Back Again

Hey guys sorry it has been forever since I last wrote.  Things have started to get crazy busy for me.  But saying that I am going back to New Zealand for 3 weeks to visit the family and friends so there won't be many posts for a little while.  But I do promise a surprise for when I return so keep checking in.

I'll leave with you a link I was forwarded from a friend in NZ that made my day.  Apparently I'm still the cover girl for Mitavite International Horse Trial at KihiKihi.

http://www.teawamutu.net/eventing/photo.html

Check this out!!!

Stretching Your Horse
Level 1 – Basic Stretching

Key Burns, equine body worker hosts basic stretching for the equine athlete in March. Equine athletes of all disciplines benefit from stretching and it can be done in an easy and effective manner to support training, flexibility, and the aging process. Key’s appearances include Animal Planet’s Beverly Hills Vet and Show Circuit Magazine and she has been published in Holistic Horse Magazine. Her clients include equine and equestrian athletes from NY to VA. Level one is for individuals who desire a deeper relationship with their horse, an understanding of muscles, and how to stretch safely and easily with no injury.

In this workshop you will

♦ receive introduction and hands on work with basic stretching techniques;
♦ discover an easy to use daily stretch routine;
♦ develop understanding of stretching benefits for equine athletes; and
♦ keep your own back safe from injury.

Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009

Location: Windsor Farm, 120 West Patent Road, Bedford Hills, NY

Time: 9-12:30

Cost: $100
Registration by March 5, 2009.

Please bring water to drink, a bag lunch, notebook, pen or pencil, lunch, a photo of a pet or animal you would like to ask questions, and wear comfy clothes and sturdy shoes. Class is held rain, snow, or shine so please dress appropriately.

For more information please call 914-433-1505, or email key.burns@verizon.net

Stretching Your Equine Athlete
Level 2 – Developmental – Improving Flexibility

Key Burns, clinical massage therapist and equine body worker hosts developmental stretching for the equine athlete in April. Equine athletes of all disciplines benefit from stretching and it can be done in an easy and effective manner to support training, flexibility, and the competition process. Key’s appearances include Animal Planet’s Beverly Hills Vet and Show Circuit Magazine and she has been published in Holistic Horse Magazine. Her clients include equine and equestrian athletes in CA, and NY to VA. Level two is for individuals who have basic understanding of stretching, stretch reflex in muscles, and have experience with basic stretching. Developmental stretching is for riders and individuals seeking improved flexibility and strength in their equine friends.
In this workshop you will

♦ participate in hands on work with developmental stretching techniques;
♦ discuss individual issues to establish helpful personalized stretch routines;
♦ increase understanding of stretching benefits for equine athletes; and
♦ develop body mechanics for longer hold times and proper stretch techniques.

Date: Sunday, April 6, 2009
Location: Windsor Farm, 120 West Patent Road, Bedford Hills, NY
Time: 12:30-4
Cost: $100
Registration by March 29, 2009.

Please bring water to drink, a bag lunch, notebook, pen or pencil, lunch, a photo of a pet or animal you would like to ask questions, and wear comfy clothes and sturdy shoes. Class is held rain, snow, or shine so please dress appropriately.

For more information please call 914-433-1505, or email key.burns@verizon.net

The Winning Team

Hi again.  Well the talk at Dressage4kids went really well on Sunday.  All that time I spent preparing really paid off.  I spoke on "Are you ready to Rate" and went over the key factors in being proficient in your Rating.  I actually really enjoyed it and hope I can do it again.

Now onto a bit of profile of some of the kids I regularly work with in Honey Hollow Pony Club.

This was a very fun and exciting day for all.  Brita and I prepped the "Winning Team" at D-Rally this year. And when I mean winning team we cleaned up.  We had 3 teams competing at D-Rally and the girls came in first, second and third.  They worked really hard and had an amazing day. With the help of Molly they were really prepared for Stable Management and also being ready for a Rally in general and as a result Molly is actually speaking this weekend on how to be prepared for Rally.  Good for you Molly.  We had many mounted preps leading up to this focusing on all three phases.  We broke down what we had to work on.  Their dressage tests, having a safe but effective cross country and a clear show jumping round. And they pulled it off with nerves and all.  Brita and I got to coach the teams together on the day. They all really worked together as a team and it showed.  Very proud of you guys.  

