Let's go!

Spring is here—it’s the perfect time to sign up for an individual CEGA session for some fine-tuning as you head out on the trails or into the show ring!  Or be sure to join us for our upcoming session, Stress-Free Riding at Home and Away, to be  held at The Equestry in New Haven, VT on Sunday 4/29. Our goal is to help you and your horse get the most out of your time together!

The harder we try, the less we accomplish?

Yesterday, during my lesson. I rode a horse that I have ridden a few times now.  He can be lazy, and requires a bit of leg/incentive to keep his energy moving forward without falling on his forehand.  I found myself working harder and harder to keep him going. I gripped with my legs and used my stick and gripped harder with my legs. I collapsed my body, so I could use more leg.  I began paying less and less attention to being in the moment, as my frustration began to rise.  I'm sure you can recall a time when you just wished your horse would do what you asked.  Well here's the thing, this horse is all about ease and flow and how you use your energy.  I of course had totally lost that and needed reminding about how this horse would be able to hear what I was asking for.
Finally after trying REALLY hard.  I was reminded of energy and flow and how if I were to become clearer and more fluid perhaps I might get more from this horse.  OMG what a life lesson.  Sometimes I get so focused on trying to create something that I forget about what it is I am really looking to do or have.  When I take the time to be in the moment, and stay with my horse with clear intent and energy my ride, my life, my work all flow with greater ease. Where could doing less with greater clarity be more in your life?
Barb

Communication

Communication is an interesting topic, don’t you think?

How do you communicate? How do you know if someone heard what you meant to say? How do you know if you understood what someone said to you? What do you do when the body language or tone is different than the words that were used? What happens when you don’t want to hear what the other person has to say? Do you listen to what the other person has to say or are you busy preparing what you want to say next?

We interact with people and animals on a daily basis and we rarely think about how we do it. While preparing for our next clinic, I have been reviewing the processes of how I learned to communicate with animals. The thing that keeps on surfacing for me is that there are so many ways to receive and interpret information. Every person is different and every animal is different. It took practice and a willingness to go with the first thing that popped into my head without second guessing myself or editing what I got. I studied with Penelope Smith and fortunately for me she had developed a system that allowed people in the class to practice and then she would provide feedback about what we got. So,…. That is what we have put together to introduce the topic.

Do you believe it is possible to communicate with an animal? Regardless of what your answer is, if you have animals in your life you have been communicating with them. How do you know: What they like and don’t like? When they want to eat? When they need to go out? When they are mad at you?

What about taking it to the next level? Would you like to listen to what they have to say? I was a bit surprised to find out how knowledgeable and conscious animals are. I am grateful for their generous contributions to the world. Hope you can join us on Sunday for the workshop.

Happy Spring

Barb

Finding Quiet

Lately I have been able to find this quiet place in my head where I have stopped beating myself up.  I love it! I am finding comfort in a place I did not know existed.  I have spent a lot of my life trying to figure out what everyone else wanted me to be.  Now, I am at the beginning of asking myself, (not someone else)  how I want to be and what I want in my life. I am letting go of when the other shoe will drop or the idea of when  the pain will begin because I did not do "it" right. I am transforming the fears that have run my life into possibilities. I am willing to step into something new, something I have always kept myself from doing, because the infamous "they" said "that will never work".  Now I am asking myself how can I make it work.
What noise lives in your head?  How does it affect your life? How does it affect your ride, your horse?
Let us know what's happening in your world.
Enjoy the moment
Barb

February has turned into such an interesting month.  The cold snaps that chill to the bone and the warm snaps that breath in the beginning of spring.  Spring is the time of reawakening for me.  The time when I begin to look at what I want to do next.  This year I want to develop my business and do more coaching.  I want to let go of the thinks that have been keeping me from moving forward.  I want to ride more and have more fun.  Now is the time for me to figure out how to make it happen before time passes by and i don't know where it went.
What is your plan for the up coming season?  Have you chosen what you want in your life?  Have you created a plan to make it happen?
Barb

rebuilding my body

Where to begin, it is always the question that pops up for me when I decide I need to make a change. Some changes just seem to happen and others need some conscious attention. Lets face it as I have aged and there were other things on my plate I neglected my body. So..... I have for several years now been putting it back into place. I could spend hours talking about the dysfunctional array of things that have occurred with in my being. I could beat myself up for having let this happen or making this happen. Or I could find some gratitude for how generously my body has put up with how I abuse it. Any way not wanting to spend hours ruminating on the past, I have recently stumbled on to some fabulous and easy exercises that are creating huge changes in my body. My hips are straightening and opening, which has mad significant changes in my riding. My back is realigning and my arms are becoming independent of my shoulder girdle. (did you say independent aids). How can this be possible after years of yoga and palates etc.
Simple targeted exercises re aligning the body and helping it to remember its own kinesthetic ability. Cool! It is called the Egoscue method and it is just another thing of the many millions out there and it is working for me. What is happening in your body that you thought you could not change? What if you could? Would you be willing to commit some time to yourself and improve your riding? What would it take for you to have more of what you want? Take a chance and believe in your ability to make a change in order to have more of what you want. If your happy and life is all you want it to be, no need.
Barb

Check out the upcoming workshop on creating greater connection with your horse and your body on Feb 26th. www.cegavt.com

True connection

Hi, everyone.
We have all hard a great deal about connection as it pertains to training your horse.  I’d like to get you thinking about your horse as a beautifully engineered marvel of design, and the true connection in your horse’s body, from nose to tail, from head to hoof.  

Here’s a brief overview:  your horse’s HEAD is connected to his FEET, from JAW muscles (such as the omohyoidius inside the jaw), which connect to  muscles of the NECK (the cephalic muscles, for example), which connect to the muscles of the CHEST (some of which make up the bicep complex), which connect to the FOREARM (the carpi muscles), which connect to the HOOF (via the flexor and extensor muscles and tendons).  

Think about it: head to neck to chest to forearm to hoof.  None of these parts operates independently.  What does this mean? Any tension or imbalance or strain in one part, will of necessity have an adverse effect on the rest of the system.  A strain in one area means compensation in another area.  Restriction of movement in any  area is going to lead to problems, some obvious, some subtle.  

The best thing you can do for your horse?  Allow him to carry himself freely and in a relaxed way.  A tense horse is not using his muscles to their full advantage.  Look at your horse when he is moving, and pay attention to how he feels when you ride him.  Do his strides feel even or choppy?  Do his hooves make the same sound when each hoof makes contact with the ground?  How does he carry himself?  If you’re not sure what you’re seeing, ask someone you trust to help you.  Asking questions doesn’t mean a lack of wisdom, it means that you know enough to know that you need to learn more.  

Our horse’s bodies are truly wonderful.