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

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

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

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

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

Instead, get focused and positive and outline perhaps some steps with your goals to help you work steadily toward them. After all, you do have twelve months in which to achieve them. This shouldn’t however stop you from planning now what your first step is going to be.

Of my 2010 resolutions only a couple are horse related. I had planned to finish my novel this year and for the first half of the year was consistently setting aside time to write and adding more to the novel.

The past few months however have been hectic and I’ve let other things become a priority. I have however been jotting down further ideas for the story and sporadically writing chapters but did find with a new job and less days off, it wasn’t so feasible to spend half a day working on it.

Consequently, this is a goal that I’m turning over to next year. One step that will need to be taken early is to determine another day in which I can specifically set aside time and write.

The other specific horse goal for 2010 relates to the fact that this year I started a Bachelor of Equine Science. I will have four subjects to get through for 2010 with the course being done via correspondence part time.

My goals for next year with relation to my course involve achieving at least a credit in each subject and familiarising myself with the textbooks before I’m required to work from them.

What are your goals for 2010? Have a think and write them down. Following that, tell someone about them! It makes you accountable and they can check up with you how things are going. If wanting to practically be able to put into place things that can help you achieve your goals for 2010, check out my article at Suite101, How to Resolve to Succeed.

Merry Christmas to all and blessings for the New Year!

“Know your limits, but never stop trying to exceed them.”

Tags: New Year’s Resolutions, horse goals 2010

Julie-Anne Gower along with her husband Clint run Wild Coast Horse Trails on the East Coast of South Africa.  I spent five weeks of absolute heaven learning, riding and breathing horses with them.  Julie-Anne has kindly answered some questions about their trail riding business.

What services are offered by Wild Coast Horse Trails?
We provide horse riding holidays for horse loving people, see notes on Wild Coast Horseback Adventures for all the details.

- 1 to 12 week hands on working horse riding holiday at Sunray farm
- 6 night 7 day Wild Coast Horse Safari
- 8 night 10 Day Surf & Turf Safari
- 1 to 14 day Castaway trails - custom made trails
- Day rides along the beach
- Torstone Sport Horses

How did you get into this equine related business?
I kept seeing other people trying to do this type of thing, and in my opinion they were not getting it right. Finally, we had a cash flow crisis, and a field full of horses, and I put a trail itinerary together, created a web site and waited for a year before my first booking! I was in the right place and the right time and the horse trail agents picked me up and started selling our rides.

The Gap year program developed first of all as a work for board arrangement, but this presented only problems and so I decided to charge riders for staying with us. The demand for this type of experience has grown into a full time business and we now take up to 8 riders at the farm at any one time. We have converted the old farm house into a comfortable cottage for the riders to live in, and developed the whole thing into an extended riding holiday. We have a full time yard manager who oversees the daily routine and also instructs the riding and schooling sessions.

I started breeding horses because I thought that it was a good idea at the time - I am still trying to make money out of it!!
The great thing now is that we can bring our own bred horses into the trails - and that really is rewarding. My dream is to produce competitive endurance horses that will be sold overseas. We are on the cusp of this, as the perfect prospect has to be about 8 years old and have completed 3 x 80 km rides and at least 1 x 120km competition - it’s a very long term project, but we are lucky enough to be able to use the up and coming youngsters in the trails as part of their training - and they are earning their keep at the same time.

How much of your day/week is hands on with horses?
I don’t spend as much time as I would like to! I do all the guiding for the trails, and that is very hands on with the horses. At the farm, I tend to be organising and checking rather than actually doing these days

In this field is it possible for someone to be a full time professional, earning a livable income?
To earn a living from horses, it really depends on you. Most day ride operations do ok if they are in the right place and have a consistent flow of tourists to support them. They drive old cars, and the house needs painting, but they are doing what they love!

What are the general steps taken to be able to provide such a service to others?
The overnight trail scenario is highly competitive. You have to select your market carefully, and if like me you are remote and rely on international tourists, you have to have representation in Europe and the UK.

Any advice for those interested in pursuing this line of work?
Don’t expect to make it straight off. It takes time and effort - you are planning and working with agents a year in advance for the marketing - so if you start now, only expect returns over the next 1 to 2 years. In the mean time you have to feed and care for the horses and keep them in tip top condition.

Besides being totally horsey and you must be able to ride VERY well and enjoy looking after people, get some field guiding qualification, and some hospitality training. Also, get experience in leading trails with all levels of riders.

Is there anything else with horses you’d love to learn about or try?
I would love to meet and do some work with Richard Maxwell or Monty Roberts. I would love to do a course and improve my technique with training young horses etc.

