After not having a formal lesson for approx. 2yrs I decided that I needed Dressage bootcamp! So I contacted my Rider / Coach / Trainer / Friend Simone Williams at Queenswood Stables in Navan and enlisted her help. Simone has trained with Neil and Cindy Ishoy, Gina Smith, Lisa Wilcox, Cara Whitham, Seigfried Peilicke, Robert Dover and Tommy Serio. She's a Level 3 Coach and has represented Canada in Pan Am games as well as being short listed- among many other accomplishments too numerous to list! But all of that means nothing to me compared to knowing that she is a good person who cares about her horses and her clients. So here I am on lesson #3 of my "Get back in shape" mission and I have to say that I am very impressed with the Coaching and the horses. Animals and Humans are kind and I am getting exactly what I asked for in a very positive and precise way! :) My first two lessons were with Simone and today I rode with Oswaldo Lazzuri as Simone was out of town. What I love most about my lessons is that I see a significant improvement from the beginning of the lesson to the end of it. I'm not saying I am looking pretty yet...but it is feeling better :) Today I was riding Kevin, a 17.2hh Bay with a big bouncy stride! He was perfect to show me exactly how I could improve my balance! I couldn't have asked for a better muscle imbalance and motor pattern evaluation as he made sure every one of my weaknesses showed up through every gait! Thank you Kevin as my physical conditioning programme is now very clear in my mind! I know that if I commit to a specific training programme my riding will improve that much faster and I will prevent injury. The cobwebs are only beginning to clear on my riding skills and as I am traveling to Manitoba next week without any riding time planned, I am going to need to do specific exercises combined with three methods of visualizations to ensure that I come back stronger than my last lesson on Friday. It's great having all of this training knowledge that I can apply to myself and get the results I need! I'm very grateful to all of the riders I have worked with as solving their issues gives me insight into my own! And now that I can finally start training regularly again, I'm excited to get into top shape in the next months :) Today is a good day to make our lives better. Wishing you health, Isabelle

Wow! It's crazy how it's almost been a year since I have written in my blog! Which is actually a clear indication of how busy I have been! In the past year I have traveled quite a bit promoting Health and Recreation for the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association in Aboriginal communities and fitting in Equestrian related activities whenever I could. I was invited to participate in Horse Day by the Ontario Equestrian Federation where I worked on a few riders and showed them how easily they could become pain free. My favorite part is seeing their expressions of shock when the injury they have complained about seems to have disappeared! Earlier this year I was in Wellington Florida where I presented at Jane Savoie's Dressage Mentor Reunion on the same topic. We also went to the Showgrounds where I was able to visit with some of my competitor friends. In the next months I am looking forward to giving a clinic outside of Seattle Washington as well as looking to book some dates in France. I am looking forward to working with the coaches and riders from the Royale Equestrian Centre on a regular basis as well. On the professional education side I have pursued more training that has to do with engaging the brain and changing limiting beliefs with Dr. Richard Bandler and John LaValle in Brighton, UK as well as in Orlando Florida. I took more facilitator training as well as Trainer Training with YMCA Canada and contimue to learn on my own through reading and online exploration. Now that my contract with CPRA is ending I am looking to do more work with Equestrians and their Coaches. It is my goal to inform and demonstrate how we can improve ourselves and our relationships with our horses through easy and effective practices. My work is based on scientific information however also includes Aboriginal Teachings of the Medicine Wheel which promote balance in the four aspects of being: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. I have decided to be more pro-active and not just rely on word of mouth, invitations and personal encounters to book clinic dates but create a media kit and start making it easier for others to find me. I think it's time I start sharing the real secrets behind the magic that I do so that more people can benefit. :) Don't hesitate ot contact me if you are interested in booking a clinic. I customize them to your needs! Wishing you health, Isabelle

Back in The Saddle Again!

Good day to you! It's been a long time since I have written in my Blog and it certainly wasn't because I had nothing to say! In fact it was quite the opposite!
I had too much to choose from and have been incredibly busy!! :)

Since I last wrote I have written articles for the Alberta Equestrian Federation Magazine: 'Alberta Bits'; For Horse Council BC as well as presented at their annual conference (which was fabulous by the way!)made the first page of "The Rider" newspaper and many more exciting events!

