Starlight Farm

11/09/2024

A great message to all our aspiring young riders. Worth sharing again.

08/09/2024

Always thinking about your horses welfare and the jobs we expect them to do. Many of the horses in our area have wintered exceptionally well, too well.

07/09/2024

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

07/09/2024

Bert Rutten tells us:
“I have to be able to bring my hand forward and he stays where he is, that’s called self-carriage.
Then when I push him, he must have the desire to follow the bit, forward, downwards, then I have contact, and contact is not determined by the weight you have in your hand, that’s a mistake a lot of riders make, they think contact is weight. Contact is that the horse has the desire to follow the bit at all times.
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2024/09/bert-rutten-beautiful-riding-is-simple/

02/09/2024

Two more spots available now for young horse starting and schooling. Give me a call on 0274900775 Starlight Farm

19/08/2024

With the technical tracks we have in showjumping today, one of the biggest differences between a good rider and a great rider is good and correct foundation/flatwork (and horse power 😉)

Wise words below borrowed from Elsa Berggren 👌

4 things I learnt from working with different 160 riders around the world that I will always bring with me…

* Your hand can move forward, sideways & upwards but if you pull backwards you ride the horse backwards. (You also shut down their engine and their jump)

* Ride with one hand or hold the reins in a "bridge" is the most effective method to prevent an unsteady contact. (This is useful in all disciplines)

* If you cannot do all your proper flatwork (transitions, collection, lateral movements) in a light seat you're probably using your seat to push the horse forward instead of making sure the horse is in front of the leg. (Again true in all disciplines)

After all flatwork, which starts with ground work, and manners on the ground is how you communicate with your horse whilst jumping a track. Give it some thought.

30/06/2024

Look at the straight line from the riders elbow to the bit, how his hands follow the horse’s head and a balanced an stable lower leg and strong focus forward with his eyes.

25/06/2024

Remember students practice everyday with no stirrups

When a horse walks, trots and canters its body throws off waves of motion. Some riders get flung around by these concussive forces, some can pretty well be in rhythm with the horse, while the best riders have become so integrated into the motion of the horse that they become almost one flowing entity, like the Centaur of myth and fable.

Having this blending seat and body more than any other skill defines the better riders, so much so that the former multi-gold medal winning USET 3-day coach Jack LeGoff phrased it like this---

“What are the three things that you must have in order to become a good rider?”
1. A good seat
2. A good seat
3. A good seat

Jack wasn’t big on listening to riders in self-praise mode. I have heard him say more than once, “Don’t tell us how good you are. Get on that horse and show us.”

Almost instantly he could spot the fakes from the real deals just by whether or not they were part of the motion or apart from the motion. The seat doesn’t lie. You either bounce or you don’t bounce.

If your body isn’t supple enough and trained enough to merge with those waves of motion thrown off by the moving horse, you are not, by LeGoff’s high standards, a good rider, nor will you be until or unless you learn to blend.

If this seems harsh, too demanding, that’s not LeGoff’s intent. He wasn’t a coddler, rather he was telling a truth as he saw it. You either can sit the gaits or you can’t sit the gaits. Pretty basic and simple as he saw it.

22/06/2024

Schooling/training comes in all shapes, forms and stages. Recognizing what your horse is ready for and needs takes time and patience. Anxious horses like anxious riders will find learning difficult, sometimes the arena is exactly what we don’t need.

12/06/2024

Let’s talk about the lack of quality coaching and lack of standards in the equine industry. For example, kids learning with someone who claims to be an "coach" and all they learned is how to see-saw a horse's head down and chuck their body over a fence like a champion. All coaching is not equal.

But what happens when you have a good coach? One that opens their program to you, takes you under his/her wing? Becomes invested in your success? When you essentially become part of the "family"...

Eventually, something will happen...

Coach tells you that you are not Karen O'Connor 2.0, and not ready to make the move up to the next level.
Coach says you need to go back and fix some holes in your training.
Coach says you have developed a bad habit, and it needs to be fixed before you can accomplish your goals.
Coach says you need to make sure that your horse is being ridden (not just hanging out at the barn).
Coach says you need to dedicate more time to studying the sport, not just riding.
Coach says it isn't a "horse" problem, it is a "you" problem.

People have become increasingly more reactionary. More easily offended. In lieu of everyone getting a trophy, it is so hard to hear these words from people you admire. Some of the best coaches will be the toughest. Not ones that tear you apart constantly, but coaches that aren't afraid to have the tough conversations with you. Or conversations that you may not have wanted to have.

But remember, a good coach is in YOUR corner. They want YOU to achieve success. They dedicate so much more than an hour of time to your growth not only as a rider but as a horseman. Maybe you are burning the candle at both ends (and in the middle), and you need a reality check that this sport requires more of your time and focus.

