Last week I was having an awkward week with Dudley. He wasn't doing anything wrong, he was working relatively well, but I could feel that he was doing something unusual with his body, something I hadn't felt before.
First of all, I had to remind myself that just because I hadn't felt this 'new' thing before didn't mean he hadn't done it, I just may not have been aware of it!
Usually, I have to spend time working him to level up his right rib cage, as this is the side he drops. However, recently, halfway through our sessions, he had started to push up the right side which then made the left seem lower. After trying to work out what was going on, rather unsuccessfully, I decided to give my instructor a call and see what she thought.
We discussed at length what I felt he was doing. We threw ideas back and forth and came up with many things to try. So, off I went, armed full of promising exercises and ideas.
It just so happened that after that phone call, my planned days of riding went out the window and I got really busy. So Dudley ended up having a few days off. I forgot all about our issues as I carried on over the weekend.
So, Monday comes along and I get Dudley ready for our schooling session. What do I find? That our issues of last week have vanished and instead he is working even better than he ever has! I was delighted to say the least!
So what do I think made the difference? The days off! I think in this case, maybe he was having difficulty because of something different in his body, maybe has was just having an off few days or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, giving him a few days off did the trick.
Never underestimate the benefit of a few days off if your struggling with something, maybe a break is the best thing for you and your horse. A rest isn't giving up, it's just giving you both a bit of breathing space - and maybe that's all that's needed.
Happy Riding
x
Friday, June 28, 2013
Body work for your horse
How many of us think about the horse's body and how hard it has to work dealing with everyday occurrences? Carrying us around, galloping around the field, slipping and sliding, sharp turns and sliding stops, playing with his buddies, the list goes on.
When your horse is sound, it's hard to imagine that his body may be working extra hard on the inside or compensating for an aching muscle or a strain that has occurred. It may really be affecting the horse but as we all know, horses are prey animals, and can effectively cover up any aches and pains, so they don't appear weak to a potential predator.
It's been said many times, horses are athletes and should be treated as such. So what does this mean? Well, thinking about human athletes, they really have to look after themselves to stay at the top of their game and remain fit and healthy. They have a specific diet, they maintain a good body weight, they exercise regularly and practise their sport and they have body work to help maintain their most important bit of equipment - THEIR BODY!
So if our horses are athletes, then all of the components of the human athletes lifestyle are relevant to our horse.
Body work in particular, unfortunately, seems to be a neglected part of these components. Your horse MUST be comfortable to enable him to work well and be supple, responsive and able to carry out our requests. He may seem fine when you ride him, look at him or turn him out, but he could be hiding things from you that only a qualified practitioner can find out about. Or you may have gotten so used to seeing him go 'that' way that it didn't occur to you that he may have a problem.
Personally, we use different practitioners for different things and at different times. We usually have a McTimoney Chiropractor out a few times a year. This sorts out any big imbalances, releasing muscles to allow the body to bring it's self back into alignment.
Secondly, our horses are treated regularly with Shiatsu. Dudley will usually have a treatment every four to six weeks, (as do I), but other horses I deal with who are having problems or are making big changes, have them as frequent as every 2 weeks.
'Simply put, it is a ‘hands on’ technique with the same theoretical background as acupuncture. However, instead of needles I use my fingers and thumbs to apply pressure into specific points. In conjunction with massage, stretching and joint manipulation - this is why Shiatsu is often referred to as Japanese Physiotherapy.' By Louise Ledwith Shiatsu practitioner.
These things make a massive difference to Dudley's well being and way of going. It also means that I have people who know my horses body on a deeper level than I do, so if I think we are having problems, I can call them out and hey presto, they give me an exact answer as to what has changed and I can deal with it much better than if I was guessing.
There are so many different treatments available for horses these days that you are sure to find one which your horse enjoys and benefits from the most. As previously stated, there are Chiropractors, Shiatsu Practitioners, Equine Sports Massage Therapists, Light Therapy, Osteopath, Cranio-sacral, and that's just the ones I can think of right now!
It's our duty to keep our horses as comfortable as possible and able to do the work required, I highly recommend including body work as part of your stable management routine.
Dudley and I wouldn't be without it!
Happy Riding
x
When your horse is sound, it's hard to imagine that his body may be working extra hard on the inside or compensating for an aching muscle or a strain that has occurred. It may really be affecting the horse but as we all know, horses are prey animals, and can effectively cover up any aches and pains, so they don't appear weak to a potential predator.
It's been said many times, horses are athletes and should be treated as such. So what does this mean? Well, thinking about human athletes, they really have to look after themselves to stay at the top of their game and remain fit and healthy. They have a specific diet, they maintain a good body weight, they exercise regularly and practise their sport and they have body work to help maintain their most important bit of equipment - THEIR BODY!
So if our horses are athletes, then all of the components of the human athletes lifestyle are relevant to our horse.
Body work in particular, unfortunately, seems to be a neglected part of these components. Your horse MUST be comfortable to enable him to work well and be supple, responsive and able to carry out our requests. He may seem fine when you ride him, look at him or turn him out, but he could be hiding things from you that only a qualified practitioner can find out about. Or you may have gotten so used to seeing him go 'that' way that it didn't occur to you that he may have a problem.
Personally, we use different practitioners for different things and at different times. We usually have a McTimoney Chiropractor out a few times a year. This sorts out any big imbalances, releasing muscles to allow the body to bring it's self back into alignment.
Secondly, our horses are treated regularly with Shiatsu. Dudley will usually have a treatment every four to six weeks, (as do I), but other horses I deal with who are having problems or are making big changes, have them as frequent as every 2 weeks.
'Simply put, it is a ‘hands on’ technique with the same theoretical background as acupuncture. However, instead of needles I use my fingers and thumbs to apply pressure into specific points. In conjunction with massage, stretching and joint manipulation - this is why Shiatsu is often referred to as Japanese Physiotherapy.' By Louise Ledwith Shiatsu practitioner.
These things make a massive difference to Dudley's well being and way of going. It also means that I have people who know my horses body on a deeper level than I do, so if I think we are having problems, I can call them out and hey presto, they give me an exact answer as to what has changed and I can deal with it much better than if I was guessing.
There are so many different treatments available for horses these days that you are sure to find one which your horse enjoys and benefits from the most. As previously stated, there are Chiropractors, Shiatsu Practitioners, Equine Sports Massage Therapists, Light Therapy, Osteopath, Cranio-sacral, and that's just the ones I can think of right now!
It's our duty to keep our horses as comfortable as possible and able to do the work required, I highly recommend including body work as part of your stable management routine.
Dudley and I wouldn't be without it!
Happy Riding
x
Ambitions
During one of my lessons recently with my trainer, she casually asked me what my riding ambitions were.
A simple question you think, but to be honest, I was completely stumped.
I thought about the question for a minute. I thought back over everything I had experienced, things I had accomplished and how my perspective had changed during my retraining and teaching.
When talking about riding ambitions, most people think of their competing aims, what they would like to win and how far up the competition ladder they would like to go. I thought along these lines too, but nothing jumped out at me as something that I yearned to achieve or experience. Lots of the people I come into contact with in the horsey world tell me about this or that competition they would like to do, we practise dressage tests together, perfect jumping courses, go through everything that will enable them to reach their riding goal, but thinking about my own seemed much harder!
As it turned out, on that day, I just couldn't find an answer. You see, I have experienced competing and it was due to those experiences that I decided to sell my lorry, postpone any competing until a future date and retrain to get the best out of my horse and myself through correct training. You're probably thinking, gosh were they that bad?! But the answer is no! We weren't doing badly at all, we were getting placed and having fun, I knew we could do better but that retraining would take time and lots of it and I discovered that I was prepared to wait!
A few days later, I was still thinking about my riding ambition. Suddenly as if the mist had cleared, something just clicked into place, I knew what I wanted to achieve.
