The3Steps - click on bottom of photo for explanation
 STEP ONE - Shoulder controlThis lovely horse was not only being introduced to ground work, a skill he was not familiar with, but was also being introduced to the idea that both shoulders can be used to hold oneself up when circling. Horses are not circular thinkers. They react to circles as though they are continuous changes of direction and respond in the only way they know how...they shift through the shoulder...or as humans call it...fall. It is up to us to give them other solutions to the challenges of circles. |  Step two - hind limb displacementThis horse is already an aficionado of shoulder control and is now being asked to focus on his hind legs. Changing the horse's focus is key to training. This is the first step to asking the horse to flex his Lumbar/Sacral joint. This is the first step to correct engagement. |  Step ThreeIn this photo, this horse, a 15 year old Selle Francais, Is being encouraged to find diagonal limb coordination and contraction of his abdominal muscles. He is finding this for himself, not in any way being forced. He is trying first to find his balance and is still on his forehand, but is also finding a more athletic posture. Once horses find this posture, without the use of training aids, they will seek it's comfort making our job much easier. |
|---|---|---|
 Young Friesan - St Lo NormandyThis young horse and rider combination are just learning muscle coordination of the epaxial or extensor muscles of the back. Though the back position of the rider is still being educated and the horse is still far from the athletic development we are looking for, the improvement in posture of both parties is very encouraging. I am teaching not only the rider here, but another equine therapist who will be using these techniques to improve her clients rehabilitative development. |  Diagnostic toolThis young horse was on his second session here. I gave this therapy student the chance to work with him to get a little hands on experience. He had been displaying some really distressed behaviour. The second session was devoted to hind limb displacement. The ears back and coiling in you see here were clear signs of discomfort, especially of the right hind. Veterinary investigation revealed pathology in the back and right sacro-iliac. The three steps are great diagnostic tools. |  Sensitivity TrainingFor years in the UK I worked with Inspector Alan Hiscox running training seminars for civilian riders. During these clinics we used police training techniques to educate the senses of their horses. I continue with this work in France and will be offering similar courses at my farm in Normandy. These courses are excellent to develop the rider's ability to remain calm when faced with the unusual. This of course, as we found with police officers, is what helps our horses cope with road work. |
 The first part of the day - in handWith patience, time and confidence horses can be encouraged to accept everything. Humans are always in a hurry, but horses, when calm, like to consider the situations they are faced with. Allow them the time and they will accept all that you want them to. Give to them and they will give back so much more. This was part of the morning session during which all the work is done in hand. |  The ridden workThe day begins with in hand work and ends with horses calmly working through complex questions. Our riders are always amazed at how much their horses will do for them. Time, patience and understanding the needs of your partner are elements of a good recipe for ALL relationships. Your horse will always seek to cooperate. It's written in his DNA as a herd animal. Any lack of cooperation is due to mistrust of the human, mental or physical pain, or lack of understanding of what is being requested. |  Equine and Human TherapiesI am a quaiified Masterson Method Practitioner, qualified Equine Sports Massage therapist, a qualified human massage therapist and am currently studying for a qualification in human cognitive behaviour. This horse suffers from chronic carpal arthritis, which makes him hold tension in his poll and neck. Here I am helping him release some of that tension. |
 Finally able to flexThis mare had a very difficult start in life. She is now with a caring and patient owner who gives her the best of everything. She was having trouble with circles and was stiff and one sided. After only one session of The Masterson Method, her owner could no longer tell which rein was the "bad" one. |  Overlooking CherbourgNormandy is beautiful. Here I am looking over the port of Cherbourg where anyone coming for a course by sea would land. If you are a therapist, vet, dentist, farrier, trainer or simply a devoted horse owner, the courses I offer can add many tools to your expanding knowledge. I will be posting dates soon...hope to see you in Normandy. Liz |
The THREE Steps - (click on the bottom of each photo for an explanation)
Horses, when being trained to carry us and perform what we ask of them, have particular challenges they must overcome. These challenges are rarely taken into account by modern day training ideas, and often lead to avoidable physical and mental distress and damage. The WELFARE of the horse is always my main concern and I believe that understanding the biology of the human and the horse, and how they function together, is crucial to the health and welfare of both the horse and the rider.
The three steps I briefly describe here are just the beginning, but I have used them, both in hand and ridden, as the building blocks of rehabilitation (especially during my seven years at LIPHOOK EQUINE HOSPITAL), re-schooling of "problem" horses (something I’ve been doing since the age of fourteen), and the basic training of young horses. Once the three steps are acquired, the horse is on his way to understanding balance under the rider, as well as how to balance the rider on his back, body alignment, and coordination of his limbs in relation to his back. The steps are equally enlightening to the rider as the mysteries of straightness, coming through, forward, impulsion and correct bending are all revealed in a logical, clearly understandable and relatively easily accessible manner. I say relatively since most of my riders have habits to break and human instincts to overcome when learning these new techniques!