Yarralee Dressage Development in South Maclean | Horse riding school

Yarralee Dressage Development

Locality: South Maclean

Phone: +61 7 3297 5856

Address: 76-86 Pennine Dr.South Maclean 4280 South Maclean, QLD, Australia

Website: http://yarraleeequestrian.com

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24.01.2022 DAY THREE HUNDRED-ONE PANDEMIC 301.1 For the newer or younger riders amongst us, here is a little as to why where and when it is so important to understand and ...deploy for the betterment of your performances... It is without any question not possible to train a horse to correctly bend without an independent seat and a very good feel for the balance of the horse. Plus we riders have to be aware of where the horse’s shoulders and hips are and evaluate from stride to stride whether every leg of the horse is as evenly weighted as possible, which is a telltale sign of balance. Not much to think about? If you ride three looped serpentines or to ease you into getting the feel ride three shallow loops 2.5 metres in. In doing so you can visually see the shoulders and how they move and placed in the turns. Conversely, you can then when safe and comfortable, close your eyes at just before the turn and concentrate on the feel through your buttocks. ... This is just an option that I developed many years ago when my mentor from his horse said. "learn to develop feel and ride according to the feel!" I was not game to ask how! It worked for me and I was careful to select the quietest horse available and have him completely warmed relaxed and supple in order to get a feel of where all his bits were... Nevertheless, I digress. Almost everyone has come across these comments from judges or trainers: ... Too much bend in the neck. Not enough bend in the body. Shoulders are falling out or in. Loss of balance in the corner. Need more angle or too much angle? The common ingredient is to have the correct posture, and the framing of the horse between your seat leg, and hands with the appropriate breathing hands to either help with the half-halts and to give then the freedom of the shoulders and hindquarters to perform mores so. "...a horse who is bending uniformly gives the appearance of having a curved line throughout its whole body..." Having this ability will help them solve these problems is the understanding of how to develop a horse who can bend equally in both directions without losing self-carriage and lightness, in order to be able to maintain balance through a turn or lateral movement. To frame your horse correctly allows you to ride straight through the corner, it is also termed "tracking up," for a horse who is framed then has the ability to be flexed laterally at the poll and neck whilst keeping the neck between both shoulders. In doing so they have their rib cage on the inside without bulging too far out to the outside. His jaw, shoulders and hips will align with the line of travel, almost like a little shoulder-in and haunches-in at the same time. It this horse that looks and feels like having the same said curved line throughout their body. This is a follow on of: ... "Reite dein pferd vorwarts und rivhte es gerade." German for "Ride your horse forward and straight," Gustav Steinbrecher. It is this philosophy that has ride curved lines straight, that is the footfall of the hind feet follow exactly the forefeet on the curved line, this riding straight. To frame your horse more so is to be able to coordinate all there aids to keep the horse balanced between them and to create an honest bend. Control over the rider’s own weight while keeping the legs softly by the horse’s side is a must. They have to be aware of the leg positions, with the inside supportive leg by the girth and the outside leg slightly behind the girth to control the rib cage on the outside. The rider’s shoulders have to stay parallel to the horse’s shoulders and the hips parallel to the horse’s hips. To keep their weight in the right direction the rider has to turn from her core to initiate the line of travel for the horse on a bending line or lateral work. Conversely, or deceptively easy to say not so easy to ride is, ride simple serpentine lines of travel just depending on the rider's weight for steering and her seat for rhythm and tempo with a horse reaching to the bit into a soft contact. This is like developing a taste for certain wines, it takes time as it does to have your horse sensitive to the weigh and posture influences. The beauty of the methodology is that the horse is confronted to find its own balance. The concept is similar to the idea of being able to ride a bicycle without holding onto the handlebar. This sounds simple but it is a bigger challenge than it appears... Once this concept is understood and even if only partially achieved the riders start to not be incorrectly dependent upon the inside rein for turning. It is very so fascinating to see how the rider's weight influence the horse's motion movement and turns. Conversely, by many trainers / instructors this sadly overlooked and the poor horses get mixed signals from a less than a balanced seat or the correct weight influences. The more willingly the horse follows your weight, the more they can be supported with the framing aids through the turns, it is that simple. Ask your trainer or instructor for help and good luck. Cheers Trevor "This is the book I never read. These are the words I never said. This is the path I'll never tread. These are the dreams I'll dream instead." -- Annie Lennox

