Equestrian Adventuresses

06/08/2024

Comment below which book you are working on!

Shop our books:
https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com/

02/08/2024

The #1 New Release on Amazon in our niche! Woohoo! Thank you everyone who has been ordering your copy and spreading the word to your friends and loved ones.

30/07/2024

Woohoo! Look what I got in the mail today!!!

We expect our horses to be athletes but many of us neglect our own health and stress and happiness in this sport. We say things like, "my horse eats better than I do!" or "My horse has a physiotherapist, massage therapist and chiropractor come once a week but if I have an injury I don't go to the doctor, I just put some vet wrap and call it a day."

Horse people are FAMOUS for putting their horses first and themselves LAST!

But our health, fitness and happiness directly affects how we ride.

When I wrote this book, I wanted to do more than just "make a cook book with easy recipes for busy equestrians." I also wanted to give them a healthy meal plan to follow to help them stay fit, lose or maintain their weight and most importantly, live the "Bella vita" (Italian for beautiful life!)

This book gives you practical tools to:

-eat healthy
-eat foods that TASTE good and are good for you!
-live a happier, stress free life
-make your meal time one of your most favorite times of the day (next to riding of course)
-celebrate the different cultures of the world through food
-do more in the kitchen than just cook instant ramen
-save you time and energy with simple recipes ANYONE (even me, the worst cook on the planet!) could do.

For example: My favorite breakfast right now in this hot summer sun is our Peanut Butter Smoothie. WOW it's delicious, cooling and it keeps my belly full and my body fueled with CORRECT energy (not sugar energy which makes you crash) so I can ride my horse even though its summer and easier to convince myself to stay indoors.

If you are interested in being healthier, less stressed, happier, fuller, have more energy with no crash or burnout effect and maybe even want to get fitter or lose weight, then this meal plan book is for you.

Order yours on amazon or our website here: https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com/collections/paperbacks

26/07/2024

Zefira's new training plan!

It has been BRUTALLY HOT here in Spain this month so we have been doing less arena work and more countryside walks and rides out. It has been great for building her confidence.

When I bought Zefira as a 4 year old (2 years ago) she was SUPER attached to our other horses. She was such a big "baby" that even riding her in the arena required "knowing" where her new sisters were located at all times.

When I took her for training and some schooling shows last year in Valencia and an FEI event, really my biggest goal was to help separate her from her sisters and develop slightly more independence and a bit more confidence.

We had a few rides out to the beach which was incredible but because it was at a competition there was always another horse around. And in Valencia she was getting much better at being "alone" with me in the MASSIVE outdoor and indoor jumping arenas but I wouldn't exactly say she was super confident. She was a bit looky or unsure and I actually had to go 3 steps back in her training in order to take 1 step forward. (A bit annoying but also part of the process of working with a young horse!)

Flash forward to today. Zefira is now 6 years old and getting much more confident. I can ride her solo off property and she doesn't even whinny at her sisters (who are of course whinnying and whinnying for her return.)

I can ride her on the buckle in neighboring fields and we even experienced our first ever GALLOP. We clocked her at a healthy 38 mph! Who would have known since I'm pretty sure she didn't even know what a gallop was because I've never seen her do it EVER despite our other horses trying to race her in the fields. She would always canter majestically as if shooting for a hollywood movie while our OTTB and Arabian mare would make her eat their dust.

Sometimes as show jumpers we tend to focus 100% on the jumps. We say things like, I need to jump this week, I have a show coming up! Or if I don't jump she'll lose her training!

But that's actually not true. Most of the Grand Prix show jumping horses I've worked with or top FEI Show Jumping Coaches didn't jump as often as you'd think. That's because the jump is usually never the issue.

So go out, ride your horses around the property or paddocks and have some "alone time" together. Work on confidence, fitness, hills, getting them exposed to different terrain and having to think about where and how to place their feet, and most importantly HAVE FUN!

You have my permission.

