Sally Swift, founder of Centered Riding® Inc., was born in 1913 and grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts, just south of Boston. At eight years old a scoliosis appeared which has been part of her life ever since. After the diagnosis and into her twenties, she worked with Mabel Elsworth Todd, author of The Thinking Body . So Sally's body awareness and centering started at an early age.

Graduating from school, she taught riding for the next twelve years before moving on into other fields. Retiring from the American Holstein Association at 62, she planned to teach riding again "to a few of my friends". This was the beginning of Centered Riding®. As she developed her techniques and the four basics of Centered Riding®, the demand for Centered Riding® clinics and Instructor clinics blossomed and soon her teaching activities were taking her all over the United States as well as to Canada, Australia and Europe.

Sally has now semi-retired but still teaches a few clinics close to home at Lucile Bump's Southmowing Stables in Brattleboro, Vermont, works annually with her Level IV instructors and gives talks at a few trade shows. She is using her experience in "centering" and "use of self" techniques in new areas such as singers and physical therapists as they help their clients.

Her book Centered Riding , now a classic, was published in 1985 and recently celebrated its twentieth year in print. It's been translated into fourteen languages and has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. In 1986, Sally produced two videos Centered Riding: Tape 1 and Centered Riding: Tape 2, which are readily available now in both VHS and DVD formats. A second book, Centered Riding 2: Further Exploration was published in 2002 and is following in its predecessor's footsteps with eight foreign language editions and more to come. The books and videos are available in many tack shops or can be ordered by contacting the Centered Riding ® Office.

Centered Riding ® , Inc.
P.O. Box 157
Perkiomenville , PA 18074
office@centeredriding.org
610-754-0633 / Fax 610-754-0634

In the last eighteen years, Sally has been working with the Alexander Technique which has enabled her to discard the back brace she had worn for ten years. The Alexander Technique is a method of re-educating the mind and body towards greater balance and integration with special reference to posture and movement. The Technique has not changed any of her basic principles but has added significantly to the depth and subtlety of her teaching.

Over the past twelve years, Sally has developed an instructor program which is now taught by the Level IV Instructors who either apprenticed directly with Sally (1986 - 1991) or with at least two Level IV instructors. See the Instructors' Page for more information about Centered Riding® Instructors and how to become one.