We have also launched the Equestrian Sport Study with Ottawa University so if you haven't already filled out the questionnaire please do so now! 30 minutes of your time will help us improve our Industry! https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=140385

In everything that has happenned in the past few months one of the best parts was adding a beautiful chestnut gelding to my family! 5 years old with a lot to learn, this smart fellow has some natural movement that is exciting the Trainer and Rider in me! Right now I am just establishing our relationship and teaching him the rules of conduct in my world, however I am looking forward to seeing how our partnership prgresses :)

With show season already under way I have one thing to speak about today: BALANCE! I'm not only speaking of actual physical symmetry, I am speaking of OVERALL LIFE BALANCE!

As I am incredibly busy and constantly traveling from one side of the country to the other, it has become quite the challenge for me to maintain my life / family / work balance. As a very passionate person I tend to want to take every opportunity to help others that is given to me.

A couple of weeks ago life spoke pretty loudly to me as I developed a bronchial infection when I returned from a trip to three provinces in one week! There is a saying that we need to work IN as much as we work OUT to maintain inner balance.

I encourage all of you to take a moment and do a personal inventory on where you are investing your energy! It's so easy to lose your balance when you are doing something that you love, however this doesn't serve us in the long run. As when we are unbalanced, we are not performing at our best in all areas of our complex lives. Taking a moment to identify what is most important at that moment and what is ALSO important helps us make better decisions on how we are managing our energy throughout our days.

If you planted a large garden and were only watering and weeding certain parts of it, what would happen with the rest of the garden? It would surely be overcome with weeds, bugs, and may even wither and die. Our lives are no different. Whether we need to downsize our garden or get help to help us through more demanding phases in our lives, taking the time to evaluate where we are investing our energy and what actually needs our attention will only help improve your quality of life, our relationship with our horses and of course, our family and loved ones.

This seems to be a lesson that I am constantly reminded of! :)

In the hopes that you lead a very balanced and happy life,

Isabelle

Equestrian Study Update

As you may or may not know, there isn't much out there in terms of research on our sport. I know because I looked for it!And when I couldn't find anything, I decided that we needed to create the information.

This idea had been roaming in my mind for a few years now when through complete happenstance at a family function, I met someone who was related to the Professor
with whom I am now working! I was Manager of Sport / Coaching at Equine Canada and when they found out what I did they spoke to me about Céline, a Professor of Psychology at Ottawa University who was also passionate about horses. I gave them my card and asked them to get her to contact me. Together we devised a plan to create this study.

Thankfully we were granted some funding and are at the initial stages of this exciting new project.

I have been working closely with Céline and some students from the University of Ottawa to develop the questions and coordinate the interviews needed to gather preliminary information. This study aims to better understand the factors that are most influential in the performance and development of equestrian athletes. A topic that hasn't yet been explored.

With this information I am hoping to help all equestrian athletes as well as Governing bodies, to improve our sport ethics, coach training and Long-Term Athlete Development model.

I thank all of you in advance for your ongoing support! :)

Wishing you success,
Isabelle

Being on the Showground

There is nothing I enjoy more than being on the showground with my clients and helping them get ready for their classes!

In Blainville last weekend I worked on getting a rider more supple before her class and then used my mounted hip release technique to help her be more comfortable in the saddle.

Every rider who experiences this hip release sit deeper and feel that their thigh bone is better positioned. It takes me three minutes each side to do this so it a little detail that makes a big difference. This rider I am speaking of placed first in both of her classes. :)

I also helped one person who had a shoulder injury. It was pretty acute so I wasn't able to remove the pain altogether however I was able to lessen it and help her gain more mobility.

Another rider has a touch of sciatica. Unfortunately she is not a client of mine and would greatly benefit from a regular training program so that she wouldn't experience this pain. We need to condition our bodies to keep our posture and musculature balanced.

I get so emotional when I see my athletes in the competition ring. I know what goes into preparing themselves and their horse and I love knowing that I also contributed to their performance. :)

That being said, if ever you see me on the showground and would like to have a hip release before your class or schooling, don't be shy!!! Come up and ask!