20.01.2022 Morning Mantra: "Today I will be proud of my growth." Signs you are getting stronger and healthier: More observing and less judging. More responding and less re...acting. More self love and less self sabotage. More boundaries and less resentments. More inner peace and less outer chaos. More clarity and less confusion. More being and less doing. More faith and less fear. Growth is often uncomfortable, messy, and full of feelings you weren't expecting, but oh so good for your soul. #BeWillingToGrow #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #MorningMantra #InspirationalQuotes

18.01.2022 Journey to a successful piaffe. First there was a horse that moved freely forward. On a long rein but with a connection. Balanced and moving in an easy rhythm.... Not frightened by the rider’s legs, hands, or body position. This horse learned to understand that there was more to the suggestions from the reins than speed control and direction control but that they would never deliberately inflict pain from the bit or cause him to have to cramp his neck and body into strange positions. This horse also learned that the legs would be used for signals, not as bands to lock him into position or force him in a direction or speed where he could not keep balanced. This horse learned that he was expected to look after his own feet and balance. That he had to now carry himself with a rider on with the same responsibility he carried himself without one. That the rider had their own agenda, that may not make much sense to him, but the requests would be reasonable, within his ability and he would be given time to understand them. Then, as this horse’s body became more supple through the training, able to change direction without bracing, able to make movements sideways with balance and overcome the desire to bound forward away from his own engagement, he found it easier to position himself with the rider as he did when free. His hocks got stronger when he slowed down or tilted his pelvis, and he was able to maintain balance on one leg for longer and longer. He began to show cadence in his paces without being pressured. He could turn about one hindleg and put it back down near the same place, not swing it to either side to balance himself because his abdominal and back muscles were stronger. He could bring the frontleg over and around leading with the forehand at all times, never going entouble (this is a word that François Robichon de La Guérinière used to describe the horse’s hindquarters coming too far around and therefore being unable to support the horse’s balance it was more than just leading with the hindquarters it was unbalancing the posture of the horse, so it would be a different degree for every horse and every level of training). When the horse can walk with deliberation, confidently placing each foot with rhythm and can find the trot within the walk without changing speed, and can find the canter in the trot without changing speed and the same from the walk and without requiring the rider’s hand as anything more than a suggestion of what that speed and bearing might be then the horse can also find the piaffe. You ask the horse for the balance in walk that would allow shoulder-in, or pirouette and then you ask the horse to find the trot diagonalise and then you thank the horse for maintaining balance and speed for a few strides and then you walk again. The journey to piaffe is simply the journey to collection. For the horse, our journey is just one of studying him or her, (we have to read this horse), the horse does not need to be part of our journey because the horse already knows and can do. We need to learn how to use our knowledge to influence the horse into releasing his natural ability under the rider in a manner that is beneficial for both of us. It isn’t a case of all roads lead to Rome because they do NOT in the case of education. Or at least not in the case of FAIR education. It might be okay for a human to make their own choices and bear their own punishment if they were wrong. But the horse is not an inanimate object you take on your journey with you. In this case your road is FOR the horse and the decisions you make and the road you follow intimately effect the horse.

18.01.2022 Importance of small steps

18.01.2022 Morning Mantra: "If you don't recognize that perfect is the enemy of good, you'll miss a lot of joy." Stop trying to be perfect, it's not possible. It can actua...lly have the reverse affect on your happiness. For no one and nothing is perfect, and if that is the standard you have set, you will constantly be unhappy, and you will miss the wonder in the average, or good enough. Try being the best version of yourself. Try creating the best you can make. Try doing the best you can do. There is so much joy to be found when you stop needing everything to be, or appear, perfect. Give yourself a break, and #begoodenough. #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #MorningMantras #InspirationalQuotes Quote: Lori Gottlieb

