JUNE & JULY ASPIRE Training Availability. Please Feel Free To Share :)

Photo credit: Emma Zadravetz

Aspire training availability for the next couple of months Please feel free to share and spread the word about Aspire intensive training opportunities for both non-horse owners and owners out there.
General outline of Aspire coaching weekends can be found on here: http://issuu.com/aspireeq/docs/aspirecoachingweekends2013/1 but individual & weekday training requirements welcome.
Available: Nationwide & Europe.

WHAT TO READ? Learning Resources – Suggestions

The most common question I get asked by riders is “what books should I read” or where to look for certain information. I thought it will be easier to just give a link with all the resources I personally found helpful than write it each time.

I have therefore added a new tab in the main menu (above) called Learning Resources where you can find interesting websites and links that will make you ponder and hopefully get excited about horse-friendly training. However, read and watch with your critical thinking cap on, not everything works for any horse and every rider.

There is no particular order there, I consider all resources mentioned of great value and I would really recommend them to be studied by all riders.

IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, you Can do It. Or Can You??

What you might have been told by “mature, realistic and well wishing” friends or family is that the above Walt Disney quote only really works in Walt Disney movies and really, how many times have you seen a Walt Disney ending in a mature, real life?

TO DREAM IS NOT SO EASY…

It’s one thing to have big dreams and the other to have the money to pay your rent, food, debts, bills, isn’t it? Well, here’s my little take on this often sniggered at quote.

Can you?

I think Disney was not such a silly dreamer after all because the most important part of this quote to me, is the beginning…”If you can…”. To really, truly imagine yourself doing something that might take a lifetime to achieve or might take a change of a lifetime is the hardest part! To remain confident and ignore possibility of ultimate failure, to live on the edge of poverty, to endure people using you, putting you down, to doubt yourself countless times and still continue on your journey is the “can” part…

FOR SALE: “Gorgeous 14.2hh Welsh X Connemara bay mare”

For sale!

Gorgeous 14.2hh Welsh X Connemara bay mare, 10 years old. Works on a contact on the flat, snaffle mouth, makes a lovely shape over jumps. Quite green, would make a super working hunter pony. Easily carries an adult, good doer, lives out all winter without a rug. Great to handle, been shown in hand with success. Hacks in company, good for Farrier, vet, catch etc.

GUEST BLOGGER: CHRISTINE talks about progress with Lars and Skype Lessons with Dave Thind

Regrettably, it has been a while, but at last I have sat myself down to write another update from Trondheim, Norway 🙂

Spring has come to Norway, and with the spring comes a bit of spark in the horses. Lars is no exception, and each year once the snow has melted, it is as if we start anew. This particular friesian loves a bit of wind in his mane for whatever reason, which means that once the outdoor arena is cleared of snow, he is ready to show off his best moves

For this reason, we have had a bit of breakthrough on the piaffe/passage front during our weekly lessons.

LUNGING AS A CROOKEDNESS-BANISHING Part of Training

ESTIMA – 5 YEAR OLD EX-RACE HORSE GETTING READY TO BE LUNGED

On the Hay-Net’s Equestrian Advice page, one member have recently asked a question about loose schooling and mentioned that her horse lunges well but it can get repetitive and boring. You can see my own and some other replies to her HERE but as it’s quite a common issue with many horse owners I expanded on the subject a bit more below.

I like to think of lunging as a crookedness-banishing part of training and as such it is a fascinating training tool.
Before you start more purposeful lunging, teach your horse turn around and on the forehand in-hand. This will require some body language training as well as gymnastic training. If you are not sure how it should look like have a look at this video:

FREE EQUESTRIAN Advice by Hay-Net Equestrian Advice Team

Hay Net Equestrian Advice Team: http://www.hay-net.co.uk/haynet-equestrian-advice-team

A few weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to join in a new initiative being set up by Hay Net – a leading UK Blogging network.  The idea was to provide advice and support to Hay-Net members and as I love to be of help to those who want to be helped and I love blogging I couldn’t say no, could I? 🙂

Hay Net Equestrian Advice Team was launched yesterday and I hope it will be a great platform for relaxed, friendly discussion on all things equestrian.

INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN EQUESTRIAN SPORTS/RECREATION. How? Perhaps the answer is Integrity

in·teg·ri·ty

noun

1.adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2.the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3.a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship’s hull.

This post is not for faint hearted. Feel pre-warned.

The aim is for riding school clients to open their eyes, seek quality education and become aware of the fact there are places out there they should avoid and places which can turn their weekly lessons into a life changing experience.

It is no secret to those who know me that my goal in coaching life is to improve the grassroots teaching system for non-horse owners and those new to horse ownership as much as I can. I might be fighting a lost battle but I hope I am not.

GUEST BLOGGER: CANDACE. “Honestly, I’m still in disbelief that we did it… but wow.[…].”

Dear Aspire Readers,

It is with great excitement that I write to you today to announce that Flirt and I – at our first show back since being injured last summer – have won our very first Classic! For the first time in my life, I earned the cooler, the ribbon, and had my very own win photo taken! And let me tell you – the feeling is even better than advertised 🙂

Candace & Flirt

The entire show was a novel experience for me in many ways. Every time I went into the ring, I thought to myself – there is nothing here that I can’t do. Jumps looked tiny – meaning I wasn’t afraid of any distance I might find.

Aspire Coaching Weekend 17-19 May 2013. Photo Snippets.

Learning turn on the forehand in-hand

Building awareness through visual feedback

Learning turn on the forehand in-hand

Ridden work after in-hand work. Using the knowledge from groundwork to achieve better gymnastic results