Emma Kjelson - Horse Behaviour & Biomechanics

23/07/2024

https://www.horsejournals.com/riding-training/rider-development/psychology/creating-optimal-learning-environments-ourselves-and
I contributed to this magazine article that Annika McGivern wrote in 2022. I completely forgot about it. Here you go!

When you tack up your horse each day, what are you looking to accomplish? Regardless of your discipline, and whether you compete or not, I’m willing to bet that your goals are always related to learning. As riders we want to learn the physical, technical, and mental skills involved in partnering w...

18/07/2024

I want to extend a big THANK YOU to all my amazing clients who trust in my unconventional, science based 💡approach. Behaviour, rehab, and sport specific training require dedication and time. I truly collect the best in the industry; creative and caring equine owners.

Thank you .eara you are one of the awesome ones!

19/06/2024

🌿 The Pros and Cons of Horses Grazing 🌿

Pros:
1. **Natural Diet**: Grazing provides horses with a natural and varied diet, which is beneficial for their digestive health.
2. **Mental Stimulation**: Grazing allows horses to exhibit natural behaviors, keeping them mentally stimulated and reducing stress.
3. **Low Cost**: Grass is a cost-effective feed option compared to hay and grain.
4. **Exercise**: Horses that graze tend to move around more, promoting better physical health and muscle tone.

Cons:
1. **Overgrazing**: Horses can overgraze, leading to pasture depletion and soil erosion.
2. **Nutritional Imbalance**: Not all pastures provide a balanced diet; supplements may be needed.
3. **Parasites**: Grazing areas can expose horses to parasites like worms, requiring regular deworming.
4. **Seasonal Availability**: Grass growth is seasonal, and alternative feeding is necessary during non-growing months.

Finding a balance and managing grazing time can maximize the benefits while minimizing the drawbacks! 🐴🌱

31/05/2024

Better Thinking for Better Riding
With Sports Psychology expert Annika McGivern, and Horse Behaviour and Movement expert Emma Kjelson.

Start the day with an interactive seminar where you will learn how to combine rider mental skills with a deeper understanding of how horses learn, behave, and move, to create huge progress in your riding. Explore a new, science-based perspective on how to achieve high performance without sacrificing the well-being of horse or rider. Come for a two hour interactive seminar and demonstration, and stay to audit or ride in the afternoon clinic.

Limited riding spots are available. Contact us for more information, or to register, at [email protected]

Date: Saturday, June 22th 2024

Schedule:
9:00am: Meet and Greet 9:30 am - 11:30am: Seminar and Demonstration12:00 onwards: Private/semi-private

Clinic Fees:

Seminar + audit: $47
Seminar + private lesson: $157
Seminar + semi-private (2 riders max): $130/rider

To learn more about Illuminate Equine International check out performance

23/05/2024

✨ Embracing Change: Adjusting Expectations with Your Horse ✨

Owning a horse comes with dreams and goals, but sometimes reality doesn't match our vision. Here's how to shift your perspective and find joy in new possibilities:

1. **Acknowledge Reality:** Accepting your horse's limitations is the first step. It’s okay to feel disappointed, but remember, your horse’s worth isn’t tied to your initial goals.

2. **Set New Goals:** Shift focus from what your horse can’t do to what they can excel at. Whether it's trail riding, groundwork, or simply enjoying a companion, there's always something valuable.

3. **Celebrate Small Wins:** Every step forward is progress. Celebrate the small victories and milestones along the way.

4. **Enjoy the Journey:** The bond with your horse is more than achieving specific goals. Cherish the time spent together and the unique journey you share.

5. **Stay Positive:** Keeping a positive outlook can transform your experience. Your horse feels your energy, so stay hopeful and enthusiastic.

