Notes from PATH Intl. Evaluator Training

Vacation this year consisted of a good visit with family and friends in the Northeast and a trip "home" to High HopesTherapeutic Riding, the PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center in Old Lyme, CT where I was first introduced to the field of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies and received much of my instructor training.

This time, I was visiting High Hopes with a purpose: namely, to participate in a PATH Intl. Evaluator Training given by Kitty Stalsburg, who is a Master Level Instructor, Lead Evaluator, Executive Director of High Hopes and a mentor who has had a major influence on my own teaching. I've wanted to do the Evaluator Training for a couple of years now and have completed several prerequisites, including becoming an Advanced Riding Instructor and attending the PATH Intl. Mentor Training. Now, having also completed Evaluator Training, I am officially an Apprentice Evaluator. I will need to apprentice at two Registered Level On-site Workshops and Certifications (OSWC) and receive the recommendation of both Lead Evaluators to achieve Associate Evaluator status. Associate Evaluators can serve as faculty at PATH Intl. Registered Level workshops and they can also evaluate candidates for certification in riding and teaching.

Sounds complicated and it is... a little. It's also awesome to be part of a field and membership organization that takes therapeutic horsemanship practices and instructor training so seriously. One important take away message from Evaluator Training is how crucial the evaluator role is to establishing our still growing profession and to serving as a face of PATH Intl. at workshops and training/ testing events.

A second important point was the vital difference between being a mentor (which might be loosely defined as "an extra-invested teacher-trainer") and an evaluator (where one's key responsibility is measuring an instructor candidate's performance against professional criterion, as objectively and fairly as possible). Evaluating is an advanced and challenging role: one's decisions influence a candidate's professional future, perhaps their livelihood, and definitely the manifestation of months or years of hard work and deeply instilled dreams. (No pressure.) Evaluating requires focus, attention to detail and the ability to let go of all kinds of personal biases and preferences one may have about teaching style or approach. When mentoring one is developing a teacher (one of my personal passions!); when evaluating, one is - however fairly - assessing a teacher. A big difference.

Certainly, there is some overlap... Being a good mentor for PATH Intl. Instructors in Training absolutely means having a proficient working knowledge of the Instructor Criteria. Of course, serving as an evaluator mandates that one stay current and well-versed in said criteria and this can only help one become a better mentor. Likewise, mentoring skills are an important component of the evaluator role, especially given that evaluators are faculty for the workshop portion of the On-Site. By mentoring regularly, an evaluator also practices the teaching and leadership skills necessary to effectively and supportively inform Instructor Candidates of the results of their testing (pass or fail) in a face-to-face interview. (Again, no pressure.) 

The training emphasized for me how important not only well-trained evaluators, but also the Instructor Candidates themselves are to the EAAT field. Instructors in Training bring new ideas and energy and often unique qualifications to our field. They also help EAAT expand, necessary if we hope to come close to meeting the potential need for our services around the globe. It’s exciting to think that as an evaluator, I will help to welcome newly certified professionals to the field and to set a fair, consistent and professional standard for certification.

I so enjoyed spending the day thinking, learning and talking about instructor training within the field of therapeutic horsemanship and look forward to investing more deeply in the process of becoming an evaluator. My goal is to attend an On-site the fall as an apprentice and then hopefully another in the spring, which is something I so look forward to although I know it will be an intense process. Teaching is learning... it always comes back to this!

Notes from Linda Tellington-Jones' Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul

One evening last week, I was sitting ringside with two friends and the conversation turned to great horse books. We compared notes, reminiscing about joyful childhood hours spent reading The Black Stallion, Black Beauty and all of Marguerite Henry's young adult, historically-based novels about horses. We debated which of these childhood horse stories had influenced us most as adult equestrians, but one point we agreed on easily: horses invoke our imaginations, and have for a very long time!

As an adult, I still read a lot of horse books, though mostly non-fiction, and I just finished Linda Tellington-Jones' most recent release Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul: A 21st-Century Approach to the Science and Spirituality of Riding and Horse-and-Rider Well-Being. Wow, that's a long and complex title!

And, frankly, it's a long and complex book!

