UK Registered Charity number 1155018
DHA, Akademin för Beridet bågskytte (Dalecarlian Horse back archery academy) was founded in 2012 by Ylwa and Mats Woxmark.
The story
”If you could change the world, would you do it?” Ylwa was a classically schooled rider when her horse Jeenial suffered from severe colic back in 2010 and almost died. They had to do a belly opening and after 3.5 hours of surgery, he survived against all odds. Something happened with their relationship after this.
By just hanging out with a horse who has been through something that traumatic, and not having any requirements to perform anything, a very special contact emerged.
It was like trying to learn to walk and speak again and we named our experiences the H3-method (Horse-horse, Horse-human, Human-horse) based on LIMA.
Ylwa didn’t want to put a bit in his mouth when it was time to start riding him again, trust had been far too important, so she learned bitless riding, something that Mats was already educated in. They started an Academy for people who were open to a change within horse riding, and today between 150-200 Teams are educated in the method in Sweden each year.
Jeenial has performed at Sweden International Horse Show three times before full stands, and a lot of people are fascinated by our journey. We answered yes on the question above. Change is possible!
The company
We are social entrepreneurs, which means we have driving forces that differ from the norm in society. The norm where values such as money and power rule. Our values are instead based on doing good for society at large, creating a change and doing something we are proud of.
In our world this means, to spread equine humane education and to create a better world for both horses and people.
We teach reward-based training and use horseback archery as a tool as you cannot use the reins when you ride, you have to aim and shoot arrows with a bow.
This has turned out to be very successful, more and more classical riders discover the Academy and want to learn more about our way to work.
The instructors
In Sweden, horseback archery is included in the National Archery Association, so we have educated ourselves within both the Swedish Equestrian Federation and the Swedish Archery Association to be able to work for a change ”from within.”
We are two instructors – Ylwa and Mats Woxmark that also teach classical riding, but bitless. We have bases in Rättvik, Dalecarlian region and in Stockholm our capital, we hold clinics all over Europe.
You can also visit our place in Dalecarlia for clinics, summer camps and as a student. We ride all our horses bitless in shows and competitions.
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