These conversations can hurt, but while it may sting at first.... take a second. Think about why your coach is against you moving up right now, why your coach is saying to wait until the summer to be a working student, why your coach is saying that you should not enter the show until the homework and flat work is done.

Surround yourself with coaches that aren't afraid to have these tough conversations with you. You don't want or need a "cheerleader" coach. You are paying you for your coach’s expertise... the positives and the criticism. Let them help make the best decisions for your horse, and for your program. The lessons on the horse and the lessons off of the horse. Are you ready? Are you doing what is best by your horse? You owe it to yourself and your horse....

*** Copied and modified from Courtney Sendak

09/06/2024

A good example of still hands. Locked shoulders and elbows will stop you from following the horses movement and bang them in the teeth. Relax the shoulders and elbows then your hands then you will create ‘independant’ hands that can follow the horses head and appear ‘still’.

09/06/2024

Every time you pull something towards you automatically you pull yourself a little bit towards it as well 🤔 a good lesson about riding too much with your hands.

09/06/2024

Keep out of that face and give over the fence.

05/06/2024

03/06/2024

This is a great post, I agree with all of it

Read , let it sink in, then read again :

“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.

No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.

No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."

No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.

No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.

No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.

No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.

No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.

No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.

No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.

No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.

No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.

No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.

No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.

No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.

No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.

No. 23. Never fight the oats.

No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

~Bill Steinkraus

26/05/2024

To everyone working on improving and gaining your goals worth a reminder.

9 Facts About Perfectionism: A mindset that must be unlearned or will ultimately bring your riding down 🧠

1. Every rider makes mistakes, even the best of the best.
It’s an unavoidable, universal experience and all a part of the sport.

2. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
You can grow from them and become better because of them.

3. Hyper-focusing on mistakes helps them happen.
They both become a self-fulfilling prophecy and take your focus away from your ride.

4. Mistakes mean you’re on the right track.
You can’t improve, learn, overcome challenges, and level up without them.

5. It’s not what happened but how you move forward from it that matters the most.
Moving on from the mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

6. Mistakes are temporary.
Work to fix and put them in the past instead of dwelling and allowing them to stick around.

7. Mistakes don’t define you.
You may have had a bad ride, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad rider.

8. Social media only shows highlights.
Everyone is struggling whether they post about it or not.

9. Perfect doesn’t exist.
It’s impossible to meet unattainable expectations.

A perfectionist mindset and a lack of an ability to accept mistakes will do much more harm than good for an athlete’s mental performance. Mistakes are a normal part of sport and life. Everyone makes mistakes no matter how talented of an athlete they may be. Since perfect doesn’t exist, holding yourself to an unrealistic standard will only set you up for disappointment every ride. Instead, give yourself permission to make mistakes, using them to your advantage by viewing them as valuable feedback and learning opportunities. Refer to this post whenever you begin to feel hard on yourself, and remember that you are not alone! 🏇🏽💭✨
www.mindalignperformance.com

21/05/2024

My mantra, look up, look ahead to where you need to be next……this helps your position as well as prepares you and your horse for the next challenge.

A seemingly small fix that fixes a million faults---(“A million” might be a slight exaggeration.)

We see it so often in the photos of the better riders like in this one of Bill Steinkraus.

What is this simple remedy? And why is it so damnably difficult to own?

It is so simple but so elusive---

In the air over the jump RAISE YOUR CHIN. Or, if you prefer, “LOOK UP.”

That’s it. Look at the sky. When you raise your chin it has a strong ripple effect of opening your chest, opening your shoulders. It holds your sternum away from the horse.

Try this---Lift your chin and see how far and how easily you can bring down your upper body from your waist. Now do the same thing, but this time drop your head and look down. Feel the difference?

I wonder if we tend to be so programmed to look where we are going that we look down over jumps at the landing?

For whatever reason, if you are, like so many of us are, a looker downer, try to be a chin lifter and see what a massive improvement it can make.

20/05/2024

Check the way you are holding your reins.

19/05/2024

Proud of these two Starlight Jago (GT Jake x Damontez LS) and Alisha Macfarlane 4th in there first 95 at Rotorua HT and then 3rd today in their division at the Interschools Horse Trials at Taupo today helping her team Te Awamutu College become overall winners 🤩🏆 https://www.instagram.com/p/C7KbWJ6yKAG/?igsh=MW9yamgxOTE2aXpmeg==

15/05/2024

Currently have two spaces available for handling and starting young horses/ponies. Please message for more details and costs.

13/05/2024

Words I totally agree with right here…..