Balimo stands for Balance in Motion.

Balimo Seat Clinics:
Include interactive theory lecture, an unmounted warm-up, a Balimo exercise class plus, individual private mounted lessons, which may involve taking the rider on and off the horse to do various exercises to encourage better movement. These clinics are typically run over two days and everyone leaves with increased body awareness and specific exercises to address their weaknesses or body issues.

Balimo principles:

•  the rider must consider themselves an athlete
•  riding is about movement and motion
•    it is necessary to develop a feeling rider, as well as harmony between horse and ride
•   it is through the sensitive seat that true communication between horse and rider happens to achieve harmony
•  the rider must first uncover her own strengths and weaknesses; then design an exercise program that will balance her own muscles and muscle groups
•  Eckart Meyners' 6 Point Program is the foundation of exercises designed for riders to develop their athletic needs related to balanced muscles

The Balimo program:
The program uses straightforward & easy to carry out exercises, with the goal of helping to
balance riders’ bodies by stretching, relaxing and strengthening muscles. When a rider is more balanced, relaxed and flexible, she can move more harmoniously with her horse, allowing her to find the correct, relaxed seat. Exercises are performed both mounted and unmounted; some exercises use the Balimo™ Chair.
The Balimo™ chair is a unique apparatus to teach riders to follow the movement of a horse and continuously remain in balance.

Original Balimo faculty:

Jill Hassler-Scoop:  the late co-founder of the Balimo program.

Eckart Meyners: co-founder of the Balimo program and a retired Professor of Sports Physiology and Body Movement (University of Lüneburg, Germany).Having spent years researching movement and ways to improve athletic performance, he has discovered numerous ways to improve body mobility and sustain a wider range of motion, as well as to support a healthier body. He is world reknown for authoring books & videos on body awareness for riders.

Joan's training in Balimo included:

Balimo Refresher training sessions Munster, Germany
Balimo Instructors'  'Lab Days'  Massachusetts
Balimo Instructors'  Workshop Warendorf, Germany
Balimo Seat Symposium  Massachusetts
Balimo Instructors'  Workshop Massachusetts
Balimo Seat Symposium California
Balimo Instructors'  Workshop California
Balimo Seat Symposium Illinois
Balimo Instructors'  Workshop  Illinois
Balimo Seat Symposium Georgia
Balimo Instructors'  Workshop Georgia