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News Updated 17th June
What a whirl 2011 is proving to be.
Teresa has attended 2 days Bowen Refresher training, very swiftly followed by the second stage of Philippe Karls School of Legerete. A few weeks later a great 4 days with Alexandra Kurland, clicker training. Teresa and her mare Fay appear in Alex's latest DVD with footage taken from last years training.
Teresa wishes to congratulate Ginny and Bertie on qualifiying for Hickstead.
Philippe Karl - School of Legerete 2011
Teresa is an auditor on the 3 year instructor training course with Philippe Karl (author of Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage). M. Karl is passionate about the correct training of the horse. He backs up his training system with scientific evidence on the benefit for the horse. His methods (involving no force or use of gadgets) promote the long term soundness of the horse. The pathologies caused by overflexing and harsh use of the hands are well documented.
The first four days were devoted to the use of the riders hand - our most dextrous tool to the horses sensitive mouth - the route of communication, with the emphasis very much on respect for the horses mouth. He demonstrated and coached his method for teaching this communication to the horse. It is progressive and it is quite clear when the horse has understood. Lesson were in hand initially, so when ridden it was a natural progression - the horse already had learnt the required response.
When you next ride - just check how much backwards traction is in your hand and lighten it. Your horse will thank you for it. M. Karl states that your hand should follow the horses mouth. The object is to balance the horse so he has a steady head carriage which enables the rider to correspond with still hands - not, what is so commonly seen, is that the rider fixes the hands in an effort to stabilise the horses head.
The next 3 years is going to be a very exciting time.
Saddle fitting and Shoeing Dynamics course
Teresa attended the exciting 4 day with vet, accupuncturist and saddle fitter Dr Kerry Ridgway DVM. Dr Ridgway became interested in saddle fitting when he kept getting 'revolving door' cases. These were cases where the horse would improve for a while then within a month be almost back to square one, with changes just not holding. He realised that incorrect saddle fit would destroy the improvements that he had made. He has been saddle fitting for over 20yrs. Saddle fit is part of the holistic approach to the horse.
One very important point that came up during the course is that the biggest impact on the horses back is constant pressure over a long time. So when waiting for a class to start, please don't use your horse as an armchair - GET OFF HIS BACK and both you and he will reap the benefits.
The course covered the following areas
It is impossible to separate saddle fit from bodywork sessions when evaluating the ridden horse.
Part 1, Saddle Fitting:
Indirect problems caused by poor saddle fit (behavioural, performance and referred pathology issues)
Direct problems caused by poor saddle fit (trauma to muscles and skin)
Anatomical and physiological signs of poor saddle fit
Correct placement of saddles
Saddle fit pertaining to the static posture (standing still)
Saddle fit pertaining to the dynamic posture (movement)
Correlation between the static and dynamic fit
Existing and ideal solutions for saddle fit
Actual science of saddle pressure and fit
Evaluating the horses back
Correct palpation of the back
Correct reflex testing
Evaluating the saddle off the back, then the correlation of the saddle on the back
Evaluating the saddle with the rider up
Fitting and measuring the saddle using various current methods
Pros and cons of various measuring devices
Instruction on making templates for use
Saddle pad materials and functions
Part 2, Farrier Issues:
Anatomy and care of the feet
Normal functions of the foot
Pastern/hoof axis
Balanced shoeing and trimming
Location and causes of lameness
Reading the breakover
How shoeing/trimming affects the performance of the horse
The balanced hoof
In the farrier portion of the course, Dr. Ridgway relates the lower leg conformation and shoeing techniques to the effect of the work of the equine therapist as well as the effects on the equine myofascial system.
Alexandra Kurlands Clicker Clinic 2010
Alex is the author of 'Clicker Training For Your Horse', 'The Click That Teaches' and 'Riding With The Clicker'. She is a world-renowned animal behaviourist. Teresa was lucky enough to have a place for the third year running on the course at Ashen Equestrian Centre - this year with her mare Fay. Fay has been a difficult and problematic horse and is a good example of how the power of positive reinforcement can change a horse. Alex is a truly inspirational coach.
Human workshop
The weekend of the 27-28th March saw Teresa attending a Practioner Development Workshop with Michael Morris. A very useful weekend to brush up on the finer points of the Technique and to be privvy to some of the exciting research that is currently happening. Michael is extremely knowledgeable and conducts the training in a relaxed way to ensure that participants gain as much as possible from the workshop.
