Teachers' course of the School of Légèreté
August 2011New teachers' courses in Australia, Canada, Italy, Sweden and the UK –
Applications welcome for Denmark, South Africa and the USA
New teachers' courses of the School of Légèreté started in Australia, Canada, Italy, Sweden and the UK in 2011.
If there are enough interested riders of the required level, other courses could be created in Denmark (teacher: Bea Borelle, starting in spring 2013), South Africa and the USA (teacher: Philippe Karl; PA and NM; possible starting date: 2013). So please send your applications for these clinics to Philippe Karl (see details below).
Application deadlines:
Denmark: 31 July 2012
South Africa: application ongoing, no deadline fixed yet
USA (PA): 31 August 2012
USA (NM): 31 August 2012
See below for more information on the teachers' course, the contact information of the organizer and the required application documents.
On this page, you will find all the relevant information concerning the teachers' course of the School of Légèreté, including the required application documents.
General information
The basic training course to become a riding instructor of the School of Légèreté lasts three years and comprises three four-day clinics per year. The final exam will be held during the tenth clinic at the beginning of the fourth year. The students attend the course with their own horses. It is strongly recommended to continuously promote the training of one of the horses over the whole duration of the course, in order to judge the progress in the best possible way.
Programme
- individual dressage training
- work in hand, at the longe and on long reins
- jumping
- quadrille
- theory
- pedagogical training
- final exam
Final exam
The students will be judged on:
- their theoretical knowledge,
- the training level reached by their horses and
- their pedagogical competence.
The successful students will receive a certificate as “Riding instructor of the School of Légèreté”, which will allow them to officially teach this riding philosophy in the name of Philippe Karl. As this training concept is legally protected by patent against plagiarism, distortions or arbitrary, unauthorized use, no one may refer to the School of Légèreté or the lessons of Philippe Karl without having received the corresponding certificate.
Note that the certificate may be withdrawn on grounds of violations against the ethical principles of the School of Légèreté (see “Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage”).
Detailed information on the requirements for the final exam and the five obtainable levels can be found here.
Applications for the teachers' courses in Denmark, South Africa and the USA
Application deadlines:
Denmark: 31 July 2012
South Africa: application ongoing, no deadline fixed yet
USA (PA): 31 August 2012
USA (NM): 31 August 2012
The teachers' courses of the School of Légèreté currently take place in Germany (Fintel, Pegestorf, Stuttgart), Switzerland (Zurich), Austria (Vienna), Sweden (Stockholm), Italy (Biella) and France (Toulouse). In 2011, new courses of the School of Légèreté started in Australia (Melbourne, Perth), Canada (Chase, BC), Italy (Lodi), Sweden (Stockholm) and the UK (Northamptonshire).
The contact addresses of the organizers of these existing clinics can be found here, the clinic dates are here.
New clinics could start in Denmark, South Africa and the USA (south central PA & Santa Fe, NM) if enough riders of the required level express their interest. Please contact the potential organizers if you need any further information beyond what you can find on this page:
- Denmark:
Lisette Pelsen
Dalbyvej 56
DK - 4623 Lille Skensved, Ejby, Denmark
Tel.: 0(045)24264565
lpelsen@hotmail.com
- South Africa:
Tamasine Smith
PO Box 3083
Paarl
Western Cape 7620
tamasine@leadchanges.co.za
nhza.com
- USA (PA):
Brenda Lantz
1850 Two Turn Road
Shippensburg, PA 17257
brenda@kissdressage.com
www.pkinpa.com
- USA (NM):
Terry Flanagan
112 B Arroyo Hondo Road
Santa Fe, NM 87508
505-992-8316505-231-5180terry@santafepk.com
www.santafepk.com
The application documents for the teachers' courses of the School of Légèreté should be sent to Philippe Karl (see address below). People interested in following the teachers' course as listeners should contact the organizers of the corresponding clinic directly.
Application documents:
(Please note: exclusively in English or French!)
- curriculum vitae including a passport photograph
- letter explaining your motivation
- completed questionnaire on your teaching experience (see below)
- DVD showing your work with your horses and demonstrating your riding skills.
- Do not forget to indicate the location you are applying for.
Please note that one of the conditions for a successful application is that you should already have some experience in teaching, even if only part-time. Please describe your teaching experience in detail by filling out the following questionnaire.
Questionnaire on your teaching experience
- Are you a riding teacher? Since when?
- Do you give lessons regularly?
- How many riding students do you have per week? Per month?
- Are you teaching in a riding club? If yes, in which one?
- Are you salaried? Self-employed?
- Do you give clinics? If yes, where?
- Do you have owners' horses to ride?
- Do you train horses?
- Do you take riding lessons yourself? If yes, with whom? how often?
Ideally, you should have several horses at your disposal, in case one of them falls ill.
With the signature of the training contract, you commit yourself to following the teachers' course for the whole of its duration (i.e. three years).
Please send your application to the following address (not as registered mail!):
Philippe Karl
Hameau Le Mallein
Rue du Vieux Moulin
F - 38630 Corbelin
France
In order to make the change to the riding philosophy of Légèreté as easy as possible and to prepare yourself for the final exam in the best possible way, we strongly recommend you to come in touch with experienced instructors and riders of the School of Légèreté already before the beginning of the three-year training.
Advanced training courses
If they wish, the licensed instructors of the School of Légèreté can improve their knowledge beyond the basic training by participating in advanced training courses. These take place as three- or four-day clinics three times a year (currently in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden). Instructors who follow all three clinics per year will be awarded a yearly certification, which will be published on this website.
The programme includes the training of the riders in dressage, work in hand, longeing, jumping and giving lessons, both to their own students and to unknow guest riders. The practical lessons in the riding hall are complemented by a comprehensive theory lecture which leaves room for questions and comments.
The advanced traning courses for the licensed instructors are open for listeners at any time on a day to day basis (in contrast to the basic training courses, where the listeners have to commit themselves – just as the riders – to follow the whole three-year course).
Clinic fees (in Europe)
Riders 450 € per 3-day clinic
600 € per 4-day clinic
(training fee, accommodation of horse and rider not included)
Listeners
Basic training courses
Participation in the basic training courses as a listener is possible exclusively for the whole duration of the course (three years). At the end of the course, listeners will receive a certificate confirming their participation.
200 € per 4-day clinic
Advanced training courses
These clinics are open for listeners on a day to day basis:
single day without theory lecture 50 €
single day with theory lecture 70 €
two days 100 €
three days 130 €
each additional day 30 €
If possible, listeners should participate in all days of the clinics in order to be able to consistently follow and judge the progress of horses and riders.