Clinic with Lisa El-Ramey

Grelo Farms is hosting a clinic this weekend, July 28 & 29, with Wellington based trainer/instructor Lisa El-Ramey. Start time is 9:00am both days with Lisa giving feedback at the end of each day.

Auditing fee is $25; $10 for Grelo Farms members. Riding fee is $177. For more information, please email info@grelofarms.com

Lisa El-Ramey has been riding horses for as long as she can remember, beginning at the age of only three and by age five commenced formal riding instruction. She started competing only a year later. Lisa has pursued nearly every equestrian aspect within the United States having undertaking western, saddleseat, hunter/jumper, driving, polo, dressage, and even worked cattle, team penning, and roping. Ms. El-Ramey has had the opportunity to train with many talented instructors over the decades including; Alex Konyot, Bettina Drummond, Juan Matute, Hubert Rohrer, and Kathy Connelly.

In her competition career, Lisa has achieved success through the international level. As a junior competitor, she won her first National Top Ten and multiple Regional Championship placings in the Arabian horse world competing as a saddleseat equitation and pleasure rider at the age of 16. Lisa has continued her winning ways through the present day competing her own and client horses through FEI CDI competitions. Lisa is known for her success with many breeds of horses and coaching clients to their own successes.

As an instructor, Lisa has a unique ability to clarify concepts and techniques to help riders

incorporate them in their own riding efforts. Always willing to work with riders and horses of all types, breeds, disciplines and levels, she is able to impart awareness and understanding to her students. Lisa mainly focuses on dressage, but has helped countless hunter/jumpers, as well as time and game, western, saddleseat, and driving competitors improve their horses, riding and driving.

Ms. El-Ramey currently holds the United States Equestrian Federation “S” Senior Dressage

judge’s license. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida in Zoology in 1989. Lisa’s unique experience, education, and background are combined to create an holistic approach to training and interacting with horses.

Happy New Year!

It's 2018 and a time for resolutions. I prefer to choose a particular inspirational word or theme. The New Year is a time when many of us aim to get our lives in balance. Balance is a great theme for your equestrian endeavours as well. Left to right, top to bottom, front to back - we're always working to get it in equilibrium. Here are a couple of exercises to get your motor running.

Rise to the occasion
Whether you're doing upward or downward transitions, they should always feel like you are rising to them. I like how Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester word their transitions as "up" to walk, trot or canter regardless of what gait you're coming from. Imagine downward transitions as landing a plane or a duck landing in water - the nose shouldn't ever go down and you have to maintain a good sense of momentum to attain it. Practice playing with tempo within a gait to work on front to back balance. For example, take a collected trot to a working trot and back again staying as close to level as possible. Support your horse from below lifting up energetically at each moment of transition. If your horse is heavy on the forehand, carry your hands higher with a shorter rein than usual so your arms look like you're driving a bus. This will take the power away from your arms and use your back more as leverage as you drive with your seat.

Ride straight
When it comes to left and right side symmetry, we often work more at bending to the less flexible side. Let's say your horse goes more easily to the right so you work more on the left to try and balance things out. You may have found this can sometimes make your horse even harder and heavier on the left. Perhaps your left arm has a way of telling you you've hung on the bit too much. Try riding to your horse's preferred side straight. In other words, prevent the horse from bending. When you ride corners, curves, or circles, draw straight lines like short diagonals or hexagons and cut your corners a bit. Your horse gets the benefit of going to the direction s/he prefers and you benefit from working the weaker side in a less demanding way. In this particular example it will help you get your horse taking the right side of the bit more as you send your horse forward from the right leg. Then incorporate rising to the occasion and reap a bit of both worlds.

I hope you have a great start to your year and use the snow! It's an excellent conditioning tool to ride in. If you have a particular question, feel free to get in touch at info@grelofarms.com.

It's Only An Aid If It Aids

When something isn't working out quite like it should, I'll often hear from a student, "I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  I have this rein here like I should and this leg there..." Riders can make dressage an all too intellectual endeavour. My most accomplished students have been young people who likely never read two sentences on any theory or about any master. You know why? They are in the present feeling. Like any discipline, a well educated mind and body are the ideal combination, but what you know in your head isn't worth anything if you're not aware of what is actually happening. So how do you apply what you're learning? Experiment. As my dad says, the so-called aid is only an aid if it is aiding you.

Lateral movements can often be a paralyzing zone for riders. One direction comes with ease, but the exact same aids going in the other direction result in no lateral movement at all. There are a number of reasons why this is happening, but the simplest is often the basic fact that what one does easily to the right is not as easily done to the left or vice versa. Try writing with your opposite hand. You likely don't even hold the pen the same way. When it comes to your horse, he has his own asymmetry to deal with and then there you are plopped on his back with yours. When approaching a lateral movement to the "hard" side, take it down to its simplest form and then move up.

For example, your half pass left is non-existent compared to the right. First, take a leg-yielding left along the wall or fence. You'll have the support of the architecture and an easier lateral movement. Slowly begin to change the bend in order for your leg-yield to begin to transform into a travers. Then take your travers into a large circle. If that goes well, transition from the travers in the circle into a half pass on a diagonal line. Take breaks intermittently when you've arrived on a good note to avoid hammering out the exercise. Be patient. It's easier said than done - I know.

The last ingredient is having some guts. Ask for what you want with a sense of conviction with a good dose of kindness. Try something you don't think you can accomplish. Any personal trainer I've ever known never got the results out of their clients by letting them workout however they choose ;)

SOLD OUT!

This Saturday's performance is sold out! It is sure to be as great of a hit as last Friday's sold out show. Thank you to everyone for coming out and enjoying the evening with us. 

If you missed seeing our summer gala, be sure to check in late summer as we may plan a fall gala. If we do, get your tickets early!

The stables will be open to the public this Saturday and Sunday between 10:00am and 1:00pm as part of the Hills of Headwaters Stable Tour.

Thank you to Equine Canada for involving us in Horse Experience 2015. See the link below to catch a glimpse.

Frank Grelo Horse Experience 2015

Let The Games Begin!

We hope you can join us for one of our upcoming summer galas over the next two weeks! Featuring performances by Frank Grelo on beautiful Lusitano stallions accompanied by his students. Experience the art of classical dressage from its beginnings in military cavalry, work in-hand and on the long reins, to the Pas de Deux, musical quadrille, and a mock bullfight.

We are a part of Canada Equine's Horse Experience 2015 and the Headwaters Stable Tour. Visit our stables July 11/12 and 18/19 between 10:00am-1:00pm to see the morning exercises and regular life at Grelo Farms.

Frank Grelo on YouTube

See you soon!

Mini-Clinic with Frank Grelo - Saturday, April 11, 2015

Join us for a small clinic from 2:00-6:00pm. To book your ride or ticket, contact Tanja at academicequitation@outlook.com or 226.791.2284 (cell).

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, the Pan Am Games are coming to our town and it's a good time for aspirations. Here's a video to kick-start some enthusiasm!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9D1vEP98rc#t=48