3 Fun Audio Lessons I recommend this week:
-Trail Riding Simon Says Game
-Ride Along Story: Sheep Herding in Greenland
-Ride Along Story: In Search of the Medicine Man in the Jungle

Horse Riding Lessons App: (Available in Apple & Play Store)
https://www.theinternationalequestrian.com/audio-lessons

Shop our books:
https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com/

24/07/2024

A show jumping coaches opinion on the Charlotte Dujardin debacle...

I am an FEI II Coach. In order to get my FEI II I had to coach both dressage and show jumping to the same level and standards as someone wanting to only do dressage. (That means dressage coaches had to be able to coach to the same level as me but didn't have to coach jumping meaning I had to be tested for twice as much skill).

I can't think of a time I've ever carried a whip into an arena to conduct a lesson. There was that one time a student almost ran me over with her horse and I had to jump out of the way. For that I decided to create a barrier of poles around myself (like a Hocus Pocus ring of salt) to prevent her from running me over.

It never occurred to me to hold a whip.

That's because a good coach can explain advanced concepts and complex exercises and movements to their students in a simple and easy way for them to duplicate and understand.

A good coach can get their students to feel things they might never have been able to feel and experience on their own. A good coach can get the rider to be able to perform amazing things on the horse and guide their students almost like puppets on a string to achieve specific and quantifiable results.

A good coach never raises their voice.

A good coach never gets frustrated at their student or at the horse if they are having a "bad day" (because those days can happen.)

And a good coach always sets their student and horses up for success.

The fact that she HAD a long whip with her during this "lesson" to me means that this isn't the first time she's brought a whip to a lesson before. Bringing a whip to conduct a lesson, to me, means chances are she also has used that whip in her other lessons.

Just because someone is a famous rider does NOT mean they are a good coach.

Becoming a good coach is the equivalent of going to college to be a brain surgeon. It requires hundreds of thousands of dollars of your own money in training, and countless hours learning and apprenticing and shadowing the best. It means understanding horse and human psychology to high degrees. It means learning sports and biomechanics to a level that would bore the pants off of most people.

And most importantly, it requires a true passion and commitment and dedication to your students and their own dreams and goals.

As coaches we take on the responsibility for being role models and creating the equestrians of the future.

Let me be clear. There is a difference between carrying a jumping bat and giving your horse a little tap before a big jump because the spot is long and your horse is young and has a tendency to back off at the last second... and using a whip on a horse 24 times in less than 60 seconds because "it needed to lift its legs higher in canter."

The show jumping world isn't much better. There are "pros" out there that do things they shouldn't behind closed doors. Unfortunately, it happens more than we'd care to admit. But at the end of the day, there is no justifiable reason for what Charlotte did. It is not excusable. And it probably happened more than once.

Be careful who you hire as your coach. A gold medal doesn't qualify them as a good one.

23/07/2024

I am not a "foodie." In fact, whenever anyone ever finds out how much I've traveled, one of the first questions I get is something along the lines of...

"Oh wow, I hear the food is really good there! You must be a foodie!"

If it were up to me, I'd eat Pizza and Mexican food 5 times a day, every day. And gelato. Yum.

Unfortunately, horse riding is a SPORT and requires us to be athletes. It's hard to be an athlete AND eat yummy food everyday.

At least, that's what they want you to believe.

I have been secretly, under the radar, working on a new book for the "Busy Equestrians" like me who love food, but hate to cook (or love to cook but don't have the time or energy to eat anything other than Instant Ramen).

I wanted to write a book with healthy, easy recipes.

So if you are interested in eating healthy but couldn't cook your way out of a paper bag to save your own life.

Then this book is for you!

Enjoy it as a digital or paperback book.

This is more than just a cookbook.It’s a meal plan. A journal. A progress tracker. And a new lifestyle which promotes less stress, healthier bodies, more energy, increased fitness, more confidence, and more environmentally friendly meals. This is a WORKBOOK. Grab a pen and write in this book. Take...

19/07/2024

https://youtu.be/L1VMn9V8Q_I?si=h5Dww-9dfZHquleF

POLEWORK INTENSIVE APPLY HERE: https://mgabmasoaco.typeform.com/to/bRboLCUm In today's video I discuss why equestrians and horse riders in various disciplin...

