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96thdayofrage · 4 years ago

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The anti-racism consulting industry does deserve both some sympathy and some credit. Its intention, to prod white Americans into more awareness of their own racism, is beneficent. And their premise that white people are often unaware of the degree to which racial privilege has enabled their success, which they can mistakenly attribute entirely to merit and effort, is correct. American society is shot through with multiple overlapping systems of racial bias — from exposure to harmful pollution to biased policing to unequal access to education to employment discrimination — that in combination sustain massive systemic inequality.

But the anti-racism trainers go beyond denying the myth of meritocracy to denying the role of individual merit altogether. Indeed, their teaching presents individuals as a racist myth. In their model, the individual is subsumed completely into racial identity.

One of DiAngelo’s favorite examples is instructive. She uses the famous story of Jackie Robinson. Rather than say “he broke through the color line,” she instructs people instead to describe him as “Jackie Robinson, the first Black man whites allowed to play major-league baseball.”

It is true, of course, that Robinson was not the first Black man who was good enough at baseball to make a major-league roster. The Brooklyn Dodgers decided, out of a combination of idealism and self-interest, to violate the norm against signing Black players. And Robinson was chosen due to a combination of his skill and extraordinary personality that allowed him to withstand the backlash in store for the first Black major leaguer. It is not an accident that DiAngelo changes the story to eliminate Robinson’s agency and obscure his heroic qualities. It’s the point. Her program treats individual merit as a myth to be debunked. Even a figure as remarkable as Robinson is reduced to a mere pawn of systemic oppression.

One way to understand this thinking is to place it on a spectrum of thought about race. On the far right is open white supremacy, which instructs white people to fight for their interests as white people. (Hence the 14-word slogan, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”) Moving to the left, standard-issue conservatism tends to discount the existence of racism and treat all problems in pure color-blind terms, as though racism has been banished. To the left of that is standard liberalism, which acknowledges the existence of racism as a problem that complicates simple race-neutral solutions.

The ideology of the racism-training industry is distinctively to the left of that. It collapses all identity into racial categories. “It is crucial for white people to acknowledge and recognize our collective racial experience,” writes DiAngelo, whose teachings often encourage the formation of racial affinity groups. The program does not allow any end point for the process of racial consciousness. Racism is not a problem white people need to overcome in order to see people who look different as fully human — it is totalizing and inescapable.

Of course, DiAngelo’s whites-only groups are not dreamed up in the same spirit as David Duke’s. The problem is that, at some point, the extremes begin to functionally resemble each other despite their mutual antipathy.

I want to make clear that when I compare the industry’s conscious racialism to the far right, I am not accusing it of “reverse racism” or bias against white people. In some cases its ideas literally replicate anti-Black racism.

Glenn Singleton, president of Courageous Conversation, a racial-sensitivity training firm, tells Bergner that valuing “written communication over other forms” is “a hallmark of whiteness,” as is “scientific, linear thinking. Cause and effect.”

This is not some idiosyncratic oddball notion. The African-American History Museum has a page on whiteness, which summarizes the ideas that the racism trainers have brought into relatively wide circulation.

“White” values include things like “objective, rational thinking”; “cause and effect relationships”; “hard work is the key to success”; “plan for the future”; and “delayed gratification.” The source for this chart is another, less-artistic chart written by Judith Katz in 1990. Katz has a doctorate in education and moved into the corporate consulting world in 1985, where, according to her résumé, she has “led many transformational change initiatives.” It is not clear what in Katz’s field of study allowed her to establish such sweeping conclusions about the innate culture of white people versus other groups.

One way to think through these cultural generalizations is to measure them against its most prominent avatar for racial conflict, Donald Trump. How closely does he reflect so-called white values? The president hardly even pretends to believe that “hard work” is the key to success. The Trump version of his alleged success is that he’s a genius who improvises his way to brilliant deals. The realistic version is that he’s a lazy heir who inherited and cheated his way to riches, and spends most of his time watching television. Trump is likewise incapable of delayed gratification, planning for the future, and regards “objective rational thinking” with distrust. On the other hand, Barack Obama is deeply devoted to all those values.

Now, every rule has its exceptions. Perhaps the current (white) president happens to be alienated from the white values that the previous (Black) president identified with strongly. But attaching the values in question to real names brings to life a point the racism trainers seem to elide: These values are not neutral at all. Hard work, rational thought, and careful planning are virtues. White racists traditionally project the opposite of these traits onto Black people and present them as immutable flaws. Jane Coaston, who has reported extensively on the white-nationalist movement, summarizes it, “The idea that white people are just good at things, or are better inherently, more clean, harder working, more likely to be on time, etc.”

In his profile, Bergner asked DiAngelo how she could reject “rationalism” as a criteria for hiring teachers, on the grounds that it supposedly favors white candidates. Don’t poor children need teachers to impart skills like that so they have a chance to work in a high-paying profession employing reasoning skills?

DiAngelo’s answer seems to imply that she would abolish these high-paying professions altogether:

“Capitalism is so bound up with racism. I avoid critiquing capitalism — I don’t need to give people reasons to dismiss me. But capitalism is dependent on inequality, on an underclass. If the model is profit over everything else, you’re not going to look at your policies to see what is most racially equitable.”

(Presumably DiAngelo’s ideal socialist economy would keep in place at least some well-paid professions — say, “diversity consultant,” which earns her a comfortable seven-figure income.)

Singleton, likewise, proposed evolutionary social changes to the economy that would render it unnecessary to teach writing and linear thought to minority children. Bergner writes:

I asked whether guiding administrators and teachers to put less value, in the classroom, on capacities like written communication and linear thinking might result in leaving Black kids less ready for college and competition in the labor market. “If you hold that white people are always going to be in charge of everything,” he said, “then that makes sense.” He invoked, instead, a journey toward “a new world, a world, first and foremost, where we have elevated the consciousness, where we pay attention to the human being.”

Whether or not a world along these lines will ever exist, or is even possible to design, is at best uncertain. What is unquestionably true is that these revolutionary changes will not be completed within the lifetime of anybody currently alive. Which is to say, a program to deny the value of teaching so-called white values to Black children is to condemn them to poverty. Unsurprisingly, Bergner’s story shows two educators exposed to the program and rebelling against it. One of them, Leslie Chislett, had to endure some ten anti-racism training sessions before eventually snapping at the irrationality of a program that denigrates learning. “The city has tens of millions invested in A.P. for All, so my team can give kids access to A.P. classes and help them prepare for A.P. exams that will help them get college degrees,” she says, “and we’re all supposed to think that writing and data are white values?”

Ibram X. Kendi, another successful entrepreneur in the anti-racism field, has a more frontal response to this problem. The achievement gap — the long-standing difference in academic performance between Black and white children — is a myth, he argues. The supposed gap merely reflects badly designed tests, he argues. It does not matter to him how many different kinds of measures of academic performance show this to be true. Nor does he seem receptive to the possibility that the achievement gap reflects environmental factors (mainly worse schools, but also access to nutrition, health care, outside learning, and so on) rather than any innate differences.