Even for me, admittedly the ultimate horse-dork (Need proof? See throwback photo!), it reads a little textbook-y, especially at first. Since I am only superficially familiar with Tellington-Jones' renowned body work (for horses, dogs, other animals and humans!) and training methods, I had to do quite a bit of paging back and forth between the text itself and the glossary. Having said that, I am so glad I stuck with it... truly, the book is filled with vital, valuable information about riding, training, the sport of dressage, learning in general, and just being a best friend to the horses in our lives.

It's hard to summarize a book that contains so much vibrant information, but the premise of the book is an updated, holistic approach to the traditional dressage training scale pyramid, with the addition of balance as the base of the pyramid. (Tellington-Jones is quick to specify this includes physical, mental and emotional balance - Amen!) The author makes a unique, insightful and fun (color-coded!) exploration of each element of the updated scale (balance, rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection), and describes how to access these elements using techniques that are holistic, humane, meaningful and, yes, even fun for both horse and rider. I love this organizational premise and it motivated me to keep reading.

I admire how Tellington-Jones explains the importance of intention when working with horses. She develops the concept of riding/ training in dressage with "heART," highlighting the concept that dressage should be an ART, one that is "an aesthetic representation of your relationship with yourself... and with your horse." She elaborates: "It is my desire to make you more open to the idea of being 'one' with your horse." As I was reading this encompassing text, I recognized: if Oprah wanted to choose a trainer/ rider to feature on OWN Network's Super Soul Sunday, Tellington-Jones would be a great pick! (And, yes, that's a huge compliment! I love Super Soul Sunday!) Tellington-Jones simply goes beyond the "norms" in dressage training to include the betterment of the person/rider as a key element of dressage.

Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul is definitely a book to be read, studied, re-read, put aside and revisited from time to time and used for reference.

Though there was much practical info woven throughout some really inspiring soul-talk, my favorite line of the book and take away point is this: "Dreams shouldn't be constrained by reality. Reality should subsist of the dreams you make come true." I love that this comes from a trainer who is respected internationally at all levels and in multiple disciplines and is obviously an intellectual, intelligent, practical horse woman on many levels. The fact that much of her advice is extremely down-to-earth makes the inclusion of this dreamer's wisdom all the more inspiring and profound.

After all, most of us do turn to horses and riding for connection and inspiration, as well as sport and fun! There is an element of "dreaming" to loving these animals... at least for me, there has been since I first turned the pages of those "horse-y" novels as a young teen. I believe that dreaming and imagination are woven through all of the best work with horses, and that this can inspire us to pursue, find and get to know our best selves. Tellington-Jones' book is definitely one entry point for this pursuit!

On NOT blogging...

It's been weeks since I've written a blog entry and I feel as if I owe my loyal readership - all seven of you :) - some explanation. This blog is still alive and well. I am determined to keep a public journal of my experiences within the EAAT field because writing is one way I acknowledge how much teaching and learning with horses matters to me. Somehow, though, a month has passed since I last wrote and now it's hard to get started again!

This blog began back in January with a post called Actually Blogging.... (a brief entry on starting a blog about EAAT). So, it seems fitting to rejuvenate the blog with an entry about NOT blogging. Or, perhaps better said:

 

What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging:

