All Blog Posts Tagged 'equestrian' (979)

Freelance Coaching vs Severe Wheather...Winter Worries.

It looks stunning doesn't it. And yet, it is also killing my livelihood.

My private clients decided to give up the struggle trying to keep up with lessons & training and are basically just keeping horses ticking over. Even if I did get to… Continue

Added by Wiola Grabowska on January 8, 2010 at 2:00pm — 3 Comments

Best of William Micklem - 5 - FOUR GREAT REASONS TO JUMP YOUR DRESSAGE HORSE

I see no difficulty in bringing together good dressage, jump and cross country training. Indeed I believe it produces a better, more efficient and humane training programme....a point also made by Dressage legend Reiner Klimke who also evented and show jumped to a high level as a young man. I believe the dressage helps the jumping which in turn helps the dressage. It is all about having the flexibility to choose from the fullest range of exercises to benefit each rider and horse…

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Added by William Micklem on January 8, 2010 at 6:30am — 3 Comments

DRESSAGE & JUMPING - INACCURATE INTERPRETATION

I am very disappointed to hear that a number of people have inaccurately interpreted the messages in my last blog to the extent that I am being portrayed as anti-dressage.

I LOVE DRESSAGE

Let me make it 100% clear that I love good dressage at any level, and I am in love with seeing a rider and horse working in harmony and with real quality...to me each moment is then something of great beauty and still gives me enormous pleasure on a daily basis. Good dressage training…

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Added by William Micklem on January 8, 2010 at 5:30am — 5 Comments

Building That Vital Connection with Your Horse

As a student of equine communication and behavior, I believe there is a vital ingredient missing in today’s equestrian world. I think that the foundation of any relationship with a horse not based on a deep connection can, and indeed does, lead to problems. To add this vital ingredient, I recommend that before you even start to train a horse with traditional methods, you take the time to bond with him and shape his character and attitude to fit in harmony with you. My focus is on… Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on January 7, 2010 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Been a While

I appoligize for not posting for awhile, been crazy busy. First of all, yes I got the job. I get all my chores done from 8 - 11 am. That means I get up at 7am and so I'm constantly tired, but I do get Friday to Sunday off which is good, I don't think I could handle 7 days a week. Im really fortunate though, to have an amazing coach, she has been great to work and ride with. I have been leasing a couple different horses in the past 2 months, its really interesting to ride different horses once… Continue

Added by Rachel G on January 4, 2010 at 10:30pm — 2 Comments

Ride in Harmony: Half-Halt--Biomechanics of Your Seat, Legs, and Hand

For many riders the half-halt is elusive even though they understand that if done correctly it will rebalance the horse, increasing engagement of his hind end and readying him for the next move. Your seat during the half-halt must be ready to receive the engagement of the hindquarters and increase of energy created by your legs, otherwise you'll lose your balance and be tempted to hold onto the reins or grab with your legs because the change in balance and energy has left you behind the motion… Continue

Added by Sit_the_Trot on January 4, 2010 at 12:43pm — 5 Comments

Thomas Ritter: On The Bit 4.0

On the Bit 4.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009

Paul Plinzner is best known today for finishing and publishing the notes of his teacher, Gustav Steinbrecht, under the title “The Gymnasium of the Horse”. He was also the écuyer to the last German emperor, William II. Plinzner rode with Steinbrecht in 1877 and 1878, and subsequently made Steinbrecht’s lessons into his own system of gymnastic training. I find a lot of valid and intelligent explanations in Plinzner’s own publications, although he… Continue

Added by Thomas Ritter on January 1, 2010 at 4:00pm — 2 Comments

Looking Back...Moving Forward

While it may be cliché, somehow I can't imagine any more appropriate post on New Year's Day. As I sit here, watching the Tournament of Roses Parade (and pausing the DVR frequently to admire the equestrian units), I can't help but look back at 2009 and everything I've gone through with Samba, and build upon my plans for us in 2010.

Samba became mine in February, a few months shy of her fourth birthday. Although all horses "turn" a year older on January 1st, I just can't bring myself… Continue

Added by saddlebroke on January 1, 2010 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

William Micklem says WILL WE FACE FACTS REGARDING DRESSAGE AND JUMPING?

On February 8th Hartpury College in the UK are hosting an International Eventing Conference entitled ‘Training for Safety’. An admirable aim without doubt and some great sessions are scheduled for the day, so the organisers are to be congratulated. However the description of one of the presentations worries me greatly. The title is Dressage – the relationship with Jumping. The description explains that Pammy Hutton FBHS will dispel the ‘myth’ that the higher level of dressage can be…

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Added by William Micklem on January 1, 2010 at 4:00am — 33 Comments

Afresh...bring on 2010

Christmas days are not easy for me, being away from my family takes its toll at this time of year. However, I can safely say the 2009 was good for me and I spent a lovely few days with Rick and his family in Cheshire who made me feel very welcomed. Lots of delicious food and probably a stone more later I am back in London and it's days away from New Year...