Kendi, like DiAngelo, argues that racism must be defined objectively. Intent does not matter, only effect. Their own intentions are surely admirable. But the fact is that their insistence on denying that America provides its Black children worse educations inhibits working toward a solution. Denying the achievement gap, like denying the gap in how police treat white and Black people, seems to objectively entrench racism.

It’s easy enough to see why executives and school administrators look around at a country exploding in righteous indignation at racism, and see the class of consultants selling their program of mystical healing as something that looks vaguely like a solution. But one day DiAngelo’s legions of customers will look back with embarrassment at the time when a moment of awakening to the depth of American racism drove them to embrace something very much like racism itself.

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equinedays-blog · 5 years ago

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THE PREVALENCE OF SYSTEMATIC RACISM IN THE AMERICAN EQUESTRIAN SPORTING WORLD The first African-American to become a member of the U.S. Equestrian team was Donna Cheek in 1981. To put this into perspective: according to The Atlantic, 91.3% of all working architects are white; in 1923, architect Paul Williams became the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)- 58 years before Donna Cheek became the first African-American on the U.S.Eqeustrian team. There is no prevelence of any professional Asian-American or Latinx equstrains on USEF websites, U.S. Olympic websites, or in any websites on the first page of a google search (besides a rider named Jin Hyun Kwon currenlty working at LAEC). The USOPC's diversity and inclusion score-card for the year 2017 (the most recent available) scores the entirety of the equestrian sport below average for all matters of diversity inclusion besides the average numbers of women among the ranks. According to the data made available by DATA USA: of 808 degrees awarded to those going to school for "Equestrian Studies" in 2016, 705 where of white descent, 38 unkown, 23 Hispanic/Latinx, 21 mixed race, 9 American Indian/Alaskan native, 5 African-American, 5 non-resident alien, 2 Asian, and 0 Hawaiin/Pacific native.

Now, obviously not all white equestrians are racist: but clearly such a desparity of diverse people and experiences in such a relatively small athletic community (compared to basbeball, American football, soccer, etc.) begs the question: why? The white-washing of any space, place or activity is just another symptom of a MUCH larger systematic problem regarding racism, however why is the equestrian sport hit so squarely in the gut by this problem? Is it the 55$ national average cost of a SINGLE hour on a horse with a trainer present? (Sometimes running up to over $80 in some areas of the United States). Equitment costs that can run hundreds of dollars per rider (pants, gloves, paddock boots, and helmet included - plus more for nicer field boots for competition, show attire, safety vests, hair nets)? What about the competition and class entry fees for any rider wanting to make a professional career of the sport? Horse equitment such as saddles, bridless, splint and bell boots, polo wraps, blankets, pads, brushes, equine beauty products? Boarding, feed, hauling? Vet checks and horse shoes and equine dentistry? If cost of entering the sport alone wasn't enough what about physical location? Google "equestrian center in Baltimore, MD" and the nearest place is 45 minutes away by private car (so have a car, and money to put gas in it). There is a lack of urban equestrian centers - disabling any child (or adult!) who lives in a large city and doesn't own a car to get to any "horsey" place to ride, therefore disabling a large and statistically, INCREDILBY diverse population (compared to suburban and rural areas) of human beings to even dream of touching a horse in their lifetime. I, a privileged young white woman who came from a middle-upper-middle class suburb, had the privilege of using my parents car to drive only 20 minutes away to a small family barn where I have riden for nearly my whole life. Horses are a large part of who I am - and I'm sure for most of those reading this, you've had some horse touch your heart in your lifetime so as to leave a mark (even a small one). So equestrians: imagine your first time on a horse. Should that feeling be denied to anyone purely because they were victims of something so completely out of their own control? Victims of a system that caters to only a select few? The sport badly needs advocates of change, and it begins at the ground level: learn the names of non-caucasian riders. Know who they are. Become an advocate at your local barn where you ride/work/own horses. Speak up when you see blatant racism in any are of your life (including the barn). Be aware of your privilege, and try to spread it. sources and resources: https://datausa.io/profile/cip/equestrian-studies#demographics https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/11/the-33-whitest-jobs-in-america/281180/ https://www.teamusa.org/diversityscorecards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(architect) https://bfequestrian.wordpress.com https://readelysian.com/2018/12/05/wake-up-call-micropigmentation/ https://susannaforrest.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/whos-that-lady/ https://eventingnation.com/eventing-the-whitest-sport/

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deadinsidedressage · 7 years ago

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Anonymous Barn Drama #28

The Worst USPC Show Jump Rally, Literally Ever: Part 2

You’ve Never Seen a Little Kid Truly Devastated Until a Whole Team of Them Are DQ’d

Well, the Rally rolls around. Let me start with a really brief breakdown of how Rallies function:

Everyone has to arrive before a certain time, you can overnight or morning of.

Everyone has to set up all their stalls and tackroom/feed room between specific time parameters (generally it’s roughly an hour to do so)

Parents are not allowed. At all. Ever. Trainers are not allowed outside of the warm-up ring.

You have 3 rides in a Show Jump Rally: Equitation, Take Your Own Line, and Normal Knockdown w/ Jump Off

The morning competition starts (or at times the night before, wholly dependent on whose hosting the Rally & official times, OR both) everyone has to do official jogs and get their horses passed for competition. This literally involves SOME version of everyone being in a line for way too long.

Horse Management judging breaks down like this:

Your tack trunk/feed room/WHOLE setup is judged all at one time. You can regain points if you can prove they just missed something, usually your Stable Manager helps walk them though.

Your cleanliness of stalls & overall well-being of the horses is generally judged at least once more in an unannounced walk-through, sometimes they do 2 or 3 walkthroughs

You have an official judging of you cleanliness and turnout ONCE the whole weekend, other times you are just given a safety check before riding.

