I'm very happy to announce that the study I proposed to Ottawa U on the topic of Equestrians, Coaching and Athlete development has been funded! :)
I am meeting with the Head researcher in a couple of weeks!
This is fantastic news as there is no other study like this existing.
So not only will it help us with equestrian development, it will put Canada on the map as leaders in equestrian development!
Life is good! :)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Working on horses
Just like when I'm working with riders, when I lay my hands on a horse, I let their body speak to me.
I know this sounds esoteric however being able to read a body's reactions gives me the information I need to help it get better. Whether it be tension in a certain location or how the horse's eye softens or hardens depending on what region I am touching or the pressure of my hand, this is communication.
Last fall I was at the barn where I was boarding my mare and as I walked by a horse who was on cross- ties in the aisle, I casually laid my hand on his neck and he leaned into it. A little surprised at this, I asked the owner if I could work on him a little. He was a 19 year old dressage horse who I believe competed up to Prix St-Georges. Working on his neck and shoulder for about ten minutes I was able to release a lot of tension. Looking at his owner's shoulders, I think she could have used a little TLC as well! :)
The rider told me she had felt a big difference as she got on him. She had never experienced such freedom of movement right from the beginning! It was the horse who told me what he needed. Funny enough, another boarder made a comment about how I was 'talking' to the horse. I corrected her by saying that I was actually listening to him. They always tell us what they need. It just may take a bit of guesswork to figure out what that is.
Being able to help both the horse and rider was a great way to start my day.
I personally believe that horses are healers. No matter what is happening in our lives, being with them seems to make it disappear! My life is better because of them.
As my dog comes to me for his daily massage, I think their lives are better as well!
I know this sounds esoteric however being able to read a body's reactions gives me the information I need to help it get better. Whether it be tension in a certain location or how the horse's eye softens or hardens depending on what region I am touching or the pressure of my hand, this is communication.
Last fall I was at the barn where I was boarding my mare and as I walked by a horse who was on cross- ties in the aisle, I casually laid my hand on his neck and he leaned into it. A little surprised at this, I asked the owner if I could work on him a little. He was a 19 year old dressage horse who I believe competed up to Prix St-Georges. Working on his neck and shoulder for about ten minutes I was able to release a lot of tension. Looking at his owner's shoulders, I think she could have used a little TLC as well! :)
The rider told me she had felt a big difference as she got on him. She had never experienced such freedom of movement right from the beginning! It was the horse who told me what he needed. Funny enough, another boarder made a comment about how I was 'talking' to the horse. I corrected her by saying that I was actually listening to him. They always tell us what they need. It just may take a bit of guesswork to figure out what that is.
Being able to help both the horse and rider was a great way to start my day.
I personally believe that horses are healers. No matter what is happening in our lives, being with them seems to make it disappear! My life is better because of them.
As my dog comes to me for his daily massage, I think their lives are better as well!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Eliminating sciatica
One of my clients came to me with sciatic pain in her left leg.
She is a very tense person, very active with little body fat. I've seen her three times now since the beginning of the year and it has helped her become more relaxed in the saddle. However lately she had regressed due to the pain she experienced from the sciatica.
Sciatic pain is caused by six conditions:
Although she is very toned, and also tense, her glutes were not activated. The gluteus muscles are very important in stabilizing the pelvis and assist in the external rotation of the leg. If her glutes were activated, the piriformis would not have gotten so tense and her sciatic nerve wouldn't have gotten irritated. Glutes are very important specially since the external rotation of the femur is a movement that is very solicited in equestrian sport.
During our 1 hour session I began with eliminating the pain, which I did. I always test to make sure that the pain is gone in every position: lying, sitting and then standing. The next step was to prescribe corrective exercises to reactivate her glutes and some stretches for the piriformis. We went though them together and then she was on her way.
It may seem incredible that I was able to eliminate this pain within one hour. However if you work *with* the body, there is much you can accomplish as the body WANTS to be more comfortable. It WANTS to heal.
We just need to give it the right information so that it can do that. How long this lasts is up to the client. Their responsibility is to create the best environment for the healing to continue.
She left comfortable and a little sleepy. It was great to be able to help. :)
Be well!
She is a very tense person, very active with little body fat. I've seen her three times now since the beginning of the year and it has helped her become more relaxed in the saddle. However lately she had regressed due to the pain she experienced from the sciatica.
Sciatic pain is caused by six conditions:
- a bulging or herniated disc
- lumbar spinal stenosis
- spondylolisthesis
- trauma
- piriformis syndrome
- spinal tumors
Although she is very toned, and also tense, her glutes were not activated. The gluteus muscles are very important in stabilizing the pelvis and assist in the external rotation of the leg. If her glutes were activated, the piriformis would not have gotten so tense and her sciatic nerve wouldn't have gotten irritated. Glutes are very important specially since the external rotation of the femur is a movement that is very solicited in equestrian sport.
