Interviews

Equine Touch: What is it, and how can it benefit your horse?

The Equine Touch is a hands-on system of bodywork proven to be beneficial in many ways. Equine Touch can help to release tense muscles, reduce the pain spiral, assist in detoxification and lymphatic drainage by increasing circulation.

Babette Littlemore, an Equine Touch practitioner and instructor chats with us about what Equine Touch is, and how it benefits your horse. We will also find out what to expect if you go into an Equine Touch session, and how it may help your equine partnership.

In the Middle are the Horsemen

From modest Pony club beginnings to modern Pentathlete, a working student and becoming an international clinician, the development into the horseman he is today has been quite the journey for Tik Maynard. Now also a successful author, I spoke to the man in the middle, to find out exactly what makes him ‘Tik’.

It was a gradual thing, I grew up in a horsey family, my dad teaches and my mum runs a riding school, so I’ve been brought up around that. However, even before I was a working student, I was a professional. I coached younger people in the lesson barn and I’d also been training horses on a semi-professional level, and I think I wanted to grow a lot more and really push myself out of the bubble that I was in. Vancouver has some great instructors, but I wanted to see the big wide world. After I was a working student in Germany and the United States (Texas, New Jersey and Florida), it reached a point where watching other people, I would think, that’s great, but I’d like to try something this way, I’d like to try something my way, try something a little different, as everyone has their own style.

Interview with Buck Brannaman

Buck Brannaman needs little introduction. A gifted teacher and horseman, we were lucky enough to have him visit with us again in June, at Aintree International Arena. Riders of all ages, on a variety of horses, spent three days learning from Buck, in what can only be considered horsemanship nirvana. I was fortunate enough to spend some time talking with Buck after the first day of the clinic. Candid, warm and humble, Buck shares his thoughts with me about life and horses.

Complete Confidence

Cathy Sirett, author of Complete Confidence, and Kate chat about confidence and the journey that led Cathy to write her book. They explore the tools that help people move from anxiety to waking up excited to spend time with their horses and achieve their equine goals.

Interview with Dan James

In 2015 Western Horse UK Editor Vicky Rooke had the opportunity to talk to Dan James of Double Dan Horsemanship during his clinic at Oakridge Arena.

Dan is a two time international World Champion Colt Starter, a multiple-time Freestyle Reining Champion, a multi-discipline Crowd Favorite several times over and a Mustang Makeover finalist.

Interview with Joe Wolter

Joe’s career started when he finished high school, he worked on several ranches before arriving at the Soldier Meadows Ranch where the cow boss was a man named Ray Hunt.

After working for Ray for a number of years, Joe then took a job on a ranch in Salinas, California. There he became friends with Bill Dorrance. Together they conducted roping clinics together.

Interview with Pat Parelli

Western Horse UK talks with Pat Parelli at his UK Master Class

WHUK: What does Horsemanship mean to you?

Pat: The word horsemanship is used a lot, to me horsemanship is using communication, understanding and psychology. If you aren’t communicating on that level, then you may be using mechanical devices, fear, or hope and a prayer!

If you look up horsemanship in a dictionary, it simply says ‘The art or practice of riding on horseback’ this doesn’t go far enough to define horsemanship to me. My definition is ‘perspective and a progressive set of safe skills for horse and human to become partners’.

Interview with Luca Moneta

Dubbed the ‘Carrot Man’ by his peers, this world-class Italian showjumper attributes his success to an alternative approach.

As told to Melanie Crouch

A chance post on social media got us intrigued by Italian showjumper Luca Marai Moneta, an international rider with unconventional methods. Following his 2013 Puissance win at Olympia, which landed him on the front cover of Horse and Hound, we were determined to meet him and find out more about his horsemanship approach. We caught up with him at the Longines Global Champions Tour in London.

Interview with Warwick Schiller

A lifelong equestrian of varying disciplines, Warwick Schiller moved from his home country of Australia in his 20s to the United States in order to pursue his dream of training horses. He focused his competitive efforts on Reining, becoming an NRHA Reserve World Champion, and also representing Australia at the 2010 & 2018 World Equestrian Games. Warwick's ever-evolving training philosophy places the horse's mental well-being at the forefront of every interaction. He now spends his time helping people create deep and meaningful relationships with their horses, by helping them to change their perceptions about their horses and themselves. His unique ability to relate horse training to greater life lessons, partnered with his science-based training approach, has transformed thousands of horses and people around the world.