You are judged on the condition of your horse, tack, & boots an HOUR after your last ride of the day is completed (Rallies are generally 2 days of riding)

NOW, keep all the above in mind. So, let’s start with the night we all roll in. We’re allowed to bring in the tack trunk but not set it up, are allowed to set up the feed room since we have to feed and at this Rally everyone had to be there by 8pm or something stupid like that because it was SUCH a big Rally that we needed to start riding ASAP in the morning. The horse I brought is on the smaller end, BUT has horrible, horrible ground manners. Charges the stall door when opened, kicks at anything and everything, and desperately wants to bite everyone to death. Obviously none of the kids can or should be handling this horse. Which also means... I can’t help them because I’m too busy keeping this horse from going on a murder spree. Now the OTHER upper level riding brought a 17.2hh RIGHT off the track OTTB. Literally, it’s been maybe 2 full months AND he was raced up until the end. He’s TOO big for his own good and just the flightiest, stupidest motherfucker. Clearly none of the children can or should handle him either. Which means SHE also cannot help any of the children. Our Stable Managers (SMs) consist of one 17 year old and one 7 year old. The 7 year old is useless. Cue one 17 year old trying to user 8 horse & rider combos down to jogs with the appropriate footwear, helmets, gloves, and competitor numbers. Cue all but one of the 6 children combos not being used to leading their ponies EVER and therefore this being an impossible task. Imagine my 17 y.o. SM singing “The Impossible Dream” and sobbing as she tries to herd one thousand cats that are just spraying piss and that’s probably a pretty close mental image to how this went down. We all end up being cleared, BUT we’re not cleared until almost midnight. We’ve been in that line since 8:30. All those kids were tired. I was tired. My friend was tired. The two green jackasses were somehow NOT tired and had never ceased their shit. So it’s day one of riding. We have the EQ & make your own course rides. Already in the morning everything is a clusterfuck. One of the ponies does not have a breakaway halter and NONE of the ponies have emergency contact on their halters. If you do not have these things, you lose points. We make tape tags and realize we’re already off to a bad start with our Horse Management (HM) score. At some point between either taking the 6 children to get either their coursewalks in or hot chocolate OR a group pee break... the pony without the breakaway has a... different fucking halter on... The only way that pony had a different halter on would be if a parent came into the barn and changed it. Parents are not allowed in. The entire team will be disqualified, not allowed to ride, and sent home if someone finds out a parent came in. We’re paranoid as fuck and make the pony another tape tag. We pray this doesn’t happen again. But it does. Approximately three more times. Two of which happened inbetween judges coming through so we lose a total of 4 points for this pony’s halter because the two times they come through the pony has a different non-breakaway (-1) and non-tagged (-1) halter. Jesus fuck. They started with the super high classes, came down to about 3′3 (1m) at this Rally before then building back up from the trot poles. Idk what the method to their madness was, but I just remember we had a pretty long time before we needed to actually get ready for inspections and our first rides. During ANOTHER break for either food or peeing or the kids wanted to look at the people selling sweatshirts... we come to find a pony has disappeared. The three young adults are FREAKING THE FUCK OUT until the little girl who belongs to that pony goes “Oh, he needs to be lunged before I ride him so my trainer probably came in and took him.” What. The. Fuck.

Again, if this was discovered we would ALL be disqualified and sent home. The official ruling at the time was that if a horse needed to be lunged it could be lunged by anyone on the team who was a C2 or above BUT couldn’t be lunged by someone not on the team. I was a C3, my friend was a C2, my SM was an HB. One of us could have legally lunged that pony... Oh and it should be noted that the trainer who lunged the pony ended up not even being the same trainer we had paid to coach our team. One of these girl’s mom’s literally paid her regular trainer to drive a 1 1/2 hour distance to lung this pony ILLEGALLY for 30 minutes.

This is where the real fun begins. Formal inspections. So, as stated in the last part of this story; my friend and I are competing at a lower level than the children on our team which means we have to leave to do formals and ride before them. WHICH MEANS we cannot help get any of them ready. We are not able to get any help while tacking up our horses because of aforementioned issues with the horses themselves BUT ALSO a) My SM is literally have to babysit 7 kids b) These kids don’t know how to tack up c) Even if my SM could help, she wouldn’t have time to help 2 riders AND have enough time to get 6 kids ready. She starts trying to orchestrate 6 kids getting ready when both of us upper level girls are about halfway through getting ready. We with her godspeed and leave. We both end up having GREAT formal inspections, both get a lot of exceeds standards and no loss of points. We ALSO both have amazing EQ rounds. We’re feeling like we’re on cloud nine! We go back into the warm-up arena to cooldown and all 6 children are THERE, so that’s GOOD. When our horses are chill, we leave and prep for the upcoming follow-up inspections. What we learn upon returning: There wasn’t a single child who didn’t manage to get at minimum 5 points off. This is thanks to none of them knowing how to put ANY tack on their horse, insisting they HAD to have their standing martingales on (NOT LEGAL TACK, -1 AND REMOVED), and apparently readjusting a bunch of shit on their horses after the SM had put them in line for their formals and since they didn’t know what the fuck they were doing they just fucked it all up. My favorite is the girl whose trainer insisted her horse needed SMBs put the SMBs on backwards. As in the part the fetlock clearly goes in was on the front of the ankle. She was the oldest kid too. What we learn upon ride scores being posted: All of the kids were at minimum 90 seconds over optimum time (factored into the EQ score) because they apparently refused to canter and the trainer being used as the coach for our team thought there was somehow a different optimum time for ponies despite IT BEING LISTED THAT OPTIMUM TIME SHOULD BE DOABLE FOR PONIES and the THERE’S ONLY ONE OPTIMUM TIME. So, we’re already completely fucked over for placing in this competition. Both teams are so dead last it’s laughable because there is no way in hell we will ever catch up to any of the other teams. We’re just in competition for who between our two teams will be second to last. We manage to be successful in not racking up anymore bad points for the “turnback” inspections (which are basically, hey is your stall clean did you clean your horse and did you clean your tack again). Miraculous. HOWEVER... during the inspections of our tack trunk/everything else we manage to earn over 20 negative points PER TEAM. PER GODDAMN TEAM. So all the stuff that we didn’t have that that one mother offered to buy? She didn’t. She bought like one tube of neosporin and called it good. The grooming boxes we wanted to go through with the kids? Yeah, none of the kids had the right brushes... or wash buckets and sponges... OH AND, when they checked the overall cleanliness of the stalls, well that was after the one competent SM had trucked 6 kids down to get their formals done and she hadn’t had time to pick out 6 stalls yet. Cause... none of those kids were going to do it. In fact they straight up refused. So we are SUPER fucking deadlast. Second round of rides are Take Your Own Line, I grew up knowing that if you didn’t want to put any effort into designing a course you could just redo the EQ course and it was FINE. No one CARED. You don’t get extra points for creativity. Right so, all 6 kids want to come up with some special course. None of these kids understand crossing their line. Apparently when they have the coach review their courses he doesn’t notice it either. He ALSO doesn’t notice that the start/end line is just the middle of the direction and you have to pass it FACING the gate to start and pass it AWAY from the gate to end. He ends up okaying 7 courses that are going to get disqualified for crossing the line or not entering the start flags. Now, side note: I hate this coach and did not pay for his coaching and refused his coaching. I try and point out the start/finish line but he fucking hates me back so he insists he’s correct. I’m like okay whatever I’m repeating the EQ course but making sure I cross this way instead. SIMPLE. My friend gets DQ’d for not crossing start before going over her first fence. All 6 kids get DQ’d for that OR if they make it past that they get DQ’d on their 2nd or 3rd fence for crossing their line. I had a really super round if anyone cares. We end up doing a team/club dinner when we’re dismissed for the night and it consists of 6 children sobbing about the unfairness of the world because they were all DQ’d and had the worst EQ scores I’ve ever seen at a USPC Rally thanks to the optimum time shit. The coach is too ashamed to show his face. BUT WAIT, IT ONLY GETS BETTER ON DAY 2 OF RIDES!

