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Post by Kelly Marks on May 23, 2009 9:01:15 GMT 1
It would be good to have the feedback in one place if people don't mind. So far we have this from the first horse owner who woke at 6 am!
Just thought i had to post to say i went to the lecture demo at welly last night and really enjoyed it. it must of made an impression because i woke at 6am thinking about it and could not get back to sleep, so had to come down stairs to watch the DVD that i got with the dually halter that my OH doesn't know i bought last night.. i am now exited about trying it out on my horse today. I will hopefully be sending my horse to Ian's to finish being backed and only wish i could get time off work to do the foundation course.
Kelly, Rosie, Ian and the team, thanks again.
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Post by SarahW on May 23, 2009 10:13:23 GMT 1
I thought the demo last night was outstanding. Being behind the scenes, I know that there were a lot of last minute decisions to be made about the ridden session with pie and Caesar. It all came off beautifully. Pie looks like he is the master of the masterclass - so relaxed and serene.
Quick synopsis - beautiful coloured horse for starting. A Warmblood cross Cob called Rio. She seemed very chilled and accepting and could have lulled anyone into thinking she was fine about everything and into making a grave mistake. In fact she was quite worried about things on her right hand side and she did buck with the saddle on. Kelly and Rosie (who is so light and balanced over the horse even when she hasn't got her body in the saddle) used systematic desensitisation to calmly ask her to accept things on her right. The session was completed with Rosie quietly walking round the round pen on this lovely little horse. The session was so good that the horses in the field outside came to look through the window!
Next was the ridden session with snippets of information on topics as varied as how to ask your horse to walk fast and to canter slowly, how to encourage a horse to approach jumps with confidence and how to slow down a horse that rushes its fences. Caesar always introduced an element of comedy as he bucked Rosie off at the beginning when she was riding him naked (him naked not Rosie!!). Rosie gave us some great tips on how not to fall off - how does someone who is still only 23 get to being so confident on a microphone?
The next little horse was fascinating and educational. An ex-racehorse only six weeks out of racing, he was very fit and lean. His owners described how he wouldn't stand stil to be mounted and how they wanted to get some more weight on him. While Kelly did a finely tuned Join-Up with him, Ian explained how racehorses are always mounted on the move and asked to go straight away but not only that, this horse was over at the knee, and therefore conformationally programmed to keep moving forward. His owners confirmed that he was fidgety in the horsebox and just found it very difficult to stand still at all. Ian went on to explain about quick release and low release energy and how products containing molasses and barley can cause a horse to be high energy themselves. He pointed the owners at Simple Systems who were there with their trade stand. At the end of the Join-Up, during which the horse became much more connected, the horse stood quietly with Kelly.
The last horse was a non-loader and Kelly worked directly with the owner throughout this session to help her find pressure and release; her yes and her no. She asked her to turn her hand over so that it was a "motorbike hand" and to give the horse a "smile in the line" so that he could find the release. It's hard to stand back like this and not to take over but within no time the horse was loading for the owner time after time. I'm always grateful to owners like this who are prepared to be taught in front of a large audience as it means that we get to hear as well as see every detail.
I have recently been described as fiercely loyal to IH (I'm not sure it was intended as a compliment!) but demos like this just reinfoce this for me. Kelly does nothing but give, give, give - I know of no other trainer that is so generous with their information.
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Post by mandal on May 23, 2009 10:33:31 GMT 1
Great write up Sarah and I'm really pleased that an owner had the courage to be taught in a goldfish bowl so to speak... I think really explaining the fundamentals in detail is so important. I have recently been described as fiercely loyal to IH (I'm not sure it was intended as a compliment!) but demos like this just reinforce this for me. Kelly does nothing but give, give, give - I know of no other trainer that is so generous with their information. Me too and not in a complementary way either. I shall remain pro IH as long as it is changing horses and peoples lives for the better. I think many who have 'moved on' forget that it is the basics that underpin everything they do now that enables then to achieve more subtlety and a closer relationship with their horses. |
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Post by maggie555 on May 23, 2009 22:44:41 GMT 1
Saw it and loved it!
Kelly - you're a great entertainer! I expected the demo to be educational and interesting, but I didn't quite expect to be so well entertained.
It was great to see what Pie can do, but even greater to see what Rosie and Caesar can almost do. It showed the learning and training process (snuck a look over the gates before they opened), and makes me think that the average person actually stands a chance of getting there as well. Personally, I'm aiming for riding with an umbrella and a tarpaulin cape! (Good for rainy days, anyway.)
Thanks!
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Post by Kelly Marks on May 24, 2009 6:25:12 GMT 1
You guys are really very kind  In future I'll explain better that we're training Caesar as we go along - well actually the same with Pie, if anything comes up, we won't 'gloss over' them for the 'show' we'll show the audience how we need to improve things then and there. Rosie has done great practise with Caesar. She's often turned up at my place very early in the morning and I've looked out of my bedroom window and seen her stroking him with a muck sack or other strange object. There was only one thing we hadn't practised and that was clapping. So Caesar does this wonderful run in, positions himself at the mounting block for Rosie to get on, she's on with no saddle or bridle and I stupidly say to the audience 'that's the first time they've ever done that in a demo you know' and of course they clap much to Caesar's surprise. We've got it on film so we'll have to study it but I don't think he bucked so much as leapt up in the air in shock! Rosie was fine and towards the end of the session Caesar was fine with the clapping. I think his run in will be with a dually on next time so she can clip reins straight on (and I'll say nothing!) I was worried when Rosie and I were getting more technical that the audience were so quiet that they weren't enjoying themselves but I was assured they were just concentrating. As this week goes on I hope to get to see more of the presentations from the stall holders as they seemed good but I was too busy to listen to them properly! |
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Post by SarahW on May 24, 2009 9:30:21 GMT 1
Definitely a leap and not a buck thinking about it. Sheer exhuberance.
