26/ MAY 2023 THE RIDER Confident Horsemanship:


ground as well as in the saddle. Getting the best from yourself and


from your horse requires balance, awareness, and being present. How do you maintain those qualities when you’re nerves take over?


Breathe Before getting in the saddle, take a


By Anne Gage Whether you’re a happy hacker or


competitive rider, your level of confi- dence affects how much you enjoy rid- ing as well as the results you get. Self-doubt, nerves, or anxiety all affect your mental and physical abilities on the


moment to focus on your breathing. Shallow breathing keeps your sympa- thetic nervous system active (fight or flight response). Quickly turn on your parasympathetic system with slow, deep breaths using your diaphragm. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and exhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Repeat 10 cycles. Practicing this “box breathing” tech- nique regularly, and when you are al- ready in a relaxed state, helps it become second nature. Use it anytime you start to feel nervous to quickly feel calmer.


6 Practical Tips To Build Your Riding Confidence


Smile Research has shown that the simple


act of smiling (even if it’s a fade smile) brings on feelings of happiness and re- duces stress. Smiling increases 3 feel good hormones - dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins - that signal to your body that you’re happy and actually changes your state of mind.


Find Neutral Spine Tension creates poor posture in the


saddle which causes a sense of imbal- ance and insecurity. And that feeds the fearful mind. Tipping forward, leaning back, and generally being unbalanced in the saddle affects your horse’s move- ment and sense of safety, as well as your ability to give clear cues. Practice good posture out of the saddle (sitting, stand- ing, walking) and in the saddle. Neutral spine comes from proper


alignment that allows you to move freely with your horse without gripping,


tension, or stress to your joints. When you’re well-balanced and secure in the saddle, you’ll feel more confident and connected with your horse.


Expand Your Comfort Zone To build your own confidence - as


well as your horse’s - start where you feel most comfortable. Take your time to gradually expand your experiences in ways that don’t overwhelm you (or your horse). Whether that’s riding outside of the arena, going to a horse show, or learning a new movement. Break it down into the tiniest steps and remove any time pressure. Do it at the pace that works for you and your horse.


Get Support Surround yourself with supportive


people who will guide and encourage you. Being around other experienced riders, getting guidance from an empa- thetic coach, or joining a local riding


group can all help you build confidence.


Keep Learning Riding and horses are a lifelong


journey where the learning never ends. Learn about current understandings of horse behaviour and care. Invest in your own personal development. Never stop learning. Read books, watch videos, at- tend clinics. Build your confidence by learning and developing your skills as a horse person - not just a horse rider.


Author Bio: Anne Gage, The Horse Riding Confidence Coach, shares advice and tips for horse riding women of a certain age. From managing riding nerves and anxiety, understanding your horse's behaviour, building a deeper partnership with your horse, and more. Whether you're a lifelong horse rider, just coming back to riding after time off, or just starting out, learn more at www.rideconfident.com


Equine Foundation of Canada AGM


Annual General Meeting President’s Report April 22nd, 2023


The past year has


again been a challenging one for the Equine Founda-


tion of Canada. This is be- ginning to sound like a stuck record but fund raising has been an ongoing problem for the past few years, espe- cially in Alberta due to the economic slowdown. Since early 2020 fund raising was further complicated by the pandemic and all the various shutdowns and lock-downs which limited in-person. We did receive funds from Vet- erinary Simulator Industries, which I had solicited, and upon review of their finan- cial position this month they may donate more. The rela- tionship with VSI has been mutually beneficial, we have promoted their prod- ucts and they have donated funds to us. The original owners sold the business in the fall of 2022. I met the new owner and renewed ac- quaintances with the man- ager in January when I traveled to Calgary and pre- sented four of our prints to them as a thankyou. The endowment that


we granted to AOC in Sep- LongRun’s TB Star of May


Giant Illusion is a lovely, 15.3h 6-year-old mare who recently arrived in the program. She is enjoying some downtime on the


farm before embarking on her next career. She is a gorgeous mover


with great athletic potential. She is great with other horses and will


make a great intermediate and up hunter/jumper!


