8 Things Core Mechanics Workshops are…

8 Things CORE Mechanics for Riders Workshops are… 

1. a 2 day mat/saddle work workshop
2. Pilates/Yoga/Somatics based
3. NOT riding lessons
4. CORE weekends are a way to explore riding concepts on the mat and then take those skills and awarenesses to the saddle
5. We explore the function of the rider’s core and how best to stabilize it on a moving object. The more stable your core is while riding, the more independent your aids can function.
6. The movement patterns we work with are not physically difficult. The difficulty is in the body awareness in the movement patterns and then keeping the same mindfulness while applying it in the saddle. Brain/body work!!!
7. You will explore exercises on the mat that you will be able to incorporate into your regular workout regime when you return home.
8. CORE workshops are based at Flying Colours Stables but the format is very mobile. All you’ll need is 6 riders, their horses and yoga mats!

Contact Lindsey or Vickie to check on availability of rider spots in workshops at Flying Colours or to arrange for a CORE workshop at your stable. (CORE Concepts workshops are for first time participants; CORE Explorations workshops are for returning CORE riders)

And so the Somatic journey continues…

Tomorrow I leave for a week on Salt Spring Island to complete the first phase of Somatic Yoga Instructor Certification.

A week on Salt Spring is going to be tough…HA! (I promise I won’t come back with everything tie dyed and beads in my hair!) But it is going to be a joy to eat my vegan/vegetarian way through the restaurants on the island….yum, interesting vegetarian meals each day…yum, yum!

Somatic exercise has fit the bill on so many levels for us, so I’m off to increase my knowledge base and then bring it back home! We will incorporate Somatics into our CORE weekends for riders as well as Somatic movement classes here at FCS and at Refresh Wellness.

Next Core weekend (Concepts) is Aug 6/7.

Somatics at Refresh, Wednesdays mornings 10:30 (starting again July 13)

Off to organize one last Amma day before I head west…

V

Maybe this is the real question?…

Maybe this is also the real question we should be asking about feeding our horses as well?

I missed this question when I changed my stable to whole, organic grain several years ago. I did it because I felt I needed to find more answers to the issue of irritated gut, not enough “good” energy while working and ultimately…keeping equine athletes happy and fit for long careers.

So I bit the bullet and switched to certified organic grain. (I had already switched to organic hay previously).

The results have been awesome. I could go on for pages…less gut irritation, more muscle building with the same effort, amazing coats, very good working energy, etc…

And the big surprise…overall about the same grain costs!!! As we did the gradual grain change over, I noticed I did not need to feed the same amount of organic feed as processed feed. Better muscle, better energy, better training, less feed with organic. 🙂 So my feed costs have stayed about the same for my whole stable from processed feed to organic. 🙂 🙂 🙂

We stock Genesis Certified Organic Feed here at Flying Colours. It is also available at County Living in Okotoks and if Edmonton horse owners would like it available…G and E Pharmacy will bring it in to the store, if you request!!!

So drop into G&E and ask for Genesis!!! Or drop by the stable and ask us about Genesis! ❤

Off to find my yoga mat…OMG I’m a vegetarian, yoga doing, organic eating, animal trainer…I guess I am the “Organic Lady”!!! ❤

V

Well, that was interesting…

After 18 months of very interesting, sometimes quite challenging but really oh so satisfying, we now have our certificates.

But most importantly for me, it has led me to Somatics, Somatic Yoga. Slow, subtle exercises designed to improve brain/body connection, to relax and lengthen tight areas in the body, to align the spine, to improve posture creating a more functional, balanced body in motion.

Somatic Yoga, Wednesday mornings 10:30 at Refresh Wellness.

And “in motion” is the thing that got me. Now to add Somatics to our Core Mechanics Workshops…this is going to be grand!

Next Core Workshop weekend is July 16/17. Core Mechanic Concepts. Contact me or Lindsey for details.

Horses all turned out, off to find my yoga mat and Somatics…

V

Thank you to CAADA for another awesome show!!!

As I read my friends Facebook postings the weekend’s results, I vicariously rejoice in their happiness, pride of accomplishment,(some struggles) and ultimately of a job well done.

To be life long participants in a sport that you love is a gift to be grateful for, for sure. And the organisers of our competitions, especially the ones that run as smoothly and as openly friendly as the CAADA show, we are especially grateful.

