ISSUE 15

In this Issue: Inspiring and Practical Articles especially for you, including :• Learn With Your Mind ; Breathing Exercises, Yawning, Study links posture of rider and horse• For the Good of the Horse: Remedial saddle fitting, Thermal Imaging Science• From the Good of the Rider: New ways to find and use your “Boards, NEW DVD SET “Muscle

Language”- the language horses understand, New Techniques for achieving NARROWNESS• From Jane Holderness: Another use for bearing down …. Getting married!• Reader Insights, NetNews from Around The World, Funnies, Diary Dates etc.

The magazine for ‘Ride With Your Mind’ enthusiasts!

RWYM

Readers’ Letters Page 2Ed's Corner

Dear Network NewsMembers,

It’s probably fairly obviousfrom the long delay in gettingthis newsletter to you thatthe Newsletter was on thebackburner for far longerthan desirable. I havebeaten any previous delaysby not just weeks, butmonths, not a fact that I ammuch proud of.

The Newsletter is producedpretty much single-handedlyby yours truly. Unfortunatelythis sad state of affairs issubject to the seeminglynever-ending turmoil in mylife. Plus, as always a littleextra aggravation c/oMicrosoft Technology!

I won’t bore you with thedetails but many thanks toEmma Malone who hashelped me this time to finallyget this newsletter on thetable. Emma your rewardsare … obviously in heaven… and a sneak preview ofsome of the newsletter!

Anyway, I really hope thewait was worth it and thankyou all for your patience.There are (in my humbleopinion) some superbcontributions this time round.Just keep them coming!

Best wishes, ElaineEmail: elaine.butler1@btinternet.com (or for snailmail see back page)

Hi MaryI had a nice riding experienceyesterday. One of the ladies in ouryard was riding a horse that herfriend has on trial with view tobuying. We were sharing the arenaand she had a problem as she feltthat the horse was jackknifing onone side when she was riding on acircle.

Thanks to having attended yourcourses courses I immediatelyspotted what she was doing wrongand advised her on correcting whatshe was doing.

She had dropped and turned herinside shoulder in (two breastswere visible from the centre of thecircle). I advised her to imaginethat her inside shoulder shouldface the outside of the circle (didn'tuse the ice skating analogy) and tomake sure her weight distributionwas even through her ischialtuberosities. (There were the armcuffs and the thighs as well and theidea to steer the horse like a bus.

That was enough for the timebeing, didn't want to frighten heroff!) She was sweating like mad(probably the most she eversweated in walk in all her life) butthe change in the horse wasstartling and the lady was verypleased and wants 'us to do itagain'. I'm hoping that she will beinterested enough to exploreRWYM more.

I also had another good experiencepersonally today. I had my ridinglesson with the 'sceptical'instructor. Well, while I have mystirrups the length she wants andwe don't do rising trot anymore asthis upsets her, so instead we dida lot of leg yielding today in walkand trot.

The horse, it is only young andlearning the ropes, did fabulouslywell and my instructor wasextremely pleased with us. Whatshe didn't know was that i did it theway you taught me. We evenstarted doing a bit of countercanter and that went well too. Allthe while with me remembering theboards, the epaulettes, the armcuffs, the weight distribution, thecornflakes box and the bear down.It does make me laugh as I thinkthe main difference is the rising

trot, the aims for the other bitsare the same, just served on adifferent plate with a menu withdifferent descriptions of theingredients.

Needless to say that i was verypleased with today’sachievements. I dare say I can feelthe difference in my riding and myunderstanding after only twocourses already.

Thanks for all the help and all thehard work that you have put intofinding out how things work.

Freddy von Rabenau, Selsey WestSussex

From: jan_middleton@hotmail.comSubject: RWYM - Australia

Dear Mary,I just wanted to pass on myappreciation and thanks for yourteaching, insights and oh! sosimple methods of RWYM.

I am a BHSII, former event rider(Burghley, but not Badminton). Iwould consider myself competentbut without talent. Then I got old.I came across Ann Montgomery,here in Australia, 15 years afteremigrating from England. I hadstruggled to find an instructor whois sympathetic to both horse andrider, without ‘jamming’ the horseand destroying ever-fading riderconfidence and suppleness.

I am now in my 2nd

year with Annand have attended all DeniseO’Reilly’s clinics. The difference inmy riding, teaching and… dare Isay, results… are amazing.

I heard today that Ann has gainedher much sought-after promotionas a RWYM coach and of course, Ishare her delight. I cannotcommend Ann enough for the workshe does in this backward place,with few competitions available anda very opinionated population.I regularly watch all ‘You Tube’videos, lectures and other internetarticles. The results are, perhapsslow because I am now in my mid50’s with declining agility. Thankyou, Mary, your methods andsupport of people like Ann aremaking a huge difference to us‘down under’. Jan Middleton

A lot has happened since Ilast wrote some news. Ireceived by an invitation tospeak at Your Horse Live –a huge trade show andshopping extravaganza,which is held alongsidevarious demonstrations andtalks in Autumn each year. Ihave been asked to speakthere in previous years, buthave turned down theinvitation because it requiredeither the drama of travelingbackspecificallyfor it, ormissingmuch of myUS trip inorder to bethere.

Theweekendwas greatfun, and ourtrade standwascertainly arespectableandattractiveeffort. I wasinsomethingof a jet-laggedstupor and if I took time outof the trade show bustle tosit quietly, I realised that myhead felt distinctly strange,but I ‘revved up’ whennecessary and enjoyedmyself immensely. However,I can barely imagine the lifeof people who travel reallyregularly for high-poweredjobs. They must be made ofstronger stuff than me –except that having beenupgraded to business classearlier this year, I havetasted the forbidden fruit,and discovered how much

difference it makes… Itmight even be time to tradein some air miles and grantmyself some luxury!

The three ridden demos atYHL went really well, andprobably attracted acombined audience of closeto 2,400 people. It is virtuallyimpossible to generate thatkind of exposure any otherway, and I certainly gotsome great feedback.

We talked to over 400people on the stand, and didsome good networking. Mythanks go to Dorothy Marks,Lynda Davey, and KarinMajor who helped me out.Karin was also asked tospeak, giving talks on howFeldenkrais Method can helpriders. This represented a‘first’ for her, and she toohad a blast and generatedsome really good feedback.

So as usual, I came home,dragged my horses out of

the field, and told them itwas time to start work. Imanaged about ten rides onQuite and four on Merlot,who had been off work witha splint. Quite has been asuper-star, and has beenmuch transformed this yearby sessions with GavinSchofield, Cranial Osteopathand healer extraordinaire.One five minute laying on ofGavin’s hands changed himbeyond belief, and made his

energy somuch moreavailablethat hebecame fareasier toride. Therest of theyear hasbuilt on thatinitialchange, andGavin hasbeen hugelyvalidating,saying whata preciseand unusualhorse he is.

Merlot too ismuchimproved,though I

cannot say how much of thisis due to Gavin, to Radionics(a form of distant energyhealing), or to diet. He is offany processed feed andfollowing the formulaprescribed by the companyThunderbrook Equestrian(www.thunderbrook.co.uk).

I have long thought thatmany of his issues were gut-related – he has always feltfar more comfortable andeasy to ride after he haspooped, and can feel as if hehas wooden hind legs and a

A News Update from Mary Wanless Page 3

The Ride With Your Mind exhibition support crew (Karin, Lynda, Dorothy)

.. and from Overdale … Page 4

More news from Mary Wanless

full nappy (diaper). He isalso prone to tightness in themuscles behind the saddle.Dr Deborah Carley, whostarted Thunderbrook, thinksthat all of these symptomscan be due to the horseyversion of leaky gut. (Thehuman symptoms of thiscan, apparently, affect thesufferer’s legs in a similarway.) Deborah was amedical researcher lookingat human gut conditions, butshe changed her targetspecies when her ownhorses had variousproblems.

After myWinter tour Icame backhome yetagain anddragged thehorses out ofthe field …Merlot seemseven better,and there is atrulyremarkabledifference inthe muscularquality of hisback. Whilst he does stillhave the same ‘defaults’they are far less strong, andafter a sticky half minute heseems to become a happycamper with a good ‘go’button and his brain onplanet Earth. My fingers arefirmly crossed!

When I headed back to theUSA I added Philadelphia,Washington DC, Atlanta andNashville to the list of clinicsI have already staged inToronto, Minnesota St Paul,Dayton and Boston. Theteacher training course inToronto was a lot of fun, andit bought together a group of

people with pretty goodskills, who really needed tomeet each other anddiscover that they did indeedhave peers and were not theonly weird people in theriding universe!

With any luck we shall soonhave some more accreditedcoaches in the US andCanada, which will be a realbonus.

My trip ended with a shortholiday in the DominicanRepublic – a Caribbeanparadise of beaches and

mountains.

Much to mydisappointment itrained for 2 days;but much to myamazement Ifound myselfwatching thedressage atOlympia on TV ina bar in rainstorm in a smalltown in themiddle ofnowhere!

The new house at Overdaleis finally finished, and mynew tenants moved in onJanuary the 1st. I had to buya lot of things fast!

