Equitation Science Training in Yulecart, Victoria, Australia | Education

Equitation Science Training

Locality: Yulecart, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 488 692 263

Address: 30 Habels Road 3301 Yulecart, VIC, Australia

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25.01.2022 A significant advancement in the science of understanding affective state.

23.01.2022 The agenda of a horse has nothing whatsoever to do with the agenda of a human, because in the wild, a horse can be foaled, live its entire life, and die, never ...setting eyes on a human. But humans love to invent all sorts of myths about what human based things horses LOVE to do. They will say things like "My horse loves to do things to embarrass me." Or, "My horse loves to show off in front of a crowd." Or, "My horse loves to do cross country." It's a long list, and the word that describes this tendency that humans have to ascribe human emotions onto animals is called "anthropomorphism." Definition of anthropomorphism from Webster's: : an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics : HUMANIZATION Children's stories have a long tradition of anthropomorphism. Is there anything wrong with thinking like this, one might ask. Isn't it harmless? Horses are NOT little fur babies who think like quasi-humans. They can be programmed through training to do human based things, but if you turn them loose with other horses in a herd situation, they will swiftly revert to being horses. Where being anthropomorphic can actually cause damage is to assign motive to horse behavior, as in, "He knows better, he's just being a stupid pig." Because this gives you "permission" to punish him. Far better to have real thinking than childish thinking, if becoming a horseman or horsewoman is your goal.

23.01.2022 So, so important. The whole "ride forward into a restraining hand" thing has been badly misinterpreted I think. Too many riders hold the front with tight reins and big bits, and kick the back end, trying to turn the horse into a squashed concertina. This is not collection. The horse cannot respond to Go AND Stop at the same time. Seen and heard far too much of this over the years...

21.01.2022 Lots of foals around at the moment! The newborn foal is a precocious neonate. It needs to stand and run shortly after birth, so must make a rapid structural and functional transition to an adult-like form. As prey animals, foals need to be ready to go upon arrival, and their long gestation allows plenty of time for them to prepare! The equine foetus is not just lying still, waiting to be born. It’s getting ready for life on the outside, developing those muscles and joints..., engaging in a bit of foetal exercise. Movement of the equine foetus varies as it wakes and sleeps. Studies of foetal activity such as Reef et al. (1996) and Fraser, Hastie, Callicott, & Brownlie (1975) found equine foetuses performed simple, singular movements (eg. flexion/extension of a limb or spinal column) frequently and regularly, from the third month of gestation onwards. These averaged 9 simple movements every 10 minutes, becoming more complex as the foetus grew. In the last quarter of gestation, the more complex movements averaged 20 per hour. Activity was found to peak 3 days before birth, as the foetus began to feel a bit cramped for space, and prepared to move out! As the foetus moved into the correct posture for birth, it was estimated 5,000 to 10,000 foetal movements were needed for the righting and postural reflexes to be completed. That’s a significant amount of work, before the foal is even born. References: Fraser, A. F., Hastie, H., Callicott, R. B., & Brownlie, S. (1975). An exploratory ultrasonic study on quantitative foetal kinesis in the horse. Applied Animal Ethology, 1(4), 395-404. Reef, V. B., Vaala, W. E., Worth, L. T., Sertich, P. L., & Spencer, P. A. (1996). Ultrasonographic assessment of fetal wellbeing during late gestation: development of an equine biophysical profile. Equine Veterinary Journal, 28(3), 200-208.

16.01.2022 Good article on wounds. Best to involve your vet asap. "What appears to be a tiny, unoffensive knick to the knee could actually be a serious puncture wound".

10.01.2022 Ever wondered how horses see the world? Horses only have two types of cone cells in their eyes, compared to humans who have three. "Basically it means they can only see colors that we only perceive as blues and yellows and they can't tell the difference between reds and greens." Professor Martin Stevens, University of Exeter.... This easy to read article, written by Janet L. Jones, PhD in cognitive science, gives some insight into the horse's visual world.

