.:EQUUS:.

So a lot of people in business are familiar with life coaches these days.  They seem to have created themselves a little niche.  Well, to take things further, you can specifically get a horse related life coach!

Because riding can be a full time career in today’s society, it’s not so surprising that others have made a career out of coaching riders.

Chances are that they don’t just coach those wanting to become professionals either.  Even learning to have fun on your horse while being safe can be goals to work towards that can be progressed with the aid of a coach.

Whether one is looking into coaching - and the sort that is specifically related to the equestrian - or looking to acquire a horse related life coach, there are a couple of qualities that should stand out.

The equestrian life coach should:

• have experience with horses
• be familiar with the stresses of competition and peak performance
• have skills, experience and/or qualifications with regards to coaching
• be familiar with the psychology of people and/or horses

Perhaps the best horse coach is the one who has been there, done that.  This doesn’t necessarily make them good at communicating with others how to achieve their goals, however.  The successful life coach is a true people person.

Some links worth checking out:
Jane Savoie Dressage
Equestrian Life Coaching

“Show me your horse and I will show you what you are.” - British proverb

tag: horseriding, coaching, instructing, competition, riding with purpose

New Years weekend I visited the parents and checked out a bookshop nearby with mum. There were many, many non fiction books for the horse enthusiast but not looking to spend too much, I was rapt to find a couple of the Thoroughbred series on sale and a couple by author Terri Farley.

Familiar with her Phantom Stallion series, I was interested to find that in 2008 the two books that were in the store were created as what seems to be a spinoff series. Phantom Stallion Wild Horse Island is set in Hawaii, the main character being young Darby.

In book seven of the series, Mistwalker, Darby is living with her grandfather in Hawaii on his 2000 acre ranch, ‘Iolani Ranch. Her mother is a well known actress and when younger had a falling out with her father, causing strain between the two. When Darby’s mother comes for a visit, the young girl concocts a plan to convince her mum that ‘Iolani Ranch is the place for them.

Jonah Kealoha, her grandfather breeds and trains purebred quarter horses on his ranch and is against the idea of other breeds and types – especially paints – on his farm.

Darby has acquired herself a wild filly in the form of Hoku - which means star. Aware that she has a lot to learn, Darby spends many hours with her filly, training and building a relationship with her as well as improving her riding skills on other reliable horses.

While out riding in the rain forest, Darby comes across a beautiful paint mare. With the impending arrival of her mother to the island, after stumbling across her mother’s diary as a teenager, Darby questions if the paint mare might be the answer to convincing her mother that Wild Horse Island is the place for them.

Set in gorgeous surroundings with interesting culture, characters, and the Hawaiian language thrown into the mix and of course horses, Wild Horse Island is an exciting read.

Author: Terri Farley
http://www.phantomstallion.com/author.shtml
Fiction
In my library? Definitely! It’s great to see Terri Farley working on another series with great characters and culture. An enticing read for early teens.

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Terri Farley

A gift from some mates, it only took a day or so to devour this book that is well suited to early teens. Living in Australia is thirteen year old Shelby, her mother, father, two younger brothers and pony Blue.

Shelby lives and breathes horses. Having ridden for a few years, she daydreams about being recognised by those at Pony Club for the great rider that she is.

Concluding that it’s her skewbald pony Blue that is holding her back, Shelby responds to a ‘for sale or swap’ ad in a horse magazine. Very quickly things escalate once she swaps the reliable Blue for a gorgeous mare named Maxshine Celtic Copper.

With her newly acquired horse, a gorgeous brown mare with a ‘three-barrelled name’, Shelby is convinced everyone at Pony Club will recognise her capabilities and she’ll be put up to the next riding level. What Shelby doesn’t bank on is Brat (Maxshine Celtic Copper) being a lot more flighty and less reliable than Blue.

To top things off, Brat’s stunning brown coloured coat washes out with shampoo, leaving the young woman questioning the actual origins of the mare she acquired. The pieces fall together and Shelby soon realises she has a stolen horse. Worry and fear take over when she also realises that her reliable pony Blue could be anywhere.

