Two day flatwork camp

with

Meg Parkinson & Anne Hardwick

at

Poplar Park Equestrian

Hollesley

Woodbridge

Suffolk

This camp is for those that want to have fun and learn in a positive environment! It’s about building your confidence in you and your horse’s abilities but we still welcome those that do want to compete!

We have 2 instructors working with you and your horse within a 3 person group, all at a similar point in there equine journey. 4 lessons including 1 unmounted, The camp is centred around confidence & relaxing with your horse (flatwork only). costing £175 PP.

You are welcome to hack out at any opportunity you have throughout the weekend, however I will try and organise a time to hack out if enough people ask.

I do recommend taking advantage of your weekend away by arriving on the Friday and enjoying the hacking and/or allowing you & your horse to settle in.

Stabling includes straw and at an additional cost can be treated by Bio genie. (price will depend on how many people would like the service) Hay or haylage can be bought from poplar at extra cost if necessary.

A bit about the instructors
Anne Hardwick
After completing a degree in business management, her experience includes working as a yard manager before owning and managing her own yard and riding school. She has a varied background of teaching and coaching a variety of riders and working students. Anna has also bred her own youngstock and particularly enjoys helping young horses progress from foal through to backing and competing.
Anna joined the team at Otley college as an equine lecturer in 2019 and teaches a variety of topics on all equine courses. Anna currently trains and competes her own horse and is affiliated to BD elementary, with previous competition experience in eventing and showjumping. She supports the apprenticeship training at poplar park and enjoys jumping and hacking in her spare time.

Meg Parkinson
An international equitation coach here to support you to achieve your best riding by focusing not only on your horse but you too, by using rider biomechanics as the core to my teaching I will help you to expand you knowledge of how you and your horse come together and make your magic.
I’m also a mum to one human, 3 horses and 2 dogs, a farmers wife, a human who lives with chronic illness, and a horse nerd, who loves to test her boundaries and challenge the normal way of thinking about horse type by competing at dressage with my gypsy cobs.
Here’s what I believe…
That our riding begins with our position, that the more we know about our how our bodies function, the better our horses feel and the easier they can achieve what they are being asked to do. That the more quality you have in your movement the better your horse moves. That riding well doesn’t need to be a secret held by only certain people, that everyone who loves horses can ride well with access to the right information. That you don’t need to spend a fortune to get quality help. That you don’t need to trek to the gym every day or have expensive gym equipment to find improvement. That our movement is guided by our nervous system and it’s vital we understand this in humans and horses.
Everyone has the potential to be a great rider.

Day 1
8.30AM – 1.45PM– 1hr Small Group Lessons with Anne Hardwick.
This opening lesson is to either discuss or find anything you wish to work on throughout the weekend and start working towards that goal.

12.00PM – 5.15PM – 1hr Small Group biomechanics Lesson with Meg Parkinson.
In our biomechanics session were really focus on how the riders position is affecting the horse and work on balancing the rider to really help the horse achieve what we are asking, using different techniques and tools I teach riders to find their way back into balance, leaving them with the knowledge and understanding of how to get the best from themselves and their horses.

6 or 7PM – Evening Social Drinks & Food (not included in the price) (TBC – at the shepherd and dog, 5 min walk from PP)

Day 2
9.00AM – 10.00AM – Whole Camp Equistretch session with Meg Parkinson.
Equistretch is a class designed by me that incorporates yoga, pilates, strength and conditioning and biomechanics movement that works on the specific requirements needed for the rider.
As a riding coach for years I struggled with how could I help my riders more when they were not in the saddle, I could see their positional issues, I knew they needed more than just the prompts from me in the lesson but every “exercise class” I had tried didn’t quite hit the spot, they worked on one area whilst making another area harder for the rider to overcome, they were too long to fit into the day, riders had to travel to get to them which meant precious time out of their day being taken and so they weren’t a realistic option and non-riding minded pt’s, physios etc didn’t fully understand the needs of an equestrian.
Riding is a complex sport, requiring our bodies to do many things at once, the ability to be able to stay stable whilst in motion without losing mobility, the ability to be very precise with body movements whilst also balancing on a moving animal, and to top that a constant challenge on our nervous system means we have to understand what we need from ourselves BUT on top of that we must understand how each specific thing we do affects our horses, it’s not just about being correct for us as a human but more importantly correct for our horses.
Each class is set around a theme, for example, crookedness in the upper body or developing a deeper seat, I then lead you through simple movements that help to build muscles strength in the areas that need to be strong but also length and mobility so we don’t become too stiff or too floppy.y

10.30AM – 3.45PM – 1hr Group lessons with Anne Hardwick.
this Lesson is to continue and set you up to carry on your hard work after the end of the camp.

3PM – 6PM – Available for anyone wanting to swap your group lesson or have an additional individual lesson with Anne.

If you would like an additional lesson with Meg Please contact Meg directly or me and I can pass your details on.
End of the camp
However if you wish to stay until Monday please let me know and I can arrange this for additional cost.

Onsite accommodation

Camping onsite is available
Lorries welcome with hook-ups available at £35 per night each

Bell tents 2 nights £200
Can be set up as;
1 double bed or if you want to share with friends 2 double beds or 4 singles beds.
The Bell tent will Include coir matting, camp beds & lanterns. Electrics or any additional items can be arranged, please contact me with your needs.