The final stages of pullingthe project together haveseemed to take forever, butthe house is stunning, andsuch a great triumph that Isometimes have to pinchmyself to make sure it’s real.I cannot look at it withoutmentally thanking my cousinwho left me the money tobuild it, and I look forward toliving in it when the time isright.

OVERDALE – We are nowin our busy period. FromApril through to October themonths are punctuated withthe arrivals and departuresof so many equines andhumans, all of whom haveso much to share with usand each other.

The regular riding schoollessons are on the increase,so much so that OliviaPollard is now teachingalongside me on Saturday’sto satisfy the demand. If anyof you who have done BasicTeacher Training want tocome and practice teachingRWYM on a variety ofchildren and adultsalongside me, then doplease call to arrange.

As in previous years, I’vehad a number of workingpupils here through the year.Ashleigh who came to usfrom South Africa and wenton to teach in Malaysia hasextended her contract outthere for another 6 months,but hopes to be with usagain for Teacher Training.

We also had Katharina fromGermany, Karen from USA,Liz from NZ, Kat & Mousefrom Dorset, Kari fromNorway, Jo & Fagan fromCambridge and I’m about tobe joined by Caroline fromSussex. I have alsorecruited a yard assistant tohelp with morning andevening stables.

On the equine front Ellieretired from school work andis busy keeping Quite andMerlot in order in Mary’s fieldin Church Westcote. All thehorses are now fit and well.

An Update from Heather Blitznow based in Folsom, Louisiana, USA Page 5

.. more Overdale

Astro, Golly, Chico and Mervhave all done their bit oncourses, along with Jed whomade his course debut thisyear.

Cherry is still looking aftermy smaller clients. Brambleis in training with Lise andBen for driving and can beseen long lining around thevillage every so often. Theponies have recently beenjoined by Mr Jimmy Chips, a14.3hh cremello/skewbaldcob on loan from The BucksPony Academy. He seemsvery sweet natured and hasalready been used for noviceand more advanced adultriders in lessons.

Jed has been out and about,clear round show jumping,local riding club dressageand combined training, plussome fun rides at CotswoldFarm Park, having great fun.Tiger, my dressage horse, aDutch Warmblood, by Jazzis now back in action after along break. On the liveryfront, Ailsa, who used to ownBella, has purchased a verynice 15.3hh Welsh X Cob,who has also been ridden onsome of the courses. Hewas a big favourite atteacher training.

www.overdale-equestrian.co.ukTel: +44 (0)1993 832520

International Grand PrixDressage Rider HeatherBlitz and her 8 year oldDanish Warmblood GeldingParagon (Don Schufro-PariLord) secured their fifth winfrom five starts during theFlorida season this yearwhen the pair captured theIntermediare 1 with a scoreof 76.754% from a field of43. They also topped thefield in the Prix St George onFriday with a score of76.0%, winning the HighScore Award on both days ofthe Palm Beach DressageDerby at White Fences inWellington.

Heather was ecstatic aboutboth rides and commentedthat, "every month he's anew horse. The rate at whichhe progresses is soimpressive and reallyexciting. He only beganshowing a year ago and atthat time he relied on his rawtalent and generosity. Nowhe's performing really solidand trained work. It's anoutstanding rate ofprogress."

The Intermediare 1 earnedfour 10's from the judgeswho are recognising that hisconsistency honestlydeserves top marks. Allthree judges agreed that hisextended canter, which hasonly 10 strides to cross thearena, was worthy of 10'sand his two tempi changesalso scored a 10.

Reviewing this weekend'sperformances Heathercontinued, "the half passeswere totally unlocked andhave become really freenow.

His halts, which can be thehardest thing for him, are alot better. There is anobvious development in hismaturity each time heperforms and he's alsogetting fitting and stronger,which can be seen in hisathleticism and how easy itis for him."

"He is unquestionably thebest horse I've ever riddenand already way beyond mywildest dreams. He has somany fans and supporterswatching him now that itfeels like the country isbehind him to become ateam horse. We just needthe support to reach thisgoal because, like everyoneelse who has seen him, I'mreally excited that the UShas a horse like himavailable to represent thecountry."

Dear Elaine,The Palm Beach Derby testscan be viewed on Heather'sYouTube Channel:

You can now follow Paragonon Twitter @HRHParagon andon his Facebook Fan Page -http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon/323126404598

Heather Blitz's successes maybe the most widelydisseminated advertisingRWYM can get to date. She isseeking everyone's help to getthe exposure she needs.

I recommend sponsoringHeather (at any amount ofmoney) as some of the bestoutreach we can do to promoteour method and to give hermoral support. For info ondonating go towww.heatherblitz.info. Help herrise and flourish!Lisa May, RWYM Coach (US)

The lovely Astro

R.W.Y.M. Down Under Clinics and VisitsFrom Ann Montgomery in Australia Page 6

Denise O' Reilly made thelong trip down under for thesecond time in 2010 andagain in April 2011. I puttogether three Clinics and atraining day at Keysbrooknear Perth, Australia.Twenty four students tookpart in the clinics some ofthem, including myselftaking full advantage ofDenise been here andriding onevery clinic available.

Although we all have anew ridingfeel/experience everytime Denise arrives wetry to give Denise aAustralian experienceto remember also, thistime it was theAustralian flies, the littlebeasts are only aroundfor a few months untilthe dung beetles comeout. They did a greatjob of annoying horses,riders and Denise whoeventually succumbedto wearing a fly veil tokeep them from flyinginto her ears, nose, andmouth each time shespoke. I was hoping tosend a photo of herwearing her veil but sadlydidn't get one.

Denise did a great job againof giving every student whatthey needed in a supportiveway and all the riders haveasked to be on her nextclinic in March/April 2011.We also ran a training daywhich I have wanted to dofor a long time. Denise gavea 30 min lesson, then therider rode a dressage testwith Denise as the RWYMjudge marking everymovement in the test on theriders body only. I invited

Zoe Harrison a 'B' LevelDressage judge to mark thedressage test in thetraditional way. Zoe is also aEquestrian Australia level 2NCAS Coach with a vastexperience in both coachingand Judging.

The out come wasfascinating neither Denise orZoe had any idea how theother wasmarking, asZoe wasjudging at 'C'and Denise at'B', I am sure itwas a bit nerveracking for bothof them. Whenwe went up tothe house andwatched thevideo play backand wentthrough the

sheets the marks ended upbeen very similar. It was sogood for the riders to seethat if they have not kepttheir pieces in place themarks would drop. This wassuch a successful day wehave incorporated it into a 3day clinic on Denise nextvisit.

The other wonderful bonusfor my RWYM year was avisit from Josephine Ratiawho I met in 2009 onTeacher Training. Weshared a room on TT and hitit off immediately and wehave emailed each othersince. Jo originally fromWestern Australia wasvisiting family in Perth andmanaged to sneak awaytwice. We had two wonderfuldays exchanging ideas andcoaching each other.

So for me and my students2010 was a great RWYMyear. I am sure 2011 isgoing to be even better notonly with Denise's Clinic inApril, but I am also hoping tocome back to the UK to doTeacher Training.

Denise O’Reilly and one of her students

Ann Montgomery and Jo Ratia

ANOTHER WAY TO FIND THE “BOARDS” in your bodyBy Mary Wanless Page 7

There are two verticalstructures in the torso wecall “boards”. They run downthe front and back of theupper body along the edgesof the rectus abdominus. Tofind them sit on a hard chair,facing a table whose top issupported by a vertical plinth(traditional farmhousekitchen tables are of thistype).

Cross one leg over the otherso that you can press yourknee cap of your upper legagainst the plinth. Thinkabout the positioning of theboard on that side of yourbody, andofadvancingthat third.

(See mybook ‘Ridewith yourMind Clinic’page 130for adescriptionof theboards.)

Grab thebottom ofthe plinthwith thehand on thesame sideas the knee that is pushingagainst it, andsimultaneously pull on it.

This is very likely to makethe feeling of the board, andthe tone in that third, evenclearer.

If it does not, try making afist and pushing yourknuckles against the edge ofthe table top instead,keeping your thumb parallelto the ceiling.

Then, cross your legs theother way, and push againstthe table with the other kneecap. This time you willprobably find that if pullingwith your hand made the firstside clearer, then pushingwith your fist will make thisside clearer.

This is important informationwhich tells you about therotation of your rib cagerelative to your pelvis.

The push and pull show youhow to counteract this, andmake the board so muchclearer.

So you might gain evenmore clarity by repeating theexercise whilst pushing withone hand and pulling withthe other.

Many of the people I havedone this with report that ithas given them their clearestsense ever of the boards.

You can only use it toamplify the feeling of one ofthem at a time: but if you can

take that feeling into putting‘both boards on’ you willhave much more strengthand clarity at your disposal.

More musings on boardsfrom Kathy Johnson inGeorgia:

I thought I would e-mail youwith what I think was a majorbreak through with Gordon.

At the last clinic I got myboards more where theyneeded to be and I got evenstraighter, narrower andstronger. You had askedStephanie and I where ourhorse's boards were. !!

When I got home my brainkept processing everything. Irealised that Gordon's rightboard was stuck against hisspine. His left board was offto the left. This orientation isopposite from mine.

My left board is closer to myspine, and the top of myright board falls off to myright shoulder. Now I'mpondering why or how weare opposite. Then I realisedthe angle of my right boardwas pushing his right boardtoward his spine.