#anonymous barn drama #horsblr #horseblr #horses #eventing #dressage #jumping #hunter #jumpers #barrels #barrel racing #western gaming #western #western riding #western pleasure

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boneless-mika · 4 years ago

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I changed my mind again and am going to actually try to achieve my dream of being a working equitation trainer which is just a step on the road to becoming the first famous trans working equitation rider

#the thing about being famous is a joke #but I am seriously going to try to become a trainer even though it's difficult #(you need competition results and to get accepted to like a million different courses)#but even if I don't make it I'll be a certified horse carer (tm) bc that's the first course you gotta do #(well it's more of a test really buy I'm gonna do a course so I don't fail and also I think it's included in the course)

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thebitchesinbreeches · 7 years ago

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hi!! i asked about saddle recs for long thighs awhile back, but i think my reply to you got eaten by the app. i realized i’m looking for a close contact, not an all purpose. it’s for hunt seat eq and pleasure on the arab circuit, which is Basically a combination of hunter on the flat and saddleseat. weird, i know. pessoa is kinda the official circuit brand, but my knees almost hung off the knee rolls of my old one and i’m unsure long flaps were the right choice for my current one. help, please??

Hello my friend, do not fear, I am here.

Apologies for the delay. Yes, yes, I know all about you special arab circuit people. (Fun Fact, I once catch rode a half arab in a hunt seat eq class, and i had his head all low and amazing, like any other hunter open class, got out of the ring, thinking I did pretty great, and the trainer looks at me and says “You rode that thing like it was a warmblood”. I thanked him. And he said “No, that wasnt a good thing.” LOL. Live and learn. Luckily it was just a schooling show. Haha). After that I had to learn how to properly ride Arabs. Interesting.

Anyway, saddles.

Yes, Pessoas are the brand of choice.

Like you, I also have a “long femur”, as one saddle fitter put it. And there is a specific Pessoa that I always have my eyes on. It is the Pessoa A/O AMS saddle, with long and forward flaps. It fits my leg like a dream.

The thing you have to be carful of is that since you are doing pleasure and eq, that this flap isn’t too “jumper” for you.

The bottom of the flap should hit the thickest part of your calf (well below the top of your boot) - This is why you want a long Flap. And the knee roll should curve with your knee. Your knee cant go over. This is why you want a forward flap.

This model comes in the Pessoa exchangable tree. Which I highly recommend. Its great for resale, and if you change horses, or as your horse’s back shape changes (Arabs backs can change so much as they get older, as Im sure you know).

Honestly, I think most new Pessoa’s with a long and forward flap would be good for you. If you have skinny legs, just be careful to get one that isn’t too square (thats why I like the one I recommended, the flap frames your leg nicely.) If you want something a bit more durable, check out their buffalo leather.

But the one thing I cannot stress enough when you are sitting in saddles in stores is that you need to make sure you are sitting in the middle of the saddle. People with long femurs often scoot far back in the seat, so that their knees dont go over the edge. This is WRONG. When you get in the saddle, let your legs go limp and find the center of the seat, between the cantle and pommel. (4-5 fingers in front, 3 fingers in back). Once your seat is situated, then pick your legs up and put them in your irons.

If you didnt want to get a Pessoa, I personally love CWDs and think they are one of the best saddles available to purchase. CWD reps come out and fit you and your horse for free, and can even help you purchase a used saddle. You get get a nice used older model.

But I would look at Pessoas with a forward and long flap. Here are a few on ebay. (Not saying you should buy from ebay, but just for reference).

Hit me up with any other questions! or if you go try saddles, you can take pictures and send to me. (Take them at the same level hight as the saddle, clearly showing where your knee hits)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pessoa-A-O-AMS-and-XCH-MODIFIED-TRIANGLE-KNEE-ROLL-17-5-Alto-panel/162284906602?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49565%26meid%3D780e1fa378704b79a6ef115c889e4a76%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D162284913193&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Pessoa-GenX-XCH-Close-Contact-Saddle-17-Long-Forward-Flap/173014382266?hash=item284875f6ba:g:P0AAAOSwvcJZ-kNe

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16-5-Pessoa-Saddle-With-Changeable-Gullet-and-forward-flap/332307101223?hash=item4d5f0bf627:g:RGIAAOSwicJZXktn (NOTE: I like this flap for you but the seat looks too deep for equitation. You want a flatter seat.)

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welcometofigtown · 8 years ago

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for once i had a really nice dream that I remembered. I was competing in an equitation class on this bay Arabian mare named Alice and she was a super lovely ride and very soft and responsive. i mean the arena was a fucking dressage arena and my trainer was my first one from a million years ago that's an absolute bitch but overall it was a very nice dream

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debgall · 8 years ago

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92 Truths TAG MEME

Was tagged by : @jaidenhawson and @eldaguardian (I didn’t understand all questions, but I’ll try to answer honestly (っಠ‿ಠ)っ)

Rules: Write 92 truths about yourself and then tag 25 people

LAST… [1] Drink: Water [2] Phone call: Boyfriend [3]Text message : Friend from college bc I was late... [4] Song you listened to: Fille du vent - Keny Arkana [5] Time you cried: This sunday (I’m a crybaby)

HAVE YOU EVER… [6] Dated someone twice: Yup... That’s a bad idea. Don’t do that! ╭( ･ㅂ･)و 7] Been cheated on: My cat cheat on me... He loves my boyfriend more than me... (Ｔ▽Ｔ) [8] Kissed someone and regretted it: Nope [9] Lost someone special: Fortunatly no. [10] Been depressed: Yes (like everyone on earth I think) [11] Gotten drunk and thrown up: yes.

LIST THREE FAVOURITE COLORS… [12] Orange [13] [14]

IN THE LAST YEAR… [15] IN THE LAST YEAR… ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘? [16] fallen out of love: Yes. [17] laughed until you cried: Yes, everytime my boyfriend do stupid things with me. :p [18] found out someone was talking about you: Yes. But not badmouthing. Friends talk about me to their bf or family and it seems that is to say nice things. ┌|ﾟзﾟ|┘ [19] met someone who changed you: Yes, every single person I met since one year change me... I really happy about it... It helped me changing stuff that I was stuck in for years... [20] found out who your true friends are: yes. [21] kissed someone on your facebook list: Yes... My boyfriend. :p

