Tack n' Talk
Online Equestrian ResourceArchive for June, 2009
Tack n’ Talk Photo Contest!
Tack n’ Talk Blog is proud to present:
Contest Theme:
Equestrian Summer Fun!
Contest Rules:
Submit as many of your own pictures that fit the theme of equestrian summer fun to tackntalk@ymail.com by July 31st! Photos will be chosen by Larissa Cox and Libby Keenan. Winners will be posted August 1st! First place winner will receive a fabulous prize from Be A Girl Today (see below for details)!
Be sure that the photos that you submit are your own – please do not plagiarize another photographer’s artistry.
This contest is for amateurs and professionals alike! Photoshopped photos are welcome!
Prize:
The first place winner of Tack n’ Talk Summer Fun Photo Contest will receive their choice of either Be A Girl Today t-shirt or tote bag!
"Ride like a Girl" jumper tote
"Ride like a Girl" dressage t-shirt
"Ride like a Girl" cowgirl t-shirt
Thanks to Paula Leavitt of Be A Girl Today for sponsoring Tack n’ Talk Blog Summer Fun Photo Contest and offering this fabulous prize!!
Check out more cool stuff at www.beagirltoday.com
To Submit a Photo:
Send your photo submission to tackntalk@ymail.com
Have fun!
Hello Weekend!
Libby and Larissa have been learning about Equestrian Vaulting this week 
Below is some information provided from the Michigan Vaulting Club about this exciting equestrian sport!
“Maybe the least known of the FEI’s official disciplines, Equestrian Vaulting is the sport of gymnastics and dance on horseback. Horses, controlled by a longueur, move in a circle while the vaulter performs— leaping from ground to horse and undertaking either a series of compulsory exercises or a freestyle acrobatic routine. Vaulting’s roots go back to the ancient Minoans, and was later refined among mounted military teams. The sport was featured as Artistic Riding at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp and was also a demonstration sport at the Atlanta games. It became a recognized FEI discipline in 1983. Today vaulters compete as individuals, pairs – called pas-de-deux – and teams, and demands strength, coordination, rhythm, suppleness and balance from the vaulter as well as the horse. While vaulting is not yet well known in the United States, it is often included in European dressage training. Vaulting develops the seat and balance and provides riders with a deeper awareness of the nuances of horse’s movement. Vaulting also develops the horse’s balance, flexibility and gaits. Through vaulting, children and recreational riders acquire important skills such as emergency dismounts as well as increased core strength and balance. Despite vaulting’s low visibility in the US, American vaulters have done extremely well in competition. Megan Benjamin won the Vaulting World Championships in 2007—the first American woman to win individual gold. The American FACE team also won silver the same year in team competition. At the FEI World Equestrian games in 2010, Americans will a chance to show the world what American vaulters can do.”
To learn more about vaulting, please visit the American Vaulting Association’s website!
In Michigan, check here for a list of Region X Vaulting clubs.
Trouble with changes? Try this exercise!
By Larissa Cox
Below is an exercise I have found to help clean up flying-change “issues” – late in front, late behind, anticipating the change, hopping etc. It is more of an advanced exercise and I would recommend a simpler exercise to initially teach either horse or rider the flying-change. However, once the basics are down, it can be a fun exercise to do on any horse to change up the riding routine.
What you’ll need to have practiced beforehand:
- Shoulder-fore at the trot
- Shoulder-in at the trot
- Shoulder-fore at the canter
- Flying-changes
The exercise:
- Ride a 20m canter circle at X, slowly developing the shoulder-fore
- When the horse feels engaged in the hind, and connected into the outside rein, take the short diagonal out of the circle
- On the short diagonal, flying change of lead
- Change direction at the corner, maintaining rhythm and balance at the canter, on the new lead
I use shoulder-fore at the canter rather than shoulder-in, as the shoulder-in is hard to maintain at the canter. In the shoulder-fore, the inside hind leg comes up under the body to a greater extent than canter straight on a circle, and the horse is more “full” in the outside rein, as they curve around the inside leg.
I believe the circle is more condusive to the shoulder-fore rather than on the straight, as the horse is already travelling along a curve. The shoulder-fore in this way proves to be a symbotic relationship, as it helps the horse maintain self-carriage around the circle, and not to bulge the shoulder out, nor trail the hind legs inward.
