You Can't Ride With Lightness If You're Heavy of Heart: Groundwork, Deep Breathing & Classical Mastery | Charlotte Wittbom | LFRF 66
✨ "I don't believe it's possible to ride with lightness if you're heavy of heart." – Rupert Isaacson
✨ "It's in the break where you get the effect of the exercise." – Charlotte Wittbom
Charlotte Wittbom grew up in Sweden riding ponies through the forests and competing in eventing, then found her way through a UK riding school to Portugal, where she spent years with the Valença family and went on to run Quinta do Brejo, Nuno Oliveira's old yard. She now teaches classical riding and in-hand work in England, working alongside physios and with a growing number of competition riders.
Charlotte Wittbom grew up in Sweden riding ponies through the forests and competing in eventing, then found her way through a UK riding school to Portugal, where she spent years with the Valença family and went on to run Quinta do Brejo, Nuno Oliveira's old yard. She now teaches classical riding and in-hand work in England, working alongside physios and with a growing number of competition riders.
Rupert and Charlotte talk about the Valença method as a living system rather than a rigid one, and how groundwork patterns such as quarter turns around the cones build posture, muscle and understanding in the horse. They also cover compensation patterns, stress and sustainability in competition, curiosity and lightness in teaching, and Charlotte's recent work on the horse's diaphragm and deep breathing.
A rich, wide-ranging conversation that closes with plans for deeper dives on the diaphragm work and a demo at Tribe Day in July 2027.
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What You'll Learn in This Episode
00:02:26 – How riding ponies in the Swedish forests without rules shaped Charlotte's feel for balance and freedom with horses.
00:23:23 – Why the Valença method gives you a system that becomes part of your DNA while leaving you free to develop your own path.
00:34:08 – Why groundwork became Charlotte's focus in the UK, and how it helps riders understand feel versus how things look.
00:49:49 – How small movements, such as a quarter turn around the cones, teach the horse the same pattern as a half halt.
00:59:03 – Why a horse's stiffness is there for a reason, and how resistance and release build muscle without force.
01:14:00 – How to ask whether a movement is sustainable for the horse, and not just whether it scores well.
01:31:53 – Why Rupert believes you cannot ride with lightness if you are heavy of heart.
01:54:58 – Why Charlotte says that from the ground you create the horse you want to ride.
01:56:55 – How Charlotte uses groundwork to help horses release the ribcage and diaphragm and take a deep breath.
Memorable Moments from the Episode
00:02:40 – Charlotte describes riding Shetland ponies as a child with flat saddles and an ice hockey helmet.
00:18:34 – At Quinta do Brejo, Charlotte answers complaints about uncomfortable saddles by pointing out that Nuno Oliveira sat in them.
00:40:04 – Charlotte recalls guests at Morgado Lusitano being disappointed to get her as an instructor instead of the Portuguese instructor they had hoped for.
01:58:11 – Charlotte keeps her deep-breathing method a secret for now, and Rupert asks to make the check payable.
02:05:07 – Rupert recalls Nuno Oliveira's advice to dismount and smoke a cigarette, and Charlotte suggests he try deep breathing instead.
Guest Contact & Links
Charlotte Wittbom
Website: charlottewittbom.com
YouTube: Charlotte Wittbom
Podcast on Spotify: Charlotte Wittbom Classical Mastery
About Charlotte Wittbom
Charlotte Wittbom is a Swedish-born classical riding instructor based in England. She started in eventing with ponies, trained and worked in Portugal with the Valença family, and ran Quinta do Brejo, Nuno Oliveira's old yard. Her approach builds on the Valença system and puts groundwork first, working with physios to help horses develop posture, muscle and calm before and alongside ridden work. She teaches across the UK, gives clinics in Sweden, and hosts a podcast of portraits of classical masters in their own words. Find her at charlottewittbom.com.
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