Empowered Equestrian

19/10/2023

It’s been a hot minute (aka 4 months) since I poured energy into this business as I stumbled my way back to working a dream job.

In light of recent changes, I am now finding myself with a fair bit of free time a few days a week and can open up my coaching/schooling books around Sydney.

If you’ve met me through various liberty clinics I’ve administratively supported this year, you will be familiar with the foundational work I can assist with.

When it comes to the rider, I hone in on your energy, finding your comfort and confidence either up in the saddle or on the ground.

I am here for the grassroots riders and everyday equestrians. If you dream of the olympics I won’t be the best coach for you. But I will support you in absolutely whatever goal you have!

Shoot me a message and let’s see how I can help you 💚

10/07/2023

26/06/2023

I’ve had to unlearn so many things that I gathered over the years in order to be more present with my horses in a way that makes me feel connected and at peace. 🫶🏼

17/06/2023

Are nerves holding you back from fully enjoying your rides? Say goodbye to anxiety and hello to fearless confidence with this transformative eBook. 🌟

Discover proven techniques, mindfulness practices, and empowering mindset strategies tailored specifically for horse riders. Whether you're a beginner or experienced, this eBook will help you build a strong bond with your horse and find joy in every ride. 🌻

With gentle guidance and practical exercises, you'll learn to overcome fear, develop a centered mindset, and harness the power of mindful riding. Feel the difference as you connect deeply with your horse, ride with grace, and embrace your riding journey with newfound confidence. 💪

Don't let anxiety hold you back from the rides you've always dreamed of. Take the reins of your riding destiny and embark on a transformative journey today!

Click the link below to grab your copy of "Empowering Your Ride" eBook and start riding fearlessly! 📚💫

👇🏼👇🏼

https://stan.store/empoweredequestrian

13/06/2023

A lovely friend of mine is blazing the trail 🔥
So excited for you Astrid as you start this new venture 🫶🏼

We have now partnered with INSIDE OUT counselling to offer Equine Therapy to our new and current participants.

Please email [email protected] or call 0432 105 104 to book a 50 minute session.

*please note we also accept clients who are plan managed or self managed NDIS/NDIA participants. (We are a non-registered provider)

09/06/2023

I decided today in my lesson to throw ourselves into a part of the pool we haven’t played in for around 18 months, and then went a step further and added new stuff 😬 what clever ponies I have 😍🧡
As always, Yoann Levesque Equestrian continues to help us through our blocks and keep reaching new milestones in our journey to being an epic liberty team 👏🏼

05/06/2023

My buzz word for the week.

EQUANIMOUS

Having or showing mental calmness or composure, especially in challenging situations.

20/05/2023

Remembered I have this one photo from 2013 that truly encapsulates a defining moment for my riding career. This moment in time with this horse was the most surreal feeling of achievement. I still remember this feeling, this total elation and coming together of training. This mare and I really hated each other 😂 but, we accomplished goals that I didn’t think I would ever get to. Wonky legged Meritage - you tricky beast 🫶🏼🐴

15/05/2023

There is nothing more adorable than a collection of ponies looking longingly at you for their breakfast ♥️

Had the pleasure of babysitting these guys over the weekend while their owners were away but have also had the most fun grooming them the last few weeks of our polo season here in Sydney!

I am a multi passionate horse person 🫢 there’s no denying that!

09/05/2023

This is a weird one, but this page has the most local audience over my personal one 😅
I am returning home to Perth for 5 days at the end of May and need a house sitter to manage my small menagerie (to be fair its mostly supporting my dogs emotional needs).
For a horsey person - I live in the Dundas Valley (Sydney)(insert heavy sobs) - so I don't need anyone to cover the horses as they are on agistment.
At home there's 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 caged birds and a pen of chickens. Just need someone to be around from 6pm-6am and do the morning/afternoon food and water chores for everyone.
Full access to house and all the streaming services, endless dog hugs and laughter from pretty much all the animals.
Long shot I know, but can never hurt to ask :D

07/05/2023

Alright if you follow me but not Yoann’s page - get yourself on over there and register your interest for this clinic. It’s going to be epic

06/05/2023

I feel this on so many levels.
What’s the greatest thing your horse as “nevered” before?

