for your deep good heart and dreadful social skills, for your passionate engagement in EVERYTHING you took on, for your ceaseless and generous support of the students who worked with you over the years. And most of all thank you for the contribution you made for the horse through your never ending research into the beautiful art of French classical equitation.
You made a difference to the horse, and you made a difference to the riders who studied with you. Wherever you are please be content that you are remembered and that your work continues through the many people who learned from you over the years.
We love you.
And we will miss you.
If you're looking for NSAE or Mary Anne Campbell, you'll find us here: www.Blue-River-Farm.com. And, if you're looking for Craig don't worry: we can get you in touch with Craig Stevens as well. The work goes on!
Blue River farmA center for education in classical farm artsIn Snohomish, Washington: half an hour from SeattleStudy French Classical Equitation, enjoy family events and fall in love with the fun of animal care. Ride, learn, play. French Classical EquitationLessons, Seminars and Clinics for riders...
“Tact”. Equitation is conversations in a tactile language. Brian Rojas Bernard and Jade, working in hand... a quiet interchange on a bright Autumn afternoon.
Mornings in the barn... tending our equine friends, making their rider’s spaces better... it’s time for taking care of our community.
We have a waiting list for weekend lessons now! And as the holiday season begins we miss group get togethers. Potlucks are out!
But... this coming Hallowe'en weekend our riders are invited to come a little early and decorate their horses for their private lessons, and we'll have buckets of apples bobbing for horses to reach for. Strut, who is 36 and still going strong, will be licking up applesauce instead.
He's entitled.
NSAE is rolling with the punches, and it's going to be fun.
An era comes to an end...
Craig Stevens is leaving the Pacific Northwest and going to be moving on to other areas, other farms. He's starting by taking up a sort of 'artists in residence' with "Falcon's Landing" in Colorado, F.E.A. Certified instructor Megan Rau's wonderful new facility.
Mary Anne Campbell will stay on at NSAE to create the next new chapter with the community here.
So...
Watch this space, something interesting is unfolding in rainy Washington state. Reach Mary Anne any time at [email protected],
And keep in touch with Craig at his personal page, under Craig Stevens.
Cathy Sirett, a long time friend of the NSAE community, is starting a podcast. She's a great confidence coach: listen in and see why we love her.
YES! The editing is DONE! The download page and RSS feed are SORTED — so the Complete Confidence Podcast is on it’s way!
Follow Complete_Confidence on Instagram or facebook for the chance to enter our LAUNCH COMPETITION being announced soon!
Complete Confidence Podcast: Your Confidence Questions answered!
Working in the smoke, doing double duty-masks, gloves and all. Hoping for clear skies soon.
Smoke.
California, Oregon, Washington all aflame... people losing their homes and lives, and for us here as the wind shifts, the discomfort of working daily in the smoke. Daily exposure, though we're minimizing it, still causes headaches and froggy voices. It's painful, muddles the mind, and it's disheartening.
So... it's particularly welcome that our barn community has stepped up and offered to take on some of the shifts, letting the staff have what we can of a breather. Thank you Christie, Diana, Syd, Steph, and Kathy for your help this weekend. Literally a 'breath of fresh air' in this very hard time.
We’re missing our European riding community! And... at the same time this ache brings us present to how grateful we are for twenty years of friendships with riders and horse around the world. Thank you, all of you! Hope to see you safely soon. 💕
For those who remember Megan's charismatic horse Grayson - the two of them came as a package for her year as a professional's course student here - take a look at how he's changed with her good work. He was such a troubled horse with so many physical, emotional, and psychological issues that Megan had to develop a serious "A Game" to work well with him. And she certainly has made the study of developing that 'A' game for him, and for other horses as well, the central point of her studies.
She's a delight. Megan is running her own training and teaching center now in Colorado, where she continues to study with us online, to study by reading and considering the material deeply, and to study with her horses and her students as well every day.
Speed and contracted muscles are the two things riders do most often that cause them to lose feeing. Always be slow and relaxed.
Mornings at NSAE: autumn is beautiful here. Come - bring your mask- and ride or take online lessons with us. Reach out to us at [email protected]
Summer draws towards autumn at NSAE. We’re taking reservations for intensives, in house study continues on our school horses with people in masks practicing social distancing,. And we have lots of great online courses available both live and from our digital library. Come ride with us, however it suits your time, travel, and budget: we’re here for you.