Since my left board is closerto my spine it sits to the rightof his left board. This allexplains his narrow rightside, wider on the left andhow his left shoulder isalways bulging left.

Also he doesn't comethrough from his right hind orhold the right side of the bit.He hangs on the left side ofthe bit. I realised also that itwas the cause of his headflipping.

Insight to “BOARDS” …continuedBy Kathy Johnson Page 8

When my left board wasstuck, the left side of mydiaphragm was high andtight. I wasn't breathing asmuch with my left lung. Itthen made sense to me thatGordon probably couldn'tbreath well with his right lungas the right side of hisdiaphragm was probablystuck.

When I would try andstraighten him by bringinghis left side right andshortening it he couldn'tbreath well. He would startflipping his head and if Ipersisted he wouldeventually panic, becausehe couldn't breath.

Now that I figured this all outwhat do I do about it? I stoodmy right board up andwedged it between his spineand his board. I tried to keepmy left side broad to be overhis left side. This made agood change in him. Hestopped flipping his head.

It took three rides to reallyget it. During the third ride Iwas trying to hold thecorrection together in rightcanter on a circle. I thencantered down the longside, and Gordon startedsnorting and blowing sohard I could hardly keep myseat.

I got out of the canter andrealised his right board hadpopped loose from hisspine. It was such adifferent feeling under me.Both his boards feltunstable but in a betterplace.

Now that I got it, what to dowith it? Since that day Ihave continued to keep

straightening and stackingour boards. The front right ofhis board still moves towardhis spine while the back endof the board moves towardthe point of his hip. Thiswould explain why going tothe right his shoulders tendto go left and hishindquarters go right.

I keep trying to get my leftside longer and broaderwhile shortening my rightside making in narrower ofcourse keeping my rightboard up right. My latestrealisation is that I have tokeep turning his right boardto make it straight. This hasmade turning in bothdirections easier.

Of course it is easier to gethim straight, up and stuffedand keep him there. Thecanter is improving. There'sstill work to do to make itgood, but we're on the righttrack I think.

You did say whatever theproblem was it was deepinside him and probably onthe level of his diaphragm.You were right.

I'm excited to keep workingon this issue and tackling thenext one as there alwaysseems to be a next one.

-----------------------------------------------Science snippet

"The Dunning–Kruger effect is acognitive bias in which an unskilledperson makes poor decisions andreaches erroneous conclusions,but their incompetence deniesthem the meta-cognitive ability torealise their mistakes.

The unskilled therefore suffer fromillusory superiority, rating their ownability as above average, muchhigher than it actually is, while thehighly skilled underrate theirabilities, suffering from illusoryinferiority. This leads to theperverse situation in which lesscompetent people rate their ownability higher than more competentpeople.

It also explains why actualcompetence may weaken self-confidence: because competentindividuals falsely assume thatothers have an equivalentunderstanding.

"Thus, the miscalibration of theincompetent stems from an errorabout the self, whereas themiscalibration of the highlycompetent stems from an errorabout others."

Murphy’s LoreBy Murphy (himself) Page 9

Greetings. My name isMurphy and I have beenstuck with asked to welcomethe new horses and pass onsome pointers that I havefound amusing helpful overthe years.

If you are new to DressageClub and want to share mythe arena with the superiormore experienced horseslike myself, then you betterlisten up might find thefollowing useful.

Your First Lesson

For the first lesson, I havea few tips:

1. Never forget that yourowner will be nervousand thereforesomewhat distracted☺. Some of them areeven sick (mine was)

2. Remember the firstgolden rule, pay NOattention to your rider –just listen carefully forthe followinginstructions, which forthe first few lessonsare typically as follows.I will provide morehints throughout theyear, but these may beuseful as a start:

‘Walk on’ - prick yourears and march brisklywith enthusiasm untilRider marginallyrelaxes.‘Tttttttttrrrrrrrrot’ - putyour ears flat againstyour head, squeal, smallpigroot … then trot on.Rider tenses.‘Can … Ta’ - select theincorrect leg, turningyour nose to the outside(this ensures it looks to

be your rider’s fault) …then disunite and finally,change lead. Riderhysterical.

‘And waaaallllllllllk’- fall heavily forward

into trot, swishing yourtail, then abruptly halt.On a good day, rider‘dismounts’ ☺

3. Most importantly, thesecond golden rule …perform very well when

absolutely no-one islooking.

Preparation for Rallys

You can expect that you aregoing to a Rally when yourowner cleans all the gear.You can be sure you arewhen she (it is assumed thatyour owner is a lady –although it must be said thatnot all owners are) startsspeaking in a jocular fashionwhilst poking a thermometer

into your nether regions(proper dressage horseswould never say ‘bum’).

As soon as you suspect aRally is imminent, you muststart your preparation.Appropriate preparationincludes:1. Try to look mildly

depressed and seemdisinterested in yourfood. (This last step willbe easier for some ofyou than me others).

2. Jog around yourstable the day before so asto slightly elevate your coretemperature – do not overdothis step as you do NOTwant the vet called.3. Rub as much of yourmane and/or tail out as youcan under the nice new rugyou will receive.

On the DayOn the morning of the Rallyyou must:1. Pretend you haveNEVER seen a float before.Be sure to sweat all overyour new rug. As soon asanyone other than yourowner appears (or whenyour owner cries), walkmeekly onto the float.2. As you leave yourproperty, be sure to screamas though your throat is

being cut. This isparticularly important ifyou share your propertywith other horses.

3. Do not defecate on thefloat whilst travelling –wait until you get thereand go just before youare taken off.

4. Do not eat your own hay(this is to be thrown onthe floor) – but eat anyother hay you can reach

Have fun …….. Murphy

Study Shows Link Between Posture of Rider and Horse!by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre sent in by Mary Wanless Page 10

Your mother was rightand no surprises to ourinitiated members…

Sit right and you canspare your/your horse’sback. And now scientistsat the equine behaviorresearch center at theUniversity of Renneshave confirmed it: Poorposture can be a realpain in the back--not justfor you, but for yourhorse.

By comparing certainriding positions ofamateur equestrians andthe neck positions oftheir mounts to the kindof back pain thosehorses experiencedwhile in the stall, theresearchers concludedthat how you ride makesa big difference in equinewelfare.

"Our data infers thatimproper riding postureshave a strong effect onhorses' postures at workthat also lead to chronicvertebral problems," saidClemence Lesimple,researcher at theUniversity of Rennes inNorth West France.

Lesimple and hercolleagues studied 19horses in 2 riding centresas they were exercisedduring beginners' ridingcourses.

The positions of theriders' hands and legs,and those of thehorses' necks, wererecorded, as well as thekinds of correctionsgiven by the ridinginstructor. (not the rider’s

torso or the horse’sback/leg shapes? ..Ed)

The horses' back pain atrest was evaluated bytwo independent equinechiropractors (whoseconclusions were 94%consistent with eachother).

They noted that ridingwith high hands andelevated heels tendedto cause the horse tomaintain a high andoften hollow neckposition, and that thesehorses were most likelyto have severe backpain. (Because ridingwith pulled upheels/hamstrings makesfor a non-neutral spine?..Ed)

They also found aconsiderable differencein back pain between thetwo riding centres: in thecentre where theinstructor tended tocorrect riders' positionsregularly, the horseswere significantly less

affected by vertebralproblems.

Even so, 74% of all thehorses in the study werefound to be severelyaffected, and only onehorse was consideredpain-free. All the horsesthat were mildly affectedor unaffected were in theriding stable where ridingposition was addressedby the instructor.

"The present findingsclearly show the kind ofimpact human actionscan have on theirmounts," said Lesimple."For the sake of equinewelfare, instructorsshould be paying moreattention to teachingproper technique tobeginner riders."

Future research willfocus on the effects ofglobal posturalpositions, includingseat and balance, shesaid. (Finally recognisedsomething we knewages ago?!)

Is it the saddle, the horse or me?Sent in by Karin Major Page 11

The horse was neverintended to carry a rider but,by a miracle, it can. It wasnever meant to event, dodressage, race, show jump,hunt or play polo. We use itfor all these things andmore. At the highest levelthey all require a strengthand athleticism that stretchthe horse’s physical andmental abilities to the full.The rider helps with aids andbalance but also inhibits itsrange of movement with hisor her body weight.

That not every horsereaches the top goes withoutsaying, but an awful lot ofthem rarely attain their ownoptimum level ofperformance. Many othersshow promise and potentialbut fail to maintain this or todevelop as we might hope.As riders there is nothingmore disheartening than thefeeling that our horse is notquite performing with thefluidity or zeal that it hasdone in the past.

His failure to improve (or hisloss of form) may not be dueto any unwillingness on hispart nor a lack of ability.True he is no longer ashappy as he was and seemsreluctant to answer youraids. He may start rollingpoles he previously clearedwith ease or become slow todo transitions, despiteknowing perfectly well whatyou want. In a lot of smallways he is telling you he isuncomfortable.

It may be worth having alook at the saddle – whichprobably looks much thesame as it always did. Youhave cleaned and treated it

regularly and there are noobvious problems that youcan see. Why should this bethe source of any problem?

