Anke Hawke Balanced Dressage

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Anke Hawke Balanced Dressage Growing up in a sailing family in the north of Germany and not “getting” the idea of always being wet and cold and in the wind ….. didn’t seem to be my ‘thing’.

Horse and Rider Education,
Whether you're seeking private lessons or intensive workshops, we aim to instil confidence and trust from the very foundations of your training. Early on I started pestering my parents (a lot) that I would like to learn how to ride. Once I convinced them, the rest is history! Escaping on my bike to the delicious smell of horses, their soft noses and their gentle nature. Most horses become your friend and offer so much for me, they always come first and the sport second. Most horses give you everything without a second thought of their own well-being
You look into their faces and you can see their facial expressions. They are curious and yes, the first instinct is to run, but the second is to come and investigate and be noisy! The safer they feel, the more they are happy to hang around and learn. Horses that are in balance and harmony with their rider are such a pleasure to watch. The horse starts to shine and dance with a sparkle in their eyes. They look after their rider and, as long as the rider looks after them, it is an astonishing and ever-growing partnership. For me, horses have the great ability to make everything complete- having an excellent way of communicating without saying a word. They are incredibly forgiving and don’t have ‘agenda’, they are in the here and now
Horses are the original masters of Mindfulness! If you treat them with respect, you have a friend for life. By now you can tell my work is my passion and I have spent years acquiring knowledge on all aspects of the horse as well as the art of riding. I keep studying and learning, to improve my own skills to help my students riding and their horses. Subjects like biomechanics, physiology, neurology, mindset, movement, Feldenkrais, saddle fit, soundness, hoof care and conformation are some of my interests. My approach is always holistic for both horse and rider. Horses and riders that are in balance and harmony are a joy and pleasure to follow. As a rider, I am always looking to fine-tune my own skills as well as others. I don’t just teach, I ride. If you are seeking an authentic partnership with your horse or simply want to improve your riding, please call me on
0408 882 730
or contact me by messenger
With anything, in particular, you would like to work on or questions, you might have.

15/10/2026

☕️🐴 Another Academic Coffee Morning done and dusted!

And once again, I’m reminded why I wanted to start these mornings in the first place. 🤎

I’m so grateful for the lovely people who come along. A safe, relaxed environment, a good surface to ride on, some eyes on the ground and, most importantly, great company and plenty of horse talk.

Yesterday was particularly special.

I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely rider and her beautiful Paint mare.

After a spinal injury and some time away from riding, it was wonderful to see her feel comfortable enough to get back in the saddle, with a little company in the arena.

And once she was up there, it was as though she’d been doing it all her life! So much came flooding back. 😊

Of course, these things don’t usually happen overnight, and I’m sure all the work she’d been doing at home played a big part. But it was absolutely beautiful to watch.

Sometimes having a safe place, a little encouragement and someone to ride alongside makes all the difference.

And that’s what I love about these mornings. They don’t have to be bigger than Ben Hur. 😂

A few horses, a few humans, some riding, learning, laughter and lovely conversations over a cup of coffee.

Then everyone packs up, heads home, and hopefully takes a little something with them.

And yes, we’re doing it again!

☕️🐴 Next Academic Coffee Morning

📅 Thursday 29 October
⏰ 9am–12pm
📍 Balanced Dressage, Minimbah NSW 2312
💰 $35 with your horse
👀 Come without a horse and watch for free

Quite a few of you have already said you’d love to come, so pop the date in your calendar and send me a message if you’d like to join us.

I’m looking forward to seeing you here! 🤎

There is power in the pause. 🐴Something I have become much more aware of during my time with horses is just how importan...
14/10/2026

There is power in the pause. 🐴

Something I have become much more aware of during my time with horses is just how important it is to recognise and reward the first try.

Looking back at my earlier dressage lessons, I remember how often we were encouraged to do just a little bit more.

You might have ridden a beautiful line of flying changes, and instead of saying, “That was lovely, let’s leave it there,” you turned around and did it again.

And sometimes the next one wasn’t quite as good. So, of course, you tried again. 😂

Before you knew it, the horse was getting tired and the lovely movement you had a few minutes earlier had disappeared.

I think we have all been there.

One of Bent’s sayings that has really stayed with me is:

“Train the correct movement before you train endurance.”

And it makes so much sense.

Think about doing push-ups. If you can do 20 with good form, but your arms start shaking, would you really push through another 20?

Probably not.

But if you practise consistently, with good form, you gradually become stronger and can do more.

Our horses aren’t any different.

First we need balance, suppleness, shape and posture.

And not just standing still looking pretty! 😂

We aren’t training statues. We are training living, moving animals that need to find and maintain their balance while they move.