My riding ambition is to do the best I can with my current horse Dudley. That's it. My riding ambition is bound to my lovely little horse. Maybe one day I would like to get out competing again, but it all depends on him and whether he can cope with it and enjoys it. But if he doesn't, i'll be more than happy to get us as perfect as we can be at home, working up the schooling ladder.
I haven't told Dudley yet, but I'm hoping we will achieve piaffe one day! ( that's just between you and me lol!)
Your ambitions are yours and yours alone, big or small they are all important to each and every one of us. Never stop working towards them :)
Happy riding
X
A simple question you think, but to be honest, I was completely stumped.
I thought about the question for a minute. I thought back over everything I had experienced, things I had accomplished and how my perspective had changed during my retraining and teaching.
When talking about riding ambitions, most people think of their competing aims, what they would like to win and how far up the competition ladder they would like to go. I thought along these lines too, but nothing jumped out at me as something that I yearned to achieve or experience. Lots of the people I come into contact with in the horsey world tell me about this or that competition they would like to do, we practise dressage tests together, perfect jumping courses, go through everything that will enable them to reach their riding goal, but thinking about my own seemed much harder!
As it turned out, on that day, I just couldn't find an answer. You see, I have experienced competing and it was due to those experiences that I decided to sell my lorry, postpone any competing until a future date and retrain to get the best out of my horse and myself through correct training. You're probably thinking, gosh were they that bad?! But the answer is no! We weren't doing badly at all, we were getting placed and having fun, I knew we could do better but that retraining would take time and lots of it and I discovered that I was prepared to wait!
A few days later, I was still thinking about my riding ambition. Suddenly as if the mist had cleared, something just clicked into place, I knew what I wanted to achieve.
My riding ambition is to do the best I can with my current horse Dudley. That's it. My riding ambition is bound to my lovely little horse. Maybe one day I would like to get out competing again, but it all depends on him and whether he can cope with it and enjoys it. But if he doesn't, i'll be more than happy to get us as perfect as we can be at home, working up the schooling ladder.
I haven't told Dudley yet, but I'm hoping we will achieve piaffe one day! ( that's just between you and me lol!)
Your ambitions are yours and yours alone, big or small they are all important to each and every one of us. Never stop working towards them :)
Happy riding
X
Friday, June 7, 2013
Coping Mechanisms
I have spent the best part of the last 3 years, reschooling my horse, Dudley. He is almost 11 years old now and it has been what seems like a very long but also very rewarding process.
Once I discovered what I now know, I spent years unlearning what I had been taught and relearning the Classical and Biomechanical techniques I now use and base my teachings on. Then I had to transfer these things to Dudley. I spent even more time, unravelling the wrong, he had learnt and retraining him with the correct things.
This was such a big learning curve and it has taught me much about how things are never usually 'black' or 'white' when it comes to training horses. Your horse is never 'done' in the sense of its training.
One thing that surprised me more than anything was his ability to revert back to his old ways whenever he felt he needed to. His 'evasions', consisted of going completely solid and tense, spooking, setting his neck, rushing forward, wide opening mouth and almost ignoring any rein aids. I must add that these didn't always happen all at once or to the extremes! He wasn't completely awful, but on occasions, wasn't far off it!
As I began to notice when he reverted back to 'old Dudley', I noticed a pattern. It was always when he was asked to do something new, something that meant he had to use his hind end more, when he felt less secure, ie hacking out and when I improved my position to the extent that he couldn't continue working in his old self carriage. All these things made him display his old coping mechanisms.
As we progressed, things are much better, but he can still revert back to 'old Dudley', particularly when I'm out hacking, he especially likes to open his mouth very wide and ignore the rein aids!
It seems that horses, however well schooled they are, always have their 'thing' or 'things' that they revert back to when the going gets tough for them - their coping mechanisms.
It may be rearing, bucking, spooking, getting strong, planting themselves, pulling you out of the saddle, you name it - I've seen it! Even down to the smallest things such as getting the rein gradually longer without you realising or slowing down each time you ask for something specific. All can be described as coping mechanisms.
Of course these things can definitely be improved upon by consistent correct training. But I think they may always be lingering somewhere ready to emerge when the horse needs to show us he is struggling or is worried by something imparticular.
However, I don't think it is all bad. Big, dangerous evasions, of course are a no, no, but I think some are an asset to our training programme. Clients come to me and say, 'Im fed up of xxxxx doing this!' Or 'Why does he always do that, it's so annoying!' And sometimes I will say, 'Well how else can he tell you he is struggling with xxxx?' And the the penny drops. People realise their horse is communicating to them about how hard they are finding their work not trying to annoy them or necessarily being naughty!
What does your horse do that annoys you? Does he have any coping mechanisms he uses when the going gets tough? How do you respond and could you now respond differently?
Happy Riding!
x
Non Reaction As A Training Tool
I used to react and over react an awful lot, to my horses undesirable behaviour.
He was spooky, strong and forever rushing away from things he didn't like. He would school perfectly for an hours lesson and then at the last minute as I took my feet out of the stirrups he would spook and unceremoniously dump me on the floor. Or he would develop a spooky problem half way through a schooling session at some poles in the corner that he had already passed several times that session.
Back then, I was a lot less aware of how I affected him.
I didn't realise that every time he did something, I would tense up, tell him off, tell someone else what he had done and generally make a big deal about it. I used to remain flustered for at least five minutes, then it took us another five or ten minutes to settle down enough to continue our training where we left off.
All that wasted time and energy!
I could never understand why the spooking didn't get less as we did more work. It didn't get better because I didn't change my response.
Over the years, things did eventually get a little better, but it wasn't until my trainer gave me a fantastic example that it really clicked for me.
She said;
'Imagine your in a crowd of people, the energy level of the crowd is high and everybody is anxious, restless and nervous. How are you going to feel?'
I thought about it and realised, if people around me are anxious and nervous then I'm bound to be the same.
She carried on;
'So what happens to you if the crowd of people you are in, are completely calm, the energy is low everybody is happy, relaxed and non reactive?'
I am going to feel calm and relaxed too! I'm not going to react to things I might have in the anxious crowd.
YOU are the crowd your horse takes his lead from. You have to be the calm, non reactive crowd that keeps him calm and non reactive.
What does your horse do that makes you react? How do you react?
Investigate the answers to these two questions and then next time something happens - use non reaction instead and see the difference!
He was spooky, strong and forever rushing away from things he didn't like. He would school perfectly for an hours lesson and then at the last minute as I took my feet out of the stirrups he would spook and unceremoniously dump me on the floor. Or he would develop a spooky problem half way through a schooling session at some poles in the corner that he had already passed several times that session.
Back then, I was a lot less aware of how I affected him.
I didn't realise that every time he did something, I would tense up, tell him off, tell someone else what he had done and generally make a big deal about it. I used to remain flustered for at least five minutes, then it took us another five or ten minutes to settle down enough to continue our training where we left off.
All that wasted time and energy!
I could never understand why the spooking didn't get less as we did more work. It didn't get better because I didn't change my response.
Over the years, things did eventually get a little better, but it wasn't until my trainer gave me a fantastic example that it really clicked for me.
She said;
'Imagine your in a crowd of people, the energy level of the crowd is high and everybody is anxious, restless and nervous. How are you going to feel?'
I thought about it and realised, if people around me are anxious and nervous then I'm bound to be the same.
She carried on;
'So what happens to you if the crowd of people you are in, are completely calm, the energy is low everybody is happy, relaxed and non reactive?'
I am going to feel calm and relaxed too! I'm not going to react to things I might have in the anxious crowd.
YOU are the crowd your horse takes his lead from. You have to be the calm, non reactive crowd that keeps him calm and non reactive.
