Category Archives: Training/Clinics

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you think they will. The disappointment can be tough to deal with. When I first heard I was moving to America, I thought I’d be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade someday. But instead I’m headed to another dressage show. I could be upset, but it wouldn’t help. I just have to find a way to let go of my previous expectations, and find my joy in where I am right now.

Have you ever spent a lot of time and effort working on something that didn’t pan out the way you thought it would? Hurts, doesn’t it? But that’s just part of life. We can plan, direct, effort, and push, and still not end up where we thought we should. So what do you do about it?

There is a time for wallowing in the disappointment and allowing yourself to feel the feelings. Let them be. No matter how much it hurts, let the feelings come. Don’t resist. Give the feelings a chance to be expressed and released. But also, don’t stay there. Look at the elements of what you were trying to achieve, and then make a new plan.

What are the basic elements of what you wanted? For me it was the excitement of the big crowds of people watching me march down the street. I wanted to feel the appreciation of the public as I strutted between the tall buildings showing off my high step and shiny coat. I wanted to feel adored. I wanted to be famous. I wanted my family in Holland to see me on TV so they would be proud of me.

Getting down to the most basic element, I realized that I truly wanted was to be loved and appreciated. I get that from Jane, Rhett, and Indy every day. So, while I may be appreciated as a competitor in the show ring and not the public streets of New York, I do get appreciated. So my deepest desire has actually been fulfilled! Acknowledging that made me feel so much better.

What deep desires do you have that have already been fulfilled? Can you appreciate those today? Let yourself be grateful for what you’ve already received, and make a new plan from that place. Starting from a place of gratitude, your next goal will have a running start!

Say, will you come to the dressage show and cheer for me? I just love an adoring crowd!

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Honesty is an interesting concept. Most of us horses are truly honest. We don’t know how to be any other way. But people, well, not so much.

Most people believe they are honest. But often humans are simply justifying their behavior and calling it honesty. If they really looked at what was going on, they’d probably realize they were either manipulating a situation to their advantage, or ignoring the truth of their behavior.

Are you honest? I’ll bet you are, at least most of the time. Sometimes not being honest is the kindest thing… like when your grandmother asks if you like her mince pie, but you really don’t. You don’t want to hurt feelings. So, when is honesty the best policy and when is it a matter of violating values and honor? That’s a tough question that I don’t have an answer to. But perhaps just asking the question will stir the kind of thought that’s helpful.

Do you appreciate honesty? Are you a good example for your children, friends, co-workers? A reputation is an easy thing to damage, so use your good sense of honesty well.

I’m honestly hungry! Will you bring me a carrot or two? Jane’s out of town and I want my treat!

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Responsibility. It’s a big part of life. Jane tells her students that their horses should be responsible for their own gaits. They shouldn’t repeatedly ask or nag at their horses, or they’ll just get tuned out and ignored. She says your horse should respond to the first request, and should maintain his or her gait until asked to do something else.

It’s pretty easy for me to get lazy about being responsible for my job. How about you? Have you ever avoided doing those things you know you should be doing? Perhaps it was because you became lazy, or because no one seemed to care one way or another if you got it done? This tendency is why we have leaders or bosses. We often need someone to keep us on track.

A good leader or boss is someone who inspires you to do your best without nagging or shaming. Good leaders find ways to help their subordinates feel important and valued. A poor leader uses punishment or embarrassment to force compliance. A good leader creates a desire to do well. A poor leader makes people unhappy, and is often looking for replacements when subordinates leave or quit.

Which kind of leader are you for your horse? Do you intentionally create desire to be good, or do you inspire fear of doing poorly? What kind of leader are you with other people? Are you an uplifter or a tear downer?

I’m so glad my person is an uplifter! Jane makes me want to be the best I can be. She makes me feel good about myself. There’s nothing more important than that. I’d do anything for Jane because it feels so good to please her. She makes me feel good about ME.

How about you? Do people feel good when they’re around you? Remember, molasses horse cookies catch more flies than vinegar!