14.01.2022 DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE PANDEMIC 235.0 i was reviewing a riders video who rides Prix St George successfully to a point where the horse seemingly can go ...no further his throughness just plateaus to the frustration on my rider... The first thing I noticed is how free this horse was. The rider really has him suppled holistically with the freedom in all gaits very good. He listens to her and she could place him anywhere she wants. Clearly, this horse can develop greater throughness, which begs the question why does not do so now? It was not a horse physical issue nor a mental lack of confidence, so without knowing too much we can start to assume it may be the rider. Clearly, this horse can develop greater throughness, which begs the question why does not do so now? It is not a physical issue nor a mental lack of confidence, so without knowing too much we can start to assume it may be the rider.d bob? Sound innocuous, but the head bob and the intermittent unsteady hands were actually blocking the flow of energy hence a lower level of throughness... This is simply a lack of core usage and or strength and to some degree stiffness of the following hips. To correct the unsteady hands and head bobbing, start working on a more secure seat and core. The riders you see with steady hands and no head bobbing are not firm with their hands or head. They are in fact firm with their core and have the following hip. The hands and head are only as quiet as the rider's body. Stiff hips and a tight lower back are very common reasons and bouncing hands and the riders head as in nodding. Your hip joints is what creates seat connection for you and your horse. Therefore if there is any stiffness, this lack of elasticity will be equal to the horse in the opposite direction. In other words, the degree of the inflexibility of your hips will be reflected also in the lack of balance, movement and energy throughness for the horse. Your horse can only be as good as and equal to the riders posture balance and elasticity. Without addressing this issue there is a good chance that the horse will plateau at a certain level of preparedness for it can't physically overcome the passive resistance. For you to have a proper core, balance and elasticity to give you an effective position speak to you local trainer and ask specifically to address this issue. And, keep working at it most of the top riders in the world faced the same issue many riders have. Midweek already, I hope you are on top of the to-do list I'm always playing catch-up, have the best day still stay safe, talk soon... Cheers Trevor "Never memorise something that you can look up. -- Albert Einstein

11.01.2022 You learn something new every day Here are some fascinating and little known facts about horses they’re amazing animals!! Stallions/geldings have 4 ex...tra teeth than mares do. These are called canine teeth and are historically used for fighting. Arab horses have one less rib, lumbar vertebrae and tail bone than all other breeds. A horses Cerebrum (the part of the brain used for thinking and processing information) is the size of a walnut. Secretariat and Phar Lap, two of the best racehorses that ever lived, both had a heart that was twice the size of an average horses heart. Horses can only breath through their nose. A horses eye is the largest of all land mammals (yes, larger than an elephants!) If a horse is deficient in minerals they will start to eat dirt and even their own poo. Mounting a horse on the left side is just tradition. This is because soldiers would mount their horses on the left so that their swords, anchored over their left legs, wouldn’t harm the horses backs. Piaffe and passage were first used to keep horses fit when on boats going to war. A Horses oesophagus can only flip backwards, not forwards, that’s why they can’t vomit and why colic is so prevalent. Horses sleep for an average of only 2.5 - 3 hours in a 24 hour period. A horses resting respiratory rate can be as low as 8 breaths per minute. It is NOT possible for a horse to have a ‘heart attack’ as it is commonly thought. This is because heart attacks are caused by a build up of cholesterol and horses do not produce cholesterol. Instead, horses can suffer from ‘sudden death syndrome’. Horses can hear a human heartbeat from 4 feet away. When in a herd, they synchronise their heartbeats and if one horses heart goes up they know there is danger. This is why it is commonly said that horses can sense your fear. If you know any other interesting facts about horses then add them in the comments! and feel free to share

11.01.2022 CROSS FIBRE GROOMING Grooming is a great way to bond with your horse, locate tight spots and lightly massage the muscles. Cross fibre grooming is excellent for ...keeping the fascia conditioned, helping to smooth sticky fascia and break down adhesions. It stimulates circulation, increases relaxation and promotes release. Using the flat of your hands or your horse’s favourite brush or rubber curry comb, groom the hair at right angles to the direction of growth which is usually also at right angles to the underlying muscles. Cross fibre grooming, you horse will thank you for it. #belindabolsenbroekacademy #horselove #horseconnection #equinehealth #wellnessforhorses #notawasteoftime