Talk/demo
Thursday 25th March saw Teresa attending a talk/demo by Becky Chapman, Biomechanics Coach, at Newton Hall. Becky started with an explanation of what neutral spine for the rider looked like and also what it didn't look like. Four of the audience pretended to be horses on all fours whilst Becky asked them to go hollow, then hollow with chin against chest and then with a rounded back. When trying to 'walk' (crawl) in each position the 'horses' discovered that in hollow it was more difficult to move at all, their 'stride' length was much shorter and more shuffling. They also discovered that very quickly they had back ache and neck ache.
Most riders who understand the concept of it is the shape that the horses back makes that is truly important, not what the head is doing, still have difficulty in putting this into practice. Becky showed, by changing riders positions, how the rider can influence the horse. Both demo riders were experienced, capable riders. They rode in their usual way, then Becky made some alterations to the riders then they rode again. Becky pointed out various markers for the audience to notice, from the length of area behind the saddle to comparing how the hind legs looked longer on the 'before' compared with the 'after'. This was a missing piece for the riders on how they could influence the shape of their horses back - and without any 'pushing and pulling' on the horse required.
To be a demo rider requires confidence and bravery (or desperation) and Becky was supportive and encouraging throughout. Beckys style allows the rider to acitively participate in the lesson with feedback rather than just carrying out a series of shouted commands. This alone was possibly a revelation for some of the audience.
"Cold Backed"
Cold backed horses are something that have been cropping up a lot for Teresa lately both physically and in conversation. Many owners think that if a horse is cold backed then it is nothing to worry about and is normal for that horse. A horse giving a cold back reaction is giving a pain reaction. This can vary from dipping away/humping the back on saddling to a full blown explosive bucking fit.
The sensitive nerve endings are stimulated either from the pressure of a badly fitting saddle or the stretching of immobile or injured tissue. A horse can also have back pain from adjusting his posture to avoid weight bearing on an injured limb. Please don't think that "he always does that", or "he's just trying to get out of work". It is important both for your horses welfare and your own safety that the cause of cold backed is investigated.
Prevention can be achieved by
- having regular saddle checks by a qualified saddle fitter
- regularly check the 'pattern' on the underside of your numnah, any uneveness indicates all is not well
- have regular bodywork yourself (crooked riders can cause many issues for their horses)
- have regular bodywork on your horse
- don't tighten the girth up straight away
- after tacking up walk your horse around for a few minutes before getting on
- always use a mounting block or have a leg up
- warm up and cool down adequately
If your horse flattens his ears as you approach with his tack - he is trying to tell you something. Be your horses best friend and listen to him before he has to scream his pain out in 'bad behaviour'.
Gait Analysis
The first week of February saw Teresa attending a 4 day course with Hilary Clayton, world leader in Equine Biomechanics and author of 'The Dynamic Horse'. It was an excellent opportunity to hear 'straight from the horses mouth' what cutting edge research is taking place.
On piece of research was on the pressure on different areas of the horses back when the rider mounts. This was done from the ground and from a mounting block. The area of greatest pressure is around the OFF SIDE wither. This reduces when mounting from a block but not as much as you would think. The best way to mount is either from a leg up or from a high mounting block where you can mount without placing your foot in the stirrup.
The forces transmitted to a horse when the rider, once mounted, places on one stirrup to pull a saddle over that has slipped are quite challenging to the horse. So ensure that your saddle fits and mount as described above to make things more comfortable for your horse and reduce the risk of injury.
Talk and demonstration
Friday 11th June 2010 at 7:30pm Teresa will holding a talk and demonstration of Equine Bowen Therapy at Ashen Equestrian Centre, Near Sudbury with kind permission from Becky Chapman.
Ashen is owned and run by Becky Chapman, a leading rider biomechanics coach. Ashen is a unique forward thinking establishment with emphasis on positive reinforcement for both horses and riders. Ashen also boasts a state of the art riding simulator. Becky is commmitted to empowering riders to improve their riding, whatever their goals. Becky is a truly inspirational lady. For more details, including directions, please visit www.ashenequestriancentre.co.uk
And Allah took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it, and created the horse.... Thou shall fly without wings, and conquer without any sword. Oh, horse. ~Bedouin Legend
Copyright © Teresa Perrin 2010
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