If you’re interested in meeting Giant Illusion


please contact LongRun!


tember 2021 bore fruit last fall and the first Equine Foundation


of


Canada/George F. Wade Memorial scholarship was presented. Unfortunately the original presentation date was postponed due to the devastating storm that hit the maritime provinces. None of the Wade family, myself nor Susan Nelson were available to attend on the replacement date. That was very disappointing, but a veterinary student was very happy to receive the scholarship. Also the simu- lator horse approved for Thompson Rivers Univer- sity in Kamloops was pre- sented after a lengthy delay


and Director Pat Crema was on hand for the presentation. We plan to contact the fam- ily of Morris Clarke to arrange a suitable memorial to him. The scholarships in Saskatoon and Calgary were presented by Candas Rolls and Les Burwash respec- tively. Thank you to both. We are continuing to


advertise in various horse magazines which has brought us name recogni- tion, however the inquiries continue to be asking for funding rather than making donations. We made changes to our advertise- ments in 2021 to include “Donations Welcome” which unfortunately did not attract any new funds in 2022. We are very grateful to Horse Journals for donat- ing advertising free of charge, Canadian Morgan magazine and Saddle Up


CDIO3* Continued from Page 25


14-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Wishing Well Farm LLC & Mario Deslauriers added four faults to the team score. The Canadian team finished strong on a score of 12 faults at the end of the first round. The team came back fighting in the


Call (416) 675-3993 ext 3440 www.longrunretirement.com • info@longrunretirement.com


second round hoping to move up from their third place position and catch Team USA with four faults and Mexico with eight. Foster and Ballard both expertly navigated quick, clean rounds and Tin- dale picked up eight with two small er- rors on course. All eyes at that point were on Bardolina and Deslauriers. It was not to be, and Canada finished on a final score of 20, resulting in a third place podium finish. “Anything can happen after the first


magazine for reduced rates because of our charitable status. We appreciate these benefits very much and have sent prints with en- graved plates to them as a thank you. I have been send- ing reports/articles to these magazines to keep horse people informed about the Equine Foundation of Canada. I also gave an off the cuff verbal report to the CMHA annual general meeting in Leduc in March of this year (2023). It was with great sad-


ness that we announced at last year’s annual meeting that Morris Clarke our Man- itoba Director passed away October 1st, 2021. He has been greatly missed. We have another sad announce- ment this year Peggy Mac- Donald passed away in January 2023 and Eldon Bi- enert in April 2023. They were founding board mem- bers when George Wade’s vision became reality over 40 years ago. They were very active and well known in Morgan horse circles Canada wide and in all things equine in Alberta. Eldon was the Past Presi- dent of EFC and a tireless volunteer in his community,


his province and his country and they received many awards and honors for their volunteer work. The EFC board has been blessed to have a fantastic group of volunteers who have con- tributed considerable of their time to EFC. Susan Nelson deserves special mention for her 42 years of contribution to our board in her position as treasurer. Also her husband Gary has been the legal counsel for EFC from the birth of the foundation. Some good news is that Quebec Direc- tor Helen Belliard is rejoin- ing the board after time off due to illness. Her daughter Kristin will be sitting in at meetings and helping Helen at home. Welcome Helen & Kristin. The Board will con-


tinue to review and discuss the future of the Equine Foundation going forward. A heartfelt “Thank You” to the officers, board members and promotion committee, for all their hard work and dedication not only this year but for many years, we could not do it without you. Respectfully submitted, R. J. (Bob) Watson, President.


round of a Nations Cup, and this is what makes these classes so exciting. On this occasion it did not change Canada’s ulti- mate third place finish but pushed Mex- ico and the USA into a jump off for first place,” said Chef D’Equipe Ian Millar. “This was great sport today and the Mex- ican team and the United States team de- serve full marks.” “It was a very good effort out there


today, it was just a little bad luck here and there that kept us out of that jump off, and that’s the way it is,” he contin- ued. “We were third today, but on the podium. Any day you’re on the podium is a good day.” With a small margin between the top


teams, the chase is on for points on the road to the Barcelona final. Next up for the Canadians will be the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA on May 14, 2023, in San Juan Capistrano, California.


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