At the FEIF joint Education/ Youth Seminar on 27-29 November 2015, participants from ten member countries enjoyed an interesting and very stimulating seminar in Weistrach / AT. In theoretical and practical sessions we explored a wide variety of specific topics, held together by the theme: ‘Teaching the new Generation’. A very detailed lecture by Barbara Kirchmayr on ‘how children learn’, with a strong focus on physiological brain processes and cognitive learning steps, was followed by an introduction to the Hippolini system by Roswitha Schreiber-Jetzinger. Hippolini is a systematic approach which turns these concepts of how children learn into a joyful, practical method of introducing young children to the horse, and develops both riding and horse-handling skills from a very early age.
On Saturday, a quick succession of riding lessons for children, starting at the age of 3 to talented and highly motivated teenagers, demonstrated how a systematic approach to instruction, based on the physical and metal developmental stages of the growing child, can lead to great success and impressive results. Franz Grünbeck’s introduction to the fascia-technique, promoting and supporting the pain-free development of the horse, was also given in the form of a lecture followed by a practical demonstration. On Sunday morning the seminar concluded with a detailed lecture by Herdís Reynisdóttir on the effect of equipment, particularly of bits, which gave rise to a lot of questions and a lively discussion.
We cannot talk about a seminar in Austria without mentioning the excellent hospitality. Food and drink were outstanding, and we learnt a lot about local wines in a tasting session deep in the cellars of a local mostery. All in all, a small but very select group of participants enjoyed an exquisite seminar which was well-balanced in its theoretical and practical approach to the questions of how to teach children to ride, how to keep the horses safe and comfortable and how to run a successful riding school. Some impressions of a great seminar: http://youtu.be/q072Q8sn3a0