Well just think back a bit.Has the horse matured andmuscled up since you firstgot it? If so the saddle maysimply be too tight.Alternatively your horse mayhave got slimmer as it haslost it summer “grasstummy” and the saddle isnow too loose?

Of course one of ourunspoken objections todoing anything is thatsaddles cost a lot of money,and we already have aperfectly serviceable one inthe tack room..

Symptoms of saddlerelated problems:

• A reluctance to besaddled, demonstratedby evasion, biting, flykicking, fidgeting

• Being “cold-backed”

• Blowing out to avoid thegirth being tightened

• White hairs over thesaddle area

• Tenderness topalpation/touch in thesaddle area

• Uneven build up orwastage of muscles,particularly in the withers

Functional symptoms ofdiscomfort:

• Loss of impulsion orfailure to engage hindend properly

• Loss of scope and/orflexibility

• Not tracking up straight

• Reluctance to bend oneway or the other

• Unwillingness to work onone rein on a circle

• Unwillingness to drop hishead or relax the neck

Physical symptoms ofdiscomfort:

• One-sided or stiff headand tail carriage

• Uneven shoe wear

• Standing over too muchor too little ground

• Loss of condition/weight

Not all these symptoms, andthe list is by no meansexclusive, are going to becaused by your existingsaddle. Many of them couldresult from either recent orlong term injuries. Howeveranything that reduces to thehorse’s ability to move freelywill also affect the symmetryof its physique. As this altersso the saddle will cease to fitproperly and will, in turn,aggravate the problem andeven prevent rehabilitationor treatment being effective.

It can then becomeextremely difficult to identifywhere the original fault lies,especially as horses canquickly learn to compensatefor injury until the adjustmentthey have made becomes, initself a source of pain.

Who do you call in - a saddlefitter or a therapist? Thesaddle fitter cannot measurethe horse’s back accuratelybecause it is presented in atemporary state that isalready associated with lossof function. Equally thetherapist cannot address themuscles or skeletal structurein isolation because thesaddle will impede therebuilding of balanced,symmetrical muscles. Re-flocking or re-balancing thesaddle may allow this tohappen .

Is it the saddle, the horse or me? … continuedSent in by Karin Major Page 12

One person who is familiarwith this problem is leadingsaddle fitter, Kay Humphries.For many years Kay hasfitted saddles throughout theUK and abroad and has, inthat time, developed a closeworkingrelationshipwith bothsaddlemakers andwith vetsand otherequinehealthprofessionals. This hastaught her a holisticapproach to the problem.

She happily refers saddlesfor “servicing” if they arebasically suitable for thehorse, and she has theknowledge to tell the saddlerwhat needs to be done.

Equally she can identifywhere physical problems aremore important, and willadvocate treatment toremedy the situation beforecontemplating re-measuringthe saddle.

Her unique skills have beendeveloped and honed over alifetime. She has been askedcountless times to writedown what she knows, or toteach an “apprentice”, buthas never before had theleisure to do this. Veryfortunately this has nowchanged.

Kay has designed acomprehensive course tobring together the skills oftherapists, dealing with thetreatment of structurally orfunctionally unsound horses,with those of bespokesaddlers, to produce a

programme that offers acomprehensiveunderstanding of saddlefitting. As she says, “Wemust make sure someone islistening to the horse andputting it first.”

TRAIN AS A REMEDIALSADDLE FITTER

Horses and ponies sufferback pain. Symptomsrange from loss of formand deterioratingbehaviour tounsoundness, and horsesmay be un-rideable orpotentially dangerous. Youowe it to your horse, andyourself, to find the causeand remedy.

Problems can start withskeletal injury or softtissue damage. Long-standing injuries makeother muscles overwork.Treatment andrehabilitation can bedelayed by uncomfortablesaddles, which may bedamaged or badlyconstructed. Saddle trees,that do not fit the horse’sback, create tremendouspressure and causechronic injury. A pinchedwither restricts movementin front and impulsionfrom behind.

Identifying the right help ishard. Saddlers and other

equine professionals allhave their chosen area ofexpertise. For a long timethe horse world has beencrying out for experts whocan marry these variousskills together.

At Horse1st Saddle Fittingwe have developed a newcourse, nationallyaccredited by LantraAwards, to train RemedialSaddle Fitters. Its holisticapproach links the skills ofsaddle fitter, saddler,instructor/coach andequine healthprofessional.

We are seeking matureequestrians, withprofessional orcompetitive experience,who want to extend theirexisting skills to provide amuch needed servicewithin the industry. Thedemand is there and wecan teach you the skills.

For information abouttraining as a RemedialSaddle Fitter, or about ourAssessment Clinics, visit

www.horse1stsaddlefitting.co.uk, contact horse1sttraining on 01789 772413

or emailhorse1st@virgin.net

See Your Horse in a New Lightby Helen Morrell Page 13

Horses are amazinganimals, willingly offering tocarry us and perform feats ofsporting prowess at ourwhim. Their strength ofcharacter is a constantsource of amazement formany.

This strength doesn’t justextend to an ability toperform, it’s also deep-rooted in innate survivalmechanisms such as theability to mask pain.

Horses will carry on whilst indiscomfort, showing nooutward clinical signs, untilthe pain becomes too greatto mask further. Why? Well,if you cast your mind back toall those Attenboroughdocumentaries, whereyou’ve willed on the sick orold wildebeest against thecheetah it all makes sense.Showing signs of weaknesssingles you out for attack.

As a rider you may observemore lethargy, a decrease inperformance, loss ofimpulsion or engagement orpoor lateral bend, butnothing to pass on aconcrete message that yourhorse is in pain.

Sadly this amazing ability tomask pain doesn’t benefitour domesticated friends, aswe’re likely to unwittinglycontinue with moreschooling to overcome theloss of performance. Even ifwe do listen to these subtlemessages we’re in aquandary; whatever is wrongisn’t enough to call the vet,and if you did, where wouldhe or she start, and at whatcost?

There is an answer.Problems in horses can bedetected even before anyclinical symptoms, withVeterinary ThermalImaging.

Once the affected area isidentified it’s easy for yourvet to hone in with specifictests, or to start a remedialprogramme immediately.During a two-year study itwas shown that thermalimaging could effectively andaccurately pick up subtlechanges in temperature priorto major injury occurring in95% of cases, and 2-3weeks before the trainer orvet became aware. Of thosehorses that underwentclinical examination forlameness, thermal imagingcorrectly predicted the site ofthe injury in 95% of cases.1

Veterinary Thermal Imagingas a new technology andtechnique has beenperfected over the last thirtyyears.

Man versus Machine

Using a camcorder-sized,portable camera, imagesmapping the surfacetemperature of your horse(thermograms) can beproduced. These provide anexcellent correlation to seatsof pain, as the physiology (orblood flow) of the horsechanges overlying a problemas the body works hard torepair itself.

Warmer than expectedareas overlie inflammation,infection, muscular spasm,tissue lesions etc, and coolerthan expected areas overlieareas of scar tissue,thrombosis, nerve

dysfunction, swellingconstricting blood flow andchronic degenerativeconditions such as arthritis.

The first thermogram wasproduced by Hippocrates2400 years ago. He laid awet clay soaked cloth acrossthe throat of a patient anddetermined that the area todry first was the problem.Vets and owners have beenfeeling legs for centuries togauge differences intemperature linked to injury.

So, whilst observingtemperature differences isnothing new, what is newnow, is how objective andaccurate we can be about it.Human hands can detect a2oC difference, but thermalimaging is 40 times moresensitive than this, detectingchanges sooner and withmore accuracy. Eachthermogram is producedfrom over 80,000 individualtemperature readings.

Thermal Imaging is non-contact, non-invasive anddoesn’t emit any radiation,so can be repeated as oftenas required with no adverseeffects on horse or handler.It doesn’t require travelling,sedation, or clipping, thecosts compare veryfavourably with those ofother diagnostic tests; and ifyou use a veterinary referralservice it’s covered on mostequine insurance policies.

A Holistic ApproachHorses don’t have just oneproblem associated withlameness or a bad back.Often there are othersecondary causes whichmay be overlooked, andcause the primary problem

See Your Horse in a New Light … continuedby Helen Morrell Page 14

to reoccur unless they’realso treated. ThermalImaging is an excellent toolto identify these secondaryproblems so they can bemanaged too, such as:

• bad backs

• joint damage

• muscular problems

• ligament and tendonlesions

• dental pain

• nerve dysfunction

• foot balance

• saddle fitting

A bridging saddle

And it goes further than this– with thermal imagingproving a valuable tool forrider training too, giving anobjective view of the effect ofthe rider’s position on thehorse. The camera is sosensitive that even subtleissues can be detectedallowing you and your trainerto work to correct them.

Case Studies

During routine thermalimaging a rare subchondralbone cyst was found in this 9month old filly’s pastern, sheshowed no signs oflameness, but had becomegrumpy. Early surgicalintervention means anexcellent prognosis as nobone grafting was required

A five-year old eventer, witha severe rearing andnapping vice, was rested fortwo weeks before thermalimaging. It showed extremehot spots along her spine,

and intersecting horizontalbands of heat called warmnerve root signatures. Anx-ray showed kissing spine.

