8/ JUNE 2014 THE RIDER SUSAN DAHL’s MY SPIN:


(http://marthabeck.com/2014/05 /buddy-up-and-giddy-up/ ) . Don’t be fooled by the slapstick though ‘cause along with the laughs are powerful insights to life. She’s a life coach, not a self-professed serial killer :). In this article she uses the


this huge beast named Buddy like a fruit bat clinging to a human’s scalp, and I’m sup- posed to make him do what I want without reinforcing his suspicion that I’m a serial


Martha Beck in many ways with her off the wall sense of humour and approach to life. She makes me laugh. I like to think I’m a lot like her. I’m inspired - what can I say? Things like: “ So I sit on


By Susan Dahl. I’m often inspired by


with Martha’s story, Wikipedia has this to say: “Martha Nibley Beck (born November 29, 1962) is an American sociologist, life


pressure and release method to human life - much like we do to train a horse and/or rider. The pressure is the emotions we feel that tell us things are not going right like unease, discomfort, irritation. And calm, peaceful feelings are the release - letting us know we are on the right track. Brilliant! It’s well worth the read. If you are not familiar


writers. Recently, she’s trying to learn how to ride a horse. Nice. To get more laughs, please read Buddy Up and Giddy Up - Insight by Martha Beck. Visit


the website:


killer.” Ha. Ha. I love it! I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m giving lessons! She is one of my favourite


Deep Practise


coach, best-selling author, and speaker who specializes in help- ing individuals and groups achieve personal and profes- sional goals. She holds a bache- lor’s degree in East Asian Stud- ies and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sociology, both from Harvard University... She received national attention after publication in 2005 of her best- seller, Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith in which she accuses her father of sexual abuse. In addition to authoring several books, Beck is a columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine.”


thing like this: visualize want you want to learn, try it, you’ll fail (that’s good), learn from


tioned in the book The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. (http://thetalentcode.com/book/) . It involves fine tuning the use of the right side of your brain - the creative side. The left side of your brain is for logical thinking for tasks like putting a saddle on your horse, executing your les- son plan, deciding to work on a particular manoeuvre on your horse. Routine tasks, just like we were taught in school. Martha comments: “Perhaps we’re overusing our left hemi- spheres to the point of blowout.” Deep practise goes some-


daily insights email from Martha titled Deep Practise. (http://marthabeck.com/2011/10 /turn-on-your-right-brain/. It’s the article with the picture of a kitchen sink. Humm... I thought, how appropriate for riders and horse training. Deep practise, is men-


Oprah.com has a great write up about her. www.oprah.com/spir- it/Martha-Beck Recently, I received my


Zone for learning. Really focus- ing. Fine tuning. Deep, deep practise. I would imagine every great horseman in history engaged in deep practise. I just bet you! It can’t be anything else.


of concentrated learning or deep practise. Reinersue @KISS Reiners


About Susan Dahl


ride to me... (Or whatever horse related activity you want to learn). So us horse people know all about deep practise. Deliber- ate practise. It brings to mind hard work. Are you thinking about all the work you did to get ready to show your horse? Or


your mistakes (great), try again better. Repeat as necessary. The refined attempts and fails then the diminishing mistakes will tell you, you’re getting closer to mastering your new talent. Cre- ative work at it’s best. Sounds like learning to


Susan Dahl, Certified Profes- sional horse trainer, writer, author & clinician. Owner of Foundation Reining Training Centre in Durham, ON. She spe- cializes in effective horseman- ship, western performance horse development and reining. She has trained and shown numer- ous ORHA/ NRHA champions. For more information on her training, bitting, clinics or resale horses, please contact her on Facebook,


www.reinersuehorsemanship.com or reinersue@hotmail.com .


her website: Riding Mongolia: The World’s Longest Horse Race


possibly, toughest) horse race: the Mongol Derby. Start to finish the race spans over 1,000 kilometres across Mongolia’s toughest terrain: rivers, valleys, flood plains, arid dunes and


By Marissa Schroder. It’s the world’s longest (and quite


nervous but for now I am looking for- ward to the opportunity to ride across Mongolia. I have a great support sys- tem of family, friends and coaches who are helping to keep me motivated and feeling positive. I would really like to complete the race on my first try and am working very hard to make it so.”


ley to compete in endurance rides in Ontario this year, I am hoping to spend more time riding other horses – ponies in particular. I am running, and compete regularly in Ride N Tie events [where runners on foot and riders on horseback relay on a point-to- point course]. I am also working with fit- ness coach Heather Sansom


Georgetown, Ontario-native Sarah Cuthbertson will embark on what will likely be the most epic adventure of her young life. The ambitious distance rider, who has been competing in the sport of endurance riding for three years, is in training for her first Mon- gol Derby. “Right now I am still feel- ing excited for the race. As it approaches I am sure I will become


mountain passes. This endurance ride recreates Genghis Khan’s legendary mail system in which postal riders crossed the country on horseback – stopping and swapping to fresh mounts at “horse stations” along the way. In keeping with this theme, participants swap horses at urtuus (horse-stations) every 40 kilometres, chart their own route between stations and sleep under the stars (sometimes even staying with local herdsmen). The 1,000 small-in- stature Mongolian horses that are used for the event belong to nomadic herd- ing families and are trained in advance of the race to prepare. Due to their small size, riders are only allowed to carry 5 kgs (11 pounds) of essential gear with them when riding, and can- not weight more than 85 kgs (187 pounds) when “dressed to ride”. This year, twenty-seven year-old


training consists of dressage/arena work, jumping, interval training, and lots of trail work. In a typical week she’ll be in the saddle 10-20 hours and spends an additional 10 hours cross- training. “In addition to training Bent-


Riding her horse Bentley, Sarah’s


progress in the lead up to the Mongol Derby at EatSleepRideRepeat.com. You can find out more about the race at TheAdventurists.com .


deter you from entering, the race fee might be; it’s a whopping £7795 (CAD equivalent approximately $14,500), not including travel to Mongolia. You’re also required to raise a minimum of £1000 for the race’s charity partner, Cool Earth. In addition to her own con- tribution, Sarah is looking for sponsors to help her offset the high costs of par- ticipation. Follow Sarah’s training and


Sarah also has to decide what she’ll carry with her. GPS systems are per- mitted and Sarah plans to use one. On her person she’ll carry a spot tracker/emergency beacon (race orga- nizers will use to track her), water pack, basic first aid kit, sunblock, ultra-light sleeping bag, duct tape and rope, headlamp, sunglasses, multi-tool, camera, rain gear, and - weight permit- ting - extra clothes, painkillers, and maybe some snacks. If the ride itself isn’t enough to


there’s also mental training. “I read a lot – books, blogs, even Facebook posts. I am trying to learn as much as I can about fitness, horses, and survival skills. I am also hoping to attend some survival training clinics as well as advanced level Distance Riding clinics before I go. ” In preparation for the journey


Equifitt.com who helps me plan out my strength and other cross-training activi- ties to prepare myself for the challenges I am going to face.” In addition to physical training,


of


learn to lope well? Or learn to ride well? It’s like getting into the


Putting my spin on the art


Photo Credit. The Adventurists/Charles van Wyk. Visit www.theadventurists.com


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