Emma Wakefield Dressage

Norfolk bookings for freelance on the 25th.

Who’s in??

I now have availability to take on new clients in the Norfolk area…

I am fortunate enough to have an amazing little group of regulars that I come up from Hertfordshire to teach every 3 weeks.
And now, due to a little change in my work schedule I can offer a few extra spaces on those weekends.

Sessions are based around 45 minutes and can be lessons, me riding for you, or a combination of the two.
It is your session to customise how you wish.

I cover areas from Downham Market, Ely, Kings Lynn, Wisbech, March, Spalding, Peterborough and lots of surrounding areas and places in between.

Please message me directly for any more information or to book.

*****MY NEXT VISIT TO THE AREA IS AUGUST THE 25th*****

Fair words from Carl…

‘We’ve got to put the horses first’: Carl Hester on the sport’s challenges – and the Charlotte Dujardin video British Olympic dressage rider Carl Hester has spoken about his former teammate Charlotte Dujardin following her suspension over a historic training video

My lovely Norfolk people….

I am back again on the 4th.
Message me for lessons…

Back in Norfolk for Freelance on the 23rd.
Please direct message me to book.
Details on previous poster.

Please message me privately to book - comment are not followed…

A late decision to do a photoshoot with my boy a few weeks back, to try and capture some pictures to do some Christmas edits… and I’m thrilled with the results!!

This is my very special boy Ace, who is 29 this year. Retired now, but loving life! 🥰

Thank you Katiie Lipton for the lovely pictures.

Unfortunately due to being quite unwell last weekend I had to cancel my Norfolk trip, and so I will now be coming back on the 24th of this month.
Please see previous poster for details, and message me to book. X

Areas covered are Ely, Chatteris, Peterborough, Kings Lynn, Spalding, Downham Market, Wisbech and March and areas in between.

Please message me privately if you wish to know if I can cover your area, or to book a space or to discuss lessons.

Sessions are based around 45 minutes.
These can be lessons, ridden sessions, or a mix of both.

Comments are not followed.

Last lesson of the day on Sunday, what a stunning image! ☺️
(Crouched in a puddle at the end of the arena trying to get a good shot!) 😂

So good to be back in the swing of things in Norfolk again!
Great to catch up with everybody and meet new horses too!

Next visit to the Norfolk area will be Sunday the 10th of March.
Please message me privately to book a slot… first come first served, as I am only offering Sundays for a little while. X

Please message me if you are interested and I haven’t listed your area, as I may be able to add you to my travel list….
Please also message me privately to book, or with any other questions. X

If you get 5 minutes then have a little read of this about training young horses.

“I don’t look for perfection, all I’m looking for is improvement” and I couldn’t agree more.
A lot of this goes into training any horse, not just a young horse.

‘Keep it fun and easy’: Charlotte Dujardin’s top 5 tips for developing young horses Charlotte Dujardin shares her young horse training tips, what to look for in a young horse and how to start their education sympathetically.

I will have availability in the new year to take on more teaching or riding…

Due to one of my twice weekly horses moving further afield, and me finally finding a better working balance to free up some time, I can now offer sessions in the week as well as some weekends.

Please message me privately if you would like any more details, or to chat through options.

Based in Hertford, but I do travel….

Not a clip I shall be offering anyone any time soon!!! 🤣🤣🤣

I am a little late in posting but wanted to do a congratulations post for my client and friend Nicki!

A few weeks ago she attended the BD Associated Championships at Bury Farm where she was competing in the Irish Draught classes.
I went along on both days to support, and warm Nicki up for her classes…

On day one she contested the Novice Championship, where she gained 69% to put herself in 3rd position overall, but became winner of the bronze section! 🥉

On day two she contested the Prelim Championship where she posted a 71% score to become not only Bronze Champion again but overall Champion this time too! 🥇

A very fitting end as this was to be their last ever Prelim test they ride together, as they will now be competing at Novice and Elementary.

I’m obviously dead chuffed, and a very proud trainer seeing her achieve these results.
But what made me more proud, was the way Nicki is now riding her tests… She is RIDING them instead of being a passenger that steers through the movements.
It was a joy to watch, and to see Nicki prepare every movement and make little adjustments throughout her test was everything!!
Always a pleasure to teach, and it was lovely to be a part of such a special weekend. 💕

——————————————-

Fast forward to last weekend….

And she went out to do a Novice and her first ever Elementry test and won them both!!!
First time gaining over 70% at Novice in a BD class, and then smashed the Ele with over 70% as well! 🏆🏆

Absolute superstars! Cannot wait to see what next year brings for this pair!! 😊

I’ve always advised going to write for a judge as well if you get the chance. It’s great to see things from that perspective…

HOW TO GET THE JUDGE ON YOUR SIDE!