Unusual colour bandings,called dermatomes, werepresent on this6-year old dressage pony’slegs. She was failing totrack-up properly.Dermatomes indicate thatone or more branches of thespinal cord are beingconstricted, the pinched

nerves send out a signal tothe part of the body theycontrol to vasoconstrict.

Thermographic assessmentof racing Thoroughbreds. TATurner J Pansch J Wilson.Proc Conference on EquineSports Medicine andScience 2002 p207

Helen Morrell is the SeniorThermographer at VeterinaryThermal Imaging Ltd, aveterinary referral service.

She trained in VeterinaryThermography at theUniversity of Florida’sVeterinary School, and is amember of the EAT andUKTA.

Helen also holds aBSc(Hons) in AnimalScience, is a BHSAI and isstudying for an MSc inVeterinary Physiotherapy.

For moreinformation visitwww.veterinary-thermal-imaging.com

or call0844 544 3314,24 hours.

RWYM membersreceive a 10%discount.

My Story by Peggy BidgoodProducer of Muscle Language DVDs Page 15

I, Peggy Bidgood, theproducer of MuscleLanguage have an undyingpassion to ride horses inself-carriage.Continually riding horsesincorrectly may lead toinjuries in their bodies thatmay have been prevented. Ihad my own horse for 10years and knew intuitivelythings were wrong.

I have an undying love forhorses, which began when Iwas a child. My mother grewup on a farm inNewfoundland, Canada. Myfather, as a child, had hisown horse in a nearbyfishing village.Horses where Igrew up werehelpers to thefarmers andfishermen. Myfondestmemories werewhen mygrandfatherwould take usfor a sleigh ridein the winter.Betty was thefirst horse Iremember.

When I was 12,my father bought a ShetlandPony, Miss Sharon. I alwaysbelieved Dad bought her forme, until recently myyounger sister said MissSharon was for the family. Istill believe Miss Sharon wasfor me. Miss Sharon had herown ideas and they were notthat I should ride her—everytime I got on she would buckme off. Flat on my back Iwould be! Miss Sharon wasnot part of my life forlong,my father gave heraway.

This didn’t discourage me; inmy 20’s I took everyopportunity I got to ride ontrail horses. From BritishColumbia in the mountainsto the sandy beaches in theCaribbean.

It was not until 1983, when Iwas 32, did I have a realopportunity to ride. I beganin Tampa, Florida takinglessons at a Fox HuntingStable. I rode in a fencedarena where I learned therising trot and canter. Mylessons were 'heels down','get on the correct diagonal',and this is the pulley rein toSTOP.

Fox Hunting was my goal, Iloved being in nature.Spending time with myfather as a child in thewoods instilled in me hislove for the outdoors. Sowhy not ride cross-country?My first cross-country ridewas with a group of 30horses preparing the houndsfor the season. Walkingthrough the trails wasbeautiful I was in heaven.Until we came to an openfield miles long – I suddenlywas in HELL! The horses all

took off at a flat out gallopacross the field.

My horse Chip, who was sowell behaved in the fencedarena – took off with me; Iwas terrified, standingstraight up in the stirrups-pulling back on the reins ashard as I could.What a picture! My ridinginstructor came back fromthe field yelling to me let himgo –let Chip go – he wantsto catch up with the field.Later I over heard the seniorinstructor say” I put littlechildren on Chip” in otherwords I should be able toride Chip. That was my help.

On my drive homefrom that adventureI cried. This wasFox Hunting!

This terrifyingexperience didn’tdamper my undyingpassion to ride. NowI wanted my ownhorse. While I waslooking for a horse Iwas continuallymounted on horsesthat over faced me.Then jumping ahorse I should nothave even been

sitting on I fell of andsprained my elbow – firstcast!

In 1987 I moved toWellington. I felt I had diedand gone to” HorseHeaven”. Wellington wasbeginning to become, what itis today “The Horse Capitalof the World”.Now for thefirst time in my life I wasintroduced to the world ofShow Horses. All new to me,I was able to watch on anygiven day, in season, the topriders in the world. And it

PEGGY and four-legged friend

My Story by Peggy Bidgood .. continuedProducer of Muscle Language DVDs Page 16

was in Wellington I found myfirst horse, Morey, ahandsome 16.3hh greygelding,. Morey wasmagnificent, the love of mylife, he was 9 years old. Hehad done it all ,Quarterhorse racing, Fox hunting,the Master‘s Horse, jumpingon circuit with GeorgeMorris, and when he cameinto my life he was learningdressage. He could do it ALL– I could do nothing. I can’ttell you how many times hetried to stayunder me tocatch me fromfalling off timeand timeagain.

I wantedanswers, hereI was inWellington,The HorseCapital of theWorld and yetI was asking

• Why do Ifeel I ambanging on my horsesback?

• Why do I constantly falloff?

• Why am I pulling on myhorse’s mouth?

• Why can’t I stop myhorse?

• Why can’t I ride- I wantto ride correctly- not justride-Why can’t I?

• I spent years looking forthe answers

• Taking Riding Lessons--Giving up--BeginningAgain

• Taking Clinics--Givingup--Beginning Again

• Taking Lunging Lessons--Giving up--BeginningAgain

In the mid 90’s I found thebook The Natural Rider byMary Wanless. At lastsomeone was describingwhat a Natural Rider does inhis or her body. I studied thebooks especially Mary’s laterbook Ride With Your MindEssentials. Now I knew thetheory in my mind. I was notable to find anyone inWellington, The HorseCapital of the World, to helpme understand and applyMary’s theory.

So in, 2000, I called Mary inEngland asked if she took onworking students? To mydelight she said YES! So offI went to Mary’s Overdale inthe Cotswold, England forthree glorious months. TheHIGHLIGHT of my ridingdays!

On my first day at thestables I was introduced toall the horses; I wasimagining whom I would liketo ride.

Very excited, the day of myfirst lesson arrives and toMY HORROR Mary says Iwill be riding Miss Ellie, thelittle Welsh Pony! Well Icouldn’t believe what I was

hearing, coming all the wayfrom the UNITED STATESto RIDE a PONY!

Time passed and I knew outof ALL the Trainers, clinicsand lunging lessons I hadtaken Mary had given methe greatest gift, Miss Ellie. Ifinally, under Mary’s watchfuleye, through her excellentteaching skills and MissEllie’s total refusal to doANYTHING correctly unlessI did it correctly first—I

learned to ride.Before I leftOverdale I wasriding the mostdifficult horse inthe stable,Bounce. WhatJOY! At last I wasconfident and ableto ride correctly inself- carriage.Three months hadpassed – time togo home toWellington. Moreyhad gone to HorseHeaven before I

had gone to England, so Idid not have a horse to ride,consistently. As a result Iwas not able to keep theMuscle Memory in my bodythat Mary had helped medevelop by teaching me thecorrect way to ride.

I have tried to teach my bodywhat to do with Pilates, inthe gym, yoga—giving up—beginning time and timeagain. Still my body couldnot do what it was supposedto do.

Discouraged and not riding,a hamstring injury introducedme to Cheryl’s Stretch andCore. My hamstring injurywas healing from the StretchProgram and at the same

Muscle Language DVDs (continued) Page 17

time unknowingly I wasbuilding the Muscle Power Ineeded to ride. Cheryl’sunique way of teaching,showing you the muscles inyour body as you are eitherstretching or building corestrength enables you tolearn to talk to your musclesindividually. You learn to usethis Muscle Power in yourbody every day so itbecomes WHO YOU ARE.5% of Riders naturally havethis Muscle Power.

An opportunity came to ridea friend’s horse. While ridingCharlie I was able to get himto use his core, raise hisback and reach into the rein– the basics of self- carriage.My body was finally able totalk to my Muscles in theway Mary described in herbook and the way Marytaught me when I was atOverdale. Talking to myMuscles in the way horsesunderstand. I connected withmy body—then the horseconnected to his body.

As Mary says “He won’t GetIT until you GET IT”NOW I HAVE IT and SOCAN YOU.

The Muscle LanguageProgramme – TheLanguage HorsesUnderstand

Muscle Language is a 5DVD Programme:1. Introduction DVD(includes a lesson withMary)2. Two Stretch Class DVDsthat will bring your body intoneutral alignment.3. Two Core Class DVDs.Learn to Master the Internallift and you will be able tohave the Muscle Power to

develop The Core-BearDown as I have!

Do these EXERCISESconsistently and use THE 4BASICS, which are:1. Neutral Alignment2. Internal Lift3. Core- Bear Down4. Breathingfrom Mary’s book Ride WithYour Mind Essentials andyou will have THEFOUNDATION to ride anydiscipline you choose. To purchase the brandnew Muscle Language-DVD set please go throughthe online shop atwww.mary-wanless.comOr phone Mary on 01993-831193 A NOTE FROM MARY:The changes in Peggy’sbody through attendingCheryl’s classes have beenphenomenal, and she is infantastic shape for a womanof her age.

Having taught her beforeand after, I can also say thatshe has become better ableto follow my directions, anddo the things she knows sheshould do. She has a muchenhanced neurological mind-body connection, and thismakes it possible to thinkabout a change and have ithappen – her brain can talkto her muscles, and hermuscles have the strength tomaintain the changes moreeasily. This is despite limitedtime in the saddle.

