Dissolve Your Mental Blocks – Horse & Rider Clinic with Katja Elk

As an equestrian, sooner or later we all come across “issues” – those pesky problems that can either be small or large, frustrating or downright dangerous. Let’s face it, when it comes to horses, “stuff happens” – a bad fall, training problems, leadership issues, dominance concerns, etc. – and if these things aren’t addressed, they can leave you in a place where you are missing the real connection that is possible between you and your horse. A contentious rider will realize when these little issues are cropping up, and will learn to deal with them early so that their relationship with their beloved equine isn’t damaged.

Many times, mental barriers are at the root of truly feeling that natural ease and joy with our horses. The range of thought patterns and processes that accompany our best riding efforts can be tricky territory and difficult to navigate on our own. Eventually, even the best rider will need a second set of eyes, and perhaps a different point of view, to overcome certain obstacles – remember, “even trainers have trainers”.

Horse Trainer and Life Coach, Katja Elk

As a horse trainer and life-coach, Katja Elk can show you how to detect, monitor and manage confidence issues, fear-based reactivity, and other mental patterns that may hold you back both in the saddle and in your life. Her ultimate goal is to help you achieve that joyful riding experience with your horse, as well as an overall joyful life.

Katja’s work is quite interesting. She focuses on helping riders to go from feeling: baffled to encouraged, fearful to confident, nervous to self-assured, frustrated to understanding, disheartened to uplifted, defeated to inspired, overwhelmed to empowered, critical to acknowledging, held back to well-equipped. Who wouldn’t want to experience this type of transformation?!

For those of you interested in competing, this work will help to quiet your mind; improving your inner dialog will help you and your horse to stay cool, calm and collected in the showring. This could be the very key to your success.

Shift To a More Confident Riding Experience

Come for a weekend of gentle horse-and-human coaching to create a shift toward a more confident, relaxed and joyful riding practice. Bring your horse, your time and an open mind, and see what the meaning of a life-changing experience truly is!

Katja begins with an introduction and brief lecture on Friday evening, and then you can enjoy one-on-one sessions with your horse on Saturday and Sunday, all in the beautiful, relaxed setting of a private riding facility in the Ranchita Estates in Arroyo Grande. Riders of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome, as well as all breeds of horse. Sign up as soon as possible, as participant spots are limited. Auditors are welcome.

Event Organizer, Anita Parra, appreciates many things about Katja’s teaching. “She is extremely particular about wanting things to be correct for horse and rider, while at the same time recognizing the huge learning curve that is taking place for both parties. She is very patient, giving horse and rider plenty of time to process what she is teaching.”

Anita explains further, “One of her goals is for both horse and rider to really get every building block correct, and not cut any corners. There are times when things can be painstakingly slow, but then suddenly both horse and rider have it figured out and can move on to the next challenge. Having the building blocks of the basics solidly in place is the only way to move on to bigger and better things. Although this may all sound a bit serious, working with Katja has been fun and rewarding. I am so lucky to have such a gifted, patient and knowledgeable person as a trainer.”