What does your horse do that makes you react? How do you react?
Investigate the answers to these two questions and then next time something happens - use non reaction instead and see the difference!
Emotions
I'm sure we have all, at some point, planned a schooling session, only to spend an hour riding aimlessly around the arena and come out feeling thoroughly disappointed with our progress.
Has this ever happened to you? I'll admit it's happened to me - more than once!
I used to feel really down when this happened and it would really knock my motivation and would make me feel like I actually wasn't capable of progressing any further.
Of course this wasn't really the case. I had just let my emotions run away with me and before I knew it I was feeling really down about my riding.
So what did I do about it?
Well, I started to notice when I seemed to have these 'off' sessions and how I felt prior to riding. The more I noticed how I felt, the more I realised that my emotional state prior to riding had a massive impact on how successful or unsuccessful the training session went.
I noticed that lots of factors prior to my riding actually affected it. Things like how busy I was that day, if I was running late or early, other things that were going on at home or with my family, bills that were on my mind and the list went on.
I learnt through my own experiences, that my emotional state on any given day, was THE most influential factor when faced with any horse.
So, I did the only thing I could if I wanted to be successful with horses, I learnt to control my emotions and it was probably one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever had to do!
Before I get on my horse, and this applies to any horse I am working with, I take a few minutes. I take a few minutes to breathe, to put whatever is on my mind on the back burner, for the whole time I am training that horse or giving that lesson. I focus only on the task in front of me and everything else just has to wait its turn.
Being able to be completely in the moment with the task in hand has been one of the turning points of my career and it will work for you too!
Before you jump on your horse, give yourself a few minutes to breathe and forget about your day. Focus on the task in hand and connect with your horse. As you ride round, your mind will keep trying to distract with with all of the things you need to do etc etc. Keep focusing on your horse, ride every step and notice what is happening - now.
You may find this hard at first, but keep practising and the rewards are endless! You will start to know your horse better, your training will improve and you will look forward to having an hour free from the pressures of life, enjoy!
Happy Riding!
x
Has this ever happened to you? I'll admit it's happened to me - more than once!
I used to feel really down when this happened and it would really knock my motivation and would make me feel like I actually wasn't capable of progressing any further.
Of course this wasn't really the case. I had just let my emotions run away with me and before I knew it I was feeling really down about my riding.
So what did I do about it?
Well, I started to notice when I seemed to have these 'off' sessions and how I felt prior to riding. The more I noticed how I felt, the more I realised that my emotional state prior to riding had a massive impact on how successful or unsuccessful the training session went.
I noticed that lots of factors prior to my riding actually affected it. Things like how busy I was that day, if I was running late or early, other things that were going on at home or with my family, bills that were on my mind and the list went on.
I learnt through my own experiences, that my emotional state on any given day, was THE most influential factor when faced with any horse.
So, I did the only thing I could if I wanted to be successful with horses, I learnt to control my emotions and it was probably one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever had to do!
Before I get on my horse, and this applies to any horse I am working with, I take a few minutes. I take a few minutes to breathe, to put whatever is on my mind on the back burner, for the whole time I am training that horse or giving that lesson. I focus only on the task in front of me and everything else just has to wait its turn.
Being able to be completely in the moment with the task in hand has been one of the turning points of my career and it will work for you too!
Before you jump on your horse, give yourself a few minutes to breathe and forget about your day. Focus on the task in hand and connect with your horse. As you ride round, your mind will keep trying to distract with with all of the things you need to do etc etc. Keep focusing on your horse, ride every step and notice what is happening - now.
You may find this hard at first, but keep practising and the rewards are endless! You will start to know your horse better, your training will improve and you will look forward to having an hour free from the pressures of life, enjoy!
Happy Riding!
x
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Be Proud Of Your Achievements - Every Last One
My partner recently completed the 2013 London Marathon and I couldn't have been more proud of him.
Obviously, completing a marathon is a massive achievement for anyone taking part, but for my partner, this is, up to now, probably the biggest achievement of his life.
This got me thinking about my achievements over the years and I started to wonder if I had done anything that I felt could come close to the feeling he must have felt going over the finish line.
And the truth is yes, we all have. You might be sitting there thinking, 'God, I could never run a marathon!' or 'I'll never achieve anything close to a marathon runner.'
But, we have all experienced great achievements for ourselves and maybe now is as good a time as any to start really seeing your achievements and feeling proud of yourself.
Your achievements are completely personal, what you strive for is likely to be different to the next person, the girls on the yard or your work colleagues.
Be proud of everything you do, every positive thing you do, every goal or target you reach, these are your personal achievements. It could be anything, getting correct canter leads on your horse this week, mastering that dressage test you have been struggling with, all the way up to winning that competition you entered or being brave and and finally doing something you have been frightened to do.
These achievements should mean as much to you as completing the marathon did for my partner. Just because no one was around to see what you achieved or it wasn't televised doesn't mean it is any less significant!
Celebrate your achievements, give yourself a pat on the back and do the things that matter most to you - Be proud of your achievements - every last one!
Happy Riding!
x
Obviously, completing a marathon is a massive achievement for anyone taking part, but for my partner, this is, up to now, probably the biggest achievement of his life.
This got me thinking about my achievements over the years and I started to wonder if I had done anything that I felt could come close to the feeling he must have felt going over the finish line.
And the truth is yes, we all have. You might be sitting there thinking, 'God, I could never run a marathon!' or 'I'll never achieve anything close to a marathon runner.'
But, we have all experienced great achievements for ourselves and maybe now is as good a time as any to start really seeing your achievements and feeling proud of yourself.
Your achievements are completely personal, what you strive for is likely to be different to the next person, the girls on the yard or your work colleagues.
Be proud of everything you do, every positive thing you do, every goal or target you reach, these are your personal achievements. It could be anything, getting correct canter leads on your horse this week, mastering that dressage test you have been struggling with, all the way up to winning that competition you entered or being brave and and finally doing something you have been frightened to do.
These achievements should mean as much to you as completing the marathon did for my partner. Just because no one was around to see what you achieved or it wasn't televised doesn't mean it is any less significant!
Celebrate your achievements, give yourself a pat on the back and do the things that matter most to you - Be proud of your achievements - every last one!
Happy Riding!
x
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Breathe into your riding
I recently attended a James Shaw Clinic at Shuttleworth College.
My friend had been pestering me for days to have a look at his website and encouraging me to buy a ticket and go along. However, at the hefty price of £130 per ticket, I was sceptical to say the least!
After telling her that I thought the price was extortionate and that there was no way I was even going to think about it, my curiosity got the better of me. And boy am I glad I did!
The first thing you see on his website is a short You Tube video of him talking to a client. He is explaining to her about moving body parts independently and goes on to demonstrate how he can rotate his waist around without any other part of his body moving or getting involved.
So of course, up I get out of my chair thinking, 'really how hard can it be?' Only to find that actually, it is bloomin hard and I couldn't do it! So now I start to think that maybe this could be interesting and useful, after all, I thought I was fairly flexible and aware of what my body was up to, but this seemed to be the next level!
So we load up the boys on Sunday morning, not really knowing what to expect, but excited all the same.
The gist of the course, although it's called 'Ride From Within', is Tai Chi for equestrians and the day was split into two sections, floor work and ridden work.
The floor work showed us correct posture while standing and that most of us stand with hips forward, chest out and shoulders back. This means we spend our entire time leaning back and supporting ourselves with our hips forward to remain balanced. It was quite strange to hear that we are balanced, ie we don't constantly fall over, but that we are not in balance with correct posture. We continued on to do some Tai Chi exercises whilst in better posture. Not as easy as it sounds!
Then came the best bit, the ridden section. Believe me when I tell you, not one rider left walk! Yes that's how hard it was.