I have myself been able toattend several of Cheryl’sclasses, both group andindividual. Anyone who canget me excited aboutstretching, and make a

tangible difference to mybody in one session, has tobe doing a good job!(Historically I have hatedstretching, seen little benefit,and have felt that I amdoomed to live with shorttight muscles.)

Cheryl is a very perceptiveand encouraging teacher,who makes sure that thebody is correctly positionedfor each exercise, be that forstretch or core work. Herfocus on stretching beforedoing core work is unusual,and I am sure that she isright to emphasise the valueof evening out the musclesystem, since shortenedmuscles distort the skeleton,and this can only lead todistorted strength.

Cheryl uses small, precisemovements that focusattention, and her use ofclear illustrations helps youto focus your attention in theright place. Her ‘internal lift’helps you ‘pull your stomachin to make a wall’ before youthen ‘push your guts againstthat wall’. The increasedstrength of that wall isneeded by riders as theyseek to do more advancedwork, and it also helps riderssupport their own bodyweight.

Many of her exercises helpthe thigh bone to move morefreely within the hip socket,and of course this istremendously helpful forriders. Some of herexercises are unique andvery clever, and they haveparticular value for us in oursearch for symmetry. I havebecome a great fan of herwork, and recommend it toeveryone!

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED .. Page 18

Why the sun lightens ourhair, but darkens our skin?

Why women can't put onmascarawith their mouth closed?

Why you don't ever see theheadline:"Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why "abbreviated" is such along word?

Why Doctors call what theydo "practice"?

Why you have to click on"Start" to stop Windows 98?

Why lemon juice is madewith artificial flavor, whiledishwashing liquid is| madewith real lemons?

Why the man who invests allyour money is called a"Broker"?

Why there isn't mouseflavoired cat food?

Who tastes dog food when ithas a "new & improved"flavour?

Why Noah didn't swat thosetwo mosquitoes?Why they sterilise the needlefor lethal injections?

Why they don't make thewhole plane out of thematerial used for the indestructible black box?

Why sheep don't shrinkwhen it rains?

Why they are calledapartments whenthey are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro,is Congress the opposite of

progress?

Why they call the airport "theterminal" if flying is so safe?

AND...In case you need furtherproof that the human race isdoomed because ofstupidity, here are someactual label instructions onconsumer goods.

On a Myer hairdryer: | "Do not use while sleeping".(Darn, and that's the onlytime I have to work on myhair).

On a bag of Chips:You could be a winner! Nopurchase necessary. Detailsinside. (The shoplifterspecial?)

On a bar of Palmolive soap:"Directions: Use like regularsoap". (And that would behow???)

Warning - potentialdanger of horsehair!!

This is a public serviceannouncement - Thenational institute of healthhas announced thediscovery of a potentiallydangerous substance inhorse hair, this substance iscalled 'Amobacter Equi',females are most at risk andhas been linked with thefollowing symptoms:

reluctance to cook, clean ordo housework, reluctance towear makeup, nice clothesor heels. Reluctance tospend money on home orcar repairs until "baby hasnew boots, pad, blanket,tack, grain, hay and

supplements"

'Amobacter Equi' usuallyresults in long hours awayfrom home and exhaustionwhich may lead to lack ofphysical contacts with otherhumans (especiallyhusbands) 'Amobacter Equi'is thought to be addictive,driving the need for herdmentality, or like the potatochip commercial "you cantjust have one"

BEWARE - If you come intocontact with a female humaninfected by this substance,prepare to talk about horsesfor hours!!

GENERAL WARNING -Horses are expensive,addictive, and may impairthe ability to use commonsense!!

Men infected withAmobacter Equi developbow legs, quiet speech anda brim-shaped outline to thehead. Other symptoms mayinclude obsessive urge tochase wooden ball,foxhounds or cattle.

Particularly dangerous ifmale infected with a. equireproduces with femalecarrier - chance of childrendeveloping disease 99.99%.Currently there is no knowncure.

"Saddle (n); An expensiveleather contraptionmanufactured to give therider a false sense ofsecurity. Comes in manystyles, all feature built-inejector seats."

101 Uses for Bearing Down… The Trip up the Aisleby Jane Holderness Page 19

In May, myboyfriendproposed tome. Fabulous,I was sohappy!

But then theFear camecreeping in – Iwanted to getmarriedquietly,abroad, on abeach,preferablywrapped in alarge tent(body imageissuesanyone?).

He wanted abig whitewedding…. Idon’t likeparties, orpeople lookingat me.

In true,learning-to-come-to-an-agreementstyle, wediscussed itthoroughly….

He won.

So, having heard Mary lastyear recalling the benefits ofusing bear down in meetingsor anywhere you need a bitof “grrrrrrr”, I decided I wouldneed to bear down to walkdown the aisle.

Thus started the GreatDress Hunt. To find thedress that was boned, wiredand corseted enough to giveme something really solid tobear down against, without

showing too much of mypoor unloved body to theworld. Such a challenge,give me a bucking horse anyday!

The big day was the end ofAugust…. Meaning I hadvery limited time. Still, aftermuch searching, andstruggling in and out of manyuncomfortable dresses, I found the one. Phew.

Thus started theworry that when itarrived a fewweeks before thewedding it wouldnot be tightenough, or worsestill, too tight!

On the day itself,I wasshoehorned intothe dress, andthen attempted tobreath-down-bear-down whilstmy guts feltimbedded in mythroat (partly theFear, partly thesnugness of fit!)

The “Walk ofFear” was notassisted byhaving pulled amuscle in my legthe day before,which meant Iwas 7/10ths lameand walking morethan a littleasymmetrically.

Thus handilyincreasing myfear of fallingAND a hundredpeople looking at

me as I wobbled down theaisle.

Outside church, with my dadand my 7yr old bridesmaid, Iwas concentrating hard onsucking in to make a wall(easy when pushing out isn’tan option!) and pushingagainst my wall. Oh, andbreathing. And trying to lookserene. And not purple in theface. And trying to makethis look easy. And notforgetting my vows… !!

Outside church, getting up the step whilst bearing down.

101 Uses for Bearing Down… The Trip up the Aisleby Jane Holderness Page 20

The vicar came out to leadus in, and I got my beardown up to a level 8. Iwalked up the aisle andmade it to the front withouttripping over the dress!Result! Thanks Mary!

We had a fabulous day, andeveryone who said I wouldlook back on it fondly despitewanting to crawl into a holeand hibernate, was right.

And finally, I found an evenbetter use of my bear downduring the reception. Wehad a bucking bronco, and Igot the best time of thenight, despite (or maybebecause of!) the weddingdress corset.

By the end of theevening, we had achorus of drunkenspectators yelling

“more beardown” at everyone

as they attempted tostay on. And most ofthem didn’t even knowwhat it actually meant!

I did it! I went up and down the aisle withoutfalling over!

A more standarduse for bearingdown - showing mynatural asymmetry,ha ha!

IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES FOR NARROWNESSBy Mary Wanless Page 21

I have recently becomemuch more aware of avariable that patterns manypeople’s riding, and thatreally has to do with thewideness or narrowness oftheir front (as opposed totheir back).

It is a number of years sincesenior coach Anna Gordonfirst came up with the idea of‘lacing up across your front’,matching the long-standingidea of ‘lacing up acrossyour back’. Butthe fullimplications ofthis are only justdawning on me.

The laces in yourback go acrossthe sacroiliacjoints in yourpelvis, pullingthem in together.Another variationon the theme –proposed bysenior coach Denise O’Reilly– is to think of a zipper thatzips down the centre of yourpelvis and continues downyour butt-crack to zip the twohalves of your backsidetogether!

There are some nice littlemuscles that go from yourcoccyx to your seat bones inan upside-down ‘V’ shape,and the later idea tonesthem beautifully!

It took a group ofCalifornians to nick-namethe result ‘mono-butt’ or ‘theseamless butt’!

The laces in your front goacross the lower segmentsof your six pack, pulling thelines that form its edges inand together. This draws

your six pack backwards andmakes it narrower. Thus thelaces help you pull yourstomach in to make a wall,before you then push yourguts against that wall. Notenough riders realise thatincreasing their bear downcan require creating a firmerwall just as much as itsuggests the need to makemore push.

Once the rider is armed withlaces in both the back and

the front of herpelvis, I havefound myselftempted to usethese as anotherway for riders tosupport theirbody weight.Anyone whotends to be too‘down’ andheavy will alsotend to be toowide, so if thoselaces could form

some kind of harness thattheir pelvis was hung from(ouch!) these riders wouldhave a new way to thinkabout being lighter. This is a nasty thought, butit is also an extremelyeffective one – and it wasinspired by a TV programmeI once watched aboutweddings inLas Vegas.One coupletook theirvowssuspendedfrom cranesby a similararrangementof laces thatpassedthrough metalhooksinserted intotheir upper

back. Needless to say, theyalso both had a lot of tattoosand studs etc., and via somemind-map I cannot fathomthey thought that this way toget married was the ultimateexpression of love!

So returning to our laces atpelvic level, we now have anarrow back, a narrow front,and a rider who supports herbody weight well.

