Align Your Horsemanship with Lucy Wilson Spillane

14/06/2023

21/04/2023

"Get his hindlegs underneath him"

A really unhelpful phrase, with potentially damaging connotations for your horse.

You see, your horse's ability to step through from behind isn't just mediated with the hindleg.

A great deal of their hindlimb range of motion is determined by the range of motion available in their back.

As your horse steps forwards with a hind, their lumbar region (the area behind the saddle but in front of the pelvis) should flex.

As the hindleg retracts out behind your horse, their lumbar region should extend.

The degree of flexion and extension is determined by the movement -

Bigger trot = bigger variation in flexion/extension
Smaller trot = smaller variation in flexion/extension

If your horse can't access their lumbar region, they will likely be over utilising their hocks and stifles = increased potential for pathology.

By chasing the horse's hindlegs underneath them and not paying attention to what their back is doing, you will be increasing the possibility of pathological biomechanics.

Tracking up is not a metric for success where the back is concerned - just because they're tracking up doesn't mean they're using themselves well.

And this is where obedience doesn't equal biomechanic function - your horse's compliance for the exercise doesn't mean they're doing it in a healthy way.

So as riders, we need to get good at assessing movement for health.

This includes meeting your horse where they're at and understanding that musculoskeletal adaptation isn't instantaneous.

19/04/2023

❤️

20/03/2023

"Many trainers-- unaware of neural fatigue-- advocate constant aids. Examples crop up in all riding disciplines.

Dressage trainers often teach riders to hold steady on the outside rein at all times, as a support to the horse. Hunter/jumper trainers frequently ask that riders maintain strong lower leg pressure, to keep the horse forward and rider secure. (Etc)

All of these are static cues; they are applied, maintained, and unchanged. They defy the reality of neural fatigue, causing us to ride against a horse's brain rather than with it. Very quickly, receptor cells in the horse's mouth or sides tire.

They can't continue to send "pressure" signals to the horse's brain.

That's why constant aids become meaningless-- its not the horse refusing to respond, it's that he'd have to override his own brain cells to do so."

-- Horse Brain Human Brain (Dr. Janet Jones)

13/03/2023

Memory is a fascinating thing. This morning, I took a shower with some “English rose” scented body scrub I hadn’t used before. In an instant, as soon as I smelled it, I was transported back to my early teens and the swimming pool I went to almost every day after school. The way to the showers there was lined with wild rose bushes and they had that exact same smell. I remembered that the stone path was always hot from the sun and that I mostly ran along to avoid burning my bare feet.

Horses have a much better sense of smell than humans. In fact, the horse’s sense of smell is probably its best developed sense and it might be even better than that of dogs. In the horse’s brain, a large area is dedicated to the sense of smell and its olfactory pathways run along almost the whole side of the brain (Janet Jones: Horse Brain - Human Brain, page 79). Horses also have an incredible memory.

So when your horse gets scared of something, or someone, and you don’t see what could be the problem, or when they refuse to go somewhere, it might be that they smell something you can’t smell, and it could also be that a memory pops up which they connect to that smell. Just like when you smell the perfume your ex used to wear and you immediately get transported back to your last fight or a bad breakup. Or they could smell something which is connected to a nice memory, such as the smell of a tree they like standing under during summer or the earthy scent of the ground where they liked to roll at a previous stable. And maybe their thoughts just linger on that memory for a moment, just like me lingering on my fond memory of happy childhood days this morning.

06/02/2023

04/02/2023

I'm striving to be part of a future for horses where the poor performance diagnostics don't stop at a head-nodding, hip-hiking, nerve block assessment.

Where posture isn't disregarded as conformation.

A reality where postural assessment is drawn in to the reasoning behind why a symptom may occur;

Despite there being no evidence of pathology.

For it to become the norm to observe the mechanical deficit and understand which soft tissues are integrated within that movement,

How they're misfiring,

And then develop a plan to sympathetically address that posture in a logical way.

Rather than disregard it as a benign deficit the horse has.

Rather than tell owners to just push through their intuition and ignore those feelings that something is wrong with their horse.

But also to cultivate movement that supports the horse's emotional wellbeing too.

Instead of treating the horse like a puppet to be controlled.

Because whilst movement is medicine, if the mind isn't there with the body, if there's no freedom, joy and expression,

It's just going through the motions.

-





Lovely Lenny, owned by LS Horsemanship ❤️

02/11/2022

My dedicated student Margaret taking beautiful steps with her mare Mia 💗

After years of studying liberty, communication, then learning inhand work ( still learning, it's a never ending process) I want to ride the gymnastic exercises and have been looking for the right coach, she's taken awhile to find but I feel extremely fortunate to have found Lucinda Wilson Spillane - Academic Horsemanship here in Armidale.
There are these young insanely talented horsemen and women popping up ( hallelujah) they understand horses so well and how to work in beautiful harmony ( not force) and they know functional movement , biomechanics but the bonus is, they know how to teach , they are gifted .
They truly love horses and care for their body, mind and spirit, they want to change the world for horses, they are a new breed and I feel there is such positive change for the horse world coming ! It's in amazing hands of these emotionally intelligent beings.

So my riding lessons begin , I've ridden most of my life but now I want to refine those skills to be the best I can for my horse. I'm 65 now and haven't ridden consistently for years for various reasons.
So I carry the conversation and partnership
into the saddle! I have goals but it's always via the conversation/ 2 way communication.
Here we are waiting for Mia to fall still and relax before mounting , we are listening to what she is telling us and helping her to process anything she needs to, she knows we are listening and considering her, this helps her to relax and build trust.

