Dressage for fun

12/21/2024

Die gnadenlose Wahrheit!
Was kostet ein Pferd? 🐴

Ein Pferd kostet Geld....viel Geld. Manchmal sogar mehr Geld als man sich je erträumt hätte.

Abgesehen davon aber, kostet ein Pferd noch einiges mehr, und bevor man mit dem Gedanken spielt sich eines anzuschaffen, muss man sich 100% sicher sein, dass man bereit ist dieses zu investieren.

Ein Pferd kostet Zeit. ⏰
Bei guter Pflege und ein bisschen Glück, kann ein Pferd über 30 Jahre alt werden. Auch wenn es fast unmöglich ist, eine so lange Zeit im Voraus zu planen, muss man sich darüber im Klaren sein, dass ein Pferd keine Anschaffung für ein paar Jahre, sondern oft eine Lebensaufgabe ist.

Ein Pferd kostet Disziplin. ☝🏼
Ruhetage gibt es nicht auch nicht wenn man krank ist. Ein Pferd möchte jeden Tag ausgemistet, gefüttert und bewegt werden. Und das nicht nur bei Sonnenschein und warmen Temperaturen sondern auch bei Regen, Schnee und Minusgraden.

Ein Pferd kostet harte Arbeit. 💪🏼
Pferde laufen von Natur aus in allen 3 Gangarten. Mehr brauchen Sie nicht zu können. Alles weitere, dass wir von ihnen verlangen erfordert Arbeit. Arbeit mit dem Pferd, aber vor allem Arbeit an sich selbst.

Ein Pferd kostet Geduld. 🤦🏻‍♀️
Pferde sind Fluchttiere. Vertrauen ist das kostbarste Geschenk, dass Sie dir machen können. Aber es kommt nicht von heute auf morgen, sondern will verdient werden!

Ein Pferd kostet Selbstkritik. 💡
Nur wer sich und sein Handeln stetig hinterfragt und beleuchtet kommt in der Arbeit mit Pferden weiter. Wer denkt bereits alles zu wissen, wird ewig das sein was er schon ist. Pferde spiegeln, wer in diesen Spiegel nicht schauen möchte, kauft sich besser einen Hund.

Ein Pferd kostet viele, viele, viele Nerven. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Pferde werden krank und das zerreißt dir das Herz. Sie haben Bedürfnisse, haben schlechte Tage, funktionieren nicht auf Knopfdruck und sind keine Sportgeräte. Vor allem aber, können Pferde dir nicht sagen was sie stört oder ihnen weh tut.
„Passt der Sattel?" „Drückt der Zahn?" „Hab ich alles richtig gemacht?" „Wann ist eigentlich die nächste Wurmkur fällig?" „Offenstall oder Boxenhaltung?" „Welches Futter füttere ich am besten?" „Hat das Pferd auch genug Heu über Nacht?" „Wieso hustet er denn nun schon wieder?" „Welcher ist der beste Hufschmied?" „Eisen oder Barhuf?" „Es ist mal wieder Zeit für ein Blutbild." „Wie bekomme ich den Selenmangel in den Griff?" Vielleicht probier mal eine Akupunktur?" etc.
Die Gedanken die sich um das eigene Pferd drehen, beschränken sich nicht nur auf die 2 Stunden am Tag die man am Stall ist. Sie lassen einem auch den Rest des Tages kaum Ruhe - versprochen!!!

Ein Pferd kostet Liebe. 💞
Alle oben genannten Punkte hält man auf Dauer nur aus, wenn man eines im Überfluss hat:

Liebe. 🥰

Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es all deine Ersparnisse aufbraucht.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es alt und krank ist.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn du bei -10 Grad fluchend seine Äppel aus der Box schleppst.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es manchmal nicht versteht was du von ihm willst.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es sich im Gelände erschreckt und dich in den Dreck setzt.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es dich manchmal zum Weinen bringt.
Ein Pferd will geliebt werden - auch wenn es dich oft schlaflose Nächte kostet.

Wenn das alles gewährleistet ist, ist es tatsächlich die schönste Lebensaufgabe der Welt und mit nichts gleichzusetzen. Denn was man investiert, wenn man denn investiert, bekommt man mehrfach zurück. 🐴🥰

Kopiert weil es einfach stimmt 🥰

11/07/2024

“Horses have the ability to think and plan ahead and are far more intelligent than scientists previously thought, according to a Nottingham Trent University study that analysed the animal’s responses to a reward-based game.

