Torridon Lodge Stud and Equestrian Centre

08/09/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Ue2nDYT3WDtn2Sp2/?mibextid=WC7FNe

A good coach plays multiple crucial roles that directly impact the growth and success of their riders. Some of these key roles include:

Mentor – Beyond just sport, a coach helps riders grow personally, sharing valuable advice and wisdom from their own experiences.
Motivator – They inspire and push riders to reach their full potential, fostering a mindset of positivity and determination to meet their goals.
Teacher – Coaches educate riders on techniques, strategies, and the rules of the sport, enhancing both their skills and understanding.
Strategist – Developing effective game plans, coaches leverage riders’ strengths while working on areas of improvement.
Communicator – Clear and effective communication is vital. A coach provides clear instructions, feedback, and support, ensuring riders fully understand their roles.
Disciplinarian – By enforcing rules and maintaining high standards, they promote discipline, respect, and structure within the team.
Supporter – Coaches offer emotional and moral support, helping riders handle pressure, setbacks, and success with resilience.
Evaluator – Regularly assessing riders’ performances, they set goals for improvement and help riders recognize areas for growth.
Role Model – Coaches lead by example, demonstrating sportsmanship, integrity, and a strong work ethic, shaping the attitudes and behavior of their riders.
Team Builder – By fostering camaraderie and teamwork, coaches create an environment where riders feel connected, valued, and supported.
Each of these roles plays an essential part in shaping athletes both in sport and in life.

However, one of the most critical traits of a great coach is the ability to handle the unexpected. Things rarely go as planned, and managing unforeseen challenges in a calm, efficient manner—especially around horses—is, in my view, the most vital quality a coach can possess

31/08/2024

My Beautiful Andalusian boys over the years .
How Blessed Ive been Simanda Park Cholita Rhythm where my journey began . Then gorgeous grey Atomico . Sold to Hanny McGee. Then breeding Torridon Cholita Ramiro was my highlight but he was taken from me early .
God has peculiar ways of working . I wonder whats next . These three boys were all exceptional horses .
Rhythm left a legacy of wonderful progeny . Atomico only sired a small number with us as i focused on his ridden career . Ramiro we have no progeny yet but fingers crossed we will AI some mares this yr .

10/07/2024

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:🦄🦄🦄🦄

1. ✅This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. ✅You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. ✅You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. ✅This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. ✅EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. ✅Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. ✅You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. ✅Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. ✅We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). 💝People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. 💝They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

30/06/2024

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

📝 Kimberley Reynolds

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

12/06/2024

Hi my name is Deb I'm fundraising for Jill Wood Ainsley from Torridon Lodge. I have know Jill for 20+ … Deborah Hamilton needs your support for Rally for Jill

22/08/2023

https://fb.watch/mAVrqJrSnc/?startTimeMs=241000&mibextid=HSR2mg

24/07/2023

Emir stepping up so beautifully to allow Beth to have her first lesson on him last Saturday . Such a gentleman.