Alan’s Legacy Foundation

08/05/2023

Definitely.

26/04/2023

Speaking to Your Horse & Yoga Life! , US sports psychologist, former athlete and horse lover Dr Jenny Susser shares her tips on how equestrians can overcome their riding fear and perform better in competitions.

16/11/2022

There’s something about horses that soothes the soul.

I'll be in the barn.
When people have come to visit over the years they commonly hear from me I'll be in the barn.
When life gets hard I'll be in the barn.
When things are just right I'll be in the barn.
When the sun shines,
The rain falls,
Or snow covers the ground,
I'll be in the barn.
If things seem to be falling apart or if I'm celebrating the simple things, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for answers or trying to clear my mind, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for myself, I'll be in the barn.
If I'm working or trying to relax, I'll be in the barn.
Even when I'm not in the barn my mind drifts there, I find myself thinking about being in the barn.....
soaking feed for the next day,
mucking or spreading manure,
how to fix a problem I've been having with a horse,
tack that needs cleaned or changed or mended,
wounds that need doctored,
if I need to put on blankets or fly masks.
It's where I keep my riches.
All my wins and my failures.
Everyone of my hopes,
Dreams,
Hardships
And memories.
You can find them all in the barn, buried in the hay, hiding under a saddle, spilling out of the feed bins, or glimmering with dust in the evening light.
I may be covered in dust, dirt, a mash feed, hair, and hay, smell of sweat and manure, and sometimes there may be blood or tears but I'll be there. I'll be in the barn.
So if your wondering where to find me, I'll be in the barn. If I'm not there, I promise I'm on my way.
-Author Unknown-

09/09/2022

Absolutely love this quote. Alan himself has shown exactly this to be true!

08/06/2022

08/03/2022

This is lovely.

Anxious or Calm? It starts off their backs.

I have watched thousands of humans deal with horses over the last 70 years. So much of how horses behave has to to with whether or not they are anxious or calm, and so much about whether the horse is anxious or calm depends upon how it is handled---I think---

Watch the way a good horse person catches a horse in a field, how they put the halter on, how they lead the horse, how they handle the horse on cross-ties, how they groom, how they tack up, how they mount, and then, after they are on the horse, how they warm up.

I don’t think with the better horse people you will see much drama. You won’t see yanking and snatching and slapping. You won’t hear lots of yelling. You will see quiet movement, almost deliberate handling, consistency, and when the horse gets tricky, like sticks its head way up to get bridled, there won’t be a big deal, lots of patience.

You won’t see the saddle getting slammed on the horse’s back, or the girth getting cranked tight, maybe the horse being kneed in the belly to “make him let out his breath.”
There just won’t be all that hassle and drama.

And once the rider IS on, you will see calm walking, no insta-contact, no feeling of rush or hurry, or frenzy.

All of this is not about riding skills or training while riding, but it is a prelude to that, and usually how you see a human deal with horses OFF their backs will give you a pretty good clue about what you will see when you watch them ride.

14/02/2022

So sorry it’s been awhile, but hopefully soon we will have more to share. In the meantime, Happy Valentine’s Day from Alan's Legacy!

13/11/2021

Love this graphic from Horse Conversations! If your horse is acting out, there’s an actual reason. Try getting to the bottom of it rather than simply blaming your horse.

11/11/2021

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way “healing” that occurs when we're close to horses. According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body. While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a “coherent” heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can “feel better” when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy—that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy.

Repost credit .equine