Hi Guys sorry it has been a while.  I was asked a few weeks ago to speak at Dressage4kids Weekend Educational Program in Woodbury, CT, on Sunday so I've been focusing on that for the past few days.  I know I promised more profiles of my students which I'm getting to (I'm also waiting for some photos from some of them!! lol) but I'm also going to post some videos of me competing in New Zealand in the next few weeks so look for those too.

If you are in the area and want to come along to Dressage4kids Educational Program here is the link and a run down of the weekend. www.dressage4kids.com/educational_programs%20at%20Dressage4Kids%202008.htm 

and then click on 2009 Program Schedule.

Talk to you soon.

Profile of Students

Sorry I've been away guys but here is the promised post on some of my up and coming students. I'm going to start off today with profiling two of my students and add two each week thereafter.

Firstly, we have Molly on Mac. Molly is currently competing with Mac at Novice level with much success. Molly has her HB and is preparing to go for her C3 in the fall. Molly is a very competent and intelligent rider, with natural feel.  She used these skills to improve Mac's dressage in leaps and bounds and has him working in self carriage now with bigger paces. As her trainer I am very excited for the coming season.



Next we have Liz on Connor.  Liz has only been riding Connor for a short amount of time due to her talented mare Lady having soundness problems. But in less than a year Liz has been able to get her D3 rating, compete and win at pre-beginner novice and at her first beginner novice on Conner they were placed 2nd.  Liz has just received a scholarship to train with the Olympic rider Lyndon Gray, in conjunction with Dressage for kids. Very exciting times for these two.

Both Molly and Liz are members of Honey Hollow Pony Club who had a very noteworthy competition season. 

Internet Down

Hi Everyone.  We've just moved into a new place and we're still in the process of getting our internet hooked up, so posts will be slow over the next week.  But, in my next post I'm planning to profile a few of my students, their progress and follow their progress over the next few months.  So check back soon.

Taking Advantage of the Winter Cold

What a time to start this blog when riding wise everything is pretty quiet. But I thought I would start with how we can use this winter time to our advantage for the coming season.

I don't know about you guys but I really do not like the cold and if I don't have to be outside freezing, I will definitely choose to stay inside. Especially like today when it's 14 degrees out. Even in New Zealand where the worst I had to contend with was lots of rain or mud sometimes I still didn't want to go outside and ride in the winter. So if you're like me and you do not really like the cold or you don't have access to an indoor arena I've come up with a few things to keep you busy during these cold days when you don't or can't go outside and ride.

*This is a good time to work out the things that you want to achieve in the coming season. Write a list and be very specific. For example: I want to place in the top five at my first novice horse trial of the season. Now you have to think: How am I going to achieve this? Do I need more dressage lessons? Do I need to get to a XC course for some schooling? Or do we need to focus on our conditioning to make sure we are fit enough for this season. Break it down so each goal can become a reality.

* Read up on some good books that will help you get focused for the season. For example, working through your Horse Management for your rating you want to do. It doesn't all have to be about riding but something inspirational that helps to get you where you want to be.

* Watch some good dvds to get you fired up. I love watching Badminton or Burghley videos and it would get me all excited for the coming season. Also watching videos from previous seasons competitions, allows me to see the areas I am weaker on and need to work on during the winter.

* Put a fitness schedule together for the upcoming season. When you have an idea of when you can start to ride more regularly, write on a calendar what you would like to do each day to get your horse into peak performance. Remember; take your time. (As we get closer to warmer weather, I will post an outline of a fitness schedule I would have used, to get an idea).

* Use this extra time to give your horses a thorough groom and spend that extra bit of time with him/her, instead of when you are extra busy trying to get a good ride in.

* Most importantly have a break. Focus on things you love to do but don't get the time to, when you are focusing on the riding. It's really important to have that balance and that was what kept me sane with my intense riding schedule.


On a side note, due to the nature of this blog, I won't be doing daily posts especially now because it is so quiet, but more as things come up. But if you have any questions or comments please contact me because I will be regularly checking this and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. On that note have a great day.

Trot up at Puhuni

Puhuni CCI** Showjumping

Puhuni CCI** Billy

Dressage Phase at the Puhuni CCI** on Mr Darcy        (Billy)

Richfields CIC***

Puhuni CCI***

Puhuni CCI*** on Chats.

The fun water jump!!

This is me on Double J Chatsworth (Chats) at the World cup in 2005.

Welcome to my Blog!

Hi everyone, this is my new blog for event riders in the New York region. Ask me any questions you have about Event riding and general horse care. To find out more about me go to my bio page. Enjoy!