HH Equine.

A good morning spent last week in half term.

Well done Helene on completing the Bicton College Racewood simulator training

Anyone wanting a challenge and fun?
It would be great to enter a team of 4 - a 10k walk to the stadium, ticket for the 1st home game of the season, to include a pasty, drink and t shirt😀 it costs £50 to enter and ideally raise some extra in sponsorship..

Exciting news for one of my Rda groups.

How exciting! We have been selected to be a designated charity of The Exeter Chiefs Foundation 🏉

A great read with some interesting insights and tips.

Thinking Thursday... The Training Pyramids. Yes, 2 pyramids... One is based on the horse and the other is the rider. We hear so much talk about the Dressage Training Pyramid, because it is the outline for how we train our horses. But we often forget about the rider and their role in the horse's development. These images are an excerpt from our Dressage Foundations Course where we explain the importance of the rider in the development of the horse.

The Training Pyramid on the left is the traditional image that we see when we discuss dressage training. The one on the right is the process of developing the rider. It is consistent with the process of developing the horse. As the rider becomes more comfortable in the saddle and develops independent, consistent aids, the horse is able to become better connected and "through."

Today, we often see green riders and green horses working together to progress up the levels. And while it is understandable that not everyone has a budget for a schoolmaster, it unfortunately does leads to so much frustration for the horse and rider both. That is usually because each lacks the skill set to compensate for the inadequacies of the other. That is why it is often said, "Schoolmasters for green riders and riding masters for green horses." "Learning together" seldom yields confidence in either party. Although it can be done, it generally takes significantly longer and is not without frequent blows to confidence and patience.

So, how do we remedy this?
Lunge lessons - even the best of the best still ride on the lunge and continually work to improve their skills

Training rides - there is no shame in asking for help. Consider investing in good, quality training rides for your horse from a trainer that is patient and well versed in biomechanics and bringing horses along

Unmounted training - there are so many fitness programs that can help develop the rider. Programs that focus on posture, fitness levels, flexibility and body awareness. These go a long way once you are mounted even though they cannot completely replace time in the saddle.

Regular lessons - taking lessons is a great way to bring awareness to trouble areas and provide feedback in the moment. Virtual lessons (like ours and other trainers) can provide valuable insights and information in the event that you do not have access to a local trainer. If the opportunity arises, take a lesson on a schoolmaster. It is amazing how much you can learn in just one ride.

These are just a few suggestions to help you on your dressage journey. We'd love to hear what challenges you are facing and how you are working to overcome them? ❤🦄

Looking forward too seeing lots of people tomorrow at the Honiton show.
Do come along and say hello, we’ve lots of bargains for sale.

Course all set for Exe Equestrian show on Sunday.

So looking forward to judging the classes, always a great day with some spectacular views across the estuary.

Photos of the pole layout that I used over the weekend for some clients.
We were working on them getting confidence in being able to control their horses and ponies when they get a bit excited in their work.

Lots of positive exercises were done, with clients feeling more confident at the finish of the sessions.

Celebrating VE Day last week at East Devon RDA.

Participants had to move a flag from one cone to another cone, pour out a “Glass of Champagne “, they walked along a street party choosing food as they went along it, they had the chance to play a couple of party games - throwing a ball through a basketball ring and throwing a beanbag into a cone placed on their side. There was also a quiz about VE Day to have a go at.✨

A great time was had by all.

In celebration of international Harry Potter day yesterday, the theme for this weeks RDA sessions was Harry Potter.

Participants had a variety of activities to do, these involved creating their own spells, quizzes, visiting “Hogwarts” to play bingo and steering around the dragons den if they were brave!!

Looking forward to more fun this half term.✨

The sessions all planned out until half term.⭐️

A couple of photos taken of yesterday’s pole layout that I used in some coaching sessions with some clients.

We worked on keeping a consistent rhythm over poles, while at the same time keeping balance on turns and circles.

The cones are laid out as a reward for one of my clients pony as he loves doing cones, before coming in towards me at the end of the session for a scratch !! ⭐️