GENERAL… [22] how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: Most of them... I don’t accept poeple that I don’t know IRL or that I never talk a little before... [23] do you have any pets: 2 cats Walter (my black cat that love my boyfriend more than me) and Jiji (the cat of my boyfriend that likes me a little better -> I feel less alone) [24] do you want to change your name: No, I really like my name. For the story, when I was little, I tought that if I ever had a girl, I couldn’t think of a better name than mine... (Yes I’m strange since ever... And I promise, I’m not megalomaniac) [25] what did you do for your last birthday: Japeneese food with a part of my family. [26] what time did you wake up: I wake up naturaly between 7:30 am and 9 am. [27] what were you doing at midnight last night: Watching Castle and falling asleep on it. [28] name something you cannot wait for: KH3? Having my diploma? Travelling the world. Doing nothing without freaking out about my deadlines! [29] when was the last time you saw your mother: 2 weeks ago. [30] what is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I’ve been trough a lot a things, but all of these makes the person I’m today, surounded by all incredible poeple... But maybe right now... I would change the image I have of myself and my anxiety... [31] what are you listening to right now: Castle (the TV show) [32] have you ever talked to a person named tom: No. [33] something that is getting you nervous: Poeple. I have social anxiety... [34] most visited website: Tumblr, Youtube, Eldarya, facebook, otakumole. [35] elementary: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘? I had good grades? [36] high school: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘? Huh? [37] college: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘? one of the hardest time of my life... Can’t wait it to end. [38] hair color: Brown [39] long or short hair: Really long (I met my haircuter ones a year). Short hair kid trauma... [40] do you have a crush on someone: My boyfriend. (and the masked man) (o^-')b [41] what do you like about yourself: My imagination (ｏ'ｖ｀ｂ)ｂ and my fighting spirit I guess... [42] piercings: I had some : nostril, septum, a lot on the ear... But right now, I just have one on the ear (took off the others). [43] blood type: O+ [44] nickname: Debby, Debo, Deb, Deboui (on site) [45] relationship status: Couple + 2 cats (that are like kids) [46] zodiac sign: cancer [47] pronouns: she, her [48] fav tv show: Game of thrones, Castel, Naruto, Avatar: the last air bender, Gumball, Big bang theory, How I met your mother.... And so many others I can’t think of right now... I love tv shows. [49] tattoos: Yes, 2. [50] right or left hand: Left hand

FIRST… [51] surgery: I had to remove a sort of kyst (I wasn’t put asleep). [52] piercing: My nostril when I was 14. [53] best friend: Mary [54] sport: I think It was natation or equitation. [55] vacation: I think it was in UK (London)... [56] pair of trainers: Uh, don’t know.

RIGHT NOW… [57] eating: Nothing. [58] drinking: water. [59] i’m about to: going to sleep XD [60] listening to: Castle (TV show) [61] waiting for: sleeping... [62] want: To have avdenturous dreams! [63] get married: No. I’m not interrested in that kind of thing. [64] career: student in psychology.

WHICH IS BETTER… [65] hugs or kisses: Hugs. [66] lips or eyes: Eyes ┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘? We can see with it... It’s... Nice. [67] shorter or taller: both are cool. [68] older or younger: younger [69] romantic or spontaneous: I would say romantic... But I have a really spontaneous boyfriend, and it is soooo much better. I love this kind of his personnality. [70] nice arms or nice stomach: Nice arms? [71] sensitive or loud: ┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘? Uh. both? [72] hook up or relationship: relationship [73] troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker.

HAVE YOU EVER… [74] kissed a stranger?: No. [75] drank hard liquor?: yes. [76] lost glasses/contact lenses? : everytime I go to movie theater... [77] turned someone down: Yes. There was time of my life when I didn’t feel confortable or felt embarrassed when poeple showed interest in me... [78] sex on first date?: Nope [79] broken someone’s heart?:Don’t know... I was never told that... [80] had your own heart broken?: Yup. [81] been arrested?: Never. [82] cried when someone died?: I don’t cry when poeple die (until now)... It is weird, I know... [83] fallen for a friend?: Yes... For my actual boyfriend... When we met I was so happy to have made a handsome friend... One year later, we started dating.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN… [84] yourself?: No. But I tried to believe that I’m capable of achieve my dreams... [85] miracles?: Not really. [86] love at first sight?: Not really... But I think it can happen to some of poeple. [87] Santa Claus?: ┌( ಠ‿ಠ)┘? Of... course... [88] kiss on the first date?: Yes. [89] angels?: No/

OTHER… [90] current best friend’s name: Aurore [91] eye color: Grey Bleue [92] favorite movie: I have a looooooooot and It depends on the envy of the moment - Star wars movies / H2G2 / Flipped / A lot of Ghibli films / .... It is hard to think of it actually......... To hard, and like the tv show, I can list a really good list that can show my tastes... I tag all my followers... <3 <3 DO IT I wiil read it <3 <3 (sorry If i don’t mention name, but I need to sleep and I m interrested of you all!)

#OVER

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csrgood · 4 years ago

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Honoring Long Time Support for the National Civil Rights Museum

Learn more at FedEx Cares

FedEx In a recent letter to all team members, Chairman & CEO Frederick W. Smith and FedEx Corporation President and COO Raj Subramaniam stated “we are proud of our long-standing history of supporting and fostering relationships with organizations that are working to make our society more equitable and just.”

One of those organizations is the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM), which was highlighted during the June 22nd NASCAR race at Talladega.

FedEx ran an all-black #11 "Driving for Change" car. The car's hood featured a large NCRM logo, honoring the relationship the company has had with the museum as a founding partner since it opened in 1991. FedEx has provided well over $7 million dollars of support to the museum over the past 29 years, and recently announced a new $500,000 donation - $250,000 from the company and a $250,000 gift from Mr. Smith.

The new donation will help expand and enhance educational programs, including:

“Unpacking Racism for Action” program, a seven-month long dialogue series to address implicit bias and systemic racism. The series has produced approximately 80 “graduates” from a variety of disciplines and communities throughout the Mid-South. It’s been so successful that demand for the training has grown, and NCRM is preparing “train the trainer sessions” to expand the number of qualified facilitators for future sessions.

New educational exhibits and improved visitor enhancements at the Boarding House/Legacy Building, the site where James Earl Ray allegedly fired the shot that killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The building not only tells the story of the assassination, but also features dedicated space to address “Where do we go from here?” – stories about Dr. King’s legacy, as well as current and ongoing efforts to achieve Dr. King’s dream that all people would be judged on the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

NCRM chronicles key episodes of the American Civil Rights Movement and the legacy of this movement to inspire participation in civil and human rights efforts globally through collections, exhibitions and educational programs.

In addition to providing vital support to expand the NCRM’s exhibits and educational programming, FedEx sponsors free admission on the annual MLK National Holiday, and scores of FedEx team members regularly volunteer at the museum throughout the year. Additionally, FedEx has helped NCRM recognize individuals who have made significant ontributions in civil and human rights through their annual Freedom Awards.