Work in hand... work with lightness.
Working well with the horse requires clarity, curiosity, and a delight in the sacred sensation of wonder.
“Hair is an extension of the nervous system,it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves...that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex.” ~C. Young ——
"An educated hand assists the horse in understanding the meaning of the movement of the hair. The rider’s legs, if used at all very carefully educate these ‘feelers’."
~~ Craig Stevens
What did we learn as children about horses? What do we teach our kids? What do we tell our vulnerable selves about riding? Being friendly and supportive, safe and engaged, curious and skillful: all of this creates the finest riders.NSAE is about a healthy relationship with the horse AND with the rider.
Suz, one of our credentialed teachers, is doing wonderful work. We're proud of her.
When you look at your reflection do you always like what you see?
And when you don’t like it can you accept it and start afresh?
When you do like it can you allow yourself the warm glow of self appreciation without needing to demonise yourself in anyway?
We all make mistakes when we are riding, either through accident, coordination, inattention, loss of physical balance or loosing our cool. It happens. Probably more often than we would like to admit even to ourselves.
But what is your mindset around these errors? Do you label yourself as bad or that you will never be a good horse person? Or use these errors as a springboard to learn more, practice more deliberately and ask for help from trusted coaches?
Ultimately life is lived in our responses to the events around us. Classical training teaches us to elongate these moments from split seconds to palpable thinking spaces and to choose our responses wisely.
📸: .osborne.photography
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Check out my blog for more musings.
Google AHolisticSolution and click the one with a horse.
The link in my bio takes you to my online course at
One of our own got married this weekend! Congratulations, Megan and Jo! We love you and wish you all the happiness and then some.
“Learning has to be fun to be real, and the student has to be safe in order for the learning to be fun. Curiosity is the base of play in both horses and the riders. How can we permit ourselves to be curious if we are fearful that someone might think we don’t know everything?”
- Mary Anne Campbell
We train all ages here at NSAE. Please check out our website for more info at classical-equitation.com. Link in bio.
A special mid-pandemic Sunday afternoon at NSAE, Diana and Candi Girl.
Diana wrote...
"Craig Stevens. Mary Anne Campbell. Two people who love what they do, and are cheering us on.
I’ve been working, yet again, on gaining confidence. I was beginning to think maybe it would never return. But Craig was willing to try. Online, no less, due to the pandemic. We figured out the when and why. I became anxious when I first mounted, before I was able to connect with CandiGirl. Craig figured out the how. He broke things down into smaller and smaller pieces until I could clearly bridge from one thing to the next.
He offered to hold CandiGirl when I got on, work her in hand a few minutes, until I wanted to hop off. And try again. Over and over, if necessary, to help me build up good experiences and my confidence.
Let’s get this straight right off. This mare is well trained. She’s never bolted with me. She can be reactive, but she’s eminently rideable. My head was just not in the game. I started riding quite young and yet, I couldn’t seem to keep it together.
I’ve probably spent more time on the longe than any other student. Ever. I’ve stopped caring about it. I know anyone watching me ride is not so silently cheering me on. That’s the thing about “our” barn. Everyone is watching, and everyone is rooting for you. Craig and Mary Anne, included.
This past weekend was just crazy. Saturday Craig turned me loose and I did some flying changes. On Sunday Craig and I rode side-by-side, and then I wanted to ask CandiGirl to piaffe. And then try some flying changes. My whoo-hoooo brought Mary Anne out of the house. She wanted to see, and to catch some video for me. I can’t tell who is happier here. Can you?"
“Many of the well-known trainers throughout history were famously egotistical in their interactions with people. Yet once a great trainer is worth the horse, the ego becomes a servant to the relationship. The trainer becomes a beginner again, listening new with each horse. Only the horse is the master, or better said: horse and rider become equals.”
- Craig Stevens
For more information on courses check us out at classical-equitation.com. Link in bio.