Only then can we gradually add more tempo, swing and endurance.

And this is where recognising the first try becomes so important.

A little more balance.
A better shape.
A moment of suppleness.
A softer response.

Sometimes it is only one or two steps.

But isn’t that exactly what we were looking for?

And if we don’t acknowledge that moment, how is the horse supposed to know?

Reward it. Give your horse a little pause.

There is actually some fascinating science behind this. When we learn something new, our brain starts building and strengthening connections. During short breaks, the brain can replay what we have just practised, sometimes much faster than the movement itself.

So while it might look as though nothing is happening, learning can still be taking place.

I love that thought.

And it has certainly changed how I approach training.

Rather than asking for more and more until the horse becomes tired and starts compensating, I would much rather have three lovely steps, reward them and come back to it again.

Tomorrow we might have five.

Next week we might have ten.

And somewhere along the way, what once felt difficult becomes easy.

Not because we pushed harder, but because we gave the horse the opportunity to understand, develop coordination and gradually become stronger.

Train the quality first. Then build the endurance.

And don’t forget to celebrate those little moments along the way. 🤎

☕️🐴 Just a little reminder that our next Academic Coffee Morning is tomorrow!I’m looking forward to seeing you all here ...
13/10/2026

☕️🐴 Just a little reminder that our next Academic Coffee Morning is tomorrow!

I’m looking forward to seeing you all here for another relaxed morning of horses, learning, laughter and, of course, a good cuppa! 😊

⏰ 9am–12pm
📍 775 Minimbah Road, Minimbah
🔑 Gate code: 7285, then press Enter

Bring your horse, your questions and a good sense of humour. The coffee will be waiting! ☕️🤎

See you tomorrow!

✨ Curious Riders Welcome You don’t need to know everythingYou don’t need to ride at a particular level, and your hors...
12/10/2026

✨ Curious Riders Welcome
You don’t need to know everything

You don’t need to ride at a particular level, and your horse doesn’t need to know particular movements.

For me, curiosity is much more important.

If you like asking why?

If you want to understand what you’re feeling and seeing rather than simply being told which exercise to do next.

If you’re happy to go back to something quite basic when that’s where the missing piece is.

If you’re willing to have a go, get it wrong, try again and learn from what your horse tells you.

And if you want to take that understanding home and continue building on it yourself — then you’ll probably enjoy this way of working.

There is no recipe and I’m certainly not promising a quick fix.

We have three individual lessons over two days so we have time to look, try, feel, make mistakes, come back and build on what we discover.

Small, achievable steps — and hopefully a clearer eye for what to look for next.

Balanced Dressage Clinic — Yass NSW
28–29 November 2026
3 individual lessons over 2 days
$385 including arena hire
Small group · 6–8 riders

Message me if you’d like to know more.

10/10/2026

We did the thing! 🦄✨

Miss Lucy and I ventured out to our very first clinic together, and off we went to Perry Nancarrow Working Equitation!

And you know what? There were actually quite a few wins! 🤎

Lucy travelled well, settled in beautifully, had absolutely no issues staying overnight, and didn’t bat an eyelid at any of the obstacles.

I even managed to put up my tent (with a little help from Adele – thank you! 😂).

We tried a little bit of everything, and then, of course, we ran into our usual discussion.

Miss Lucy’s opinion: “I’ve done enough now, thank you very much!”

Going forward when she decides her working time is up is still very much a work in progress. But we worked through it, and that in itself was another little win.

All in all, a really good outing with lots of positives and, of course, plenty of homework to take home.

And then there are the photos! 😂

Some lovely ones I’m happy to share, and some rather horrifying ones that will stay safely tucked away in my private vault.

Not because I want to forget them, but because they show me exactly where we are, what needs improving, and hopefully, one day, just how far we’ve come.

Progress isn’t always pretty, but it’s still progress. 🫶

And I’m rather proud of my little muppet, Miss Lucy. 🤎🖤🤍

Thank you for organising Muriel

☕️🐴 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 + 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 + 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆.After such a lovely first morning, we’re doing it again. 🤎Bring your horse.Bring a qu...
08/10/2026

☕️🐴 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 + 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 + 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆.

After such a lovely first morning, we’re doing it again. 🤎

Bring your horse.

Bring a question.

Do some groundwork, in-hand or ridden work.

Have some eyes on the ground.

Watch, learn, have a chat and enjoy being around other horse people.

Nothing bigger than Ben Hur. 😂

Just a good morning with horses.

📅 Thursday 15 October
⏰ 9am–12pm
📍 Balanced Dressage, Minimbah NSW 2312
💰 $35 with your horse

Message me if you’d like to come along.

