Horse Geeks

Kirsten Nelsen
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Bringing out the best in horse and rider kirstennelsen.substack.com

  1. 226: Focused on What is Wrong or Right

    10H AGO

    226: Focused on What is Wrong or Right

    What we put our attention or awareness on has a direct affect on our perceptions. Our perceptions are what trigger general nervous system use, for short or long term survival. Dominance of the sympathetic (fight or flight) or dominance of the parasympathetic (rest or digest) affect the body globally - influencing health, brain function, decision making, behavior and responses, further strengthening or altering the original perception. Focusing our attention on what is wrong is a good way to stimulate a stress response, dominance of the sympathetic portion. Focusing on what is right, gratitude or appreciation for what is going well, is a good way to stimulate dominance of the parasympathetic portion. We actually have a choice about how we feel and how we help our horses feel. How we feel directly alters our perceptions of all situations which influences our behavior and future choices. We can stop a negative spiral into anxiety, tension or depression by consciously altering what we put our awareness and attention on. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    43 min
  2. 225: Using The Reins with Horses

    MAY 9

    225: Using The Reins with Horses

    When human hands connect to horses heads and necks through the reins the situation becomes very tricky. It does not matter what bit is used or if the reins connect to a bit-less bridle or halter. The reins are the part that connect the person and horse. How we use the reins always has a dynamic effect on a horse's balance in both mind and body. The inherent challenge of using the reins in ways that benefit horses is that humans love to grip with the hands. We cannot stop gripping with our hands as long as our torso is unstable in the saddle. The most mobile, adjustable part of the horse's entire body is the neck and head. Horses need to make adjustments in neck use when weight distribution becomes unbalanced in the barrel and hindquarters. When we restrict the use of the horse's head and neck through the reins, we can often cause horses to adopt unbalanced patterns of compensation that become habits of dysfunctional coordination. Learning how to use reins effectively - for the benefit of a horse's balance - is a learned skill for all people and takes a bit of practice to override our instincts to grip. Rein contact and even rein aids can be last on the list of things to do when it comes to developing a balanced coordination in horses. A dynamic rein contact only becomes necessary as the horse moves closer to three dimensional balance overall. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    1h 1m
  3. 224: Tasks Are NOT Horse Training

    MAY 2

    224: Tasks Are NOT Horse Training

    It is a major shift of perspective in horse training to turn the tables on tasks. Most training programs outline a series of tasks to be accomplished in a particular order. This is how most horse training programs are structured. The unspoken promise is that a calm, focused, well moving horse - or balance - will the side effect of doing all those tasks in that order. But we have waaaay too many examples of that methodology just not working for people or horses. When there is a problem either the rider or the horse is blamed for a lack of results. But what if the program is the real problem? When a program cannot adapt to the individual needs of people and horses, then what? Turning the tables on tasks means we learn first how to recognize balance and imbalance, in mind and body, in people and horses. Then we utilize any task in any order to help develop or improve balance. There really never needs to be an order to tasks. Instead we learn how to find the path of least resistance to balance by trying out different tasks and mixing up the order of things. That idea, of turning tasks into tools for balance, is a big one! Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    41 min
  4. 223: Instability as A Root Cause of Problems

    APR 18

    223: Instability as A Root Cause of Problems

    Whether we or horses are mentally and emotionally unstable or physically unstable really makes no difference. Unstable thoughts, emotions and coordination all intertwine and affect each other. We don't often look to something as instability as the root cause of our problems, but it affects all horses and people at an instinctual level. We simple can't feel safe and unstable at the same time without a lot of conscious effort. Deb and I look at stability and instability in different ways, how it manifests in our experience frequently but fails to get a lot of attention. Knowing how to focus thoughts, calm emotional states and find stability in the right areas of the physical body is how we work through a huge variety of problems and turn things around during rehab. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    55 min
  5. 222: Rider Balance, or Imbalance, Is an Aid

    APR 11

    222: Rider Balance, or Imbalance, Is an Aid

    Our bodies are mass with weight. How we distribute our body weight internally and how we use muscular contractions generate invisible forces that always have an impact on a horse's movement. When we ride or drive, our balance or imbalance in the saddle or cart has a direct impact on a horse's ability to balance coordination or resort into dysfunctional coordination because of us. We are never neutral to a horse. How we use our bodies can guide a horse's coordination into a better, balanced, healthy use becoming a primary aid before, during and after using our leg and rein aids. How we use our bodies can also contribute to a dysfunctional coordination already adopted by a horse and can even cause dysfunctional coordination in horses. If we are riding to please a judge or adopting postures that look the part for our sport, then we may not be aware of how we are influencing our horse's movement as soon as we get in the saddle or cart. When our horse has problems, looking at our own balance as a contributing factor is just not on our radar - but perhaps it should be. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Insturctor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balancekirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    50 min
  6. 221: Strengthening the Female Rider

    APR 4

    221: Strengthening the Female Rider

    The skeletal design of the female body is different than the skeleton of a male body, mostly through the shape of the pelvis and lumbar portion of the spine. Can't reference where I learned it, but I remember reading that the female body also has roughly 20% more connective tissue than males. Our traditional riding instruction works well for male riders but the same instructions actually have the opposite effect on female riders. In order to stabilize our seat as female riders we can begin with heels flat, not down, and shoulders down, not back. In order to learn the muscle use needed to coordinate stability through the lumbar and pelvis, the seat, slumping is a girl's best friend! Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance kirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    58 min
  7. 220: Improving Riding Skills

    MAR 28

    220: Improving Riding Skills

    As riders we have to improve our riding skills in order to improve our horse's balance. Our weight and mass has a constant, dynamic influence on a horse's movement whether we are aware of it or not. We tend to focus on our aids with no thought to how we are distributing our body weight while riding. But our weight has a greater impact than any aid can, even with leverage. Improving our riding skills is often the last thing we consider, if at all, as a solution to health issues or chronic discomfort. But how we coordinate the conformation we have can have a huge impact, positive or negative. Improving riding skills means balancing our body over gravity, which is something we all have to learn and practice. Changing habits of coordination is a big ass deal - for us and for horses. The process is disorienting and disconcerting because we are literally altering our relationship to space and gravity. This can be a challenging process if we are attached to all of our traditional instruction, but if we have problems, then improving our own riding skills can often become the solution. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com check out my offers at kirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    1h 8m
  8. 219: What is a Swinging Back in Horses?

    MAR 21

    219: What is a Swinging Back in Horses?

    The term swinging back is used a lot to describe ideal use of horse's backs, but what does that really mean? Does the back swing, back and forth or side to side like a swing set? If we look at the spine itself, the vertebral joints and soft tissues that support the bones of the back and pelvis, then the body itself shows us how little mobility it is meant to have there. The back should not literally swing or move like a swing set. The sensation of swinging as a movement adds excessive force and strains a horse's back and hindquarters. The term through-ness might be a preferable description because it does not imply movement, just energy. Swinging movement might also be a safer way to describe good balance in horses, but it is not the back that is swinging when horses move in balance, instead the back feels incredibly still. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

    49 min
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About

Bringing out the best in horse and rider kirstennelsen.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kirsten Nelsen
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    226
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kirsten Nelsen
  • Show Website
    Horse Geeks

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