Equinespirit

11/06/2023

Belangrijk punt! Training the body and mind maakt echt het verschil. Patronen dienen te worden doorbroken. Zoek iemand die je goed kan begeleiden zodat je je paard echt kunt helpen.

Rehab: it conjures up thoughts of bodywork, supplements, red light, magnetic blankets, all the fixings.
It’s fun to get into the toys, and most of us go overboard on the little details.

Those things can be extremely helpful. There is an enormous amount of benefit in supportive treatments, nutrition and other details for helping the horse be healthy

But the horse cannot make true, lasting changes until the human commits to learning to handle and ride to STRAIGHTNESS.

All the therapies in the world won’t fix the problem if the horse is perpetually handled and ridden crooked, without engagement, and in the wrong movement patterns.

Rehab, to be successful, HAS to involve the human taking strides to be straighter, more aware, more fluid and knowing how to guide a horse well.

Don’t let yourself just get caught in the feel good trappings: it’s fun to watch bodywork make the horse feel nice. It’s fun to buy supplements. It’s fun to consult animal communicators and healers and it’s important to keep a broad perspective, BUT

Don’t forget horses body has to learn to have the postural tone to change the problem at the source. All the bodywork and supplements in the world won’t change a bad movement pattern if you keep riding the horse crooked - the only one who can fix that is you-

23/04/2023

Trainingsessie van vanochtend met Correza eindelijk weer es in het zonnetje 😎 hééérlijk!!

24/12/2022

Kersttraining! 🌲💃🤩
Oefenen met de draf en wat kleine stukjes verzameling.

Hele fijne feestdagen!! 🎅🥂

30/10/2022

Ontwikkeling Mac. De bovenste foto is van Mac voordat ik met zijn training begon. De foto eronder is vandaag genomen. Er zit ongeveer 7 weken tussen waarbij ik de focus met grondwerk en longeren heb gelegd op simpele oefeningen voor meer ontspanning en verticale balans (schoudercontrole). Naast dat hij wat kilo's kwijt is, kan hij beter zijn borstkas optillen waardoor hij zijn passen al wat kan verruimen. Een fijne ontwikkeling van deze lieverd 🥰 benieuwd wat de komende maanden brengt!

02/10/2022

Onze nieuwe aanwinst ♡Mac♡!
Na lang zoeken eindelijk gevonden een lieverd die past bij ons, Noa en Correza. Mac is een Connemara ruin van 6 jaar oud. Hij is heel mensgericht, speels, leergierig en af en toe een tikje ondeugend. Wij zijn super blij met deze lieverd en hopen dat hij ook blij is met ons en z'n nieuwe huisje! 🥰

22/06/2022

🙏

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

𝘉𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘩, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

A few years ago, I was studying Equine Biomechanics with Dr. Hilary Clayton in Michigan and Spine/Pelvis Anatomy and Rehabilitation Techniques with Drs Narelle Stubbs and Nicole Rombach two MSU equine science researchers.

Proprioception and motor control were discussed along with the fact that both can be trained and improved which is critical to rehab and sports horse fitness.

On my way back home, I was thinking of in-hand and dressage expert Manolo Mendez's work through this proprioception/motor control/CNS (central nervous system) filter and thinking of how 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 by shaping the horse's body in specific postures/movement (controlled exercise) and by providing visual, auditory and physical cues that stimulate the horse's sensory receptors, provide the CNS with a wealth of new data, connects the entire mind/body and leads to improved balance, posture and movement.

As I watched this and other images of work in progress, here, introducing Spanish walk, I was thinking about how done correctly teaching this movement in a healthy manner enhances the horse's balance, shoulder freedom and range of motion, coordination and focus - and how that fits with what I learned.

With the added bonus of this work holding the possibility of being playful and pleasurable for the horse.

Photo: Dinamico and Manolo Mendez in 2014 doing a jambette and some spanish walk during a demo. The lesser the amount of tension, the freer the shoulders and the more expressive the movement.

Training for wellness's starting point is always de-contraction/relaxation or if you will, a “re-booting" of the horse as a precursor to work be it in-hand, hands-on and under saddle.

This is a degree of softness, balance and power that was not built in a day or a month but over years, carefully and methodically.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺?

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?

𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿.

To make a difference in your horse's health, behavior and performance, simply click on the link below.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/inhandlessonswithmanolo

21/03/2022

Correza begint steeds beter te worden in de oefeningen vanuit de 'werk aan de hand positie'. De vorm is er ongeveer in alle oefeningen. Dus de rest van ons leven samen is het een kwestie van verder verfijnen 😜😅

23/02/2022

The bridge between knowledge🤓 and skill is practise😅. The bridge between skill and mastery👩‍🎓 is time ⏳-Osu-

Nog steeds heel veel te verbeteren, maar ach... Ik heb alle tijd in de wereld en geniet van dit mooie proces om elkaar te trainen 😄

Naast training is er soms meer nodig. Een lieve vriendin heeft Correza laatst super behandeld zodat ze goed in haar vel zit.

