RSH EquineConnection

RSH EquineConnection Equitation and Ground Work Coaching

21/12/2024

Why do your Légèreté instructors choose this approach?

As Christmas draws close you may be taking a step away from riding, to give you and your horses a break. Or, you may be looking forwards to using this time to be with them - sneaking in rides between mince pies and sprouts.

However you're spending this time, it can be useful to reflect on why we do what we do. What do I love about having a horse, even when the weather is more than a little challenging?

And you may occasionally wonder your instructor has chosen the principles of Légèreté to train their own horses and share with you and your horse?

If you haven't already noticed, training to a high level in this school is hard. Well hard for the rider, and easy for the horse. It demands that riders pay attention to absolutely everything, not covering up how the horse really feels, or fudging what she truly understands. You cannot use 'pulling them in and kicking them on' to get through a problem. There are no bungees or contraptions to improve movement or 'resolve' issues. There is just you, the human - with your hands, legs, body and most importantly, your head and heart.

Your Légèreté instructor has not chosen this path because it's easy, or cheap (ha!!).

They have chosen it because they want ethical solutions for horses, which they can pass on to their riders.

They have studied it because they want to be able to explain in a logical and clear fashion why a horse needs certain things, and in what manner we can make best sense to them.

They have practiced it in order that they can show - as well as tell.

They have committed to it, because learning this art is not a quick fix. It requires years of study and practice and a serious studentship to the horse.

They have invested in it because they want solutions for their students - riders who care about their horses and want the best for them.

Time and time again Légèreté instructors are grateful that they have so many ideas for so many different horses to share with their students. There is a growing body of riders who want to do better by their horses, and we are happy to be a part of that community.

Merry almost Christmas!

Can you tell a horses temperament from their whorls?
20/12/2024

Can you tell a horses temperament from their whorls?

I choose to work with horses because theres no other way I’d rather spend my time than hanging out with them. Of course ...
12/12/2024

I choose to work with horses because theres no other way I’d rather spend my time than hanging out with them. Of course it’s not all rainbows and unicorns but a lot of the time it is when you look for the little wins and those are many with these beautiful souls.
The happiness Hugo gave to a young person with extra needs this morning is priceless to be part of, the beautiful bunch of humans whom all volunteer their time come rain or shine to make this all possible also make my heart sing!❤️🦄
❤️

12/12/2024
Please vote for Ebony Horse Club thanks guys
03/12/2024

Please vote for Ebony Horse Club thanks guys

Some very exciting news to brighten up your timeline… We’ve been shortlisted for Charity Partner for 2025 and we need your vote to make this dream a reality! 💚

This is an incredible opportunity for us and by voting, you can help ensure we can continue to change young lives in Brixton and beyond, all through the power of horses 🐴

Please head to the link to vote and make sure to share with your networks https://harryhallinsurance.com/one-club-charity-partnership/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYzlH0_X8VJOvvoT29eBBmGiZD6NfCUepHE7TJKIri6CNucx1di8TyTpR4_aem_kcT_MVrl4KZzK5qDUKhh2w

⭐️ A huge thank you from everyone at Ebony, your continued support means so much to us! 🤞

There is a saying don’t meet your heroes as they may disappoint, I have to disagree
02/12/2024

There is a saying don’t meet your heroes as they may disappoint, I have to disagree

Just home from a super educational fun week of learning all things Masterson Method!                            The yard...
29/11/2024

Just home from a super educational fun week of learning all things Masterson Method!
The yard was full of Iberian horses too just to make it even more special.
My cup is full! So looking forward to sharing my experience with the horses in my life, now time to practice practice before the next step on the road to certification 🦄❤️

Yep!
26/11/2024

Yep!

You have been lied to about confidence. Grossly mislead.

Lost your confidence? Not confident to ride anymore? You see, you used to be young (and dumb?). Jump on any horse and somehow, you're still alive.

"I can ride anything!" You used to feel. In that instance, your brain wondered what this state of invincibility was... and you looked to your left, to your right, and a horse-pro who does the same; meaning ride any horse, in any condition, in any state, in any way you want, feelings be damned, and they told you that this feeling was "Confidence".

They then used this concept of "Confidence", as the Boogie-Man against you. If the horse was nervous, it is because you're not confident. If the horse doesn't understand you, it is because you're not confident. If you feel anxious, it is because you're not confident.

Anything to hide the fact, that there were very real problems present under the surface. But it is easier to gaslight someone than to educate them, (or the horse).

Why then, later in life, when we become more cognisant of our safety, and our well-being, and hopefully the horses well-being too, do we then lose our confidence? A textbook definition of confidence is:
"the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something."

If your confidence is contingent on youth, ignorance of hazards, disregard for safety and well-being, and then your "Confidence" fly's the coop the minute those issues become important to you, your "Confidence" wasn't reliable in the first place. Meaning, your "Confidence" by definition was not confidence.

It was probably youthful hubris.

It takes absolutely no skill, no intelligence, to disregard your personal safety and get on hazardous horses. In fact, I used to be surrounded by such a horse culture. Folks who wore a badge of pride for their ability to survive sitting on the "craziest" or most dangerous, or behavioural horses on the farm... and live to tell the tale.

