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Laura Coffey
- Female
- Rosendale, NY
- United States
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Laura Coffey's Groups
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Amateur Dressage
82 members
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Science Of Motion
46 members
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HorsePlay Ireland
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Anxiety , Bi-Polar Syndr…
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DRESSAGE FANATICS!!!
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Laura Coffey's Discussions
Mike Schaffer coming to NY!
Mike Schaffer Coming to Loosestrife Farm in Accord NY! It's true, noted trainer, and author, Mike Schaffer will be presenting a clinic at lovely Loosestrife Farm in Accord, NY, aprox. 30 min. west of…
Tagged: clinic, mike schaffer clinic, loosestrife farm clinic, loosestrife farm, mike schaffer
Started Jul 22
PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WEEK: FEBRUARY 15
Yeah, just let'em see how far they get riden that fence.
Replied Feb 18
PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST WEEK: DECEMBER 14
I promise I'll be good if you buy me a new shadbellie from Hayward's!
Replied Dec. 18, 2009
Online Classes: Add your Opinion!
Great Idea, I'd like to learn about equine massage. January is better for me. It would depend on the which day of the week, as to whether days or evenings are better. Laura Coffey
Replied Dec. 8, 2009
Laura Coffey's Page
Gifts Received (2)
Shetland Pony
From Jan Melchior
Kiss and Tell
From Jan Jollymour
Latest Activity
Hi Folks, for those of you who are in trailering, or driving distance of Accord NY(approx. 100 mi. NW of Manhattan), we are sponsoring author and dressage trainer Mike Schaffer for a clinic on Sept. 4-5. Mike is known for his ability to break diffic…
Mike Schaffer coming to NY! at Loosestrife Farm, 30 Loosestrife lane , Accord NY
September 4, 2010 to September 5, 2010
Cognitive, Bottom Up Dressage with Mike Schaffer
"The cognitive, bottom up process of training a dressage horse begins with"first tier basics". They are: Go, Stop, Turn In, Move Out, and Soften. Although these concepts are hidden deep within the la…
Mike Schaffer coming to NY! at Loosestrife Farm, 30 Loosestrife lane , Accord NY
September 4, 2010 to September 5, 2010
Cognitive, Bottom Up Dressage with Mike Schaffer
"The cognitive, bottom up process of training a dressage horse begins with"first tier basics". They are: Go, Stop, Turn In, Move Out, and Soften. Although these concepts are hidden deep within the la…
I'm shopping for new tires for my horse trailer. The trailer is a heavy one, 10,000lbs laden. My mechanic suggests Carlisle tires, anyone ever hear of them?
Mike Schaffer Coming to Loosestrife Farm in Accord NY! It's true, noted trainer, and author, Mike Schaffer will be presenting a clinic at lovely Loosestrife Farm in Accord, NY, aprox. 30 min. west of the New Paltz NYS thruway exit.We are currently…
Thanks to all who responded. I was hoping for a more elegant solution, but a Wintec it will be!
By the way I'm in the Hudson Valley, known for it's humidity, I had no idea it was a factor.
My horse is having trouble with a small recurrent girth sore. I'm a bit mystified by this because I'm using a a well sized, padded leather dressage girth covered with a shearling cover which I launder regularly. I groom him carefully prior to our ri…
Thanks! I was a professional garden designer in a former life but I still love to dig in the dirt.
I'm a bit of a green thumb myself, and just wanted to say that you have a beautiful garden :)
Profile Information
- Topics of Interest
- Dressage
Laura Coffey's Photos
Comment Wall (34 comments)
- At 10:29am on June 12, 2010,
Barbara F. said… - I'll email her. :)
- At 8:45pm on June 10, 2010,
Barbara F. said…
- Hi Laura,
Pls. get me a video. He sounds interesting!
- At 10:56am on May 15, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Laura, P.S.: Your garden is beautiful, and I am really jealous! I'm away too much to even keep my watered, so they are shrinking exponentially....
- At 10:55am on May 15, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Hi, Laura:
It's definitely hard to give myself down time. I got the best break so far this spring at last weekend's show in Vancouver. The weather was fantastic, and I only had to ride one test per day and coach 3 people. I had a great hotel, good restaurant, and time to sit down with friends and enjoy them! We do, I think, have to sit back and evaluate our work experiences from time to time, to ensure that we are not being consumed by them. I have a real tendency to become a workaholic, and I have to guard against that. My plan for today is to ride my two mares, and not do much of anything else!
I think I've heard most weird excuses for not following through on horse purchases. I guess it would depend on the purchase price, the degree of the deviation, and the intended job for the horse, along with a clean flexion test for the horse. I've seen many horses with strange gait abnormalities, and/or mechanics, who performed well and stayed sound, and I've certainly seen horses with pretty much perfect conformation and mechanics and good training become unsound, so I mostly go with my own gut instinct now. This situation wounds more like an uneducated and unsophisticated buyer who's read too many books and not yet ridden enough horses...
I'm off to have another cup of coffee, and enjoy the morning sun! What's your plan?
- At 7:37pm on May 3, 2010,
Laura Coffey said…
- It sounds like you're doing great! But I think we are both right. It is like an addiction. With horses I am obsessive,driven, goal oriented, I never just ride for fun,( I still haven't had him out on that trail ride). The saddest part of this is that I'm an amateur, I supposedly ride for fun... I guess we each have our own definition of fun.
Is it hard for you to give yourself down time when your profession is also the thing that you love?
