The Stable Manager

Focus on welfare. A few pointers.

+ Stop using a whip on your horse to generate impulsion or change direction or stride length. That's what your seat, and legs are for.

+ stop wearing spurs because your legs 'aren't strong enough'. If your legs aren't strong enough to stay in place and deliver a correct and effective leg aid then the risk is that your horse will be responding defensively to the spur. Spurs should be the goal and reward for being an expert!

+ Stop drilling your horse's for hours. 20mins in the arena is plenty. It ensures horses return to the arena looking to the next challenge and can enjoy their success with a shorter session.

+ Don't underestimate how their fitness to affects their performance, so build this, their foot finding ability and keep their interest by hacking.

Excellent description.

I'm hoping there's one on use of the whip as well.

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬: 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 🐴 Understanding rein contact is crucial for ensuring our horses' well-being. Rein contact refers to the pressure applied to the reins by the rider to maintain steady communication with the horse. It is essential for higher-level dressage and jumping, offering the rider a fine degree of control and serving as one of the first steps toward collection.

Contact should be light and elastic, moving with the horse and applying just enough pressure to prevent the reins from sagging.

At Pony Club, we emphasise pressure-release training, teaching our members why heavy contact or unrelenting pressure is detrimental to both the horse's welfare and training.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲
Heavy rein contact can be a sign that the horse is in a state of flight response, indicating that if you were to release the reins, the horse might try to run away. Constant heavy contact will make the horse less responsive to the stopping aids, and is bad for his welfare. Consequences include:

▪️ 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻: Prolonged pressure on the sensitive areas of the horse’s mouth can lead to bruising, sores, and chronic pain. Over time, this can cause the horse to become resistant or fearful of the bit, creating a negative association with being ridden.

▪️ 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀: Unrelenting pressure can lead to a range of behavioural problems, including head tossing, bit evasion, and bucking. These are often signs that the horse is trying to escape the discomfort and communicate its distress.

▪️ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: If the horse cannot find relief from the pressure, it may eventually give up trying to respond to the reins altogether, entering a state of learned helplessness. This condition results in a horse that appears unresponsive, but in reality, it has simply become disengaged due to consistent discomfort.

▪️ 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Heavy rein contact restricts the natural movement of the horse’s head and neck, which are crucial for balance. This can lead to stiff, unnatural gaits, increased tension throughout the horse's body, and even long-term musculoskeletal issues.

Ultimately, these issues compromise the welfare of the horse, highlighting the importance of maintaining light, clear, and consistent rein aids to promote a positive, stress-free riding experience. By understanding the principles of rein contact and the consequences of unrelenting pressure, we can ensure our horses remain happy, healthy, and responsive partners.

Time for an update.

I've had an incredibly busy last few months. Whilst I've been doing less riding coaching, probably due to the weather I've been doing a huge amount of Biology Tutoring, and home learning support. To support this I have completed a Counselling Skills course, and together with my extensive pastoral knowledge and passion for supporting learning difficulties and Neurodiversity to get back into learning I'm looking forward to the future..

However the last week has been challenging. After a bizarre episode of being unable to speak coherently, being admitted to hospital with a suspected stroke, it transpires that I have a tumour in my brain. So at the moment things are on hold.

I don't know what the treatment will be but I do know these guys and my amazing family and friends will play a huge part in it.