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Writer's pictureNika Vorster

The Missing Jigsaw Piece



Online Coaching


When I reflect over training a horse, no matter what the discipline, I think of the process as a jigsaw puzzle. There are various factors (each piece of the jigsaw puzzle) we need to work on separately for the final result.

These jigsaw pieces include:

  • Posture

  • Management including nutrition and turnout - 4 f’s ( mentioned in a previously blog)

    • Farrier

    • Saddler

    • Therapist

    • Vet

  • Weekly training

HOWEVER BEFORE WE START ON EACH JIGSAW PIECE WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE AIMING FOR!


We need a goal

Goals can be anything including:

  • improve my relationship with my horse

  • Start my horse under saddle

  • Improve my horse’s canter

  • Help my horse’s posture after kissing spines surgery

  • Support my horse during tendon rehab

  • Improve my horse’s condition

The list is endless!


My advice?


PICK ONE!!!

When we try and have too goals we loose track and end up not completely any!

FOCUS ON ONE AT A TIME.

You will have more chance completely all the goals if you focus on one at a time.


Once you have your goal eg. Improve my horse’s canter, you then need to look at all of the jigsaw pieces and ask yourself HONESTLY where your horse is at this present moment.


I’d like to share a case study with you..


Meet Olivia with Lance


Lance is a 7 year old Lusitano who was diagnosed with mild Kissing Spine. Under saddle his owner noticed that he was not comfortable cantering on the right rein, lacking any push and was reluctant to go forward. Veterinary intervention confirmed the diagnosis, helped him from a pain perspective and Olivia was given a basic rehab plan to get Lance back into work.

Post veterinary intervention, Olivia noticed an improvement in Lance’s way of going, however he was still struggling to lift his back and engage his core.

Olivia and Lance joined the Online coaching with Nika in January 2023 where we discussed in detail what Olivia was feeling under saddle and inhand. I further assessed Lance’s posture and together decided on a goal for the next 6 weeks.


This is what Olivia had to say about her experience with Online Coaching:


“ I’ve always enjoyed ground work, but not so much with Lance as I found him a bit lazy and resistant. Online coaching program gave us the simple repeat or patterns and a structure which enabled us understand what was wanted and so relaxed into work. Nika's prompt an incisive responses to my videos, quickly like me to huge improvement in the quality of his work. One of the biggest issues with his resistance in the first few steps of any exercise. He’s had come up his back with hollow before he raised and engaged. With need his help, I was able to help him step forwards into an exercise his back lifted, which is my aim for the course. I very much look forward to being able to put more time into this again, I’m through all the results so far. Thank you!”

Online coaching is the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Having a simple, practical and easy to follow plan every week will guarantee you the results you are looking for.


If you are interested in online coaching, let’s connect!



Or click on the link below:



With Love,


Nika x


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