People often wonder what they can do to improve their scores, and get the judges to look for reasons to give points, and not hand them reasons to take points away, as they strive to show their equine partners.

Here are a few.

Show your horse at a level that you and your horse are proficient.

It does not matter if it is a new show season. If you have not done the work to prepare for a higher level, do not enter classes above where your horse can do all of the requirements somewhat comfortably.

Prepare.

Grooming training and preparing take months of practice and the judge knows what a well turned out and prepared horse and rider look like. That means every thing. Groomed to perfection, tack clean and conditioned, clothing clean and appropriate.
You and your horse should be fit enough for the warm up and the class plus 10-15 extra minutes. Meaning you or your horse should not be “so tired” that you use the walk portion of the test to catch your breath. The whole test needs to be ridden to the best of your collective abilities.

Smile and have empathy.

For your horse, the judge and the other competitors. Be a good sport. Don’t hog the warmup. I was at regionals in a crowded warmup recently with a young horse and I was on the rail and a rider came straight towards me not leaving enough room as she flew towards us and passed left to left in a medium canter. But her whip hit my horse in the face causing him to jump out of the ring and then be apprehensive about oncoming traffic. Leave room and keep an eye for green horses or riders when at the show.

A smile and a composed face do a lot to let the judge know that you are there to present your horse. You are there as his friend and leader first and a competitor second. Judges appreciate riders who know how much they can ask of their horse in the ring.

Ride accurately

If you do not ride the test precisely the judge has to believe that either you cannot steer through a correct pattern or your horse does not steer correctly. Don’t lose those points. Perfect practice makes perfect. Video yourself as often as you can find a way to do so and fix the big, then small problems until they disappear. An accurate test with a well turned out horse and rider who has a good attitude and empathy for the horse will get noticed and rewarded.

Watch and learn.

When you have a chance, watch tests of those better than you or classes you hope to prepare for. Watch the warm up, the ride, and then go check out the score and see if it matches your thoughts. Train your eye so you are not surprised by your scores.

Be courteous

To everyone. Show management, other competitors, well just everyone. Congratulate folks that do well, and mean it.
Everyone is on their own journey even those in your class. You may not know what it took for someone to even get to show so…. Be courteous.

Have fun.

Make up your mind ahead of time to have fun showing. Become part of a group at the show so you have a team to cheer you on and help if needed. Ask a trainer you know if you can stable with them if no one from your barn is going. Make friends have fun!

In the long run it is all about you and your horse. You want him on your side, ready to work for you and feeling good about his job. When that happens you have already won.
Happy Centerlines!

Last chance for those wanting lessons in Norfolk this weekend.
I am looking for Monday bookings…

"I'm heartbroken... I just want the driver to come forward."

James said the rescue foals were on their way to start a new life in the countryside.

Read more here: https://bbc.in/3RXl9wy

How to take 10 years off!!! 🥰🥰🥰

We went to the Jessica von Bredow-Werndl demo today at the lovely Addington Equestrian hosted by Equestrian Management Agency
The event was really well run (and a great Christmas present from Judy Fw )

💫Wow wow wow 💫

Jessica is a European, World and Olympic champion, so we definitely had high hopes for her demo.
It is safe to say that the day exceeded all expectations, Jessica's passion and joyful approach shone through whilst working with very talented horses and riders.

I thought I might share a few of my key notes from the day (maybe not all 10 pages on my phone...)
Some of what Jessica said really resonated with me, some points were a refreshing reminder, and others took an entirely new angle/solution to things.

✅️The Young Horse - it's all about good experience, creating the happy athlete. Although at times it's easy to hang on with a young horse, lengthen the rein, slow down, praise the horse, and breathe.

✅️ Give them no reason to run away, give them a moment, and let them look around (especially mares!). Over excitment is a good thing, it shows the horse loves to move. It's better than kicking around trying to create energy. Allow the horse to gain self-confidence, give them space in the contact, don't fear mistakes. Don't suppress them in their natural energy. Influence their character in a positive way.

✅️Warm-up time should be as short as possible and as long as necessary. If teaching a new movement, teach it at the beginning of the session after the warm-up. They are more focused at that time.

✅️ Centre line then leg yield into shoulder in. This is Jessica's exercise for all horses as a warm-up. The leg yield helps relax the horse, and it allows you to get your leg on and wrap around the horse ready for communication.

✅️Don't always praise with hand. It can be a shake in mouth. Use voice for reassuring.

✅️ Walk breaks are super important. How do they give you everything if they don't get a break regularly. It also sets you up for competition, practising switching the horse on and off.

✅️Medium canter, use travers before collecting the canter to engage the inside hind leg within the canter. This helps with showing the horse HOW you want them to collect (e.g, hind leg under).

✅️When asking a question (e.g, canter balance), don't be afraid to let the horse make mistakes, make the correction, and carry on. Having a mistake is a learning process.