🌱de lente is in aantocht👏😄

02/02/2022

Jonge paarden zijn als kinderen. Heb geduld en geef ze een goede jeugd want deze komt nooit meer terug 🥀
In mijn zoektocht naar een derde paard ben ik inmiddels al weer het nodige leed tegen gekomen 😔
Waarschijnlijk daarom ga ik weer voor een jong paard om maar zeker te weten dat aan alle behoeften tegemoet kan worden gekomen 🐎

Young horses and 'the breakers'😐
Ulcers, brachiocephalicus tears, sacroiliac ligament tears, hamstring tears, swollen knee joints, extremely twitchy wither, hoof imbalances and a depressed horse are all the things I saw in a 2 year old yesterday 😞
Why⚠️ - because the owner sent her to someone's she trusted, someone she had worked with, someone with a good reputation in the discipline she has chosen.. 🐴 and I have seen many young horses exactly the same from reputable trainers.
But he pushed the process in 4 weeks and advised the owner she was not soft and was a difficult horse. She arrived back home with bit marks, swellings where the spurs go and generally very sore. 😞
It is our responsibility as owners, trainers, breakers to ask the question of 'why' ❓
Why is a 2 year old resistant or difficult ❓- 🔹️is it because they don't understand our cues - then we need to take more notice, listen and teach more steps politely,🔹️ is it because they physically cannot do what we are asking? - then they need a bodywork assessment and treatment before and after and perhaps during the process. 🔹️ Is it because they are in pain/discomfort from our tack or from ulcers?
It is just not ok,🚫 it takes one incident to cause permanent damage- I have treated many horses where one pull back has resulted in injuries from the poll to the tail that have caused ongoing issues.
That first introduction to beibg tied up, the first introduction to a saddle, the first introduction to a rider, the first introduction to a walk, trot, canter under saddle should be a positive interaction to set the horse up neurologically, mentally, physically for life!! 🐎
This all hits closer to home because I have a 2year old sitting in the paddock that I plan to start myself - do I have any experience with this
- No❗ however I am a very powerful observer who asks a lot of questions and does my best to listen.✔ I educate myself to help her, I recognise pain and discomfort,✔ I have a support group I can call on but if their advice does not make sense to me or is not working I will seek more knowledge. ✔Will I make mistakes - absolutely!❌ It is a big responsibility that I take very seriously and if she "misbehaves" the only person to blame is myself - what have I missed? Where am I not listening? ✅
Horses are honest, they are a product of their experiences so we just need to set up their experiences in the best way we can and teach them how to respond to situations in a calm manner for our own safety and theirs ❤
What can you do for your young horse? 🦄
1️⃣ Ground work - all the cues they will need in the saddle should be first taught on the ground recognising difficulties and addressing them before. So Ellie May struggles to step her R shoulder across - Why? She does not make a relaxed upward transition to trot - why? These need to be addressed before thinking about a saddle.
2️⃣ Body work as a foal and before any starting process especially if you are sending them away.
- Nuchal.lig damage, pelvic asymmetry, rib restrictions are just some of Ellie-May's issues from her paddock accidents.
3️⃣ Are their feet balanced? This will give you a good indication of balance in the body and hence balance in the mind as a balanced body is a balanced mind. I love the words from my trimmer - 'all feet are balanced' which took about 6 months for Ellie-May after I got her. Including bodywork and ground work
4️⃣ Treat them for gut ulcers if you are sending them away. Ulcers can begin within a few hours of stress let alone going to a new environment, with strange people, diet changes and expectations they make not understand. A prevention such as Equigesta pre Digestive EQ, kelato gastro aid.
5️⃣ Take their time not your time. Allow then the time they need. Listen to their challenges by observing their behaviour and give lots of breaks. It may be a 6 month process or a year. Ellie May has started her prep - I throw my arms over her back while I am walking her, i have sat gently on her while she was laying down I am teaching her how to listen to the headcollar and cavesson, how to bend, how to step each leg, how to respond to lighter and lighter signals every day!
6️⃣ The first few rides should be no more than 5 minutes for their mind but also for the health of their back and then we should be getting off every 5 minutes to allow recovery of the back fascia and blood vessels which is also a great mental break as they get used to being ridden more.
7️⃣ Most of all trust yourself, know your abilities. If you have fear get some help. Trust your gut. Do not be forced by anyone to do something that does not feel right as you are the one who is going to have to deal with the long term consequences.
8️⃣ Listen to your horse and do not label them as rude, difficult, naughty etc. Ask why? Is it a product of inconsistently? A product of pain? A product of not knowing?

Remember it is never the horses fault- they are a product of their environment, their experiences, our breeding etc. .🐴

Let's set our horses up for success through our own education and take more responsibility for them.🦄 Teaching from a place of calm and relaxation rather than fear and expectations. 🌱

From the owner in response to this post

"It’s about time welfare takes priority! It has definitely impacted me in an unimaginable way and changed the way I view horse starting, I think I was a product of the industry thinking that horses had to be started as 2 year olds to “get ahead” and be broken in by so called professionals. And the fact that I gave him that horse, with no expectations on time. I didn’t care if it took a year. But I wanted it done slowly and right. And for him to then do it all within a month breaks my heart. I have learnt the hard way that this is not the right path. I want to thank you so much for coming to see my horse yesterday, it meant the absolute world to me and her and to have someone confirm what I already knew, that she wasn’t a “bad” or “naughty” horse but in pain, brought me to tears!
I only wish I could turn back time but I’m so glad shes on the right path to feeling better."

10/01/2022

Apport! 😆
Ik oefen graag in vrijheid en met positieve bekrachtiging en voedselbeloning. Niet alleen is het erg leuk, het is ook nuttig. Het helpt je paard sneller te begrijpen (paard komt in een 'learning state of mind') wat je vraagt en het is ook mogelijk om hiermee paarden van veel angsten af te helpen. In het voorjaar🌷wil ik graag een workshop met dit onderwerp organiseren 😀