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We offer intensives for students from all around the world. And the thing is... This form of riding doesn't stroke your ego, or make you feel powerful, or make you feel cool. This form of riding draws out of you the very best of you, and connects your best to your horse's answering best, through the conduit of love, respect, and harmonic connection. You lose yourself in this and losing yourself you gain all that you dreamed riding could be. This work demands and creates and nurtures an honest, bright, living human being. And we are constantly amazed by the people we get to work with, all of them. Every. One. Seven years ago Marie Matter came from Mount Gambier, down in Australia and she and her husband Noe became part of our family here. She returned this week for a short, but oh-so-sweet visit and it was beautiful to see the old work unfolding in her current riding. Each rider is an artist on her own, each horse and rider pair form a different conversation and a different masterpiece. The joy in her face, the softening curiosity and play in our horses' faces-- both were just radiantly beautiful. We loved seeing her again and we miss her already as she flies home. Here are a few of the images from Marie's visit that made Mary Anne happy! Marie on Lochinvar, Suzanne's beautiful Andalusian master. Loki is a privately owned horse and only rarely shared with students, but Suzanne knew Marie's riding. (In this set of images only John-John and Navarre are school horses.) Knowing Marie's riding, many of our students were delighted to have her meet their horses in conversation. So, here we have Lochinvar and Marie Marie in a work in hand lesson with Craig and Monet, one of Kathy's horses: the tall dark timid one. Riding lesson with Mary Anne: Marie on the paint mare Candi Girl, Mary Anne on Jade. (We did a lot of laughing.) Riding Tiffany's stunning Navarre, another Andalusian who makes your heart sing. Riding John-John, another 'skewbald' (that's Aussie for "p
Megan Rau's presentation of three certifications through the Foundation for the Equestrian Arts, and National School of Academic Equitation RIDER'S CERTIFICATION Megan completed the Professional's Course in 2016. She earned her certification as a Classical Rider then, though hadn't yet collected the certificate. Today we rectified that oversight. TRAINER'S CERTIFICATION Since that time she has completed the requirements to certify as a Classical Trainer-- over 6 years of this beautiful classical work, she brought her own Andalusian mix gelding "Graysson" from his beginning as a young, scatterbrained, rather terrifying equine impression of many-men-in-a-horse-suit to the elegance of a beautiful, connected, joyful, engaged riding horse. And one that is continuously improving. Additionally, she's recovered several tense and tight horses from the protective disconnection of earlier riding careers to become healthy, pleasant, comfortable school horses for her program. Since graduating from the Professional's course she's been building a training and lessons business in Fort Collins, Colorado, and at clinics she's hosted there we've seen the results of her skill with client's horses too. Megan has demonstrated time after time her connection and commitment to the horse, and she's earned her Trainer's Certification through hard work, late hours of study, willingness to take on the personal work that it means to transcend our own limitations.. and the result has been beautiful changes. This certification is renewed annually, and Megan continues to do the work and study that will easily keep her certification current. INSTRUCTOR'S CERTIFICATION Megan also received the highest level of certification the Foundation for the Equestrian Arts and National School of Academic Equitation offer, that is, the Instructor's Certificate. Also an annual certification, Megan has demonstrated that this will be easily maintained as well. Megan not only attended but truly took the time to
Winter days at NSAE. Dylan started today by spreading sand on the icy entry way, and the light, all day, stayed magical.
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We teach and train French classical equitation. The work is based on 5 decades of study by Craig Stevens and it’s been shared by him with his students all over the world. Currently the School, based in Snohomish Washington, has three active teachers. Students can come to work with Craig Stevens himself, with Mary Anne Campbell, and with Dylan Palm. Dylan leans towards the western saddle and working riding. Mary Anne loves teaching and drawing out the mastery in her students. Craig is deepening his work and his teaching and training are becoming more and more profound as he enters his seventies. We also have teachers who have been certified to continue this lineage who are located in Colorado, Sweden, and soon in England. Why do we call it ‘academic’ equitation? Because Decarpentry, a French master in the 20th century, taught that it’s important to test what you believe about your riding. If you feel you’re doing a balanced canter, you can test this by asking the horse to halt without pressure on the reins. If he’s balanced, and you’re balanced, and you know the aids, it’s easy to stop in one stride. If he’s using momentum to propel himself forward, then it is hard to stop. The test is not someone from the outside giving you a ribbon, it’s you and your horse able to easily, calmly, and in perfect balance execute any movement and any gait. Hence, “Academic”-- relating to Plato’s academy. Take a moment to look through the posts and images to get a feel for the work we do, and then if you're interested further go check out the website, www.classical-equitation.com, where there is much, much more information. We offer training, riding instruction both on line and in person, and clinics world wide. Let us know if we can be of service to you and your horse.