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Dressage, Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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I had trouble sleeping last night. I’m about to start the new show season, and I started fretting about being ready. Now that I’m showing at Grand Prix, I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep up with the up and coming younger horses. Then I realized that I had put my negative musings into a future that’s not here yet. I always pride myself at being in the present, and realized I was not doing that. I was projecting negative thoughts into my own future. I had to stop!

Awareness is the first step to changing something. Once I became aware that I was projecting negative thinking, I could stop and change where I put my intention. I decided to visualize a better future. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and created a movie in my mind of the perfect Grand Prix test with Jane. I went through the whole thing, with perfect pirouettes and perfect one-tempis, and with a satisfying pat on the neck from Jane at the end. I saw the judge write down lots of sevens and eights, and even a few nines on the test sheet. In my mind I saw the final score being written by the judge, and felt the excitement of receiving the best scores of my life!

Changing your mental focus is not hard, but you have to decide to do it. You have to put the mental energy into changing what you’re thinking about. You have to create the images you WANT, not ponder on what you don’t want. That takes some focus and discipline.

What would be your best outcome for today? What could you focus on to give energy to that? Give it a try, and see what happens! You may be in for a surprise!

Once I gave a little bit of mental time to what I do want, I went right to sleep. Now I’m rested and ready to go! When is the first show? I want to earn that terrific score!

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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There’s a whole lot that goes on in this world that we never hear about. Some of it is bad, but a lot of it is good. If you could measure the bad against the good, you’d find that the good stuff far outweighs the bad stuff. How do I know? As a horse, I’m very connected to the energy of the planet. I can feel what’s going on because I am totally present. I spend little or no time in the past or future, I’m just NOW. And I can feel the positive pulse of the earth. Well-being abounds!

What if well-being isn’t showing up in YOUR life as much as you like? Then I’d ask, what are you thinking about? Where are you putting your mental energy? Are you looking for the things that are WRONG in your world, or are you looking for the things that are RIGHT? Which is it? You get MORE of whatever you put your energy into. So if things are bad, well… Think about that! Just for today, look for something that is great about you or your most pressing situation. Then spend some time feeling the wonderful feelings that thought brings to you.

I’m basking in the Florida sunshine today. It feels so good on my sleek black coat. It warms my muscles and makes me want to nap. I love the sun and the soft breeze caressing my skin. I’m looking forward to Jane showing up for our ride. It’s a great day. Are you going riding today? If it’s too cold and snowy where you are, at least take your friend a carrot. Your horse misses your voice and your soft, loving touch! It will make you both feel good to spend some time together.

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Training/Clinics

USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Session Hosted at TIEC

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Photo credit ©TIEC.

Mill Spring, NC – August 5, 2019 – Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort welcomed 24 athletes participating in the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Session presented by the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund, hosted July 29 – August 2. Participants spent five days receiving mounted instruction from clinician Jeff Cook that focused on flatwork, gymnastics, related distances, and course work, in addition to receiving coaching on grooming, horsemanship skills, and barn management from Veterinary Technician and Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner, Anne Thornbury.

“The purpose of this program is to open eyes and open doors,” stated Thornbury, who has been sharing her wealth of knowledge and expertise with EAP participants since 2012. “It [EAP] opens the kids’ eyes to all the things they need to learn about being horsemen and all the opportunities there are besides just riding in the horse industry.”

Thornbury went on to explain the difference between a rider and a horseman, something she stresses to her students: “Riders might be able to find distances on a horse that’s correctly prepared, but not know one thing about what it ate, what it drank, what was its mood… [but] horsemen want to know everything there is to know about their horse. If you want to be the whole package, a really good rider has to know their own horses. It’s all about the horse. The horse always comes first, no matter what. Their safety and care come before what those kids want to do. I hope that their takeaway is that no matter what, the horse’s comforts are met before their own, and that they appreciate everything their horse does for them. You can’t do it without them.”

Cook focused on improving the riders’ basics and fundamentals this week. “Hopefully with the aids and their position improving, they can do things in such a way that things just happen easier and are a lot more enjoyable for horse and rider.”

