History
Centered riding was created by Sally Swift (1913 - 2 April 2009). At seven years old, Swift was diagnosed with scoliosis. which became part of her daily life and was later instrumental in her development of Centered Riding. After the diagnosis and well into her twenties, she worked with Mabel Todd, author of The Thinking Body and learned the techniques of "body awareness". Swift then studied the Alexander Technique and applied it to riding. Sally’s work with the Alexander Technique enabled her to discard the back brace she had worn for many years. The Technique added significantly to the depth and subtlety of her teaching. Swift learned to work with areas of the body rather than with specific muscles and used a balanced approach, teaching to both sides of the brain.
At age 62, after retiring from a career in agriculture including the American Holstein (cattle) Association, Swift focused full time on riding instruction and the development of her Centered Riding Techniques. As she developed her techniques and taught people about the Four Basics of Centered Riding, she also published two books that serve as the foundation manuals for the technique, as well as a number of other articles and videotapes.
Today, Centered Riding also offers a certification program in order to teach people how to instruct how to teach the Centered Riding techniques. This offers people around the world a way of receiving Centered Riding instruction.
Read more about this topic: Centered Riding
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