Karen Rohlf’s
Happy Athlete
Training Scale
The Happy Athlete Training Scale Explained:
Click on each line item to read more!
1 - The first priorities are giving your horse a life he can enjoy, and arriving to your horse as your best self.
- Happiness
The first priority and base of everything. Happiness means that your horse’s basic equine needs of friends, forage, and freedom are met and he can enjoy his life even when you are not around. Your horse is mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. You take care of your own happiness so you can arrive to your horse as your best self.
When you and your horse are happy individuals, it will be easier for you to find harmony with each other.
2 - When you are happy and your horse is happy, you will more easily find harmony together.
- Harmony
Harmony is the building of mutual trust. Being a person your horse can trust is a prerequisite to expecting your horse to be trustworthy. You are able and willing to follow your horse, and your horse is able and willing to follow you.
This is where self-carriage originates. When you and your horse are in harmony, it will be easier for you to communicate with each other.
3 - When you have harmony and trust, it will be easier to communicate and motivate.
- Communication
A two-way dialogue where you listen to your horse as much as you make requests of him. You seek understanding over control. You honor and value your horse’s opinion and realize that it is your responsibility to educate and motivate him to willingly participate in your ideas.
When you and your horse can communicate well, you have the tools to positively influence his way of moving.
4 - When you can communicate and motivate, you can more easily create healthy movement and posture.
- Biomechanics
Your horse’s way of moving is a dynamic of relaxation, energy, & balance. The sweet spot is where the horse feels ease and freedom and can carry you without pain. In this moment your aids are minimal. The quality of the movement is only as good as the happiness, harmony, and communication that it arises from. Fear, confusion, and feelings of helplessness work against the dynamic of healthy posture we are seeking.
When your horse is moving in a sweet spot of relaxation, energy, and balance, he is ready for gymnastic development and sport-specific training
5 - When your horse is moving with healthy biomechanics, you can develop his sport-specific skills.
- Dressage/Sport-Specific Training
The methodical progression of advancing the difficulty of exercises of any discipline should never be at the expense of the happiness, harmony, communication, or healthy biomechanics of the horse. The goal of all your training is to make it easier for your horse to be a happy athlete.
Artfully developing your horse’s suppleness, straightness, engagement, and gymnastic, athletic abilities will help him in any discipline.
Listen to Learn More
In this Horse Training in Harmony podcast episode, Karen discusses the Happy Athlete Training Scale, and how to use it as a blueprint for decision-making with your horse.
“Too many students and horses struggle trying to learn to do beautiful things. It doesn’t have to be that way. My programs are based on the principles of the Happy Athlete Training Scale.
Everything is designed so you and your horse can LOVE the process of learning AND make huge progress, starting now. I’d love to help you… It’s what I do.”
Which Program is Best For You?
Video Classroom – Training Video Library
Self-Study. Community. Lowest Price. Free Trial. Subscription.
Happiness, Harmony, Communication, Biomechanics, and Gymnastics.
The most information for the least amount of money. Hundreds of easily searchable videos. Learn the process of improving partnership and ease of movement within the Principles & Priorities of Dressage Naturally. Karen’s consistent voice guides you through everything!
Meet, connect with, and get support from a world-wide community of like-minded students.
Habits For Excellent Horsemanship Online Course
Step-By-Step. Ongoing Quarterly Live Q&As. Lifetime Access.
Happiness, Harmony, & Communication.
Our most popular course! Develop the partnership you dream of by learning the 9 Habits For Excellent Horsemanship. Students of any level or discipline can immediately improve the trust and communication they have with their horse. Novice? Set yourself up for long term success by learning these habits. More advanced? Solve problems by getting a fresh perspective on doing the basics with more harmony and excellence.
This 5 module course helps you create extraordinary results during everyday moments with your horse.
Sweet Spot Of Healthy Biomechanics Online Course
Step-By-Step. Weekly Live Q&A. Private Coaching. Community. Lifetime Access.
Happiness, Harmony, Communication, Biomechanics, and Gymnastics.
Our most transformative and comprehensive program. Focused on helping you find the Relaxed, Energized, Balanced, and Connected place of harmonious movement (on line and riding) that you and your horse can both enjoy in partnership. Suitable for the student new to dressage, or the experienced dressage rider who craves a new perspective and wants to do dressage with more heart. Learn how to problem-solve and stay optimistic as you navigate the realities of training.
Meet, connect with, and get support from a world-wide community of like-minded students and DN coaches.
Upward Spiral Of Successful Gymnastics Online Course
Step-By-Step. Live Q&A. Private Coaching. Community. Lifetime Access.
Biomechanics. Gymnastics.
Learn the 6 Essential Gymnastic Abilities, and the theory and mindset around gymnastic training. Release your full potential by mastering the exercises for Flexibility, Mobility, and Collectibility. Learn how to make training plans, and how to adapt any exercise to your specific horse. Develop advanced skills during the most basic movements and understand how to progressively develop them.
This in-depth program is open only to graduates of the Finding The Sweet Spot Of Healthy Biomechanics course.
Need Help Deciding?
Talk to a real person:
You got this
Learning from Karen Rohlf is like having your own personal cheerleader. Her sense of responsibility to the horse, as well as her open, nonjudgmental, and fair-minded nature allow you to go beyond the rigid rules of specific disciplines and get to the heart of your mental, emotional, and physical partnership with your horse.
The Habits For Excellent Horsemanship course and the Finding The Sweet Spot Of Healthy Biomechanics course have been officially accredited for Continuing Professional Development (CPD, CE, CEU).
A CPD accreditation means that our training program has gone through a rigorous third-party verification. The CPD Standards Office has members in 50 countries. Points can be issued and accepted across the world.
The Habits For Excellent Horsemanship course and the Finding The Sweet Spot Of Healthy Biomechanics course have been officially accredited for Continuing Professional Development (CPD, CE, CEU).
A CPD accreditation means that our training program has gone through a rigorous third-party verification. The CPD Standards Office has members in 50 countries. Points can be issued and accepted across the world.