So here’s our joyful, pictorial post of our memories of Sunday…CAADA CDI Grand Prix Freestyle, Lancelot and Lindsey Stroh,  1st place, 69% (including a 70% and 71% from the panel!!).

To all involved; participants, officials, spectators (there were a few!!!) and most especially organizers…thank you…. ❤

V

William, red ribbon Inter One…

William is one step closer to his first Grand Prix test.

The goal for him this weekend was to improve the ridablity in the show ring. He’s a bit of a turtle and tries to go into his shell when he gets overwhelmed. But he was a good boy and tried really hard to stay with Lindsey for the whole test yesterday. Good boy William! Maybe next show you’ll get to passage and piaffe in the ring????…..

While Linds and I are busy inside the little white fences, Peter and Ivars hit the road on their bikes. They cycled the back roads of southern Alberta did 100 kms yesterday. They both are training for the 161 km Grand Fondo in Drumheller at the end of June.

I think we all had a very good day yesterday…

Off to an early morning Grand Prix Freestyle class and then we’re on the road, back home late this afternoon….

V

CAADA CDI Grand Prix

Many years ago, it was so amazing for me to watch my first Grand Prix class at a CDI. Grand Prix level is a feat of extraordinary athletics for both equine and human requiring years of training, discipline and luck. And then add the extra pressure of the demands of the judging in the CDI ring… man o man….an amazing feat…

And those who got to watch the Grand Prix class at the Calgary CDI yesterday, watched the gold standard of Grand Prix work expected of competitors. Competitors world wide. That’s what is expected in the CDI ring, world standards.

And once again I was amazed. To be able to watch this level of work at home…priceless.

And for all those watching this world standard; in the warm up ring, in the competition ring, there is a trickle down effect. There are riders that will raise the bar of their work having been exposed to world standards, there are coaches that will up their game to their students having seen that there is road to this standard and there are sponsors (of riders, of horses, of competitions) that are now exposed to the highlights of the best of our sport.

Watching a Grand Prix CDI class at home…world standards are attainable.

Congrats to everyone in the class…it was amazing.

Congrats to Lindsey and Lance. That was the best test ever (in both of your careers!!!) Words can not express the feelings…I’m proud of you as your coach, as your sponsor and most importantly as your friend…both of you!!!! ❤ ❤

Today Lance is not competing (he will do a Freestyle tomorrow am). But William is back in the ring this morning. He needs to find his groove in the competition ring to keep him headed to the goal of Grand Prix very soon.

Off to another amazing day!!

V

CAADA CDI at Anderson’s!

The view from my kitchen window this weekend…

The jog was a bit exciting yesterday as a small squall picked up just as the jog started. Everyone was accepted and everyone stayed safe :).

Lance’s Grand Prix CDI class is this morning, Jayne’s ride is around noon and William’s class is later this afternoon.

It promises to be a beautiful day for a horse show!!

Coaching hat on, off to the horse show…

V

Organic Horse Feed in Calgary???

Yes!! Genesis, certified organic horse feed, is in Calgary at Okotoks County Living and Garden Centre. 403.938.4094

We dropped off another load of Genesis to Okotoks last week….I’m now known as the “Organic Lady” to their staff…and I kinda like that!!!

If you need more info on the feed, (we stock it here at Flying Colours) drop me a note and I’ll fill you in…

The Organic Lady…Ha!!!

V

 

Schooling in the big ring…

This ring is the CDI ring Yesterday with Lindsey and Lance schooling. It’ll be packed to the rafters and loud Saturday night for the Freestyle class. Our last class, our last show in CA and it’s going to be a great time!

We are in the heavy lifting time slot right now of packing up the house and the horses for the long trip home. We all head back this weekend after the show. All our horses should be in their stalls at home at Flying Colours early next week.

Today is early schooling rides at the show grounds for Lance and William then back to Arroyo to Fred, DiMaggio and Sardonyx. The jog is at 3 this afternoon for Lance.

Tomorrow William’s class (Inter 1) is at 2:02 and Lance’s Grand Prix class starts at 3. (We won’t know Lance’s ride time for the Grand Prix till after the jog today.)

Off to pack something!!!

V