LD Equine

Saddle fit is so very important and can be pretty tricky with some horses. I love this fitting challenge breakdown !

Sunday Fun-Day! Building confidence with this handsome and very athletic boy!. As you can see he was a tad worried about having his feet touch the tarp... By giving him time though and encouraging his curiosity, he will become braver and more prepared for so many situations. Dont engage a fight - engage that curious brain and make it a conversation that improves your relationship instead of eroding it Kelly Vassiliadis he is lucky to have found you! Thanks for the pics Robin Duncan Photography

I have a lesson spot available Friday August 28th between shawnigan and Nanaimo message me if you are interested !

Buggsy has had about 30 rides now and we have gotten pretty bored of our small pasture - we were waiting at the gate for the hay to come off this big field! 30 rides, but so much foundation on the ground along with it. Thanks to Nana (Robin Duncan Photography) and her assistant Georgia for the pics

Ready for the Parade (just kidding, there is no parade) #horsemanship #flag #coltstart #cowichanvalleyhorse

Sometimes when something clicks for the horse, it does for the human too . Those are my favourite moments. #horsemanship #foreverlearning #liberty #cowichanvalleyhorses

Todays lesson: Getting ready for our pretend parade Keeping it fun and building confidence #horsemanship #flag #desensitization #foundationhorsemanship #funwithhorses

Just a few things Ive been doing with Buggsy

I will be in Victoria Victoria July 5, 14, 19 & 28th and have spaces available for lessons! Let me know if you want a spot :)I will be in Victoria Victoria July 5, 14, 19 & 28th and have spaces available for lessons! Let me know if you want a spot :)

Looking for a great bodyworker ?

Do you know what your horses risk of developing ulcers is? Take this simple assessment to determine whether your horse is likely affected by ulcers and find ways to reduce your horses risk of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) https://madbarn.ca/quiz-what-is-your-horses-ulcer-risk/

Lonely in isolation with nobody to talk horses with??Join in these awesome conversations and videos with Jonathan Field Horsemanship!

Thanks for having me out Maple Forge Farm and Equestrian Centre! Im looking forward to our next session! Anyone in Sooke who would like to join in feel free to contact me

I have a weekly lesson spot available on Friday afternoons in the Cowichan area. Pm me if you are interested !I have a weekly lesson spot available on Friday afternoons in the Cowichan area. Pm me if you are interested !

Anyone in the cowichan valley in need of a good bodyworker for their horses, Katey is the gal! I cant say enough good things about her, and Buggsy feels the same way

I had such a great conversation with my horse today. I dont find myself with much time these days, so when I happen to have that magic 30 minutes, I have to be mindful of how I use it ! I think the time crunch has actually slowed me down. Today we had a little play with the trailer, and it just got me thinking about how we value our horse time. Going in and out of this trailer, stoping halfway, resting, relaxing and scratching some winter hair off was enjoyable for both myself and Buggsy. My time with my horse benefits my mental health - and it is so important that it benefits his as well :)

I became a believer in The ReactorPanel Saddle back in 2002 when I found them after a long and (literally) painful saddle search. To see this research is so exciting! Take a read - and if you are interested in trying a saddle (RP or EQ Saddle Science) and you are in Canada, throw me a note and I can get you lined up with a saddle to test !

Canadians take RP to WEG Test Event! The three top-ranked Canadians in Endurance are Wendy MacCoubrey, Robert Gielen, and Kimberly Wooley. They all ride in RP s...addles and all have been invited to the World Equestrian Games Test Event April 26-28 in North Carolina. Congratulations Wendy MacCoubrey, Robert Gielen, and Kim Woolley! You make our saddles look great - thanks for choosing us! #RideinRP #ReactorPanel #WEG2018 https://sx271.infusionsoft.com//h/6364489/dc5e2d21fbd3d16b

Sharing a Great deal on a used saddle - private sale located in Ontario, $2500 CND for the package! Contact seller for details

The Adequan/USDF Annual Convention is a great place to learn about innovations in the horse industry. EQ Saddle Science is using the Convention to launch thei...r new product, the EQ Flapless Saddle. Tomorrow at 11:10 AM, we will be live streaming Dr. Hillary Claytons Q&A about this exciting new product. Stop by their booth to learn more. #USDFConv #EQSaddleScience See more