The main focus was breathing and how our eratic breathing, including holding our breath when things happen, shallow breathing, taking a longer breath in than out or vice versa has an undeniable effect on our horses. We learnt and subsequently experienced how a rhythmical breathing pattern is one of the key components of keeping the horse in rhythm. I am not saying it is the be all and end all but it certainly is one of the most important.
Something so simple you say, just breathing? Yes, but until you become aware of your breathing pattern, when you hold your breath, when your rhythm changes and so on, you won't see what effect it has on you and your horse. This can possibly mean the difference between your pony spooking or not, speeding up or not or getting better at what ever you are having trouble with.
It's a shame that James lives in America and that he is only in the UK at limited times. He brings such useful awareness to us which is invaluable to improving our horses. If you ever get the chance to be part of one of his clinics, do go along. It was a great day ad was lovely to meet so many like minded people.
In the mean time, I will be focusing my clients on their breathing and helping them make the same improvements Dudley and I have made.
Happy Riding
x
My friend had been pestering me for days to have a look at his website and encouraging me to buy a ticket and go along. However, at the hefty price of £130 per ticket, I was sceptical to say the least!
After telling her that I thought the price was extortionate and that there was no way I was even going to think about it, my curiosity got the better of me. And boy am I glad I did!
The first thing you see on his website is a short You Tube video of him talking to a client. He is explaining to her about moving body parts independently and goes on to demonstrate how he can rotate his waist around without any other part of his body moving or getting involved.
So of course, up I get out of my chair thinking, 'really how hard can it be?' Only to find that actually, it is bloomin hard and I couldn't do it! So now I start to think that maybe this could be interesting and useful, after all, I thought I was fairly flexible and aware of what my body was up to, but this seemed to be the next level!
So we load up the boys on Sunday morning, not really knowing what to expect, but excited all the same.
The gist of the course, although it's called 'Ride From Within', is Tai Chi for equestrians and the day was split into two sections, floor work and ridden work.
The floor work showed us correct posture while standing and that most of us stand with hips forward, chest out and shoulders back. This means we spend our entire time leaning back and supporting ourselves with our hips forward to remain balanced. It was quite strange to hear that we are balanced, ie we don't constantly fall over, but that we are not in balance with correct posture. We continued on to do some Tai Chi exercises whilst in better posture. Not as easy as it sounds!
Then came the best bit, the ridden section. Believe me when I tell you, not one rider left walk! Yes that's how hard it was.
The main focus was breathing and how our eratic breathing, including holding our breath when things happen, shallow breathing, taking a longer breath in than out or vice versa has an undeniable effect on our horses. We learnt and subsequently experienced how a rhythmical breathing pattern is one of the key components of keeping the horse in rhythm. I am not saying it is the be all and end all but it certainly is one of the most important.
Something so simple you say, just breathing? Yes, but until you become aware of your breathing pattern, when you hold your breath, when your rhythm changes and so on, you won't see what effect it has on you and your horse. This can possibly mean the difference between your pony spooking or not, speeding up or not or getting better at what ever you are having trouble with.
It's a shame that James lives in America and that he is only in the UK at limited times. He brings such useful awareness to us which is invaluable to improving our horses. If you ever get the chance to be part of one of his clinics, do go along. It was a great day ad was lovely to meet so many like minded people.
In the mean time, I will be focusing my clients on their breathing and helping them make the same improvements Dudley and I have made.
Happy Riding
x
Give yourself permission
You are in a great mood, your horse has been going really well of late and your all fired up and ready to go for another fantastic schooling session!
You jump on board, head to the school, but an hour later your bubble has been well and truly burst. What happened you ask yourself? Your horse just didn't go as well as he has been, you made a few mistakes or your horse did and before you realise it your mood has changed and neither of you can get it right.
You come back to the yard and start thinking about what you can do about it.
This is what you do - Give yourself permission to get it wrong. Yes, you heard me right! Give yourself permission to have a bad session, a bad day or even a bad week.
As humans, it's in our nature to strive to get things right, but it doesn't always work that way and when it doesn't, it's perfectly ok! By giving yourself permission not to be perfect all the time, you can let go of that bad session and the emotion you have attached to it and move on.
When you can't let go of a bad session, it's easy to carry the same bad feeling on to the next one and the next one until you have really made yourself feel awful and your progress has stopped.
Give yourself permission to feel down, scared, nervous, anxious or whatever feelings you have about your riding and then let them go. If you don't accept them and fight the way you feel, not only will the feeling remain and become heightened, you will also make yourself feel bad that you feel that way.
Give yourself permission to get things wrong and feel your feelings and then move on! Don't dwell on them, work to improve yourself through patience, kindness and calmness for you and your horse. Be kind to yourself as much as your horse.
Give yourself permission to get it wrong and watch yourself improve in leaps and bounds!
Happy Riding!
x
You jump on board, head to the school, but an hour later your bubble has been well and truly burst. What happened you ask yourself? Your horse just didn't go as well as he has been, you made a few mistakes or your horse did and before you realise it your mood has changed and neither of you can get it right.
You come back to the yard and start thinking about what you can do about it.
This is what you do - Give yourself permission to get it wrong. Yes, you heard me right! Give yourself permission to have a bad session, a bad day or even a bad week.
As humans, it's in our nature to strive to get things right, but it doesn't always work that way and when it doesn't, it's perfectly ok! By giving yourself permission not to be perfect all the time, you can let go of that bad session and the emotion you have attached to it and move on.
When you can't let go of a bad session, it's easy to carry the same bad feeling on to the next one and the next one until you have really made yourself feel awful and your progress has stopped.
Give yourself permission to feel down, scared, nervous, anxious or whatever feelings you have about your riding and then let them go. If you don't accept them and fight the way you feel, not only will the feeling remain and become heightened, you will also make yourself feel bad that you feel that way.
Give yourself permission to get things wrong and feel your feelings and then move on! Don't dwell on them, work to improve yourself through patience, kindness and calmness for you and your horse. Be kind to yourself as much as your horse.
Give yourself permission to get it wrong and watch yourself improve in leaps and bounds!
Happy Riding!
x
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
In Hand Work - Do You Do Any?
In my job as an Instructor, I constantly see different training techniques. Some work and some don't. Some are better than others and it is of great interest me to see what things or results are important to different people.
Some peoples focus is on what the horse should be doing, some focus fanatically on their position, some like to just have fun and not worry about anything else and sadly, some just want the horse to 'look the part'.
In all of the training regimes I have come across, the one thing that is unfortunately neglected is the In Hand Work.
What is In Hand Work? In Hand Work is training the horse from the ground. It can be as simple as asking your horse to be polite, move over when in the stable, to back up when needed or turn around when closing the field gate. It continues all the way up to advanced dressage movements.
In Hand Work has untold benefits. Of course the horse should be polite in the stable yard and move over and away from you when asked, that goes without saying. But, once you start to move up into actually 'working' the horse In Hand this opens up a whole new section of training that many aren't even aware of!
In Hand Work allows you look and see exactly how the horse moves his body with your own eyes. Because we are usually up on our horses backs when working them, we have to spend our time 'feeling' what is going on in his body and yes, sometimes this is really difficult. We may have to rely on other people, our instructors, helping us by telling us what is going on so we can become more aware. Being able to see what happens when you ask your horse for certain movements is extremely beneficial to our ridden work.
First of all, how many of us realise that our horses are crooked and not tracking up? I don't mean tracking up in the sense of the hind foot landing into the print of the fore foot, I mean are the prints in line with each other front to back. Does he always put one hind leg out to the side? Maybe you find this hard to notice when on board but once walking next to him and having a good look it's impossible not to see what is happening and therefore what is going on through his body. Then you can start to make changes and work him In Hand to help him track up better and transfer this through to your ridden work.
