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Train Your Seat Trainers Forum

This summer, I had the most incredible opportunity to travel to the Netherlands for the Train Your Seat Trainers Forum. I have to say, it was nothing short of magical. But this trip was even more special because I got to share it with my wonderful friend and colleague, Trish Tweddell. We had a fantastic time together, and I can't wait to tell you all about it. Before we dove into the forum, Trish and I decided to spend a day in Amsterdam. And wow, what a day it was! We visited the Bodyworks exhibition, and I admit, I didn't expect it to leave such an impression on me. Walking through the displays, I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of the human body, and it got me thinking about how all of this connects to what we do as riders. There's something about seeing the body in such a detailed way that makes you appreciate how everything is connected—how our internal organs, muscles, and bones all work together in harmony. It felt like the perfect prelude to the forum, wh
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Being Present

Would you like to know what is most important to your horse? Safety is all horses priority and we humans can help them feel safe or not feel safe when they are with us.   The problem is that we are not 100% present when we are doing a task with our horse and he knows it: our brain   is distracted, going from one thought to another or we have emotional loads like anger or frustration. Horses are constantly reading us and are highly sensitive in perceiving energy. It is known that emotions have different frequencies: anger, fear and frustration have low frequency, gratitude, love and happiness have high frequency. Horses feel these frequencies and if our energy does not contribute to their security they will not be comfortable around us.   In order to solve the issue of communication and relaxation we must begin by improving our observation and to control our emotional state. In order to manage this we must be present, which in today’s world is a challenge for humans because we live in a

A weekend at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.

This week I had the great fortune of visiting Ocala and to be present at one of the first events held at WEC During my last visits I have witnessed the construction process from it’s beginning,   when the first movements of land were carried out, and year before last around this time the stables were under way; but there is nothing comparable to being in the finished installations with warm up arenas, competition arenas, covered arenas, stadium, stalls, corrals, showrooms, stores, hotel and even a chapel! Made with a wonderful vision with every amenity necessary in order to host great equestrian events; the sensation is similar to being at Disney for horse lovers! This equestrian complex is the largest one in the United States and it is very impressive!   Ocala is a 4 hour drive from Miami, it is one of the cities in the United States with the highest number of horses. In fact Marion County in Ocala in 2007 was officially named “ the horse capital of the world”; the Parelli Center wher

Starting again! Welcome 2020

Starting again! Welcome 2021; with all the positivism that I have   (and the people that know me know it is a lot!) I wish you all a wonderful new year full of good health; healthy relationships filled with affection, support and solidarity; personal growth and achievements with your horses.   All beginnings allow us the opportunity to do things better and to apply what we have learned. Horses are wonderful creatures, every second that we are with them they are teaching us. They have survived   thousands of million of years thanks to their great ability to adapt; 2020 was a difficult year, complicated and full of tough challenges. But thanks to the experience we have been able to learn, develop and practice our ability to adapt ( we have learned so much!)   I am enthusiastic about the possibility of seeing you during 2021 in   my virtual courses and soon in-person in my clases and clinics.   This year I will be launching my website where it will be easier to find all the information yo

The Plastic Tarp

Hello Horse Lovers! Today I will be showing you the process of introducing the plastic sheet, or tarp, to the yearlings! My main objective is to develop curious, brave, and self-confident horses.  In the future, this will result in them making better choices in stressful situations.  We will accomplish this by activating their curiosity. All of the experiences a horse has at a young age will mark them for the rest of their lives; this is why today I would like to share the process we are currently using with them when presenting the plastic sheet. Why a tarp on the ground? The tarp on the ground can simulate water (a puddle, stream, or river), or a shadow on the ground.  This is why it is very important that they learn to investigate instead of running away! The length of the following videos are longer than previous ones as they demonstrate the whole process.  You will be able to observe true behaviors in the yearlings and how we deal with them from a mutual l

La lona plástica!

Hola gente linda; amantes de los caballos! Hoy les presentaremos el proceso de la introducción de la lona plástica a los potros. Mi objetivo principal es desarrollar caballos curiosos, valientes y que tengan seguridad en sí mismos; lo cual ,  en el futuro  causará que tomen mejores decisiones en situaciones de estrés. Esto lo lograremos estimulando su curiosidad. Todas  las  experiencias que tengan los caballos  a temprana edad  los marcarán para el resto de sus vidas; por eso hoy les quiero compartir el proceso que estamos viviendo con ellos al presentarles una lona. Porque una lona en el piso? La lona en el piso puede simular agua; un charco, un riachuelo; río o una sombra en el terreno; por eso es muy importante que aprendan a investigar en lugar de huir! La duración de los siguientes videos es más larga que los anteriores pues presentamos todo el proceso,  podrás observar comportamientos honestos de los potros y como los manejamos desde una perspectiva de a
Hi! This week we will see the second half of how we continue the process of developing the yearling’s confidence, while introducing them to the girth. We will be applying this process to all 7 yearlings.  That way, later on when we introduce them to the saddle, they will already be familiar with the girth, so that aspect will not be new for them.   We have worked to strengthen their confidence with the pad, and it’s various pieces, by doing repetitions of approach and retreat; adding slight pressure to create contact with the girth, and then releasing. In this first video, we demonstrate with Herencia and show the entire process.  Like last week, we position the pad and then apply light pressure on the girth.  The next step is that we ask her to walk with the pad on.  This is the only new step added to last week’s process. As you can see, Herencia is not afraid of the pad and she accepts it without any issues.  After this, Alex invites her to walk and she has no negati