The shoulder-fore is helpful in setting up for the flying change because of the reasons listed above: it helps the horse maintain self-carriage and straightness along a curve, as well as carry more weight on the inside hind leg, which is necessary to make a clean change, as well as fill the contact in the outside rein, which is necessary for guidance in form of half-halts before, during, and after the change.
I like to do the shoulder-fore 20m circle at X for a few reasons. Firstly, it sets the horse and rider to change on the short diagonal, which gives a shorter amount of time for the horse to “fall apart” after the self-carriage of the shoulder-fore. The flying change should be cued for very soon after schooling the shoulder-fore to take advantage of all the perks the exercise has to offer. Therefore, choosing to take the rail and take the long diagonal after schooling the shoulder-fore on the circle at X will have a very decreased effect. The exercise helps to naturally set the horse up for the change, and it should be utilized for maximum effect.
Furthermore, a shoulder-fore circle at X gives the rider two “outs”, as it were, for short diagonals. A circle at either end of the arena would only give one, so if the horse were feeling really connected and in self-carriage, the rider would have to wait a whole circle around again to cue for the change, at which point the feeling could be lost. Additionally, a circle at either end of the arena does not allow for a short diagonal into a corner. A corner can help the recovery of a flying-change immensely. It literally is a wall that the horse cannot canter into. Therefore, the horse naturally turns into the new direction, and around the new inside leg. The outside aids then do not have to work over-time on a horse that could easily fall out through the shoulder after the flying change onto the new lead.
Two "outs" from the circle to ask for flying change
Likewise, the circle gives two outs to the rail if the horse is losing impulsion or having difficulty with the shoulder-fore. Instead of trying to recover the impulsion on the circle, it is much easier to let the horse off the circle, and find the impulsion on the straight. Then, the rider can choose to come back to the circle later. This way, the horse does not have foul thoughts about the exercise, as he is allowed freedom from it, and the rider has averted a fight on the circle.
Two "outs" to the rail
As this is a fairly difficult exercise for the horse, I would advise against overschooling it. When done correctly, however, it can be a fun and productive means of improving the quality and timing of the flying change, while also improving suppleness, self-carriage, and straightness of the horse both on the circle, and on the straight!
Have fun, and happy riding!
Tack n’ Talk Interview: Lynn Reardon on taking thoroughbreds from a gallop on the track to LOPE Texas
Story by Larissa Cox
From a desk job to racehorse adoption, Lynn Reardon has seen a lot of changes in her life since opening LOPE Texas racehorse rehabilitation and adoption center in 2003. Today, we have the privilege of discussing with Lynn how she started LOPE, the process of rehabilitation for LOPE horses, and advice she has on adopting ex-racehorses.
What has been your riding background? How did that lead to saving Thoroughbreds at Lope Texas?
I didn’t learn to ride until I was an adult, taking group riding lessons in Northern Virginia/DC metro area. Although I was a tense, nervous rider, I kept trying to improve my skills (and looking for ways to ride on my small budget). Eventually, I started riding at a polo barn, taking lessons and occasionally exercising quieter polo mounts. Most of those horses were ex-racehorses – I was immediately drawn to them and wanted to ride more Thoroughbreds (especially the more spirited ones). From there, my interest slowly grew into an obsession with ex-racehorses – by 2003, I had moved to Texas and started LOPE.
What procedures did you have to go through to set up a rescue facility? Were there any particular people or organizations that helped setting up this endeavor?
When I was still living in the Northern Virginia/DC metro area, I heard about CANTER MidAtlantic, a terrific racehorse placement organization. I volunteered there a few times, going to the racetrack and learning more about how to help the horses find new homes.
Allie Conrad, the director of CANTER MidAtlantic, is an awesome role model for anyone who wants to start a racehorse placement program. She was very encouraging and helpful to me. LOPE is very similar to the CANTER program’s model (with the exception that we also work with other breeds of racehorses, such as Quarter Horses, Arabians and Paints).
In Texas, the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership (the HBPA group here) immediately partnered with LOPE and the racetracks were welcoming as well. Sam Houston Race Park was the first to endorse LOPE, followed rapidly by Retama Park and Lone Star Park. The Texas Thoroughbred Association also has been very supportive.
Our biggest support has come from our vet sponsors (Austin Equine Associates), our Founders Circle (our special circle of annual donors of $8000 or more) and our horsemanship sponsors (Hy Court Farm). And I learned a great deal from riding in a Ray Hunt clinic – while I can’t claim to be in any way an expert, my basic horsemanship skills improved after that experience!