12/07/2024

They say free advice is worth every penny.

They also say if it's good, it ain't cheap. If it's cheap, it ain't good.

I get it.

Horses are expensive.

They decide to get their leg stuck in a fence the same day you sign a 6 year contract for $200 a week on a fancy new supplement that grows an invisible hair whirl which helps them jump 1.40m through telepathy.

It might be tempting to hop on Youtube and see what the "Youtube experts" recommend.

Or post your question in a Facebook group and spend 3 hours researching if any of the 300 comments are made by anyone who actually knows what they are talking about.

Or head over to Google and read some 300 word blog with ads sprinkled all over while trying to filter through the generic advice to see if it pertains to YOU.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a time and generation without internet access.

Just kidding.

I had internet in Egypt and Romania and Belgium and India and Mongolia... (occasionally.)

But it never once occurred to me to get riding advice from there!

In fact, I specifically FLEW AROUND THE WORLD to find the answers I needed.

I'll give you an example. It might not seem "horsie" but hear me out.

On January 25th, 2011 a little thing called THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION occurred.

That just so happened to me the same day my plane landed in Cairo.

That's right. I landed THE DAY the revolution in Egypt STARTED.

When my plan landed, the airport closed.

All other flights were cancelled and re-routed.

All Americans were instructed by the embassy to get to the embassy AT ALL COSTS so they could be immediately evacuated to Greece.

I deleted that email. (Oopsie.) And decided to stay in Egypt.

I actually worked in Egypt twice, both times for a year with Show Jumping horses (and briefly with polo horses!)

I learned to speak Arabic.

I learned how to race a camel.

I was also training with one of the very few FEI II (now an FEI III) Show Jumping coaches in the world. (I got my FEI II at age 26, half the age he got his so YEAH ME!)

During the revolution, when you turned on the news and the tv, it didn't quite match what I was witnessing with my own eyes.

Yes, it was risky.

Yes, I didn't exactly wander down dark alleys at midnight alone.

But one thing I'll never forget is...

What the internet "knew."

Versus what I "knew."

I was there. Living it.

"They" weren't.

Let me tell you what the internet is NOT. It's NOT an all-knowing all powerful wizard of oz being.

Blogs are published by whoever wants to write and publish them.

Youtube videos can be made by ANYONE and can go viral whether or not the information inside the video is correct.

ANYONE can post videos on social media and call themselves "a professional."

ANYONE can write an and publish a book on the internet. (For free!)

ANYONE can give "free advice."

ANYONE can call themselves an "expert" a "guru" a "pro" a "coach" a "trainer."

That's because anyone can make their own website. Publish their own "about me" bio and comment "smart sounding words" on social media to sound like they know something. (They don't.)

I get it.

Horses are expensive.

You REALLY want to save your money for the pink ear bonnet and matchy matchy saddle pad and matchy matchy base layer top and matchy matchy boots and...

But here's the thing.

Horses cost money.

SHOW JUMPING COSTS MONEY.

A lot of money.

It's not our horses fault they cost so much money.

It's part of the package deal.

As a professional coach, I can't tell you how many books written by "experts" I've flipped through only to gasp in horror at their descriptions for "the perfect position."

Or yelled at my computer screen as I try to ignore the "free advice" comments I see being thrown around in various equestrian facebook groups.

Don't get me started on some of these famous "Youtube Guru's" with no certifications or credentials teaching WRONG INFORMATION TO GOOD PEOPLE.

AHHHHHHHHH! 😱

Here's what I believe.

I believe that you can't learn to be a good rider by watching some youtube videos and hanging out in "beginner horse rider free advice" groups.

I believe 99% of the information being taught publicly to equestrians is worth less than you'd pay for a bag of garbage.

I believe free advice is worth every penny.

I believe if you TRULY want to improve in this sport.

(Some of you aren't going to want to hear what I'm about to say so if that's you please cover your eyes and hum the national anthem.)

I believe good coaches COST MONEY.

A lot of money.

Think of the biggest number you can think of and triple it.

Because coaches can help you ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS.

How much is your dream worth to you?