“The horses cannily adapted their approach to the game to get the most treats – while making the least effort.

“Previously, research has suggested that horses simply respond to stimuli in the moment, they don’t proactively look ahead, think ahead and plan their actions – whereas our study shows that they do have an awareness of the consequences and outcomes of their actions,” said the lead researcher, Louise Evans.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/12/horses-can-plan-ahead-and-think-strategically-scientists-find

The actual research paper…

“Whoa, No-Go: Evidence consistent with model-based strategy use in horses during an inhibitory task”
Louise Evans et al.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159124001874?via%3Dihub

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10/24/2024

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞?

I would suggest that motivation is a human system whereas discipline is a human strategy….

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Motivation is related to rewards and punishments that emerge in our environment and that drive our approach and avoidance behaviour.

Discipline is more a human strategy that we might use to retain a goal-orientation

Motivation is a part of us no matter what. It is a constant. Discipline is a strategy that we use or don’t use (on a continuum)

********************************
Well this post took off. 97K likes and over 30K shares…1.2K comments…

I appreciate all the comments…thank you.

I’ve read some of the comments and I have some further points to make…

1. I didn’t create the graph. I didn’t post it to comment on the idea that motivation changes over time.

2. The idea of motivation as a human system is pretty undeniable. Human behaviour is heavily driven by rewards and threats that influence approach and avoidance behaviour. See the work of 20th century psychologist Jeffrey Gray for more on this. His Biological Basis of Personality is heavily accepted by neuroscientists (my understanding)

3. I’m suggesting that discipline is a strategy based on the work of personality development science. Specifically in the area of character adaptations…and specifically the work of Colin DeYoung and his Cyberneyic Big 5 theory of Personality. Discipline is a strategy that constantly pressures conscientiousness (in order to meet our goals).

3. Yes…neurodivergency is constantly influencing characteristic adaptations such as discipline

4. Habit could be considered the sum total of DeYoung’s three characteristic adaptations (goals, strategies, interpretations)

5. Science is science - it’s up for debate. But the notion that motivation is not a system that is constantly pressuring behaviour is nonsense.

6. Yes…both motivation (always present) and discipline (not always present) exist…both are needed…

09/13/2024

Friday- Sunday I went to a lecture and demonstration/clinic presented by the book's author Simon Cocozza. I would recommend it to every trainer. The main point is to keep the integrity of the spine. To keep the swing of the back. To keep the range of motion.

07/12/2024

So true.

How much weight can a horse carry?

In my experience, a horse can carry an infinite amount.

They can carry the weight of broken hearts, broken homes, and broken bodies. Countless tears sometimes comb their tangled manes. Moments when parents and friends cannot be there to help and hold a person, horses embrace and empower. They carry physical, mental, and emotional handicaps. They carry hopes and dreams; and they will carry the stress from your day when you can’t carry it anymore.

They carry graduations, they carry new careers, they carry moves away from everything familiar, they carry marriages, they carry divorces, they carry funerals, they carry babies before they are born, and sometimes they carry the mothers who cannot carry their own baby. They carry mistakes, they carry joy, they carry the good and they carry the bad. They carry drugs and addictions, but they also carry the celebrations.

They will carry you to success when all you have felt is failure. They will carry you, never knowing the weight of your burdens and triumphs.

If you let them, they will carry you through life, and life is hard, life is heavy. But a horse will make you feel weightless under it all.

07/02/2024

It's time to talk about my 2023-2024 show season learning experience…

1. Ashley Holser after the trainers conference was sharing the importance of back tracking. And OHH BOY she is right! This backtracking is not getting under my belt yet. It seems that I cannot figure out the warm up time. 5 minutes too long or 5 minutes too short. The horse is tired or he is not supple and trough enough. You have energy and on one hand its a good thing, but this extra energy can get a bit tight, a bit crooked very quickly and the Grand Prix test is unforgiving for any loss of balance.
This backtracking goes for me down to:
“- did I buy food for the horses for the show week?”
“- do I have food for my family for that week end?”
“ - do I have enough gas?”
This is all needed to be able to leave the outside world out of the arena and to concentrate on your riding. Just to ride. The brain seems to look for excuses to flair up and find the reason not to do it. To jeopardize yourself if you wish, some thoughts are as ridiculous as " you did not buy gas, you will not make it on time, therefore you are not good enough - do not try."