• For one, I've been teaching and riding in the heat, rain and humidity, which is pretty extreme here in Charleston, South Carolina. I'm told this has actually been a "mild" Charleston summer due to all the rain we've been having, but it certainly seems like Serious Summer Weather to me, and I am often exhausted after working in it (though teaching riding, as usual, is FUN! and rewarding work).
• For another, I've spent 8 weeks on the Beach! Now, before you envision me relaxing on these beautiful South Carolina beaches and get all jealous, do know that I mean I've spent 8 weeks on South Beach, as in the Diet. Some might remember my earlier posts on Ride to Exercise or Exercise to Ride? Well, I realized to get where I wanted with my riding and health, I had to lose a few pounds/ change some eating habits. (Disclaimer: By no means do I want to imply that anyone has to be Skinny-Minny in order to ride well. That's simply not true. There are very balanced and fine riders who have larger frames or who are heavy-set. It's just that I was having trouble getting my body to move the way I wanted it to on the back of the horse and my lower back and right hip were always sore. I had the feeling that losing 10 pounds would make a difference, which has proved true.) Anyway, I like the food on the South Beach Diet and it's been kind of fun to have all these new recipes and successful new eating strategies. The flip side - it's TIME CONSUMING. Yeah, so instead of blogging, I've been chopping veggies and poaching lean protein.
• Riding! I've been riding at work, taking some lessons with Katie Poag and I accepted an invite from a friend to trail ride on the beautiful and remote Wadmalaw Island, which was a fun and enriching experience. (Minus the hairy spiders the size of my hand... yes, dangling over the trail. OK, beginning to understand some of what accompanies living in "sub-tropical climate.")
• Running a household... with Lee gone in CA for 5 weeks, I had my hands full just keeping our life here going. He is normally fantastic about doing the laundry and some other chores, so I was on my own with all of that. Then, there's always some readjustment when he comes back from a long time away. And now we have a big trip to the Northeast coming up and Lee's 40th birthday to celebrate. All fun, all wonderful - all perfect distractions from blogging!
• Reading! To me, there is nothing better than a quiet, cool house, maybe a glass of wine and a good horse book. This summer, I've read and studied Linda Tellington-Jones's Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul (notes to follow soon) and now I'm in the middle of Alois Podhansky's Complete Training of Horse and Rider. I also read Anton DiSclafani's intriguing coming-of-age novel The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls (good beach reading for horse lovers!) and a few other memoirs and novels.  
• Writing. I haven't been completely lazy on this front. For some time now, I've been writing a memoir about returning to horses during a time of personal distress and then the process of becoming a therapeutic horseback riding instructor (the working title is Barn Dust). I spent much time on this project over the summer and entered the manuscript in a few book-length, non-fiction writing contests. I've also spent some time studying the (impossible) publishing industry and trying to figure out how I can get even one literary agent or small press to read my memoir draft. It's been a little discouraging, but I am determined to share the content of that text somehow, so I'm still working on it!

Okay, you can see why I have missed a week or two of blogging! I'm now determined to get back into a weekly groove of updating this blog with some exciting new entries coming up, including Notes from LTJ's Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul and from PATH Intl. Evaluator Training at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding on Aug. 16th (can't wait!).

I also have been thinking about profiling certified professionals making a career in the EAAT field (What does it take? How do people make it work over time?) - please let me know if you are interested in being profiled or have any ideas for someone to write about! And, I know, I really need to get more photos on this blog! I have been thinking about how to make this a more dynamic virtual space. I'm really grateful to those of you who read and sometimes provide comments or feedback. Thank you and more to come soon!

On Horses and Grief

In over twenty years of riding and working with horses, I have met many people who turn to horses during times of grief. I did this, too, after my divorce in 2006.

My life felt so sad and I was bitter. I tried a lot of different things to make myself feel better: exercise and diet; dating; drinking; buying clothing and ranting at and about my ex. Some of these things helped temporarily, but nothing put me back on track to being the person I had been before being consumed by grief and sadness. I used to be funny, fairly happy-go-lucky, direct and I almost always could see the best in people, animals and situations. This was not true for me when I was grieving after the divorce.

When I finally found the courage to return to horses (which I did by attending a volunteer training at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding and subsequently volunteering in program), I finally experienced a little internal shift - a lightening of the grief, a solace in the activity of being around horses.

In the time since, I've met many people who turn to horses and riding for all kinds of reasons (good and bad), and I fairly frequently meet people coming to horses during times of grief or transition. I have some theories about why:

• When you are angry and grieving, there's "something big and alive" inside you. When you work with horses, you have the opportunity to work with something big and alive outside you. There is great relief in this. It is simply a channeling of energy away from a persistent, internal, negative force to an equally powerful, external, inspiring one. There's a lot of momentary relief and comfort in that experience. Ideally, it brings one present.
• Many horses have a presence that inspires solace. They are large and they are flight animals but they choose to stand beside us; enjoy our company. It makes one feel less alone.
• When you are making an internal life transition (through loss or change), it is powerful to ride. Riding is all about physical balance, transitions and forward momentum. Riding can take the body through this; often, it translates to the soul. Riding can be an incentive to embrace change and forward movement, to see these elements in the light of  positive adventure, which riding should be.

So grateful for the horses in my life and all that they've taught me over these past years.
Okay, enough deep thoughts for a Monday morning! Thanks for reading!

