Last week I quoted the final lines of Robert Frost’s inspiring poem Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening….but it is worth reading in full:
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill u…
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Added by William Micklem on November 20, 2009 at 4:00am —
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In general do you get on with people and horses? What attitude do you have to the majority of people and horses you meet? Many people have a similar attitude to both the humans and horses in their life and get a similar response. If you get on with most two legged and four l…
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Added by William Micklem on November 13, 2009 at 4:00am —
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For young people it is normal to look at their lives in the short term, but as we get older we all tend to start looking at our lives as a whole. In the short term performance achievements often take priority and many young performers are prepared to make enormous sacrifices and give up other opportunities as they chase competition goals. At worst these great challenges may create long-term difficulties or regrets. For example they may leave a competitor with cronic pain or, if female, lose the…
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Added by William Micklem on November 6, 2009 at 4:00am —
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So where do you all stand on the issue of corporal punishment for children? Most think it unacceptable and without doubt physical force is a poor substitute for understanding and communication…..a poor substitute for education and motivation…..and in particular a poor substitute for leading by example and with great love. Can this be the same for horses? There can be only one answer as far as I am concerned……YES…with one reservation. The example has to be given by other horses, which is why I th…
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Added by William Micklem on October 30, 2009 at 4:00am —
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Germany's Dirk Schrade has just won the last four star international horse trials of the season at Pau in France. He was riding his 'Holsteiner' gelding King Artus. The reports of his win have quickly spread around the world...to the delight of those breeding and…
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Added by William Micklem on October 26, 2009 at 11:30am —
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We all remember that classic line in the book The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans …. Annie asks Tom Booker, “I've heard you help people with horse problems. “ Replies Tom, “Truth is, I help horses with people problems.” Despite others trying to jump on this bandwagon The Horse Whisperer was actually modelled on that extraordinary western trainer Buck Brannaman, who I enjoyed watching for three days last year in Montana and is pictured here:
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Added by William Micklem on October 23, 2009 at 4:00am —
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Our homebred star Mandiba and Karen O'Connor stormed back to form today to be 2nd at the *** CCI International at Fair Hill in the USA, despite Karen breaking her scapula and ribs only weeks ago in a motorbike accident, and despite terrible weather. The pair showed their class and courage to lead after the dressage and go clear across country.
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Added by William Micklem on October 18, 2009 at 3:30pm —
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‘New legs for old’ is a phrase I often use when explaining that horse riding is a sport for all and a sport for life. In most sports the road to elite performance is tightly controlled by age and maximal development from youth – by your thirties you become a veteran. But in equestrian sports extraordinary heights are possible even into middle and old age. Just last weekend, for example, 57 year old Josef Vana won probably the world’s toughest steeplehase, the four and a quarter mile Velka Pardub…
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Added by William Micklem on October 16, 2009 at 4:00am —
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“Weight is great, might is right” said Sid CorIn softly, as he gave a glancing blow with our horse lorry to yet another sign post on a tight Cornish corner. Sid was not at all aggressive as a driver, just not very competent, and so fond of the ponies in the back that sharp braking was not an option. So it was fingers crossed and ‘weight is great’! The weight of some riders is also somewhat out of control…. which is not great and certainly unhelpful to their horses.
STEP ONE TAKE ONE CHILD
When…
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Added by William Micklem on October 9, 2009 at 4:00am —
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JOAN SALMON has a mighty spirit and a joyful spirit. She is a blind Irish rider aiming for the 2012 Paralympic Games and is a wonderful inspiration to so many. Joan is about to have her second kidney transplant and life continues to hand her the short straw. But she gains strength from her riding, and by her positive attitude and determination she marches well ahead of so many with better luck, opportunities and resources.
