The River Tiger Podcast Marianne Davies

On this episode I am joined by event rider and equestrian coach, Alex van Randwyck. I met Alex through mutual coach development work and found her insightful, humble and with the ability to connect with others and communicate with refreshing clarity. So of course, I asked her if she would consider being a guest on my podcast!

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Alex shares so many insights and examples about how we can all be proactive in our own development and learning as coaches. Especially in learning from, and supporting each other.

As always, although we are focussed on equestrian sports, this podcast is as relevant for any sport or activity.

Getting in touch with Alex. 
Alex's social media is packed with great advice, ideas and loads of fun facts. 
https://www.alexvanrandwyck.com/
https://www.instagram.com/avanrandwyckcoaching/
https://www.facebook.com/avanrandwyckcoaching/

About my guest. 
"In 2013 I went to the University of Leicester to study Geology and I became involved with student riding. I qualified for nationals in 2015 and was awarded a Sport Scholarship in my final year. In the autumn of 2015 I competed in my first Student Riding Nations Cup representing the Netherlands where we won team silver. Through these competitions I was able to compete all over Europe in places like Poland, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland and in 2016 I was selected to be part of the team for the World University Equestrian Championships.
In 2017 I went to work for Nick Gauntlett. I spent 2 years there and it was a great experience to be part of a larger set up. I had the opportunity to groom at overseas events, ride lovely young horses and work with the stallions and youngstock. It was also really helpful to have someone so experienced on hand to go to for advice and training. Working here allowed me to gain experience with lots of different horses and helped me to pass my A Test in 2019.
In the autumn of 2019 I set up on my own and even though we were in the middle of a global pandemic my business has grown quickly. I teach regularly for the Wokingham and Garth South pony club branches in addition to training the area 13 AH Test candidates. I really enjoy teaching as it’s so lovely to watch partnerships grow and be involved in their journey. I particularly enjoy teaching younger children and riders who lack confidence as I am good at breaking down concepts and making sure the rider has all the skills they need to progress and work on their own."
 

Where performers direct their focus of attention has significant impacts on performance and learning.  Coaches typically use instructions and practice design to direct a performers attention, intentionally or not. However there is generally a miss-match between coaching practice (instructions that are internally and form/technique focussed) and research (which advocates an external focus of attention).

This episode is a joint production with 'Locked in Shed' podcaster Richard Barbour.

Locked in Shed podcasts https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lockedinshed/episodes/Locked-in-Shed-series-1---episode-9-eie7cc

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lockedinshed/

UK Snowsports Coaching Conference details and tickets


Open access research paper - Every story has two sides: evaluating information processing and ecological dynamics perspectives of focus of attention in skill acquisition https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1176635/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Sports_and_Active_Living&id=1176635

Part 2 of my conversation with US show jumper, Lacy Stormes.

Show notes to follow.

My fabulous guest, Dr Gal Ziv can be found on Research Gate at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gal-Ziv

'Gal's main research interest is the role of attention and perception in human performance of motor skills. Specifically, he is interested in the role that visual attention plays when learning complex skills such as flying an aircraft or performing surgery.'



This is the paper that inspired me to connect with Gal for a conversation about his research (open access) - An embodied and ecological approach to skill acquisition in racecar driving.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1095639/full

My fabulous guest this week is USA showjumper, Lacy Stormes.

In the first part of this episode Lacy shares how she ended up with a barefoot horse and becoming more curious and, almost accidentally, going against the 'do what has always been done, how it's always been done' advise.

This was a fascinating conversation and I learnt so much. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Part two will be out soon!

Contacts for my guest: Lacy Stormes
•Stormes Horsemanship and Showjumping 
• Lacy Stormes Barefoot Showjumping
Professional rider and coach
On Instagram: Stormes Showjumping


On Facebook:
Stormes Horsemanship and Showjumping
Lacy Stormes Barefoot Showjumping USA
Lacy Stormes and barefoot L.A. LOVE
2023 Grand Prix of Flintridge 
8th place finish

Lacy Stormes and barefoot Totem Du Phare
2023 Shamrockin Show Speed Stake
Champion


Photo Credit: Grandpix

My guest on this episode is Dr Carrie Ijichi.
I reached out to Carrie after reading some of her research about how horses cope and respond to stress. Her research is refreshing, much needed and will hopefully help us to understand our equines better.

In this conversation Carrie brings to life how a horses personality is influenced by biology and experience, and how in turn, that influences the way they cope and the way they experience pain.

About my guest
"I'm interested how coping style affects the expression of negative states including differences in pain behaviour & stereotypy between individuals & whether these can be explained by personality. More recently, I've been investigating various factors that influence how well animals cope with human handling including pressure headcollars, handler bond and welfare during learning. I use behavioural analysis, salivary cortisol, heart rate variability and infrared thermography in my research."

ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carrie-Ijichi