HALF HALT

16/08/2024

When someone leaves a comments or a like here, I often click on their name to see their riding images on their page. I do this to keep track of what today's typical riding looks like. I see all kinds of riding. Some images and videos show very good balanced riding. What seems to be a common riding flaw that I see recently is with head position. So many riders post pictures of their riding with their eyes looking down. This might seem a minor issue, but it is not.

When your eyes are down, your horse can feel that your balance is forward, more over the forehand. This will put your horse onto their forehand. When your eyes go down, your head that weighs 15 pounds (7 kg) goes down and forward, and usually your shoulders fall forward as well. The fact that your head is up high at the end of an effective lever that is your upper body, multiplies the forward weight that you place over your horse's shoulders.

The negative effects this has on your horse show up in several ways. It makes both upward and downward transitions more difficult for your horse. This is because Horses need to push off or reach under with their hind, and you have shifted their balance off their hind. Lead changes become more difficult for the same reason.

Worst of all for riders, looking down makes it more difficult to develop "feel". I briefly had an argumentative student who insisted on looking down. She would argue with me when I said "eyes up", saying "I like to see what my horse is doing". I'd explain that with eyes up you can feel what your horse is doing and that makes all the difference.

If you look down when riding, just stop doing that. If you have to look down, move your eyeballs, not your head. If you do this, many improvements will follow. You will sit the canter better because your head and neck position will no longer interfere with your hips swinging to the 1-2-3 beat of the canter. "Eyes up". It's simple and fixes a lot of things.

12/08/2024

06/08/2024

Aw Monty !!

01/08/2024

We offer holiday agistment. Walk in walk out yards, green retic paddocks. 2 feeds plus hay Elec fencing . Rugging. 5 star care.

22/07/2024

Meet Billy our new school horse.

17/07/2024

Brand new Kentaur Girth. 130cm elastic both ends. Brown. $100 . Can post.

07/07/2024

I will be doing this myself

SITTING TROT (Quick tip)
To practice your sitting trot: STAND UP!

Yes, that’s right!

Standing up in the stirrups while trotting is one of the first steps to real balance.

Not jumping position leaning over, but STRAIGHT UP.

Are you wobbling around up there?
When you learn to absorb through your joints - hip, knee and ankle joints, up there standing in trot, then your sitting trot stands a chance of being good too.

If you can’t stand with a tiny gap between your p***c bone and the saddle standing fully, your stirrups are too long to help your balance and your heels will be up.
If the gap is Huge when you stand, your stirrups are too short.

Good luck with this exercise!

24/06/2024

23/05/2024

Imagine you’re assigned a partner project in school. Only one of you gets to read the directions for the assignment, and then you have to explain it to your partner in a language that is secondary to both of you. You’d expect some miscommunications and misunderstandings, right?

That’s basically what’s happening while riding a horse. Whether in a lesson or a ride of your own direction, you as the rider are the only one who knows the assignment. It’s then your responsibility to relay that information to your horse, speaking through intention and cues that are a second language to both you and your horse. Your horse doesn’t understand what your trainer is saying he’s supposed to do - he’s relying on you to tell him.

Keep this in mind any time you’re riding and you feel like your horse isn’t listening, or you get frustrated with a missed distance or a sloppy transition. Remember that you’re the only member of this team who knows the assignment, and your horse is relying on you to tell him the game plan. Sometimes we make mistakes in our cues or our timing, we start thinking too many steps ahead or we forget to clue him into the next movement in time. Sometimes the horse is a little distracted, or tired, or not feeling it today. But most of the time, he’s doing his best he can with the information you’re giving him!

18/05/2024

Free Manure .bring trailer and we can load you up. There is some hay and small amount of lawn clippings mixed in. Great for garden. Bullsbrook

16/05/2024

Meet Coco 🥰🥰🥰

05/05/2024

Monty feeling well in the wild windy morning.

18/04/2024

Rebel

12/04/2024

Tanya and Monty having her lesson.:)

05/04/2024

Maryanne hit the sweet spot with Monty today :)

03/04/2024

Beautiful Monty

22/03/2024

08/03/2024

Here’s to the women…

The ones who lift each other up. Who shout “good luck” to the next rider in, who lend a hand to the lorry next door and who clap, even when they don’t win.

The ones who work really damn hard. The ones who juggle work, children, life and everything it throws at them, but still find the time to give their horses the care and attention they deserve.

The ones who are brave. The ones who don’t blink twice at galloping towards solid objects and the ones who overcome demons by just putting their foot in the stirrup.

The ones who are strong. The ones who throw hay bales, lift feed bags, carry water and don’t blink twice at piloting 600kgs of power and muscle with it’s own mind.

The ones who are kind. The ones who look out for other riders, who encourage their friends and strangers alike, and get a genuine good feeling when someone else does well.

The ones who are resilient. The ones who have looked despair and heartbreak right in the eye and carried on. The ones who refuse to let setbacks be their downfall and simply refuse to give up.

Here’s to you; equestrian women.
You are exceptional… and don’t let anyone ever tell you any different.

02/02/2024

Words from legendary Bill Steinkraus.

04/01/2024

i'm just letting everyone know in case people have missed it on here. If you cancel less than 24 hrs notice I require you still to pay for your lesson. This happens way too often and I loose money as it's too short notice to fill your spot. I have people on a wait list and my day revolves around saving a suitable horse for your lesson. Hope you all understand. :)

14/12/2023

LESSON AVAILABLE ON OUR HORSES OR YOURS. $110 PRIVATE LESSON $75 HALF HOUR. $95 for 45 mins $70 YOUR HORSE. POSITIVE LESSONS IN A SAFE ARENA. VOUCHERS ALSO AVAILABLE. BULLSBROOK.

10/12/2023

Saxon and Shona having a lesson today.

27/11/2023

I DID NOT KNOW... by Alissa Kelly

I did not know a horse could bring people into your life that end up meaning the most to you.
I did not know a horse could make the hardest days of your life bearable.
I did not know a horse could teach you to put others first.
I did not know a horse could remind you time and time again that your gut is always right.
I did not know a horse could break your heart.
I did not know a horse could pick you up when you have fallen apart.
I did not know a horse could teach you to dream again, after you thought it was not possible.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in yourself.
I did not know a horse could teach responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
I did not know a horse could make you believe in something when no one else does.
I did not know a horse could make you learn to forgive and forget.
I did not know a horse could humble you faster than you can say humble.
I did not know a horse could make you a winner.
I did not know a horse could also teach you how to lose gracefully.
I did not know a horse could instill patience in you.
I did not know a horse could make you listen better.
I did not know a horse could give you their heart.
I did not know a horse could change your life.
I did not know a horse could do all these things...
but now I know. ❤️❤️

(Photo by Charlie Mackesy)

www.equi-therapyuk.com