For Sale or Swap takes the reader on a chase as Shelby and her friends work to catch the horse thief and return Brat to her rightful owner. The catch is even if they manage to do so, there’s no guarantee of Shelby being reunited with her trustworthy Blue.

A good read for the pre-teen or early teens, For Sale or Swap nicely catches the obsession that young girls have with horses – who’s to say anything else matters, really?

Alyssa Brugman
www.alyssabrugman.com.au
Fiction
In my library? Indeed. Given as a gift, the first in the series provides a great introduction to a well-suited horse and rider.

“Horse terminology… Reluctant = Sale Comes with Title Deeds to Sydney Harbor Bridge.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Alyssa Brugman

So a recent article I was writing with regards to the identification of a horse led me to linking to a page on Lipizzaner’s with regards the breed being specifically known for their grey or white stallions.  These gorgeous animals are on display at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna which for over 430 years has practiced classical equitation in the ‘Renaissance tradition of the haute école’.

The way the horse naturally moves is studied and the objective of classical equitation as well as the cultivation of the highest possible levels of haute école elegance that the horse is capable of.

For a rider, working and performing at such a school may be the perfect aspiration.  There are pre-requisites or requirements when it comes to qualifying for such a position.  Those who are successful are invited to an interview and possibly asked to give a riding demonstration.

Requirements for an eleve or cadet:

- Minimum age: 17 years
- Nationality of an EU member state
- Athletic and creative abilities
- Body height should not exceed 170cm
- In relation to the upper body, the legs should appear long
- A slim physique is required
- Fluent German and a good command of English
- A strong affinity to horses and basic riding skills

The successful eleve will then undertake a four year training program.  To become a rider the training can cover a 10 year duration.  In 2008 the first female cadets were taken in, breaking the all male tradition.

Indeed, qualifying as a cadet sounds like a lot of work but so very much worth it!  For the avid horse rider, perhaps such a position is worth looking into.

“A horse is an animal not a machine and is only as good as it’s rider.”

tag: cadetship, horseriding, Vienna, Spanish Riding School

I’ve recently discovered in town a gorgeous bookshop called the Already Read Bookshop. Now on the weekends where I’m working and have a gap in the middle of the day where time needs to be spent, it’s not uncommon for me to head into town and browse through the bookshelves of this shop that sells on old library books – at a rather cheap price.

Last visit my poor workmate thought if she helped to find horse books with me, it’d mean exiting the premises quicker. I figured it just gave me more time to seek out horse books! A few of the latest acquisitions included three from the library of Thelwell.

Thelwell’s Riding Academy, which is based on a series that appeared in the Sunday Express, provides advice in a comedic way with regards to having a pony. Many who get a first pony for their children will be able to relate the cartoons and quotes that accompany them.

This book covers:
- The Mount
- First principles
- The Academy
- Care of your pony
- Safety precautions
- What to wear
- Good manners
- Academy pictures

A very entertaining read with over a hundred pages of cartoons and accompanying text, Thelwell focuses on the sense of humour that is required of those owning and working with horses.

The opening cartoon involves a picture of a riding instructor with a dozen young female students, coaching them on confidence with regards to being around horses. The picture itself has an extremely angry looking pony below a stable block. Seated safely above, high on the roof are the twelve girls and their instructor who is saying, “Remember what I told you girls, never let him see you’re afraid.”

Any Thelwell book I think would be a valuable addition to one’s horse book collection and I was rapt to find some in this second hand bookstore. For those seeking out any of Norman Thelwell’s books, a visit to eBay may be the way to go.

Author: Norman Thelwell
http://www.thelwell.org.uk/
Fiction - cartoon
In my library? Indeed! Along with Thelwell Country and Thelwell Angels on Horseback and Elsewhere.

“Never try out novel ways of getting into the saddle… you’ll enjoy quite enough variety – getting out of it.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Norman Thelwell