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/45450-Honoring-Long-Time-Support-for-the-National-Civil-Rights-Museum?tracking_source=rss

#CSR #corporate social responsibility #social good #philanthropy #employee engagement #workplace givi

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brockclermont-blog · 5 years ago

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Brock Clermont Fuels His Legacy

The goal of Clermark Equestrian is to provide the highest level of care for our horses,” explained Brock Clermont, head trainer, and owner of Clermark Equestrian LLP. The horses and riders develop at the highest possible rate. We train the very best.” At Clermark Equestrian, Brock Clermont specializes in purchasing and training the very best horses in the world, along with their riders. They eventually go on to compete for a jumper, equitation, and hunter competition in “A” circuit and International competition. Brock Clermont's decades-long career in riding started at his family’s stable in Ontario. When Brock Clermont was just 17, he trained under Canadian veteran Hugh Graham and later went on to tutor under the great Canadian Olympic rider John Pearce at Forest View farms. Going professional at the age of 18, Brock Clermont became an assistant pro at Forest View Farms, training the horses and teaching the clients for nearly half a decade. Brock continued his training with renowned coach George Morris while traveling to Europe where he rode for Paul Schockomoele stables and later took a high-level position through world champion rider Peter Pletcher in Texas for a year. In 2007 Brock Clermont and his family decided to purchase and design Clermark Equestrian LLP in Bradenton, Florida. A lifelong dream, as head trainer and general manager Brock helped Clermark Equestrian LLP become the finest facility in the area through which hundreds of students and clients were trained and showed competitively throughout the United States under Brock and his staff. In 2013 Brock Clermont began coaching the internationally acclaimed Olympic rider, Liubov Kochetova. In 2014, after competing extensively in the Wellington Florida winter circuit, Clermark Equestrian LLP moved its operations to Wellington for the winter season and Guelph, Ontario, Canada for the summer to accommodate Brock and his current training and business schedule with his horses and clients. Brock Clermont has trained hundreds of riders young and old, from the beginner level to the pros and the ranks to their desired goals and further over the years since turning professional at 18. His unbridled passion and desire to take care of each horse and trainer alike, Brock Clermont is on a mission to help everyone around him become the very best rider they can be. To learn more about Brock Clermont and the legacy he continues to build, connect with him by clicking here.

#brockclermont

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endevia · 6 years ago

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Differentiating with Personalized Learning

Personalized learning is the latest buzzword in an education environment bursting with new ideas but this one is impressive. In a sentence, personalized learning:

“tailors instruction, expression of learning, and assessment to each student’s unique needs and preferences.” — ISTE

If you think it sounds like differentiated instruction, it does with this caveat: Personalized learning is student-directed, student-paced, and designed for each learner.

Why switch to personalized learning?

There are many reasons to take a deep dive into personalized learning. Some schools realize students aren’t learning to their full potential. They see this not just in test results but in student response to the grade-level curricula. They feel it is unrelated to what happens to them outside of school. We as teachers know that math and science can easily be taught using real-life experiences in lieu of a textbook. The problem in the past has been convincing our learning partners of that truth. Now, anecdotal evidence shows that well-delivered personalized learning encourages excitement about learning, improves test scores, and leaves students wanting to learn even complicated math and science topics.

How do you make this happen?

Personalized learning must start with flexible learning spaces. Look at your classroom layout. Is it conducive to learner-driven individual activities where students pursue knowledge in ways best-suited to their learning style? If not, make this change in the physical environment first. Here are suggestions by primary school teacher Chris Andrews (with a picture of a personalized learning classroom).

Second: Free up your teaching time by automating the tedious tasks required to run a classroom. Use the self-grading features of programs like Google Forms to assess student work. Use robust Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom to automatically deliver assignments to an entire class or specific individuals. Let students try to troubleshoot their own problems before you step in, encouraging the type of learning that goes hand in hand with student success.

Third: Give up your traditional role as “sage on the stage”. There is no need to spend hours preparing the perfect lesson plan (that we-all know rarely survives its roll-out) and then stress over the flawless delivery that will enrapture your students. In a personalized learning ecosystem, you are “guide on the side”. You are there to assist, answer questions, and provide direction as needed, but not make decisions.

Fourth: Expect the learning ecosystem to extend beyond the classroom. This includes students’ homes, community and extracurricular interests. Involve parents as partners in student learning. In fact, welcome them and listen to their suggestions. Be prepared to educate them on the difference between a traditional classroom and one that relies on personalized learning.

Fifth: Ask students to set their own goals. Discuss what you want to accomplish this school year and let them formulate how best to make this happen in ways that suit their learning style. Follow up with meaningful self-reflection. A good tool for this is Sown to Grow (click here for my review).

Sixth: Consider student-led conferences where students sum up their learning in a meeting with you and their parents. Done well, these have spectacular results. A variation of that is Google Certified Innovator, international trainer, blended learning expert Catlin Tucker’s “grade interviews“. Here’s how Caitlin explains that:

“As grade reporting approaches, I sit down with every single student for a grade interview. Students come to these grade interviews prepared with a formal argument. These conversations are invaluable. Students walk away knowing exactly what they need to work on or what they are doing well. Also, I feel like I know my students so much better because we sit down and chat about their learning every 5-6 weeks!”

Click for her full post on that.

Seventh: Have students plan their lessons with personalized playlists. These sequenced activities organize their learning and provide a path to reaching the goals they established for themselves.

Finally: Trust students to take responsibility for their learning. This is difficult and likely won’t work on the first day. Or week. But as students accept that they are competent to do this, understand the process, and believe that you as their teacher trust them, you’ll be amazed at its effectiveness.

A note: Personalized learning is tech-intensive. I’m not saying it requires a degree in IT to administer. It doesn’t. Today’s edtech tools are mostly intuitive to learn, simple to use, and equitably free (especially with education accounts). ISTE says the typical personalized learning backpack includes:

Reading: Voice Dream, Speak Selection

Brainstorming: Popplet, SimpleMind, IdeaSketch, Inspiration

Writing: Storykit, Book Creator

Collaborating: Skype, GoDocs

Organizing: DropBox, iHomework, Toodledo

Note-taking: Notability, Audio Note, Evernote

Researching: WolframAlpha

Presenting: iMovie, Keynote, Educreations

Myths about Personalized Learning

It takes too long. I won’t lie — it will take a time commitment to make the switch. But once you’re past that hurdle, you find that students do much of the work. Yes, you’ll have to restructure your old lesson plans but let’s be honest: Shouldn’t you do that anyway?

It’s chaotic. Students sit all over the place, rarely in their assigned seats. You won’t know where to find them without looking around the classroom. Where you’ll always find them is in a place of learning and a state of excitement over what they’re doing.

It won’t work in my classroom. The answer to this is easy: Change your classroom layout. Explain to your Principal why the old-style classroom setup (please don’t tell me you still have rows of desks) doesn’t work as well for student learning as the free-flowing personalized layout.

It’s impossible to grade because no two students are at the same point in learning. Think about that statement: “no two students are at the same point in learning”. Is that ever true in a classroom? With the multitude of learning styles, each student’s varied pace of learning, and their ability to make connections, don’t we already celebrate the self-paced, self-guided instruction that statistically ends in better learning?