My “real” job in the DC area was doing financial/administrative work for nonprofit organizations. I knew quite a bit about charity accounting procedures and how to set up the appropriate paperwork for nonprofits. Although I didn’t have any experience with animal welfare charities, I was able to navigate the IRS paperwork process fairly smoothly.
The procedures in Texas to set up a nonprofit involve incorporating, setting up a board, creating bylaws, acquiring a Federal employer identification number and completing the IRS paperwork to be approved as a charity.
Can you tell us a little more about the types of horses you get at Lope Texas? Why would a racehorse be better off going through a rehabilitation center such as yourself, rather than sold straight off the track to another home?
At the LOPE Ranch, we take in horses that are still owned by people in the racing industry. We get all types of horses, from unbroken 2 year olds to sound, slow “couch potato” types to seriously injured racing “warriors.” Racing breeders have also donated older broodmares to LOPE. It’s quite a variety!
LOPE can give the horses a transition from the racetrack life to whatever their new job will be. They can have time here – time to heal injuries, to finish growing, to learn new skills, to just be a horse. We change their diets, put them in small herds and let them enjoy a slower pace of life. As a result, I can get to know their personalities and physical abilities too – which makes it easier to “match” the horses to the right homes.
What is the rehabilitation process for these Thoroughbreds? How long does it take for a Thoroughbred to become rehabilitated and well suited to go to a new home?
That’s a great question. The answer varies, depending on the horse. One horse was adopted here within a few days of arriving (he was sound, slow, well mannered and very handsome). Another was here two years (he had to have a permanent tracheotomies and two hoof surgeries). The average is usually somewhere between 2 months and 6 months.
The first step in the rehab process is to assess their physical needs. If they are injured, we make sure we have the right environment for that injury (stall rest, small pen, limited turnout or regular pasture). We change their diets (low starch pellet feed, coastal hay, sometimes alfalfa, depending on the horse), pull their shoes (so they can grow out a healthy set of hooves) and figure out their social standing (whether they are dominant or submissive). Assuming they are physically ready for turnout, we then put them into a small herd of 3-5 in a pasture. We have some permanent horses that are great herd bosses and babysitters – they keep the new horses relaxed.
When a horse is ready, I do some simple groundwork and round penning with him. Then I like to ride the horses at least a few times, to get an idea of what job they might be best suited for. My rides are simple – my goal is to show them that riding no longer is about speed Sometimes the horses get adopted before I get a chance to ride them though.
What type of careers do the Thoroughbreds normally find after going through the process of rehabilitation at Lope Texas? Is this different than if they were sold straight off the track?
We’ve had horses go into careers such as trail riding, hunter/jumper showing, playday competitions, endurance riding, dressage, eventing, breeding (for sporthorse programs), companion work (such as socializing yearlings or keeping a retired horse company), lesson work and therapeutic riding. I don’t think the LOPE horses go into different careers from the horses sold directly off the track. Maybe the transition between their racing career and new job is sometimes smoother, because of the time off they have here and the time we spend getting to know them.
I made a huge career shift myself – from office worker to racehorse adoption ranch director – so I definitely sympathize with the LOPE horses! Maybe they pick up on that a little
What type of advice can you yield to riders interested in purchasing a Thoroughbred off the racetrack?
I’d say take your time and find the horse that’s right for you. A vet check is very helpful (if possible) and can give you good information as to whether that horse will match your needs. I’d also recommend that riders try to purchase a horse from a trainer who seems to genuinely care about his/her racehorses. This can make a key difference in how the racehorse views the world in general.
Most racehorses, especially Thoroughbreds, have reputations as being difficult or high strung. My experiences have mostly been the opposite though. I’ve found that going slow with them and giving them time to be a horse makes a huge difference, both physically and mentally, to the ex-racehorses. I’m not a professional trainer or competitive rider — if I can do this, I think almost anyone can (with time, patience and good horsemanship mentors or trainers).
To find out more about Lynn and LOPE Texas racehorse rehabilitation and adoption, follow Lynn on Twitter, and check out her LOPE website!
