Willpower is not enough Any plan that depends on willpower for success is doomed. Success in anything is largely based on rhythm and the ability to take gradual and reliable steps toward your goal. Crunching away at the 10,000 hours of mastery required to become excellent at a skill is not going to come from a…
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Online registration closes today for Carosella! As our major event for the year, Carosella is your last (and sometimes only) chance to participate in some workshops and events in 2016, including: Intro to Mounted Combat Horseback Archery Classical Riding Clinics (only 1 space left!) Prix Fiore workshop Bandaging & Equine First Aid Clinics Ballet at the Barn Grooms'…
Training is at least 50% mental and 50% physical. If you’re truly down-and-out sick, then just let yourself be sick. No sense resisting the sleep you need and prolonging the pain. But if you’re just out with the sniffles, or you have an injury that prevents you from physically training, then here are some things you…
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Carosella 2016, our full three-day symposium of mounted combat, horseback archery, skill-at-arms, and horsemanship, is coming up fast. This once-a-year event is an unparallelled chance to immerse yourself in these ancient arts. Whether you're an experienced rider and martial artist, or completely new to it all, there is plenty to engage you all weekend. If…
More Ephemera from Europe More strange, wonderful, and weird horsey finds from my travels around Europe. Back to regular blogging next week! -- Jen The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History - Brussels Walking into the this museum in Brussels, you'd think Belgian military history began with Napoleon (Major Wes, this one's…
"The difference between an advanced action and a simple action is that an advanced action is a simple action done very, very well." A student and colleague of mine reminded me of this quote recently. I very much enjoy its sentiment every time I’m exposed to it. It reminds me of how much of my…
Read More... from Four Strategies to Combat Technique Repetition Boredom
A good teacher doesn’t just impart information to their students, they empower their students to be excellent learners. In my classes, I’m thinking not just about how I can increase my students' ability with a given technique in that moment, but what I can give them that will help them meaningfully practice, implement, and build…
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Ephemera from the Old Countries No formal blog post this week since I'm on holiday, but here are a few horsey things of interest from the UK and Germany. -- Jen The Suffolk Punch Trust Dover Castle British Museum Early European Collection Brabants at the Belgian border Upcoming Classes Riding & Horsemanship Classes Get…
Swinging a steel sword at someone, even a blunted one, seems risky. That's because it is. How do we manage to practice an art that is traditionally deadly in a way that allows us to keep practicing it -- often rigorously -- for a long time? There are three primary ways that we mitigate risks…
A study group is a group of peers devoted to helping each other get better in a particular martial practice. If you don’t have an experienced and savvy instructor in your area, or you want to pursue learning something that is not offered by your group or school, or you simply want to get in…
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Registration for Carosella 2016 will be open in a matter of days! This year we have new workshops and demos including Garrocha, Natural Horsemanship, and an all-Canadian Horse Drill Team, as well as Horseback Archery, Mounted Sparring, Classical Riding, Mounted Games, and our exciting Sunday tournament! Now it's time to answer some of those frequently…
Training on your own and you can’t get that move right? Do it again. In class and you fail at a technique? Ask your partner to give you their part again. Sparring with a peer and they get around your defence? Ask them to back up and do it again. Do it again until you fully…
Horsemanship Level 4: Saddlery pt II For Level 4 Horsemanship you will need to be able to fit not just your own tack, but other common parts of saddlery as well. This week we'll consider nosebands. Why a noseband? The variety of nosebands used today is a relatively modern invention. Mediaeval and early modern riders…
For many years I have kept a training journal. This is a log book of personal practice goals, training plans, progress toward those goals, and a ticker tape of general thoughts, comments, struggles, and successes. At its simplest, the journal is a way of keeping my training front-of-mind and it helps me keep continuity from…
Horsemanship Level 4: Saddlery pt I The final checklist item for Horsemanship 4 is: 10. Saddlery. Fit and care of own tack. Identify & fit nosebands, girths & common tack. Put on & remove a blanket. Once more, this is a large topic that we'll break down into several posts, looking at saddle fitting this…
Canoeing is one of the first physical activities I remember being captured by. I love the water, and there was something powerful and graceful about navigating a craft with a simple flat piece of wood through the chaotic eddies and currents of a river or inlet. This interest may never have taken hold if it…
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Horsemanship Level 4: Vet & First Aid pt III Last week for this topic we looked at discerning emergency versus non-emergency ailments of the horse. This week we'll cover treatments of some minor illnesses and injuries. Thrush Thrush is a foul-smelling infection that occurs in the grooves (sulci) of the hoof on either side of…
Practising does not always mean "working on". It’s important to give yourself time with the passions and skills in your life to just simply indulge in the activity. It's vital to allow yourself on occasion to indulge in pure enjoyment. This helps you remember why you do this thing in the first place, and can…
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