Finding the perfect pony
Finding the perfect pony It’s all about connection, not just experience Coming back from the Dublin Horse Show has been an eye-opening experience, especially when it comes to ponies and their relationship with children. A lot of parents are eager to get a pony for their child but aren’t sure where to start. The main […]
Do we continue with only pushing the negative images and messages?
Do we continue only pushing the negativity? Last week I shared my take on the Olympic Games and I expressed that we shouldn’t forget to look at the positive things that happened at the Olympics. It led to quite some comments, both positive ánd negative. I agree with a lot of things that are being […]
Problems when riding? This is why
Problems when riding? This is why 👇 I often hear the following: ”The groundwork is going really well, but when I get on, that’s when we’re having problems”. We can then often think ”Okay, then maybe the groundwork isn’t good.” Changing the ‘language’ in the saddle But what it can sometimes simply be, is that […]
My take on the Olympic Games
My take on the Olympic Games We’ve just witnessed an incredible week of dressage sport at the Olympics. Some of you may have seen the live stream, some of you may have even been there. But I was incredibly excited, one, about the level of competition. It was an extremely high level. Many riders having […]
Where does your horse’s tension come from?
Becoming aware of blockages in the body Where does your horse’s tension come from? Jane came to me with headshaking problems. We often tend to think that therefore the tension must lie in the neck and poll area, however, this isn’t the only source. Watch the video below to find out more! 👇
Are you the Mommy, the Dictator, or the Mentor?
Are you being the best mentor for your horse? When it comes to our horses, we can have many different relationships. But in broad lines, we can narrow them down to three types: 1. The Mommy;2. The Dictator;and 3. The Mentor. However, only one of those will actually give our horses the room to grow […]
Haltering a difficult horse
Haltering a difficult horse Do you have a horse that puts his head up when trying to put the halter or bridle on? Here’s how you can turn it around and teach your horse to lean into the halter. https://vimeo.com/949122469/fbf4b29ec4?share=copy Step #1: Lower the tension First, start by making your horse aware where he’s holding […]
Training with distractions
Training with distractions How do you approach the groundwork when you don’t have a quiet, enclosed indoor arena? Or when the only space where you can train is a small patch of grass? In actuality, you might actually make more progress than someone training in an indoor. I explain why in the video below 👇
Ground shyness
Solving ground shyness It’s not about the spooky thing Tire tracks. A scary corner. A ray of sunlight, or even a speck of straw: it can be enough to spook our horses. It’s natural to think that these things are the cause of our horse’s tension, so removing the object will remove the tension, right? […]
Don’t ride when you can’t touch
Don’t ride when you can’t touch When I met Nina, her owners told me she was tense under saddle. The traditional fixes didn’t seem to work. We took a step back and approached the training without a saddle. https://vimeo.com/930313535/987804e358?share=copy The tension wasn’t just under saddle. If you can’t touch all the areas where the saddle […]