Purely Positive Training in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Dog trainer

Purely Positive Training

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 424 513 262

Address: 6 Angshelle Court 4520 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

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25.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact - Evolution & the flight response // The horse is a creature of the open grassland and that is something always worth considering because it is t...he one environment where your predators can always see you. They always know where you are day and night. That is why the horse has one of the largest eyes in the vertebrate world, excellent hearing, the shape of the ears amplifies sound by up to 20 decibels. They have a great sense of smell and their senses are so well-tuned for high arousal and they have a really rapid flight response. We bred that flight response out of them over years of domestication to some extent, but we have bred it back into them without really meaning to for the purposes of racing. When we introduced the four Arabian stallions to the UK about 200 years ago, it was just about the death knell of the riding horse as a safe animal in some ways, because the hot blood made the horses go so much faster and people won races as a consequence. And from there on in almost all the riding breeds had some Thoroughbred in them. For instance, the great movement of the Warmbloods came from the Thoroughbreds, the old stallions initially imported into Europe like Pik As or Ladykiller. They gave the Warmbloods movement, but also gave them a totally different scope of reactivity that was not present in the old gun carriage horses, that would pull the gun carriage and let it be fired off without batting an eyelid. This is an excerpt of the article series 'Conversations with Dr Andrew McLean', available to purchase here: https://www.esi-education.com/.../conversations-with-dr.../

23.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact - Handler Position // Where the handler stands in relation to the horse enables or disables effective training. For most in-hand work, there are ...just two positions for handlers to adopt, both of which require the lead-rein to be short and the handler to be level with the horses head and with his feet approximately 1m from the horses hooves, depending on the size and length of his neck. These two factors, lead length and position, provide the boundaries for your horse. Ideally, the lead-rein should be about 15cm from the horses chin, so that the trainer ends up training with a light contact. While this may be at odds with other methodologies, the importance of maintaining a short connection to the horse in-hand cannot be overstated. Such a short connection means that any potentially dangerous behaviour can be stopped and given no chance to become habitual. Short connections allow corrections to be swift and given the important cognitive requirements of timing, this makes training far more effective. The handlers position level with the head enables him to see the facial expressions and ears and so read the horses reactions, while the position of 1m distance from the hooves is for safety. It reduces the possibility of the handler being trodden on and gives room to jump away if necessary. (Excerpt from the book Academic Horse Training, 63)

22.01.2022 http:// Training Tip Tuesday - Quickening of gaits // It is important that in the first one and a half years of training we can quicken the horse in each gait. For i...nstance, in walk that we can quicken the gait from the normal 55 beats per minute (per leg) to 65 beats per minute if possible. It is important and one of the longest journeys in training and that's why it should start with the young horse. You need also to be able to slow the trot from its normal 75 beats per minute to 65 in self-carriage. If you have the horse soft in the back and soft in the rein, this slow trot teaches the horse a lot about self-carriage and a soft back. In the slow trot, most of his stride length is under his shoulders and his hips which is important because that develops the carrying ability. Of course, we need to be able to lengthen the trot as well. This is an excerpt of the article series 'Conversations with Dr Andrew McLean', available to purchase here: https://www.esi-education.com//conversations-with-dr-andr/

21.01.2022 The fascinating HYOID apparatus! Read about its influence on welfare and performance - and check out Horses and Peoples anatomical illustrations! Click on this... link to read in full: https://horsesandpeople.com.au/the-hype-about-the-hyoid/ With Dr Lesley Goff #horsesandpeople #horsewelfare #ethicalequitation See more

21.01.2022 http:// Terminology Tuesday - Aids // Horse trainers worldwide use a fairly consistent set of physical cues, called aids to train horses: the reins of the bridle... give the cue for stopping and turning the horse, and the legs of the rider make the horse go forward. Associated cues such as changes in weight, voice and seat are also often used, usually after the horse has learned the rein and leg aids. This has led many riders to believe that domestic horses are somehow born with these cues pre-programmed in place. The truth is that the horse has simply grasped the correct response during trial-and-error learning. The failure of horses to comply with the aids is often seen as a moral failing on the part of the horse, not a failure of the training system. The current preoccupation with rider mechanics and the lack of emphasis on learning also illustrates the absence of real scientific understanding in horse training. While riders must be able to sit in independent balance in order to apply the aids consistently, the effectiveness of associated cues such as the seat can be explained by conditioning. The body of the rider cannot mould the body of the horse until the rider has an extremely high degree of control over the horses speed and direction, yet there are whole books devoted to ways of sitting and rider posture without referencing to training. Horse training is not a magical process; it is a systematic science. Learn more about our Diploma in Equitation Science, mission and vision here: www.esi-education.com

21.01.2022 The next article of our in-hand series in the Horses and People magazine is out now! Part 4 is all about Training Yield Forelegs and is being published in t...he Sept/Oct 2020 issue, available to purchase here: https://horsesandpeople.com.au/shop/ The digital copy will be available from 1st September: https://www.zinio.com/au/horses-and-people-m7261 Are you reading our series? Let us know your thoughts below.