Remember, the best part of having a horse is the connection and joy they bring into our lives. 🌟🐴💕

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26/04/2024

✨️ It's time to reserve your spot in our upcoming seminar and clinic on Saturday, May 11th at Elysium Equine in Langley BC Canada. This event offers a unique learning experience for you: a two hour, seminar-style deep dive into both rider and horse psychology that is followed by watching horse and rider teams put the concepts into action in the arena. Come for a two hour interactive seminar in the morning, and stay for the afternoon clinic.There are limited spaces for private rider sessions (two remaining), and lots of room for auditors. You can read more about the event on the Illuminate Equine website.

Coaches, the seminar will be eligible for PD points through HCBC.

More Details:

Date: Saturday May 11th 2024

Schedule:

9:30am: Meet and Greet

10:00 am - 12:00pm: Seminar

12:30 onwards: Ridden Clinic

12/04/2024

Higher-ranking international dressage riders were more likely to ride horses behind the vertical in warmup and competition, and mounts showed more conflict behaviors.

12/01/2024

🌈 Rediscovering the Joy: Remember where you started

In the whirlwind of responsibilities and the pressure to perform, let's pause and remember the magic that led us into the world of horses. 🌟✨

🌿 Childhood Whispers: Close your eyes and listen to the echoes of why you started this journey—a love so pure, untainted by expectations.

🐎 Brief Escapes: Amidst the chaos, steal a moment, even if it's fleeting, to be present with your horse. Release the weight, breathe, and feel the connection.

⚖️ Removing the Pressure: Strip away the demands, if only for a while. Let the saddle become a haven where joy dances with every hoofbeat.

🌺 Equestrian Soul Rejuvenation: In those stolen moments, rediscover the essence of why you fell in love with horses. Let that love be your compass, guiding you through the pressures of today.

May every ride be a reminder of the child within, where joy outweighs the burdens. 🏇💕

11/01/2024

🐴 Enhancing Equine Flexion: Science in the Saddle 📚

🌟 Dive into the biomechanics behind developing flexion in horses. Here are some science-based tips:

1. **Stretching Routines:** Incorporate dynamic stretches in warm-ups to activate and prepare muscles for flexibility.

2. **Groundwork Exercises:** Engage in groundwork activities to encourage proper posture and muscle activation.

3. **Gradual Intensity:** Gradually increase the intensity and duration of training sessions to avoid strain and promote steady progress.

4. **Core Strengthening:** Focus on exercises that strengthen the horse's core muscles, enhancing overall flexibility and balance.

5. **Variety in Terrain:** Include varied terrains in your riding routine to challenge and improve the horse's proprioception and flexibility.

Let's elevate our equestrian companions to new levels of strength and agility! 🏇💪

22/12/2023

🌟 Celebrating the winter solstice and shedding light on equine wonders! 🐴✨ Did you know, recent research highlights the remarkable emotional intelligence of horses, deepening our understanding of their bonds and communication? As the sun turns, let's honor these majestic beings and the fascinating discoveries unfolding in the world of equine science. 🌙🐎 🌟

03/11/2023

What Delilah thinks of winter 😝 But here's some insight into:
🌬️ The Magic of Winter Hair Growth in Horses: Hormones at Play! 🐴✨

Ever marveled at how horses grow that luxurious winter coat? 🧣❄️ It's all thanks to some fascinating equine biology! Let's dive into the enchanting world of horse hormones. 🤓🔬

🐎 When the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, horses' bodies kick into gear, producing special hormones that trigger the growth of those extra-long, insulating hairs. These hormones include melatonin, thyroxine, and prolactin, among others.

🌙 **Melatonin:** Often associated with regulating sleep patterns, melatonin plays a crucial role in the equine world, signaling to the horse's body that it's time to start growing that winter coat as the days get shorter.

🔥 **Thyroxine:** This hormone controls the metabolic rate and can influence the growth of the winter coat. As winter approaches, thyroxine levels increase, leading to more hair growth.

🍼 **Prolactin:** Known for its role in lactation, prolactin also contributes to the thickening of the winter coat. It's like a natural, cozy blanket!

