FEBRUARY 2013 THE RIDER /39
Born to feel?
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~Confucius
Although he was probably philosophizing over life in general, Confucius might well have been writing about “feel” in his quote above. Just replace the word ‘wisdom’ with ‘feel’ and you will get a generally good idea of the path.
Born to feel?
Many people say that it is impossible to learn how to ‘feel’ in horseback riding. They say either you have it, or you don’t. They insist that people who can ‘feel’ are essentially born with it, and others will never find it regardless of their attempts. But you know this cannot possibly be true. You have likely watched as people improved their riding skills over time and wit- nessed for yourself that (correct) practice does make perfect (or at the very least, significant improvement).
Of course, certain requirements have to be in place: - you need regular instruction. - you must commit to consistent practice.
- you must be willing to accept and respond to repeated feedback. - you must have the intrinsic motivation to strive for more at all times.
Most importantly, you need to have the openness of heart and mind to ‘find’ that feel – especially for the first time, since initial- ly, you will not particularly know what the feel feels like!
How to find ‘feel’? Do like Confucius said!
First, you must start with an idea. Before you even know what to feel for, you must get some input from a more experienced person. Perhaps you have an instructor who puts emphasis on describing the feel for you. Maybe you can read about the feel from an expertly written book or article.
The difficulty about this stage is that you don’t know what you don’t know… and to break the cycle, you need to reach out to someone who does know. The road to knowing (or feeling, in this
case), is trusting that there is something “out there” that you don’t even know exists! Then you need the teaser idea to get you started, to start (figuratively) groping around to find that feel. Second, watch, learn and do. There is no learning that is more successful than having a chance to watch someone ride, and then trying it yourself. Imitate! Ideally, you would be able to ride in the company of other experienced riders and try to mimic their actions. Even better, ride with your instructor and listen to her as she explains what she is doing, what she is feeling, and what the end result looks like in the horse.
Then it is your turn to try and search for the feeling that will produce the final result.
There is one way you will know you’re on the right track: your horse will tell you. In every case, if you discover that your horse releases tension in movement, becomes bouncier, more ener- getic, more with you – you will know you did something right. Unfortunately, you will have to practice many times before
you get the first taste of correct feel. At long last, after your instructor explained the skills, and then the feel, you might get a brief moment when it all falls together – and you FEEL! Then, it all falls apart again!
Now you need to develop experience. After you get it that one time, you might not get it again for a while. You have to trou- ble-shoot – hit and miss – until you find the feel the second time. Each time, it gets easier to repeat, and you can duplicate the feel sooner and more frequently. Sometimes, you will go through a stage where you simply cannot reproduce the feel (and result) without your instructor’s steady guidance from the ground. You might be successful for the last twenty minutes of the lesson, but not be able to reproduce the skill on your own.
It WILL get worse before it gets better. As Confucius indi- cates, learning through experience can at times be “bitterest!” It is very tempting to do the same thing over and over and hope for things to change! Don’t we all want to stay in a forever state of comfort and ease?
However, reaching forward into unknown territory is exactly what is needed for us to become better riders. It is true that practic- ing over and over, making mistakes and going through confusion and frustration makes life difficult. There is no doubt that listening to your horse’s complaints while you go through your learning curve can be discouraging. However, rest assured that there is no other way to new learning and skills without discomfort. Be patient. Getting to a point where the feel becomes part of your muscle memory takes time and repetition. Persist through the uncoordinated moments and keep searching for that evasive feel. It really does get easier with time and practice.
As you ride with better feel, you will be able to respond immediately to your horse’s needs, be able to avoid problems before they occur, and be present in the ride but out of your horse’s way at the same time. And, to top it off, your horse will thank you for it! Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and writer of the blog, Horse Listening. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at
www.HorseListening.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in general.
Para-Equestrian Canada Announces 2013 Election Results
Ottawa, Ontario, January 23, 2013 - Para-Equestrian Canada is pleased to announce the 2013 election results for positions on the Canadian Para-Equestrian Committee (CPEC).
