Listen With EquiTeam

Liz Daniels chats to psychotherapist and teaching fellow, Hannah MacIntosh about our brains and why we find it so hard to be nice about ourselves. Have you ever finished a dressage test, lesson, or showing jumping round and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is a negative comment – don’t worry you’re certainly not alone! Hannah explains why we do this and looks at the impact on our mindset and enjoyment levels as she shares some brilliant and practical tips for helping to refocus your thoughts.

Useful links:

Hannah MacIntosh website - www.chalapsychotherapy.co.uk

Email Hannah at - [email protected]

Counselling directory - https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/hannah-macintosh

Kristen Neff website - https://self-compassion.org/

When Caeleigh Kean posted on her social media about a recent success, the start of the post caught our eye. Equiteam’s Liz Daniels chats to Caeleigh Kean about winning a sash, being crowned champions, and why she feels that good things don’t happen to people like her. Like many people, Caeleigh wasn’t in a position to buy a ready-made horse, so instead she invested in a nice youngster to produce herself. Six years later and after a lot of blood, sweat, tears, logistical struggles, and battles with her health, Caeleigh is now loving every moment she spends with the horse of her dreams.

Liz Daniels chats to International Italian Event Rider Daniel Bizzarro about his journey from Italy to England, and his desire to share his knowledge by making it widely accessible. Growing up on the outskirts of Turin, Italy, Dan began his riding journey aged nine. A few years later he was given his first taste of Eventing as a Young Rider and his desire to follow his passion was lit. In 2011, Dan left his home with his cat, horse and dog, and found himself working for a season with William Fox Pitt where he learned an incredible amount about riding, horse care and yard management. Dan is passionate about sharing his information to help riders of all levels and regularly shares information on his social platforms and through an app that he has recently developed.

If you want to find out more about Dan you can find him on the following channels:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbeventing 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danbizzarro 

Website: https://www.dbeventing.co.uk 

App: https://www.danbizzarromethod.com 

On this week’s episode, Equiteam’s Liz Daniels chats to Senga Riches, Director of All-Steps Formation Riding. Formation riding is something that the Equiteam founder knew very little about, so when Senga likened it to synchronised swimming, with horses instead of water, we were instantly intrigued. From being inspired by the Spanish Riding School, to helping with basic schooling, and assisting in confidence growth, Senga’s passion to make formation riding accessible to all is very clear. With a strong ethos on inclusivity, All-Steps Formation Riding host clinics, competitions and demos all over the UK and are looking for people of all levels to have a go. Find out more about this fascinating discipline: https://allstepsformationriding.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allstepsformation 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allstepsformationriding/

EquiTeam’s coach, Liz Daniels, chats to Louise Gillings about the relationship between a coach and rider. From being able to be honest and ask questions, to knowing when to move on, Liz and Lou draw on their own experiences from both sides of the coaching fence.

On this week’s podcast EquiTeam Liz Daniels and Louise Gillings chat about the importance of listening to your body and recognising when to take a half halt, and when to push through when the going gets tough. As Louise faces the prospect of having to admit physical defeat and the feelings of frustration that come with that, the duo draws on personal experiences as they share some of the highs and lows as ‘middle age’ starts to rear its unfortunate head!

In this week’s episode, Liz Daniels chats to Advanced Practice Pelvic Health Physiotherapist Kate Leishman about all things pelvic floor. With 1 in 2 women experiencing bladder problems, often going many years before seeking advice, Kate explains what a pelvic health physiotherapist is and why problems are more common than many people realise. Bladder weakness often leaves people feeling embarrassed, but Kate reassures us that people do not need to suffer in silence as there is lots that can be done. Kate even shares some easy to follow exercises that can help improve your pelvic floor muscles with a message to ‘clench it or drench it’.

Find out more about EquiTeam www.equiteam.co.uk 

With the Paris Olympics kicking off this week, we thought there was no better time to revisit an episode we recorded in 2023 with Super Groom to the Stars Alan Davies.

Alan Davies, the most famous groom in the world, needs no introduction - but if you have been hiding under a stone for a few years then let us introduce you to him. Alan is most famous for working alongside Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester, and really catapulted into the main stream media spotlight with the rise of Valegro - aka Blueberry. The ultimate professional, Alan has helped Team GB win so many medals that even he has lost count. In today's episode we put our EquiTeam member's questions to Alan as he shares his journey into becoming a professional groom, managing competition horses, his most memorable moments, some of the challenges along the way, and what it's like flying with horses internationally. Alan gives a taster into life as a professional and as a British Grooms Association Ambassador, Alan touches on how being a competition groom has changed as well as sharing some of his exciting plans for the future.

Confidence Camp Coach Liz Daniels, and Host, Louise Gillings, chat about confidence and if it is a feeling or a belief. They look at what confidence means to them, their experiences of seeing it in other people, how it manifests and what can happen if you have too much!   Along with confidence, the pair also recognise the importance of having the correct support team, having confidence in your coach, and taking your time to consolidate during your journey.

You can find the EquiTeam survey here - https://rebrand.ly/EquiTeam_Survey 

Working Equitation is the fastest-growing equestrian discipline in Europe, and after watching a demonstation with Sarah Vousden, Working Equitation competitor and coach, we couldn’t wait to share more with you. Sarah joins EquiTeam’s Liz Daniels as they look at the heritage of the sport, the different phases, some of the obstacles, and how people can get involved. From grassroots walk and trot, to the professionals taking obstacles at speed, (and making it look a lot easier than it is!), there is something for all levels, including in-hand training for those who would like a confidence boost before trying it ridden. 

To find out more about Working Equitation go to: https://abweofficial.co.uk/

To contact Sarah go to: https://acobandaconnie.com/home-page or follow her on social media here: https://www.facebook.com/acobandaconnie