🌟 **Other Hormones:** Additional hormones and growth factors play their part, creating the perfect recipe for a warm winter coat that keeps our equine friends snug and comfortable.

So, when you see a horse sporting their winter wardrobe, remember the incredible orchestration happening within their bodies. It's a marvel of nature, ensuring they're prepared for the cold season ahead! ❄️❤️

Share your favorite winter horse moments, and let's celebrate the wondrous world of equine biology. 📸🐴

29/10/2023

🐎 Horsing Around with Science 🧬🔬

Did you know that our equine friends can also benefit from the latest research on stress reduction? 🤔🌿

🔍 Current studies show that providing horses with access to forage and allowing them to graze freely can significantly reduce stress levels. 🌾 The natural behavior of grazing helps lower cortisol, the stress hormone, promoting relaxation and contentment.

🌞 Additionally, exposure to natural sunlight is essential for their well-being. Recent research reveals that horses exposed to regular outdoor light, mimicking their natural environment, exhibit lower stress responses and improved mood. 🌞🌱

💆‍♀️ Equine massage therapy is gaining popularity as a stress-reduction technique. Studies indicate that massage can alleviate muscle tension, improve circulation, and promote relaxation, leading to calmer and happier horses. 🐴💆‍♂️

So, let's remember to keep our four-legged companions happy and stress-free through nature-inspired practices! 🌳💛 Share your tips and experiences below.

Guess what? The image used for this post was from my trip with to Ireland. We enjoyed teaching on topics like relaxation in depth. Even better, we made some fabulous new friends! Can't wait to come back in #2024 !

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18/10/2023

Recently, I put on a clinic with colleagues Annika McGivern and Heather Graham. My contribution was looking at what impacts equine confidence, and I provided problem solving solutions. Physical and behavioral aspects were identified. What I really enjoyed was drawing the parallels between what Annika, sports psychology coach, and Heather, confidence and BHS, HSI coach, had to say about human relaxation and the research that I presented. This research supports its potential impacts on horse relaxation. Here are a few of those points,

👉 horses can smell human emotions.
👉 horses are able to read human facial expressions.
👉if a rider is tense, this can effect the comfort and balance of the horse which, in turn, can effect the quality of movement and horse relaxation.

We were able to put these points into practice during the demo portion of the clinic. Both days riders felt improvements in their horses through relatively simple breathing and movement exercises.

If you were a part of the Northern Ireland clinic, I would love to hear your favorite takeaway in the comments ⬇️
performancegraham.fhe

Note: As always a BIG THANK YOU to the scientists paving the way! Without you, our presentations wouldn't exist.



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22/09/2023

Ireland clinic dates 🇮🇪 Don't miss out on this dream team! 💫

Oct 14th
Gransha Equestrian
seminar 11:00-13:30
Followed by mounted sessions

Oct 15th
Knockaview Equestrian
seminar 11:00-13:30
Followed by mounted sessions

About ⬇️
Improve you & your horse's confidence with fear reduction strategies.

Understand how your horse learns through science based learning theory, & aquire skills to problem solve your horse's challenges.

Learn how to break through your own mental barriers with evidence based rider psychology.

Address movement issues with horse Biomechanics tips & connect it with relaxation in horse & rider.

Improve your performance with science based learning strategies!

The Team ⬇️😁😄🙂

Hello! Our names are Annika & Emma & we are a unique pairing, supporting high performance horse and rider teams to get better results. As a CSPA Mental Performance Consultant, and a IAABC Equine Behaviour & sports movement Specialists, we use science-based approaches to build horse & rider confidence, improve & finesse behaviour, and optimize performance.

We are excited to be joined by Heather Graham. Take it away Heather!

Hello,

I have been eventing for over 25 years and am passionate about supporting riders to build confidence and enjoy their sport. I hold both BHS and HSI qualifications and am a Centre 10 Advanced Coach, ensuring that the rider is both physically and psychologically prepared to perform at their best.

