Everyday is a day you can learn something new.
One day, or day one. You decide!
LJM Equine Riding Coach and Horse Trainer
LJM Equine Riding Coach and Horse Trainer Based in the West Midlands.
Training focussed on a mutual understanding between horse and human to achieve effective communication and a stronger partnership. Drawing on all aspects of my experience from Rider Biomechanics to Natural Horsemanship, depending on the needs and preferences of the horse and rider, I tailor my lessons to suit you!
Do you want a coach who is passionate and fun? Do you want to know what to do AND why you’re doing it? Give me a call or drop me a message, and I’ll be happy to discuss your training needs. We can even arrange a visit to meet you and your horse, without any pressure to fill a weekly slot.
Working with the rider
Having trained with Rider Biomechanics guru Mary Wanless and her team, and continually learning more about how a rider’s body works, through Equestrian Movement classes, I can help you adjust your position to have a secure seat and effective aids. This can boost your confidence if your horse has any challenging behaviours, and put you in a place to be able to do something about it. It can also boost your performance if you compete, as it puts your body in the best place for your horse to work correctly too!
Working with the horse
Horses behaviour (when it isn’t going our way) is often put down to them being challenging, difficult or naughty, but most of the time it’s your horse trying to tell you something! Every horse is different, just as every person is different, which is why I don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Combined with getting the rider in a good place I look to get the horse working in a balanced, responsive and calm way to set them up to succeed under saddle.
Working on the ground
Whether you have specific problems on the ground or you would like to incorporate ground work for variety, I can show you how. I’ve researched and trained in a variety of different methods, and my main aim here is to set you both up to understand each other, and be able to overcome any obstacles or challenges safely when working on the ground. Horses and humans working together and horses being ridden isn’t in itself natural, so I work on the principle that the horses are clever enough to know this. We sometimes use ‘herd leader’ behaviour to help our horses look to us as a safe and secure place to be, but horses don’t ride each other round the field, clip each other or compete over fences or in a dressage arena! Most of my ground work is geared towards functionality, preparing the horses body to be able to cope with the weight of a rider and it’s mind to be able to calmly respond to our ‘human’ requests.
What Makes YOU Feel Good?
Over Christmas and New Year it is sometimes very easy to forget how much you have accomplished over the past 12 months. Places you’ve visited, things you’ve seen and achievements big and small can all fade in to the background. Just little cogs in the great machine of life that continues chugging along, relentlessly one day after the next, minute by minute, hour by hour…..
But I say these moments are not ‘Just’ anything. Savour every one, and remember them any way you can.
At the beginning of this year I started making notes of things that felt like achievements or special moments. And, I’m surprised at how many there are! I’ve just sat down to recap them and honestly I’m amazed I got so much done. The start of winter and the lead up to Christmas felt a little under whelming, and it made it easy to feel like the whole year had been the same, until I reviewed all my notes!
I’ve joted them bown below. It’s in bullet point style, as many of the bigger moments I’ve already written about at length in my previous blogs.
I intend to do a similar exercise this year too! I’d also strongly recommend you do the same. Whether it’s a piece of paper, a note pad, a jar of little notes, a document on the comupter, at work, at home, on the desk, by your bed… whatever!… keep some little notes this year, whenever you remember to update it or as and when something makes you feel great (Even if it doesn’t seem like much but it makes YOU feel good) write it down. I guarentee you will feel great reading it all back at Christmas/New Year.
You can do this as purely a ‘related to horses’ exercise or as I have done below, for everything in your life.
January
Attended Meditation sessions.
Business Website begins taking shape.
Drove a horse box for the second time (The first time being December 2016).
Attended Clinic with Matthew Blane on Toronto (3rd part of jumping series).
Had a catch up with several friends. Some I hadn’t seen for several years!
New relationship begins with Keith.
February
Attended Clinic with Matthew Blane on Toronto (4th part of jumping series). Drive horsebox.
Began Kayaking and Climbing again with Keith.
Business Website finished and goes Live.
Decided to join Evie on the Mac 4×4 Challenge – planning begins.
March
Competed in Mac 4×4 Challenge (Ireland!).
Keith gets me out on a Mountain Bike…
Pool sessions in the Kayak continue – Apparently I rolled it but I’m not convinced.
Freya starts Riding Buddy.
April
Kayaking now moves on to the outdoors. Knightwick (First Surf on Little Bob and a Backward Ferryglide), Symonds Yat – many tears…
Began Blogspot
Day Trip to Hayling Island with Keith
Buddy – first lot of loading practice since problems in November 16.
May
Kayaking – Tweryn Pre-Graveyard after massive melt down!
Business – Ran my first full day show jumping and poles clinic.
South Staffs Show – Qualified for MIDARC at 2’3” (3rd). Freya’s first show – 2 clear rounds.
June
Kayak on the Dee – Serpents Tail @ low level, Upper Dee as mock student on 4*assessment day.
Night out at the Glee Club
ALPS – First holiday with Keith. Loads of paddling. Mountain biking (23km) and first Via Ferrata – see blog for more info.
July
Kayak – Return to Upper Tweryn
August
Kayak – Arley to Bewdley.
Buddy – Attended 2 day Ridden course at Ride with Your Mind, Oxford. Drive horse box.
Move back to Sladd – Freya now sharing Buddy
My first visit to a 4x / Pump track and Overspokes ride.
September
Attended and passed 2 Day First Aid Course.
Went to Go Ape on the High ropes course.
October
Equine Table top Sale in Kinver.
Attended Intro Talk for Dressage Naturally. Essex.
Another Catch up with a close friend I haven’t seen in way too long!
Paddle at Knightwick under lights in the dark!
November
Lakes trip – first G4 section Back Barrow Bridge and my first Trail Centre Ride on the Mountain Bike.
My First (and probably last) Rave – The Festival of Light
Attended Straightness training Study Group – Wales.
December
Paddle Dee – Serpents now changed, and at a higher level than I did before.
Two new part time Jobs (Barmaid and Stable hand).
First full day looking after Lewis…. I was trusted with a kid!
Sledging in the snow.
Boxing Day Hunt.
Target Shooting.
Point to Point.