During our 1 hour session I began with eliminating the pain, which I did. I always test to make sure that the pain is gone in every position: lying, sitting and then standing. The next step was to prescribe corrective exercises to reactivate her glutes and some stretches for the piriformis. We went though them together and then she was on her way.
It may seem incredible that I was able to eliminate this pain within one hour. However if you work *with* the body, there is much you can accomplish as the body WANTS to be more comfortable. It WANTS to heal.
We just need to give it the right information so that it can do that. How long this lasts is up to the client. Their responsibility is to create the best environment for the healing to continue.
She left comfortable and a little sleepy. It was great to be able to help. :)
Be well!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My lesson
This morning my coach had me ride a new horse, instead of the plodder schooly I had been riding. Mind you the last horse was an amazing teacher for me since I am used to riding warmbloods that need more 'Whoa' than 'Go'!
My tendency with him was to overide to get him going. I also became aware of my faulty motor pattern (courtesy of my last mare) to clench my glutes. It is quite a treat to use my own techniques on myself as it clarifies what my clients may be feeling at any given time.
This new mare is more sensitive and had me working in a different way. First of all the body shape is not the same and it took me a little while to figure out what my leg contact needed to be for her to understand what I wanted. She also had me working on my dimmer switch! I had to be very subtle in my pressure to get the desired result. Otherwise she overcompensated to my aid!
The task at hand was to do a 20m circle using my legs first and keeping my hands quiet. It took a little while and no stirrups for me to coordinate my leg aids with my hands and remain relaxed. In the beginning I had a live snake beneath me because I couldn't find consistency and balance in my aids with very sensitive lady.
The good thing about removing my stirrups (which I asked for by the way!) is that I know RIGHT away if I am tensing up and can correct it. As soon as I would begin to bounce more than follow, I knew that leg was not long and I was tense. At the end of my lesson I had longer moments of synchronicity with my new riding partner. It felt beautiful! (when I had it right!)
Apparently this mare lets people know when she isn't happy and we didn't have any of that so I am very pleased about that part.
So what did I learn?
Be well!
Isabelle
My tendency with him was to overide to get him going. I also became aware of my faulty motor pattern (courtesy of my last mare) to clench my glutes. It is quite a treat to use my own techniques on myself as it clarifies what my clients may be feeling at any given time.
This new mare is more sensitive and had me working in a different way. First of all the body shape is not the same and it took me a little while to figure out what my leg contact needed to be for her to understand what I wanted. She also had me working on my dimmer switch! I had to be very subtle in my pressure to get the desired result. Otherwise she overcompensated to my aid!
The task at hand was to do a 20m circle using my legs first and keeping my hands quiet. It took a little while and no stirrups for me to coordinate my leg aids with my hands and remain relaxed. In the beginning I had a live snake beneath me because I couldn't find consistency and balance in my aids with very sensitive lady.
The good thing about removing my stirrups (which I asked for by the way!) is that I know RIGHT away if I am tensing up and can correct it. As soon as I would begin to bounce more than follow, I knew that leg was not long and I was tense. At the end of my lesson I had longer moments of synchronicity with my new riding partner. It felt beautiful! (when I had it right!)
Apparently this mare lets people know when she isn't happy and we didn't have any of that so I am very pleased about that part.
So what did I learn?
- I learned how to ask with less before applying more pressure
- To relax my glutes and hip flexors with this new horse's movement
- The right rein pressure with this horse (to practice again next time)
- That perfection is dynamic not static! The goal is to manage my mistakes and keep going!
Be well!
Isabelle
Position breakthrough
Last weekend I had an amazing time with my equestrian clients in the Montreal area.
It started with a young woman I have been working with sporadically for almost a year now. Working at Equine Canada I had a pretty hectic schedule last fall and didn't see her as consistently as I normally would have. Of course living in Ottawa while she is on the outskirts of Montreal didn't help!
After a couple of months of not seeing her, and her being busy with school, she had somewhat lost her motivation to do the exercise plan I had given her. And speaking with her coach, it showed. She has a very pronounced lordosis (lower back very arched) when she doesn't do her corrective exercises which then causes upper back pain when she sits deep in the saddle.
The first thing I did was release her tense muscles and taught her how to relax her body. So many people use too much force to execute simple movements and to correct this we need to activate the body's information systems so that it can tell the difference.