The Trees

The trees are coming into leaf

Like something almost being… Continue

Added by Wiola Grabowska on December 30, 2009 at 6:54pm — No Comments

Different Philosophies?

The other day on a blog, http://theridinginstructor.net, I wrote a post about boarding contracts. It was triggered by a recent situation where my daughter took over care at a small boarding stable here, when the owners went out of town. A horse went head to tail down (seizure) and remained that way for at least 8 1/2 to 9 hours. The horse owners refused to get a vet for the horse. The stable owner had no board contract, and the vets will not touch a… Continue

Added by Barbara Ellin Fox on December 30, 2009 at 3:25pm — 3 Comments

Once You Arrive At The Show You'll Need...

If you’re thinking 2010 might be the year to go to a recognized USDF/USEF dressage show, then here’s what you need to have.

I’ve made a list for you of what you’ll need for documentation

once you arrive at the competition grounds.

Just filling out the entries before the show can feel like you’re

Submitting government documents with the paper trail being long and… Continue

Added by Colette Sossaman on December 30, 2009 at 1:00pm — 1 Comment

Mommy Rides Pixie

My mom turned 70 the end of November. She's still an avid horsewoman and an active rider and driver. I've had Pixie at the indoor arena since Thanksgiving weekend and she is now nicely going. 6-weeks green but solid thanks to Heather's training (I'm getting too old to bounce! plus I needed a break from riding after the intense summer).

I asked my mommy if she wanted to ride her pony before I sell it or ship it to the H/J sales barn as soon as a pony stall frees up. So she came down… Continue

Added by Diana on December 29, 2009 at 9:15am — No Comments

Ride Fit 1-2-3: Making Sure Your Barn Chores Aren't Causing You Postural Problems in the Saddle

Hello and Happy New Year!

I had a great question recently posted to my page about the effect of barn chores on your body, as a rider. Lorel's question about barn choring is actually quite common, so she gave permission for me to post her question here in the blog so that others could benefit.

Lorel's Question:

Hi Heather, I struggle with a problem which I am sure many other riders have. I am employed working with horses then do farmwork when I get home so I have… Continue

Added by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on December 28, 2009 at 11:00am — 1 Comment

HAPPY CHRISTMAS WINNER!

So what are you going to do next year to win a rosette....we cannot all win gold medals but we can all produce a new personal best, a new PB, in some area of our lives..... and it is not being conceited or over confident to aim high. As Nelson Mandela said.... "We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,and fabulous - actually who are you not to be? As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people… Continue

Added by William Micklem on December 25, 2009 at 4:00am — 1 Comment

He got the better of me!!

Well, I don't mind admiting when a horse has the better of me, and this one certainly did!! It was a hard day of riding this tricky horse , and he got the best me on more than one occasion. As you can see in the photo , he's a mighty beast and will take every ounce of my being to make something of him. Wish me luck!!

Added by Geoffrey Pannell on December 24, 2009 at 4:28am — 11 Comments

Horse Nutrition: Carbs … good, bad or necessary? Part 2

Last week we told you in part one of this blog that there were five factors that influence starch digestibility in the small intestine. Here they are in more detail.

1) Source of starch

Over 80% of the starch in oats is digested in the small intestine, whereas less than 30% of the starch in whole-corn and barley is digested in the small intestine. Starches are made of sugars, predominantly glucose. So why is glucose from oat starch digested differently than glucose from corn… Continue

Added by Equine Nutrition @ Purina on December 22, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Did you ever wonder exactly HOW music effects your brain and your body?

Music has well established psychological effects on moods and emotions.

Think about that.

We already know this if even subconsciously. If music did not have a physiological effect on our body and mind, marches would be played at bedtime and not at the half-time of football games. Lullabies would be heard at parades and Gregorian chant would bombard our ears at the grocery store.

Want to know more? Here is the scientific answer to how music affects our physiology and… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on December 21, 2009 at 5:08pm — 1 Comment

Equine Science: Weekly News and Trivia Question - December 18, 2009

Seasons Greetings Barnmice readers – I hope you’re all enjoying the Christmas period. This week I’ll be talking about genetics, human health and finally how science could provide you with a novel Xmas present this year.

First, new research has found that humans could be genetically closer to horses than our canine friends.

Scientists from over 30 research groups combined their work in producing the equine gene sequence (as previously discussed in this blog) and… Continue

Added by Chloé Sharrocks on December 18, 2009 at 7:34pm — No Comments

Thomas Ritter: On the Bit 3.0

On the Bit 3.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009

After discussing a couple of paragraphs from Gustav Steinbrecht’s “Gymnasium of the Horse”, I would like to share a very interesting account of his own personal riding. It’s very rare to find eyewitness reports on the way the old masters rode. We usually only have their books, but no way of finding out how they actually rode themselves. We are lucky that Paul Plinzner wrote a brief characterization of Steinbrecht’s riding in a short homage to… Continue

Added by Thomas Ritter on December 18, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments