Quanset Training

12/04/2024

MindfulEquineLtd.com

06/04/2024

I’m pretty sure there’s a few of my students who can relate…

15/01/2024

31/07/2023

Same for jumping, my peeps!

To maintain an attached, supple balance of your seat …

Imagine your stirrups are like a trampoline. You cannot brace into a trampoline, but if you keep your ankles, knees and hips soft and able to bend, you can maintain your balance on the trampoline.

Stephany Fish Crossman is a USDF bronze and silver medalist as well as one of only nine accredited coaches for Mary Wanless’ Ride With Your Mind Biomechanics System in the U.S. She is currently based in Brooksville, Florida, with her husband, Chris, who is a cattle rancher; her two horses that she’s taking up the levels; and her pet cows.

🎨: Sandy Rabinowitz

12/06/2023

So true….

Being an equine professional is teaching a lesson after you left a vet appointment that was career ending. It's waking up and feeding the barn after you put a horse down the night before. It's answering a text when you are watching a sick horse struggle. It's encouraging someone's goals right after your hopes and dreams have been dashed.

I’ve lived this myself. I've watched, listened, and witnessed my friends, colleagues and clients pick themselves up from the worse days of their lives. They've been supportive no matter what they are also dealing with.

Horses are hard, but horsemen are hardy.

27/05/2023

I could probably have 3-4 albums from what ya’ll send me…..

13/03/2023

More on galloping fitness---

50 years ago, when I was 31, I was riding with the USET 3-day team in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Our coach was Jack LeGoff, and Jack employed a system of conditioning that he called “interval training.”

Here’s a typical gallop day work---(photo, Victor Dakin, 1974.)
First we would walk the horses for maybe 20-25 minutes for general loosening. Then 5 minutes of trotting without posting, walk two minutes, trot 5, walk 2, trot 5.

So now we have trotted for 15 minutes without posting, with 2 minute walk breaks. Now, after our third trot, we walk 2 minutes, and then we canter for five minutes, walk 2, canter 5, walk 2, canter 5, and we are finished, and walk home.

So, in that half seat for 30 minutes. And, sure, it wasn’t all that comfortable to hold that position for half an hour, but being comfortable wasn’t the point. Getting to be fitter, stronger athletes, horses and riders, that was what Jack was after.

Want to be a riding athlete? Do rider athlete stuff. Don’t care? Don’t do it. The only one who cares is you---. (And some, of course, will add “and your horse.”)

07/01/2023

Thank you Trish!

04/01/2023

I wrote this for a working student who is headed to FL soon to work for a friend of mine. Thought it might be helpful for others out there starting out a new experience as a working student, either full time or part time...

Introduce Yourself To Everyone – So you just arrived, you’re kind of nervous, and you don’t know anyone. Try to introduce yourself to everyone in the barn eventually and take a good look around. Where is the bathroom? The tackroom? The washstall? The feed room?

Get there early, Stay Late, Bring Lunch – You’ve been told they start feeding at 7:00 am? Get there at 6:45. You were told you could go home at 5:00pm? That’s fine, if everything is done, but it’s probably not. Plan to stay until the very end of the day, so you learn the WHOLE day. There’s lots to do as the day wraps up. Some barns have a clearly defined lunch break, most don’t. Plan to bring a snack and some lunch, so you don’t pass out!

Be Observant – Just plan on feeling like you are not much help and a bit in the way for the first few days, everyone goes through that, and there’s not much you can do about it, no matter how much experience you have. The best thing to do is to ask for a day to observe how this barn does things. Try to really notice every little detail, from the big, obvious chores – How do they clean their stalls, how does feeding work in this barn, how do they tack up and cool out their horses, how does turn out work? And try to notice the little things as well – do they pick out horses’ feet before bringing them out of the stall or wait to do it on the crossties, do they sweep all at once or in little bits throughout the day, how do they tie up their bridles, do they pick manure out of the arena all day or just drag it at the end of the day? And on, and on, and on…

ASK how they like things done – Even in the first couple days, you can begin to be helpful by pitching in with basic chores, but no matter how basic, make sure you ask how they do things. Every barn has its own way, and as we all know, horse people are picky! So you want to be helpful and clean a bunch of bridles? Great, but how do they clean their bridles exactly? Which soap? How do they figure 8 them? These can be quick questions with quick answers, and you can get right to work, but it will feel much better to ask and find out specifics than to clean 18 bridles and then be told you did it wrong.