By the way have you ever heard of some one choosing not to purchase a horse because, "the left hind leg has a crooked swing phase"??? I guess if I really thought about it I could imagine what that might look like. What would it take to see something like this, slow motion film? Is this a legitimate issue or is the potential buyer simply having cold feet.
- At 3:20pm on April 27, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Hi, Laura! Great pictures! I love them!
There's no doubt that it's a serious addiction - just ask my husband!
I'm so glad to hear such good things about Dee! Lots of good horses are tough at the beginning, but when they decide to really give themselves to you it's a wholehearted and incredibly amazing experience. Someone once asked me why I find riding so addictive, and after some thought I told him that I think it's the closest thing to telepathic communication we get, and that is such an altering experience that you just have to have it again and again.
Our show season started this past weekend. It was a good show, about 2 hours' drive from home. The weather was tough, but hte horses were good: V pulled a 69+ and a 72+ in her Fourth Level tests (with an FEI judge) and Christa and Nuke got a 66 in the Inter II and a 62 in the GP, so we were very happy. We both rode the clinic yesterday with the FEI judge, and had a ball. I'm home until Friday, when I fly to Calgary to teach a clinic, then KC flies into Calgary Sunday night to join me as the Chancellor of the University there has invited us to an awards reception in order to deliver KC's monster scholarship. We'll get home about noon on Tuesday, which gives me time to do laundry and pack the trailer so we can leave at 6 a.m. on Thursday for Southlands (6 hour haul each way) for a 3 day show there. Last weekend I had 21 clients to coach, as well as my own mare to ride, but at Southlands I'll only have 2 riders to coach, so that will be a treat!
I can't tell you what a thrill it is to hear about Dee, and how he's developing. I am SO happy for you, and for him!
- At 7:51pm on April 18, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Hi, Laura!
Great to hear from you, and such good news about Dee! He will learn to accept your hand - the older and more confirmed they are when you introduce it the harder it is, but remember that he also has the option of answering your seat before you use your hand...he will figure it out, and you will use your hand less and less.
Your experience at the dressage barn is awful. That is very unprofessional behaviour, and your response is reasonable, rational, and quite normal! This woman clearly has some personal issues, and they will get in the way of her conducting a successful business, not to mention causing difficulties with forming quality interpersonal relationships! Just as in your professional we in the equine industry need to encourage clients to take th lead, particularly with disclosures. It is not our place to force our personal opinions on the clients of other professional. I am stunned that this person thinks her behaviour is in any way appropriate!
- At 3:02pm on April 7, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Hi, Laura:
Francois Rabelais said "nature abhors a vacuum", and in my experience he's been proven right. He's also credited with having said "all things come to those who wait", among other insightful things...
Horses are like children and dogs - they do best with very clear and reasonably enforced limits, so a "vacuum" in training or approach is a frightening state for them. They don't like having to guess right answers, they much prefer the right answer to be clear.
I hope this helps!
- At 2:38pm on April 5, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Hi, Laura!
I know what you mean about time! I'm heading out to longe V and Mercedes, and other than that I'm trying to catch up from the weekend's absence. The clinic was really fun - some wonderful new people and horses, and some old favourites. Gorgeous facility!
I'm glad you found the information helpful! Try highlighting it and copying the texts to a Word document, and printing from there. I sometimes do that in order to share a blog or part of a discussion, as my e-mail editor won't let me export addresses to Barnmice.
I'll keep the horse is mind - are there pictures or video on YouTube? I might have a client for whom the horse would be the right thing...Thanks!
- At 6:49pm on March 30, 2010,
Jan Jollymour said…
- Second part: Don't worry if at first he's slightly offended by your hand. Make sure it's not jerky, but make it very clear. Reward him with your voice as soon as he gets the idea that he's to answer your seat quickly and responsively. Bear in mind that if he refused to answer your leg you'd probably feel comfortable spanking him with a stick, and resolve to be as clear with your hand to back up your seat (make your hand a consequence, NOT the aid itself). In order for half-halts to work the horse must equally respect your forward aids (seat and leg) and your restraining aids (seat and hand). Most of us are very concerned about our horses going forward, but we're very reluctant to give them consequences for not respecting our restraining aids. Think about it in terms of parenting - kids (and horses) are much more comfortable and feel safer with clear limits, and that's what you're giving Dee. If you are really CLEAR, he'll start to answer your seat very quickly, and you won't need to back it up with your hand as a consequence. Most riders don't ride nearly enough transitions (think at lest 2 per 20m circle), so we don't actually teach our horses the meaning of the half-halt and the correct response. Please do let me know how you get on with it!
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Latest Activity
Thanks Karen....have a great day!!
The late medieval nobility turned dressage into a sport by giving public demonstrations of "horse ballets" to wow the commoners during public celebrations. They would do airs above the ground as well as movements on the ground. The late medieval kni…
Special thanks to Wendy Christoff for submitting this to DC's Communications Committee.
There are horses that do not think the little fences are worth worrying about.
Are you lungeing him over the jumps just in a cavesson, or are you using side reins too? Do you lunge over jumps with a saddle on? Do not use side reins (I am not saying…
Where did I state that medival dressage was humane and correct?
I have stipulated that the SRS under Podhajsky presented dressage more correctly.
I know who Kottas is and he is not a horseman!
Podhajsky was a horseman and even General Patton was a h…
Hi Guys,One of the biggest mistakes riders make when we're trying to overcome horseback riding fears is that we direct our efforts toward the conscious mind. You know--willpower, iron-jawed determination. The problem with that strategy is that you c…
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