21.01.2022 http:// Terminology Tuesday - Turns // Turns facilitate changes in direction. Curved lines and circles are common features of training and are known as school figur...es. A single turn stride is the smallest component of a curved line or circle, so it is important that horses are proficient at demonstrating turn during single strides before circles are attempted. Turn steps are produced by sequences of abduction and adduction of the forelegs. At any moment during a turn, one foreleg will be in the swing phase while the other is in the stance phase. The amount of opening and closing of the legs required to produce circles is quite small, whereas in pirouettes and half-pass the amount is far larger. During correct training, the hindlegs should follow the path of the forelegs. On circles greater than 6m(20ft) in diameter when the horse maintains an upright, symmetrical posture and where his hind feet step into his foretracks on his tight circle, maximum flexion of the spine occurs; this is known as bend. Dressage training requires that turns begin with abduction before adduction so that the execution of movements such as half-pass and pirouette begin appropriately. For example, during a correct turn to the right, the first step is the abduction of the right forelimb in the swing phase with a simulation abduction in the stance phase of the left forelimb (this limb drives the turn). The next step involves the right forelimb adducting in the stance phase, while the left forelimb adducts in the swing phase. The discrete biomechanics of the turn required for dressage inform the optimal achievement of stimulus control and in particular the use of the reins for turning. Modern dressage is derived from the cavalry, where armoured soldiers required horses to stay upright and thus bilaterally symmetrical on any line. So training a horse for the sport of dressage requires an upright or vertical horse at all times and drifting or leaning to the inside or outside should be corrected. Such losses of uprightness are typically associated with necks that are not straight. Maintaining an upright posture can be trained with the correct use of what are known as indirect turns, where the neck is straightened during turning back onto the original line. ** Please note, this image is used for demonstration purposes only.** (Excerpt from the book Equitation Science, p. 19)

20.01.2022 Register now for tomorrow night Week 4 Tuesday 8 September, 6.30pm Alistair McLean and Rikke Andreasen (AEBC) Working with young horses (including Q&A ch...at) If you would like to register for this Zoom session, please PM Melissa Cannon and all attendees will receive a zoom link via messenger before the night. Its free, just to help us all get through lockdown! https://academy.dressagemasterclass.com.au/

18.01.2022 Fantastic post.

18.01.2022 Over the last few years, on many winter evenings, you could find me curled up on the sofa drawing anatomical pictures of horses. I have finally put them togethe...r in this mindfulness colouring book which will be launched on 30th July. I am excited to announce it is now available to pre-order! Completely different from my other books this anatomical colouring book will sooth the mind, nourish the soul and feed the intellect. With beautiful images to colour, inspirational quotes and the anatomical terminology of the muscles and skeleton included, this gives the perfect opportunity to learn as well as produce your own works of art. I hope you get to enjoy many happy hours curled up on the sofa with this book, just as I did when creating it. Find out more here: https://www.horsesinsideout.com/pr/exploring-equine-anatomy

18.01.2022 Welcome to your new home Tarzan. Lots planned for you. First - youll change from a negative affective state to a positive one.

17.01.2022 We are delighted to announce that Andrew McLean will be participating in Equitopias second online conference! When: Aug 2 & 3, 2020 The theme of the confer...ence is relevant for equestrians everywhere: Fear and Safety for Horse and Rider. This is a worldwide conference. You may join live (each time zone gets at least one good time slot) - but if not, the recordings of the presentations and Q&A will be available for one week for everyone who registers. Early bird costs (if purchased before July 20): US$35 per day OR US$50 for both days. Link to early-bird offer: https://www.equitopiacenter.com//2-day-conference-ticket-/

17.01.2022 Welcome Pixie. You do look like a mini me of Mouse! You had a good day yesterday - bringing joy to lots of children. Lucky Pixie.... now Bettina owns you.