11.01.2022 Here's a little (read: long and angry) post about what I like to call the spring time shuffle. Around this time of year, every year, two things happen. 1. We ...get complaints from a handful of (generally predictable) people whose horses have been trimmed just fine for the last several months suddenly saying their horse was "trimmed too short" this last visit. And 2. We get a massive influx of enquiries from new clients who are looking for a new farrier because their last farrier "trimmed them too short". Now, I can understand this logic if you're either new to horses, or this happens on the first visit with a new farrier without warning. However, all the rest of you, need your annual reality check. (I honestly think y'all also need a reality check on realistic "soundness" expectations but I'll save that for another grumpy day). It is the annual shuffling of clients between all the local farriers' books, because the clients don't want to face the real reason why their horse is shuffling around the paddock. No farrier wakes up EVERY NOVEMBER and just randomly starts trimming horses shorter than they did the WHOLE REST OF THE YEAR. Generally we have spent the entire preceding year telling you the one same message while you shout "LALALA" back at us with your fingers in your ears. YOUR HORSE IS TOO FAT! Post-trimming sensitivity is one of the most obvious warning signs that you will get for subclinical laminitis. When this warning is left unchecked, guess what follows? ACTUAL Laminitis. We have become so disconnected as a society as to what healthy and appropriate body weight REALLY is. My masters degree research found that most horse owners could accurately identify their horses body condition score on a on a scare of 0-5 where 5 is obese. Some would even jokingly ask me if they could write 6. However when asked about the appropriateness of their horses body weight most of these high scorers felt their horses body weight was just fine. I see the same thing day in day out as a hoof care practitioner. And the reactions from owners range from flat out denial ("Cobs are meant to look like this, they have big bones" ... Bones don't jiggle Karen!) to just outright offence as though I've personally insulted them or "their horse" or that I am an unkind person for "fat shaming". Your horses feelings aren't hurt. You just don't want to face the truth because it makes you uncomfortable. It is very sad for our horses that being able to see their ribs from a certain angle has now become more offensive to people than seeing the myriad of health and wellbeing issues humans are creating by letting their horses suffer through chronic obesity and a constant state of low grade laminitis. We need to look back to what nature intended for animals (and ourselves). We have an abundance of carb-rich food in spring following the clear lack of food during winter. Wild / Feral horses would typically lose a lot of body condition during winters. They have minimal grass access and often rely on on fibrous and low-carb mosses, roots, leaves, bark, and their body fat reserves. When animals are consuming less carbohydrates they become more insulin sensitive. When you're insulin sensitive you don't need as much insulin in your system to regulate blood sugar. Then spring comes along and body weight is rapidly packed back on with rich grasses. And with constant and excessive consumption of carbs comes insulin resistance. Which means more and more and more insulin has to get produced to keep blood sugar under control. In our domestic horses we're so afraid to let our horses slim down in the winter, and keep them in a chronic state of obesity and insulin resistance year round. Because we hard feed them all winter to maintain their "condition" spring hits and they never became insulin sensitive enough to deal with it. We can also see this insulin resistance in some athletic horses who are fed high carbohydrate diets also - its the horse equivalent of the "skinny-fat" human. The human peak marathon runner who carb loads and gets diabetes and heart disease. Sadly, many of the horses we see with these problems are on "feeding plans" owners have developed themselves using a generic website (often funded by specific feed companies), from vets, or equine nutritionists (who often work for feed companies). You can see the owners well-meaning intent and that's why this breaks my heart. The nutritionists who I respect and recommend are the ones who are the first to tell you that you do not add to your horses diet unless they aren't meeting their metabolic requirements from grass and plain hay first. If I have one more client with a fat, laminitic horse tell me their horse isn't fat and that they paid someone for their feeding plan of processed feeds, I will lose my shit. I am SO passionate about your horses health, that this makes me angry! (And don't get me started on the inflammatory responses from most of these refined oils that get added cause for some reason people think shiny = healthy). And most people (including many professionals) are either ignorant of, or overlook, the roll of insulin on hoof sensitivity. Yet the fact that high levels of insulin lead to inflammation is widely know and accepted. And what IS laminitis? INFLAMMATION OF THE LAMINAE. Your farrier has nothing to financially gain by telling you stop feeding your dadgum horse! Yet we get ignored to the point we often stop commenting to people. And then people say "Why didn't you warn me!?" Then we hit the tail end of spring, and bingo, another year, another bunch of shuffling underworked and over fed horses, and another year of farriers suddenly shuffling a bunch of desperate "my-last-farrier-trimmed-my-horse-too-short-I-need-your-help" new clients in and a bunch of grumpy "you-caused-this-problem" ones out. It is no coincidence that all the species of animals that man controls the diet of are the ones that regularly suffer from metabolic malfunctions. We are so smart that we are incredibly fucking dumb sometimes. I also have a LOT of clients who will ask at each trim if I see any signs of laminitis in the feet. The thing is I can tell you there are low grade warning signs all year but nothing *new* today, and your horse could still go lame tomorrow. The biggest warning signs I constantly see are your horses weight, your feed bucket, and how dry your saddle blanket always is if you bother to exercise your horse at all. But you don't listen to this. You only seem to listen (for a week or three) if I can physically point out blood in the white line. So, here's my rant for the day. We are getting generally shitty with overwork by the end of the year and in need of a christmas holiday, and we are disillusioned with all these "unexpected" lamenesses in valley full of improved dairy pasture in the middle of unprecedented spring growth. It needed to come out. Someone has to say it. I don't give a shit if I've hurt your feelings, because I want to save your horses life.

