Classical Dressage Practically Applied Clinics - CDPA

05/09/2024

😍 Thank you to all of our regular and new participants at the Carwoola August clinic! The next clinic at Carwoola will be held on 11- 13 October and there is currently only one riding position vacant pending deposits. Please let us know if you are keen to nab the last spot! 🏃‍♀️

14/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/103998301897147/posts/129468849350092/?

Great information and explanations with diagrams!

01/08/2024

Clinic Allora QLD JUly 2024. Photos not necessarily in order! Apologies if we missed anyone this weekend, and thanks to the girls who stepped in to take some while I was busy.

Please feel free to add a comment telling everyone what you were doing as a review!

See you all in October!

24/07/2024

We are looking forward to the weekend with our next Allora Clinic commencing Friday at 8am and welcoming two new riders. Also one returning following a gap of several years after attending our inaugural NSW clinics then moving to Queensland! And of course the regular attendees who will be keen to continue progressing with Louise’s guidance and insight. 🙌🏼

Auditors are welcome to benefit - please see the Event notice for particulars and fees or feel free to end me a PM. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided.

See you all in 🛏️ 🛏️ sleeps. 🙂

05/07/2024

⚡️Thank you to all of our participants at the Carwoola June clinic. Some challenging learning and rewarding progress! Photos available in Albums😊 The next clinic at Carwoola will be held on 16 - 18 August, keep an eye out for details!

05/07/2024

05/05/2024

Some challenging moments throughout the weekend as Louise finessed training in her down to earth, no nonsense (PRACTICAL?!) manner with particular emphasis this clinic on having the HORSE reach TO the contact and shortening the distance between elbow and stifle to improve the locomotion, but “Browband forward” the aim is not to be shortening the neck. And while forgiving mistakes riders were not to allow escapes/evasions to divert their focus or change their methodology.

At times this resulted in the horses’ posture being a work in progress, sometimes very round, sometimes a bit long, but always dynamic so that ultimately they will reach balance and consistency.

It must be remembered that these clinics are to make sure that the foundations are solid so there will be less likelihood of having to address issues in the more advanced work because shortcuts were taken.

Thanks to all of our participants and their support crews, and to Louise van Gaal for getting up in the wee hours to travel to and fro so that we may benefit.

Apologies to those with minimal photos taken - I had to work for a good portion of the Sunday sessions. Thanks to those who stepped in to take some when I couldn’t.

04/05/2024

Final day of our May clinic in ALLORA today.

Bring on more learning, more finessing, more breaking down of concepts and building up of horses and riders.

16/04/2024

✨Last weekend’s CDPA clinic in Carwoola NSW was a resounding success - thank you to our wonderful participants and auditors.

This clinic was focused on developing and improving connection and swing, tailored to suit the age and training level of each horse. Each combination worked through exercises to increase the recruitment of abdominal muscles and push of the hindlegs, lifting the withers and working through the back.

Everyone is looking forward to the next Carwoola clinic to be held over the June long weekend - details to be posted soon! 🐴

26/02/2024

Day 3 of the Classical Dressage Practically Applied to achieve lightness. CDPA. February 23-25, Clinic with Louise van Gaal at Allora Show Grounds.

Thanks again to all participants for your enthusiastic support of our Clinics here in Allora and very special thanks to Louise, her mum Sue van Gaal and brother Phil van Gaal for holding the fort at home which allows her to show us the way forward!

We are very fortunate to have access to this level of knowledge of the classical masters and its application to each individual horse - a rarity today.

24/02/2024

Days 1 and 2

21/02/2024

Looking forward to our second Queensland Clinic at Allora Show Grounds commencing Friday 23rd through to Sunday 25th. Please send me a PM if you’d like to audit (fees apply).

06/12/2023

A few more from the December Allora clinic.

06/12/2023

Some more photos from the weekend's CDPA Clinic at Allora Show Grounds.

04/12/2023

Many thanks to all of our new CDPA participants who attended the first (of many I hope!) clinics held at Allora over the weekend. It was wonderful to meet some new people, and horses and an absolute delight to witness the changes in everyone as the weekend progressed. I don't know about you all - let alone Louise, but I'm exhausted!

A snippet of some of the photos taken, mostly of the first day - so more to come. Stay tuned.

Once again huge thanks to Louise for travelling all this way to edify and educate horses and riders. As always, it's a delight to witness you impart your knowledge and help us travel a more positive route on our journeys.

26/11/2023

POSITION FILLED - thank you for the enquiries. 🙏

A last minute riding position has opened up in the Allora CDPA clinic from 1-3rd December (next weekend). Please contact me if you would like to take the opportunity to join us for a terrific weekend of riding and learning!

https://m.facebook.com/events/2143508445854182

21/09/2023

ALLORA QLD Clinic dates for 2023/2024 🤩

December 1st-3rd 2023. EDIT - One riding position has opened up due to tow vehicle issues. Please contact me to secure your spot!

February 23rd-25th 2024
May 3rd-5th
July 26th-28th
October 18th-20th.

Undercover arena at the Showground reserved for 2024, with thanks to Shirley and the team on the Allora Show Society Committee.

I will set up EVENT Notices in due course - happy to take expressions of interest via PM in the mean time and Louise and I are looking forward to getting to know a new bunch of like minded ladies (and gents?) in the very near future.

Regards ~ Kerry, Oakover Lodge.

20/09/2023

🐴This clinic saw horse and rider combinations at different stages of training, with exercises focusing on balance, relaxing the poll, collection and preparations for piaffe, extension and stretching 🐴 Our thanks to all our participants, Maggie and Alan for all their support and camera work and Kirsten for the wonderful cooking! 💛

20/09/2023

20/09/2023

📖"The practical application of classical principles to bring lightness to your riding" is how Louise describes her approach to coaching.

Louise is a coach with an amazing presence and phenomenal knowledge who is based in Victoria and trained with Nuno Oliveira, Hubert Eichinger (Spanish Riding School), and Harry Boldt amongst many other leading riders in Europe and the USA. Louise has competed at Grand Prix level Dressage in Australia and the United States and at 1* Eventing.

Riders of all levels and disciplines are welcome as Louise tailors her lessons completely to horse and rider, adjusting to your individual needs in a practical and positive manner.

Using Classical dressage principles and assessing horse and rider biomechanics to assist with rehabilitation or training problems is one of Louise's specialties. Horses in full work or just coming back into work are also welcome as are advanced horse and rider combinations.