Register🔥
[email protected]

[email protected]

0778 647 4435
performance

17/08/2023

⚠️ Hello clients! I'm giving everyone the opportunity to cancel this week because of heavy smoke. This week there will be no cancelation fee for rescheduling.
I will be canceling appointments that requires horses to increase their respiration.
See you all soon, stay safe and healthy 💗
Emma

03/08/2023

Contrafreeloading!

"Contrafreeloading is an observed behaviour in which an organism, when offered a choice between provided food or food that requires effort to obtain, prefers the food that requires effort. The term was coined in 1963 by animal psychologist Glen Jensen." Wikipedia 

Contrafreeloading is one of my favorite ways to check if my horse is enjoying training with me. Will they still choose my activity even if the same reinforcer is present for free? Reinforcement usually comes in the form of friends, food, or freedom. See my previous post about what can be used to reinforce behaviour!







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27/07/2023

Q: “How can I use positive reinforcement without using food?”

A: You can reinforce behaviour with literally anything your horse wants. Here are a few ideas:

- That spot in the arena where your horse wants to stand? Let them relax there after they do a specific exercise. Make sure you do it in a way that makes the connection clear to your horse.

- Working on lateral work? Tie your horse's buddy up in the arena and leg yield towards them. A friend can be great motivation.

- It’s bug season - awesome! Your horse is itchy, so scratch them! A good scratch is an excellent reinforcer.

26/07/2023

Three Pillars for Horse & Rider Success 🙌 Celebrating the launch of Illuminate Equine International

Aug 5, 2023 11:00 AM  PST

Hi! We are Annika McGivern, Equestrian Mental Coach, and Emma Kjelson, Equine Learning and Behaviour Specialist. Together, we are Illuminate Equine International, a specialized team delivering high-performance coaching for horse and rider teams around the world. Join us to learn more about the three essential pillars that support the success of any horse and rider team!

✨️ We will be discussing:

1) Riding is a team sport! How to provide equal attention and support to both team members (horse and rider) to ensure progress and a strong relationship.
2) Learning is the key to everything! How adopting a learning mindset for yourself and your horse unlocks amazing progress, removes frustration, and limits set backs.
3) You can do hard things. How to build consistency, certainty, resilience, and confidence in both horse and rider.

Sign up link in bio





performance

30/06/2023

Ever wonder what you should be doing in the warm-up? Here are 3 key warm-up tips to live by ⬆️

Want more? Check out our sister page let our team help your team!

Horseandhound.info
Illuminateequine.com

23/04/2023

Labeling horses minimizes how their behaviour ACTUALLY makes us feel. It can also prevent good training from happening 😭 If we accept something as "just them," it takes away the potential for growth. Another downside? We might be missing what THEY need: if there's a health issue or enrichment opportunity that could help your horse have a better life, you want to find it 🤩

31/03/2023

Why enrichment is a tool you want to use👇

1. Scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve behaviour
2. Also shown to speed up healing time in equine surgery patients
3. An enriched horse makes for better focus during training

✨️What is enrichment?
Providing environmental and social opportunities for an animal to act out normal, species specific behaviours, in a captive environment.

If all horses were on an enrichment program I would have way less work, but that's kinda the goal!

For your behaviour and biomechanics needs, contact horseandhound.info




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21/03/2023

Looking for a fitness/behaviour program to optimize your show season? ☝️💥
Creating progress charts broken into phases of your riding season is a great way to keep you and your horse on schedule 📅 Include a personalized warm-up, exercises, and a cool down to ensure your horse is ready for the next day.
Another tip ➡️ Treat your horse like the individual it is! Creating a program based on what someone else is doing might actually set you back. Your horse has its own struggles and strengths 💪 keep that in mind when creating your program!