Victoria Andrew of Ottawa, ON, Elizabeth Quigg of Stouffville, ON, and Sharon Buffitt of Pointe Claire, QC have been elected to the CPEC for a two-year term begin- ning in February 2013. Andrew was one of Canada’s first certified equestrian coaches, and she is presently working with Equine Canada as a Master Learning Facilitator and Master Evaluator for the coaching program. She also was a consultant responsi- ble for supporting the instructors at the Therapeu- tic Riding Association of Ottawa Carleton (TROtt) for several years. In 2009, Andrew joined the TROtt Board and in 2012 was elected as the Chair.
Quigg has been chef d’équipe of the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team and the chair of the Para- Equestrian Canada High Performance Committee since 2005, and has been instrumental in the devel- opment of the Para-Eques-
trian Canada high perfor- mance program. In addition to her experience with para-dressage, Quigg was also the chef d’équipe of the Canadian Olympic Dressage Team in 1996 and Ontario’s Young Rider Dressage Team from 1997 to 2002.
Buffitt, a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team in para-dressage at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, has been re-elected to serve a second term as the Athlete Representative to the CPEC.
of Langley, BC, Kendra Flynn Stronach of Brook- lin, ON, Elizabeth McMullen of Palgrave, ON, and Jessica Rhinelander, originally of Newfoundland but current- ly based in Wellington, FL. The Committee will elect a chairperson from amongst its own members at the first meeting in February.
About Hi-Pro Feeds
“I would like to extend my appreciation to the outgoing CPEC mem- bers Jane James and Gwynne Rooke, who are both long-term, valued members of the CPEC and have made great contribu- tions to the sport’s growth and success,” said Amie O’Shaughnessy, director of Para-Equestrian at Equine Canada. “The CPEC is also very fortunate to be wel- coming Victoria Andrew, Sharon Buffitt, and Eliza- beth Quigg as the newly elected members, as we prepare for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Nor- mandy, France.”
The new members will join Lauren Barwick
Hi-Pro Feeds is the official animal feed spon- sor of the Canadian Para- Equestrian Team. For near- ly 40 years, Hi-Pro Feeds been proudly serving the livestock feeding and ranching industries. With its ProForm Equine Feed line, Hi-Pro easily meets the needs of the Canadian equine, whether high per- formance or recreational mount. Hi-Pro Feeds oper- ates facilities in Canada through a framework of plants, dealers and loyal customers. For more infor- mation, please visit
www.hiprofeeds.com.
About Para-Equestrian Canada
Para-Equestrian Cana- da is the Equine Canada committee responsiblefor developing programs for
athletes with a physical dis- ability, and implementing the Para-Dressage high per- formance program. Para- Equestrian is one of Cana- da’s most successful inter- national disciplines, achieving an individual gold medal and an individ- ual silver medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games, as well as two individual bronze medals at the 2004 Para- lympic Games.
About Para-Equestrian Sport
Para-Equestrian sport provides riders with a physical disability the opportunity to compete against other riders with similar abilities. Riders are given a “Grade” based on their functional ability, and are judged on their riding skill against other athletes of the same Grade. There are five grades of competi- tions in dressage, with Grade IA representing the more severely impaired rid- ers, and Grade IV repre- senting the least severely impaired riders. Many Para-Equestrian athletes also compete alongside able-bodied competitors in Equine Canada competi- tions. At the grass roots level, Para-Equestrian
encompasses a number of different disciplines, while the international stream focuses only on Para-Dres- sage. For more informa- tion, please visit
www.equinecanada.ca/para -equestrian.
About Equine Canada For more information about Equine Canada,
please visit
www.equinecanada.ca.
20 + YEARS SPECIALIZING IN CUSTOM HORSE STALLS AND BARN IMPROVEMENTS
10x10 and 12x12 stalls in stock WM. LANGILLE WELDING
(519) 446-2221 • Fax (519) 446-3308 Email:
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www.langillewelding.com
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