If you have an injury as well, do not hesitate to approach me! I *want* to help you and teach you how to be more comfortable!

So come right up to me and say HI!

Happy training!

Tangible Benefits

In one of my earlier posts I wrote about an 11 year old boy that I started working with who plays soccer and hockey. He is now 12 years old---very important update! And has been doing fantastic! I want to write about him today to demonstrate what happens when 'Smart Training' is applied.

I have been working with him for about 6 weeks now and he has improved on every level. At his last hockey tournament he scored 3 goals---which is pretty impressive considering that he's on the defense--NOT OFFENSE!

He got accepted on the soccer team of his choice and is one of the only kids who was able to do the "Iron Cross". This is an exercise where you are lying on the ground face down with your arms stretched out like a cross. There is someone on each side of you and one or two at your feet. The people on each side of you place one hand under your wrist and place the other under the front of your shoulder. The people in the back lift your feet.

The challenge is to maintain perfect alignment for as far as you can as they walk. It's a tough exercise and he managed to do this fairly easily because of the stability of his joints and core.

I will give you a brief outline of the sequence of the training that I have done with him. When I first saw him he had no core stability and was structurally crooked from scoliosis.

So the first step was working on core stability and posture. Second step in a couple of weeks was correcting motor patterns. Because he had been crooked for so long he had developed faulty movement patterns. Then we worked on coordination and did some strengthening.

One of the biggest thing to correct was his postural alignment in movement--starting with his head position. Like so many people I see he has the bad habit of looking down and sometimes even tilting his head.

He has gotten much better on all aspects I have worked on however we still have plenty of work left to get him to be a fully functional athlete.

The work that I am doing with him now will follow him throughout his life. I can't wait to watch him play whatever sport he chooses to play professionally! If that's the road he decides to follow! If not, at least I know that he will be a fully functional adult! :)

Happy training!

Cycling your training

We all know that there are stages of learning when taking on a new activity.

We need to get familiar with the equipment, learn basic skills, learn safety rules etc. The next step we learn various techniques, followed by consolidation of the techniques to accomplish a specific task. Once we can do this well, some people like to compete and see just how well they can perform under stress compared to their peers.

There are some terms in training plans such as a Macro cycle and a Micro cycle. Let me give you an example of this. A couple of years back I had a client approach me because she wanted to compete in the Québec version of 'Fear Factor' (Facteur de risque). We had 6 weeks to get her ready. This was our Macro cycle: training plan from start until the event.

I could have worked on her aesthetics and gotten her a killer bod for TV, however that wasn't the nature of the competition. She was to accomplish many 2-3 minute challenges against other competitors, that would need speed, coordination, balance and fearlessness.

So my micro cycles had to train all of these aspects. I saw her 4x a week and planned out every training session to develop these athletic qualities. I knew there would surely be some insect eating so we worked on her mental preparation as well. There were moments when she got really angry with me because I pushed her buttons just like the other competitors were going to!
She won her episode and then the season finale! I was a proud Mama! :)

The bonus was that it was filmed in Argentina and so she brought me back a very nice leather jacket! I digress....

The reason I have told you this little story is because we need to work on all of our athletic qualities, one at a time --and then all together. Regardless of your skill level, you need to go back to basics after the competition season, and then work your way back up.

If you want to take a trip somewhere you need to know where you're starting from and what is the best way to get where you want to go, in the time that you have.
Every time you do take a car trip, you go through the same steps: you need to get in the car, make sure there is gas, tie your seat belt, start the engine etc.

The road you take may be different someone else's, however you still need to plan for it. Training your self and your horse is no different.

You may spend less time doing the basics, however if you take the time to go through them again, the more difficult tasks will be much easier.

The first thing you need to do is an evaluation.
- What is your end goal?
- Then, determine what your strengths and what your weaknesses are.
- How much time should you spend working on each of the required athletic skills by the end of your macro cycle?

Planning is great, however it is just a plan. They can change depending on what turns up! Being flexible is key.

Hope this helps! Happy training! :)