The change in her front alsodraws the points of her hipsin towards each other,making them almost ‘cross-eyed’ as it pulls her six packbackwards. Her ‘ovarypoints’ which lie on theboards (the accurate lines)are also drawn back,possibly back behind thepoints of her hips, or at leastcloser to this ideal. Thisfocuses her low down beardown in a completelydifferent way.

In the opposite situationwhere the lower stomachhangs out and the ovarypoints are ahead of the pointof the hips, the points of hipsthemselves can seem tosplay out. Then, the rider’sbear down will splay out aswell. Imagine it leaving thebody as if it were a spray like

a wide watering canrose. It is also likelyto aim too high up,and this reallyreduces the rider’spower, and acts asa big ‘leak’.

However hard therider tries, her beardown has limitedeffect, and shecannot push thehorse’s head andneck away. She

IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES FOR NARROWNESS … continuedBy Mary Wanless Page 22

needs a stronger front wall,pulled back and in by thelaces, and supported bymore cross-eyed points ofhips. The effect of thesechanges is to focus the pushof the bear down into amuch more powerful jet. Tothe rider, this is usually anenormous relief.

Some riders have theopposite problem, withtheir points of hipspointing in towards eachother as if they are toocross-eyed. These riderstend to tip forward, closingthe angle between thethigh and the torso, andnothing they do reversesthis trend. They ‘bury’ thepush of their bear down,which aims too muchdown into the horse’swither. They also tend togrip with their knees, andcome unlaced across theirback.

If you try the two alternativeswhilst sitting in your chair,and I think you will realisehow narrowness orwideness across your frontinfluences whether yourdefault is to tip forward orback.

In fact, this might well be thecause of tipping forward orback. This means that atleast some malfunctions inthe back-front plane arecreated by dysfunction in thenarrow/wide plane, and onlyfixed through addressingthat dysfunction.

As someone who hasalways tended to tip forward,this given me significant foodfor thought.

THE NASTYKNITTING NEEDLES.

I have always struggled tobe narrow enough acrossmy back, and in moments ofstress I have suffered fromthe unfortunate tendency tobecome wider and weakerthere as I tip forward andgrip with my knees. I wish Icould say that many years ofpractice had completelyeradicated this pattern frommy body but I think I wouldbe lying. However I have justcome asignificantstage closer.

I do not knowhow this nextidea poppedinto my head,although Iknow that I wason a horse atthe time. If youdraw animaginary linefrom just inside your point ofhip back through you to thesame level on the sacroiliacjoint, and then do the sameon the other side, you havetwo lines which form ahorizontal ‘V’ shape with itspoint a couple of inchesbehind your sacrum.

You could think of the lineslike knitting needles with thesacrum – the bone in theback of your pelvis – lying inbetween them. Or the linescould form a nut cracker thathas the sacrum in its grip.(One poor struggling souldelightfully suggested thatthe sacrum should be calledyour ‘knitting bone’!).

The needles must comeclose to following the line of

the inner edge of the iliacusmuscles, which cover theinsides of the bones thatform the wings of the pelvis.Perhaps this is what givesthem their power, for theycome with a health warning.I have experienced a newand quite intense form ofsacroiliac pain whilst thinkingof them, and this forced meto think that I should becareful not to injure myself.Neither I nor anyone elsehas actually injuredthemselves whilst thinking ofthe needles: but be careful if

you try it.You havebeenwarned!

I have seenseveralpeople withweak lowerbacksmake greatimprovements overand above

those they had obtainedthrough thinking about lacingup across their back. Thisimage, which I have used formany years, suggests thatyou imagine a corset withlaces that draw the two sidesof the pelvis in towards eachother (as if to compress the‘knitting bone’).

One small, low tone youngwoman looked like theknitting needles gave her acompletely new pelvis – andher horse seemed to thinkso too. I do not think thatmany years of continuing to‘lace up across her back’could have made thatchange for her. It wasimmediate, and profound.

The 2010 Advanced Group

Tiny pelvis shape v. wider/deeper pelvis

Dorothy Marks, our resident anatomy expert, explains tothe group about the effects of narrowing the pelvicposition. We also discussed all tendons and muscles – Inever knew we had so many different adductor tendons –Ed.

KNITTING NEEDLES! (cont)By Mary Wanless Page 23

Making horizontal ‘V’ shapeswithin the body is oftenuseful, and as anothervariation on the theme youcan think of a slightly shorterwider ‘V’ whose point wouldbe inside you, in front of your‘knitting bone’. This is usefulas a way to connect yourback with your front, but lesspowerfulthan theknittingneedlesas a wayto createnarrow-ness.

A similar‘V’ lying horizontally withinthe diaphragm can also behelpful, as is the ‘V’ of theslingshot in your thighs, andthe ‘V’ of the ‘chopsticks’made by the line of yourinner thigh.

There are more of these –and one of the coachesrecently suggested thinkingof the shape of an openbook with its spine lying infront of your spine – themultilevel ‘V’ that could killmany birds with one stone.

I would love to hear fromanybody about the effect ofthinking of the knittingneedles or nut crackers.They may do much morethan just firm up your ownback – you have everychance of getting the horse’sback behind the saddle tonarrow in and firm up aswell, which can make a hugedifference to his tone, powerand throughness.

This could be life changing –good luck!

At last year’sTeacher Training(AdvancedGroup) thediscussion onnarrownessresulted in thewhole groupsitting on twotest saddles!

We “marked”with sticker dotswhere the pubicbone andseatbones werelocated forminga kind of“triangle.

See for examplehow someonewith a shallowpelvis has thethree green dotson a smallsurface area. Thesecond set ofgreen dots issomeone with awide and deeppelvis, comparethe difference!

In a secondstage experimentwe placedanother set ofdots after therider had beenasked to “narrowin” andcompared thefirst and secondtriangles for thatsame rider.Again thedifference wasastounding,sometimesseveralcentimetres lessthan in the firstinstance.

FELDENKRAIS: Exercises for Breathing By Karin Major Page 24

Breathing – Taking Air InI don’t know about you, butone of the most common‘problems’ my riders aredealing with is theirbreathing. It is one of thosethings that can be oh sodifficult to change. It issomething we’ve been doingall of our lives, 24hrs a day,mostly without thinking aboutit. Even people who havebeen taught to breath in aspecific way, to play amusical instrument, tomeditate, in martial arts, donot always transfer thatability to the context ofriding.

We so often focus on wherethe air arrives, in the chestor the belly. But I amreminded of the idea of toplan a journey you need toknow where you are startingfrom. So I was intriguedwhen I came across aFeldenkrais lesson, whichstarts at the very beginning,in thinking about the way webring our air in. It is quitesimple and has really got mestopping and noticing theway I am breathing indifferent circumstances.

This particular version of thelesson was taught in sitting,then whilst lying down., thenmoving between the twopositions.

So, sit comfortably, on thefloor, or on the front of achair, or on your horse, withyour body in a centralposition initially.

Close your mouth, withyour lips gently sealed,then breathe in throughthe front of your nose. Ifyou are breathing inthrough the front of your

nose then you will hear it.Breathing in through thefront of your nose createsresistances, vibrationsand sound. Any engineerwill tell you that thesegenerally indicateinefficiencies. It is the wayyou will breathe if you aretrying to smell something.

Notice which parts of yourbody are used when youbreathe this way. Are yourbreaths long or short? Doesthe air go high up in yourbody or lower down, to thefront, the back, or the sides?What happens in your neckand jaw? How do you feelemotionally? Stop rest, liedown or walk around,breathe anyway you want.

Once again close yourmouth, with your lipsgently sealed, thenbreathe in through theback of your nose. Thisway of breathing isquieter. You may feel theair pass directly over theback of the upper palate ofyour mouth.

Notice which parts of yourbody are used when youbreathe this way. Are yourbreaths long or short? Doesthe air go high up in yourbody or lower down, to thefront, the back, or the sides?What happens in your neckand jaw? How do you feelemotionally? Stop rest, liedown or walk around,breathe anyway you want.

This time breathe inthrough the front of yourmouth, in a sort of suckingway. You may need tohold your nose closedwith your fingers to startwith. Again, this will

create a noise (I can’t helpbut think of the ‘builderssuck’ that happens justbefore they give you thebad news/quote).

Notice which parts of yourbody are used when youbreathe this way. Are yourbreaths long or short? Doesthe air go high up in yourbody or lower down, to thefront, the back, or the sides?What happens in your neckand jaw? How do you feelemotionally? Stop rest, liedown or walk around,breathe anyway you want.

Now breathe in throughthe back of your mouth.Your jaw will need to relaxand drop, rather like thestart of a yawn. If you findthis difficult, start byyawning. It may help topinch your nostrils shutwith your fingers too. Youmay feel the air pass overyour tongue.

Notice which parts of yourbody are used when youbreathe this way. Are yourbreaths long or short? Doesthe air go high up in yourbody or lower down, to thefront, the back, or the sides?What happens in your neckand jaw? How do you feelemotionally? Stop rest, liedown or walk around,breathe anyway you want.

So, we have 4 main waysof taking the air in. Frontof nose, back of nose,front of mouth, back ofmouth. Of course is alsopossible to do acombination of each. Mostpeople will do differentthings at different times.A baby suckling from itsmother may be forced to

YAWNING! By Andrew Newburg Page 25

FELDENKRAIS:Breathing (continued)

breathe in through themouth as its nose issquashed into the breast.