10.01.2022 http:// Training Tip Tuesday - Reading body language // As trainers, we need to work out where to start giving an aid and how to go about it. This involves reading t...he body language of the horse. Horses do not always behave as we like them to. Some are dull and termed ‘lazy’ or, at the other extreme, some are hyper-reactive and too sensitive. A trainer or rider needs to read the horse’s level of awareness, attitude and willingness to learn to decide the best way to train. Horses that are hyper-reactive need more work on their stop responses, as well as lengthening their stride (and frame), while horses that are 'lazier' will need work on their upward transitions and quickening their strides. Looking at the horse’s leg movements, his eyes, ears and nostrils, and general demeanour gives the trainer increased awareness of potential reactions and will give him insights as to the way he should train. We all want a calm and relaxed horse that has attentive ears that flick back and forth to the rider when he is asked to do something, and one that is responsive and relaxed with a soft eye and a closed mouth. Training begins from the moment you make contact with a horse and so it is important to begin training on the ground or while leading him. Train your horse from the ground to lead beside you without running (which is associated with shortening the neck) or without stalling (which is associated with lengthening the neck). If you pay attention, you will see either of these incorrect responses happen when you ask him to stop or to lead forward. Try this by teaching him to back, park (stand still without moving until signalled to do so), and to lead forward and stop from a light pressure aid, rather than from following your feet or body movements. This will create a calm and relaxed and obedient horse on the ground. Training on the ground flows through to training under-saddle. 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/

09.01.2022 FIRST LESSON DAYS FOR 2021! January is a busy month for everyone, but I've pencilled in two lesson dates for January 2021, to kick off the new year. I'll be teaching Friday January 8th and Sunday January 10th and those will be the only dates available for January. ... If either of those dates suit you and you'd like to ride, please let me know. I have only 3 spots available both days. Please contact me by private message or text on 0488692263. Please do not post on here - those messages will not be monitored and may easily be missed!! Thanks everyone. Victoria

08.01.2022 Some excellent open access (available to the public) papers here, including: "A Delphi study to determine expert consensus on the behavioural indicators of stress in horses undergoing veterinary care", written by my colleague and ISES Veterinary Liaison Officer, G. Pearson et al.

07.01.2022 I completely agree with this article: we know about physical fatigue, but mental fatigue is a real thing too! The brain is expensive to run and learning uses a huge amount of glucose. Once these energy stores run low, there simply isn't enough fuel left to power the parts of the brain needed to learn. It's not that the horse Won't learn, they mentally Can't learn. The brain doesn't have the fuel anymore and needs time to recharge itself. Be a good trainer and learn when ...to stop, rather than keeping on pushing for more. Your horse will benefit from it, and learn faster with short sessions and time to recover. I know it's hard, when things are going well it's easy to want more of that - I've done it myself and kicked myself afterward for being greedy!

06.01.2022 The nature of pressure. Pressure is not just coming from us via legs, hands and whips. Animals also experience internal pressure (physiological, such as thirst, hunger, hormones or psychological, such as fear, anxiety) as well as other external pressures, such as environmental or social stimuli! That's a lot of pressures to consider. We can't always be the "loudest" voice in the conversation.

01.01.2022 Hi again everyone :-D I'm back on deck!! This page has been "in lockdown" so to speak, throughout 2020, but I'm pleased to be opening it back up again and getting back to training horses, both my own and those of others. I've completed my university studies and have a brain full of fantastic, evidence based, peer reviewed info that I'm delighted to be able to share.... Learning is a lifelong experience - there is always more to know about our four-legged friends, and although I've only seen the very tiniest tip of the iceberg, I'm excited to discuss what we know and search deeper for what we still need to find out. A limited number of lessons will be available during 2021, and as well as sharing things I find interesting, those opportunities will be posted on here. So if you or someone you know might be interested - keep your eyes peeled . 2020 has been a tough year, so 2021 will be the perfect time to recalibrate, reboot and get back into gear. Set some training goals... Get some help with those niggling issues... Get back on that horse... Let's go!