2. Each attempt you learn something new about the horse. And his emotional state is as important as mine. One time he stayed in the show barn overnight, without seeing other horses. He heard them, but it was not enough. He was circling the stall in the morning. He was offended I left him there. He was high and he was tight. He kind off went trough the test… With every mistake possible literally . And he was angry at me for 2 more days at home. Showing his teeth, and running like a 6 years old in the paddock. It happened in the spring, I guess all he wanted to do is to stay with his mare. :)
Each time the decision between “to leave him at the show overnight, so I do not trailer him in am” or to “trailer him in am” is more and more difficult. Overthinking ...

3. The deeper you learn your test, the more eager you are about every detail of the basics that you are still overlooking or not paying enough attention at the show situation, when it snow balls on you. Yes, that’s how it feels sometimes, like a snow ball rolling and many things fall off. And the core of that snow ball is your basic. Nothing new here. BUT! which one where ? It seems if I watch the outside hind I miss some detail about the inside hind. :):):) It is not easy to put Grand Prix test together and on top of it I want it with a good felling. I get the feeling, mistakes come up. I watch my technical, the feeling gets away. If only I would be happy not to care how it feels... But than I would not want to do it at all.

This picture is from White Fences show. He starts to relax there. And here he tried too much. Got me by surprise with that amount of effort. And guess what? We made an expensive mistake. But I am happy. He never tried so hard in the show arena.
Enjoy what you've got! Happy riding!

03/14/2024

02/27/2024

Interesting!

Interesting read.

👀🧠🐴 Here are 15 interesting facts about a horse's brain:

1. A horse's brain is relatively small compared to the size of its body, making up only about 0.1% of its total weight.
2. Despite their small size, horses have very complex brains, with a highly developed cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought, decision making, and memory.
3. Horses can learn and remember complex tasks, such as navigating a jumping course or performing a dressage routine, through a process called associative learning.
4. Like humans, horses have a left and a right hemisphere in the brain, each with specialized functions. The left hemisphere is responsible for logical and analytical information processing, while the right hemisphere is more involved in emotional processing and creative thinking.
5. Horses have great memories and can remember specific people, places, and experiences for many years.
6. Horses can learn by observing and can often pick up new behaviors and skills simply by watching other horses or humans.
7. Horses have a very sensitive sense of touch and can detect even the slightest pressure or movement on the skin. This helps them respond to subtle cues from their rider or guide.
8. Horses can process visual information very quickly and accurately, allowing them to avoid potential danger and navigate their environment with ease.
9. Horses are social animals and rely on non-verbal communication to interact with other horses in their herd. This communication is facilitated by the horse's brain, which can interpret subtle changes in body language, facial expressions, and vocalizations.
10. Finally, like all animals, horses have unique personalities and individual characteristics that are shaped by their experiences, genetics, and environment, all of which are reflected in their brain function and behavior.
11. Horses have a very strong sense of smell and their olfactory bulb, which processes odors, is relatively large compared to other parts of their brain.
12. The cerebellum, which is responsible for coordinating movement and balance, is also relatively large in horses. This is because horses must be able to move quickly and efficiently to escape predators or navigate difficult terrain.
13. Horses have a very high pain threshold, which is thought to be related to the way their brains process pain signals. While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can also mean that horses may not show overt signs of pain, making it difficult for their keepers to detect and treat underlying health problems.
14. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning and memory, is particularly well developed in horses. This allows them to remember not only specific experiences, but also general concepts and patterns that they can apply to new situations.
15. Finally, studies have shown that horses, like other animals, are capable of experiencing emotions such as fear, happiness, and anger. These emotions are thought to be mediated by the limbic system, a group of interconnected brain structures that play a key role in regulating mood and behavior.

Info: Megan Bolentini Equine Bodywork

02/13/2024

Friday wisdom...

01/22/2024

Hooray to Olga for a successful CDI Small tour!!!
Hard work, dedication, attention to detail - she has it all! I am grateful to be a part of her team for this show.