Anjanette McClean Equitation Science Trainer and Coach in Thornlands, Queensland, Australia | Horse trainer

Anjanette McClean Equitation Science Trainer and Coach

Locality: Thornlands, Queensland, Australia

Address: 61 Taylor Rd Thornlands, QLD, Australia

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25.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact - Horses & Depression // Horses can get a form of depression, although it is not exactly the same as human depression, because human depression i...nvolves a lot of activity of the brain's prefrontal cortex where we imagine and project things, so we can prolong an emotional state. If we feel bad, we can actually dwell on how bad we feel, and that makes our mental state quite a lot worse. That is why the animal model is so interesting to researchers of depression. Pain aside, (and we must make sure what we perceive as depression in the horse is not a result of pain or illness), horses, like people, have certain needs, and if all those needs are not accounted for, then mental states start to deteriorate. We are particularly interested in the consequences of training-related neurosis because confusing and punitive training is the common cause of what people might call depression or shut down in horses. Chiefly it is to do with training signals and pressures that are double-meaning, blurry and confusing. Basically, animals need to have predictable stimuli that are consistent, not inconsistent. If their world is unpredictable and uncontrollable and they cannot give an adequate response to make things get better, then they try to solve it by fighting, escaping, or finally becoming apathetic. Andrew calls these three responses the great triad and he often writes about that. Every horse has its first-choice coping mechanism to do one or another and every person does too. We run away and slam the door behind us, we stay and fight, or we do the silent treatment. 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/

24.01.2022 Have you ever seen a horse drink water...from the bucket's point of view? :) Water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. A horse’s daily water requirements ar...e influenced by age; body condition; the amount, type and quality of feed consumed; fitness level; and activity level. Other factors influencing a horse's water consumption include the temperature, as well as the freshness, purity and palatability of the available water. An idle, 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day. But depending on the temperature and on the conditions in which the horse is exercised, the total water intake can increase up to 30 gallons per day. The take-home message: all horses need clean, good-quality water at all times. Outdoor water troughs should be cleaned at least every couple of week to remove debris and algae; stall water buckets should be emptied and rinsed daily. If you have an automatic water system, be sure to check it daily as there could be a malfunction that would result in your horses not getting adequate amounts of water. For more information on horses and water, visit our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/cool-clear-water Video courtesy of Конная Россия

24.01.2022 http:// Training Tip Tuesday - Straightness // Straightness is extremely important, not only for balance but even more so for relaxation. Training straightness in th...e go-response frequently requires concurrent training of straightness in the stop-response. When straightness is considered in the light of self-carriage, it becomes evident that a straight horse is one that stays on the designated line and does not drift. On the other hand, a horse that is crooked in its vertebral column or asymmetrical to the line of travel is either drifting or attempting to drift. This prompts many riders to hold the horse on its line with one rein or one leg stronger than the other. Holding the horse on its line with rein or leg aids is contrary to the principle of self-carriage - the horse itself should maintain its line as a result of training. Exercise On the centre line, quarter and three-quarter lines, ride upward and downward transitions, every 4-6 strides. Use increased leg pressure on 'bulging' side in upward transitions, and slowing/turning aids (shift your hands away from the side to which the horse is drifting) in downward transitions to straighten the horse. Then ride these lines checking self-carriage for straightness. If crooked and stalling, straighten by quickening, and if shortening, straighten by lengthening. Regularly test you can ride a straight line and release the contact with one rein for a few strides, checking the horse remains on your line. (Excerpt from the book 'Academic Horse Training', p. 156)