Me?

My dream has cost me 34 years, travel to 65 different countries, half a million dollars (probably more), blood, sweat, hospital visits in weird countries you do NOT want to go to hospitals... injuries I will never fully recover from, several near death experiences... it's also unfortunately shown me some of the most challenging, difficult situations, people and hardships that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

But it's also cost me: riding some of the most amazing horses I could have ever dreamed to ride, meeting some of the most inspiring people I could ever ask for, going and doing and seeing some of the most incredible lost places on the planet, meeting my husband, buying my dream equestrian property in Spain, helping thousands and thousands of people and horses around the world to fulfill their own dreams, and countless other things I would never have been able to achieve if not for horses.

My dream is worth, to me, all I have and more.

Have I achieve my dream yet?

A lot of them, yes. All of them? Certainly not.

I suspect I never will because as soon as I cross one item off my list I replace it with 5 others.

And that's ok.

Take your dreams seriously.

Spend the money.

Book the flight.

Buy the horse.

Find the coach.

Meet people.

Take chances.

Change lives.

And most importantly, stop listening to "free advice." You are worth more than that!

Oh and if you feel like spending some money here's a link to my books :P https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com

10/07/2024

I believe show jumping horses shouldn't live life bubble wrapped.

When I worked in Sicily, Italy at a Grand Prix Show Jumping stable, every horse lived in a stall. They would go into a small square paddock (solo because heaven forbid they be in the same paddock with another horse *gasp!) and every evening the groom would wrap all 15 horses' legs with bandages. Every morning the bandages would get removed and the process would repeat.

I had been hired specifically as a rider. I rode about 8 horses daily (I didn't have time to saddle the horses I rode, hence the groom was necessary!)

These horses were total machines.

They could jump 1.60m like it was nothing. 1.30 was a joke.

They didn't have a speck of dirt on them, their mane was always on one side (I still haven't figured out how to get Zefira's mane to stay on one side, but then again I never worked as a groom before & amazing grooms are worth their weight in gold!). They were spotless. Ate the best food. Had the best supplements.
On all accounts, these horses were well cared for.

And yet I absolutely HATED working there. (Not Sicily though. Sicily was GORGEOUS!)

I stayed for all of 2 months before moving on to greener pastures.

Because even though these horses were Grand Prix.

Even though they were well cared for and extremely well trained.
They were like working with robots.

When I rode them they had no interest in bonding or connecting with me.

They had a job to do.

I couldn't cuddle them - as soon as they were done with work they wanted to stand in their stall or paddock alone in peace.

Honestly, I don't even remember half of their names.

I don't believe show jumping horses should live life like machines.

I don't believe they should be bubble wrapped.

My horses live in the mountains.

They live out.

We cuddle them.

They know their names and come to us when we call them even if they are all the way on the far side of the property.

They don't run from us when we go to catch them.

They live in a herd.

Yes, it happens they get bumps, scrapes, and even (very rarely) weird mystery injuries that only they know how it happened. (Zefira somehow banged her joint a year ago and although it wasn't serious it's been a slow year of healing which set our competition schedule back longer than I would have liked.)

When I ride them, they KNOW ME. They know my husband.

They enjoy their job and work but they aren't robots. They have opinions, and ideas. They are allowed to.

They have fun. They try new things.

And in their free time they race each other up and down the mountains, jump in and out of our arena, play with each other and wander from one paddock to the next.

If they want a nap in the trees in the shade, they take one.

If they want something from us, they ask us for it.

Honestly, my husband and I might have paid for our property but our horses OWN this place.

Once, a long time ago, I worked for a 5 time Olympian in Belgium. Her horses lived out.

I was allowed the incredible privilege of riding her Olympic horse. This mare was phenomenal to ride. She had IT. Something special.

I'll never forget what my Olympic boss had shared with me about this special mare who had just placed 3rd at the World Equestrian Games and who'd competed TWICE at the Olympics.

She said, "when she was born she spent the first several years of her life living in the mountains just being a horse. She learned where to put her feet, how to gallop up and down slopes and got to just be a horse. I think that is a HUGE reason why she is one of the best horses I own."

