Harmony Horse | Horse trainer
Harmony Horse
Phone: +61 478 596 870
Reviews
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24.01.2022 Being with horses is more important than ever. Horses keep not only our bodies fit, but more importantly, they keep our minds well. Lately I've been hearing people say that they want lessons but can't afford it at the moment, or lessons can't happen because of the border closure. If you need lessons but can't afford them, or can't cross the border, please talk to me. It's more important that we all stay well physically and mentally....
22.01.2022 If you're looking for present ideas for you & your horse for Christmas, look no further. This book is for all who work with horses. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/shops/item/2967823513275357/?referral_story_type=shop_pdp_share_deep_link&referral_code=shops_pdp_share
20.01.2022 The 'Foundation' posture is a name I've created to describe the horses posture in dressage training, that we work towards. Once achieved, this posture becomes the baseline for your work together, helping you achieve all levels of collection. It's the posture you warm up and cool down in, and visit as many times as needed during your workout. True work, collection, with a healthy, willing, supple, balanced horse, cannot be achieved without it. For details about what this look...s and feels like and how to achieve this please message me for a lesson. # The horses below the middle 'Foundation' horse have incorrect postures. The horses above have correct postures.
20.01.2022 I thought I would write down some of the things I think about when asked to solve a problem. This is just an example of a common problem. Riders are often trying to figure out why their horse is throwing his or her head. To train a horse properly we never put a band aid on it. A band aid in this case would be, holding his head in with short reins/using draw reins and or tightening the noseband. Instead, ask 'why' is he throwing his head. This will allow you to learn & your ...horse to develop in a healthy way. So when I'm asking a lot of questions & observing you, it's because I'm sifting through my mind map! (You will have to click on the picture & zoom in to read. The map is divided into two in comments to make it easier to read. Enjoy)
19.01.2022 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1778657408956376&id=1406434826178638
18.01.2022 I have a lesson spot available today (14/8) at 2pm! Get in quick before the rain sets in again!I have a lesson spot available today (14/8) at 2pm! Get in quick before the rain sets in again!
18.01.2022 You'll be right I can't tell you how many times I've heard growing up riding horses, 'you'll be right' 'toughen up', 'good riders can ride anything' even though I was obviously in very dangerous situations. I know many riders, including myself, with permanent injuries, from taking this advice. I've heard these words being said to a young rider recently. It frustrates me to still be hearing this. I don't understand why some people insist riders are put in dangerous situations... to become good riders. One of the first times I saw one of my coaches ride, not long after I arrived in Portugal, I learned the "you'll be right" approach isn't necessary. My coach was riding a horse that became very stressed as he wasn't familiar with his new environment. The horse bucked, my coach dismounted. This amazed me. I was told good riders don't do that, and here is a great rider, one of the best, getting off after a buck. He then calmed the horse down through appropriate ground work. When the horse was relaxed he got back on to do beautiful relaxed ridden work. I asked my coach about this, and he said, "Of course I will hop off. I don't want to get hurt. I want to ride forever, this is my work, my life, this is all I have, I can't afford to be hurt. The horse was stressed, I want him to enjoy his work, so I made it easier for him" All the wonderful trainers I've known all agree. A tense, anxious horse, one that doesn't understand what you want, & is stressed for whatever reason, will benefit from taking the pressure off & allowing more time. As a rider, hoping off, can keep you safe & gives you both time to think, taking the pressure off, while the training continues from the ground. The horses training will continue, your horse hasn't 'got away with anything' and you can solve the problem in an easier, more controlled way (of course ground work done incorrectly can cause stress in many ways too. If in doubt, simply walking around the arena together, patting him is beneficial). So instead of being unsafe, be smart. Protect your horse & yourself, so you can enjoy learning & progressing together.
17.01.2022 Below is a photo of the talented Jessica Wicks & Annabel. They are a part of the Trinity Anglican College Equestrian Team. I have the pleasure of being a part of supporting this team, and it is so exciting. It's exciting not only as they are successful and make everyone involved so proud on & off the arenas, but what really has excited me is is how our young riders, from this team & others, care for & support each other, while fiercely protecting their horses in every way. The future of our sport is in good hands.
15.01.2022 What a crazy time we're all living in. I could never have imagined how trying 2020 was going to be. Spending time with horses, can allow you to escape reality, refresh and heal you. I wish you all good health and happy healing times with your horses. If I can help you through this time with online lessons, for our friends over the border, or in person lessons, or maybe you just need to ask a question, please message me anytime....