Once you are familiar witheach one, then play withalternating between them.You can then placeyourself in differentpositions, so if you’vebeen sitting try it lyingdown. See what happenswhen you go betweensitting and lying, then fromlying to sitting. Does theway you take the air inchange. On horse, do youdo the same thing in walkand trot and canter orlaterally? Can you vary it?

I am looking forward toseeing where this takes mein my riding and with myclients. Please let me knowwhether you find it useful.

Best wishesKarin Major

Go ahead: Laugh if you want(though you’ll benefit yourbrain more if you smile), butin my professional opinion,yawning is one of the best-kept secrets inneuroscience. Even mycolleagues who areresearching meditation,relaxation, and stressreduction at otheruniversities have overlookedthis powerful neural-enhancing tool. However,yawning has been used formany decades in voicetherapy as an effectivemeans for reducingperformance anxiety andhypertension in the throat.

Several recent brain-scanstudies have shown thatyawning evokes a uniqueneural activity in the areas ofthe brain that are directlyinvolved in generating socialawareness and creatingfeelings ofempathy. One ofthose areas is theprecuneus, a tinystructure hiddenwithin the folds ofthe parietal lobe.This appears toplay a central rolein consciousness,self-reflection.

It is also one of the areashardest hit by age-relateddiseases and attentiondeficit problems, so it’spossible that deliberateyawning may actuallystrengthen this importantpart of the brain.

For these reasons I believethat yawning should beintegrated into exercise andstress reduction programs,cognitive and memoryenhancement training,

psychotherapy, andcontemplative spiritualpractice. And, because theprecuneus has recently beenassociated with the mirror-neuron system in the brain(which allows us to resonateto the feelings and behaviorsof others), yawning mayeven help us to enhancesocial awareness,compassion, and effectivecommunication with others.

There’s an unexplainedstigma in our societyimplying that it’s rude toyawn, and most of us weretaught this when we wereyoung. Indeed, yawningdoes increase when you’retired, and it may be thebrain’s way of gently tellingyou that a little rejuvenatingsleep is needed. On theother hand, exposure to lightwill also make you yawn,suggesting that it is part of

the process ofwaking up.

But yawningdoesn’t just relaxyou—it quicklybrings you into aheightened stateof cognitiveawareness.

Students yawn in class, notbecause the teacher isboring (although that willmake you yawn as well, asyou try to stay focused onthe monotonous speech),but because it rids the brainof sleepiness, thus helpingyou stay focused onimportant concepts andideas.

It regulates consciousnessand our sense of self, andhelps us become moreintrospective and self-aware.

YAWNING! By Andrew Newburg, article sent in by Karin Major Page 26

Yawning will relax you andbring you into a state ofalertness faster than anyother meditation technique Iknow of, and because it isneurologically contagious,it’s particularly easy to teachin a group setting.

Yawning, as a mechanismfor alertness, begins withinthe first 20 weeks afterconception. It helps regulatethe circadian rhythms ofnewborns, and this adds tothe evidence that yawning isinvolved in the regulation ofwakefulness and sleep.Since circadian rhythmsbecome asynchronouswhen a person’snormal sleep cycle isdisturbed, yawningshould help the late-night partygoer resetthe brain’s internalclock. Yawning mayalso ward off the effectsof jet lag and ease thediscomfort caused byhigh altitudes.

So what is the underlyingmechanism that makesyawning such an essentialtool? Besides activating theprecuneus, it regulates thetemperature and metabolismof your brain. It takes a lot ofneural energy to stayconsciously alert, and as youwork your way up theevolutionary ladder, brainsbecome less energyefficient. Yawning probablyevolved as a way to cooldown the overly activemammalian brain, especiallyin the areas of the frontallobe. Most vertebrates yawn,but it is only contagiousamong humans, great apes,macaque monkeys, andchimpanzees. In fact, it’s socontagious for humans that

even reading about it willcause a person to yawn.So if you want to maintain anoptimally healthy brain, it isessential that you yawn. It istrue that excessive yawningcan be a sign that anunderlying neurologicaldisorder (such as migraine,multiple sclerosis, stroke, ordrug reaction) is occurring.However, I and otherresearchers suspect thatyawning may be the brain’sattempt to eliminatesymptoms by readjustingneural functioning.Numerous neurochemicalsare involved in the yawning

experience, includingdopamine, which activatesoxytocin production in yourhypothalamus andhippocampus, areasessential for memory recall,voluntary control, andtemperature regulation.These neurotransmittersregulate pleasure,sensuality, and relationshipbonding between individuals,so if you want to staytogether, then yawntogether!

Other neurochemicals andmolecules involved withyawning includeacetylcholine, nitric oxide,glutamate, GABA, serotonin,ACTH, MSH, sexualhormones, and opium

derivate peptides. In fact, it’shard to find another activitythat positively influences somany functions of the brain.

My advice is simple. Yawnas many times a day aspossible: when you wake up,when you’re confronting adifficult problem at work,when you prepare to go tosleep, and whenever youfeel anger, anxiety, or stress.Yawn before giving animportant talk, yawn beforeyou take a test, and yawnwhile you meditate or praybecause it will intensify yourspiritual experience.

Conscious yawning takes alittle practice and disciplineto get over the unconscioussocial inhibitions, but peopleoften come up with threeother excuses not to yawn: “Idon’t feel like it,” “I’m nottired,” and my favorite, “Ican’t.” Of course you can. Allyou have to do to trigger adeep yawn is to fake it six orseven times. Try it right now,and you should discover bythe fifth false yawn, a realone will begin to emerge.But don’t stop there,because by the tenth ortwelfth yawn, you’ll feel thepower of this seductive littletrick. Your eyes may startwatering and your nose maybegin to run, but you’ll alsofeel utterly present,incredibly relaxed, andhighly alert. Not bad forsomething that takes lessthan a minute to do.

And if you find that you can’tstop yawning—I’ve seensome people yawn for thirtyminutes—you’ll know thatyou’ve been deprivingyourself of an importantneurological treat.

CLINICS AT OVERDALE CENTRE, Nether Westcote, UK

Aug 12-14 WAIT LIST ONLY15-19 WAIT LIST ONLY

Both ridden courses open to all, taught by Mary Wanless + Lynda DaveySept 5-9 SPACES OWN Horse + SCHOOL Horse

open to all taught by Mary Wanless + Lynda DaveySept 16-18 1 SPACE, OWN OR SCHOOL

19-23 2 SPACES OWN HORSEBoth courses open to all, Mary Wanless + Lynda Davey

Sept 27 Orientation day.New participants must have attended a 4 day ridden course in the same yearMary Wanless

Sept 28-30 This follows on from either the OR day above,and/or from previous Teacher Training coursesMary Wanless, Denise O’Reilly & Alison Wakelin

Oct 3-5 Participants on advanced TT must have attended at least one basic TT.MW decides who moves up when!It may be possible to do basic + adv course in first/any year.Mary Wanless, Denise O’Reilly & Alison Wakelin

Oct 5-7 Advanced-advanced TTFor senior coaches, by invitation. With Mary Wanless

COUNTY NAME PHONE LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3BEDFORDSHIRE Claire Kateley 01525 220921 MasteryCAMBRIDGESHIRE Alison Wakelin 01223 290806 MasteryCUMBRIA Janice Hutchinson 01539 624000 MasteryDORSET Lynda Davey 01202 470160 Mastery MasteryESSEX Julie Crussell 07973 801682 CompetenceGLOUCESTER Nicole Golding 01285 831736 CompetenceGLOS/OXON Mary Wanless 01993 831193 Mastery Mastery MasteryGLOS/OXON Karin Major 01993 832520 CompetenceGTR MANCHESTER Laura Butler 0161 794 1023 CompetenceHAMPSHIRE Carol Boulton 02380 473693 Competence CompetenceHAMPSHIRE Verity Tidmarsh 02380 473693 MasteryKENT Suzanne Marshall 07767 755524 MasteryLANCASHIRE Helen Wain 01524 736606 Mastery CompetenceLEICESTERSHIRE Vivienne Isaac 01509 880652 CompetenceMONMOUTHSHIRE Olivia Pollard 0777 6236524 CompetenceNORFOLK Heather Cook 01493 369383 CompetenceNORFOLK Catherine Walter 01508 521800 CompetenceNORTH YORKS Helen Lucraft 07867 804879 MasteryNORTH YORKS Ann Rogers 01723 374935 Competence CompetenceOXON/BERKS Elaine Butler 01235 833223 MasterySOMERSET Dorothy Marks 01373 834103 MasterySOMERSET Karen Whiston 01934 822914 CompetenceSTAFFS Denise O'Reilly 07814 286988 Mastery Mastery CompetenceSURREY Sarah Overington 01483 272049 CompetenceSURREY Sally Ede 01403 824107 MasterySURREY/HANTS Jo Strange 07885 865091 CompetenceSUSSEX Amelia Wilbourne 01892 652653 Mastery MasteryWILTS/GLOS Nicky Smith 01666 577543 Mastery Competence

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY and COACHING Page 26

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