Well it's been nearly a month since the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium (VISS) took place at the Richmond Oval and I'm finally free to write a bit about what happened and how it went! This was our fifth bi-annual event and each time it comes around it provides new adventures and opportunities for both its…
As with points of the horse, the nomenclature of the saddle and bridle varies from the obscure to the obvious. Item number 6 on the Horsemanship 1 test is: Identify simple parts of saddle and bridle Parts of the English Saddle and Bridle While it may seem a nuisance to memorize these terms, it is…
Read More... from On the Right Tack: parts of the saddle and bridle
Half a year in and we are loving our wonderful new facilities at Cornwall Ridge Farm! However, we realize not everyone can make it out to beautiful Langley BC to train with us in person. Which is why we are planning to start making some of our course content available online. I've got tonnes of…
Horsemanship Level 1: Grooming Grooming the horse is one of the most important skill sets a rider needs to have. It allows you to check your horse for injuries, helps increase the circulation to his skin and muscles, prevents chafing from dirt under the tack, improves his appearance, and provides valuable bonding time. As you…
As the weather improves and the end of the school year gets closer you may be looking for ways to get your kids out and moving. Here are ten great reasons to enroll them in riding lessons. Physical exercise. Riding, grooming, mucking out stalls, and hauling bales of hay is hard work! Your child will…
Horsemanship Level 1: The Quick Release Knot The quick release knot is item #4 on your Horsemanship Level 1 checklist. There are several methods of tying a quick release knot, and your instructor will teach you the most simple way. For your assessment we don’t mind which one you use as long as it tightens…
Horsemanship Level 1: Leading a Horse Having caught and haltered your horse, the next step is: Lead horse out of stall or paddock, lead at the walk There is a surprising lack of good videos on this very simple topic. The best I found was this: The handler in this video is careful to walk…
The second in the Horsemanship Level 1 series covers the dos and don'ts of catching a horse.
It's been about seven years since the first Horsemanship Level 1 blogs, so its time for an update. Even if you already have your Horsemanship 1 it is worthwhile reviewing this material, as subsequent levels are all built upon this foundation. The first item on the Level 1 checklist is: identify colour, near and off side, and twenty simple parts of the horse.
Read More... from Off side! Navigating your way around a horse
I love having the opportunity to step into the classes of other HEMA instructors as well as classes offered by my own students. It can be a tremendous opportunity to be opened to new skills and new teaching approaches. However it can sometimes be a tricky thing, especially if you're a more senior practitioner. Here…
Whether you dream of being an Amazon warrior, a knight in shining armour, or swift horse archer of the Steppes, we have a program to help you scratch that itch through Academie Duello's Mounted Combat program at Cornwall Ridge Farm.
Read More... from Shoot an Arrow, Swing a Sword ... from Horseback!
We were all newbies once. We were all the person who worried that our lack of skill was holding others back in their practice. And in some cases maybe we did. It is difficult to manage levels of challenge within a mixed level group. The needs of the experienced practitioner and those of the newcomer are quite…
Read More... from Getting the Most from Mixed Experience Levels
The idea of pursuing personal excellence is great, but functionally how do you do it? I've written about beating the boredom of repetitive drilling, and promoting an excellence mindset. Yet when you get the opportunity to really up the quality of what you're doing, where do you focus? Below is a piece of guidance material I…