FROM CANDACE: “NEVER FEAR THE SHADOWS. THEY SIMPLY MEAN THERE IS A LIGHT SHINING NEARBY”

Dear All,

I write to you now as Flirt and I prepare to re-enter the show ring for the first time since June last year. This, and some recent events at work, have inspired this month’s post.

If you’re like me, you have been required to sit through several motivational speakers over the years. Some have been good, but more often they end up being rather lackluster. As such, I have to give my current employers a lot of credit because in the last two years, they have brought in some truly exceptional speakers with messages that resonate.

WHAT IF YOU RODE BLINDFOLDED…- The Role of Senses in Riding

Sheila on her own horse, Rex during their blindfolded lesson experiment. October 2007

A couple of days ago I read a blog post written by a woman suffering from Dystonia (a neurological movement disorder) who is trying to return to riding. She is describing her progress and in this recent post she mentions how closing her eyes influenced her actions in the saddle:  Horse Riding For Dystonians. A Progress Report.

Many riders are hindered in their progress through muscle tension and various semi-involuntary muscular reactions so I follow Dystonia Girl’s blog with interest and her thoughts took me back several years when one of my then riders and I did a series of quite experimental training sessions…

Here is what I wrote about it in October 2007 on my other blog:

“[…] The blindfold idea has hunted me ever since, as a 16 years old helper at a riding school in Poland, I had a group of blind children to teach. They were in between 10-12 years old and none of them ever sat on a horse. Teaching them was an incredible experience as most of them were blind from birth or their vision was so impaired that the only thing they saw was light differences.

ESTIMA – AN EX-RACE HORSE RE-TRAINING VIDEO DIARY. Part 1: Meet Estima. Reflections on Posture, Crookedness and Way of Going.

Preface to the series: I am currently involved in training of 11 “project” horses belonging to a “breeder/dealer”.  Together with another Aspire Equestrian instructor, Magda, we would like to share the training journey of some of them. This series will take form of video diaries and reflections on the horses’ progress. The goal  is not to criticise any training methods or breeding choices but to document a no-gadgets, sympathetic yet purposeful training work we prefer. A way that is based on understanding the “why?” not just the “how to?”. This is also the kind of horse training we teach to all our riders. The main character in this series is a 5 year old, ex-racehorse mare – Estima. 

Put your legs up and join the journey – comments, views, observations always welcome. 

Wiola

www.aspire-equestrian.com

PART 1: Meet Estima

Five years old Estima has done very little since her racing days. At least very little as far as correct training goes.

BORN OF THE PYRAMIDS, ROCKY’S STORY

“Take a peek at the reality of life in Egypt as a working equine through the eyes of Rocky, a horse Born of the Pyramids, as he navigates the often cruel path throughout life as a working animal.” – says Facebook page for the book by Susan Richards-Benson.

I searched for this book after reading an article about it on Hay Net: http://www.hay-net.co.uk/guest-blogging-page/5138/born-of-the-pyramids-rockys-story-by-susan-richards-benson. It just got on my To Read list!

Buy on Amazon: Born of the Pyramids, Rocky’s Story

THE POWER OF SLOW MOTION – VIDEO ANALYSIS IN TRAINING OF AMATEUR RIDERS

Aspire Equestrian Riding Academy riders at training day with Centaur Biomechanics*

Is it for me?

Despite growing numbers of online shows, virtual training options and overwhelming choice of phones with in-built camcorders, video analysis is still hugely underused and undervalued training tool among grassroots riders.

Many think it’s something “for advanced riders” but its effectiveness really has nothing to do with how skilful you are. I’ve used video feedback with great results from Aspire Start Programme which is for complete beginners who perhaps never even sat on a horse before to Performance Programme and our BHS Instructor’s Training Programme.

So let’s assume you are an aspiring amateur rider…

Show Me How You Walk and I Will Tell You How You Ride

Before we start, it is important to note, this post considers able bodied riders. 

Make a little experiment…

Set a video camera running and walk towards it and away from it. Then do the same side-ways. The same jogging and the same “skipping” as if you were cantering on your own feet (you might want to be alone if you are worried about your sanity being judged 😉

Then grab a cup of tea or coffee and re-watch those clips with detective-like curiosity. Check for the way you use your joints, the way you distribute your weight throughout your body, the way your hips move (or not!) while you walk and jog. Check which leg you start skipping with, which one pushes, which one carries without thinking about it, how level are your shoulders, is your head forwards or on top of your shoulders, do you carry your rib cage to one side…When you walk, do you lead the movement with your upper body or your hips…These are just a few of numerous elements you can analyse.

Grassroots Riders Habits 

If you are like many other amateur riders, chances are you have a sitting job – long hours at a computer desk, long hours in a car, perhaps you also wear high heels if you are a woman or you slouch a bit if you are a man…hundreds of your daily postural habits are mirrored very clearly in your riding style.

It is possible to fairly accurately describe many of your riding problems without you even sitting on a horse. It is also possible to change your riding position, seat issues, leg responsiveness or contact issues that you have when riding by analysing your own walking style as in our little experiment above.

A GUIDE TO FINDING A PERFECT NEW HOME FOR YOUR HORSE

Selling a horse is a big decision and there are a number of important factors to take into consideration. Our friends at Right Horse, the UK’s fastest growing portal for buying and selling horses, have compiled this step-by-step guide to help you along. Read on to discover how to find the perfect new home for your special friend.

Find a suitable site to advertise your horse:

The very first thing that needs to be done is to place an ad that will be viewed by the maximum amount of suitable buyers. Choose a renowned site and look out for deals on advertising costs. On Righthorse.com, for example, you can pay a set fee of £10 until your horse is sold, or £5 a month. Whatever site you choose, check that there are plenty of new ads and ensure that yours will be seen by thousands of people over the course of the month. Choosing a site with members-only activity also ensures that all participants are serious and committed to buying or selling.

The Psoas Muscle – the key to good position and deep seat

I’ve been meaning to write this post for quite some time so finally here it is. I am sure there are some great authorities out there who could explain it all much better and I am by no means an expert. This is just a result of some experiences and lots of digging in the widely available sources.