Don’t expect to ride much at the beginning – And that’s ok! It’s better to be observant in this area too. Try to notice the way they work their horses from start to finish – How and where do they mount? How long do they walk before beginning the work? How do they like their horses warmed up? Are the arena rules pretty standard, or does a rider taking a lesson (or the owner of the barn) always get right of way? You can learn a lot by watching, and you’ll feel more confident in your first few rides when you know how they do things.

Help with the “easy” things right away – Even at a new barn that might be way bigger and fancier than what you’re used to, there are still things that you already know how to do, and every barn needs them done – stall cleaning, sweeping, rolling polos, cleaning tack, cleaning water buckets, picking out the arena, etc. But again, just ask quickly HOW they like these things done. These chores take up lots of time, and the other workers in the barn will be very grateful to have them done without having to ask you.

Expect to feel helpful in about 2 weeks – It takes a little while to learn the ins and outs of any barn, so don’t expect to really feel very comfortable with the whole process for 10 days – 2 weeks. By then, you should feel like you’re able to do things without asking too many questions, you see what needs to be done and get to it BEFORE someone has to ask you, and you are comfortable knowing the names of everyone in the barn as well as all the horses and their needs. Only at that time, should you bring up suggestions to the barn manager or trainer about how you think things might be done differently. Give yourself at least 2 weeks to learn how THIS barn does things, even if it seems silly or totally different from the way you’ve always done it. There’s probably a reason they do things in a certain way. Once you know their method and have proven yourself a helpful member of the team, then it’s fine to nicely make suggestions.

Be nice to EVERYONE – When you arrive in the morning, forget how tired you are, how sore you are, and walk into the barn in a good mood. Say hi to everyone throughout the day – including all the workers in the barn, the clients, the owner, the landscape guys, etc. Think it’s not important for you to be sweet and friendly with the guy who comes every Tuesday to do landscaping? Guess again, he might help pull your truck out of a ditch. Think it’s more important to be helpful to Susie Q who owns the 6 figure GP horse than Brenda who owns the old, arthritic QH? Brenda might be planning to buy a super star young horse that you could get to ride in a year or two. And besides, just be nice to everyone, because it’s what you should do. Make some cookies, and give them to EVERYONE, who doesn’t like cookies?

Chat nicely about the training – We all watch each other ride, and we are ALL trying to do our best. If you see a client do a beautiful half pass, mention it when she comes back in the barn! If you’re just generally impressed with a ride that the trainer had on a difficult horse, tell her! On the other hand, if you see a rider struggling with something, it is NOT up to you to offer advice. The clients are there to work with the trainer, not to get tips from you. It’s great to notice things, and to come up with possible solutions in your head, but file them away for when you are teaching and someone has paid you for your advice.

Say THANK YOU! – Say thank you for every lesson you get, whether you liked it or not. Say thank you to the other workers in the barn who helped you out or taught you how they do things. Say thank you to the owner of the barn for allowing you to work and ride there. Say thank you to that client for bringing you a coffee on a cold morning. SAY THANK YOU!

18/12/2022

About an hour from starting! Support your local jumper shows! 3Djumping.com - low key, big laughs and great riding!

17/12/2022

Well, if this isn’t the most accurate….

22/11/2022

Natalie Weltsch, Stacia Baker Fisher - VALID!! 😂

Artwork by Jean Luc Cornille

07/11/2022

One more thing I’ve learned - Failing at something does not make you a failure.

When I’m working with students you’ll hear me say my favorites words “And Again!” Doesn’t matter if it was correct or not, we’ll talk about any fixes of course, but I’ll always “And Again”.

Giving up is not an option, starting over is. Doing it again is. Creating muscle memory, strengthening the body, increasing more body awareness…. These all happen when I say “And Again”

10/08/2022

Arlington Barn - Aug 20/21!! Woot!

21/07/2022

So very true… those that ride and train well are truly humble.

10/07/2022

24/06/2022

The continual demise of 3 day Eventing spaces…

26/05/2022

Rules to live your best Equestrian Life by:

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. 9. If the horse can’t learn to accept what you’re doing, it isn’t any good.

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

25/05/2022

Such a great idea! I had the Bad Mommy Corner (aka the tack room) for parental units who couldn't simply watch from the sidelines.... Worked great!