It’s tech-intensive. It doesn’t have to be. Many teachers tell me that in their personalized learning approach, tech plays a minor role. The mindset of putting students in charge of their learning is the biggest shift.

It’s expensive. The addendum to this is, “We don’t have most of the tools listed above.” This is another easy one — use what you have. If you’re a Google school, use Slides for presenting and Keep for notetaking. If you don’t have an expensive LMS, use Edmodo. Consider what students need to express themselves and apply your existing tech tools to those jobs. It’s also worth noting that this doesn’t require a 1:1 environment. Encourage collaboration and sharing in place of the expense of a personal digital device.

***

Education has moved beyond the “one-stop shop” where serving the majority is a good enough result. With options like Growth Mindset, Depth of Knowledge, and personalized learning, we can offer a path to knowledge that will work for everyone. What approach works best in your classroom?

–published first on TeachHUB

More on personalized learning

The Case Against Personalized Learning

What’s Possible with Personalized Learning?

Personalized Learning: What It Really Is and Why It Really Matters

Differentiating with Personalized Learning published first on https://medium.com/@DLBusinessNow

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alexiskscott-blog · 6 years ago

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Back in May, we decided we were going to win the Cowgirl Queen Contest. So we did.

The last day of the Iowa State Fair is tomorrow. We typically don’t show at the fair. It’s a hassle to get in and out, the crowds are totally insane, people have no respect for boundaries or property; the whole thing gives me anxiety.

THIS YEAR HOWEVER, one of my girls won the Queen Contest at the Iowa Memorial Day Show, so we entered the Cowgirl Queen Contest representing the Iowa Arabian Horse Association. It’s basically a beauty pageant on horseback. Totally out of our element and not something that I would have been excited to do in the past, but here we are sending a girl in the Junior Queen.

At Memorial Day, I told the girls entering the Iowa Arabian Horse Association Queen Contest that if they won it we were going to the Fair, and we were taking it seriously. However, I was still less than enthusiastic at this point. Now, understand that this contest is full of “real” cowgirls from Pony and Saddle Clubs and other breed associations, all stock breeds of course. These girls take it seriously, and for most it’s their goal to go win it. It’s judged by Quarter Horse or other stock breed judges. The horses are all reiners, ranch horses, pleasure quarter horses or rodeo horses. No Iowa Arabian representative had won the Junior Queen Contest thus far so the odds were not in our favor.

The more I thought about what we were doing and the more I talked with Russell, my assistant/groom/friend who worked 30 years in the Quarter Horse industry and won multiple World and Congress championships, though, the more I wanted to win this contest. We decided were going to come to play. The horse my girl was riding is a half-Arabian who looks and moves like a Quarter Horse, so she would appeal to the stock breed judges. My kid had the beauty thing on lock, and was getting good at the western horsemanship part, especially considering she’d never ridden it seriously before. We requested the assistance of real “Queen Contest Pros” to get the look and the “salute” down (the finalists have to do a pattern where they lope to the rail and then gallop around the arena saluting the audience, then slide to a stop and back. The crowd goes nuts for the good ones). We were prepared and at this point going in pretty confident.

We ended up freaking winning it. WINNING IT. It was simultaneously ridiculous and glorious; us “stuffy” Arabian people, rolling in two weeks off Youth Nationals to the Iowa State Fair. Here was my rider, who’s never shown western, on a fancy show horse that has won a Reserve-National Championship tearing around the arena like a rodeo queen in front of all these people who know Russell and are wondering what the hell he’s doing with an Arabian trainer, in this contest with 60 other real western cowgirls who eat/sleep/breathe this thing and take it seriously enough to be nasty about it. She smoked ‘em. We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Russell got to thumb his nose at his ex-colleagues, which was satisfying even though I have no clue who these people are. My girl loved every minute of it. The crowd ate her up and so did the judges. I watched one of them lean over so he could look between other horses to watch her on the rail. When they announced her win, the entire in-gate went berserk. It was pure insanity, totally out-of-the-box for us, and worth it.

The fact that it’s at the fair, in front of the general public, is a HUGE deal. We were able to represent the Arabian breed and show off their known versatility in front of people who only know about Quarter Horses because they race at Prairie Meadows. I get to claim the winner as an Arabian trainer, and she’s the first to win the Junior division on an Arab, AND win in her first year. It’s a publicity dream. It’s something to be excited about and to be able to go out there in a contest where the odds of winning on an Arabian are less than getting struck by lightning and come away with the win is a VERY big deal. Believe me.

Which is why I was shook when we had in-barn issues with teammates being supportive.

When AKS Farms was still relatively new, I had issues about kids supporting other kids, and parents supporting other kids. I put up with some unbelievable crap. I heard accusations that I was favoring a rider and wanted my other kids to do poorly, which was completely untrue. There was jealousy and bitterness associated with someone wanting to purchase a horse in the same division as another rider in the barn. I dealt with feuds between parents over the time I spent with their kids. One client went so far as threatening to leave if certain people got a horse. It was just nasty, disgusting, immature behavior. I was young, not as established, and wasn’t as confident in communicating with clients. I was frustrated and I couldn’t get a handle on the situation. Clients came and left, tried to get others to leave with them, tried to get their new trainers to poach my groom, and spread lies about my program. It got so bad a few times that I considered walking away from it all. I’ve always promised myself “if I quit having fun, then I’m done,” but I ended up digging deep and pulling motivation out of my ass to keep fighting. I believe in my riders and my horses, and myself obviously, and my inner Dude did not abide.

I am so happy to say I love the group of clients I have now. I’m surrounded by positivity and enthusiasm, and we’ve had a crazy successful year. Self-help books preach to “keep going even when you want to quit because that’s when it’s about to get good” and the vibes are GOOOOOD.

There’s still challenges though. There’s still drama. How do we get past that? How do we help our people to see that there‘s room enough for everyone at the table? There’s enough ribbons for everyone, enough wins and success for everyone. No single rider’s accomplishments outweigh another’s. I push myself to the limit to make sure that I give every one of my riders 150%, and there’s enough of me to go around. I believe in every one of them and I want them to win every class they go in, whether it’s Nationals or Cowgirl Queen or the Society fun-show. A win for one is a win for all.

With my recent group of clients all being new to the sport, I think it’s important to help the parents and kids understand what their individual accomplishments do for the team as a whole. There’s a lot of strategy involved in showing horses. Every time a rider from my program is successful in the arena, regardless of the placing, it is noticed. It is picked up by the judges, the other trainers, the other exhibitors and spectators, and it draws attention to the individual riders and the program as a whole. They look for my riders when they see me coaching someone on the rail. They remember their horses. I honestly have heard some pretty remarkable things about my kids this year. Praises of their talent and skill were sung at every show we attended this year, and it’s imperative that they begin to understand that. Additionally, what their individual successes do for my position within the industry is just as important. They’ve got people talking about them and the instruction they’ve received from me, and comparing their skills to theirs, and feeding off of the positive energy created by their success to fuel their own fires. They need to believe their own hype!