05/05/2023

3 days later and I've finished the crux of my e-book 😳
Now to edit through and make sure it all sounds coherent (I mean...3 days is quite...fast)

Thoughts? 🧐

02/05/2023

Decided today to create an e-book.
Halfway through building it.

Keep an eye out for "Meditation and Mindfulness Techniques for Horse Riders" it'll be available for purchase very soon :)

24/04/2023

Nothing beats a good view between the ears 🐴

19/04/2023

Putting it to the power of Facebook.
Quality Indoor Arena Venues that will allow evening bookings for a slightly different style of clinic in the Sydney region?
Focus is more on fence sitters so good seating area is priority!

17/04/2023

This is absolutely beautiful. Seeing kids come to liberty/groundwork clinics has got to be one of the most heart warming things about doing what I do. A goal for this year is to have MANY children introduced to this world of connection and understanding that is rewarding in so many ways.

17/04/2023

Ok, what else does one do on a Monday night?
PLAN MORE CLINICS! 🙌

Yoann Levesque Equestrian Clinics and Group Lessons are being organised for a range of venues across NSW, VIC, QLD (yesss it's time for roadtrips)

If you'd like to arrange a Clinic or a series of Group Lessons at your facility (whether private property/agistment centre/riding school) Please send me through a message.

We are filling dates from 13th May.

13/04/2023

All the pony hugs for my favourite mare in the whole wide world 🍁🧡

12/04/2023

I really do feel proud of the diversity I have in my equine life.

As a little kid I grew up only knowing show horse/hacking world. I watched from a distance, never having my own pony to enjoy or compete on.
Heading in to my teens a begged and pleaded for riding lessons and got them wherever I could, whenever I could. That included school term lessons at the local Showgrounds, trail rides whenever we went on holiday. Nothing could break my obsession with horses.
At 17 I FINALLY got the opportunity to own my own horse. It was all tee-d up, I had been riding this horse in preparation for my first ever competition (Interschools - in my final year of school). Then, they sold the horse from underneath us. Heartbreak. Not to be deterred I found an alternate mount and made my way to interschools on a green 4yr old stock horse and we failed miserably, but I loved every second of it.
At 18, luck came my way and along came my very own pony to call my own. Johnny Knoxville. This was after a very failed attempt at securing a stock horse who promptly dumped me so hard I’m still suffering hip troubles 10+ years later. He was returned to where he came from after my instructor deemed highly unsuitable. I worked 3 jobs, studied full time and drove miles and miles to tend to Johnny and he was spoilt rotten. My life revolved around him. At this point I had been working in the racing industry as ground staff for a couple of years. Different lense, same principles, be kind to your horses and they won’t see you as the threat. My parents had a busy racing and breeding business and my mum had gotten her trainers licence so it was pretty much life.
At 19, I decided to venture to Canada, and took on a working student position at a dressage/boarding barn. My work was cut out for me there where I was both completely stripped back in my riding and rebuilt under classical methods, and became an exceptional barn manager. My talents for reading horses became evident. Here, my desires to understand working horses at liberty was born. I had the chance to work with head trainer for Medieval Times at our barn, and we were welcomed to a behind the scenes tour of the show. I was hooked on both the art and the Spanish horse! After 18 months, I needed a change of pace and I entered the polo world. I became groom to a herd of 35 horses, multiple riders and also worked the boarding facility on property. These polo horses taught me herd dynamics, I learnt how to work fast, read different horses very quickly and work many horses at once.
On the return home to Australia after over 2 years living the absolute dream, I was on the hunt for my next project horse. I went through three before finding Essa. Whilst working full time I continued to dabble breeding farm work, polo grooming and retraining my own horse. Talk about juggling. Not even a job relocation deterred me from being the very best horse owner I could be.
As covid hit, I decided I wanted to give playing polo a crack and found myself Ralph. Who, very quickly, showed me he did not want to be a polo pony, and I learnt his sad history. We took it very easy for the next year. Essa had also given birth to my stunning little filly so suddenly I was back to 2 horses to try and keep in work. I was having little progress with Ralph and decided I had to stop seeing liberty work as a “pipe dream” and called upon a coach who I felt had the best credentials to teach what I wanted to know.
It’s now 2023, I moved across the country, my horses in tow, convinced my coach to also come over (win), I started teaching, realised I have a skill in helping beginner riders find their confidence, I found some great people to polo groom for when I have some spare time.