11.01.2022 Who Am I? No 45 2020 Monday night Quiz time. Many of you will have a comment for this week, we are sure.... This photo from an old Pony Club Instruction Manual shows a frequent rule designed to help riders sit better -the straight line from ear to elbow and heel, and elbows to the bit. We want you to tell us a rule or message that you heard (probably often) as you learned to ride - to encourage or correct. Another that springs to mind is the saying "Your hands are pushing a pram!" If it has stuck this long, it probably helped you? Points this week to the best or funniest answers, by 8pm tomorrow night December 1, 2020 (AEDT). #WhoAmI #equestrianmemoriesquiz #learningtoride

10.01.2022 DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO CHANGE? Fundamentally, learning is about changing behaviour, and behaviour change can only come from a change in attitude. In order to ...do things differently, we need to think differently about how we are asking the horse to do something. For me its not a matter of "one size fits all" or "the horse must" do this or that. More often "it depends" on the individual situation, character, conformation, conditioning, experiences, and the particular conditions on the day. The horse owes us nothing, we are the ones who have responsibility to understand the horse. It is clear to me that most common or difficult problems with horses can be resolved safely and progressively with curiosity, knowledge, kindness, and clarity without force. It requires empathy and paying attention to what the horse is doing. Classical Equitation embraces both art and science, it requires a thoughtful approach that responds to the way horses think and move. Logical training reduces conflict, it may increase conflict for a short time to establish boundaries, but it must aim for relaxation to make space for willingness and preservation of the horse's dignity. Ease and lightness in riding are not out of reach. It is possible to find that illusive "harmony" and "partnership" when you have the tools to work with the horse's nature - not against it.

09.01.2022 #SnakeBite That bite of summer has well and truly come early this year and with that heat, comes snakes. Our neighbours (Toowoomba region) have reported many s...ightings. 3000 bites are reported annually. 300-500 hospitalisations 2-3 deaths annually. Average time to death is 12 hours (4-24hrs). The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish. While not new, the management of snake bite (like a flood/fire evacuation plan or CPR) should be refreshed each season. Let’s start with a Basic overview. There are five genus of snakes that can harm us (seriously), and for which an Antivenin is available . Browns, Blacks, Adders, Tigers and Taipans. (disclaimer: Other snakes eg copperhead, whips, etc also can be harmful.) All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood). This venom can not be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site. It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream). Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood. Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm, bending knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc. Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks)which are connected to veins at the base of the neck. Back to the snake bite site. When bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues). The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten. Stay still!!! Venom can’t move if the victim doesn’t move. Stay still!! Remember people are not bitten into their blood stream. In the 1980s a technique called Pressure immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It retards (seriously slows) venom /lymph transport toward the blood stream. A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (don’t wash the area). Technique: Three steps: keep them still Step 1 Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10cm above and below the bite. Step 2: Then using another elastic roller bandage, apply a firm wrap from Fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin. The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white. About the tension of a sprain bandage. Step 3: Splint the limb so the patient can’t walk or bend the limb. Do nots: Do not cut, incise or suck the venom. Do not EVER use a tourniquet Don’t remove the shirt or pants - just bandage over the top of clothing. Remember movement (like wriggling out of a shirt or pants) causes venom movement. DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important. In hospital we NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake; it doesn’t change treatment. 5 years ago we would routinely do a test on the bite, blood or urine to identify the snake so the correct anti venom can be used. BUT NOW... we don’t do this as often. Our newer Antivenom neutralises the venoms of all the 5 listed snake genus, so it doesn’t matter what snake bit the patient. Read that again- one injection for all snakes! Polyvalent is our one shot wonder, stocked in almost all hospitals, so many hospitals no longer stock specific Antivenins. Regional differences (Tassie, Victoria, south of Perth, outer islands)use region specific antivenins. Australian snakes tend to have 3 main effects in differing degrees. Bleeding - internally and bruising. Muscles paralysed causing difficulty talking, moving & breathing. Pain In some snakes severe muscle pain in the limb, and days later the bite site can break down forming a nasty wound. Allergy to snakes is rarer than winning lotto twice. Final tips: not all bitten people are envenomated and only those starting to show symptoms above are given antivenom. Did I mention to stay still. Call help (000 or 112) You need hospital!!! Rob Is a writer and teacher for ECT4Health. This snake /spider envenomation material is included in our Emergency courses called #WhatMergency and found here... https://www.ect4health.com.au/whats-on-where/