When we bought Lilly and Q in England and when I bought Zefira many years later, NONE OF THEM were sure-footed mountain horses.

Actually, they were all a bit "wimpy."

I'm pretty sure if you had released them in the wild they would not have survived.

Now you wouldn't know it! They are surefooted. They are careful. They are extremely fit and athletic.

They like to play (even though Lilly and Q are getting older!).

They aren't afraid of a little rain or hail.

The wind and strange mountain weather doesn't bother them.

They aren't afraid to take chances and make tight turns and climb up or down banks.

They enjoy a good scratch on our trees.

And most importantly they get to be HORSES.

And that is why, no matter how expensive the horses are I own or will own in the future, I will always let my horses be horses.

08/07/2024

The Ripple Effect...

They say the tide rises all boats. This is especially true with horses. Horses have this incredible ability to change our lives. Not just as equestrians or show jumpers or dressage riders or eventers. But as human beings.

I believe when we achieve our horse riding goals and become better riders we also:

-Become more confident, in and out of the saddle

-Learn what we are "made of." Horse riding is not easy. It's a sport in the Olympics. If it were easy, everyone could do it. Riding is physically demanding, mentally, emotionally and spiritually demanding. It requires focus, precision, accuracy, timing, feel, instincts and grit. The more we chase our goals the more challenges we encounter the more we find out what we are made of and how to rise to any occasion, handle the pressure and exit the arena gracefully despite the dirt on our white breeches.

-Inspire others. Imagine a world where no one in the warm up arena rode with draw reins or gadgets tying their horse's heads down. Imagine if no one needed spurs or harsh bits. Imagine being a ROLE MODEL to others in the sport. Because you have that trust, realtionship and connection with your horse. Not only that you put in the WORK. You didn't seek a "quick fix" or slap a bandaid on. You took the time and had the patience to work with your horse so that you can be a role model and inspiration to others by never needing any of those things others deem "necessary." The others will take notice the more you continue to do you and BEAT THEM. That's how we change the industry. Not by criticizing their ignorance or bullying. But by being a role model for the industry and making them question their own lack of education and training.

-Achieve success in other arenas of our life. Whether it be your business goals, your goal of having a healthy relationship with your family and friends, your financial or career goals, or your health and fitness goals. Horses help teach us valuable life lessons that applies to ALL areas of our lives. When we achieve success with horses, somehow we accidentally or inadvertently have more skills to be able to achieve success in all aspects of our lives.

Horses are powerful animals.

They have the ability to change our lives and make us become better riders and better human beings.

I believe that achieving our horse riding goals is important.

Because the ripple effect impacts not only those closest to us, but it spreads far and wide. It affects people we may not even have directly meant to impact. It inspires. It connects us. And it lifts the sport as well as our lives.

So take your goals seriously.

Your goals aren't selfish.

Your goals are how we make this sport and industry even better!

Have you filled out your "Impossible Goal" exercise in our workbooks yet? Comment them below! (Don't have a book, get yours here: https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com )

05/07/2024

When I was 21 years old, working for a 5 Time Olympian and top rider in Belgium, my boss pulled me aside one day to speak alone in the tack room.

"I see a lot of me in you," she said. I felt myself standing taller. Impressing a 5 time olympian with my riding skills had been a personal goal of mine since taking the job.

"I want you to know what an Olympic horse feels like. I want you to develop the skill to be able to spot a champion in a young horse." She shared with me that cold winters day in the heated tack room.

And she kept her word. She trained me how to look for top horses, what qualities to harness and capture while training them and how to accurately predict the unpredictable... what's in their heart.

Zefira is NOT a future Olympic horse. I didn't buy her to be one.

I bought her because she had something all the other horses I tried didn't have.

A heart of pure gold.

She isn't some horse bred with Dominator 2000 Z & Baloubet Du Rouet & Chacco Blue mixed together to form some ultimate jumping machine that over-jumps a 1.60m fence by another 80 cm.

She's definitely not that.

