EquiVie - Coaching for Equestrians

08/01/2025

RA Dressage and I have incorporated Equisk and EQ Bands rider alignment and posture tools into her training to fine tune and bring awareness to how Becci is using her body in the saddle.

This is helping her:

1. Be more aware of how she is sitting, where she is strong and where she is compensating for weaknesses.

2. Improve her proprioception and focus to how to train more effectively for herself and lovely Fliss.

Many riders I work with are visual learners and develop their feel from connecting the sensation to visual feedback. That’s why these shirts combined with video analysis combined with the bands are so effective. Add to the mix the use of mindset and performance coaching and bingo, you’ve got a whole new level of opportunity to take your riding up a notch (or 5!)

Becci is a really ambitious rider but never at the expense of her horses or losing sight of the desire to have a happy athlete as her dancing partner. That can ‘slow down’ progress by today’s social media and ‘instant’ culture but I don’t know about you, for me it’s the only right way to enjoy this sport with a clear conscience and a respect for the animals we work with.

This month I have 2 ridden clinics and a dismounted clinic along with a new webinar series launching 🥳🥳

The clinics are full but please follow the page and take a look at what’s on on my website to join future sessions

02/01/2025

Team Chasing (Part 2) Nov 2022

Peach had her debut Team Chasing in the most awful conditions. This was one of the last outings I had with her before she went to her lovely new home where she had absolutely thrived under the love and stewardship of Ellie Harrington

By contrast to Rafa and his 'extra' approach, Peach was very measured and elegant and responsive. Surpassing my expectation of her.

I did manage to lose her on the field whilst untacking and she tool a trip back to the warm up all on her own. Fortunately finding Abbi Lawrence before she, anything or anyone came to any harm.......

Rebecca Alcock one for both of us to remember fondly x

02/01/2025

Team Chasing (Part 1) Nov 2022 - Rafa

Back when I had 2... (or 3?) horses.

(Part 2 on a separate post of Peach's first Team Chase to follow - spoiler alert, Peach's round was a lot more relaxing hahaha)

As is January and cold and winter..... I thought it would be a good time to share the videos of me and the horses team chasing - feels like yesterday watching these back!

I also have the Gopro footage so will share these soon as they are soooo interesting to watch back from a rider perspective. Plus if you have never team chased you can get the thrill from the safety of your couch 😂😅

Deperately miss this boy 💔but he taught me so much and gave his absolute all to everything. Although I seem to remember he was ready to go round without me and it was a bit of a task just getting on that day Abbi Lawrence !

Also a shout out to nicholson who was our speed demon leading the way :)

02/01/2025

When tentatively starting my search for my potential next horse🥰, I stumbled across Karen Evans page. I really love this post that Karen shared.

As humans we are hard wired to use our hands and also what we can see.... that means we have to train ourselves to go to our legs and seat to create impulsion and true contact which doesn't come as naturally to us.

One thing I've loved seeing with riders and experiencing for myself is when we use the EQ bands and the Equisk gloves, they isolate the riders hands and you have to activate other areas of your body to ride effectively.

This is just one of the areas we can explore in the ridden Posture and alignment clinic on the 19th January Topthorn Arena.

If you'd like to join there are still a couple of spaces. Please go to the events section on my page or message me to book 07919366370 :)

When there is contact, the control with the hands can be precise.

Riding on “Contact” — by Vladimir Littauer

The contact between the rider’s hands and the horse’s is not established by the hand being moved to the rear. Just the reverse should take place; that is, the horse, moving forward with sufficient impulse stretches his neck and, due to the rider keeping a correct length of reins, the horse’s mouth feels the rider’s hands. Instead of the rider’s hands pulling back on the mouth, it is the mouth which gently pulls the rider’s hands forward. If the horse lacks natural impulse the rider’s legs must create it—this is the general rule.

Riding on contact can also be called “riding on the bit;” the latter expression means that the horse accepts the bit and moves forward boldly as if there were nothing in his mouth. I personally reserve the expression “on the bit” for a more energetic form of riding on contact, but this is a detail. The important thing is that the horse must accept the bit with the neck and head stretched forward.

When riding “on contact” the rider must follow with his hands and arms (through the air), the balancing gestures of his horse’s neck and head. It is obvious that when holding the reins by the buckle one doesn’t have to worry about these gestures, for the neck has enough room to move at will. But if after the contact is established the rider’s hands remain fixed then the horse will continually jerk himself against immobile hands. I don’t have to talk about jumping—everyone knows that in one way or another the horse’s neck then must be given freedom to act; but it is surprising how many riders neglect this point at a walk and particularly the gallop.
— Schooling Your Horse. Pg.17

Vladimir Littauer trained me practically my entire junior career, and continued to advise me for many years. A riding master and remarkable horseman, he was incredibly influential to my career and education. Follow the Forward Riding System and continue the lessons on equestriancoach.com. Specifically, you can learn more on this topic with my lesson “Developing Good Hands”:
https://equestriancoach.com/courses/developing-good-hands/
-Bernie Traurig

02/01/2025

✨ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜! ✨ from RA Dressage who I’ve had the pleasure of working with for the past 6 months since first meeting in April ‘24
As a coach when you read feedback like this it really does make doing this job feel so worthwhile.

Thank you Becci for choosing to work with me, continuing to trust me and the process 😘 2025 is coming in strong I can feel it 🙌

Read the rest of Becci’s post for her year in reflection. You will notice it really does take a team - we all need one 💖

“A year filled with every emotion.