14.01.2022 I have extra lessons spots available from the 16th - 21st of December. Including early mornings & evenings to avoid the heat. $65 p/h I have extra lessons spots available from the 16th - 21st of December. Including early mornings & evenings to avoid the heat. $65 p/h
13.01.2022 Surrender to the process Any time a horse has been brought in for training to places I have worked, the owners have asked, and rightly so, "How long will it take?" They're asking how long will it take to start their horse under saddle, change a behaviour or train them to a certain level. The question is fair as it costs per week to have a horse in training. The truth is though, there is no set answer and there should never be one. As owners, and riders we must surrender to th...e process. We must accept when we get into this sport that we're not playing with a machine, but a living, breathing, thinking, emotional animal. Your horses past experiences, natural temperament, it's past owners, his relationship and connection with you, his connection with us, his mental and physical health, all come into how willing and able he is to be trained. What could take one horse a few years to learn could take a few months for another, just like it is for riders too. It you fall into the trap of pushing the training too hard and it's not happening as quickly as you wanted, or not happening at all, stop. Simply connect with your horse again. Is he looking at you? Does he look at you? Does he even want to be with you? Why are you doing this? Why did you get a horse in the first place? Do you love playing with him? Does he show that he loves playing with you? Simplify it all. Going forward to basics isn't always perfecting transitions, you can go further back. Just look at each other. Fall in love again. The answers to your training problems often come down to your connection with your horse. Slow down, surrender to learning together.
12.01.2022 Do I compete, or just train? 'Just' train. This is a question I've been asked a few times lately, so I thought it's worth addressing. When I'm asked, my mind races with so many responses, and of course I simplify the answer. So if you're interested in the longer answer, please read on. For me, riding has always been about being with horses, connecting with them, they give me peace and I spend my days learning, training to be a better rider, handler, feeder & owner to them. ... Growing up, I fell into a world of ride to compete. I enjoyed it very much, I was successful, I enjoyed showing off my horses, how beautiful & clever they are. I have competed so much for many years, but I have never needed it as a reason to ride. As much as I enjoyed it, it also interrupted my training at times. I was excited to leave all that behind to train with trainers, who's priority isn't competition. Focusing on yourself & your horse, taking all the time you both need to learn, without working to a date, makes you a better horse person & will expose if this is the right sport for you. Performing is different. Showing our sport to people who would never go to a competition to watch, and showing good examples of horsemanship to riders, is inspiring, & a lot of fun. I knew this is what I really want to do when I watched the dancing Andulsions at El Cabello Blanco, & was inspired further by performing at Morgado Lusitano. If competition stopped today, nothing would change for me. I would still be inspired to learn & ride everyday. My passion is purely to protect & connect with horses. Protect them from things such as poor training methods, wrong feed choices. I will always study horses as I know I will never know it all. 'Just' training is exciting, fulfilling, challenging & so rewarding. When I'm coaching, I'm focusing on, protecting your horse & keeping you safe while you both learn, improve & build a deeper connection with each other. Whether or not you compete, if you're an experienced rider, a beginner, or maybe you need to simply connect through breathing & stretching exercises, makes no difference to me. Seeing people connect with their horses, find their peace & happiness, reminds me why being with horses is time well spent, at every level. I will compete, when competitions commence, in order to sell a horse, clients horses, expose horses to different environments, but ultimately I look forward to performing, coaching & enjoying everyday with horses. Whatever I do with horses, respecting that I am simply with them at all is such a priveldge. No amount of blue ribbons can beat that. Hayley Porritt-Lane
10.01.2022 This week the FEI Equestrian Federations around the world decide whether or not horses whiskers can be cut/shaved. How is this really a question? No matter what they decide, NEVER CUT HORSES WHISKERS around the nose & eyes. They need them for sensory input of their environment. #Show_the_world_your_horses_whiskers
09.01.2022 Harmony between horse & rider is something we can control. Harmony between horse people in clubs & competition, is something we can work on, hope for, control our reactions to, but not control. My first day, at a new school in year four, I learned a bit about people and reactions to them. As I walked into class, my new teacher made me stand in front of the class to introduce me, and point out that my socks were up to my knees. She laughed, and so did the rest of the class, as...Continue reading
09.01.2022 When I think about what all the best trainers, riders & coaches I've met & worked with from all around the world have in common, one word jumps out. Money? No. The best equipment? No. The best horses? No. Stardom? No. They may have some of those things or none of them. What they do have is humility. ... They believe there is more they don't know than they do. They listen, they observe, they think before they speak, or do. They don't pretend to have all the answers. They thrive on being in a constant learning journey. They may be well known or they may be your quiet neighbour. They make you feel like you can be honest & vulnerable, because as wonderful and successful as they are, they too are not perfect, and therefore you believe you can truly learn, and be wonderful too.