16.01.2022 Interesting read. https://www.petcircle.com.au/disc/transparency-in-pet-food

15.01.2022 How can we ensure our training and management practices are good for the horse? A set of principles all horse riders and handlers can adhere to for best practic...e in training for horse welfare. There are many ways to train a horse. Whatever technique, discipline or activity you do with horses, Equitation Science shows us the science of what works and why, and enables us to analyse our training to ensure we are providing our horse with the best opportunity to thrive mentally and physically. To find out more about these first principles, watch the webinar Dr Andrew McLean: The First Principles of Training. Available to purchase here: https://www.esi-education.com//dr-andrew-mclean-the-first/

14.01.2022 // Friday Fact - Retraining horse phobias // In retraining horses over many years we have encountered individual horses that have been dramatically afraid o...f such things as fluffy white kittens (but not dark ones!), certain types of plants (but not others), people wearing white gloves (but not black ones) and many other similar stimuli. In all cases the horse showed confused and heavy go and stop responses, and when these were retrained the insecurity diminished. The horses no longer showed fear of these stimuli without any habituation retraining at all. When horses develop phobias of otherwise harmless stimuli and events such as clapping or crowd noise, these may only be symptoms of deeper confusions in pressure/ release aids, because these are pain-inducing when the horse is not 100% light to these aids for most of the time. When a horse shows fear of the whip, it may well be that the whip has been used to punish him, which is a great mistake in its use. However, the horse that is afraid of the whip should not be kept away from the whip but re-exposed, and habituated to whip contact and gently retrained to respond in very consistent ways to the light tap of the whip as a signal. (Excerpt from the book Academic Horse Training, p.52)

13.01.2022 http:// Terminology Tuesday - Clucking // Horse-trainers commonly use a clucking noise made by the tongue in an ad hoc way rather than beginning and ending at a spec...ific part of training a response. It may be perceived as an aversive stimulus and, therefore, it should be used in the format of negative reinforcement. It can be used when the horse fails to respond to a signal, so, optimally, it occurs when the signal is given and continues in intensity without any alteration, and then ceased at the precise moment the horse offers a correct response. To illustrate, consider when a canter signal fails to elicit the canter and instead the horse simply runs faster at the trot. In this instance, the clucking should occur at the moment the canter signal is applied and continue until the horse canters. The horse will canter progressively closer to the moment of the signal. In a few repetitions, the horse canters from the signal alone. (Excerpt of the book Equitation Science, p. 131)

12.01.2022 "BABY HORSES" - TWO YEAR OLD TRAINER BOYZ (SLO MO) - Corinth, MS - Oct. 3, 2020

12.01.2022 Horse-people mostly think about horses from a humanistic perspective. The use of derogatory terms such as nasty, stubborn or lazy and the emphasis on the ...horses attitude can blur training so that when training doesnt work we excuse ourselves by blaming the horse. Such terms imply the horse is born that way and will never change. While horses vary in their genetic tendencies to behave in particular ways, these characteristics have significant learned components and can, therefore, be unlearned or suppressed, and better still avoided. Humanistic terms disempower us as trainers because they provide no useful answers for retraining the problem or difficult horse. Worse, they lead to beliefs that place unfair expectations on the horse and often create further conflict through punishments and incorrect reinforcement strategies that are beyond the horses mental abilities. More horses would succeed to higher levels and fewer would be wasted if training were more closely aligned with the horses learning capabilities from the start; prevention is always better than cure. Furthermore, learning can be accelerated in all horses to optimal levels when trainers fully understand what they are doing beyond second nature functional abilities. It is every horse-persons responsibility to understand the horse as completely as possible. Evidence-based horse training is our way to protect the welfare of the horse. Deep dive into this matter with our Academic Horse Training book: https://www.esi-education.com/prod/academic-horse-training/ (Excerpt from the Academic Horse Training book, p. 9)

10.01.2022 THE WAFFLE SPOT! Anyone need their horses kidneys rehabilitated? More pseudoscience and unsuported claims!

09.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact - How to deal with a pushy horse // In this video Manuela McLean demonstrates a technique for a horse that is "pushy", or often head butts or n...udges you, to train him to keep his head out your space. We hope you enjoy this video, and that it provides you with useful tips and advice to help with your horse. Dont forget to share these tips with your horsey friends by tagging them in the comments

08.01.2022 Some wisdom from the book Horses Hate Surprise Parties! Some trainers may seem like magicians, or that they have an extra special skill for communicat...ing with horses, but in reality, theyre just excellent trainers who practice good timing, clarity, consistency and patience. Horses Hate Surprise Parties Equitation Science for Young Riders written by Portland Jones and Sophie Warren is a wonderful introduction to equitation science. It is a fun read as well as easy to follow and understand. Get your copy here: https://www.esi-education.com//horses-hate-surprise-parti/