Lots of people start lateral work whilst mounted. In Hand Work was designed to supple the horse and teach him these more complicated movements without a rider. This enables him to strengthen the correct muscles he needs before adding the weight of the rider.
In Hand Work also gives the horse confidence. It allows him to feel his body, to explore different movements and become comfortable with performing them before more is expected of him.
Above all else, In Hand Work is great fun! It strengthens your relationship with your horse, it adds a new dimension to your training program and if you make time for it, it can transform your horses performance.
There are many good books and training videos dedicated to this work, there are even some good You Tube videos, so no excuses, give it a go you might be surprised how much you enjoy it!
Happy Riding!
x
Some peoples focus is on what the horse should be doing, some focus fanatically on their position, some like to just have fun and not worry about anything else and sadly, some just want the horse to 'look the part'.
In all of the training regimes I have come across, the one thing that is unfortunately neglected is the In Hand Work.
What is In Hand Work? In Hand Work is training the horse from the ground. It can be as simple as asking your horse to be polite, move over when in the stable, to back up when needed or turn around when closing the field gate. It continues all the way up to advanced dressage movements.
In Hand Work has untold benefits. Of course the horse should be polite in the stable yard and move over and away from you when asked, that goes without saying. But, once you start to move up into actually 'working' the horse In Hand this opens up a whole new section of training that many aren't even aware of!
In Hand Work allows you look and see exactly how the horse moves his body with your own eyes. Because we are usually up on our horses backs when working them, we have to spend our time 'feeling' what is going on in his body and yes, sometimes this is really difficult. We may have to rely on other people, our instructors, helping us by telling us what is going on so we can become more aware. Being able to see what happens when you ask your horse for certain movements is extremely beneficial to our ridden work.
First of all, how many of us realise that our horses are crooked and not tracking up? I don't mean tracking up in the sense of the hind foot landing into the print of the fore foot, I mean are the prints in line with each other front to back. Does he always put one hind leg out to the side? Maybe you find this hard to notice when on board but once walking next to him and having a good look it's impossible not to see what is happening and therefore what is going on through his body. Then you can start to make changes and work him In Hand to help him track up better and transfer this through to your ridden work.
Lots of people start lateral work whilst mounted. In Hand Work was designed to supple the horse and teach him these more complicated movements without a rider. This enables him to strengthen the correct muscles he needs before adding the weight of the rider.
In Hand Work also gives the horse confidence. It allows him to feel his body, to explore different movements and become comfortable with performing them before more is expected of him.
Above all else, In Hand Work is great fun! It strengthens your relationship with your horse, it adds a new dimension to your training program and if you make time for it, it can transform your horses performance.
There are many good books and training videos dedicated to this work, there are even some good You Tube videos, so no excuses, give it a go you might be surprised how much you enjoy it!
Happy Riding!
x
How's your rein contact?
Rein contact.
This is a subject that can lead to much confusion. How do I hold the reins? How much pressure should there be? When do I move my hands, if at all? And many more questions I'm sure you can think of!
I see all sorts of riders and rein contacts. Some too tight and short. Some with their hands too low. Some that move them around constantly and the most common is no contact a all, you've all heard of this type I'm sure, washing line reins!
It seems to be quite a challenge for riders to improve their rein contact. Why is this? Well it is probably the most used form of communication with the horse and bad or incorrect habits which are habitually ingrained, as we know, are the hardest to change.
Why does the contact need to be correct? Correct rein contact means the horse can work properly. Ultimately we are asking the horse to tuck his hind legs under his body, round his back and arch his neck out of his withers and forward. None of this can occur without a correct rein contact.
Take the 'washing lines' rider for instance. If the rider uses her inside leg to create impulsion as needed for the above effects, what will happen to the horse? Without a good contact, you will effectively push the horse onto the forehand and he may rush away from your leg. Without a good contact, there is nothing which explains to him that the energy must be used for rebalancing him onto his hindquarters rather than fall forward.
How about riders who constantly move their hands or use their fingers as if playing a piano? Yes, I've heard that description a few times! The contact needs to be steady and still, then you add in your aids, for example a half halt when needed. How will the horse ever know when you are giving him an aid if your hands or fingers are constantly on the move? Believe me, you will have one very confused horse on your hands!
Have a good look at your rein contact, better yet, get a friend to take some photos or a little video clip. What do you see? Are you pulling back making your horse tense? Are you a 'washing lines' rider with your horse falling onto his forehand? How much do you move your hands around without realising?
Is it time to make changes and are you ready? If you think improvements need to be made, get help to change. Have lessons, get a knowledgeable friend to help, read books, watch videos, whatever you can do to improve - do it!
Happy riding
X
This is a subject that can lead to much confusion. How do I hold the reins? How much pressure should there be? When do I move my hands, if at all? And many more questions I'm sure you can think of!
I see all sorts of riders and rein contacts. Some too tight and short. Some with their hands too low. Some that move them around constantly and the most common is no contact a all, you've all heard of this type I'm sure, washing line reins!
It seems to be quite a challenge for riders to improve their rein contact. Why is this? Well it is probably the most used form of communication with the horse and bad or incorrect habits which are habitually ingrained, as we know, are the hardest to change.
Why does the contact need to be correct? Correct rein contact means the horse can work properly. Ultimately we are asking the horse to tuck his hind legs under his body, round his back and arch his neck out of his withers and forward. None of this can occur without a correct rein contact.
Take the 'washing lines' rider for instance. If the rider uses her inside leg to create impulsion as needed for the above effects, what will happen to the horse? Without a good contact, you will effectively push the horse onto the forehand and he may rush away from your leg. Without a good contact, there is nothing which explains to him that the energy must be used for rebalancing him onto his hindquarters rather than fall forward.
How about riders who constantly move their hands or use their fingers as if playing a piano? Yes, I've heard that description a few times! The contact needs to be steady and still, then you add in your aids, for example a half halt when needed. How will the horse ever know when you are giving him an aid if your hands or fingers are constantly on the move? Believe me, you will have one very confused horse on your hands!
Have a good look at your rein contact, better yet, get a friend to take some photos or a little video clip. What do you see? Are you pulling back making your horse tense? Are you a 'washing lines' rider with your horse falling onto his forehand? How much do you move your hands around without realising?
Is it time to make changes and are you ready? If you think improvements need to be made, get help to change. Have lessons, get a knowledgeable friend to help, read books, watch videos, whatever you can do to improve - do it!
Happy riding
X
Injuries and Illness - Be Patient
Injuries and illness. All owners and riders fear those words. Why?
Well of course it usually means that our equine friend has hurt himself and is in pain or is sick. It also signifies that our riding and training plans must now inconveniently be put on hold. This can really be a big deal to those who have planned their whole summer of competing, paid entries and are right in the middle of their training and fitness programs.
It can be devastating to riders who were looking forward to a summer of fun but unfortunately the horses needs must come first, and depending on the type of injury or illness, it usually means resting your horse until he recovers. Giving him time to recover.
Of course there are different levels of rest, it may just be that he needs light duties until he feels better, he may need rest from exercise but can still be turned out or it may be the extreme, box rest.
Whatever type of rest your horse needs from which ever injury or illness, the key words here are PATIENCE and TIME.
You must give your horse TIME to recover. Often people are so motivated with their training programs that they may inadvertently bring their horses back into work too soon and push them too hard. What does this result in? Potentially your horse's injury may flare up again, meaning more time off and more frustration for the rider that training time is being lost.
Be PATIENT. In the grand scheme of things does it really matter if you lose one season of competing, to ensure that the injury has healed enough to keep going for hopefully many years to come?
Depending on your horse's injury or illness, give him time, and then give him just a little more time. Don't rush back into your training program all guns blazing. Take it slow and build him up. Be 100% sure that he is ready to carry on before you start.