The first time I sat on Zefira I knew I would buy her. She was only 4 years old. A bit awkward and narrow in build. She hadn't filled out. She didn't have muscles.

She was a bit dead to the hands and leg (in Europe people like to put horses heads in a "frame" to sell them, especially to Americans who are easily impressed by a warmblood popping over a decent sized jump with zero training.) She was on the forehand. She had a martingale and they clearly rode her with spurs.

But she had "IT." That special something. The thing that I was looking for.

I didn't want some jumping robot on steroids. I wanted something I could rely on. I could trust. I could trust not just with myself, but with anyone who comes to Spain to train with me for a week or two at my private show jumping stable.

Zefira is honest. Reliable. Fun to work with. And a good sport. I have lost track of how many vets and farriers have complimented Zefira. "She can't be a show jumper, she's too calm!" Or, "She's only 5?! Are you sure? What a wonderful character!"

At the competitions last year for a bit of schooling I will never forget how a horse in the warmup reared straight in front of Zefira several times in a row, another horse bucked several times, trying to throw their rider... and yet no matter how "stupid" the other horses acted, Zefira just stood their calmly, waiting for the other horse to finish all the while wondering why the other horses were acting so strangely.

Now Zefira's training is starting to match her inner personality. She is strong and fit. Her chest has filled out. Her neck is more round and her back has lifted. She's flexible but not wiggly. She goes and whoas with the slightest thought.

She has control over her legs. She is willing. Smart. Light on the forehand, doesn't require spurs or a martingale. She will try anything and everything you ask of her, even things she's never done before, with a stellar attitude. She is sweet, cuddly and probably one of the calmest 6 year olds I've ever sat on.

She is still learning. And she still has more training to be done. BUT she is becoming the amazing horse I knew she would be!

One of these days, others will get the joy of coming here to experience all the hardwork and training that has gone into this lovely horse.

But for now, I feel pretty lucky every day that I get to ride her and develop this young lady into a show jumper.

01/07/2024

Zefira's current training plans: Show Jumping Guide to Mastering Oxers & Mastering Verticals.

At the same time we've been introducing new scary fillers and jumps.

This was her first time to jump the chess pieces and she was a little dramatic about it. Even though its only a 90 cm jump she landed as if it were an oxer which made her really have to use her body in the combination to the second fence.

It was a great exercise for her because at the competitions last year it was brought to my attention how unconfident she was with the trickiness of the striding between combinations (since height was never really our issue!)

She learned a lot from these two exercises and I'm putting her to the test this week using the course in week 4!

Book recommendations for anyone interested in sharing her journey: Mastering Oxers, Mastering Verticals AND Spooky Jumps book as a fun bonus!

Book link here:
https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com/products/show-jumping-guide-to-spooky-jumps

Just want to note: I am doing two books simultaneously because Zefira is being ridden daily and has a certain level of fitness required for her competitions later this year.

My intention is to take her to the CSI 1* FEI classes. Many equestrians aren't aware how much tougher FEI courses and classes are compared to National competitions.

National competitions the courses are easy breezy lemon squeezy! Straight forward, not too much technical questions... gentle and inviting heights.

That all goes out the window the second you start to compete at an international level! It's why when I became the only FEI II coach from the USA, I had to qualify not only as a coach capable of brining on a national team beyond the 1.30 m level, but I also had to be able to do the EXACT SAME THING for dressage riders too!

That's right.

As a show jumper I have to be fully qualified to train the national team for a high level in both dressage and show jumping. Those who got their FEI II Dressage level however did NOT have to do the same in jumping.

Meaning as jumpers we have to be twice as well rounded and twice as good and at a very high level of both dressage and jumping if we want to take our sport seriously.

That's why you'll find not only jumping exercises in your workbooks but dressage exercises too! Don't skip those! I know it's tempting to do so (because jumpers just want to JUMP! 😃) but remember to Wax on Wax off.

Follow your training plans, stick to the system and you will see results!

I use it on Zefira (who is a completely different horse than she was 1 year ago!) And all my students competiing in international and national competitions.

"Wax on wax off!" 😃

Enjoy everyone!

https://coachkrystalkellybooks.com