07.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact - Troubleshooting the go-response // If the horse is persistently poor in his go-response, practise bigger transitions such as halt to trot, whic...h requires a slightly stronger leg aid (so the horse can discriminate between halt/walk and halt/trot). For example, if he is sluggish in the walk, with dull ears, or if he is looking around with constantly pricked ears or ears back, or anytime you feel you are gripping with your legs, trot for a few strides (releasing leg pressure) then bring him back to walk and repeat the transition as soon as 'go' deteriorates. Alternatively, reinforce your light leg aid with two whip-taps. In doing this, ensure that the horse has acquired the correct response to the whip-taps (i.e. he doesn't kick out, become tense or delay his response). This entails training the horse to 'go' from the whip-tap alone. If obedience fails in trot, use the same structure as above: light leg(s) aid, then stronger squeeze within 1 1/2 steps of forelegs. Then use the reins to return to the earlier gait or tempo and repeat. Practise until an immediate response emerges from a light aid. (Excerpt of the book 'Academic Horse Training', p. 150)

05.01.2022 http:// Terminology Tuesday - Combined reinforcement // As positive reinforcement has become more popular in training riding horses, it is important to accurately re...cognise the negative reinforcement components of all under-saddle interactions and therefore to be cautious in attributing results solely to positive reinforcement. Since horses did not evolve to be ridden or led, and since they are motivated to remove even the light touch of an insect, then any tactile signal exerted by humans is likely to be significantly inconvenient. Whether negative reinforcement training of horses is augmented by primary or secondary reinforcement, the actual mechanism of learning should be termed combined reinforcement. Any behaviour elicited by the removal of tactile somatic tension, no matter how light, constitute negative reinforcement, but when paired with a positive reinforcer such as food or scratching/rubbing, it should be termed more accurately as combined reinforcement. (Excerpt of the book Equitation Science, p. 128)

05.01.2022 It's a great life. Thank you to all my wonderful clients, you are my friends too. What lucky horses to have such dedicated, informed and kind owners. I am enjoying the journey with each and every one. xxx

05.01.2022 Weekly training regime: The importance of variation. It is essential to create variety in training your horse because it allows for you and your horse to be ch...allenged on a consistent basis and reinforces your trained responses in all sorts of situations. For example, weekly training could like this: Monday/ Tuesday: Dressage day, working in the arena Wednesday: Ride out or Pole day Thursday: Dressage Training Friday: Focussing on a particular skill or movement. Do you have a training regime? If so, what is it?

04.01.2022 Join us for the ISES Virtual Summer Meeting 2020 A virtual conference including three days of online presentations, and a panel discussion on the final day.... FREE for current ISES members! Day 1: Equine Welfare Day 2: Human-Horse Interactions Day 14: Facilitating Change To submit your input regarding panel discussion topics, please visit tinyurl.com/ISES2020 For more info or to register, please visit: https://equitationscience.com/

04.01.2022 Its so important to give horses access to movement, friends and forage. The importance is not that they want them, but they actually need them. Group housing,... or in other words, putting multiple horses in one paddock has so many benefits! Not only is it good for horse welfare (horses are herd animals after all), but it also enables other important behaviours such as mutual grooming and can reduce cribbing. These two? They couldnt be happier sharing a paddock! See more

