Second Midwest Equitation Science Clinic with Kate Fenner Kandoo Equine: Using Science in the Saddle

8/24/2019  −   8/25/2019

Open: 3/20/2019

Close: 8/14/2019

Late entries allowed until 8/22/2019

Alliance Equestrian Center

2400 N. County Road 725 W,

Yorktown (Muncie), IN, 47396

Required Docs

"allison waiver.docx"

ATTEND/AUDIT CLOSED

Kate Fenner knows, and she teaches you, how horses learn and how to use this knowledge to systematically and humanely communicate - clearly, easily, and effectively - with your horse when you 1) ride, 2) train new behavior on the ground or in the saddle or 3) retain your horse to improve your horse's responses and way of going. The methods are very EMPOWERING for riders and horses of all levels, ages, stages and disciplines. The training is immediately effective, and participants will see continuing improvements in their horse's calmness, ways of going and responsiveness over each clinic day. Participants also see how ridding and training, based on how horses learn produces a calmer, lighter, better going, and more obedient, confident, and safer horse.

The clinic starts with a presentation and demonstration on equitation science and how horses learn, followed by group work, of up to ten riders ( ground work-only participants are also welcome to participate, teaching their horses from the ground). In the presentation, participants learn how to break down what the horse needs to learn into its simplest components and then to present these to the horse in manageable parts both when teaching the horse on the ground or in the saddle. The result is a horse that engages with learning, is relaxed and willing and always eager to learn more. The group work will follow after the presentation. In the morning of the first day, participants focus first on getting relaxation, focus, frame and softness working with our horses on the ground and then they move that work to the saddle in the afternoon and on the following day.

The learning is suitable for all levels of horse-rider combinations. The participants with more advanced horses and/or who are more advanced riders will learn to perform the manoeuvres taught in all gaits. A good spread of experience is useful in the Equitation Science clinic situation as it gives all participants the opportunity to learn how riding and training, based just on how horses learn, greatly improves a rider's ability and horse's performance at any level. (Riders of school horses and their favorite school horse can also benefit from participating by improving the rider's ability to communicate more clearly with their favorite horse.) The training is transferable and useful with any horse the rider may ever ride.

During the group work, Kate works with each participant to assess what their horse's exact learning needs are, and helps the participant see how to teach the horse by breaking down what it needs to learn into its smallest components. Kate also helps participants perfect their skills at pressure-release needed to mark correct responses and to correctly teach horses desired behaviors, on the ground and in the saddle .

As a result, participants learn not only WHAT to do to teach and communicate with a horse in training on the ground and when riding or training from the saddle, but WHY it works. The rider also takes home the knowledge of HOW the improvements and changes have taken place and also the skill to keep improving, and also improve any of their horse’s other responses, after the clinic. This way of riding and teaching horses will also work with any horse the rider will ever ride in the future.

Kate Fenner is an international coach (Equestrian Australia, British Horse Society, and the North American Western Dressage Association Pro), a horse trainer (John and Josh Lyons Certified Trainer) and an Equitation and Equine Scientist (BEqSc (Hons), Charles Sturt University, PhD candidate (University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, horse and rider training and welfare). As a rider, she has won and competed in dressage, show-jumping and polo to the Rolex International level in Singapore, and successfully competed in Western, Dressage, Showing and jumping in Australia, the USA and UK.

Kate is one of the few coaches in the world extensively trained by the world’s leading equine clinical neuroscientists, behaviorists and ethologists, Dr. Andrew McLean (founder of the Australian Equine Behavior Center – www.aebc.com.au) and Dr. Paul McGreevy, co-authors of the first science-based horse training and riding textbook: "Equitation Science". (Kate is the author with Dr. McGreevy of the world-famous Noseband Tightness Study that is currently changing practice in many disciplines in many countries.)

Kate has not only been invited to judge both in Western and English classes at numerous Agricultural Shows in Australia, her scientific work has affected judging practices world-wide. For example, The North American Western Dressage Association says of Kate Fenner: “Her articles and work have been quoted often in NAWD forum and NAWD judge discussions. The research done by her team, and the resulting articles, have been eye openers to much of the horse training community.” And also you “will recognize many [of her publications below] from the resulting stir they caused in the dressage communities, both Western and Traditional.” (https://www.northamericanwesterndressage.com/trainers/prokatefenner/)

Scientific Articles by Kate Fenner

• Effects of rein tension on the behavior and physiology of horses during a standardized learning task. Fenner K, Web H, Starling M, Freire R, Buckley P and McGreevy, PD (2017) PLoS One. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174313

• The effect of noseband tightening on horses’ behaviour, eye temperature and cardiac responses. Fenner K, Yoon S, White P, Starling M and McGreevy, PD (2016) PLoS One. 11(5):e0154179. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154179

• Cutting to the chase: How round-pen, lunging and high-speed liberty work may compromise horse welfare. Fenner K, McLean A and McGreevy PD (2018)
(Accepted by the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, December 2017)

• “A good mare is hard to beat”: The anthropomorphic application of human-based gender stereotypes to animals Dashper K, Fenner K, Hyde M, Probyn-Rapsey F, Casper G, Henshall C and McGreevy PD (2018). In Press: Anthrozoos

The Australia Broadcasting Corporation even reported on the Noseband Tightness Study:
• Appeared on ABC Lateline, 2016 (https://youtu.be/K8Kq_rUKFm0)

Recent magazine articles (Horses & People Magazine)

The engagement zone – March 2017
Hips to the fence for safe mounting – April 2017
10 easy steps to Trailer loading – May 2017
The ‘head down’ lesson made easy – June 2017
Learning to give part 1: From the ground – July 2017
Learning to give part 2: From the saddle – August 2017
Long-reining part 1: Preparation through education – October 2017
Long-reining part 2: An alternative to lunging – November 2017
The confident rider – December 2017
The confident horse – January 2018