Once I had her body balanced, I prescribed some corrective exercises and we went through them together. My next client was her mother so I asked her if she minded pushing her sessions back a bit so that I could work with her daughter while she was on her horse to solidify the work I did.
She rides an arabian cross who can be somewhat high-strung which creates a vicious cycle of tense rider, tense horse. Within minutes of being mounted, and after I manipulated her position and released some muscles, both her and her mare were nicely synchronized and her mare's eye was soft. With a bit more coaching in movement and me releasing her tense arms so that she could feel the proper position, it was beautiful to watch. The best part for me was that her mare, who had been buckling and spooking at the door in the arena for the past few weeks, walked right past, in both directions without reacting. Sound rider, sound horse. :)
From this great start she had a lesson with her coach who was very happy with the work we had done! She kept saying, I don't know what you did to her but now you have to come to all of the shows! I'd love to :)
I have to go start my day! *MY* turn to ride! :)
It started with a young woman I have been working with sporadically for almost a year now. Working at Equine Canada I had a pretty hectic schedule last fall and didn't see her as consistently as I normally would have. Of course living in Ottawa while she is on the outskirts of Montreal didn't help!
After a couple of months of not seeing her, and her being busy with school, she had somewhat lost her motivation to do the exercise plan I had given her. And speaking with her coach, it showed. She has a very pronounced lordosis (lower back very arched) when she doesn't do her corrective exercises which then causes upper back pain when she sits deep in the saddle.
The first thing I did was release her tense muscles and taught her how to relax her body. So many people use too much force to execute simple movements and to correct this we need to activate the body's information systems so that it can tell the difference.
Once I had her body balanced, I prescribed some corrective exercises and we went through them together. My next client was her mother so I asked her if she minded pushing her sessions back a bit so that I could work with her daughter while she was on her horse to solidify the work I did.
She rides an arabian cross who can be somewhat high-strung which creates a vicious cycle of tense rider, tense horse. Within minutes of being mounted, and after I manipulated her position and released some muscles, both her and her mare were nicely synchronized and her mare's eye was soft. With a bit more coaching in movement and me releasing her tense arms so that she could feel the proper position, it was beautiful to watch. The best part for me was that her mare, who had been buckling and spooking at the door in the arena for the past few weeks, walked right past, in both directions without reacting. Sound rider, sound horse. :)
From this great start she had a lesson with her coach who was very happy with the work we had done! She kept saying, I don't know what you did to her but now you have to come to all of the shows! I'd love to :)
I have to go start my day! *MY* turn to ride! :)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Learning curve!
That's pretty funny and typical! I actually wrote a welcome message yesterday and I don't know if it was posted and don't know how to check! :)
I will master this blogging thing!
Yesterday was a great day. There is an 11year old boy that I started working with. He plays hockey and soccer and would like to do so professionally one day. I have had approximately 4 sessions with him now and I'm quite happy with his progress. His strength and coordination executing the corrective exercises I have given him is impressive.
One of the first things that I am working on is balancing out his postural muscles. He has a bit of scoliosis and and created some parasitic motor patterns because of it. He feels straight when he is crooked. However yesterday it was apparent that he is becoming more balanced.
A motor pattern exercise that I gave him was more difficult on his usual strong side than his 'weaker' side! And that's fantastic! It means that the right muscles are starting to work!
Moments like these are why I love what I do! Mind you hearing that he is now smoking the other participants in his power skating class is fun too! He had started out as the newbie and is now outperforming the other kids who have already taken this course. :)
And that my friends, is what smart training can do! Once we activate the right muscles and motor patterns performance increases incredibly!
OK! Gotta go! I have a proposal (or three to write!)
Wishing you health
I will master this blogging thing!
Yesterday was a great day. There is an 11year old boy that I started working with. He plays hockey and soccer and would like to do so professionally one day. I have had approximately 4 sessions with him now and I'm quite happy with his progress. His strength and coordination executing the corrective exercises I have given him is impressive.
One of the first things that I am working on is balancing out his postural muscles. He has a bit of scoliosis and and created some parasitic motor patterns because of it. He feels straight when he is crooked. However yesterday it was apparent that he is becoming more balanced.
A motor pattern exercise that I gave him was more difficult on his usual strong side than his 'weaker' side! And that's fantastic! It means that the right muscles are starting to work!
Moments like these are why I love what I do! Mind you hearing that he is now smoking the other participants in his power skating class is fun too! He had started out as the newbie and is now outperforming the other kids who have already taken this course. :)
And that my friends, is what smart training can do! Once we activate the right muscles and motor patterns performance increases incredibly!
OK! Gotta go! I have a proposal (or three to write!)
Wishing you health
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