A good way to gauge the severity of an injury is to relate it to humans. For example, a simple sprained ankle in a human could take from 4 weeks to 3 months to heal depending on the severity and even then people may still get a niggle every now and then for months longer. This is exactly the same with our horses. Just because the swelling is gone it doesn't mean all is well and care should be taken until the injury is fully healed.
Be patient and take time - that competition you entered isn't as important as your horses health and well being.
Happy Riding!
x
Well of course it usually means that our equine friend has hurt himself and is in pain or is sick. It also signifies that our riding and training plans must now inconveniently be put on hold. This can really be a big deal to those who have planned their whole summer of competing, paid entries and are right in the middle of their training and fitness programs.
It can be devastating to riders who were looking forward to a summer of fun but unfortunately the horses needs must come first, and depending on the type of injury or illness, it usually means resting your horse until he recovers. Giving him time to recover.
Of course there are different levels of rest, it may just be that he needs light duties until he feels better, he may need rest from exercise but can still be turned out or it may be the extreme, box rest.
Whatever type of rest your horse needs from which ever injury or illness, the key words here are PATIENCE and TIME.
You must give your horse TIME to recover. Often people are so motivated with their training programs that they may inadvertently bring their horses back into work too soon and push them too hard. What does this result in? Potentially your horse's injury may flare up again, meaning more time off and more frustration for the rider that training time is being lost.
Be PATIENT. In the grand scheme of things does it really matter if you lose one season of competing, to ensure that the injury has healed enough to keep going for hopefully many years to come?
Depending on your horse's injury or illness, give him time, and then give him just a little more time. Don't rush back into your training program all guns blazing. Take it slow and build him up. Be 100% sure that he is ready to carry on before you start.
A good way to gauge the severity of an injury is to relate it to humans. For example, a simple sprained ankle in a human could take from 4 weeks to 3 months to heal depending on the severity and even then people may still get a niggle every now and then for months longer. This is exactly the same with our horses. Just because the swelling is gone it doesn't mean all is well and care should be taken until the injury is fully healed.
Be patient and take time - that competition you entered isn't as important as your horses health and well being.
Happy Riding!
x
Thursday, April 4, 2013
About Me!
I had been riding and training horses for many years using the
conventional methods until one day, I finally felt I had reached a plateau with
my horse. We were doing well but we still had lots of obvious training issues.
We were competing locally, but our progress had stopped and one issue was beginning to get worse - my horse was getting stronger and stronger. I sought advice from Instructors and knowledgeable people but they all advised to put him in a stronger bit.
I really didn't want to go down this slippery slope, what would happen when he got too strong in the next bit and then the next - I was sure his was a training issue rather than a tack issue.
To cut a long story short, I stumbled across my current trainer who took us back to basics, re taught me everything I needed to know using the same classical and biomechanical techniques I now, years on, teach and swear by and we haven't looked back!
We are still in a snaffle and I now understand why he reacts the way he does and how to deal with it. I now use my whole body and mind to ride him with instead of just my hands and legs. The change in us both has been amazing. I have been given the most valuable insight into the secrets of horsemanship and now it's my job to spread the word and bring success to you and your horse too!
Join me on my journey to Train Your Horse The Right Way!
We were competing locally, but our progress had stopped and one issue was beginning to get worse - my horse was getting stronger and stronger. I sought advice from Instructors and knowledgeable people but they all advised to put him in a stronger bit.
I really didn't want to go down this slippery slope, what would happen when he got too strong in the next bit and then the next - I was sure his was a training issue rather than a tack issue.
To cut a long story short, I stumbled across my current trainer who took us back to basics, re taught me everything I needed to know using the same classical and biomechanical techniques I now, years on, teach and swear by and we haven't looked back!
We are still in a snaffle and I now understand why he reacts the way he does and how to deal with it. I now use my whole body and mind to ride him with instead of just my hands and legs. The change in us both has been amazing. I have been given the most valuable insight into the secrets of horsemanship and now it's my job to spread the word and bring success to you and your horse too!
Join me on my journey to Train Your Horse The Right Way!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Horse Inside Out - Video Lecture
I recently began to take an interest in the 'Horses Inside out' company. I had heard about them previously, but hadn't taken much notice. Having decided that I'd like to see some horse themed demos over the coming months, I had a little look at their website. They had a video lecture coming up entitled, 'Riding From The Anatomical Perspective', but it was being held in Bunny, Nottingham, which was almost 100 miles away from me. Nonetheless, I decided I'd pay the £15 ticket price and go anyway.
Boy am I glad I did! I must say this lecture was probably the most useful and informative lecture I have ever heard. It gave me the most wonderful insight into the physical effects that our riding has on the horses body.
As an Instructor, it has proved to be an invaluable tool with regards to my teaching and of course to my further understanding of the horses body. It has also proved, without a doubt, that the classical route, teaching in depth correct rider biomechanics, is the only way to move towards creating a happy, pain and tension free horse and rider, who can work to the best of their ability.
How many times have we thought, 'I'll go for a nice relaxing hack today, instead of a schooling session'. And proceeded to let your horse walk out on a loose rein for an hour? Without knowing about the biomechanics of the horse and why his posture is as important as ours, hacking out on a loose rein can be damaging the horses back! With the weight of the rider, and allowing the horse a loose rein, it usually causes the horses back to become hollow, thereby causing the spinous processes of the spine to move closer together. And in extreme cases this can eventually cause problems such as kissing spines.
Have you heard people talk about the horse being in front of the leg? You probably understand this to mean the horse is responsive to the leg and moves from only a light touch. And so he should. A dissection picture was shown of the horses side where the riders leg sits. It showed the soft tissue in between the ribs had hardened and turned to bone and in this case had fused the bottom of some of the rib bones together. Now, it was said that it hasn't been scientifically proven that riding was the cause of this, but it makes sense doesn't it? The soft tissue in between the ribs suffers repeated trauma from the riders leg and as a result changes to cope with the extra pressure by calcifying.
It's our duty as horse riders to be as informed as possible and to make sure our horses riding career is as easy and pleasurable for him as it is for us. Never stop learning new things!
Happy Riding!
X
Boy am I glad I did! I must say this lecture was probably the most useful and informative lecture I have ever heard. It gave me the most wonderful insight into the physical effects that our riding has on the horses body.
As an Instructor, it has proved to be an invaluable tool with regards to my teaching and of course to my further understanding of the horses body. It has also proved, without a doubt, that the classical route, teaching in depth correct rider biomechanics, is the only way to move towards creating a happy, pain and tension free horse and rider, who can work to the best of their ability.
How many times have we thought, 'I'll go for a nice relaxing hack today, instead of a schooling session'. And proceeded to let your horse walk out on a loose rein for an hour? Without knowing about the biomechanics of the horse and why his posture is as important as ours, hacking out on a loose rein can be damaging the horses back! With the weight of the rider, and allowing the horse a loose rein, it usually causes the horses back to become hollow, thereby causing the spinous processes of the spine to move closer together. And in extreme cases this can eventually cause problems such as kissing spines.
Have you heard people talk about the horse being in front of the leg? You probably understand this to mean the horse is responsive to the leg and moves from only a light touch. And so he should. A dissection picture was shown of the horses side where the riders leg sits. It showed the soft tissue in between the ribs had hardened and turned to bone and in this case had fused the bottom of some of the rib bones together. Now, it was said that it hasn't been scientifically proven that riding was the cause of this, but it makes sense doesn't it? The soft tissue in between the ribs suffers repeated trauma from the riders leg and as a result changes to cope with the extra pressure by calcifying.
It's our duty as horse riders to be as informed as possible and to make sure our horses riding career is as easy and pleasurable for him as it is for us. Never stop learning new things!
Happy Riding!
X
Monday, February 18, 2013
Clients - Wants V Needs
I recently read up somewhere about peoples wants and needs and it got me thinking, how does this relate to us horse riders and owners?