EquiVie - Coaching for Equestrians challenged me to look back on the year and reflect on the highs and lows. The truth is this year had changed me, for good. I will wake up every day and remind myself to never take a moment for granted. Thank you for this Steph, working with you this year has helped me navigate one of the most challenging year of my life. I love being apart of the EquiVie Team and everything you stand for! ♥️

Here's to 2025! This year is for big dreams, a new chapter and being 1% better each day!”

29/12/2024

This can be a very difficult time of year and people with horses can be especially hard on themselves whilst also striving to support and give their best to their horses and other people. It’s also easy to mask how we are feeling at times.

I know that several of my friends and clients have experienced loss this year, I too have experienced deep loss of my darling friend Rafa. The pain is real and I’m am immensely grateful for all of the support, kindness and check in messages that I continue to receive.

Remember you are not alone and there is support both through Riders Minds and other charities.

There is also a lot of positive power in community and so do check in with each other. Even those that look like they are thriving may need a hug 😘

Remember those people who check in on you? Have you checked in on them
lately?
Sometimes the people who are caring for everyone else, need someone to
take a moment to care for them too.

💜𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩
🌎Live webchat: https://ridersminds.org/
🇬🇧Live text support: 07480 488 103
🇬🇧Call the helpline: 0800 088 2073

23/12/2024

Congratulations BDA Equestrian, winners of the 105cm league Blackwater Farm this year.

Isn’t KANSAS a handsome chap 😍😍😍

I was delighted to be a sponsor as I have a passion for eventing, and Blackwater Farm host brilliant ODE’s through the year that are so welcoming, friendly and well run making them the perfect place for both riders getting into the sport and developing their skill as well as for young horses building their careers.

Check out the dates for the events next year on their page.

🐎🏇🏻🐎🏇🏻

22/12/2024

😂😂😂😂

🐎 Follow for more 🐎

20/12/2024

Throw Back to 2016

My beautiful Bertie at his first dressage outing with me@where he brought back a red rosette 🥰 This horse was a complete diamond and stole my heart.

He is now living his lovely semi retirement with his wonderful human Sarah and his best friend Fergus. I owe this horse a lot. He had the biggest heart and carried mine when it was completely shattered and never ever let me walk alone 💖

19/12/2024

This is a very good analogy for the benefits of slowing down both the learning and the movement of both horse and rider.
The ability of the rider to be in balance is essential to support the horses development. Don’t forget our feet aren’t on the ground so the horse has to support both his own and his riders centre of gravity which is constantly shifting.

If you are keen to learn more about your own balance and movement both in and out of the saddle there are 2 clinics in January perfect to give you more awareness of yourself and your impact on your horse.

PLUS January’s webinar focuses on the the Power of Posture.

Check out our events here:

https://equivie.co.uk/workshops-clinics-and-events/

Slow Down
For decades, human athletes have understood the benefits of slowing down. The complex orchestration of muscles, fascia, closed kinematic and kinetic chains, involved in gaits and performances is easier to coordinate slowly. Our equestrian linear concepts of forwardness and balance are simplistic and false. Scott Grafton (Physical Intelligence) discusses ordinary people trying to walk on a balancing beam versus ballet dancers. The ballet dancers perform better because their education has developed muscle synergies that are not specific to the problem of walking on a balancing beam but allow them better balance control. Just stay still for a few seconds on a balancing beam. You will make numerous and minute muscle adjustments, maintaining the forces above your center of mass. You will remain in balance as long as your physique controls minute shifts. You will be off balance as soon as the shifts become larger movements. You might give yourself an illusion of balance running through the beam. You will be off balance and crash at the end, but if the video is edited to show only the run, you will show the same illusion of balance as a horse rushed on the forehand, leaning heavily on the bit.
Now, go back on the balancing beam and walk slowly. You will not be able to control your balance on the first day. For each leg moving forward, your whole physique will have to complete minute and numerous adjustments as does the horse walking slowly in balance. Indeed, it is more difficult than rushing through the beam with a hand supporting you, but your mind and physical intelligence will identify and develop muscle synergies and fascia work, improving your balance. The horse needs to do this when performing in balance while carrying a rider. For each leg movement, the back muscles need to center the forces above the center of mass. This education demands that we create an atmosphere that gives confidence to the horse to explore further. The horse must feel respected, encouraged to explore, and given the time to process. Concentrating the forces above the center of mass is complex and involves the whole physique. The education is easier if the horse performs slowly and we work at the level of minute shifts that we channel between our upper thighs. The second we bend the horse’s neck or shift our body weight back to front or from one seat bone over the other, we alter the horse’s mastery of balance.
We can go fast and inject or slow and educate. Teaching the horse to master balance does a lot more than balance control. Mastering balance reduces the intensity of the forces stressing the lower front legs and cervical and thoracic vertebrae at impact. We can lead the horse to better hoof placement as we do by controlling our back on the balancing beam. Better joints’ placement at impact includes knee and hip joints. At a slower frequency, our physical intelligence can reach mastery of forces that our consciousness cannot master. Tai chi and other martial arts further the capacities of the human physique. The science of slow motion furthers the capacities of the horse’s physique.
Dressage boot camps will urge you to go fast because a boot camp aims to numb critical thinkers and make them obey stupid orders. When dressage returns to its original function, which is to educate and coordinate the horse’s physique for the athletic demand of the performance, the horse’s mental processing is the primary asset. The horse needs to process questions and have the time to explore solutions. Our understanding of the horse’s body function and the performance’s athletic demands allows us to assist and eventually redirect the horse’s processing.
Jean Luc