Cook continued, “You don’t stay the same. You either get better or worse, and as long as you’re at it [riding], you have to keep trying to learn. For example, there was a moment in that last session where a student lengthened the rein a little and [I really noticed] the difference in the horse’s back legs. We’re always looking to learn.”

Although some participants enter the program just for the experience, many have professional aspirations and hope that the program will open doors to new opportunities and serve as a pathway to success. “Those kids [who want to be professionals] can come to us and we’ll mentor them and find places for them to go,” Thornbury continued, naming several top professionals who were EAP graduates, such as Jacob Pope and Carly Williams. “For kids that want to make something out of riding, it’s a great step up for them,” Thornbury emphasized.

To learn more about the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program, visit USHJA.org.

Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Who are you? Who are you, REALLY?

Being who you really are is not an easy task. I’m a Friesian, born in Holland, and imported to the USA. I’m different from most horses in that I have feathered legs. Some of the horses at the barn tease me about it, calling me an old work horse. It used to bother me, but then I heard Jane say something really important…

Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.

When I was a youngster, I hoped that Jane would shave off my feathers so I would fit in with all the warmbloods at my barn. I’d hide my legs behind the low bushes or stand behind the water trough when new horses came in. I didn’t want them to see that I was “different.”

As I matured, I realized that being different was actually the norm. Everyone has something that’s a little out of the ordinary. It was silly for me to be shy about other horses seeing my feathers. So, I made a conscious decision to accept myself for who and what I am. I decided to show off my hairy legs instead of hide them. And you know what? It didn’t change how my friends thought of me one bit. And they’re the ones that matter to me.

Is there something about you that’s a little different from most people? Does it bother you? I know it can be really hard, but if you have it in you change how you think, spend a little time examining and embracing the very thing that you don’t like about yourself. You may find that it’s the resistance to what IS that makes you unhappy. If you can let go of the resistance, you let go of the struggle. And then you’re free.

Once I decided to enjoy my feathers and really show them off, I found that many of the horses in the barn really didn’t care one way or another that I was a little bit different. Some even liked my flashy legs. I learned that regardless of what I look like, my friends love me for what’s in my heart, not on my legs.

So, if you’d like to be happier, just remember to be good in your heart. Let go of any judgement of how you look or how you might be different. Embracing who you ARE, right NOW, is the fastest way to a satisfying and happy life.

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Two brains. That’s right, I have two brains. So do you. The difference is, you have a bundle of nerves called the corpus callosum between the two halves of your brain that lets the sides chat. My brain doesn’t have that. It’s true that my brain, or brains, have a very difficult time talking to each other.

For a horse, this means I have to be trained to do things from both sides. What might be easy for me to understand through my left eye, may be difficult to understand through my right eye. It’s a pain, but it’s the price I pay for having eyes on the sides of my head like a prey animal.

Humans can have binocular vision, so you can see things with both sides of your brain. That means your left-brain hemisphere, the logical, linear, thinking side, can analyze things and explain them to the right, more artistic, big picture, emotional side. That corpus callosum is very handy, as long as it’s working.

When humans are under extreme stress, the corpus callosum shuts down. Communication stops. That means you could get stuck in responding to the situation from only one side of your brain. If it’s the logical side, you’ll probably analyze the situation and handle it without emotion. If it’s the emotional side that takes over, you may find yourself hysterical or locked up and frozen. Speech is located in the left, logical side, and if the emotional side takes over, that’s why you get tongue-tied if you get upset. Have you noticed that when you’re stressed and can’t think of what to say, but then calm down and the corpus callosum starts working again, suddenly the perfect words for that snappy comeback show up in your mind? Frustrating, isn’t it!

If you have a plan to handle a situation, you’ll strongly trend toward the logical side of your brain, where plans and analyzing resides. That’s why it is so helpful to have a PLAN before you get in that stressful position.

Do you have a plan? What situations might show up in your life where a plan would be of value? I suggest you make that plan NOW, while you’re relaxed and both sides of your brain are functioning together!

