No.10 Equine

30/10/2025

A wonderful mindset 💜

“He/she is too green”

This is something I often hear when people enquire and I send videos of suitable horses. These horses are 3/4/maybe 5yos…. I am glad they are green!! And I will never apologise for that.

It means they haven’t been overproduced and have spent lots of time in the field growing and developing between little bursts of work. It also hopefully means that they will go on to have long and happy lives as strong, sound individuals - able to do their jobs for as long as possible.

Yes - our young horses will always be “behind” others in their age group and those you see at the big sales/age classes at shows…. But what does “behind” really mean at that age? They always catch up with their peers by 6/7 if you have spent the time doing the basics correctly and have a well rounded, soft, supple horse who wants to work.

You don’t prove anything at 3/4/5 you just use up some of the finite number of jumps that I believe each horse is born with. That’s one nugget of wisdom I gleaned from a very experienced horseman in my formative years - don’t use those jumps up jumping pointless fences as a young horse.

Get out of the arena, go hacking, work on a variety of surfaces to build soft tissues and never be afraid to turn the horse away for a couple of months. They will come back mentally and physically stronger as a result. Let them into big open spaces with friends and allow them to just be horses for a little while longer.

There will be many years ahead to go competing if you take it slowly in the first few. Photo of Donal with a few 3 and 4yos growing slowly in the fields of Ballinasloe ❤️

20/05/2025

05/03/2025

Prepare to be inspired and motivated by our Polework & Gymnastic Jumping on-demand webinar!

☑ Delve into the biomechanics of canter, explore head and neck position, limb action, and the all-important hip, pelvis, and lumbosacral junction.

☑ Master polework and gymnastic jumping setups for maximum benefit – whether you're into dressage, eventing, show jumping, or just having fun in the saddle!

The exercises in this online lecture are split into 6 parts :-

1. Exercises for Rhythm, Regularity and Adjustability
2. Exercises for Straightness
3. Exercises for Lateral Balance and Flexibility
4. Exercises for Strength and Power
5. Exercises for Reach and Scope
6. Gymnastic Jumping Grid Exercises

Product is tagged in the image

24/09/2024

✨✨✨✨✨✨ Is Time of the Essence For You? ✨✨✨✨✨

Do you need help?
Life is so fast and for our horses we need to slow down and listen to their needs

Training your horse and ensuring you are taking the right steps is a process

I always incorporate ground work with ridden work , it allows the practice of good communication, understanding and awareness of how your horse is on a daily basis

It is the foundation of where you form trust and reduce anxiety.

Your horse can learn to train in the correct tempo and establish rhythm and balance, from there you can progress to work on suppleness which is necessary for further training

If you are that person that is in the fast track with work or other life commitments but would love to enjoy your horse and love him to be ready for you to go and have fun

I am offering a mobile service that will include a tailored training programme to help you with your horse/s

As time is of the essence DM me 😉🐴🐴🐴🐴

05/08/2024

If you care for your horse’s wellbeing make sure you read this article and all the other links

01/08/2024

I think the photo speaks a thousand words 🙏💜🐴🐴🐴

Polish rider Sandra Sysojeva talks about the unusual way she trained Maxima Bella, the youngest horse in the Olympic dressage

17/07/2024

🐎𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 🐎

Without Relaxation very little can be achieved. When your horse is Anxious, Stressed or Frightened he will learn nothing

I urge you all to think about this word and put it into PRACTICE!

🌈 “RELAXATION”🌈

What does it mean for you ? What do you think it means for your horse ?What are the Benefits ?

Now think of another word

💚“MEDITATION”💚

Another word - ⚡️CONCENTRATION

Another word - ⚡️COMPASSION

Another word - ⚡️COMMUNICATION

COMPASSIONATE training can begin when a CONNECTION has been made from RELAXED COMMUNICATION due to conscious CONCENTRATION which can arise from practicing MEDITATION

It all begins with you being in a RELAXED state!

How about practicing 3 minutes of closing your eyes sitting on a bale of hay, a chair, or the ground and relaxing your mind and only focusing on your breathing , you can close your eyes partially or fully and keep your back straight which should be natural for you guys and just rest your hands gently on your lap , make sure your feet are firmly on the ground ( set timer on your phone so as you do not focus on time only your breathing)

Then go and begin some work with your horse

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 , 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

Let me know how your morning or evening or afternoon went after your 3 minutes breathing 🙏

17/07/2024

⚖️ 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄! ⚖️

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

Imagine your horse working through with active hind legs, his core engaged, his back lifted and his shoulder open . He lengthens his neck and is flexible through his head at the poll as he reaches for contact and his nose is slightly in front of the vertical.

When your horse works in this way he will achieve balance, strength and suppleness which is necessary before advancing in your training.

Now Let Me Ask

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴?

⚡️How is your Balance ?

⚡️Have you a Sympathetic hand? Do you know what that means?

⚡️Would you like to ride with Invisible aids ?

⚡️Do you understand Correct timing of the aids?

⚡️How are your Transitions ?

⚡️Do you have good Communication and understanding with your horse ?

⚡️Are you Taking Responsibility ?

or...is Your Horse getting the Blame?

💥How many times when you get into the saddle do you practice all? or some of the above ?💥

In my experience clients I have taught are over 75% there with their riding and for most of you, your missing links are in your Foundation.

It is irrelevant whether you want to show, show jump, event, ride dressage, working hunter or do a bit of everything, you need to begin with a solid FOUNDATION

💥𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 !💥

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

08/07/2024

This is wonderful news 🙌🙏💜🐎🐎🐎
This type of training creates a lot of harmony with horse and rider

Christoph Hess on the direction dressage should be heading:
“For me, it is wrong when the rider is coming with his upper body behind the vertical. For me, the advice to every rider, is rising trot and light seat in canter, do it like this, and when you do this, then as a rider you get another feeling. Looking from the biomechanics point of view, you get more the feeling to be with the horse.” Ingrid Klimke and Damon Hill demonstrate appropriately in the CHIO Aachen warm up arena:
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2022/08/is-dressage-heading-in-the-right-direction/