Veterinarians who ride and compete choose EQ! Eventer, researcher, and veterinarian, Carrie Finno of Davis, CA, continues to give her 5-year-old mare Carte Bla...nche (Cozette) a great foundation. These photos are from their successful outing at the Twin Rivers Spring Three-Day Event. Carrie says, "Cozette was a star at Twin Rivers - Thanks again!" Cozette wears two EQ saddles: an Encore for dressage and a Foxhunter for cross-country and show jumping. https://eqsaddlescience.com/dressage/encore-dressage-saddle https://www.reactorpanel.com//foxhunter-jumping-saddle.html We wish all of our competitive riders the best of luck! Please share your photos with us! We love seeing what our EQ Saddle Science community is up to. #rideinEQ #saddlescience #EQsporthorse #twinriversranch

When we tested the flapless system in Florida, riders raved about the difference in their upper-level horses. This press release gives the details, including ex...cerpts from rider questionnaires. EQ Flapless Saddle Wins Over Skeptics in Wellington In testing, riders report all horses improved, scoring EQs Science Saddle almost 20% higher than their own custom-fitted saddles. Wellington FL When you have science in your name, youd better be darn sure youre following established scientific principles in your formulation, testing, and articles of proof. (And that goes double in the dressage market.) Last winter, during the Wellington season, the theory behind the newly launched brand EQ Saddle Science underwent rigorous testing with renowned equine biomechanics scientist Dr. Hilary Clayton as team lead. Carmi Weininger, founder of EQ Saddle Science, had an accidental genius moment when she removed the flaps from a saddle for a champion endurance rider to make FEI weight. The flapless saddle developed an immediate following in endurance and trail riding, with riders reporting greater comfort and connection. Carmi went to watch them go, and was astounded to realize they really were in markedly better balance and neutral pelvis, and the horses had more schwung. A dressage rider herself, she knew that demonstrably increasing the connection between a dressage horse and rider would have a profound effect on the industry. A few months of hard work yielded the new flapless dressage saddle that got rave reviews from the trainers she selected to try it. Now its testing day: will this saddle prove to be more effective... or not? (Cue nail-biting.) The testing team was headed by Dr. Clayton, along with Canadian Alexandra Hampson for pressure testing, and Dr. Meg Sleeper for cardiology and heart rate assessment. The site of the testing was Arlene Whites Animal Rehab Institute which also contributed slow motion photography. The testing team was rounded out by Pete Fraser, slow motion video and stride length; plus saddle fitters Carmi, Elise Geske, and Lynne Glazer (who photographed). There were seven test horses, all upper-level dressage horses. All typically went in their own high-end saddles, most custom-made for the horses, and all recently professionally fitted and flocked for optimum performance. Horse/rider combinations were fitted with EQ flapless dressage saddles and given the chance to ride in them once or twice prior to the test. In the first phase of the project, the team gathered in March, 2017, for formal testing to objectively quantify the flapless dressage saddles effect on horses, riders, and the horse/rider interface in a number of ways, because the saddle seemed to have multiple positive effects, and the team wanted to capture all it could: - Pressure, forces on the horses back, and rider stability using a computerized Novell Pliance pressure testing pad - Stride length and velocity, using meter markers and high speed/slow motion videography - Heart rate, using Holter monitors on subject horses The horse/rider combinations rode a prescribed pattern twice: once in their own custom-fitted saddle, and once in the EQ flapless saddle. After the rides, subjective scoring was recorded, in addition to the objective quantifying measurements taken by the research team. The first research paper, showing the objective and statistically validated positive effects of the EQ system on rider stability, has been submitted for publication, and we hope to see it out before the end of 2017. At this time, we can release the results of the rider subjective self-scoring the highlights of which follows: Scoring was similar to a dressage test, with 19 criteria, each being assigned a 0-10 score. This was then turned into a percentage of perfect 10 like a dressage test. The criteria included: ability to sit in neutral pelvis, comfort in hip and knee, ability of leg to drape around the barrel, quality of the walk, quality of the trot, quality of the canter, stride length and rhythm, ease of delivering aids, responsiveness to aids, straightness, impulsion, submission, carriage or outline, contact/connection, lightness, lack of resistance, transitions, ease of sitting the trot, effectiveness in canter. Every rider reported an overall improvement with the EQ saddle on the horse. - The smallest improvement was 70.00% in own saddle, versus 72.11% in EQ - The largest improvement was 52.11% in own saddle, versus 92.63% in EQ - Both the largest and smallest improvement were reported by the same rider, on two different horses - The average was 60.90% in own saddle, versus 80.38% in EQ The comments echoed these numbers, with the biggest difference? question answered with: More forward, more straight and through, more uphill carriage and better contact More straight, uses the back better, more uphill, can crossover more and maintain balance better in the lateral work Much straighter, much more forward, more over the back, more comfortable Suppleness through the body, straightness And the question biggest surprise? answered with: Much more easily through, needs less warm up time to get to a better degree of thoroughness Much more light in the contact and free in the shoulders, easier flying and simple changes Degree of straightness in the flying changes and ease of tempi changes, the degree and quality of collection Much less resistant, seems more comfortable in the work Carmi said, Interestingly, the largest and smallest improvements were reported by the same rider - Jen Marchand - on two different horses. Additionally, the two horses with the smallest improvement showed additional gains with more experience in the EQ saddle. Known to be sensitive horses, they appeared to just need a few more rides to get used to the significant gain in freedom offered by this saddle. We are tremendously pleased with these results, and look forward to watching more horse and rider combinations reach greater achievements, and more importantly, have a greater connection. For more information, please visit EQsaddlescience.com ABOUT EQ SADDLE SCIENCE EQ Saddle Science is an organization as unusual and high-quality as the saddles they make, and represent a true revolution in the sport horse world. Riders and their horses are constantly changing, and the conventional approach to saddle design does not address this dynamic, resulting in saddles that cant evolve with the horse and rider. Over time, these conventional saddles, no matter how high-end or how frequently re-fitted and -flocked, may hinder freedom of movement, skill development, and training progress. EQs proprietary technology provides a better outcome for both horse and rider than this conventional tack allows, with innovation based on horse and rider biomechanics, and extensive verification of the remarkable functionality of our saddles with scientific testing. EQ permits horses and riders to realize their full potential, to a level they may not even be aware they can reach. www.eqsaddlescience.com