I feel very fulfilled being able to keep my toes in different industries of the horse world. I cannot be pigeonholed. I don’t have the ambitions to be the best in any given discipline. I have the desire to be the best horsewoman I can be.

If you got through this, congratulations 🫢 now you know a little bit more about me and what helps me embody my “Empowered Equestrian” namesake.

04/04/2023

It’s not polished, but I ask very little of this pony - he gives me something more every single time we do work though. I’ve really only ever asked him to jambette along the fence, he strikes a little bit too much rather than lifts, and he’s too portly to follow through from the hind, but we have made progress 🙌🏼
Now we must work on our lift and hind end engagement so we can start testing out some other skills for cute little ponies 😉
I’ve been calling him ”Pony” for the better part of 3 years since I got him, it’s morphed into a “Poiyu” for which I have no idea what it means but he likes it and I like it 😅 Plotting to find him a little twinsie because I have zero self control…

03/04/2023

It’s been a pleasure to once again facilitate a run of clinics and lessons for Yoann Levesque Equestrian here in NSW.
We stretched across the Sydney region across several days! Northern Beaches, Southern Highlands, Hills District and a return to the Hawkesbury. This trip also included the first of the Biomechanics in Groundwork for returning students, lovely to see familiar faces.
Another new one for the trip was opening up Group Lessons to be held during the week, a crash course in to the foundations of liberty work.
I also got a chance to work on my pair again with some skilled eyes and determine some of the things I need to work on (cough..I have a few 🫢)
I’m really enjoying this opportunity to support a skilled coach expand their business and student community, this really is just the beginning.
Gives me the inspiration to kick my butt in to gear and hone in on my own coaching 😬

28/03/2023

A good midweek read.
It’s clearly evident horses don’t just “blanket fear people”. Those with kindness and good intent will be rewarded with a curious horse, those that are ill mannered and have negative expectations will likely be met with a horse that does not wish to participate.

Funny story: when I worked for family friends during breeding season I was always the one that had to go catch the “difficult” mares of the herd when they needed to be vetted. Why? Because I had zero intention when I went to collect them. The boys on the other hand…generally were quite rushed and felt the time crunch and it would leak in to their approach. Our vet would comment that each year I worked a season we had very little incidents because of how well the horses wanted to work with me.

MYTH: Horses are predisposed to be scared of humans because we are a predator species and they are a prey species.

TRUTH: Horses aren't scared of predators. They're scared of predatory behavior.
This is why horses (and other prey species) in the wild can share a watering hole with coyotes (and other predator species), but they get spooked by a rabbit darting out of the bush.

Have you ever wondered what allows for the "unlikely friendships" when a deer and dog play, or the chimpanzee nurses the tiger cub, etc.? In these instances, the predators are not exhibiting predatory behavior.

I've experienced plenty of instances where a new Mustang is scared of humans, but will walk right over to inspect a child on the other side of the fence. Because children tend not to act like predators (until we teach them to!).

Here are a few predatory behaviors that horses tend to avoid and how we can overcome them:

- Emotional incongruency:
A stalking lion sneaks quietly, pretending to be calm and quiet, while every muscle in their body is activated and ready to pounce. Trying to hide our emotions and "put on a good face" for our horses rarely works. They're just too good at seeing through it! Self-work is so important to our ability to master emotional congruency.