09.01.2022 To help maintain a long leg that is grounded to the earth... "Imagine there are magnets on the soles of your boots that are attracted to the earth. The strength... of this vertical line of positive tension gives the horse a place from which to balance." Beth Baumert Click here to read more articles with Beth Baumert https://dressagetoday.com/tag/articles-with-beth-baumert Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz

08.01.2022 How a horsewoman knows she is rich: I am rich. I have 15 in my bank account and a gorgeous gelding in my stable. I am rich. I have a car that mostly works and ...enough diesel to get to the stables every day this week. I am rich. I have boxes of pasta and generic sauce in my cupboards and enough hay to feed my horse through the winter. I am rich. I have enough old coats and sweaters to layer up and stay warm while I do stable chores. I am rich. My holidays are going out with my horses and going to cheer on my horse riding friends at horse shows. Sometimes I even play too, and spend 10 to bring home a fifty pence ribbon that I will treasure more than any photo in front of the Eiffel Tower. I am rich. I have tools: duct tape and baling twine and the know how to fix just about anything with these tools. I am rich. I find joy in making my own things, making do, and making right. I have a second hand saddle, a 40+ year old body, I am rich. My wealth is not measured in pound signs but in horsey snorts and snickers. My riches aren't spent on electronics and fancy clothes but are shared with my human and four legged friends. Next time someone finds out that I have a horse and says, " You must be rich to afford that" I will smile, and agree.

06.01.2022 Once in every equestrian’s life, they will meet a special horse. This horse wont necessarily be a Badminton winner or dressage champion. They won’t always carry... multiple titles or be the most talented with the best breeding. Very often, these horses are nothing more than ordinary. They might have the odd lump here or a strange marking there. They probably won’t tick all the boxes for conformation and they will probably have some character quirks that not everyone will be able to see past. You don’t find these horses, they find you. They can come to you by accident or hide in plain sight. They are the one rescued from the meat man or the one in the last stable at the dealing yard. They are the last horse you go to see before you give up searching or the scruffy three year old stood in a field of mud. They are the horse you never even knew you needed. People will raise an eyebrow when you say this is your best horse. Not everyone will see what you see and that’s ok because this horse will be special to you. They will unlock little things inside you and make you feel more at home than you’ve ever felt anywhere else in your life. They may not always be easy, in fact they might be anything but easy, but it doesn’t stop you loving them. I’m not saying the will follow you round the arena with no lungeline, or that you can ride them tackless down the beach... but you’ll have your own connection that is hard to describe and even harder to explain. There is no rhyme or reason as to why this horse is so special. You don’t have to have won at every event or defied death together to validate your relationship, it just happens. You won’t feel this way about another horse. Sure, there will be ones that come close and it doesn’t stop you loving any other horse just as much as this one, but this one is special. This is your heart horse. Some people stumble across their heart horse early on in their life, others wait a lifetime to meet, but somewhere out there is a horse that was made for you, so if you haven’t met them yet... be patient, they will find you. They might not always be the horse you want, but they will always be the horse you need.

05.01.2022 To improve your horse’s balance on your chosen line of travel "Imagine that your eyes project a thin, thread-like cobweb connecting your horse to your destina...tion. When you glance down at your handseven for a split secondthis fragile cobweb gets cut and your horse loses his orientation and, therefore, his balance." Susanne von Dietze Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz

05.01.2022 The superficial muscles are those which we can see. They make up the horse's contour. The changes in shape and size of the superficial muscles can be observed w...ith the naked eye. These are the muscles that help us identify different breeds or the way a horse is exercised daily. They also help us identify areas of the body that maybe experiencing imbalance or torque. If you want to learn more about the horse and equine anatomy consider joining me at the Art of The Horsemen Online Horse Fair Jan 25th - 26th you can grab your free ticket by following the link below or share this post with a friend! https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/v3QRRSFP . . . . #sculptureanatomy #sculpturequineanatomy #theraecollection #deannamontero #equinepractitioner #equineart #equineanatomy #equinetherapist #horsewellness #learnanatomy #horseanatomy #equinedevelopment #ilovehorses #equinemassage #drawinghorses #equinevetrinarian #equinewellness #3Danatomy #sculptureclasses #anatomyclasses #teensculptureclasses