20 Hours of Professional Development: Part 2 Saddle Fitting

As a PATH Intl. Instructor, I am required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of Continuing Education each year. I have to submit an Instructor Compliance form to PATH Intl., listing my hours and what I did. As I completed my form this spring, I realized it's kind of a shame that the professional development compliance requirement is just a list. It seems like to take something away from these professional development experiences - and learn something - there should be a reflective component. So, over the next few blog entries, I'm going to reflect on my three biggest "take away points" from some of my own Continuing Ed experiences this past year.... 

5 Hours: Saddle Fitting

I was fortunate to attend two Saddle Fitting In-Services this year, one out in the Seattle area and one here in South Carolina. I learned so much from the generous professionals who gave these lectures/demonstrations (and took pages and pages of notes), so to sum up what I learned about the complex subject of saddle fitting in just 3 points is difficult!

However, since I've tasked myself with summing up the 3 main points I took away from these saddle fitting in-services, I will focus on the key messages that both professional imparted:

1. Everyone who rides, trains and works with horses in any discipline or capacity needs to stay aware of and be vigilant about saddle fit, which can constantly change as the horse is conditioned, gains or loses weight, ages, etc. It should become instinctual to think about the fit of the saddle: Horse bucking? Rearing? Refusing to go forward willingly? Seem grumpy? Girthy? Not standing still for mounting? All of these problems can stem from an uncomfortable tack fit and it's always important to eliminate this as the cause of negative behaviors! (I remember someone saying, asking a horse to go in a saddle that doesn't fit well is like asking a human to go hiking in uncomfortable high heels that pinch at the toe or to carry a heavy back pack with the edges of a book digging into your spine!)
2. If possible, it's always best to have a professional saddle fitter evaluate the tack, at least once or twice a year. In between visits with a trained professional, it's important to check that the saddle sits level, clears the withers and spine and fits/ is positioned to allow plenty of room for the shoulder to move. Those are just a few checkpoints to look out for on regular basis.
3. Finally, materials and condition matter! While it isn't necessarily important to have the most expensive, trendy saddle available, it is important to find out what your saddle is made of, and especially, what your saddle is flocked with (stuffed with). Wool is the best material for flocking and will provide the most comfortable ride for the horse. It's important that the saddles be re-flocked regularly and inspected for tears, wear and damage, especially when being used in a busy program environment where a saddle might have 20 or more rides a week. 

Saddle fitting can be intimidating to those of use who are not extensively trained in this vocation, but what I have learned from attending these two in-services is that even with some basic knowledge and training, it becomes much easier to develop an eye (and feel) for the differences between a really bad fit and a decent fit. A professional can then often help determine a decent fit and a really good fit. 

Another point that I found really interesting (and I know I promised just 3) is how important it is to actually see the tack in motion (while the horse is going on the lunge line and then being ridden) in order to make a final determination about whether a saddle fits well. In a really interesting demo at one of the in-services, we watched a mare get lunged with a saddle that didn't fit her (she stayed hallow and refused to round her back) and then switched the tack and saw her go in a saddle that did fit (she fairly quickly lowered her head, looked more relaxed, rounded her back a little and her tail started to swing gently).

In any case, attending these in-services has brought saddle fit to the forefront of my mind and it's something I now look at more carefully and with a more informed view!

Blogging from Bed

Yes, the title is provocative! But, for better or worse, this blog continues to just be about horses, teaching and the field of Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies. I am "blogging from bed" because for the past two weeks I've been fighting exhaustion, illness and mild depression. 

Symptoms of the End of Session Blues.

Most dedicated teachers I know have experienced this phenomenon... You come to the end of a school year, semester or program session. Your students have excelled. Your horses (if applicable) have inspired, taught, tolerated and performed beyond even your own expectations for them. You have provided grades, evaluations or even just the verbal "ringside" progress reports common in my field. Maybe you've gone to a horse show or hosted a demonstration - showing off all those great skills and accomplishments that your riders have worked so hard to achieve.

It's a wonderful, wonderful, BUSY time. 