For help with your optimized program, contact horseandhound.info

23/02/2023

here we come! ✨️ The talented .performance and I will be putting on the Create An Unstoppable Partnership seminar this March in Rome 🙌
I'm excited about this collaboration. Annika, Sport and Exercise Psychology Coach, and I have aligned values when it comes to working with horses and humans!
🤓The focus? Nervous System Regulation For You & Your Horse 🐎

Hopefully, the beginning of a beautiful working relationship 😉 Scrap that, definitely the beginning of a stupendous and fun partnership! 💫

26/01/2023

Whether it's multiple species or singular, needs being met is the key to cohabitation 👍

29/07/2022

Great post from Lauren! I 💯 agree with these 3 reasons your horse might be "pushy"

17/07/2022

Good training is fluid, creative, intuitive and informed by science. Understanding and movement is the foundation. If you have a foundation, and are open to change, the potential is endless.

A big thank you to and Bentley the ❤ for being willing to try something new! You guys are flying!

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16/07/2022

Someone said to me, "happiness is when what you say, what you think, and what you do, are all in alignment." If the time we spend with our horse is missing cohesion in one of these areas we feel frustrated. Ask yourself the next time you are with your horse, am I in alignment, if not what's missing?



📸 .lynn.photo

12/07/2022

Great post on spaced vrs messed training in horses. Is it better to take breaks or work consistently through a session? This study may give important insight into developing more productive training programs.

WHICH MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN HORSES ARE LEARNING: 'SPACED' OR 'MASSED' TRAINING SESSIONS?

We know from research with other species that what's known as a spacing effect - providing rest periods between training/studying sessions - can greatly improve the subject's learning performance compared to 'massed' session, where the same amount of training/studying happens in a longer, uninterrupted session. But research into this phenomenon is limited in horses.

A recent field experiment looked at the effect of spaced vs massed training on the ability of guest ranch horses to learn a novel task: crossing over and through an obstacle, one they had never encountered before. The horses were exposed to either spaced training conditions (2 min work, 2 min rest, 2 min work, 2 min rest) or massed-training conditions (4 min work, 4 min rest). Days between training sessions were held as constant as possible, given the location and conditions of a working ranch. Each of the 29 horses was ridden by the same rider, who was unaware of the researchers' hypothesis and who had no prior experience riding the horses used in the experiment.

The horses were taught to cross the obstacle using a training technique they were all familiar with: negative reinforcement. To reach the performance criterion, a horse had to cross the obstacle eight times within one session. If, after five training sessions, a horse failed to reach the predetermined criterion, it was classified as 'failed'.

The results were as follows:

"Fifteen of 16 horses in the spaced-training condition reached performance criterion (94% success) while only 5 of 13 horses in the massed-training condition reached performance criterion (39% success). Horses in the spaced-training condition also initiated their first obstacle-crossing faster than horses in the massed-training condition and were faster at completing eight crossings than horses in the massed-training condition. Overall, task acquisition was higher for horses undergoing spaced training despite both groups experiencing the same total work and rest time per session. These findings generalize the learning-performance benefit observed in human spaced practice to horses and offer applied benefit to equine training."

While it's a small study, it does add to the current body of knowledge on this effect in horses. It also shows the effects of this phenomenon in 'real world' settings where, while a person can control time between short sessions, factors such as the period of time between training sessions cannot always be as neatly controlled.

You can see the full paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-021-01580-7

27/06/2022

Pro tip: Reward calmness and you will see more of it.





📸 .lynn.photo
Supermodel: sterling the

21/06/2022

Pro tip: focus on building your horses endurance before adding high impact, sprinting, or gymnastics to your program. This ensures joint safety as well as heart and lung readiness. Endurance activities include long trots, trail riding, and anything that asks the horses cardiovascular system to maintain a somewhat steady state over a long period of time. This consistent movement is also great for readying tendons and ligaments for greater force. 🙌
Think a minimum of 4 weeks of primarily endurance activities before adding more gymnastics to the program.
💥But! Every horse is an individual so consult a professional to dial in your program.