30/ FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER


The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Blaming my horse.


logic and less emotion. From equitation and hunter


judge, Anna Jane White-Mullin: After hearing lots of excuses that began with the words, “my horse,” it occurred to me that the rider’s language said it all—I am a victim of my horse…When problems arise, we are supposed to “outthink” the horse… The language of success begins with the word, “I.” ”I” am having trouble getting my horse over the fence. ”I” am unable to keep my horse from spooking. The word, “I,” is the language of re- sponsibility.


So, here’s how I summarize


By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge, specialist in equine behaviour.


When I assume my horse


“should know better” the truth is, at that moment of frustration, I’ve re- ally just run out of creativity, pa- tience and my grasp of how horses think and learn. The way I see it, training


horses is not so much horse sense as horse science – equitation science. It’s not whispering. It’s not mysti- cal. By understanding how horses learn and perceive the world, we can solve training issues with more


the rider’s responsibility: 1 .laying a foundation of distinct aids for each response we want from the horse 2. communicating those cues clearly to the horse 3. testing that system in various en- vironments


And for those of us who coach


riders and train horses profession- ally, our responsibility sometimes requires taking a humility pill! When hitting a snag in the


training ring or show ring, do I take a deep breath and assess the com- munication gap with my horse? A deep breath takes the emotional el-


Change To Technical Advisor – Jumping For 2023


Eric Lamaze not returning to role


Jan. 11, 2023, Ottawa, ON – The new year has brought a change to Equestrian Canada (EC)’s high-performance line up for the Olympic disci- pline of show jumping. At the end of his one-year contract on January 31, 2023, Eric Lamaze will not return to the role of Technical Advisor - Jumping. The High Performance Advisory Group -


Jumping (HPAG) and EC staff will take over cur- rent roles and responsibilities of the Technical Ad- visor on an interim basis, to ensure team athletes are well supported in this important Pan American Games year. The HPAG and EC will work together on next steps for the position moving forward. In addition to his experience on the Canadian


Equestrian Team, Lamaze brought his resilience, fervour, and knowledge to the role over the last year. The show jumping athlete from Montreal has been battling brain cancer since 2017 and last com- peted for Canada in September 2021 when he an- chored the Canadian Show Jumping Team to victory in the BMO Nations’ Cup at Spruce Mead- ows in Calgary, AB.


with Canadian Show Jumping Team this year “Eric brought his passion and enthusiasm for


the sport to the role of Technical Advisor, and we want to thank him for his year working with our team athletes and the program,” said James Hood, EC’s Director – High Performance. “With his im- proved health, we look forward to seeing him back in the saddle and continuing his coaching.” “Our national team squad technical advisers


are important leaders and mentors for our high-per- formance athletes and our next generation,” said EC’s CEO Meg Krueger. “We appreciate Eric’s willingness to share his experiences and guidance for the team over the last year and hope to find a suitable replacement to lead the team moving for- ward.”


With the Pan American Games on the hori-


zon in October 2023 and the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games only 18 months away, the HPAG will be provisionally overseeing the techni- cal aspects for the teams, selections and appointing Chef D’Equipe positions for competitions.


Join WECan for the 2023 AGM Working Equitation Canada will be holding


its Annual General Meeting on February 25, 2023 at 12:00 pm Mountain Standard Time. (11:00am Pacific, 1:00pm Central, 2:00pm Eastern) This meeting will be a Zoom meeting acces-


sible through your computer, phone/tablet app or by calling the toll-free number provided. The link to the meeting and the Agenda will be sent to WECan Members in a later E-mail. All members are welcome to attend but only


members with current 2023 membership will be el- igible to vote during the AGM. New members must have held memberships for 90 days prior to the meeting to be eligible to vote. Family memberships have one vote. If you have any questions about using Zoom


or would like to add a topic/question to the Agenda please send an E-mail to secretary@workingeq.ca by Feb 18, 2023.


ement out of the picture. And the assessment:


• Does my horse understand my aids? • Have I delivered the system accu- rately? • No abrupt signals or mixed mes- sages?


As a coach, that deep breath is


my opportunity to assess: • Am I explaining this concept clearly? • How does my student learn best? • Could I use a different illustration? Different words? • Would it be helpful to get on the


horse and feel for myself for miss- ing “buttons” or areas of resistance? Assuming my horse or student


“should know better” closes the door on a learning opportunity for the horse, rider…and me!


About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certi-


fied riding coach with a special inter- est in equine behaviour. After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clin- ics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instructor. She’s taught the science of equine behaviour and learning for horse associations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges many disciplines


and breeds and serves on an EC judg- ing committee


Why do horses do what they do? “In the horse world, our traditions and evidence sometimes collide – I love to help riders solve their horse puzzles with logic, patience and equitation science.” www.lindsaygriceridingcoach.com


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