This is our definition of SUCCESS
Don't take our word for it, hear our Members stories straight from them.
Alice Chan
I wasn’t sure how it would work out doing online learning for riding, but I can’t tell you how amazing it’s been. I’ve told everyone about the Academy. Lucinda is beyond generous with her knowledge. I’ve been blown away by how many insights she gives us and how many experts she brings to speak to us. I cannot recommend highly enough being part of the Academy.
Naomi Cloutman
My only attempt at xc competition before joining the academy was horrible. I couldn't get her to jump the warm up jump and then ended up struggling round and being eliminated at fence 8.
Move forward 7 months and today we had a blast. No stops or run outs (thank god, maybe I can ride after all) and a smiling happy me and a happy River. She felt amazing and I was able to be there for her when she needed me.
Thank you soo much lucinda, you have made a massive difference to us already.
Lucy Hopewell
After everything I’ve learned from here and all the support I completed my first ever one day event last weekend at Eland Lodge!! My previous record with cross country has been being eliminated in a non-competitive Hunter trials and falling off at the second fence in a compact eventing due to having a mare who is very nervous doing XC.
We just entered the 70cm with our only goal being to get round the course and finish, by my goodness did she blow me away!! She absolutely flew around the course like she’d been doing it for years (after all the training exercises from here that I’ve been practicing) and finished on our dressage score with no other penalties at all and coming 7th!!
I’m so very proud of her and thankful to Lucinda Green MBE for all of the training exercises she has given us! So very excited for our next one and to grow even more in confidence!
Daisy Parker
Had to put Lucinda’s teaching into practice at our combined training yesterday!
Solo was napping badly towards the gate throughout the warm up and on our first approach of the warm up jump he veered sharply off to the left (I can’t ride!!) I caught him in time and turned him back to the right, backed him up a couple strides and sent him straight over. Beautiful walk jump with rocket boost!! I feel it really set the tone for the rest of our jumping as I was not allowing anything but over we did trot some of our course (especially near the exit gate!) as I felt control and focus should take priority over looking pretty and it worked!
I love how this academy has totally changed my approach to my riding looking forward to our first XC training in a couple of weeks
Lottie Faulkner
The Academy has given me a new perspective, especially on training my young horses. I use Lucinda's weekly wisdom, learn from other member's experiences and apply all of this to my riding. I am really enjoying this new way of learning - easy to access and effective.
Amy Newton
My name is Amy Newton and my horse is Annie, 6 year old Belgium Warmblood x Irish Draught.
We have been members of the academy since last November and have thoroughly enjoyed all the content and meeting other like minded riders.
This was our very first competition at a Hunter Trial at Munstead in May of this year, over the BE80 course. I had taken Annie 3 times XC schooling including one session with Lucinda at Munstead before I decided to enter.
She went clear and was an absolute superstar, confident and just loved it. She was rather exuberant in the warm up as there was lots going on, so I need to work on that (might be a good subject for the academy?) but once waiting outside the start box she just focused on me and was such a good girl.
The valuable information we had been given and the exercises to do over the Winter and lockdown did not become evident until I went XC schooling for the first time in April and found that I not only had a very confident horse but that I was confident in the fact that my preparation had been correct. All the off piste riding, puddle training, jumping odd lines in the school and in the field without striding, setting up jumps made of anything I could find (safely of course!) has given my horse the most amazing start and brain for the job.
We have also built up and really good relationship, I trust her and she trusts me to do what I ask of her. (I never thought I would be able to say that as I am not a very confident rider) and it does not matter if it does not go perfectly all the time and to let the horse think for themselves which I did not have with my old horse as he always looked to me to make the decisions whereas Annie has been allowed to make mistakes and correct them herself which, I believe, has helped enormously for both our confidence.
I had a real phobia of hacking as well as my previous horse was very spooky and so having to get out and go off piste and do leg yielding down our lane, trying all the things Lucinda suggested has made me view hacking in a completely different way and has also educated Annie far more than just riding in a school or field. It has helped with not worrying about a slight stumble or walking up a bank, trotting on verges, walking on uneven ground, up and down hills and has gotten me back to cantering in open spaces as I knew I had to do it to produce my young horse.
I love all the chats with other amazing riders, how lucky are we to hear their stories and the mind set talks have been really useful in helping me with focus and being positive and making sure the only person on my shoulder when riding is my 'confident helper’ , not my ‘can’t do it naughty person’
I am still working on my position all the time so the video critic sessions are invaluable and also the course walking ones gave me a whole different way of walking the course which has helped with how I ride and view the jumps but also confidence.
