Lindsay Grice's Blog (115)

Transitions

In riding or in life, a change of pace or a change of place. 



Transitions between gaits. Trot to canter. Canter to halt. Halt to walk. The unique “beat of the feet” changes from one gait to another. 



Transitions within a gait. The drumbeat of the gait remains the same, but the stride lengthens or shortens. Practicing…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on February 27, 2013 at 7:49am — No Comments

What Makes a good coach? Part 2

Now let’s get practical. Here are some pointers from a coaching expert…

  • Analytical eye. Ability to zero in on the issue and the source of it. Developed from watching hundreds of horses and riders and thinking about what we…
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Added by Lindsay Grice on February 24, 2013 at 3:02pm — No Comments

What Makes a Good Coach? Part 1

A good coach knows It's more than horse shows. Our students may take away a ribbon, year end title and "Congratulations!" from peers as they exit the ring. But if they don't take away life lessons learned from the pressure cooker of competition, we've failed as coaches. In 25 years of coaching, I smile as I look back at the clients who've been transformed…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on February 4, 2013 at 9:00am — No Comments

Coaching vs Teaching

As a younger rider, my coach failed to take the training wheels off. I was taught some valuable skills, but never learned to think by myself until I became a professional and had sink or swim. 



Now, as a certified coach, I’m always asking how I can be a better communicator and mentor. 



I think Equine Canada says it well in a recent “Coaches…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on January 27, 2013 at 6:30pm — No Comments

Using Spurs

A spur is really just a reaching assist (a term taken from my lifeguard days – not equine related!). 



As a woodworker might choose some smaller chisels to refine the details of his project, so spurs give a rider precision and reach in delivering his cues. …



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Added by Lindsay Grice on January 15, 2013 at 10:05pm — No Comments

At the in-gate of a New Year

Walking up the chute, through the in gate, into the ring and into the unknown at an important show? Who doesn’t have butterflies ?? 



What about at the gate of the New Year? These words give me perspective and still my butterflies as I consider the unknowns of 2013 – the economy, health, family…you name it. 



I said to the man who stood at the Gate of…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on January 2, 2013 at 9:34pm — 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…
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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…

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

Error Free Horse Training

You likely have a list of a few things you’d like to delete from your horse’s repertoire. From rooting the reins out of your hands to biting at the lead shank to slipping a trot step into a flying change.

“In almost all training, situations, the most effective way to “delete” behaviours is to prevent them from being expressed.” Dr Andrew Mclean,…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on November 26, 2012 at 7:54pm — 1 Comment

Equestrian “luck”

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

"The meeting of preparation with opportunity…

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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.…
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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…

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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…
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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…

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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…

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

Ready for the Show Ring?

As a judge and competitor, I’ve seen a lot of bad horse show experiences. From horses who begin to anticipate in the class to those who refuse to go in the gate. There are riders falling off and others just falling apart emotionally. 



If training a horse is like climbing a staircase, many mishaps occur because riders try to skip a step, or even jump…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on September 5, 2012 at 7:29am — 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…

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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,…

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

How do we know what we know?

In the information age, Q and A columns , blogs, and on -line forums provide an buffet of answers to the questions horse owners have as they try to communicate with their 1000 lb., non-English speaking partners. The process of equine  training and management can be puzzling. In in the horse world, where emotion and fact often collide, how do we know how horses really…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on April 13, 2012 at 9:36pm — No Comments

Competition Outside the Ring

Sometimes there’s more competition that goes on outside the show ring than inside, don’t you think?

Horse owners at a boarding stable compare training methods and horse management practices, hoping to become the barn expert. Horse show “groupies” chit chat at ringside with their assessments of competitors, judges, and show management, but never…

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Added by Lindsay Grice on January 15, 2012 at 9:40pm — No Comments

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