Lindsay Grice's Blog Posts Tagged 'horse' (11)

Details That Make a Winner

We’ve all heard it – it’s the attention to details that makes a winner. So over the next few columns, can I share some of the details I see overlooked as I walk across the show grounds or sit in the judge’s booth?

Gotta say, most of these are training oversights. And believe me, years ago I’d have been the first one to ask “Why does it matter?” But I’ve come to…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on August 29, 2014 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Equine Behaviour term of the week: Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

Reinforcing a behaviour is something a trainer does to make the response more likely to happen again.  When a builder reinforces a bridge or structure, he’s making it stronger. And that’s what I want to do each time  gets the right answer.



A primary reinforcer is giving the horse something he naturally likes with each correct response, such…
Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on December 28, 2012 at 7:57am — No Comments

Do Some Horses Learn Quicker Than Others?



Smart. Clever. Dull. Clueless. We all have stories of horses that connect the dots and others that …don’t. So, really, are some horses sharper than others?

As a trainer, I’ll swear to the value of having a well-defined, systematic approach to training. I’ve also learned (sometimes the hard way) that the cookie cutter has to be adapted somewhat for…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on December 11, 2012 at 7:34am — 4 Comments

Equestrian “luck”

Horse psychology insights: for a winning edge in the show ring and in life!

"The meeting of preparation with opportunity…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on November 12, 2012 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Blaming My Horse

When I assume my horse “should know better” the truth is at that moment, I’ve really just run out of creativity, patience and my knowledge of equitation science. 



Equitation Science is using the system of how horses learn and think, in order to teach our horses stuff and solve training issues.…
Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on November 5, 2012 at 9:00am — No Comments

Flight Response

Flight response: A horse’s instinct as a prey animal, to flee from perceived danger. 



Dr Andrew Mclean says “A structure deep inside the brain called the amygdala, sorts out stimuli as to whether they are fearful or not. Fearful stimuli receive special recognition by the brain in terms of remembering - unlike other information, once learned fearful…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on October 29, 2012 at 8:30am — No Comments

The Rhythm of the Course

The common denominator shared by hunter courses and competitive trail courses is that each have a prescribed distance between obstacles which determines the rhythm in which the course should be ridden. Courses based on a 12 ft stride for hunters and a 6 ft lope for…
Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on October 23, 2012 at 8:55am — No Comments

Stressed out: Humans and Horses. Part 2

Can riders transfer stress to their horses? A study presented at the International Equitation Science Symposium several years ago confirms it…

53 pairs of horses and riders were tested (each of the 26 horses at least twice with a different rider). Riders were also asked to rate different aspects of their riding skills on a scale from 1-10, for…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on October 1, 2012 at 9:00am — No Comments

Stressed out: Humans and Horses. Part 1

We were cautioned as an audience at a recent Cavalla performance to refrain from flash photography for the safety of the horses and riders…I was skeptical.

I reasoned the stressful part for the horses would be what’s going on inside the ring. Performing in close proximity to other horses while more gallop about in random directions. Humans and equipment…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on September 24, 2012 at 1:04pm — 1 Comment

Training term of week: Discrimination

Discrimination is the ability to choose or differentiate between things. We make it hard for our horses to discriminate when we’re wishy-washy with our cues.

Dr Camie Heleski, Michigan State University, describes a study that illustrates this point…

In a study by Flannery, ponies were conditioned that one of two symbols on a feed box would gain them…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on August 23, 2012 at 7:44pm — No Comments

When Things go Wrong in the Show Ring

During March of this year, 2012, I had fun presenting a clinic of this title at the Can Am horse expo along with notable hunter judge, BarbaraMitchell and again with reining judge Gary Yaghdjian. We fed of each other’s energy as we highlighted various mistakes judges note on their cards and how to prevent them. I asked riders to look beyond the usual fixes,…

Continue

Added by Lindsay Grice on July 4, 2012 at 9:18pm — No Comments

The Rider Marketplace

International Horse News

Click Here for Barnmice Horse News

© 2024   Created by Barnmice Admin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service