04.01.2022 DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX PANDEMIC 236.0 learning your test off by heart is a job for many no matter what level and or test you are riding, you really have... to learn it... You can as an option seek help this with your reliable ground person or trainer. a) Many of my former riders start by visualising the test, b) then following up by doing it on foot at in the family room or their back yard. c) Some would practice the test in the Training Facilities Coffee Riders room. d) Whichever, you know somewhere that will suit you you find it easiest for you. e) Then you can separately ride individual test movements... 1 or 2 strung together and have someone or mirrors to give you feedback as to where to improve. I not only mean memorising exactly what figures and movements you are going to perform, but also visualising the way you are going to ride every single stride during your test. Your ideal is that you must be able to ride it without even thinking about what to do in the next movement or is going to be. This is a major advantage for you have so many little things to do in your tests. Knowing your test will lead to greater achievements in the arena because you can now anticipate and prepare for the movements earlier in your mind. In doing so you are totally mentally prepared to allow you to not waste energy on issues that otherwise would keep you mentally busy. You can then focus that much easier. The test should come to you semi-autonomously allowing you to focus on other issues and to breath correctly! Just as important as having your horse focus on you not what's going on outside the arena use all your focus and mind to get a better performance instead of thinking whether you have to turn right or left or what is waiting for you on the next long side. If your confidence is waining concerning the memory of the test it is OK to use a caller during your test, but practice this at your riding club or school so the coordination of you, the caller, and the timing is spot on. Some of the older brigades worry about anticipation from the horse but at the lower levels this anticipation allows you to refine the timing and application thereof mores so, so this is a good thing if managed correctly. The only issue is if they can anticipate a transition timing and placement in the arena, applying lots of balancing half-halts will allow you more time to get it right. In my view, especially for less-experienced riders at lower levels, that if you're on the side of caution and practice the movements, then you will be much more confident! It is when you enter the arena you will know exactly how to and when to prepare a transition or movement and how the horse will react to specific aids and, of course, the desired, outcome. That may or not be so good but at least you know your weaknesses so you can now concentrate more so on greater expression for the movements that a doing really well! Have the best Thursday you can, stay very safe, take care talk soon... Cheers Trevor "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence." -- Albert Einstein

04.01.2022 WILHELM MUSELER -- (1887 in Berlin 1952 in Göttingen) was an equestrian and author. He wrote an important treatise on horse riding, Reitlehre (1933),[1] and m...any works on the history of art. Anyone can learn to ride, for riding is a skill. A skill can be acquired by practice and experiment and never by slavish imitation. And once skill has been attained, attention should be paid to keep it at the highest level. Riding is a thing of beauty and can be made into an art form. All of us would like to be considered artists, but the only ones who will achieve this are those who try sincerely to enter into the horse's minds and effect rapport with him by sympathy rather than brute strength. Sympathy or felling is not an unnatural science: we can all develop it to a considerable degree. The aim in dressage is complete harmony between rider and horse quite simply, beauty. Then the horse looks relaxed and at ease and there is nothing in the rider's demeanour to show the efforts he has had to make. Wlilhelm Museler