04.01.2022 Dressages Original Sin: Hyperflexion Often, in numerous publications and images, horses are depicted behind the vertical and in hyperflexion as normal, and ev...en laudable. And yet, from classical masters to contemporary scientists, we hear again and again about the detrimental effects of riding this way. So, in an effort to combat normalizing and accepting this practice, I will lay out some key information. First, what is hyperflexion, and why is it detrimental? Second, how can you identify hyperflexion? Third, why is hyperflexion still accepted and widely practiced? Finally, what should we be striving for instead, and resources for correct training practices. What is hyperflexion? In the contemporary lexicon, we hear a lot of catch phrases low/deep/round, rolkur, hyperflexion, overflexion, behind the vertical etc. For ease of understanding in this article, I will refer to any detrimental flexion, beyond the vertical, with the poll not at the highest point, as hyperflexion. Essentially, there are two components to hyperflexion in horses. First, the physical: if the horse is flexed in the neck in a way that is not natural or beneficial, several things will occur. Muscles in the neck will exhibit bulging and tension, from being manipulated into an unnatural position. Cervical vertebrae and connective tissues will be compressed. These two aspects will then add pressure to internal structures like the parotid glands and windpipe of the horse. Parotid glands will protrude, while the windpipe is crushed, inhibiting breathing. Long term damage in the form of irregular tissue growth at the anchor point of the spine is irreversible and evident upon autopsy. The horses vision will be impaired, due to the positioning of the eyes on the skull, and the extent of this depends on the height of the neck and the degree of hyperflexion. Second, the psychological: When the horse is consistently over flexed, either through training practices or auxiliary training aids (martingales, tie downs, draw reins, etc.) the horse has an inability to escape pressure. Horses respond to pressure by yielding, which is the basis of most negative reinforcement training. However, in this scenario, the horse can only lessen the pressure of an unyielding aid by over flexing, which in turn creates discomfort and unease in the horse. If the horse learns that nothing she will do will end the discomfort either of the pressure itself or of the hyperflexed position she must take to escape it, she will enter a state of shutdown or learned helplessness. This is especially typical with horses ridden in extreme hyperflexion or rolkur, who routinely cannot see where they are going and for whom riding is painful. Further reading on the science of these two points, and there is much more, should you care to investigate on your own: https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//two-studies-reveal-undesirab/ https://www.horsedeals.com.au//freezing-with-dr-andrew-mcl Hyperflexion is fairly easy to identify in photographs, and while riding. In photographs the best tools to consider are rulers! First, make sure the photograph, or the horse within the photograph is level. Often publications or advertisers will tilt photographs, particularly of dressage horses, to make them appear more "uphill". Second, if the horse is pictured in profile, simply use the edge of the photo or another straight edge. If the horses eyes are in front of the nostrils, the nose is clearly behind the vertical and the horse is over flexed. You can also use a horizontal line. Placing it just parallel to the crest of the neck, if any part of the horses neck that is not the poll is the highest point, the horse is bending or breaking over at a vertebrae further back than the occipital joint (the first vertebrae in the horse after the skull) and more frequently the third vertebrae or C3. The horizontal line test is particularly useful if the image is of a horse not in profile, or on an angle, where drawing a vertical line may not be indicative. If you are riding, a good test can be if you can see the crownpiece of your bridle. If at any point you cannot see the crownpiece, you can be sure your horse is over flexed. It goes without saying that a mirror can also be a useful tool in this regard. So, if knowledgeable riders, trainers and competitors agree (even the FEI offered some amendments to its own rules back in 2010), why are so many still training with hyperflexion, and why do we see it with such prevalence in contemporary advertisements and publications? Amateur riders often feel a weightlessness in the contact, that they mistake for lightness. This is not lightness this is an evasion. More educated riders realize that this is winning in competition, and it is easier to train a horse to evade behind the contact than to accept, follow and seek the contact. Simply put, because it has been accepted by our judging system and practitioners of hyperflexion are winning competitions even at the highest levels of our sport. In the images below youll find a few top riders, and public images of their horses in competitions, competing or schooling. All of these are images that have been published prior, and cannot be taken as a one-off "moment in time" which is often the excuse we hear to defend upper-level riders. I have further analyzed each image in the captions, take a look. We as the backbone of this sport need to call for reform so that this is no longer our ideal. Currently, there is an entire generation of riders that only knows hyperflexion as a norm. Their ability to question it and to seek better training is falling by the wayside. For those who are interested in alternative methods that dont allow hyperflexion there are many still working for the benefit of the horse. I study in the Ecole de Legerete which is Philippe Karls school. Hyperflexion is absolutely forbidden in our school, as the primary focus of our training is respect for the horse. M. Karls literature and resources can be found on his website at www.philippe-karl.com. For more on ethology, psychology and learning in horses, have a look at the work of Dr. Andrew McClean. https://www.esi-education.com/about-us/ I hope this brief article has clarified hyperflexion, and will help all of us use our analytic abilities to defend horse welfare and eschew poor training practices. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

04.01.2022 Fantastic achievement. Well deserved indeed. Congratulations.

03.01.2022 http://Terminology Tuesday - Contact // The connection of the riders hands to the horses mouth, the riders legs to the horses sides and the riders seat to the... horses back via the saddle. The topic of contact with both hand and leg generates considerable confusion related to the pressure that the horse should endure if the contact is deemed to be correct. In ethical equitation, contact to the rein and riders leg involves a light pressure (approximately 200g) to the horses lips/ tongue and body, respectively. Although a light contact is the aim, there are brief moments (seconds or parts of a second) when contact may need to be stronger, particularly at the start of training a new response. A heavy contact may cause progressive habituation leading to diminished reactions to rein and leg signals as a result of incorrect negative reinforcement and/or simultaneous application of pressure cues. (Excerpt from the book Equitation Science, p. 75)