Celebrating others’ successes, rather than envying them, is just as important to really finding success in the show ring. A rider must change their mindset, and value their own individual skills and talents rather than comparing themselves to those of other riders. Each rider is unique. Every rider balances differently, sits differently, and has their own “style.” Focusing on other riders causes one to disconnect from the animal underneath them, and prevents them from really being “in the moment.” Showing horses is about connecting to the animal underneath you, feeling what’s going on with your horse every step of the ride, and reacting accordingly to put on the best show possible. It is impossible to successfully do that when you’re too focused on the other competitors. I would know that from experience.

Prior to winning the Saddle Seat Equitation and UPHA Challenge Cup at Youth Nationals in 2005, I had difficulty reaching that point and crossing the threshold of success. I was too worried about how good the other girls were and comparing their skills and successes to my own, and wasn’t able to really put on the best show I could because of where my head was at. In 2004, after coming in third at Youth Nationals for the third year in a row, I changed my mindset. I decided to quit worrying about the other girls and to trust my own skills. I decided I wasn’t going to get beat anymore. I started to analyze my past performances to see the areas where I could improve and made sure to do so. I felt more confident and relaxed in the show ring, and more in-tune with my equine partner. I became more adaptable and more confident as a rider. I learned to appreciate the other riders, and my less-than-perfect rides for the lessons that they taught me, rather than focusing on the placings and envying the others’ success. I realized that if someone placed above me, then I needed to figure out what they did better than I did in that class, and use the positive energy created by their success to help fuel my own. The change in mindset proved that I was right, and I won the Saddle Seat Equitation Grand Championship at 2004 National Show Horse Finals, followed by both HA Saddle Seat Eq and UPHA at Youth Nationals the next year. I won two bids to try out for the Saddle Seat World Cup team, and I made it. We traveled to South Africa in 2006, and won the Gold Medal at the Saddle Seat World Cup competition that year.

I believed I could do it, rather than wondering if I could, and I did it. Any rider who really appreciates and values their own skills and believes in their abilities, their horse, and the support system around them, rather than comparing themselves to what others have, will see success in the show ring. Riders must celebrate the success of others, as well as celebrate their own style, and use the positive energy created by others’ achievements to fuel their own fire, rather than seeing others’ success as their failure.

As trainers we have an opportunity to shape the values and mindsets of our clients by communicating the positive and teaching them to believe in their individuality, as well as teaching them to understand and appreciate the way they can help each other by being supportive of one another. Like I said, a win for one of us is a win for all of us!

#motivation coaching horses horseback equestrian competition support encouragement supporting others value your skills believe in y

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thegreenhorseman · 6 years ago

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Not too long ago I was a fitness junkie. I taught fitness classes, ate right, and looked great. One of my favorite activities was cross training because it keeps your fitness level up and makes life interesting.

Since then life sucker punched me and I’ve gained quite a few lbs. It’s something I continue to work on, but that’s not my point.

My point is cross training…it’s so useful! Cross training your brain, your body, your mind. It’s not just a fitness practice.

I take lessons weekly for the hunter discipline and I also enjoy jumping. I’m always working to improve my equitation. Unfortunately showing was never in my cards. Without shows to look forward to I sometimes have a difficult time going into my lessons with any real goal; at times I feel lost. A couple years ago I wanted to jump. Once I started jumping my trainer put a hunter pace on the table (Autumn Colors, New Experiences, is That a Tree?) and I was motivated to make it to that. At the moment my only goal is to be a better rider.

My fellow students are actually working hard for an upcoming show, but I am working simply to get better…but the goal is so vague it’s difficult for me to measure any sort of success. I can go weeks…months even…and still feel like I’m going nowhere personally.

Last weekend I broke out of the arena and tackled some bucket list items (Bucket List!). This past weekend I did it again, accomplishing something else totally new to me.

Since joining mounted archery I have met some incredible people. One of my great new friends has been talking to me about cow sorting for weeks. Finally our schedules matched up and together we made it happen! Friday night her and I met up and drove to Canaan, NY together to Cowgirl Up Ranch. I had the pleasure of meeting everyone there and was greeted with a big smile and a hug. Another friend and instructor for mounted archery drove her horses up from PA for the night. The three of us shared her 2 geldings and I got my first taste of cow sorting.

As a quick run-down (I’m clearly no expert)…The arena is shaped a bit like an hour glass, 2 round-pens with an opening in the center. Twelve cows huddle together in the round pen; 10 labelled 0-9 (the numbers are on a tag like a necklace) and 2 unlabeled.

Two riders go into the arena at the opposite end. As they pass through the center line they are given a number. From here the riders, as a team, need to get that cow labelled with the starting number and direct her through the gate without the others getting through. Once that is accomplished the team herds the next number and the next (once you get to 9 you go for 0, then 1, etc). This is a timed event so your goal is to sort as many cows as you can in the time given.

I’ve never even DREAMED of doing something like this but I’m so glad that I did it! Friday night was loads of fun. I learned a lot and met some wonderful people. I’m hoping I can go back again someday.

Side note: I began my rides on Red, a tall Quarter Horse gelding. We took a moment to acquaint him to the cows (he’s likely done this before but we weren’t positive). Once he was no longer nervous he really started to enjoy it. By the end of the night he was pinning his ears and working the cows. I LOVE THIS HORSE.

The fun doesn’t stop there, however. Oh no.

Saturday I continued to break up my routine and joining Apex Mounted Archery for some more practice! Scooter and Red were both there along with another’s mare, Nooner. At each practice I meet some new faces.

This week we had some youngsters join us. They took to mounted archery fast. Kids are such quick learners! Among our new members was a fantastic mom who brought her daughter 3 hours to join us. She also happens to be a fantastic photographer. This was her first time photographing moving horses since her specialty is newborns. I should mention now, her work is incredible! Visit her business page and see for yourself. I was in awe of the pictures that came out of our practice. To show you a few:

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I practice mounted archery whenever I can; lately the crew has been coming to town every 2 weeks. Each time I improve, even if only slightly.

This practice I was delighted that I cantered Red….my tall handsome boyfriend from the night before. Until now I had only cantered Scooter for mounted archery. The kids were jumping all over Scooter so my only chance to canter was on Red, and I’m so glad I did!

Did I mention I also met Cookie, an adorable and tiny 6-week Boston Terrier/King Charles Cavalier?

Pending the weather and the jobs at home I still plan to keep practicing on the ground. Dare I say that I actually sat on Blade bareback and shot the target?

The last couple of weekends have fed the equine addict in me. In fact, the last few years I have grown exponentially as a horse-person. I can only help but ask….what’s the next adventure?

Cross Training On The Weekend Not too long ago I was a fitness junkie. I taught fitness classes, ate right, and looked great.

#Animals #ApexMountedArchery #BreaktheRoutine #BucketList #CowSorting #CrossTraining #Horse #Horses #MountedArchery #Routine #TheGreenHorseman

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