What are wants and needs and how can they be defined? Do they mean the same thing? Do people always want what they need or indeed, need what it is they want? Do people know what they want or need?
I understand that to want is a desire to have or do something. Im sure everybody can think of something they want or have wanted in the past, or maybe what they want in the future. It could be they want to show jump, or hack out, do flying changes or even just to be able to load their horse in the trailer.
A 'need', on the other hand is completely different and is a much harder concept to get across to a client than a 'want'.
Take for example somebody who wants to show jump. They have a horse and they can ride. So what are they waiting for? They spend time in the school jumping, they may even go out to local competitions and manage to get round. Then the courses get a little higher or the turns get tighter, the course gets trickier and all of a sudden they aren't doing as well as they thought they were.
The client comes to you and says they want to show jump and they want some lessons in jumping. So you assess the client. This is when it gets interesting! What the client wants to do doesn't match up to what she needs to do.
The client WANTS to jump, but in order for her to improve her jumping she NEEDS to improve herself and her horses flatwork. She may not want to do flatwork training but really there is no other option to improve both her and her horses jumping. In this situation the need outweighs the want and the only way for improvement is to address the need first.
Have a look at your current situation, riding career, results. Are they as good as you'd like them to be? Think about what you want to do, or where you want to be in six months time. Then think about what you need to do to make it happen and get to work!
Dont neglect what you need to do and just focus on your wants. They go hand in hand!
Happy Riding
x
What are wants and needs and how can they be defined? Do they mean the same thing? Do people always want what they need or indeed, need what it is they want? Do people know what they want or need?
I understand that to want is a desire to have or do something. Im sure everybody can think of something they want or have wanted in the past, or maybe what they want in the future. It could be they want to show jump, or hack out, do flying changes or even just to be able to load their horse in the trailer.
A 'need', on the other hand is completely different and is a much harder concept to get across to a client than a 'want'.
Take for example somebody who wants to show jump. They have a horse and they can ride. So what are they waiting for? They spend time in the school jumping, they may even go out to local competitions and manage to get round. Then the courses get a little higher or the turns get tighter, the course gets trickier and all of a sudden they aren't doing as well as they thought they were.
The client comes to you and says they want to show jump and they want some lessons in jumping. So you assess the client. This is when it gets interesting! What the client wants to do doesn't match up to what she needs to do.
The client WANTS to jump, but in order for her to improve her jumping she NEEDS to improve herself and her horses flatwork. She may not want to do flatwork training but really there is no other option to improve both her and her horses jumping. In this situation the need outweighs the want and the only way for improvement is to address the need first.
Have a look at your current situation, riding career, results. Are they as good as you'd like them to be? Think about what you want to do, or where you want to be in six months time. Then think about what you need to do to make it happen and get to work!
Dont neglect what you need to do and just focus on your wants. They go hand in hand!
Happy Riding
x
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Are people put off by the term 'Classical Training'?
If you ask someone what they understand by the term 'Classical Training', 9 times out of 10 they will tell you its dressage. If they are a showjumper, a happy hacker, or even an eventer they may feel that this specific training is of little use to them as they are not solely focused on dressage.
What do you understand about the term 'Classical Training'?
Do you have visions of the horses from the Spanish Riding School Of Vienna? With their riders in their uniforms and hats? If so, I'm here to tell you different!
Classical riding means correct riding. It's not scary or solely dressage related. It is the correct way of training the horse, without force, pain or trying to be 'the boss'. It works on being in a partnership with the horse and is as much about the rider improving as well as the horse. Classical riding is THE basis on which all disciplines should be undertaken.
Classical riding looks at the rider biomechanics ('The study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms'.) in order to improve our horses. How can the horse stop being hollow, if the rider remains hollow? How can a rushing horse learn to slow down, if without knowing it, the riders body is constantly telling him to go faster?
We have to show the horse how to use himself correctly by riding with, yep you got it, correct use of ourselves! This means not just sitting on him and letting him take us along, it means looking at the positioning of pelvis, thighs, legs, torso, arms, hands and the use of our abdominal muscles, our core. Its about not just following his movement and allowing our position to be distorted by the horse, but instead leading him with our correct position and correct use of our body.
I hope that this has given you a small insight into what classical training is and how it can help you and your horse, and that it's not as scary as it first sounds!
Show the horse the way, using correct rider biomechanics and he will surely follow!
Happy Riding!
x
What do you understand about the term 'Classical Training'?
Do you have visions of the horses from the Spanish Riding School Of Vienna? With their riders in their uniforms and hats? If so, I'm here to tell you different!
Classical riding means correct riding. It's not scary or solely dressage related. It is the correct way of training the horse, without force, pain or trying to be 'the boss'. It works on being in a partnership with the horse and is as much about the rider improving as well as the horse. Classical riding is THE basis on which all disciplines should be undertaken.
Classical riding looks at the rider biomechanics ('The study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms'.) in order to improve our horses. How can the horse stop being hollow, if the rider remains hollow? How can a rushing horse learn to slow down, if without knowing it, the riders body is constantly telling him to go faster?
We have to show the horse how to use himself correctly by riding with, yep you got it, correct use of ourselves! This means not just sitting on him and letting him take us along, it means looking at the positioning of pelvis, thighs, legs, torso, arms, hands and the use of our abdominal muscles, our core. Its about not just following his movement and allowing our position to be distorted by the horse, but instead leading him with our correct position and correct use of our body.
I hope that this has given you a small insight into what classical training is and how it can help you and your horse, and that it's not as scary as it first sounds!
Show the horse the way, using correct rider biomechanics and he will surely follow!
Happy Riding!
x
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Grab a cup of tea and pick up a book!
Snow again....arghhhhh! It's enough to drive you mad.
It's crazy how much the white stuff interferes with daily life, it puts training on hold, lessons get postponed and we end up with very very cold fingers and toes.
However, there is one way to carry on your own training.......pick up a good book and have a theory session instead of a practical one!
You're probably thinking, reading is not going to be anywhere near as fun as actually riding, and of course your right but it can be just as useful.
One book I really like is 'Mary Wanless - Ride With Your Mind.' It gives us some really good examples and explanations of rider biomechanics. It also gives you some exercises you can practise using a physio ball, which can be done in the warmth of your own living room, without a horse (or any snow!) in sight.
Id love to hear what books you use and how they have helped your training progress :)
It's crazy how much the white stuff interferes with daily life, it puts training on hold, lessons get postponed and we end up with very very cold fingers and toes.
However, there is one way to carry on your own training.......pick up a good book and have a theory session instead of a practical one!
You're probably thinking, reading is not going to be anywhere near as fun as actually riding, and of course your right but it can be just as useful.
One book I really like is 'Mary Wanless - Ride With Your Mind.' It gives us some really good examples and explanations of rider biomechanics. It also gives you some exercises you can practise using a physio ball, which can be done in the warmth of your own living room, without a horse (or any snow!) in sight.
Id love to hear what books you use and how they have helped your training progress :)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Road riding and reflective gear
Reflective gear. Yes. I'm sure your all thinking, another post about safety, blah, blah, blah. But.... this is something which I am REALLY passionate about.
You see, aside from the safety point of view, which of course, I'm sure we have all had drummed into us from magazines, the BHS, concerned parents, the highways agency etc etc, I feel that wearing reflective gear shows how much you care about your HORSE.
Lets think about it for a minute. You as a human, can think about the pros and cons of hacking out. You decide whether its safe and enjoyable for you to do so, you then get to choose whether or not you wear reflective gear, which has been proven many times, helps to avoid accidents.
Your horse on the other hand, has no concept of the potential danger he is being placed in each and every time we hack out on the road. He relies on us to keep him safe and I believe each time we decide not to wear reflective gear when going out on the road, we put him and in turn ourselves at increased risk.