03.01.2022 http:// Terminology Tuesday - Signs of relaxation under-saddle // Relaxation is equally important under-saddle and in-hand, but it can be more elusive under-saddle b...ecause of : - The greater diversity of aids (2 or more reins, two legs in varying positions, and the seat); - the greater number of movements required under-saddle; - close spacing of aids (and incorrect use of conflicting aids). So, identifying relaxation under-saddle is sometimes difficult. Relaxation correlates positively with lightness, and research shows that even experienced dressage judges cannot always detect lightness. Lightness is something that even the rider cannot be sure of (especially when using a lever-action curb bit) only the horse can tell us. Self-carriage is a good indicator, and this can be tested by the rider releasing the reins forward for two strides (a technique known in German as berstreichen). Releasing to test for self-carriage is an essential aspect of training, not only with the reins but also taking leg-pressure off the horse for a couple of strides to see if he maintains his rhythm, tempo, and straightness. Ethical and sustainable training demands that self-carriage is not something that appears at some point in training. It should be present from the earliest stages in foundation training through to Grand Prix. Judges should be stringent when it is not present (i.e., when it looks as if the horse would run off it, the reins were released). As the horses training becomes clear and predictable, he develops relaxation because he responds to light aids, thus avoiding stronger pressure. Relaxation is not a stage on the shaping scale; it is a hallmark of the completion of every step of the shaping scale. As he relaxes, the horses head will begin to lower, and the under-neck muscles relax, while those above and all the way to the wither show continuous definition as if it is a single muscle. This is a sign that the head and neck are suspended from the wither rather than part of a push/pull triangle with the reins. The reins are not for the support of the horses head but for soft communication. The softly bulging topline is a sign of relaxation in the horses back. (Excerpt from the book Academic Horse Training, p. 139)

02.01.2022 Great new business. Love it!

02.01.2022 Training horses is not a magical process limited to gifted people, it is simple science that anyone of any age can do. When we start horse training at ESI, w...e start with these basic responses: Stop, Go & Turn (forelegs and hind legs). All further movements and responses stem from these basic responses, and any problems can be solved by checking for errors in these basic responses, to find where the real problem lies. It really is as simple as that. If this type of horse training interests you, check out our website. We offer evidence-based resources such as books, courses and virtual lessons https://www.esi-education.com/

01.01.2022 Happy World Elephant Day Andrew McLean is not only passionate about horse welfare and training, but hes also passionate about the health, wellbeing and saf...ety of elephants and their handlers and trainers. Andrew is Senior Vice Chairman of the not-for-profit Human-Elephant Learning Programs Foundation. It is an Australian organisation working to improve the welfare of working elephants via the systematic application of humane, evidence-based training initiatives, education, engagement with local communities and relevant stakeholders. In this video, Andrew tells us more about his work at the H-elp foundation. To find out more about the foundation, please visit: https://h-elp.org/

01.01.2022 **Nose in Front of the Vertical - A key Component** One of the hardest objectives in achieving the essential basic components of self-carriage is the true lengt...hening/telescoping of the head and neck outwards, open throatlatch and nose IN FRONT of the vertical. Why is this hard? Because, as humans, we tend to want to use our hands to achieve a head and neck position as opposed to letting it happen as a consequence of straightening the horse and having them SEEK the natural consequence of being in balance - a forward, down and out frame with a light, ELASTIC contact. Just as horses are reactive, so are humans - we have to learn to overcome our natural reaction to pull on the reins and instead look to strengthening our ability and skill level to communicating through our seat, energy, position and light aids. We would argue that, as it is the human decision to ride horses, it surely must be our RESPONSIBILITY to truly understand and learn the necessary skills and techniques to achieve a harmonious working relationship with our horses. From Dr. Gerd Heuschmann - we DON'T bend or pull the head and neck, we bend the rib cage. We don't TAKE the contact, we OFFER it and the horse takes it - when we do it right!! Exercise - video your next ride and observe what your hands are doing and if your horse is taking the contact with a open throatlatch and nose in front of the vertical. Keep a look out on the Equitopia website for some special videos and offers coming soon to our members to expand and illuminate more on this message:)