Just back from mark rashid clinic

ell

it was cool.. here are the bones of it, full report here: http://irishnhsociety.proboards41.co...ead=459&page=1

MARK RASHID JULY 11-13 2008

I was up at the ungodly hour of 5am to catch my flight out of the bowels of Dublin airport (Pier D gate 79, best avoided if possible) to Bournemouth airport, which is positioned in the Tipperary of England. Bournemouth is the dinkiest airport ever a lot like Strandhill airport but without the flying hairdryers.

I picked up my hire car, a lovely blue ford fiesta, started out the right way then forgot to turn off for the clinic and ended up in Christchurch… so I’ve been in Christchurch in both hemispheres now so that was quite cool. A quick u-turn later and I was on the right dual-carraige way going the wrong way, so one more about turn and I was on track towards Romsey…As I drove I noticed a few fairly big fields with a few ponies in them, so it was only later I clocked that it was actually the new forest area… (probably need to improve my geography!)

Anyway, long report follows, so here are the main points which kept coming up throughout the clinic………

1. Breathe properly – not shallow breaths, deep regular breathing. It’s probably common-ish to be working on something energetic on your horse and then stop and find yourself out of breath. This is because you’re not breathing properly! If you breathe properly you can make a huge difference to how your horse goes, from makes spooks smaller to doing much better transitions. Seriously.

2. Exhale on exertions. So when you want to do something, breath OUT.

3. Don’t stare at your horse’s head. I think this is fairly common, and the horses don’t go as well when you do. It’s easy to forget about. Instead pick a point somewhere ands ride towards it.

4. In transitions (especially upwards transitions) go WITH your horse. Do not cue and then sit there and wait for the transition. If you do you’ll get left behind the moment.

5. Focus on what you want. Do not focus on what you do want, or how its all currently a bit messy. Think about exactly what you want it to be like. Imagine its actually happening already in your head, and you’re body will actually unconsciously start to cue your horse to do it. Eg. slow trot, extended trot.

6. Its all about softness. Do not release on a brace.

7. Rider to control the speed, direction and destination. Ever wonder why your horse ends up at the gate? It’s because you were not controlling the direction or destination.

8. Get rid of braces in your horse. Then everything gets a lot easier.

9. Should you work on the rider or the horse? Depends. If horse is a bit messy, need to work on his first usually.

10. The timing of releases and rewards can teach a horse to do anything.

11. Horses are bracy and stuck because we’ve taught them inadvertently to be bracey or stuck through releases at the wrong time, which teaches behaviours we don’t want. Again, do not release on a brace.

13. If you ask for something and it all gets a it messy, asking with a smaller cue can work better.

togster

Whats a brace?

ell

A brace is the opposite of soft. Soft being when everything is available to you from the horse. His body is ready to respond, he is using just enough of the right muscles and he is just totally willing to do whatever you ask, when you ask it. So a brace is when the horse can't do what you want because he's tightened up some muscles that shouldn't be tight, and/or he doesn't get it and/or he'd rather do things the way he always has rather than try the new version you're offering. This covers a mental 'brace' too.

When horse is tensing his muscles against what you ask him to do, and horse then cant bend or soften properly and everything is a bit messy.

So like if you pick up reins for horse to stop, and horse pushes on your hands a little and takes maybe 2 or 3 steps to stop.

If a horse leans on your hands when you ride he's bracing.

If you ask a horse to turn and its more like turning a tank than a ferrari there's probably a brace there too.

If you've issues moving either front legs or back legs on their own.

If horse goes around like a giraffe he's braced all the muslces along the top of his back and in his shoulders.

If your horse doesnt go back very well (ie light as a feather with light ren contact, had not up in air, HQ not jammed, dong a soft 2-gait movement) there is a brace there too.

Basically its when you ask your horse to move someway, and instead of using 3 muscles he uses about 50 muscles, he's bracing.

If he's got these physical braces, he's often a bit stuck mentally too. So when you ask him to do something, you might get the replies:

i dont wanna
ok ill do it but im not happy about it
ok but i'll drag myself around
feck off

etc.

togster

It's well put tbh. I might steel the word brace for myself in giving lesson!

It's very attainable to ride "brace" free. I just like the way you explained it. Thanks

dollydishmop

ell wrote: »

Bournemouth airport, which is positioned in the Tipperary of England.

May I ask you hat you mean by that?

The Bournemouth area is my old stomping ground, and I now live in Co. Tipperary...and, perhaps I'm blind, but I just don't see the similarity?

But, yes I do agree on the airport....the fact that it calls itself Bournemouth *International* always makes me laugh. It did used to be bigger, but in the last 8 years or so they've spent millions, and I do mean millions, on improvements....and as far as I can see they've only managed to make the buildings smaller, and provide less facilities...and the *improvements* are still ongoing....I reckon next time I fly home, it will literally just be one portacabin at the end of the runway :pac: :pac: :pac:

ell wrote: »

so one more about turn and I was on track towards Romsey…As I drove I noticed a few fairly big fields with a few ponies in them, so it was only later I clocked that it was actually the new forest area…

Which is where I used to live, originally the New Forest (IMHO the *BEST* hacking you'll find!), then latterly Romsey...out of interest, *where* was the course being held?

ell

aha.. i kinda meant it was positioned near the bottom middle of england, a bit liek where tipp is in Ireland (ok so i wasnt really exact...)

The equestrian center was hoplands in kings sombourne, a GORGEOUS place I have to say.

There's actually a good book shop in bournemouth airport though, and a pub, which i wasn't expecting And met lovely people over there How did you end up in Tipp?