Lynn has also wrote a book about her experiences with the LOPE horses entitled Beyond the Homestretch. The book will be available in November at bookstores everywhere (and for pre-order now on Amazon). A portion of proceeds will directly support LOPE. For more information on Beyond the Homestretch click here: Beyond the Homestretch Book.
Happy Riding!
Hello Weekend
Well, another week is winding up.This one I found myself looking for the positive in people , events and my surroundings. There is a lot going on the world right now and trying times for many. I decided to focus on vibrant , happy, wonderful things going on and though they don’t get the same press, there is a mountain of good news to be found.:)
In particular my spirits were lifted by the cheery and whimsical works of Maggie Wheakley, Pet Portrait Artist from Ocala , Florida.
A quick trip to her website http://www.maggiesangels.com and I read of her very uplifting philosophy of pets and pet art.I enjoyed a delightful sampling of her works.
On her site Maggie writes she began “maggiesangels” to showcase the animated , colorful, expressive and fun nature of animals. She feels animals are God’s gifts to us and I could not agree more.
Within a few moments of visitng the site I began to feel my childlike nature with all it’s hope and optimism returning. Thankyou Maggie Weakley for brightening our world:)
Another great soul inspiring story comes from @seabiscuit7 aka Horse Belle in California. While we have been sharing tweets about horsey things for awhile it became apparent she is also very involved in Wildlife Rehab.
Running a horse farm this subject is dear to me because every Spring I am called upon to rescue babies of all sorts from trees and field and rafters here. Her insights and knowledge have made that job much easier and I’ve learne d a great deal from her.Many of you may benefit from what she shared with me:)
Wildlife rehabilitation Centers appreciate the volunteers who are so needed to care for these orphan babies. Many of the animals came in due to being shot by BB cuns for sport , some never to fly or be released again. most volunteers caring for these at home need to be licensed.
Thereare some wildlife babies brought in unnecessarily, mainly baby birds and bunnies. Wildlife centers tell anyone finding a healthy baby bird that the mom pushes them out of the nest 2/3 days before they can fly (News to Me!).
These fledglings need time on the ground to develop their muscles and wings for flight. sadly , this makes them vulnerable to cats etc. but more often to well meaning children thinking they are saving an orphan. In up to 90% of these cases Mom is up in the trees and won’t come back until the humans are completely out of sight.Birds have no sense of smell and so will not reject young if they have been touched so if they seem healthy , leave them be.
Rabbits and baby deer ( fawns ) are left all day by moms. Only if they seem sick or injured should they be brought to a wildlife rehabber, Vet or call Animal Control to have them picked up.
At the Wildlife center you will see volunteers feeding baby birds every 30 minutes. It is hard work to be their temporary moms. Baby rabbits , if healthy , are fed formula twice a day.
Other mammals like squirells need to be fed every few hours at first. Rabbits do not and overfeeding is the biggest problem.
Baby birds are often the fastest and easiest to rehab…to get them up and out. It is not a glamorous job but a tough one. The volunteers doing this love animals and want to save a life…as each is precious . Looking eye to eye with a majestic Golden Eagle makes you wonder at creation. further reading /widlife sites http://www.tc.umn.edu/-devo0028/guideto.htm and http://www.rabbit.org (front page wild bunnies.
As you can see everywhere we choose to seek out hope and inspiration it is there for the finding Have a great weekend. Cheers.Libby
Libby’s “Georgian Bay”
Story by Libby Keenan
When my husband and I returned from training in Europe , like any young couple we were nearly broke. Brian was busy career building and in short order I was raising our son Patrick.
Dreams of riding to the top were put on hold for the most part , since funds were sparse and time was short. We moved about a fair bit with ebb and flow of Brian’s job as a Chemical engineer sales rep whose main job was returning water to a usable state after industrial applications. When my cousin called from Midland Ontario saying she had found a horse she thought we might like I barely knew what to say. At last we agreed to take a weekend and make the trip up to see him.He was stabled at the same barn where my cousin boarded her mare. At$1,000.00 6 year old gelding , Belgian /Tb cross who could it was said “jump to the moon”, all I could think was so what’s wrong with him ? I soon found out!!!
He would not load.
He struck.
He bolted.
His feet could not be picked out without being kicked halfway down the barn.
It was said the last blacksmith quit after a concussion.
Hmmm, well at least the price was right!
We drove home in virtual silence… lost each in our own thoughts , the cost of board , the chances we could win him over. We went to pick him up 3 weeks later barely having even spoken to each other about it . It was almost as though speaking openly about him might jinx our hopes.