This Academy is an amazing opportunity for anyone who really wants to get the best out of themselves and their horse and enjoy their sport at whatever level.
Shareen Akhtar
The Lucinda Green XC Academy has been a game changer for me, my horse and my riding - from ELBOW to the tube - the coffin canter to ready for trouble! She is absolutely fabulous. The Academy is a family and network of support and guidance. It is hands down worth every damn penny and I am so grateful this amazing Olympic rider is giving her time and sharing her knowledge; the video learning is unbelievable and I have put so much into practice. People have commented on my change in riding and I feel more confident.
Stella Stohr
At the beginning of the year it was clear that the show season would begin at some point, but when was still unclear. In the foreground of the work with my horses, especially with my "new" one, who came to me in December last year, was a goal-oriented, clear task setting according to the common ability; it doesn't help if the horse can obviously do it, but the rider only gives unclear aids.
By chance I came across the webinar series with Lucinda Green and William Fox-Pitt, whose riding I admire and whose book "schooling for success" I already 'studied'. The webinars offered the opportunity to attend themed conversations and later exchange ideas with like-minded riders and trainers. I took this as an opportunity to improve my training with my students and automatically my understanding for riding of my very different horses improved and with it my necessary adjustment of my riding to them and with it my ability to change.
Often it is just different words and a different perspective of another trainer that makes some standard situations appear in a more understandable light and suddenly everything becomes clearer. I have had the opportunity to take lessons with great trainers, Chris Bartle was one of them, Andreas Ostholt, Andreas Dibowski, Adam Liedermann... Internationally successful trainers, who not only do top riding, but also top training. From every training I could take something with me, whether I use it or not.
The Academy membership, Lucinda's tips, the approach, it all starts from the ground up and it's the inner attitude, the thought process, that picked me up right where I needed it, my mindset was to be corrected. It's the small differences that starts with the most diverse members. Everyone starts and started small and it's not always all gold and glorious like you could think when following riders on instagramm oder facebook. It's also miserable and unsatisfying at times. I feel comfortable among the members because there is no one who speaks ill of the other's performance, and there must not be, but everything, whether success or failure, is recognized for what it is, the path to the goal. The community here seems to pursue the same goal, regardless of the performance class.
That we can enjoy the support of top riders is great and illustrated by current rides for me extremely helpful.
Lucinda emphasizes so often in her videos: The horse must think for itself, the rider must allow the horse to think for itself and also encourage this. Aside from for example the "Oh Shit Position" learned from Chris Bartle, Lucinda's pointers on the use and dosage of thigh and rein aids (cuddle, tube - feather to concrete) along with everything learned so far, are interfaces and connectors: No riding without balance of the horse, neither the rider; keeping the horse straight as a basic requirement that an obstacle can only be overcome correctly (the horse can then sometimes compensate for an unsuitable distance). Lucinda's understanding of riding cross country over obstacles large or small is found in detail over even the smallest of obstacles, her vast experience shared with members and always trying to pick everyone up makes membership so valuable to me.
I look forward to the online montage and thus preparing for my next season.
My corrected mind set brought me and my horse the second place in a 105cm competition national class, a first place on my first international competition abroad in CIC1* INTRO and a second place on my second international competition abroad in CIC1* INTRO as a perfect finish of my season.
Bróna O’Mahony
I’ve been a member since the beginning and have found the LGXC Academy an enormous help. It gives extremely practical advice, videos, and talks, presented in a variety of ways to give you the best possible chance of learning.
The team are actively involved and will reply to any requests or questions. I recently took my 4yo mare to her first Hunter trials and my first in 26 years and we flew around the 70cm. I knew what to concentrate on, so the whole day was fun and safe. We had no stops, run outs or wavering on approach all thanks to what I’ve learned here. If you want to learn how to ride xc correctly, join now
Issy Carlill
I have been a member of the Lucinda Green XC Academy since it was first launched and have loved being part of this incredible community!
Lucinda’s “Greenprint” has helped me to gain a better understanding of the foundations of cross country riding, which has improved my technique and confidence both in training and at competitions.
The weekly webinars are also hugely insightful and it’s been fascinating to hear from the likes of Piggy March, Yogi Breisner and Derek Di Grazia. I’ve learnt a lot more about the Eventing world and definitely appreciate how much time and effort goes into every event, from 80 to 5*.