I have a plan to move to higher ground behind the barn the next time we have a flood. I’m not worried because I know how to get there. I’ve looked at the route with both eyes, so both halves of my brain know the way.

How about you? Do you know the way?

Love, Your Friend, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com

Dressage, Hunter/Equitation, Training/Clinics, Western/Reining

Albion College to Host CPI Spotlight for College-Bound Equestrian Students

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Photo courtesy of Albion College.

ALBION, Mich. – June 25, 2019 – For college-bound equestrians exploring a world-class liberal arts education, the College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) will produce a CPI Spotlight event Sept. 27-29 at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. The event will combine campus tours and hunter seat equestrian activities. It will be an opportunity for prospective students to experience Albion College firsthand.

Albion College was named one of The Wall Street Journal‘s “Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges.” With 49 majors, concentrations and pre-professional programs, Albion gives students the flexibility to forge their own paths while gaining an understanding of the world. Albion College offers varsity competition in Western and hunter seat and dressage competition on the Albion dressage club team at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center. Riders at Albion College come from all backgrounds and regions of the country.

“Albion College student-equestrians get a broad-based education in our classrooms and equally broad-based lessons in horsemanship and riding at the Held Center,” said Randi Heathman, Albion equestrian recruitment coordinator. “The result of this education can be seen in our many successful alumni, who graduate with problem-solving and leadership skills that serve them in a variety of career fields.”

Apply now for CPI spotlight at Albion College.

The varsity equestrian competition experience at Albion is not limited to experienced riders. Albion welcomes men and women whether they are experienced equestrians or are interested in learning to ride.

The weekend will provide student athletes information about Albion College’s many liberal arts academic programs. An admissions representative will be available for questions.

In addition to a student-led campus tour, students will experience the Albion College riding program and the opportunity to ride three times. A riding lesson Saturday kicks off the weekend. A short clinic is scheduled for Sunday morning and a mock collegiate-format horse show will be held Sunday afternoon. The event will provide students with a taste of what it is like to catch ride. Participants will ride Albion College horses and they will work with the coaches.

At the barn, attendees will learn additional horsemanship skills with Albion College students and coaches. Topics will include basic care such as grooming, wrapping, points of the horse, and parts of the saddle and bridle and more.

For more information, go to collegeprepinvitational.com.

Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi, by Jane Savoie

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Photo by Liz Ritz Photography.

A terrible thing happened today, and I’m really struggling to get over it. There was a loud hissing sound that hit my nervous system with a scream that said “RATTLE SNAKE!” I was so startled, I jumped sideways really hard and fast, and unseated Jane! Her off balance body clinging to my side triggered “MOUNTAIN LION!” in my brain. So, I bucked. Not just a little – I bucked from one end of the arena to the other until I shook off the “Killer Lion!”

But that lion was actually my best friend, Jane. I dumped her! In the dirt! I bucked her off! I’m so upset! Jane and I have been best friends for ten years! I’ve never bucked her or anyone else off. NEVER! Not even once.

Fortunately, Jane was not seriously hurt. She’s a bit banged up, but no broken bones. Of course, she was wearing her helmet. She ALWAYS wears her helmet. Thank goodness! I would never have intentionally hurt her, but I could have anyway just reacting like a normal horse!

No one has ever come off me before, and it freaked me out. I was wide-eyed for twenty minutes. But I’m not going to let this ruin my time with Jane. I’m going to look at this with clear thought, do some EFT meridian tapping to release the energy pathway that my neurons created during this fear episode, and move on.

Jane understands that I was acting out of instinct, not maliciousness. Still we both feel really bad about it. We have to just have to make sure that we FEEL our feelings, do the techniques we know to release the energy of the past, and move on.

Have you ever been bucked off? No fun, is it? I hope you always wear your helmet! Even your quietest, most trusted friend is still a big powerful horse. And he could do a normal horse thing and accidentally hurt you. Even if you only get bucked off once every ten years, like Jane just did, you never know if today’s ride is going to be the one. Put on your helmet! EVERY ride!

Love, Moshi

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602
Jane’s Website
DressageMentor.com