18.01.2022 Interesting....

17.01.2022 Never give up!

16.01.2022 As riders, we control the level of fitness of our horses, and therefore we must also recognise that in this sense we also take on the role of a trainer. As such..., it is important to have a basic understanding of how our horses respond to the demands of the exercise regimes we put them through. Each component of the musculoskeletal system responds to the mechanical stresses created by exercise, by undergoing a remodeling process. This process strengthens the tissues so that they are better adapted to perform the movements we require, and are at a reduced risk of injury. These physiological processes take a long time over a period of repeated exposure to stress - which is what we are aiming to achieve with training/exercising our horses. As such, we must understand the responsibility of conditioning their musculoskeletal system with care and empathy. As if we push our horses too much, or overtrain them, not only do we risk overexerting tissues and causing injury, but we risk causing training soreness. Training soreness typically arises in the muscles, and is as a result of temporary changes within the muscles in response to unaccustomed exercise. There are two types of muscle soreness; Acute Muscle Soreness or AMS, which is pain felt in muscles during exercise and after up to 24 hours after exercise, and; Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS, which typically appears 24 hours after exercise and peaks at 24-72 hours after. AMS appears during exercise, within minutes of the muscles contracting. This soreness typically disappears between 2-3 minutes up to several hours after the muscle relaxes. It is thought that this soreness can stem from strain on the sarcomeres, the functional units within muscle tissue which create muscle contraction. This strain initiates an inflammatory response within the muscle, which stimulates nociceptors (pain receptors) in the muscle's connective tissue and creates acute pain. DOMS typically appears 24 hours after exercise, and results in soreness persisting in muscles long after exercise has ended. This soreness is often perceived as a dull, aching pain in the affected muscle, often combined with tenderness and stiffness. Many of us have likely felt this dull ache before in our own muscles after a period of intense activity, often a number of days after the event itself. DOMS is a protective process, which naturally occurs in muscles as a result of the physiological response to exercise. However, certain exercises, such as movements requiring largely eccentric muscle contraction, are thought to place the muscles at a great risk of DOMS. Eccentric muscle contraction, is a form of contraction which requires the lengthening contraction of muscles usually to stabilise movements. See in the figure below how the lateral muscles of the foreleg contract eccentrically to stabilise to movement of the forelimb crossing in front of the body, in the half-pass movement. This form of exercise can cause mild muscle strain, as the tissues are stretched to and possibly beyond their maximum contractile lengthen. This creates microscopic scale damage (microtrauma) to the muscle fibres. It is thought that this microtrauma, coupled with the inflammation that accompanies these tears, stimulates nociceptors (pain receptors) within the muscles connective tissue to create a sensation of pain, and therefore DOMS. It is here that we must realise as a rider, that by training our horses, we are inadvertently subjecting them to a degree of soreness. As such, we must act in a conscientious manner to determine the most empathetic approach to training which weighs the benefits of a particular exercise, with the subsequent strains and soreness we place on the musculoskeletal system. Horse’s cannot vocalise that they are sore. Instead they may present with stiffness, or may be lethargic in the days following a high intensity work session. They may be less willing to work or just have an off day. It is easy at this point to become frustrated, as they understood and performed an exercise the day before, but had seemingly forgotten how or refused to perform it the next day. It is at this moment that we should take a step back, and consider whether our horses are sore, so that we can rethink our training plans for the day and avoid further soreness or injury. However, as much as we may want to avoid ever creating discomfort in our horses, we must recognise the fact that in order for them to perform the exercises and movements which we require for their discipline or daily activities, their musculoskeletal system must be adequately conditioned to do so. Otherwise, we risk catastrophic injury by pushing the tissues beyond their physiological limits. This comes through a regime of targeted exercises appropriate to our horses fitness level, level of training and age, among many other factors. As the body is physiologically designed to respond to external stresses (from exercise and training), and in response will readily adapt to prevent further damage from being repeated from the same exercise. To achieve this, without causing undue soreness, we must appreciate that it takes 14 days for a horse's musculoskeletal system to become adapted to a training load. Therefore, we should allow this time period before increasing the intensity, frequency or duration of our training regime. In fact, the best way to minimise or avoid DOMS is to start any exercise programme, or introduce any new exercises to a current programme, gradually and gently. This allows time for the musculoskeletal system to adapt to the demands of the new or more challenging exercises. Thus we are left with the responsibility of maintaining a fine balance between applying enough training load to our horses exercise regimes to adequately condition their musculoskeletal systems, and knowing when to back off in consideration of the soreness which comes with this conditioning process