Favourite horse memory?
When my old man Moonlight comes to me in the paddock, touches me with his nose and says hello; after all the training, sweat, and tears, winning endurance races! Also, having a young horse that you have bred, trained and sold on - do well and bring joy to their humans

Future goals?
I want to travel the world doing horseback trails and holidays To build my horse riding holidays into a profitable business so that I can go on riding holidays!

Best thing about your sport/profession?
I had a client a few weeks ago who came back to do her second trail with us. At 74 years old - what a dynamic woman - she is an inspiration to me in that I can now envision myself still riding for another 40 years! The horses have taught me to be authentic with myself and to others, do everything with love and respect.

“We have fast horses for fast people, gentle horses for gentle people, and for people who don’t like to ride, we have horses that don’t like to be ridden.”

Tags: Wild Coast Horse Trails, horse beach riding, horse riding holiday, trail riding, Julie-Anne Gower, South Africa

Here’s another book that was required reading for the Equine Behaviour subject I undertook as part of my course this year. Honestly I haven’t enough interest in equine behaviour, perhaps because a lot of it is someone’s theory rather than proven fact.

Andrew McLean’s text takes a different approach. As a zoologist and someone who in 2002 was completing his PhD in animal psychology, McLean focuses on explaining the natural mechanisms behind their training system based on how an equine learns. Following this is a series of defined practical tasks to be carried out in hand and under saddle. Each task has a specific goal and technique.

The McLean training system focuses on seven qualities required of the horse that will encourage the establishment of a disciplined individual. These qualities are progressive, being:

• basic attempt
• obedience
• rhythm
• straightness
• contact
• engagement
• proof

McLean suggests that any issue that arises while training a horse can be brought back to an inconsistency in one of these qualities. Consequently the problem can be fixed by going back in these progressive qualities and fixing the issue before again moving forward.

The book is very straightforward and logical, easily explaining why the training process works and how to go about fixing particular issues with regards to the horse’s response.

The success of both Andrew and Manuela McLean with regards to the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre and their riding achievements provides physical proof of this training system working. This book and other training resources can be found through their website.

Authors: Andrew and Manuela McLean
http://www.aebc.com.au/
Non Fiction
In my library? Not yet; I borrowed this one from a friend for the subject but would love to add it in the future as a training resource.

“A well trained horse isn’t less exciting than a wild one.”

Tag: horse story, equine book review, equine author, horse library, horse writing, Andrew McLean, Manuela McLean

I am rather a fan of the fact that the majority of ads on the site do tend to be focused around individual user’s interests, however and this seemed to be the case with an ad for Suite101.com.  A site that covers many topics, Suite101 is made up of a myriad of freelance writers who are contracted to write a minimum of 10 articles every 3 months, ensuring fresh content is published often.

A fan of writing and finding the idea of being paid to write in a roundabout way, I decided to check out the site, finding to my delight that there is a horse section in amongst the Plants and Animals category.

Often looking for new writers, I applied, submitting two examples of my writing that related to specific topics I was interested in writing about and had experience with.  Once the application was approved it was then a question of making sure the formatting of each article suited the uniformity of the site to keep things consistent and professional in looks.

My first article, the Stages of Foaling has been published recently on the site and I am working on others to add.

If you’re interested in flexing your writing skills with regards to horses, consider looking at this site, not as a means to earn an income but to get exposure while writing about a topic you love.  There is however the potential to earn income, with the more you write increasing your chances of this.

“As old wood is best to burn; old horses to ride; old books to read; old wine to drink; so are old friends most trysty to use.” - Leonard Wright

tag: horse literature, writing equine, horse articles

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Otherwise known as global warming, climate change has resulted from changes in weather patterns on account of increases to the Earth’s average temperature.

Environmental effects predicted include:
- Sea level rise
- Changes in rainfall patterns
- Changes in agricultural yields
- Increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events
- Water scarcity in some regions
- Increased precipitation in others
- Adverse health effects due to warmer temperatures

As people who are often working outdoors and reliant on particular weather patterns and rainfall as well as production of hay and grains, climate change is a concern for horse owners, workers and breeders.

Climate change is caused by increases in greenhouse gases from activities such as land clearing, burning fossil fuels and intensive agriculture.

Consider looking at the Blog Action Day ‘Take Action’ page to see some ways in which you can act with regards to this issue.

Global Warming at Wikipedia
Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Victoria, Australia

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Last year Blog Action Day focused on Poverty - check out the Equus post ‘Horses = …poverty?’

“I have seen soldiers panic at the first sight of battle, and a squire pulling arrows from his body to fight and save his dying horse. Nobility is not a birthright, but is defined by one’s actions.” - Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves

tag: blog action day, horses and climate change, greater cause