In early dec. 1986 ,on a freezing day ,with a borrowed trailer and icy roads we bought a gigantic beast of a horse who took 4 hours to load and then proceeded to lean into the feed bin of the trailer and push our truck down every hill between Toronto and Windsor. His canon bones measured a ridiculous 13 1/2 inches around , 9 being considered solid. He was close to a metre wide and with full winter coat looked more like a mammoth than a horse.
There were some pretty obvious plusses. His movement was huge and as regular as a metronome, boom ,boom , boom,boom. He did not seem to be mean but when challenged in any way he struck. Picking his feet was suffice to say , not for the timid….but he seemed friendly enough until one tried mounting. Then he was gone in a flash , unbelievable something that bulky could move that fast.What have we done??was the unspoken undertow of every dinner conversation.
“What’s done is done” Brian said one Saturday morning as we headed to the stable, now lets get our money’s worth! I spent the day getting half way on , feeding “Clyde” a cherry lifesaver e every time and then dismounting , by noon I could get my leg across him and by three was riding around the arena in a rising trot that sent a wind rushing by my ears and a thrill through my whole body. Thus began my 23 year love affair with a horse who looked more like a hippo in a tutu than a Dressage Horse.
For several years I evented him from AnnArbor Michigan to Toronto and back. We did not have the funds for any team trials but made it to preliminary and often placed. Interestingly we came in 1st more often than not in the Dressage phase. At almost every event we were in at least one horse was permanently maimed or killed and I began to worry this could happen to Clyde now renamed “Georgian Bay”, it seemed fitting for such a ruggedly built and vast expanse of horse. I started taking more and more Dressage clinics and finally decided to show him at 1st level in the Detroit Horse show.
Incredibly he came in 2nd in a class of 26 , most of those expensive warmbloods who had arrived in 40 ft. chrome trailers ,not the rebuilt model we were towing. That sealed the deal. We stuck with dressage and showed all the way to 3rd level on a horse whose 10 metre circles had to be 9 because with me up we were a metre wide!
At 21 the massive joints began to stiffen and I decided not to push him through fourth level. Until 28 he taught countless girls how to ride ,steered them to their first trophies and was known far and wide as the “Friendly Giant”. He loved nothing better than to drag girls around show grounds on the lead like tether balls while he checked people’s pockets for treats often nudging them from behind , scaring the wits out of them and sending us into fits of laughter.
At 28 he had a few episodes of knuckling in the fetlocks and I knew it was time for him to retire. He became Sunhall’s barn mascot, general treat hound and squiggly nose. No one came to ride without a treat for old Clydie.
One moring last Dec. I went out to feed . It was frigid out . Despite the cold Clyde was soaked wih sweat and exhausted. He clearly had been cast for several hours. With longe lines and leads , three of us pulling and Clyde giving his best efforts , we could not budge him. He had braced his feet on the door , not the wall as per usual ,the door had given way to his weight and there he lay. I could not stand it, running for the phone to get the vet to end it , I ran into the neighbour coming to plough. It was a miracle. With 3 lines around him and several people pushing, while some stood on the front of the tractor bucket to keep the wheels from going up in the air we managed to get his legs under him. With a mighty heave he was up , shaking and soaked but other than scrapes and bruises , apparently all right . I wrapped him in several blankets and fed him bran mashes every 2 hours till night. Slowly he seemed to come around.
I could not face putting him back in the stall , I didn’t trust he could get up and down there. He spent the winter in the arena and the paddocks. Outside during lessons and in for the night and afternoon break. He was healthy and seemed happy but his strength was gone. His teeth were so long there was nothing left to float. Before the mud and bugs came with the Spring and before his weight started slipping….in early March , I held him sobbing as the vet laid him to rest.
I cannot begin to express the gratitude I have for the privilege of being his person. I have posted three photos , one in his show prime , one this past February at 31 and the view from my living room in march to the row of trees where he is buried.
His picture on my profile keeps him going in my heart always as my envoy , bold , kind and noble. Libby
Robin Shen’s Road to Enlightenment in Horsemanship
Story by Larissa Cox
Robin Shen has spent a long time on the “Road to Enlightenment” with his horsemanship. After soaking up every riding book that he could get his hands on, taking instruction from countless riding coaches, this Enlightened Horseman shares his knowledge with you.