04.01.2022 Touch Your Horse Gently and... Knowingly. What if this coming year you learned to touch your horse not just for pleasure but for wellness as well? In every clin...ic Manolo gives, every lesson, you will see him do some body work and some in-hand work even when the student is signed up for "just" a riding lesson. In Manolo's Training For Wellness philosophy, working in-hand, hands-on and in the saddle are three, equally important facets of interacting with the horse and training him. Manolo will often dismount and do a little bodywork or in-hand if he feels his horse is having difficulties under saddle that different figures and exercises are not resolving. He believes riders and horses relationships benefit tremendously from riders having more skills at their disposal to assist their horse then just riding when the horse experiences physical or mental discomfort brought on by tension, stress, fear, lack of conditioning, old or new injuries or from feeling over faced with new work. It is is uncanny how a couple of minutes spent freeing a stiff poll or back with body work, working on alignment, regularity, diagonal pairing and balance can change how a horse feels and moves and transform his/her work under saddle. It is a difference the rider can immediately feel in its own body and balance. Bodywork, touch has an emotional bonding dimension that horses welcome and find relief and peace in, this tranquil emotional state translates into softer, suppler, straighter more balanced rides. How to start learning and using this work? Step One: Find a short course for owners or a book that speaks to you (we recommend www.ttouch.com and www.Equinology.com) or ask your massage practitioner to show you simple moves you can incorporate in your training routine. Look at credentials and claims, and seek what is simple and clear. You want something designed for amateurs looking to enhance their horses wellbeing on a daily basis. Check beforehand that safety and correct biomechanics and stance are highlighted for both horse and rider. There are programs and books at every price point, choose wisely. Step Two: When you have learned basic skills, USE THEM. Too often riders have body work notions but neglect to use them because they forget about them, do not have time or rely on an outside professional for massage once a week/month. There is a place for both and body work should be part and parcel of training not an isolated experience in the horse's life. As importantly, do not hesitate to get off your horse and investigate with your hands what tensions and knots may be holding your horse back from performing his/her best. You will be surprised at how different your horse feels when you take the time to stop your lesson and investigate and try to understand and relieve what issue(s) are causing problems under saddle with gentle bodywork or in-hand. It will change the depth of your horse's trust and confidence in you and the quality of your rides together. To learn more about training for wellness visit: www.manolomendezdressage.com

03.01.2022 My Beautiful Aramis at "Yarralee" 2019

02.01.2022 To steer your horse and direct his energy toward your line of travel without losing alignment "Imagine channeling him between your shoulders, elbows, knees an...d feet." Annie Morris See more articles with Annie Morris here https://dressagetoday.com/tag/articles-with-annie-morris Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz Have a Solutions idea you'd like to see featured on our social media and in Practical Horseman magazine? Send it to [email protected] with the subject line "Dressage Solutions Concept."

02.01.2022 Did you know that fascia encases every part of the musculoskeletal system and is one single piece throughout the entire body! That's right... fascia extends, co...vers and protects every single part of the body as an unbroken sheet. Fascia has many textures or faces but is continuous. This means that any part of your horse's fascia that is't healthy will inevitably affect the rest of the horse's body. This also means that any past injuries or compromised structure within the body such as muscular tension, spasms, asymmetry etc. has a direct connection with another key part within your horse's body. When fascia is healthy it slides easily because that's one of its main functions. It helps muscles and bones slide to assist in smooth movement. When it is un healthy it may feel sticky, brittle or just restricted. I believe fascia is a part of our horses that's too often overlooked and should be just as important to us as the muscular development we see in our horse's when training. With healthy fascia we have a healthier safer horse. If you want to learn more about the horse and equine anatomy consider joining me at the Art of The Horsemen Online Horse Fair Jan 25th - 26th you can grab your free ticket by following the link in my bio or share this post with a friend! you can grab your free ticket by following the link below or share this post with a friend! Grab your free ticket by following the link below or share this post with a friend! https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/v3QRRSFP . . . . #sculptureanatomy #sculpturequineanatomy #theraecollection #deannamontero #equinepractitioner #equineart #equineanatomy #equinetherapist #horsewellness #learnanatomy #horseanatomy #equinedevelopment #ilovehorses #equinemassage #drawinghorses #equinevetrinarian #equinewellness #3Danatomy #sculptureclasses #anatomyclasses #teensculptureclasses

01.01.2022 When we confuse posture and confirmation there is more at stake then esthetics ! While out working today some of my clients discussed this topic with me after m...y short video. The video stress the importance of knowing the difference between posture and confirmation. Why is it so imperative to spot what is postural ? Here is a quick superficial explanation ..... Chronic poor posture can lead to low energy and a generally dull horse. Muscle fibres become shorter and contracted. This can lead to chronic fatigue(laziness) unexplained pain throughout the body, injuries and digestive problems. Long term lordosis (swayback) or kyphosis (roach back)create compression through the spine, lungs, diaphragm, sacrum and Psoas . It can lead to habitual shallow breathing. This restricts oxygen distribution in the body will leave the horse vulnerable in MANY aspects. The knock-on effect of compression through the body can generate a slow and sluggish digestive system or an irritated digestive system. A compromised digestive system will have body WIDE implications on the horse. A simple example of poor postural effect would be muscles, the tight short muscles burn up energy, the weak, long muscles don’t ‘fire’ properly and atrophy. These weak muscles must re-establish both their strength and nervous system responses to regain their functionality. This is a classic cycle of dysfunction for many horses with poor posture. Know the difference to help maintain your horses health. Images taken from google