Why ‘Group Think’ doesn’t help our horses

Firstly, let me start by saying that no one is getting everything right all the time. The learning curve for anything, including things we thought we already knew, means that sometimes we make assumptions that are not right, or take actions that don’t work out well. Unfortunately, perfectionism in the horse world is rife, so

Spooking vs Not Spooking

I watched a video a little while ago that someone had posted online of a pony coming up to a jump (a very tiny jump as it was), then braking hard and spinning in two different directions whiplashing its rider both ways until the poor kid riding was thrown down the side of the pony.

The power of liberty

I recently listened to a podcast with Catherine Price who has written a book called “The power of fun – how to feel alive again.” Catherine talks about fun as a feeling (rather than an activity) that is combination of playfulness, connection, and flow. Playfulness is light-hearted spirit and not caring too much about the

RESISTANCE

The capital letters in the title were on purpose – meant for shouting. The action (or non-action) of resistance is a strong objection in body and energy. The thing that I find quite often is that humans who object to horse resistance are most resistant themselves. Resistance is avoidance action or non-action. On the human

Introduction to Working Equitation Clinic

A 2 hour introductory group session to the Ease of Handling obstacles in Working Equitation with Belinda Rodriguez. To be held at Glenara Farms, New Plymouth 12th February 2022. Cost is $60. Registration and prior payment is required.

The Effect of Little Bits of Trauma on our Bodies

The word ‘trauma’ comes to us usually with extreme connotations of harrowing events like war or tragedy producing painful and distressing physical and mental injuries. But in everyday life, trauma manifests in much more subtle ways as a matter of us adapting to our environment to survive everyday threats – mini threats, like spilling milk

Security and Co-regulation

The nervous system is becoming an increasingly important area of focus in understanding behaviours, both in horses and ourselves. Since I wrote the previous articles, I have watched an interview series on trauma which has some very good information that can be applied to how we approach our own emotional responses as well that of

Anxious Horses – Energy and the Horse

There’s something about horses, a sixth sense that most humans are not attuned to noticing. Let’s call it the ‘energy sense’. I believe that this comes from the highly developed nervous system in the horse, a gift of evolution that has helped them survive. There is a hypothesis that horses synchronise their heartbeats in a

Long Rein with Ramón Guerrero

Today I ventured back to my old neighbourhood near Old North Rd to have a lesson with Ramón Guerrero, a classical trainer and co-founder of the Royal School of Equestrian Art in southern Spain. I took Toby the Pony with me to learn how to do classical long rein properly (I have never had a

The making of an Expert

To learn it more deeply, teach it. Daniel Coyle Daniel Coyle’s book ‘The Talent Code’ is one of my favourite books. It is a goldmine of tips on developing skill. It debunks the myth that talent is born. Instead, demonstrating through examples of the author’s research, how talent is developed. Ten thousand hours of deep