- Targeted Intentions:
Have you encountered a horse who was so easy to approach when you just want to say hello, but the moment you have a halter they run for the hills? Horses are experts at recognizing our intention. Practice staying present, listening to your horse, and letting your plans be flexible.

- Lack of Release:
Predatory behavior stipulates an increase of pressure without release... for example, pressure that escalates to a hold. Consider how you apply pressure (mental/physical/emotional) to your horse and look for predatory patterns. When you pick up your reins, are they there to guide your horse to a release? Or are you picking them up to hold your horse in place? Search for ways to offer your horse releases sooner and more frequently.

These are just a few ways that we behave in a predatory way, creating distrust from our horses. But with awareness and practice, we can strive to be better partners knowing that they aren't scared of us because of who we are. They're scared of us because of how we act.


(A few people have expressed concern that the baby is holding on to a hot wire... it is not a hot wire. It is a wire-free polymer fencing Finishline Fence ... 😆)

25/03/2023

Words from horseman Bill Steinkraus.

“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.

No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.

No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."

No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.

No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.

No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.

No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.

No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.

No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.

No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.

No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.

No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.

No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.

No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.

No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.

No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.

No. 23. Never fight the oats.

No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

~Bill Steinkraus

23/03/2023

What do clinics mean for you (or even to you)?
Comment 👇🏼

20/03/2023

POST REVISED WITH CURRENT SCHEDULE

My goodness there's a lot of planning happening this week. 🤯
CONFIRMED CLINICS with Yoann Levesque Equestrian here in NSW

Saturday 25th March
Intro to Liberty - Duffys Forest, held at Phisher Park
https://www.trybooking.com/CGRRK
https://fb.me/e/IWcKJ86E
Fence Sitter spaces remain at $55 per ticket

Sunday 26th March & Monday 27th March
Intro to Liberty - Bundanoon, held at Shibumi Equestrian Centre
https://www.trybooking.com/CGMMC
https://fb.me/e/GZMsNFAS
1 Participant Space remains for the Monday session $250
Fence Sitters most welcomed! $55

Friday 31st March
Intro to Liberty - Dural, held at Ghostwood Equestrian
https://www.trybooking.com/CGVHL
https://fb.me/e/3d7T3lFkN
Participant and Fence Sitter spaces remain

Saturday 1st April
Biomechanics of Groundwork** - Dural, held at Ghostwood Equestrian
https://www.trybooking.com/CGKNZ
https://fb.me/e/VVvDrhJz

Sunday 2nd April
Intro to Liberty - Yarramundi, held at Hawkesbury Valley Equestrian Centre
https://www.trybooking.com/CGRRV
https://fb.me/e/OysFaiye
Fence sitter spaces remain! $55 per ticket.

**prerequisite - must have Completed Clinic 1

Will we be seeing you at one of these clinics? 😉

13/03/2023

I can't put it AS clearly to my students as the master Thomas Ritter 🤭, but this is why I sometimes sound like a broken record when I teach!

Thomas' Latest blog 'Inside Leg to Outside Rein' is live over on ArtisticDressage.com

Here's a sneak preview...

We are probably all familiar with the phrase “Ride from the inside leg to the outside rein”. Teachers love to repeat it. Riders giving well meaning advice to fellow equestrians love to say: “inside leg to outside rein!” This sounds good. It sounds like they know what they are talking about. But what does it mean? Why should I ride from the inside leg to the outside rein? And how do I do that?

Big Picture
Goal
In order to make sense of the bumper sticker slogan “inside leg to outside rein” I have to make a big detour to start at the beginning and give you an overview over the biomechanics.

A good starting point is to ask ourselves: What is our dream goal in riding? Not in terms of fancy movements or going to the Olympics, but in terms of the quality of the gait? For the old masters the quality of the gait - or the purity of the gait, as they called it - was paramount. Nothing was more important than the quality of the gait because this directly impacts whether the horse stays sound or not and whether he is pleasant to ride or not.