How did you begin your riding career, and where did you find the knowledge to bring you to where you are in your horsemanship today?
I started 40 years ago riding Mother’s retired Race Horses. It’s where I first learned to stay on a horse. Later in college, a fellow student introduced me to the college polo club which rekindled my interest in horses. In the club, there happened to be a difficult-to-handle, club horse. No one wanted to put in the time to correct his attitude. The club president offered him to me for free. I took him, and that’s when the real journey began.
I started taking lessons from anyone who was teaching. I took lessons from traditional pony club instructors, Reiners, Hunter Jumpers, Natural Horsemanship Instructors, Dressage coaches, even Olympians. It didn’t matter what their discipline was, or their status. As long as they knew even one thing I didn’t know, I would pay for a lesson. I also did not care if I had to travel. As long as I could get there by driving in a day, I would hunt them down. This allowed me to access great resources all over California.
I also read every book voraciously and experimented with every technique I could. All this was applied to my poor gift horse and eventually, between all the lessons, the reading, and ultimately, the corrections drummed into me by my ultimate mentor, that Horse, I arrived at where I am today, occasionally dispensing marginal advice to others on a similar journey.
You refer to your methodologies as “Enlightened Horsemanship”. What is the foundation of your training approach, and how are these methods different from typical training today?
I picked the term Enlightened Horsemanship because I liked the play on words. Light is what all riders want their horses to be, and light is what all horses want their riders to be.
As for being different from typical training, I don’t really think of my physical techniques as being different but I am avid about leadership by example, and not by exception or demand. i.e, if you want your horse to be soft, then you must be soft, if you want your horse to strong, start lifting weights, if you want your horse to be supple, start stretching, if you want your horse to have endurance, then get some yourself, and most important, if you want your horse to achieve Haute Ecole, then you better be in school too. Everything that you might want from your horse, you should strive for yourself. I have found tremendous success with this approach.
What are the characteristics of an “Enlightened Horseperson” and how can riders develop these traits?
An Enlightened Rider Leads by Example. This is achieved by striving for everything you might want your horse to be. Strong, supple, collected, fit, and
educated, to say the least.
Enlightened Riders also focus on principles more than the techniques themselves. They will do everything they can to understand why, how, and when a technique is applied rather than simply aping traditions or habits. And finally, Enlightened Riders see the horse and human as a single unit. A partnership in every sense of the word. If the Horse has flaws, the Rider should compensate, and if the human has flaws, the rider may train the horse to make up the difference. And he remembers they saying that while a horse may lend grace, power, and speed, it is only a loan.
What is one ubiquitous habit in the equestrian world that you would recommend riders to stop doing?
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I wish that riders would keep in mind that horses do not learn when an aid is applied but when it is released. If they could remember this, they would release more, and apply less. We have the idea that horses give us freedom, but not if they are in turn constrained. Perhaps it is nothing more than a mindset, but I think it is a powerful difference to consider that a horse should free to collect, rather than restrained into position.
What is one beneficial training approach in the equestrian world that you would like to see riders continue doing?
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Oh there are so many things out there that I love to see. The equestrian world is so full of wonderful people, that the list of what I love about them would be endless. But if you put a crop to my head, I might say that I love to see people cross training. The more riders delve into other disciplines, the more they start to see that while there may be divisions among novices, there is consensus among masters.
Happy Riding!
Hello Weekend
Wow . What a week. Too much to do , no time to do it.Ican’t believe we are coming up on the second show tomorrow , leaving 4.00 Am. , for London , Ontario.
My rider from blog post “The first Show” , came home very happy last time , with a Reserve Champion for the day.
My concern however, since it was her first show is that the success she had seems to have made her a little smug. This is quite normal, so is the lesson that may follow regarding this. She had not worked quite as hard for this show. I think she is suffering from the all too familiar “it’s in the bag” feeling.
It’s very hard to keep your edge after a first place test. There is an overwhelming feeling of having done the job already that makes it very hard to equal or beat that performance. I feel , a big part of showing is understanding the pyschology as it plays out in our minds and transmits to our horses through the process. I caution my riders that they can expect to take about 60% of their riding to the show with them.Time will tell how much of that they have taken to heart.
My second rider is taking her first try at 3rd level recognized. She has been working like crazy and while on quite a small arab , they make a showy pair and should fare quite well.