15.01.2022 This is so very true. Please read and fill yourselves up with all the good you do

15.01.2022 http:// Training Tip Tuesday - Falling in & falling out // A horse that is on two tracks is also likely to be falling in or out on circles. When a horse ‘falls out’,... he makes the circle bigger and, when ‘falls in’, he makes the circle smaller. A horse that falls out on the left rein is likely to fall in on the right rein. If a horse ‘falls out ‘ on a circle or straight line, he keeps drifting or veering to the outside. His outside foreleg and inside hindleg are taking longer strides than his inside foreleg and outside foreleg. He will be bending his neck too much to the inside, which has the effect of causing an imbalance and it feels like he is dropping his outside shoulder. If a horse ‘falls in’ on a circle or straight line, he keeps veering to the inside. His inside foreleg and outside hindleg are taking longer steps than the other pair and he is often ‘running to the inside’. In this case, he will be looking too much to the outside and dropping his inside shoulder. Both falling in or out cause rider imbalances. Helpful Hint Often, coaches will ask you to use more outside leg (if the horse is falling out) or inside leg (if the horse is falling in), but this may not help because, if he is running or lengthening too much, he is going to run faster. It is the reins that control the shoulders. Place the shoulders in front of the hindlegs. Use an indirect outside rein for falling out and an indirect inside rein for falling in, this will place the shoulders in front of the hindlegs and straighten the neck so that again the rider can see both cheekpieces. Your thighs are being used at this stage, but not the lower leg. Ride diamond shapes, a square shape with the corners on the centre line, or hexagonal shapes using an outside indirect rein to correct falling out on each corner or if falling in an inside indirect turn in each corner. This is an excerpt of the article series 'Boost Your Dressage Scores', available to purchase here: https://www.esi-education.com//boost-your-dressage-scores/

14.01.2022 Mid March Anjanette McClean Clinic 16th & 17th March. Looking forward to Anjanette's next visit, the weather has let us down a few times but fingers crossed we can enjoy a lesson or two with these dates. Contact me on 0418245805 and leave me a text or just leave a message on the fb page.

13.01.2022 Great explanation of what out wonderful farriers do!

11.01.2022 He’s just naughty and needs to learn to stand still In nearly 22 years of being a vet and working with horses, I have lost count of the number of times I have... heard this. I have recently been working with a couple of cases where handling issues including whilst being tacked up were a big concern. In both cases it had been suggested by someone that clicker training might be the answer. In both cases I found significant back pain. The display of many behaviours during tackingup or mounting is likely to reflect lameness or tackassociated discomfort. Owners must be better educated to recognise these behaviours. From Dyson and colleagues 2021 When faced with undesired behaviours the most important thing is to RECOGNISE the underlying motivation for the behaviour. It’s great that positive reinforcement (reward) training is receiving more attention in the equine world BUT addressing the underlying cause of a behaviour is way more important to both the welfare of the animal as well as helping to actually address the undesired behaviour. In 2020 Dyson and colleagues published work highlighting the high frequency of abnormal behaviours when horses were tacked up. There was an equal frequency of abnormal behaviours during bridling and saddling in 52% of horses; 34% of horses showed more abnormal behaviours during saddling than bridling; 15% of horses showed more abnormal behaviours during bridling than saddling. Repeatedly chomping on the bit occurred most frequently during bridling (67%). Ears back (5765%) and an intense stare (5462%) were similar in all phases. Fidgeting was more common during saddle placement (32%) and girthing (21%), than bridling (9%). Tail swishing was more frequent during saddle placement (20%) and girthing (34%), than bridling (10%). Turning the head to the girth was only seen during saddle placement and girthing (11 and 40%, respectively), in addition to attempting to bite (5 and 15%, respectively) and rubbing the nose (8 and 21%, respectively). Conclusion Abnormal behaviour during tackingup and mounting was common. Now Sue Dyson’s teams new study (just published) has highlighted how many of the horses/ ponies showing these abnormal behaviours during tacking up were associated with current pain / lameness. Riding School horses comprised only 12% of the sample population, but had higher rates of abnormal behaviours during both tackingup and mounting compared with General Purpose horses. The rate of abnormal behaviour during tackingup for horses with moderate or severe lameness was 1.4 times higher than for nonlame horses. Horses with lameness inhand or ridden had 1.5 times higher rates of abnormal behaviour during mounting than nonlame horses. Tight tree points and epaxial muscle pain were associated with higher behaviour scores during tackingup. Higher static saddlefit scores were associated with higher behaviour scores during mounting. Owners AND professionals need more education on equine (and canine and feline and rabbit ... well, all animals they handle clearly) body language and behaviour. And we have to acknowledge that pain and disease are FREQUENTLY present in undesired behaviours meaning that training alone is not enough to help the animal, even if that training may benefit the humans. Animals can learn to suppress behaviours through training - both through punishment based and reward based training. In a recent study Professor Daniel Mills highlighted how as many as 80% of the dog behaviour cases seen by vet behaviourists have pain as a contributing factor. We simply must not keep turning a blind eye to what motivates behaviour. We must stop thinking that training is our first approach. We must first investigate/ understand motivation. Dyson, S., Bondi, A., Routh, J. and Pollard, D., 2021. An investigation into the relationship between equine behaviour when tackedup and mounted and epaxial muscle hypertonicity or pain, girth region hypersensitivity, saddlefit, rider position and balance, and lameness. Equine Veterinary Education. Dyson, S., Bondi, A., Routh, J., Pollard, D., Preston, T., McConnell, C. and Kydd, J.H., 2020. An investigation of behaviour during tackingup and mounting in ridden sports and leisure horses. Equine Veterinary Education. Mills, D.S., Demontigny-Bédard, I., Gruen, M., Klinck, M.P., McPeake, K.J., Barcelos, A.M., Hewison, L., Van Haevermaet, H., Denenberg, S., Hauser, H. and Koch, C., 2020. Pain and problem behavior in cats and dogs. Animals, 10(2), p.318.

