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A new equestrian club for Christina
My goals this summer include more involvement with equestrianism, including taking lessons to improve my techniques, plus volunteering to learn about how to loo after horses. But Trent Valley is too far and just going there and returning takes me one day, plus it’s costly. Therefore, I contacted another riding school, called “Saint Leonard’s”, which is 15′ from my students’ hall by bus, on the boarders of Nottinghamshire. And there we go, at 9:45 am I was at α soaked bus stop, waiting anxiously. I had seen some pictures on their website, but I didn’t have a clear picture of the environment, the atmosphere, the facilities. So, I didn’t know…
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Not all cultures ride the same way
As I said on my last post, different cultures ride in different ways. There are substantial difference sometimes regarding basic things. This post comes from my experience as a foreign rider in Britain. Having started in Greece, I noticed “it’s done” differently in Britain sometimes. Controlling a horse: In Crete I learned that when I turn on one specific side, I need to hold the opposite reign higher. So, if, for example, I want to turn right, I will pull the right reign and I will rise a bit the left one. The logic behind this is that in this way you “lock” the neck of the horse, so that…
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Ten things that most novice equestrians have done already
Being introduced to equestrianism is not just about starting your journey in the sphere of a demanding sport, it is about changing your way of living. Once you start riding, you are introduced to new things, moves that your brain is not used to and needs to learn from scratch, words you have not heard, equipment you have not seen. Clothes you have not worn. So here is a list of what you might have… accomplished so far if you are a novice equestrian: 1.You know how to walk, trot and canter. With confidence or not, you have already worked on the basics of riding. You might have a balance…
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My first vaulting lesson
Last Friday I took my first vaulting lesson with the university’s riding club. The equestrian club we had booked the lesson with specialises in vaulting and it is quite far from Nottingham, in Warwickshire, 1 1/2 hour by car. I hadn’t been to Warwickshire before. It’s a beautiful area, whose flora is similar to the Cretan one -except for asparangus, which is not produced in Crete. It’s just so different from Nottinghamshire, which is colder, wetter, and more windy, as a result of the height of its location. I could never imagine myself getting a sunburn in Britain, but yes, it happened to me in Warwick. When we finally got…
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How to braid the mane of your horse
As I continue discovering the world of equestrianism, I learned that braiding is compulsory for equestrian shows. This gives the judges the impression of a clean and tidy horse. And actually plaits must stay tight and in place all day when you have a show. Interesting. So, today I watched some videos about braiding manes. These ladies do it so beautifully: The lady below plaits the rich mane of a friesian horse! Oh, mon Dieu! Going to bed now! See you tomorrow!
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Documentary: The Making of The War Horse
Today I was in the mood of watching a documentary and fell over this video from the making of the successful play “War Horse”, performed in the British National Theatre. I wanted to share it with you. The documentary shows the play writer and his partners speaking about the making of this complex play; small and big puppets that need to seem natural, people harmonically cooperating to bring those puppets to life with their bodies, the power of cooperation, dedication and emotion. So, here’s the video (with German subtitles):