Out of respect and a duty of care to our equine partners, without whom, there would be no hacking for us to enjoy, we owe it to them, to keep them as safe as possible. It amazes me when I see how much people care about their horses, they feed them, exercise them, rug them, care for them when they get sick, but then completely disregard their safety by taking them out on busy main roads or indeed dark, windy country lanes without any reflective gear what so ever. Madness.
Think about which one of you may get more injured as a result of an accident with a vehicle not being able to see you properly and next time you go hacking out.......at the very least, put a yellow tabard on!
x
You see, aside from the safety point of view, which of course, I'm sure we have all had drummed into us from magazines, the BHS, concerned parents, the highways agency etc etc, I feel that wearing reflective gear shows how much you care about your HORSE.
Lets think about it for a minute. You as a human, can think about the pros and cons of hacking out. You decide whether its safe and enjoyable for you to do so, you then get to choose whether or not you wear reflective gear, which has been proven many times, helps to avoid accidents.
Your horse on the other hand, has no concept of the potential danger he is being placed in each and every time we hack out on the road. He relies on us to keep him safe and I believe each time we decide not to wear reflective gear when going out on the road, we put him and in turn ourselves at increased risk.
Out of respect and a duty of care to our equine partners, without whom, there would be no hacking for us to enjoy, we owe it to them, to keep them as safe as possible. It amazes me when I see how much people care about their horses, they feed them, exercise them, rug them, care for them when they get sick, but then completely disregard their safety by taking them out on busy main roads or indeed dark, windy country lanes without any reflective gear what so ever. Madness.
Think about which one of you may get more injured as a result of an accident with a vehicle not being able to see you properly and next time you go hacking out.......at the very least, put a yellow tabard on!
x
Friday, February 8, 2013
Do you find it hard to get back in the saddle?
Due to all the bad weather recently, especially the snow, it's been almost impossible to carry on training my horse as normal. Lots of my clients have been faced with the same situation and now the weather has improved, I'm finding motivation, mine included, has taken a bit of a dive.
I'm sure we have all felt this way at some point through our riding career. Conditions have been against us, our horse has suffered an injury or maybe we have! There are lots of things that can get in the way of our training program and its so easy, with day to day life being so hectic already, to let our training fall by the wayside.
So what can you do about it?
Well first of all, stop beating yourself up about what you can't or haven't been able to do! Accept the fact that as well as training your horse, you have to live your life. This includes going to work, caring for children, juggling appointments, the list is endless and sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day to fit everything in that we would love to do.
Start building your riding back into your diary slowly. Don't think, 'right, now the weather is better I better ride xxxxx five times this week'. This is a big and daunting task for both of you, especially if you have had a short break from your training.
Don't set yourself up to fail. Give yourself a manageable chunk of work to get started with. Instead of saying you have to ride five times this week, say you will do one schooling session and reward yourself with a second session later on in the week out hacking and progress from there.
I had my trainer out for a lesson today after Dudley and I have had quite some time off. Although we had lots of things to work on in the first half of the session and it was quite difficult, things improved really well in the second half and by the end of the session I jumped off with renewed enthusiasm!
Don't set yourself up to fail, be kind to yourself and your horse. Aim to get back in that saddle and see where it takes you!
Happy riding!
X
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Sunlight and schooling.
On a recent sunny day, (and aren't those few and far between at the moment!), during a lesson with one of my regular clients and her very amenable young horse, the sun was absolutely blinding. In fact it was so bad I could barely see her at certain points around the school and my eyes wouldn't stop running for nearly the entire hour.
This got me thinking about the effects of weather on our horses way of going or indeed their willingness to work with us.
I am sure we have all noticed the effects of the weather on our horses when it is teeming down with rain, or howling a gale but what about when we are having what we would consider 'good weather'? Would the horses consider our 'good weather' as suitable working conditions too?
As our lesson progressed, it was clear that my clients horse would constantly raise his head above the contact or dive below it at consistent points around the school. On further investigation, it seemed to be at those points that the blinding sun was at its worst. Clearly this horse was having as much trouble as I was with the sunshine!
As humans we have things available to us that we can use to carry on in these circumstances. Riding hats are obviously designed with a peak to help, I (if prepared, blooming british weather!) could have used a cap with a peak and some sunglasses, ( I have noticed this is standard attire anyway for riding instructors in all weather conditons!) but what about our poor horses? It seems they are expected to carry on regardless.
So, just a little food for thought for the upcoming, and lets hope, sunny and warmer months. :)
What effects does the weather have on your horse and how do you cope?
This got me thinking about the effects of weather on our horses way of going or indeed their willingness to work with us.
I am sure we have all noticed the effects of the weather on our horses when it is teeming down with rain, or howling a gale but what about when we are having what we would consider 'good weather'? Would the horses consider our 'good weather' as suitable working conditions too?
As our lesson progressed, it was clear that my clients horse would constantly raise his head above the contact or dive below it at consistent points around the school. On further investigation, it seemed to be at those points that the blinding sun was at its worst. Clearly this horse was having as much trouble as I was with the sunshine!
As humans we have things available to us that we can use to carry on in these circumstances. Riding hats are obviously designed with a peak to help, I (if prepared, blooming british weather!) could have used a cap with a peak and some sunglasses, ( I have noticed this is standard attire anyway for riding instructors in all weather conditons!) but what about our poor horses? It seems they are expected to carry on regardless.
So, just a little food for thought for the upcoming, and lets hope, sunny and warmer months. :)
What effects does the weather have on your horse and how do you cope?
Friday, February 1, 2013
New year new blog!
Hi there and welcome to my blog! My name is Natalie and I'm a horse riding coach. I teach using classical and biomechanical methods.
I have been riding and training horses for 20 years. I had been using the conventional methods of riding and training until I really felt that I had reached a plateau with my horse. I thought we were doing well but we still had lots of training issues. We were competing locally but our progress had stopped and one issue was beginning to get worse - my horse was getting stronger and stronger. I sought advice from instructors and knowledgable people but the advice I was given was to put him in a stronger bit. I really didn't want to go down this road as I felt I should at the very least be able to school him in a simple snaffle - I was sure this was a training issue which needed to be addressed rather than a tack issue.
To cut a long story short, I stumbled across my current trainer who took us back to basics, re taught me everything I needed to know using the same classical and biomechanical techniques I now, years on, teach and swear by and we haven't looked back!
We are still in a snaffle and i now understand why he reacts the way he does and how to deal with it. I now use my whole body to ride him with instead of just my hands and legs. The change in us both has been amazing, i have been given the most valuable insight into the secrets of horsemanship and now it's my job to spread the word and bring success to you and your horse too!
www.nataliecassidycoaching.co.uk
I have been riding and training horses for 20 years. I had been using the conventional methods of riding and training until I really felt that I had reached a plateau with my horse. I thought we were doing well but we still had lots of training issues. We were competing locally but our progress had stopped and one issue was beginning to get worse - my horse was getting stronger and stronger. I sought advice from instructors and knowledgable people but the advice I was given was to put him in a stronger bit. I really didn't want to go down this road as I felt I should at the very least be able to school him in a simple snaffle - I was sure this was a training issue which needed to be addressed rather than a tack issue.
To cut a long story short, I stumbled across my current trainer who took us back to basics, re taught me everything I needed to know using the same classical and biomechanical techniques I now, years on, teach and swear by and we haven't looked back!
We are still in a snaffle and i now understand why he reacts the way he does and how to deal with it. I now use my whole body to ride him with instead of just my hands and legs. The change in us both has been amazing, i have been given the most valuable insight into the secrets of horsemanship and now it's my job to spread the word and bring success to you and your horse too!
www.nataliecassidycoaching.co.uk
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