Connected Dressage NZ

13/01/2025

100% recommended if you want to learn a bit more about hoof health and trimming!

The Hoof Builders Video Library has over 200 videos with more added each month, and the subscription includes access to our private facebook group. The cost is $10 USD/month, cancel anytime.

For an additional $15 USD/month you can become a contributor, create an album for your horse and receive ongoing advice and mark ups from David and the advisory team.

Visit www.davidlandreville.com/hoof-builders for more information or to subscribe.

12/01/2025

First work week of 2025 done and dusted. Busy start of the year❤️ Here are some pics.

1. Finally been able to ride Luna again after a some time off. I really hope this was the last spring I have issues with her health. I have built a track for her but it’s been a bit of a trial and error to manage it. Slowly getting the hang of it.
2. Trimming some hard as hooves 🥵
3. Lessons. 🦄
4. Got to sit behind other pair of ears this week too.
5. Always exploring with Alvar who is nearly 1.5 years old!! 😮
6. Puppies turning two weeks!!

Eli x

29/12/2024

What a perfect ending to year 2024!!

Ruska gave birth to 8 puppies last night. 😍❤️🐶 7 of them will be looking for homes soon. 🥰

Thanks so much for anyone who has been part of the year 2024. Lessons, trimming, biomechanics course, commenting, sharing or liking the posts. Thank you, thank you thank you 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I cannot wait what 2025 will bring.

Happy New Year everyone!!! See you all soon ❤️🐶🐴

Eli x

09/12/2024

Last trimming / lesson trips of the year:

13.12 Alex - some space left!
20.12 Wanaka - nearly full - be quick!

Eli ❤️

04/12/2024

It’s been a little quiet here lately. Quiet Facebook means busy life 😅 I’m still here tho, ticking along. Here are some pics from the past week.

Riding, building a new deck, trimming some rock hard hooves and also starting to see some cool changes, birthday celebrations and lots of swimming. And oh, Ruska is pregnant too😍❤️ Right on time for Xmas 💪🐶

Eli x

26/11/2024

Couple more photos from the weekend. My first clinic with David Landreville- On the Vertical but definitely not the last! So much information! Loved it x

Eli

23/11/2024

Day 2 with David Landreville about to kick off! Let’s goo! 💪

17/11/2024

Small weekly trims to keep the hoof in place. Mabel was enjoying her pedicure. 😍

15/11/2024

I have the best clients 🌷❤️ let’s see how long they last till someone pulls them down 😳🤣

Happy weekend everyone 😍🥰

Eli x

10/11/2024

Just a couple ground-work sessions in between these photos. Quite a nice change in a short time!

Eli x

08/11/2024

I was honoured to present a webinar to the Working Equitation New Zealand Inc judges last night about healthy riding biomechanics.

Super grateful about this opportunity and it seemed like anyone who participated really enjoyed it too.

I am going to record this webinar to my up and coming website as well. It can then be purchased with an affordable price by anyone who is interested to learn more!

Eli x

05/11/2024

Busy day teaching and trimming 13! horses yesterday! 🌱🦄

Its great to have group of people who are keen to get their horses trimmed every four weeks! Makes a huge difference! 6-8 week trimming schedule is tooo long!!

Eli x

29/10/2024

Every year I say I am never gonna build a fence again myself. And every spring I somehow find myself building one. 🤦‍♀️ Must be a similar rabbit hole as giving birth and having a newborn. You somehow forget what it’s like and find yourself thinking about doing it again. 😅 ❤️

This year I started building a track. 1/3 done 💪 I’ll post some more pics once it’s finished, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.🤞

Eli x

22/10/2024

Luna looks so big when she is using herself correctly! Anyone who sees her live always comments how small she is. She is tiny. Just looks big in photos 🤔😅 x

18/10/2024

Cannot wait for the New Zealand clinic next month 😍😍

13/10/2024

Now the question of the day is.. to let the horse “stretch” down or not?!🤷‍♀️

There seems to be two thoughts of school for this. Yes always - the lower the better, or no never below the withers, of which both can be a little problematic - I think.

To ride the horse long and low puts more weight on to the forehand and strains the ligaments. Also 90% of the time it’s not only the neck that’s low but also nose faar behind the vertical. Not ideal - not at all.

On the other hand, I don’t think we should micromanage the head and neck position so much, especially at the start. Low head position is very normal for young horses. It can be mentally quite challenging if the rider is trying to manage the head too much while the horse is learning. Yes, there is more physical stress in the body but we should not forget the mental stress either. When we ride the body correctly the head will come higher and the need to go low gradually decreases.

The same goes when we are reteaching contact to a horse who tucks behind the vertical. Yes, we want to correct the horse and show him better movement patterns. But correcting on every step or every mistake can really be mentally so draining that the learning is not so effective.

It can sometimes be hard to find the golden middle line.

Eli x

12/10/2024

I will be in Alex again next Tuesday 15th October.

Eli x