Customer Reviews

Ride - Five Simple Steps For Secure, Solid Success!

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is an amazing video that has fundamentally changed my riding ability and experience. The five simple steps are just that... simple, yet very effective. By following this information, I am a changed and better rider.

Also, as a former teacher and throughout my career, I have been exposed to many different training videos covering a wide range of subjects. The biggest challenge for any instruction video is the conveyance of the lesson in a manner that engages the student and maintains their attention throughout the lesson.

THIS IS, BY FAR, THE BEST TRAINING VIDEO I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!

It achieves all the goals any good teacher strives to reach:
It is instructive.
The information is superb.
It is entertaining.
It engages the viewer.
It never loses you.
It makes learning fun.

I have watched it over and over... I'm still enjoying it while I continue to study the material. My riding has completely evolved to a new level... and I enjoy riding more than ever!

Thank you so much for making learning to ride properly as much fun as riding itself!

I have watched Leslie O'neal Olsen's DVD "Ride" countless times and obtain more proficiency of my riding from it every time. I replay both Leslie's and Southern's (the beautiful, full of character, talking horse!) comments in my head while riding and my Andalusian/Lippizanner horse becomes lighter to my aids and in his footfalls to the ground, and much more uphill in his shoulders as he pushes himself forward off his hind quarters happily into the bit.
I personally know Leslie and take lessons from her. I see rider after rider come in for her lessons and see vast improvements in all riders, and their horses, at each lesson. By correcting the riders position, the horse always greatly improves in movement, balance and attitude towards it's work.
Leslie O'neal Olsen's "Ride-Five Simple Steps" DVD does make it simple to replay in your mind as you are riding to put yourself into a correct classical position and maintain it while riding. You will feel more secure, solid and successfull in your riding. Both you and your horse will thank her!!!

Leslie (and Southern) have a unique ability to help riders of all disciplines and abilities realize the importance of finding your balance over the horses' (ever changing) center of balance and gives you the tools to do so. I have watched this video several times to reinforce the concepts that are so simply presented. The 5 steps may seem simple, but, as I have heard Leslie say on other occasions (she is also a GREAT clinician and judge!), even Stephan Peters checks his balance and position while riding. She has said there is another video in the works and I am looking forward to adding it to my collection as well.

This video was and is a "go to" at anytime. WE all forget to go back to basics when we have trouble, and that trouble usually begins with the rider. My horses move better once I remind myself of the "Five Simple Steps for Secure, Solid Success". I have to admit that I am a timid rider, this video helps me find my seat and reminds me that "..If I am balanced the horse is balanced....if I am soft the horse is soft...". I loved the easy to remember "sayings of Southern" that helps me remember. I have to admit that I had banners put up in my indoor arena with the Five Steps on them to help all the riders that ride at my place. I can not wait until the next DVD..... I keep checking Leslie's website to hope to find it soon.

One of the best things about this video is that it gets straight to the point! Leslie was easy to understand and follow. The 5 steps have made a huge difference in my seat and my horse is more natural in his movements. I have allowed the 5 steps to work and when I am on so is my horse, he just natural finds his balance and frame. We did not have this before, he is a retired jumper and was never really relaxed. When I have had a bad shooling day I go right back to the DVD to review what I was doing wrong. Next time we are both relaxed and ready to learn. Thank you Leslie! This DVD is perfect for the beginner or the advanced rider, we never stop learning!

I enjoyed the informational content of this brief (20 minute) video. However, the actual meat of the video begins after six minutes and ends at about fifteen minutes. The rest of the time is spent watching students gush about the instructor, or repeating information already shared.

For the price of the video, I would have liked to see each of the steps illustrated more fully and fleshed out. Videos clips of rider and horse examples of before and after, or following / not following each step would be helpful. There is a brief segment where the instructor is purposefully riding poorly to make a point, but her riding is contrived enough that it is not very illustrative. A better product would be a new student and horse on day one, day fifteen, day thirty, etc, so that the viewer could see the improvement in the rider's balance and in the horse's responsiveness.

Better detailed examples or visualizations would also be helpful. Things for a rider to think about at the walk/trot/canter in order to remain in balance would work well. Some ways for me to recognize or FEEL in my own body whether or not I am "on" would provide real-world exercises to work on. I would have happily paid about $5 for this video as it sits, but feel the content to price ratio is out of balance.

I'm an equine journalist and a dressage instructor. I've written reviews for this video and I've always recommended it. It's easy to follow and it's packed with info that riders at any level can grasp. Everything starts with the seat. If you don't have a good position you cannot move on past Introductory Level. The best riders in the world work on their seats daily. O'Neal Olsen shares her immense talent and knowledge about seat and position in a way that simply makes sense.

Having ridden dressage for many years, or in retrospect, tried to ride dressage, the items discussed in the video are spot on. How can a horse be in balance when the rider is not. We all strive to be the best we can be, why not look within and better yourself with these steps. They are very effective in every sense of the word - my horse has never been so "in the zone".

I think using Southern brought some comic relief to the video. I go back to review this video as a refresher on a regular basis. I can never be so perfect as to believe I have absolutely no room for improvement.

Diane McKenzie

This video confirms the importants of a solid foundation as the starting point of success as in all sports. This video was very simply to understand for even our 11yr old. She was able to use the five steps in her next lesson and see improvement. Five simple steps is what ever rider will use throughout their whole career. Every great rider has mastered these five simple steps along with others in order to compete at that upper levels of competition.Great video and hope you have plans to share more in the near future.

Kudos to Leslie Olsen!! She has created a fun way to explain the basics of the classical position so that everyone, of any riding discipline, can develop a correct and balanced seat. How refreshing!! I love this and give Leslie a big "Thumbs Up!" Thank you!