And then it's over, suddenly and without much transition, and you are "on break." For me, this is when it always sets in - End of Session Blues. Often, the symptoms are a scratchy throat, leading to a full blown cold or flu. ("Great," I'll chastise myself, "You finally have some down time and now you are sick!!!") Sometimes, the symptom may include ennui - this deep boredom that cannot be permeated - the need to sit listlessly, watching endless Jane Austen movies or Golden Girls reruns while eating too many bags of microwave popcorn. Other times, there might be a pervasive restlessness (characterized by lack of concentration even for "comfort television"), the knowledge that there are lots of little things to attend to (blog entries to write, bills to pay, instructor annual compliance forms to complete) but utter lack of motivation to even start on any of them. There is sometimes even this weird guilt ("I have all this time now, shouldn't I be doing something???") Occasionally, there will be an emotional "fit" - crying over nothing, freaking out over small things and releasing the tension of that busy end-of-semester time (thankfully, neither my husband nor my dog tell tales).

So, am I overly neurotic? (Likely.) Or is this just the aftermath of a teaching job well done? I think it is probably a combination of the two, the letdown after the emotional high of coaching students on horseback towards achievements that surprise them, their loved ones and even me. It should be a time of reflection, professional development or rest, but for me "End of Session" is often a time of residual stress, a little sadness and physical exhaustion. This morning, though, I am "blogging from bed" - a good sign that the neurotic End of Session Blues are coming to an end... the return of productive energy and wellness, professional motivation and joy.

 

Hipsimo: Part II of Ride to Exercise or Exercise to Ride?

I received several interesting suggestions about exercise options for riders, but one of my favorite suggestions came from PATH Intl. Therapeutic Riding and Interactive Vaulting Instructor, Anja Cain. Anja shared her "Hipsimo" with me and, let me say, this is my kind of exercise!

Her what? Her Hipsimo!

Basically, a Hipsimo is "motion chair" that one can use to stretch hips and spine with deliberate exercises. Alternatively, one can just sit on it while working at a desk or watching TV and, because the round seat is "unstable," it requires the sitter to gently but constantly engage the core muscles to maintain balance. (Yes, I am working my abs even as I type this blog entry!)

And, no, this is not an infomercial for the Hipsimo. Though I am impressed with this very cool product, I think that one could probably attain many of these benefits from sitting on an inflatable balance ball while typing, chatting on the phone or watching TV. (Passive exercise - I love it!)

The Hipsimo was developed in Germany (name comes from Hips - In - Motion) and is used as an office chair, therapeutic tool and in training for sports, especially by equestrians. The point of sitting on the Hipsimo (as opposed to a regular chair) is to develop stable core muscles (abs and back), with flexible hip joints. This is exactly the exercise goal/ concept I wrote about last week (quoting equestrian/ Pilates instructor Janice Dulack).

The version that Anja has ("Hipsimo On the Go") can be placed on any flat surface and put to instant use. I set it on a chair and sat on it for about five minutes, stretching my hip joints down, from side to side, and from front to back (again similar to how you might on a balance ball). I stretched my shoulders, neck, upper spine and lower back and heard a lot of crunching and cracking. The balance challenge on a scale of 1 - 10 was probably about a 2 (again, my kind of exercise!). When I stood up to walk away, I stepped forward with my right hip and heard a crunching crack-pop in my lower back on the right side; stepped forward on the left and the same thing happened there.

I love the idea of incorporating the Hipsimo into my life, just sitting on it while working or using it for stretching before riding. (Anja keeps hers at the barn and has also used it as an unmounted tool for instructing riders in how to weight their seat bones evenly or find neutral spine.)

As I've thought about the concepts of core stability and hip flexibility this week, I have also found myself watching riders of all levels and abilities differently with these ideas in mind. If you think about it, this physical requirement for riding (stable core, flexible joints) is also a wonderful metaphor for emotional resiliency: the "core stability" to be true to one's self and purpose; the major "hip joint flexibility" needed to absorb and "go with" the forward impulsion and movement of one's life.

According to none other than the great Sally Swift (founder of Centered Riding): "Increased body awareness gives you a greater awareness of your inner self as well as your surroundings. Changing your [physical/riding] habits will cultivate an ability to make clearer choices: a balanced body permits a balanced state of mind.” I like the idea that what we learn about physical balance while riding can translate to a balanced mental state, expanding cognitive, emotional and even spiritual stability, flexibility and resiliency.