My own personal vision of the perfect gait is that it is elastic, comfortable, round, energetic, and light. In gymnastic terms, this requires that the horse is straight, balanced, and supple. This, in turn, requires that both hind legs step far enough under the body and support the back from below by flexing their joints. If the hind legs are not flexing under the body, the back will drop, the horse will either invert or curl up, and all the roundness, lightness, suppleness, and fluffiness will go right out the window.

Obstacle
Unfortunately, the horse’s natural crookedness forms a big obstacle for engaging and flexing both hind legs underneath the body because the hind leg on the stiffer/convex side unfortunately to lag behind a little...

You can read the rest of the blog at https://www.artisticdressage.com/blog-2

09/03/2023

10 Rules for Liberty 🐴

4 weeks on the road teaching dozens of people and horses has helped clarify a great deal in my mind as a trainer and liberty artist. Below are 10 points I believe can help anyone achieves their goals…

1. Be present. Nothing outside of this moment is of consequence. ❤️

2. Dedicate every sense to gathering information about your body, the horses body, the horses movements and reactions, the environment around you. Every factor must be considered and collected to calculate your next move. 📝

3. Be neutral. Take in information you see as fact. Neither good nor bad. It is nothing more than information to be processed. 🕊️

4. Imagine every move you plan to make as a shadowed image playing out in front of you. As if viewing your life from a third person perspective. See each action in the future and combine it with the information you have gathered to make an educated prediction of what will happen next. ⏳

5. Don’t put out fires. Keep your eyes peeled for sparks. Watch your horse and memorise every tick and tell that precedes any negative reaction or outburst. See the spark and stop your ask before it’s fanned in to a flame. 👁️

6. Take small steps but don’t march on the spot. Train your horse in small manageable stages that can be easily understood and digested. But don’t become bogged down in fruitless repetition. Make goals. Log your progress to measure achievements to keep motivated. But always have a goal. If you’re failing to advance towards your goal the answers is nearly always to breakdown the sequence in your mind or by watching it on video. Pin point the moment or moments things go off course and then breakdown each signal you give and pair it with the reaction you desire. Write it down if you need to. Once you’ve found the weak point in your training, polish it up until it’s one of your strongest skills and return to the task you were failing at. But this time with the tools to finish the job. 🛠️

7. Give signals ( especially using the whip ) with the precision of a brain surgeon. Flailing and flapping is equivalent to drunken mumbling and will frustrate not educate. Flapping around like your dusting off cob webs or hammering away like a musician performing a drum role can never be precise or productive 🧠

8. You are looking for reactions. Not to complete your signal in a way that is identical to your idol / instructor or friends. Every horse is unique and will react differently. Watch the horse and stop the moment they react in a way that is positive. This is not only how we keep a horse light but also how we show the horse we see, accept and understand their “try” we appreciate their effort. 🥰

9. Doing the wrong thing calmly and confidently will offend a horse much less than doing the right thing carelessly in haste. It’s not just what you do, but how you do it. 🤔

10. Your entire body is a signal. Feet, shoulders, arms, hands, head, eyes. Everything. If possible practice some form of daily movement / exercise to build your skills in body awareness. You can’t control things you are oblivious of. Find physical interests away from horses to keep gaining mind muscle connection. Learn new skills to practice this control. Then when you train your horse you are conscious of your posture, where and when you step, the movements of the limbs not directly involved in the exercise. You must learn to be aware of and direct your body efficiently or it will constantly give signals to your horse that will be counter productive no matter if you realise or not. 💪

Let me know what you think in the comments below 👇

Photography credit to E J Lazenby Photography

09/03/2023

Words courtesy of Mustang Maddy

"Stepping into responsibility in horsemanship is really hard. When you realize you can no longer blame the horse, you have to look in the mirror…⁣
⁣
Where you may face fears of inadequacy, failure, and imperfection.⁣
⁣
But when you accept responsibility, you also begin to step into your own power and freedom. You’re no longer at the mercy of the horse’s natural tendencies (which you used to think was sass, rudeness, disrespect or just a bad horse). ⁣
⁣
You are empowered to help your horse do what you want and feel GOOD while doing it. ⁣"