Marijke de Jong's ST Academy
Mastery Student Reviews
They Did It. So Can You.
Hear from Mastery Students from who made their dream with their horse come true!
Reviews From Graduates
"I started as a hobby rider at a stable where horses were being ridden using NH basics. Later I noticed that at this place I would not be able to develop, that I want something more.
Then I bought Lady Dee. In the beginning, she looked easy to work with and ride. But then she quickly realized that I’m a beginner with horses and become hard for me to ride, so I was looking for interesting exercises for groundwork and found ST Mastery.
There aren't enough words to say how useful it was and how helpful it is! This systematic and well organized educational system helps us to reach goals one by one. But it's not only an educational system, but it is also a philosophy of horse well being and a great and supportive community of horse lovers.
Lady Dee now is more relaxed, self-confident, balanced, happier and we can even ride dressage tests with calmness and good self-carriage."
Gita Andersone | Riga, Latvia
Lady Dee, mare, 13 yo
"The Mastery Program definitely made me a better horse trainer but also a better person.
Chapter 1 in the ST Academy brought me a huge amount of tools to understand why we are doing what we are doing and how to be able to work on your leadership, your communication, your state of mind, etc. etc. It gave me a huge self-confidence boost.
With that boost, I was able to help my horse get so much stronger in his back and more supple in his body. He starts to carry me with pride, and I finally have felt how it is when my horse pushes his back up and uses his body in a healthy way.
I also was able to help a rescue race-horse to become proud and stronger, emotional and physical. And because of this boost of self-confidence, I made my little-girl-dream come true: I bought a foal for the first time of my life at the age of 56, to have him growing up here, with me!!"
Heleen van Tongeren-Bouman | Gan, France
Vlex, Dutch Warmblood (KWPN), gelding, 16 yo
"The Mastery Program has made a big impact on my attitude to horse training. A huge amount of theory, manuals, examples, tips, everyday FB mottos, support, and chats is unique. Unlike working with trainers, visiting all kind of seminars, reading books and then returning to old manners this program really enables to become a better horse trainer and as extra bonus becoming a better version of oneself. The program is so complex that now affects my relationship with all living beings around me.
ST has brought me to many disclosures. Finally, I have grasped the truth that I have to change from inside out to change the outcomes. The more I think about it the more I know all is what lies in my head. The more I try to be calm, grounded, patient and giving, the more my horse thrives. It can be a challenging process indeed, but, after one year of ST experience, I know for sure it is the right direction.
Thank you team ST for helping me so much with my horse training and for making my days bright!"
Ivana KovaÅ™íková | Prague, Czech Republic
Spotty Doc Chex, APH x Belarussian, gelding, 8 yo
By Listening To Her Horses She Became A Better Trainer
Susanne Hansen lives on an island in Denmark, and has two Lippizanian horses: Rava, a mare, born in 2002, and Maestoso Alea (Amadeus), a gelding, born in 2005.
Susanne: "The foundation of ST is sound and solid!!! You cannot disagree with the content. If there is something to disagree with, it will always be because of you/us not wanting to make changes...or not being able to see our own mistakes. When trusting in the process you will see things develope. You will also get valuable feedback from evaluators of your touchstones that help you to progress. So don't give up!!! Your horse will benefit a lot of your hard work!!!"
By listening to her horses and by changing herself first, Susanne's horses changed:
Becoming a Better Trainer and a Better Person
Kim Alford from South Africa started Straightness Training because she had a lot of questions. The Grand Master François Robichon de la Guérinière (1688-1751) once said that “without the theory, the practice will always be uncertain” and this is how she felt as a trainer, prior to starting the Mastery Program. Now Kim has not only grown as a trainer but also as a person.
In this video, you can see Kim with her 10 yo mare Show Girl, a Lusitano/Boertperd:
Kim: "Thanks to Marijke de Jong's practise of Constant And Never-ending Improvement (CANI), the Mastery Program is always evolving, expanding and improving. New material and information is always being added giving us incredible value for our Investment. Straightness Training is for anyone who wants to improve themselves, learn how to be better horse trainers, and have a much more holistic relationship with their horses."
"With ST I learned about the WHY! To let the communication with the horse arise with inner picture and feeling before ST, I got " look-alikes" because the essences of exercises I could not transfer from books and other videos. Now I am aware that a tiny movement of the center of mass can not only disturb the balance of the physical body but lead to emotional and mental unbalance, too. And best of all, I can influence this center of mass! It's about becoming the best trainer you can be, and I really feel the difference in my family life, the bond to my horse has grown so much - it's not just about riding concepts but life-changing. More than words can describe!”
Wiebke Rudolf | Bretten, Germany
Jonna, Norwegian horse, mare, 7 yo
"The Mastery Program helped me to become a focused trainer of my pony, knowing how to read and change (!) the behavior of it, to understand the biomechanics and the WHY beyond the exercises. It`s an amazing collection of insights, frameworks, and philosophy and it shows the way to (self-)mastery. So it is a great help to become a better horse trainer but also become a better wife and mum. The Mastery Program is a wonderful instrument to create growth, connection on a high level of quality and collection of unique moments with the partner horse. I do now understand, how and why horses (or people) react the way they do and that way I can react with much more patience. Since the day I started the Mastery Program, every single moment with my pony had a clear purpose, and with that focus, it was much more fun, and I achieved a quality of harmony, I only dreamed of before.”
Simone Reindl | Gondelsheim, Germany
Malinn, Norwegian, mare, 14 yo
"It has helped me to get a better understanding of every aspect of horse training and horse behaviour, and even self-mastery."