This is exciting!

Interested in a deeper understanding of the horses back? Check out this article, which relies heavily on an interview with Dr. Hilary Clayton, who is known wo...rldwide for her deep knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanics. Not only does she regularly consult with us on product design and testing, but since January, she rides in our Flapless Dressage saddle! We believe that the core exercises activate essential muscles in the equine trunk and not only recommend this article, but invite you to consider Dr. Claytons book, described in the article or click here: https://g.co/kgs/ZxGkhq https://www.thehorse.com/articles//the-healthy-backed-horse

Sounds like a fun day, in a great park, and for a good cause !!

ReactorPanel is the official saddle of Tevis 2017! We will be at the ride on August 5th to answer questions and show our latest saddles, accessories, and gear. ... Dont forget about the Tevis Cup - ReactorPanel Saddle Raffle! Tickets are available at all Tevis events or from the Tevis office. You could win a voucher worth $3500 toward the RP saddle of your dreams. The winner will be announced at the awards dinner after the ride. Need not be present to win. http://www.teviscup.org/

Yes, its show season. BUT, dont cutem!

It is important, when assessing saddle fit, to leave room for the shoulder to rotate back as the horse extends the forelegs. In this video, Carmi explains some ...of the different ways that a horses scapulae can rotate. If the saddle is snug where the horse needs room, then the saddle will interfere with natural motion by restricting shoulder freedom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv8DnXuPobA

Great timing as we get (hopefully) into nicer weather ! I encourage you to get out and spectate this clinic :)

Buggsy is holding his spot while I put away our toys :) So nice to feel the Sunshine!! Its been a looooong winter !

Ill be on Vancouver Island next weekend and I have a few spots available - Pm me if you are interested in a lesson :)