I remember one horse who was so grossly ill-matched and poorly prepared for her job, that to be mounted, three people had to hold her still while her rider took a running leap off a nearby hilly mound, and there were no brakes on this mare. It was baptism by fire, jigging and snorting and stamping and levading all day. This mare was in high distress. And her "riders" were only permitted to be "confident" riders, and would come back from those rides with a smug look of survivor arrogance on their face.

It was so, so, so gross to me.

These days I do not classify that as confidence. But Youthful Hubris, Pride, Arrogance, Carelessness, Irresponsibility.

You know what is the most confident thing you can do?

Say No to riding a horse who is clearly demonstrating that they are not safe, happy or comfortable for what you intend to do with them.

Hello? Am I getting through to us? Let me yell with capitol letters.

PEOPLE LITERALLY DIE RIDING POORLY PREPARED AND UNSAFE HORSES.

THEY DIE.

BEING WILLING TO FLIRT WITH DEATH WITH A HORSE IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH CONFIDENCE

And enough with the toxic gaslighting of people who demonstrate logical, clear, grounded awareness of their safety and then labelling them, grossly incorrect as;
"You're a Nervous Rider."

Well if being "Confident" by the definition of some people means we must disregard our safety, and the well-being of the horse, skip steps in training and Git On With-it, then I would rather be a Nervous Rider everyday of the week. Because I like my life. I love it actually. And I love horses. I love happy horses. I love over-faced horses only because I love horses, but I don't love that horses are over-faced and we call that "Ok." Or call an over-faced horse an "Advanced Ride". Bu****it. The world is upside down. FFS.

Here is what confidence is: it stays with you forever. Whatever you have, when all your arrogance, youthful hubris, fear conditioning, gaslighting, irresponsibility leaves you. That is what you are confident about.

And most of the people I know, are very confident. They are very confident, that they don't want their love of horses, and horse riding, to result in an early or painful death. Or egregious bodily harm.

That's confidence.

Also, having the confidence to say "No" to the toxic equestrian mislead culture as we know it, and to actually spend the time to educate a horse thoroughly, so they are prepared for the activities we lay out for them. To take the time to get to know horses before we ride them. To not ride horses unless we can make a pretty good check-on them, that they have the skills required to work under saddle safely.

Of course accidents happen. I could go outside and get hit by a meteorite. But that doesn't mean it is a good idea for me to go ride a comet. They are not the same probabilities. Not even close.

Speaking of confidence, remember that mare I described a few paragraphs of rant ago? The one who was an "Advanced Ride" only, who was hugely distressed in her work, grossly unprepared and very dangerous to handle?

I was once invited to ride her. They presented that to me like it was some sort of honour. Like they had decided I was skilled enough to go ride the comet, like I was now qualified enough to go risk my death.

Now I loved this horse. Because I love horses. I could see the potential in her, to be educated, to be safe, to be happy in her work. And I felt like I could do that with her in the right context.

I asked:
"What sort of ride is she scheduled for?"
"Well, you would guide a Day-Ride off of her. With a group of five clients behind you. You would ascend to 1600m above sea level, stop for lunch, and return via the National Park."
"Ok. And what is the level of the riders booked."
"Beginners. Walk only."..
"I would love to work with this mare. But not in that context. That sounds like su***de."

And for that I was labelled as not confident enough. I agreed with their assessment from their point of view. I am certainly not unscrupulous enough to do that.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/X4UGt9Aa75ANDrou/?mibextid=WC7FNe
25/11/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/X4UGt9Aa75ANDrou/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Traditional stable designs often feature solid walls between stalls, isolating horses from one another. While this provides privacy, it may inadvertently compromise a horses' sense of security and natural herd behaviour, potentially leading to reduced sleep quality.

Horses being herd animals rely on social connections for safety and comfort. In the wild, they sleep in groups, with some individuals standing guard while others rest. However in stable environments they are often isolated from one another.

By enabling horses to see their companions in the stable environment too, they may feel more secure and relaxed, increasing the chances they will lie down longer. This extended resting time is crucial because horses can only achieve REM sleep when lying down completely flat.

REM sleep plays a vital role in cognitive function, learning, and memory consolidation for horses. Therefore, by promoting longer periods of lying down through improved stable design, we're indirectly increasing the likelihood of horses achieving sufficient REM sleep.

Implementing these design changes could involve incorporating features like see-through partitions or lower walls between stalls. These modifications would allow horses to maintain visual contact with their neighbours while still providing necessary separation.

Beyond improving sleep, allowing visual contact between horses at all times may help reduce stress, decrease the likelihood of stereotypic behaviours, and improve overall mental well-being.

Greening L and McBride S (2022) A Review of Equine Sleep: Implications for Equine Welfare. Front. Vet. Sci. 9:916737. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.916737

23/11/2024

Winter preparations ❤️🦄.

Well that was an original start to the day! Outdoor Lido fresh!                                                         ...
18/10/2024

Well that was an original start to the day! Outdoor Lido fresh!

14/10/2024

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