🍀What would you do if you won the lottery?He said, “I know what you’d do. You’d probably start a foundation to save hors...
06/10/2026

🍀What would you do if you won the lottery?

He said, “I know what you’d do. You’d probably start a foundation to save horses.”

And I laughed because I actually don’t think I would.

First, I’d pay off the mortgage so I could sleep peacefully at night. 😊

But after that, I think I would put my money into education.

Because you can keep putting Band-Aids on problems, but good education can prevent some of those problems from happening in the first place.

The more we know, the better choices we can make — about the horses we breed, buy, train, ride, care for and ultimately take responsibility for.

And when money, success and greed enter the picture, it can become surprisingly easy to lose sight of why we are doing any of it in the first place.

Horses have been deeply entwined with the human story for thousands of years.

They carried us, worked beside us, helped us farm, travel, fight wars and build communities.

And now?

Most of us simply have horses because we love having horses.

For pleasure. Companionship. Adventure. Friendship. Challenge. Learning.

And, occasionally, to keep us very humble.

They really don’t owe us anything anymore.

So if I had the money to make a difference, I think I would invest in helping people understand horses better.

Because we can’t change everyone.

But we can educate one person at a time.

And one person making better choices can change the lives of every horse who passes through their hands.

For me, education is the way forward.

So here is the question

If you won the lottery and could put some of it towards something you genuinely believe in, what would you choose? ✨🪄🐴

And then there is the rider.I went to Denmark wanting to learn more about training horses.Rather inconveniently, quite a...
03/10/2026

And then there is the rider.

I went to Denmark wanting to learn more about training horses.

Rather inconveniently, quite a lot of the learning ended up being about me. 😂

The seat work during my internship gave me plenty to take home and continue exploring.

Not sit prettier.

Not heels down, shoulders back.

But:

What is the horse’s back doing underneath me?

What is happening through the ribcage?

What movement am I allowing through my own body?

And where am I accidentally getting in the way?

The horse moves first. As riders, we have to learn to feel and follow that movement before we can become clearer about influencing it.

Again, it comes back to learning to see — and learning to feel.

Try something small. Notice what changes. Have another go.

I’m still exploring this with my own horses, and it has changed what I look for when I’m teaching riders too.

Rider seat is one of the things we can explore during the
Yass .NSW, clinic, 28–29 November,

Longlea, Victoria clinic 3- 4 December

alongside groundwork, in-hand and ridden work.

One of Bent’s stories has really stayed with me.A little girl is learning to play the violin and goes to the master and ...
02/10/2026

One of Bent’s stories has really stayed with me.

A little girl is learning to play the violin and goes to the master and basically asks:

“Can we skip all this stuff and go straight to the part where I’m awesome?” 😂

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Horse training isn’t really any different.

There is no skipping the small stuff.

Where are your feet?
Where are your hands?
Where is your seat?
What is your body doing?
Can you actually feel what the horse underneath you is doing?

One of the rather humbling parts of my internship was discovering more and more about my own crookedness and movement.

Because the horse is a pretty good mirror.

If I am slightly out of position, unclear or poorly timed, the horse gives me an answer.

So I organise myself, ask again and see if the answer changes.

Sometimes it is a tiny change.

And then suddenly something that has felt difficult becomes easier.

Not because I found a magic trick, but because I became a little clearer.

That is the part we sometimes want to skip.

We want the beautiful riding, the light aids and the horse that seems to understand our thoughts — without spending quite so much time figuring out where our own hands, feet and body are. 😂

But that IS the work.

You don’t suddenly arrive at awesome.

You build it, one small piece at a time. 🤎

01/10/2026

☕️🐴 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹… 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱!

And I think we might be onto something. 😊

A few horses, a few humans, some riding, groundwork, questions, watching, learning — and of course a lovely cup of coffee and plenty of talking horses.

I loved the feedback afterwards.

“It was so nice to have a coffee and just talk horses.”

“It was awesome just riding with friends.”

“What a lovely environment and what a great idea. I can’t wait for the next one.”

And I think that really sums up what I hoped these mornings could become.

Nothing bigger than Ben Hur. 😂

Just a relaxed place to bring your horse, have some eyes on the ground, learn from each other and spend a morning with like-minded horse people.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the very first one such a lovely morning. 🤎

So yes — we’re doing it again!

☕️🐴 Next Academic Coffee Morning
📅 Thursday 15 October
⏰ 9am–12pm
📍 Balanced Dressage, Minimbah NSW 2312
💰 $35 with your horse

Same time. Same place. More horses, coffee and conversation. 😊

Send me a message if you’d like to join us.

Address

775 Minimbah Road
Minimbah, NSW
2312

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm
Sunday 8am - 2pm

Telephone

+61408882730

Website

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