She has chosen her tack , ie ba****ck pad !
I would of preferred a saddle however I'm actually enjoying the ba****ck pad and I'm sure it's good for my riding! ( I learnt to ride ba****ck & rode that way till I could afford a saddle) but it's been awhile .

29/08/2022

Such a fantastic weekend with Megan from Hoofmatters! So much to learn about the incredible function of the hoof and how we can best support our horses through trimming and hoof care. Can’t wait to start putting what I’ve learnt into practice!

20/08/2022

20/08/2022

My heart is bursting ❤️
This girl is amazing. We are having breakthrough after breakthrough. Peeling back the layers one at a time - letting them go.
Can’t wait to share more of this journey soon!

19/08/2022

“Too much jargon!”

Wading through farrier jargon is no fun, but it’s very helpful to understand the precise talking points…

Read about HPA, Hoof-Pastern Axis, and phalangeal/bony column alignment here:
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/hoof-pastern-axis-influential-factors

Read about COR, Center of Rotation, here. The COA, Center of Articulation, is the surface directly below COR.
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/hoof-balance-shoeing-around-the-cor-in-3-dimensions

Read about NPA, Negative Plantar (hind) or Palmar (front) angle here. This describes the angle of the coffin bone in relation to the ground. High coronet trajectory is a indicator of probable NPA.
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/what-about-the-hinds-shoeing-the-powerhouse

Read about bullnose/convex appearance of the dorsal/toe wall and divergent growthload rings in relation to NPA here:
https://www.equipodiatry.com/news/news-essays/farriery-for-the-hind-feet

I discuss horizontal tubule collapse of the heel buttress and heel quarter here:
https://www.facebook.com/100063754110668/posts/462239072577893/?d=n

15/08/2022

Wonderfully written 🙌🏼

06/08/2022

Finding deep relaxation 💛

The more I learn, the more I truly believe that creating and holding space for our horses is where the true power of connection lies.

Meg Hoey Classical Dressage

06/08/2022

💗

07/06/2022

Reasons for a horse's behavior

26/04/2022

May: here are my scheduled dates. If these don't work for you, please get in touch and let's see what we can do. I can easily do extra trips for groups of horses. For more information, please drop by my FB page or visit my website - equinehealthworks.com Based in Armidale. Thanks! - Jane

19/04/2022

Awesome explanation and visuals from Meg Hoey Classical Dressage !!

11/04/2022

Early mornings with my lovely Pippa 🥰

After having an extended period of time off, we are finally starting back with some gentle groundwork. My main focus at the moment is to simply check in with each other, see how our communication has faired, and just enjoy our time together. I’m encouraging her to let me know how she’s feeling within her body after such a long time on paddock rest.

Give us a couple of months and I think we will have some lovely before and after photos as she builds back her strength 💪🏼🤩

07/04/2022

Love this - home horsemanship!

I DON’T LIKE THE WAY I TRAIN MY HORSES

My horses like the way I train them

When I spend time with my horses, be it just hanging out or training, I am not there to get something from them. Do I love being with horses? Yes. But I train the way they need me to, not the way I want to.

So when other folks dislike the way I train, I absolutely am ok with that.

Because I don’t train my horses in ways to please the masses. I train them in the way THEY like to be trained.

I am essentially the HOME COOK version of a horse trainer. Think of the difference between a restaurant chef and say, Nigella Lawson. One must please the masses and produce a universally understood product. The other must please her family and produce what is needed to meet the unique means of a family.

I have no interest in running a huge public training, trail or lesson business where I must rent my horses out to be ridden by folks they don’t know, and teach them a way of riding which is universally understood (kick and pull).

I train them for family and home purposes. I teach my clients the same. Family horses. Home cooks, home horsemanship. A better emotional connection.

Perhaps instead of trying to please others, please the ethics police, please the movement purists, please the people who need half a reason to criticize, take ALL OF THAT ENERGY and apply it to exploring ways you can adjust your horsemanship so that your horse loves it the most

Even if it means doing things that IN THEORY you disagree with. Such as using food as a reinforcer. Such as using pressure. Such as trying jumping, or not trying jumping. Such as shorter or longer sessions. Such as less work or more work

Horsemanship is about building your functional toolkit, not about making a perfect machine of behaviour production

Each horse that comes in front of you may like things a little this way, a little that way. A little more, a little less. Leave some tools alone and pick others up

So, I am not focused on myself when I train. I’m focused on the horse

On pages, my website, my courses and when in front of a client I am focused on the horse.

Strangely, this is not a popular thing to do

07/04/2022

Horses are one of the most forgiving animals you will ever come across. We see it everyday.

Forgiveness is a huge part of the learning curve when working with horses if you are on any journey of education or improvement. As we begin to train our eye and ask deeper questions about the training of horses, we begin to realise all the mistakes we have made along the way.

This is an important and necessary process. The ability to reflect on the past allows us to learn and create better practises moving forward.

I am very passionate about encouraging my students to be gentle with themselves during these times. It’s easy to feel guilty or inadequate as we become aware of new information or a new perspective. It’s easy to judge ourselves for our past actions toward our horses.

These emotions are an uncomfortable part of growing. But they are not to be feared or avoided.

We don’t know what we don’t know until we know it.

When these judgmental feelings arise, try to remember that it is a sign of learning. And an opportunity to practise forgiveness towards ourselves.

And I promise you, if you come to your horse with honesty and accountability, your horse will forgive you too.

Chances are they already have.

06/04/2022

A new study provides evidence that human speech style can affect equine behavior and that pet-directed speech (aka “baby talk”) improves human-horse communication.

06/04/2022

04/04/2022

🌷