11.01.2022 Another reason why tight nose bands and ethical training must be followed

10.01.2022 http:// Tuesday Terminology - Operant Conditioning // The most important form of training is known as operant conditioning, also known as trial-and-error learning. T...he horse learns that when it behaves in a particular way, reward follows, and so it learns to offer the rewarded behaviours again. When motivated by hunger, the horse might learn that if it whinnies or paws the ground, reward in the form of food will follow. It might also learn through trial and error to remove a lid from a feed bucket and obtain food that way. In another scenario, the horse might experience pressure on its body. It might discover that a particular manoeuvre of the body results in the of removal of the pressure. Subsequently, it will offer that movement whenever the same pressure is applied. Horses are naturally highly evolved for this: any bodily manoeuvre attempted by the horse during a predatory assault that resulted in the predator losing grip would be used again. (Excerpt from the book 'The Truth About Horses', p. 40)

10.01.2022 Looking forward to seeing everyone!

09.01.2022 Peter is a fantastic equine dentist I highly recommend him!!

07.01.2022 Worth a read....

07.01.2022 Being consistent is one of the kindest things you can do in horse training. Be reliable and predictable and watch your horse gain confidence and calmness.

07.01.2022 I have 1 spot available for a lesson with Anjanette McClean. Being held Wednesday June 3rd. Please pm me to book. Venue Roylance Elimbah QLD.

07.01.2022 One full care agistment place has become available from January 2020. Located in Thornlands Qld. Specialising in the excellent care of your horse. Large stable... with yard and access to own paddock with shade and improved pastures. Full 60m x 20m floodlight arena with mirrors and viewing deck. Small square yard for lungeing Wash bay and tack room. Availability for secured float parking. Includes full feed and hay. Conditions and contract apply. Applications are being taken now. Please contact me for any questions or to arrange an appointment. See more

06.01.2022 Equitation Science is an emerging field that explains why horses behave as they do, their biomechanical patterns and limitations and on this template, how we ca...n modify horse behaviour. It explains what is likely to work and what is unlikely to work in horse training, and how we can communicate more effectively with horses. Equitation Science is not an ideology but rather a body of knowledge that provides evidence-based ‘first principles’ that ensure safety, efficiency, best-practice welfare and ultimately sustainability. It informs all disciplines and ideologies of horse training and horse sports in a non-partisan way, and privileges horse welfare as the top priority. Find out more about evidence-based horse training here: https://www.esi-education.com/about-us/

05.01.2022 Expressions of interest for a half day introduction to Equitation Science. Would include lectures and discussions about ethical horse training. Demonstrations o...f groundwork and how it translates to ridden work and a small group in hand / groundwork lesson. Perfect first outing for the young horse or ex racehorse. An opportunity to become educated correctly about learning theory and sustainable ethical horse training. Cost $150 per person includes morning tea. Limited to 5 participants PM me to register interest. See more

04.01.2022 Our little adventures

03.01.2022 Balance and straightness is so important.

03.01.2022 Our next clinic is with Anjanette McClean Equitation Science Trainer and Coach on Saturday 15th of August! Full details listed on flyer

03.01.2022 Our beautiful Remi

01.01.2022 http:// Friday Fact- How to park your horse near a mounting block// In today's video, Manuela McLean demonstrates some training tips in order to teach your horse to stand near the mounting block. If you have any questions, please comment below!