Everything Horse UK Everything Horse Magazine, August 2018. | Page 20

Part 2: Putting the Principles into Action
The Compassionate
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ast month, we met Vikki
Jenkins, The Compassionate
Equestrian™ UK Coach and
took a look at the 25 principles
to be guided by when caring
for and working with horses, taken
from the book ‘The Compassionate
Equestrian Coach’.
This month we’re delving in a bit deeper and
focusing on some case studies to explore the
difference that Vikki’s approach is making here in
the UK.
Like the book, Vikki’s coaching is a progressive
journey. “There are no quick fixes with horses,
well at least none that are sustainable long term”
says Vikki. “My approach strips things back to the
bare foundations after which we can start a fresh,
whether that be for the horse, the rider or both.
It’s this approach that gives my clients long term,
workable solutions.”
Vikki goes on to explain that she looks at the
whole picture when she starts to coach someone
and their horse. “I look at the horse's condition
and how it is kept, what the horse is fed, how
often it is worked and what type of work, has
the horse had regular checks of
teeth, back &
tack? I also find out about the rider, how much
time they have for their horse, the rider's fitness,
lifestyle, ability and any riding goals they may
have. Once I know all of the above I work my
solutions around this, making them achievable,
manageable and fulfilling for horse and rider.
There is no point in setting unrealistic goals as
the rider will become disheartened with the lack
of progress and this frustration can easily be
transferred to the horse which, of course, leads
to more problems.”
"Horses are a
journey and we are
constantly learning
how to develop our
skills to help them"
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EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 36