We are running a fund raiser for her on Friday October 23rd in Co Wicklo…
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Added by William Micklem on October 8, 2009 at 3:20am —
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“We need to remember that every elite rider was once a beginner rider without skills…” (even Karen O'Connor above, here riding my homebred Mandiba).... such a small sentence, such an important message. So who noticed this sentence in last weeks blog? As I slowly take very small…
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Added by William Micklem on October 2, 2009 at 4:00am —
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Our first task when riding is to send our horse forwards, using any aids or combination of aids (even the pppst in the right ear) and any exercise that your horse can easily understand and respond to. Therefore you might ask why I started last week with the rein contact rather than with the use of the leg and other forward aids. The answer is that to ride forwards successfully demands an allowing hand as a prerequisite, so hence my initial focus in this area….but next time I’ll concentrate on th…
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Added by William Micklem on September 25, 2009 at 4:00am —
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Many of us will spend hours, days and weeks looking for the perfect horse, while others will spend years trying to breed the right horse….the right partner to fulfil our equestrian ambitions. There is a connection here with trying to find the right human partner for our life….the search for that girl or boy friend that has all those qualities that our heart desires, including stables, the holiday home by the sea and less than ten body piercings! However most of us should probably focus less on f…
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Added by William Micklem on September 18, 2009 at 4:00am —
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My first pony was a dock tailed 28 year old laminitic, dock tailed, coloured cob called Gay Boy. (As my second pony was called Cocky Boy it was no surprise that I was a rather confused child!) I was a very nervous rider initially and came to riding later than my three brothers, but Gay Boy offered the perfect blend of qualities. Any pony that age and with sore feet had to be quiet I reasoned. Yet he loved being ridden and was incredibly responsive. Gay Boy was the best. At the end of a Pony Club…
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Added by William Micklem on September 11, 2009 at 6:41pm —
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My son Leo came home from a lesson with a local equestrian club last week…”I can’t believe how complicated they make it,” he exclaimed! ”You wouldn’t believe what you have to do to get canter!” My heart sank…why do we do this to our children? Why do we do this to so many riders. Simplicity is at the very heart of successful riding, whether you are aiming at the Olympics or a wonderful Sunday afternoon ride with a friend. Any loss of simplicity is a loss in potential.
The complicated combination…
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Added by William Micklem on September 4, 2009 at 4:00am —
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This afternoon Kevin Staut of France won the Individual Gold Medal in the European show jumping championships in Windsor, England, riding his 'Selle Francais' stallion Kraque Boom Bois Margot.
He is by Olisco (by the legendary jumping sire Jalisco B out of a mare who is over 60% Arab ) who jumped very successfully in the United States in the 1990's ridden by Michael Matz, and out of Joyau D'Or a 'Selle Francais' mare.
When you do the analysis on this stallion's breeding what do we find?
The l…
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Added by William Micklem on August 30, 2009 at 2:30pm —
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So is there one King of thoroughbred sires in the sport horse world? Many of you already have your personal favourite, which is wonderful because personal favourites reinforces an emotional connection with horses and this gives the horse world added strength….and it is the emotional connection between human and horse that ensures we avoid treating horses as machines.
HYPERION – SMALL BUT STUNNING
My own personal favourite is Hyperion.
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Added by William Micklem on August 28, 2009 at 4:00am —
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Despite the orthodox line that the thoroughbred and the sport horse are going in different directions in reality we see something different. There is an increasing demand for quality horses in all disciplines at all levels. The really vital consideration is that most riders do not ride at an elite level, and want to do a wide range of activities. The TB or 3/4 TB horse can be ideal for this, especially as their smaller physique and size is more suited to female riders, and there is the added bon…
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Added by William Micklem on August 21, 2009 at 2:30am —
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Convincing people of the need for thoroughbred blood in the event horse is the easy bit in this series of articles. Ireland has been the World Breeding Federation number one country for event horses for the past 14 years with horses that are almost exclusively 3/4 to full thoroughbred, as have been the majority of the greatest event horses in history. The key component and value of the TB is obviously speed……and safety.
LESS THAN MAXIMUM SPEED = SAFER
Cross-country horses must be able to gallo…
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Added by William Micklem on August 14, 2009 at 3:30am —
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It is to the advantage of the European stud books to be quiet about their thoroughbred genes as they develop their highly successful brands…and that is what most have become. They are often presented as breeds but in fact they are brands, and part of a marketing system rather than a method of showing the true breeding of horses. A number of leading sires are even approved by all the major European stud books, and therefore have registered offspring in different stud books. In addition many elite…
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Added by William Micklem on August 7, 2009 at 4:00am —
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