notice board

Contents About SDRC Notice Board Training Competitions
	Sponsored by SDRC Emile Faurie And his horses At Walford & North Shropshire College , An Evening with Emile Faurie I arrived at Walford at 2.30 to find everyone was already hard at work. We put out the chairs, built the barrier between the arena and the audience, roped off the horse walk, put up tables and displays, rearranged the barrier, adjusted the roped off area, changed the tables around re-did the displays and checked the signs on the road. We then sat down and had a picnic. We all contributed some food and/or drink and I think we had enough to feed the whole club! It was wonderful. We were all feeling mellow and rested when we heard the most enormous horsebox drive into the yard.Trying to seem ‘cool', we all excitedly went out to see the horses being unloaded. There were four horses, which were quickly settled into stables for a rest. One of the horses was only a baby and had never been in such a scary place before so she was ridden into the school so that she could get used to it when it was empty. At 6.30 people started to arrive and we were glad to see so many familiar faces. The evening started of with the baby horse being ridden by Emile's pupil. The horse had only been backed 8 weeks before and was not happy with all the people. Emile's philosophy is not to get cross when things go wrong, but to try again until it goes right and then praise the horse. This worked and by the time her session was over, the mare was going past the audience much more happily. The second horse made quite an entrance. He reared, broke free from Emile's head girl, hurtled around the arena and headed for the door. Liz was manning the door and he skidded to a halt in front of her and reared again. Liz told him ‘not to do that in front of me' and he stood quietly as Emile retrieved him. Mind you, the tone of voice Liz used, I would have stood quietly too! Emile then told us that the horse was a stallion, and needed to be ridden quite differently to other horses, as stallions can resent and resist the leg. All through the evening Emile explained what he was doing and why. He talked about feeding and training and answered questions. During the interval we held a raffle, which raised over £300 for the Emile Faurie Foundation, which introduces under privileged children from deprived areas to horses. This has a dramatic effect on their behavior and self esteem. After the interval Emile rode a mare he had only had in his yard for about a week. He wasn't sure what stage it's training it was at and so he was asking, and seeing how much she understood. This was a fantastic display of horsemanship, as he seemed to get inside the horse's head and put her at ease very quickly. She tried her heart out and was so keen to please him that I think everyone would have liked to take her home. The last horse Emile rode was his grand prix horse. We weren't sure what to expect, as he had to leave the arena to get on! When he came back in, Emile told us that the horse was an absolute ‘screw ball', his words, not mine. Emile explained that he was teaching the horse one time flying changes. He had ‘only' been able to do a maximum of 9. The horse obviously realised he was in front of a class audience because he did 15 one time changes in a row and was so pleased with himself he felt the need to shoot sideways, plunge and snort, something he did quite often. Especially when Emile wasn't expecting it. Unfortunately I am dreadful at remembering names and was so busy watching I didn't take notes so I apologise for not naming the Emile's pupil or the horses. I do remember that his head girl is called Kelly.We had a fantastic evening. Everyone I have spoken to who was there has said that they left inspired. No reports of flying changes have been received though! Thank you to everyone who helped set up, clear away, steward and sell raffle tickets. Special thanks to those who weren't able to stay for the demo. We couldn't have done it without you all.
EditRegion5
back to top

Sponsored by SDRC

Emile Faurie

And his horses

Walford & North Shropshire College ,

An Evening with Emile Faurie

I arrived at Walford at 2.30 to find everyone was already hard at work. We put out the chairs, built the barrier between the arena and the audience, roped off the horse walk, put up tables and displays, rearranged the barrier, adjusted the roped off area, changed the tables around re-did the displays and checked the signs on the road.

We then sat down and had a picnic. We all contributed some food and/or drink and I think we had enough to feed the whole club! It was wonderful. We were all feeling mellow and rested when we heard the most enormous horsebox drive into the yard.Trying to seem ‘cool', we all excitedly went out to see the horses being unloaded.

There were four horses, which were quickly settled into stables for a rest. One of the horses was only a baby and had never been in such a scary place before so she was ridden into the school so that she could get used to it when it was empty.

At 6.30 people started to arrive and we were glad to see so many familiar faces.

The evening started of with the baby horse being ridden by Emile's pupil. The horse had only been backed 8 weeks before and was not happy with all the people. Emile's philosophy is not to get cross when things go wrong, but to try again until it goes right and then praise the horse. This worked and by the time her session was over, the mare was going past the audience much more happily.

The second horse made quite an entrance. He reared, broke free from Emile's head girl, hurtled around the arena and headed for the door. Liz was manning the door and he skidded to a halt in front of her and reared again. Liz told him ‘not to do that in front of me' and he stood quietly as Emile retrieved him. Mind you, the tone of voice Liz used, I would have stood quietly too!

Emile then told us that the horse was a stallion, and needed to be ridden quite differently to other horses, as stallions can resent and resist the leg.

All through the evening Emile explained what he was doing and why. He talked about feeding and training and answered questions.

During the interval we held a raffle, which raised over £300 for the Emile Faurie Foundation, which introduces under privileged children from deprived areas to horses. This has a dramatic effect on their behavior and self esteem.

After the interval Emile rode a mare he had only had in his yard for about a week. He wasn't sure what stage it's training it was at and so he was asking, and seeing how much she understood. This was a fantastic display of horsemanship, as he seemed to get inside the horse's head and put her at ease very quickly. She tried her heart out and was so keen to please him that I think everyone would have liked to take her home.

The last horse Emile rode was his grand prix horse. We weren't sure what to expect, as he had to leave the arena to get on! When he came back in, Emile told us that the horse was an absolute ‘screw ball', his words, not mine.

Emile explained that he was teaching the horse one time flying changes. He had ‘only' been able to do a maximum of 9. The horse obviously realised he was in front of a class audience because he did 15 one time changes in a row and was so pleased with himself he felt the need to shoot sideways, plunge and snort, something he did quite often. Especially when Emile wasn't expecting it.

Unfortunately I am dreadful at remembering names and was so busy watching I didn't take notes so I apologise for not naming the Emile's pupil or the horses. I do remember that his head girl is called Kelly.We had a fantastic evening. Everyone I have spoken to who was there has said that they left inspired. No reports of flying changes have been received though!

Thank you to everyone who helped set up, clear away, steward and sell raffle tickets. Special thanks to those who weren't able to stay for the demo. We couldn't have done it without you all.