"The Mommy Corner"
A place where moms stay to give their child the best chance at a good lesson. We offer indoor and outdoor Mommy Corners. Riding is a sport and parents must treat it as such to be fair to the coaches. In gymnastics a parent wouldn't be on the mats, Baseball there are no parents in the dug out, and have not seen a parent on a tennis court... So please be respectful and try to not involve yourself in lessons. If you do not trust your instructor you probably need to look at other programs. Trust must be in place between parents, child, trainer and the horse. Any of those gaps break we have frustration between all. Remember that trainers are working hard for you and to give them the space they need to do their best job. ❤️❤️

08/05/2022

You don’t need a teacher who always tells you you’re right and defends your actions no matter what. You don’t need someone who only praises.

You don’t need someone who makes you feel small or only criticizes either. Whether you find a teacher who’s tough and fair, soft and kind, loud or quiet - what works for each of us is highly individual. It would be a shame to turn away a brilliant teacher for being tough and fair when we only want praise- it would be a shame to throw away our confidence and skill for a teacher who only yells and berates.

Whatever the individual qualities of your teacher, they should before anything, believe in you and work hard to get you where your potential can take you. That may mean they won’t settle for less than your best.

Photo by Melinda Yelvington.

06/05/2022

If a rider wants quiet hands, don't start with trying to quiet the hands.

Start with establishing a secure, flexible, elastic and independent seat.

Why? Because the concussion created by trotting and cantering horse creates waves of motion that are either absorbed by the rider's seat, or are avoided, as much as possible, by having the rider post at the trot and get in a half seat in the canter, or, worst case scenario, having those shock waves jolt the rider around.

If the body of the rider gets jolted, what do you think the rider's arms and hands are going to do? 99% of the time, they are going to get jolted right along with the rest of the rider, and jolted hands are not quiet hands.

So to fix your hands, first fix your seat. All the best teachers understand that if a rider has not trained his/her body to become part of the motion, that student is not as adroit a rider as the ones whose independent seats go with rather than at cross purposes to the motion of the moving horse.

If an instructor does NOT insist that a student be encouraged to acquire that "independent seat," it will be because of one or more reasons.

Reason one---The teacher does not know.

Reason two---The teacher has tried, the student has resisted, and rather than persevere and probably lose the student's income, the teacher thinks, "The heck with it. If she doesn't want it, far be it for me to insist."

Reason three---The teacher realizes that because of health or physical issues, the student probably needs to be kept at a less challenging level.

Reason four---The teacher knows what the young student should learn, but the pushy parents want the kid out competing, and don't want to go through the sometimes long waiting period while the child learns to ride.

And so we see many many horses having to endure the rough, uneducated hands of many many uneducated riders, who may actually understand the concept that quiet hands are some sort of "good thing," but do not understand that quiet hands are a by-product of a quiet seat.

It is amazing how many riders resist acquiring an independent seat, when that single skill unlocks so many other riding doors, and its absence guarantees that those doors remain locked shut.

And, as they say, it IS a choice.

(Photo---Richard Watjen)

28/04/2022

Go get watching!!

Watch the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Mars Equestrian LIVE on USEF Network April 28 - May 1, 2022

16/04/2022

I love a Good Friday night activity…

05/04/2022

Beautifully said….

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

25/03/2022

Boomer says “Whatcha doin?”

16/03/2022

“Engagement”

There’s dressage, small d, that is schooling based on some degree of engagement, and there’s Dressage, big D, the sport, at the higher levels of which the horses are in a high state of engagement.

The first thing that I would ask someone making comments and criticisms of either one is to thoroughly define and explain engagement.

If the person fumbles for an answer to something so fundamental, as “what is engagement?” then I would question whether that person knows enough to BE critical.

So, how would YOU explain “engagement” as it pertains to how a horse is going along in various gaits?

What is YOUR way of explaining this critical term so that, say, a moderately well started rider could understand the concept?

What does engagement begin to create in the horse whose training is dressage based, as compared, say, to the horse which is never asked to engage?

These are fairly basic questions for educated riders. If the answers are elusive to you, might it not suggest that one might want to seek more education?

I don’t post this to be critical. I did not understand this for many years, and that lack of knowledge meant that I “trained” many horses incorrectly. I wish I had a do-over button. Don’t be in that same situation that I was, not in 2022, when better education is just the click on a keyboard away. This isn't 1952, the year I got started----.It is 70 years of progress later.

03/03/2022

Beezie Madden explains what can happen to your position if your stirrups are too short.