✅️Suppleness is found behind saddle, not in the neck.

✅️Only go as much forward as you can do without holding them in contact as young horses. Choose a tempo that you can give the rein. Let them find their own balance.

✅️If they have a joy to move, thats what a grand Prix horse needs.

✅️Long neck- short body. Younger horses need a slightly more lifted neck.

✅️Always feel responsible for the exercise, if it doesn't work, change it.

✅️It is easier to explain horses to 'jump' more under with the hid leg by SLOWING DOWN. Explaining HOW we want them to move (e.g hind leg under). Listen to the footfall of the hooves, if it's loud in front it is often an indication of an unbalanced way of going.

✅️Less is more!

✅️Look for the big picture when training, how should it look? what is needed to make it look like this? If you want to change something you have to do it consistently.

✅️Always train long line of half passes with shoulder in. It's the in and out that teaches them how to carry themselves.

✅️Travers through corners helps activate the hind end through the corner.

✅️The neck follows the ribcage. It's all about the ribcage.

✅️Warm up/cool down is an easy jog, not an expressive jog. It's a stretching out for the back. You must still want the hindleg from the first movement (e.g when you first move off). Don't let the horse run away from the hindlegs and then try and explain later that you want them on the hindlegs!

✅️Slow down!

✅️Tell them how great they are and they will become greater!

✅️Don't train extended trot- it happens when the balance in the collection is better.

✅️With the changes, ignore the mistakes, praise the correct ones. Riding a circle with changes on makes the horse supple and even both ways within the change. On the circle, move the body away from the direction of change to open the side of the body for the change.

✅️If the horse paddles out behind in piaffe, add the sideways. Piaffe in shoulder in and then out in shoulder in. Focus just on the transitions in and out, not the piaffe itself. It's ok to be tense in piaffe, stay in it, work through it, explain it! It's not stressful, use shoulder in. Sideways (shoulder in) is a door you open (a vent) to allow the energy to positively go somewhere. This helps the horses find the right solution. Piaffe from ground first is essential. Then ask for it sitting on the horse, but still with someone on ground.

✅️Get them infront of your seat!

✅️Don't focus on the horses weaknesses, look for their strengths and use them to improve the weaknesses.

✅️Within canter Pirouette, flex to outside to connect with the inside hind leg. Don't train whole pirouettes, train them HOW to use their body.

💫These are a few of my notes💫
I think it was very clear from the way Jessica presented herself, although she is world number 1, it is all about the journey training horses to Grand Prix.
To sign off Jessica wanted to remind us that...

It's great to have goals, big goals. But more importantly is the how...how we interact daily with horses, how we act with our horses as partners, how we train.
When you win a gold.. it's a few moments of a high. What stays with you is the journey, the horse who did everything for you. We want our horses to be excited and happy to see us, happy to move. This is what it's all about. It's about the love. The joy. Is about the journey and we are privileged to spend our time with them.

💫💫💫

Great trip last weekend for Norfolk teaching.
Lots of lessons taught, and some fabulous progress made since last time!! 🤗

Special thanks to Sue, (who hasn’t been able to have a lesson with me the past few visits) for putting me up for the night - we had a fabulous girly evening, lovely dinner, and a well overdue catch up!
I’m so lucky to call so many of my lovely clients genuine friends! 🥰

Date for my next visit will be Sunday the 8th of October and Monday the 9th.

Please message me directly as soon as you can if you would like a space.

I travel a fairly wide area around Norfolk and surrounding areas, so it is always worth pinging me a message to see if I can fit you in on my round trip on either day.

The photo on the left came up on my Facebook memories today….
The photo on the left was taken 11 years ago, with Ace aged 17!
And the photo on the right I took this morning, with Ace now aged 28!!!
I am obviously biased as I adore the bones of this horse, but I think he looks pretty damn good!! 🥰🥰

A fabulous time at Arena UK last weekend, for the ESUK Dressage Championship show…
I had 4 clients all competing in 2 classes, Nicki, Nicola, Sue and Jody - and so I went along to coach them all through their warm ups!

I feel like all of them were winners in their own right by being there and getting some really good scores between them!
And with all of them being on their own personal journeys through their dressage training, it was a really successful show.

Sue and Nicki however were actual class winners, with Sue winning one of her classes on the Friday night, and then Nicki winning her Novice class on the Saturday 4% clear of 2nd place.

It was a lovely show to be a part of, with all my clients being really supportive of each other and cheering them on through all of the prize givings!

I make sure I take my 2 way earpiece with me when I am training clients at a show, so as not to disturb anyone else warming up.
Thanks to Sue for putting me up on a little camp bed in the back of her lorry, as I had planned on just sleeping in my car! (Thats dedication for you!) 😉😂

Here’s a few pics of the show….
☺️☺️