All of this plus minding the blog while Larissa is away in England checking out stables and schools for her Master’s degree in Equine Science in the fall. Really she left all her darfts ready to go and all I had to do was log in and press publish so a wonderful blogging partner without a doubt.
Hopefully next weekend I will have had time to view some artists and look the past the barn door a bit more but show season seems to take precedence over any sort of personal life. I have a feeling you all understand Cheers and have a great week , we have a terrific interview coming up Monday and then a good story Tuesday and Larissa will come home with piles of pics and fascinating tales to relate I’m sure so check in on us .Libby
Tack n’ Talk Real Rider Story: Meet Paulino Servado
Story by Larissa Cox
Unlike some who naturally feel into horseback riding, Paulino Servado started riding for a different reason:
“It all started with a project that I am currently working on for one of our major clients, the Federation Equestre International (FEI). I work for a digital agency in London called We Are Vi. We are responsible for the global Social Media strategy that will underpin the FEI’s ‘Year of Youth’. It’s aim is to engage young people online and to promote equestrianism to them. We have conducted a ‘discovery’ period that covered the amazing equestrian presence that exists online. Which is how I found out about Tack n’ Talk Blog via Twitter!
We realized that in order to better understand equestrianism, we had to get away from the computers and experience it in real life. So we did!“
Check out all of Paulino’s riding adventures on We Are Vi’s blog, The Chronicles of Beginner Horse Riders.
Have fun, and Happy Riding!
Follow the Rhythm of the Music While You Ride!
Riding Playlist assembled to match the rhythm of your horse!
By Larissa Cox
Does finding the rhythm and tempo of the walk, trot, canter evade you? Do you find yourself posting faster and faster to meet your horse’s trot running under you? Do you come out of corners not knowing where the forward went?
When riding, it is very easy to allow the horse to control the tempo of the gait. You are on top of a breathing, thinking, moving animal. It takes a seasoned rider to control their own body movements to control the pace of movement to the horse, which the novice rider might not have developed yet. Even then, riding a green horse proves difficult, as they may not be able to balance themselves in these gaits.
For these reasons, I believe having an external source that measures tempo proves to be extremely helpful to both horse and rider in improving this foundational element in riding. When a person hears a set tempo, it is natural to follow along with this beat. If you are riding on a horse who changes tempo, hearing a set beat could help with training your body to follow a consistent tempo, rather than simply following the horse’s movements. This could also prove useful for riding a green horse – the rider will not have to think about the tempo itself, but rather moving to match it to allow the horse to follow. Having an external tempo source could also help when training new movements such as the shoulder-in or tempi changes, where the aspect of consistent rhythm and tempo could be lost.
Riding with a metronome is one solution for finding this external tempo. You can set it at whatever beat you like, and it will keep on that beat until you turn it off. What I don’t like about riding with a metronome is it’s monotony: No sound except “beep…beep…beep…beep…beep”. The rhythm is extremely clear, but I find it is a chore after a while to listen to it.
This is why I prefer riding to music! Although some songs change tempo part way, there is a plethora of songs available with a steady, constant tempo that matches the average tempo of a horse’s walk, trot, and canter. Tempo is measured in beats per minute (bpm). An average walk is 108 bpm, an average trot is 152 bpm, and an average canter is 96 bpm. So, you would want to find songs that match these three gaits, and assemble them into a playlist for riding.
An easy way to figure out the tempo of the song is to clap along to it. Time how many claps there was in 10 seconds and times that number by 6. That number will be the bpm of the song.
I use software called “MixMeister BPM Analyzer” to find accurate bpms of all my songs. You can download this here: MixMeister
Upload a music file you would like to analyze using the “Import music files” button, and find out if your favorite songs will be great riding music!
I have assembled a playlist for riding below. You can download these songs from itunes, The New Napster, Rhapsody, or Walmart
Tack n’ Talk Music Playlist:
Walk – 108 BPM
Still Loving You by The Scorpions
Yesterday by The Beatles
Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Need You Tonight by INXS
Trot – 152 BPM
Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton
Mickey by Toni Basil
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
We Got The Beat by The Go-Go’s
What I Like About You by The Romantics
Canter – 96 BPM
Fighter by Cristina Arguilera
I Love Rock n Roll by Joan Jett and The Blackheads
This Love by Maroon 5
Crazy For You by Madonna
The Garden by Mirah