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Post by jen526 on May 24, 2009 20:36:47 GMT 1
Quite brilliant!, the first "Kelly Marks" demo I have been to and was luck enough to see it behind scenes with Sarah. Very impressed by the whole evening, excellent value for money. From the audience being involved in what they wanted to see most, the demo not only touched on some very common ridden problems, but from both spectrum's. In addition to this, the fact that Caesar was not expecting the audience to clap... for me it made the whole demo even more down to earth, much better than watching a whole group of riders doing circus tricks! In summary I feel the demo helped normal people with normal problems without any fancy showmanship or preaching. Sarah has done a lovely summary of which I could not agree more.
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Post by SarahW on May 25, 2009 15:04:43 GMT 1
From the horse's mouth (the bay one):  What a shame they only train painty ponies!! |
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Post by jakedog on May 25, 2009 19:21:00 GMT 1
Kelly, it was brilliant. I was thinking of helping out but pleased I didn't as there was so much to take in! And NO it was not too much. You managed to make it a entertaining show but shared so much information. I don't think people were quiet because they were "bored" but, like me, were afraid to clap incase we spooked a horse! Poor Rosie - I really felt for her and she rescued the situation so well and continued to show what a brilliant rider and horsewoman she is. Ceasar already looks like a real star. The tip for how to prepare yourself for a spook was VERY welcome and practiced the next day. I have shared it with everyone! Thank you for a great evening - its always feels like coming home seeing yourself, Rosie, Ian and Linda and of course the infamous Kitty!
P.S MANY congratulations for winning at Windsor - the you tube vid said everything
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yan
Grand Prix Poster
Intermediate Poster
Posts: 1,057
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Post by yan on May 25, 2009 23:39:15 GMT 1
LOl! SarahW that is so funny.X
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Post by Jenny A and Jigsaw on May 26, 2009 9:11:43 GMT 1
Hi Kelly - and Team Wow what a wonderful time I had on Friday. Sorry for the delay in feedback but sadly I have no laptop at home right now so have limited access to the DG  The demo was as always awesome - I found the explanations from both Rosie and Kelly on ridden techniques to be really helpful. Especially using your seat bones independently to get a smoother sitting trot and you could visibly see Caesar was more comfortable when Rosie did this. I took 4 friends with me who had never been to a demo before and who all have a wide variety of experience with horses (one of whom hasn't had lessons yet). All of them have come from very 'traditional' backgrounds but were keen to learn about non violent techniques (and probably help shut me up from talking IH day and night to them)!! Here's what one of my friends sent me bright and early on Saturday morning. I think this sums it up nicely  "Last night was great and really helpful. I would definitely like to learn more about IH. It's amazing how you can change a horses life by learning their language rather than expecting them to know ours, how ignorant we can be! I am really interested in the courses and want to learn more so that when I get my own horse I can give it a happy life and have that bond. I am so excited since I was a little girl I had a dream that I would have a bestfriend and not just to be an owner - I don't agree that anyone should own the horse. It was so nice to see that the horse chooses to be with you rather than made to. My dream doesn't seem so far away now, thank you. This has showed me that you don't have to follow others or tradition and dreams aren't silly - you should believe in yourself" Lovely isn't it! Oh and a BIG thank you to Katie to for making such a wonderful job of the posters - especially the one of Jigsaw and I - it made my year seeing her story plastered around Wellington ;D ;D |
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Post by Zoe RA on May 26, 2009 21:24:35 GMT 1
I'm slow in replying too, but that's because I have been oop North since Sat morning
Brill demo Kelly, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night at Brooksby, and Sat night at Plumpton!
Those horses where so funny weren't they Sarah?! The bay kept trotting off for a better view, and then turn to look at the grey as if to say "hey, come and look at it all from this angle!", and the grey would dutifully amble over to have a better look 
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Post by lmao on May 27, 2009 17:22:31 GMT 1
i went to york demo last night. i would like to say a massive thank you to all the IH team for a fantastic educational and extremely entertaining evening. ;D i can't wait for the next one. hopefully monty and everyone else will be coming to yorkshire again later in the year .hint hint p.s i think ian should have been in a pantomime donkey suit, although i don't how you would convince anyone to be the back legs lol. ;D |
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jebeth
Novice Poster
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Post by jebeth on May 28, 2009 15:07:01 GMT 1
We went to Wellington and really enjoyed it. Please get more technical! I expect we are all just listening intently.
We were particularly interested in the how to teach your horse to walk quickly bit. We have been practising moving buttocks as described and of course it does not work immediately for us........ Do we just keep trying and the horse (or little fat pony in our case) starts to get the idea or is there more to it? If that is a technical subject please can you blind us with science. I am sure we are not alone in being totally overwhelmed by Pie's fast walk!
J
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Post by Matthew E on May 28, 2009 16:48:20 GMT 1
Hi
We attended the York demo. It was good but it just felt that something was not quite right!
they just wasnt that sparkle!
It was great to see that the venue was full. It is good to know that Pie can even play up!
It was nice seeing you all again x
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In future I'll explain better that we're training Caesar as we go along - well actually the same with Pie, if anything comes up, we won't 'gloss over' them for the 'show' we'll show the audience how we need to improve things then and there.