09.01.2022 Competition Tips As we know, an essential ingredient for success is preparation. So with competitions starting to happen again, here are my tips.... * When deciding on what test to ride & what level choose wisely. It's a good idea to compete a level lower than what you're training. Once you've chosen your tests you can start learning them. ...Continue reading
08.01.2022 With all the notes and drawings, diagrams, I've made over my riding life, I could probably have a book ready to print After my riding lessons, from when I was a kid, I would come home think about what I learned, then take notes. I would then lie in bed at night and visualise how to ride perfectly each step in slow motion. Visualising in this way was especially important the night before a competition. I would often fall asleep doing this, and for some reason the horse would... trip as I was drifting off, making me jump & fall out of bed! It really is so helpful to have very clear knowledge about how to ride every movement. It's great to get technical. The trick is to understand the 'how to' very well, so it comes quite naturally so then you can also focus on your own position, feeling your horse move underneath your seat, feeling the bit softly in his mouth, feel any tension, and hear his breathing so you can connect with him along the way.
07.01.2022 Lesson spot available today from 2pm!Lesson spot available today from 2pm!
05.01.2022 My 8 favourite training words It's so helpful to print them out and put them up around your riding area or tack room.
04.01.2022 Relevant Experience Rider & Coach Hayley Porritt-Lane. * Competing as a young rider in Eventing and Showing before focusing on Dressage, competing Preliminary to Intermediate 1, training Grand Prix. Coached by Di & Peter Jenkins, Anne Hall, Clemens Dierks & Jose Mendez. ... *Full time, live in rider at Mendez Equestrian Centre, Sydney, under master trainer & rider Jose Mendez. Duties included, - Training & presenting clients horses of all levels - Daily lessons on all horses - Working Grand Prix performing horses *Full time, live in rider at Morgado Lusitano, Portugal, under master trainer & rider Nuno Palma. Duties included, - Training & presenting clients horses & for sale horses of all levels. - Riding & preparing Morgado's Lusitano stallions for performances. - Training young horses to Grand Prix - Daily lessons on horses of all levels *Full time, live in rider at Rancho Corozon, USA. Duties included, - Training young to advanced showjumping horses, focusing on dressage to improve their jumping. - Presenting horses to their owners & for sale - Coaching riders on their horses *Full time rider & coach at Hyde Park Stables, London, UK. Duties included, - Coaching beginner to advanced riders - Riding while leading tourists on horses through Hyde Park & surrounding streets. - Training new horses to be confident in the busy environment of Hyde Park & Kensington. - Training all horses from young ones to advanced in dressage. Currently riding & coaching in the Albury area.
04.01.2022 Good news! Now let's hope the show ring classes change & insist whiskers are left untouched. If no one does it, the expectations will change. https://www.facebook.com/524424944683409/posts/1077834216009143/
02.01.2022 What is it? Some riders want them. Some people teach them. Some riders invest in them, but they don't exist. With them, tightening, shortening, pulling, holding, pain, frustration, restrictions & injuries do exist. ... Without them, thoroughness, understanding, knowledge, respect & consistent progress does exist. Without them, health, wellness, strength, willingness, always exist. So, what is it? Shortcuts.
02.01.2022 I've been a bit quiet on here lately as I've been so busy. So I really enjoyed a lovely quiet ride on our Sunny this morning to relax. I thought I'll take a selfie as I've seen so many nice ones posted lately. Well, as you can see it's not as easy at it looks Feel free to share your unsuccessful selfies too!
02.01.2022 Here's a bit more information about what the 'Foundation' posture looks like. You'll know when you've achieved it, the feeling of harmony between the two of you is so beautiful.
02.01.2022 There's a real conversation going on between my girls & Sunny. I would love to know what he's saying. I love that he leaves his hay to come & chat to the kids while I clean his paddock. He gets so excited when we arrive & the kids yell out the window "Hi Sunny Bunny!" Sibling love
01.01.2022 I would like to introduce you to 'Team Sunny'. My parents, Barb & Doug, my husband Nathan, our kids, William (12), James(8), Mia, Emily & Charlotte(4), support Sunny (our horse) & I in some way every day. For me to ride, teach & take care of Sunny each day, my parents babysit, clean the paddock & feed when I can't, or Nathan arranges work hours so he's home early enough for me to ride. We constantly juggle this around other family commitments. ... We're all happy to do this as all our horses we've owned & breed, will always be a part of our family. We all love them forever, even after they've been moved on to new homes. This team along with our extended team, Sunny's super farrier, Bob Brown, his home where we agist, our fantastic local feed and equipment suppliers, we're lucky to live in this town. Without Team Sunny, I couldn't ride. It's important as being with Sunny is my 'me time'. Teaching is my passion. I hope you all get time & support to do what's important to you too. I'm so grateful to Team Sunny, everyday.