The Academy is a fantastic community filled with passionate and like-minded people who come together to support each other through their eventing journeys. It’s a wonderful, uplifting group shaped around the incredible knowledge and passion of Lucinda Green!
Saskia Lawrence
The Academy has been a total game changer for my horse and I. Lucinda takes you through methods, tools and exercises that she has put together from her wealth of knowledge and experience. Having put these into practice and having a much better understanding of how to ride certain fences have equated to a number of clears for us (which we never had before I joined the Academy!).
The regular zoom sessions with Lucinda mean you can get answers to your questions which is invaluable. She also invites other well known riders and equestrians to share their knowledge.
I can't recommend the Academy enough. On top of infinite pearls of wisdom from Lucinda, there is an incredible and supportive community that I am thrilled to be a part of.
Marlies Koutstaal
Hi everyone, my name is Marlies and this is Sox, a 14-year old TB x Cob mare. I ride her for her elderly owners as a loan horse and we’ve been together 4 years. I joined Lucinda’s academy in November 2020 so I’m one of the oldies in member terms I suppose!
I joined the Academy because when I came across it I was in a bit of a dip, horse riding wise. I had set myself a goal of jumping a hunter trial, which I’d never done before. I rode as a child back in The Netherlands where I’m from, but we only used to ride out on the beach. When I came to the UK in my thirties, one thing led to another and I got back into riding, and when I met a lovely lady who evented, I went along with her as a spectator to a BE100 event down south where we live (it might have been Tweseldown actually!). When I saw the competitors galloping past and flying over fences I was utterly blown away. This looked like so much fun!
But immediately the doubts hit me. I thought: “All these people have always had their own ponies and have ridden XC since they were 5” “you’re almost 40 years old now – way too old to learn this” “You should not expose yourself to such dangerous riding, what if you fall off and badly hurt yourself? You won’t bounce back like you used to as a child and you’ve got to work, there are bills to be paid!” “What if you injure the horse because of your bad riding?” Anyway, you get the picture.
Sox loves jumping and we had some lessons that did not go so well. She took off with me plenty of times being so strong and I felt like the most useless rider ever, hanging on her reins over the jumps and being so scared that I thought I’d never jump again, even a matchstick on the floor looked like the most horrendous obstacle to me. I was just so demoralised and thought I’d never reach my goal.
And then the Academy came along. First plus: I discovered that not everyone is 20 years old and competes high-level BE on a £50,000 horse. Second: everyone is super friendly and supportive. Third: Lucinda’s guidance. This is absolutely crucial and why I’m still a member almost a year on.
- Her Green Print made me realise that I had self-limiting beliefs about XC riding that could be challenged. Such as: not everything has to be done at a gallop. Her exercise of walk-jumping has given Sox and me the time to think about what we’re doing. Or, another massive relief: don’t worry about seeing a stride! That was a weight lifted off my shoulders. The change in how Sox and I now do things is huge.
- She breaks it all down in bite sized chunks that can be practised at home. Work on confidence? Go off-piste! Work on balance and strength? Canter down-hill with straight line halt! She provides all these fab ways to incorporate into your day-to-day riding which breaks your old routines.
- Her feedback is down-to-earth, she will call a spade a spade, which makes it easy to understand and follow what’s going on when people ask her questions.
- She encourages people to dare and be creative, which is one of my favourites. Her lesson on how to teach a horse to jump in and out of water using poles and barrels and building it all up I thought was wonderful. At home I’m now building all sorts of little practise jumps with safe stuff I can find, and place them around the yard on grassy verges, make them look different every time to challenge Sox and me to have a look and jump it anyway. It doesn’t have to be big! And I’m having fun doing it!
- Maybe the most important one: Lucinda has made me believe that I can do it. If someone who is seen as a legend, champion in her field with like 6 decades of international competition experience under her belt pushes the door open and tells you: “you can step through”, it’s just mind-altering.
On 26th September of this year, Sox and I competed in my first hunter trial ever and we came 8th, winning a rosette even, photo above. I was so proud to have reached this goal and so grateful to the Academy for working on me, online, towards this moment. We’ve been to our second event last weekend and have got Larkhill HT coming up this weekend. I would not have done this without Lucinda, Rachael, Lottie and their wonderful team who inspired me to step out of the comfort zone, put the brave pants on and just go for it.
