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
Monday, February 18, 2013
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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