The Tölt Tales
Welcome to The Tölt Tales podcast.
This podcast is dedicated to our best friend the Icelandic horses. The show features interviews with breeders, trainers, riders, and enthusiasts who share their knowledge, experiences, and love for these remarkable horses.
Music by Cob
The Tölt Tales
Episode 3 - Louise Thilander
Let us introduce you to Louise Thilander for our third episode a horse geek. Louise is a professional trainer, rider and judge, she is working with icelandic horses, living with them and also breed them.
We hope you will appreciate our third episode and we are looking forward to our next episode.
You want to know more about our guest here some useful links,
Music by Cob.
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Hello everybody, and welcome to The Tölt Tales Podcast. Hello, Louise.
Louise:Hi.
Lionel:How are you?
Louise:I'm good, how are you?
Lionel:Yes, I'm good, thank you. Very excited to talk to you today. So, for the people who do not know you, what is Louise doing in our life?
Louise:There's a lot of horses in my life, and that's basically all I do. I'm a super nerd.
Lionel:It's good that you're a super nerd.
Louise:Yeah, no, but I work with horses, I train horses, I work as an instructor, so I give riding lessons, and I judge as well.
Lionel:And it's around Icelandic horses.
Louise:Yes, exactly.
Lionel:As far as I know, you studied to become an instructor.
Louise:Yep.
Lionel:Can you tell us a bit, where did you study? How does it look like to study for becoming a horse instructor?
Louise:It is through the Swedish-Icelandic Horse Association.
Lionel:Okay.
Louise:So you do these courses before, you kind of go into becoming a riding instructor. And when you've done those, it takes a few years because there need to be people arranging those courses. Okay. And then you do the riding instructor education, and there are four levels, and I'm level one. And then you need to work a little bit, and then you go up to the next level if you want to, and then you work a little bit more, and then you go to the next level.
Lionel:Right.
Louise:Yeah.
Lionel:What does it give you as a level one? You are able to instruct young riders, all types of riders, or is it about training young horses?
Louise:It is basically like I'm supposed to be able to teach most students, but mostly on like a beginner's level, and be good at that.
Lionel:And so that's what you do, because you train us, so I guess...
Louise:Yeah, I have students all the way from very young to four-year-olds, and I think my oldest student is 75. And I have both beginners and people riding on the Swedish Championships, so it's very, very solid.
Lionel:Can you tell us about since when do you ride? And since when do you ride Icelandic horses?
Louise:I've been riding my entire life, basically. I started with vaulting, if you know what that is.
Lionel:Okay, yes.
Louise:Yep, gymnastics on a horseback. And a girl in the stable who had an Icelandic horse, and he was very cute, very sensitive. No one could touch him but the owner. And I was about eight or nine. And then I, probably because I was small, but I could touch him. So I told my mom, I want an Icelandic horse. And she was like, no, because you can't do anything with Icelandic horses. You just go into the forest and you just sit on them. You can't ride them and train them. And I so badly wanted an Icelandic horse because of this horse, because he was so sensitive and he was, you know, he liked me. So I was like...
Lionel:That's a good reason.
Louise:Yeah, exactly. And then my mom told me, she was like, okay, we will get an Icelandic horse on one condition, that you train the horse properly, and you educate the horse, and you educate yourself. So you ride dressage on the horse. I was like, yes, sir. Deal. So then we bought our first Icelandic horse, and that was 15 years ago. So that's for how long I've been riding Icelandic horses, at least.
Lionel:And did you do what your mom asked?
Louise:I did.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:I did. And I had a lot of fun as well, of course. But my mom eventually realized that, okay, we need someone who knows the gates.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:We need someone who can teach the kid how to tölt. So she was like, okay, we need someone who knows Icelandic horses.
Lionel:Did you train with someone we know, like a trainer that we know, like an Icelandic?
Louise:Yes, I think so. Oliver Isobson.
Lionel:Okay, yes.
Louise:The master trainer, because my mom was very stubborn, that, you know, education, that it's, you know, you don't do anything half-hearted and you need to do it properly. Like, it's not just, you know, it's a living animal. You don't just do whatever you feel like and hope for the best. You need to at least have the intention to do the best you can.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:On all aspects.
Lionel:And is this teaching still somewhere in your brain?
Louise:Yes, I still go every year, a few times a year. He comes to Sweden, close by.
Lionel:So even as a professional in the riding industry, you're still taking lessons?
Louise:Yes, of course. It's very important to improve and to get inspired and to, you know, just get better. Yeah, because sometimes, as most of us, we work on our own in the stable, yes, with the horses. And that's also very nice, of course, because it's lovely to be alone just with the horses. But it's quite easy to just get into your own bubble, and then you kind of don't get new input from others. So it's important to train and to talk to other people.
Lionel:Yeah, I guess it's to take, to have different perspectives, and also having someone looking at you riding. It's extremely important.
Louise:Yes, very important.
Lionel:So, you're a horse woman. When is the last time you bought a horse?
Louise:Last December, I think. Yeah, December 2023.
Lionel:So a year ago.
Louise:Yeah.
Lionel:Who is this horse?
Louise:She's called Hult. She's four now, but she was three at the time. And, you know, I was not going to buy a horse, but I liked her pedigree. Do you say that? Her father, she's after Oliver Salfosy.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:And I like him a lot. And I was like, and I bought her very much on chance, you know, we didn't know anything about her. She was very bitten by the friends in the field, so she looked very ugly. But I was like, I take her and, you know, she's at least going to be a good riding horse.
Lionel:Yeah.
Louise:But she's been amazing. She's super lovely.
Lionel:Did you start with her? Or she was already started before?
Louise:No, she wasn't touched at all. So I started when I got her, I just rode her in and started training her, and she has been super amazing. So I really love her. So it was a good thing that I wasn't going to buy a horse, but still bought a horse.
Lionel:Obviously. Well, living around horse people, buying a horse is like breathing. You always need to buy a horse.
Louise:Yeah.
Lionel:Which is horse number? How many horses you have?
Louise:I have six now. Only six.
Lionel:Okay. And you promised you're not going to have a seven one, I guess.
Louise:I promised I wouldn't have a second one, but…
Lionel:But here we go at six. Yes. What is the favorite horse you ever rode in your extensive career?
Louise:I've ridden a lot of horses, and a lot of amazing horses and really good horses, but I have to be biased. I love Mowey.
Lionel:And who is Mowey?
Louise:He's my competition horse, or one of my competition horses, and he is… He's 14 now. I've had him since he was seven. And he's just amazing. He's my soul.
Lionel:A black stallion.
Louise:Yeah, very beautiful, very handsome.
Lionel:Lot of mane.
Louise:Yes, very much. You have to dig to find the horse underneath. No, but he's just amazing. And I love to train him and ride him. He's… Yeah. You know, I have no words for him because I just love him so much. And he means so much to me in so many ways.
Lionel:Yeah, I can see that.
Louise:My favorite. Yeah, I get all talking about it. I'm like, oh, I'm going to cry.
Lionel:But he's right there, like literally one minute away from me.
Louise:I look at him all the time.
Lionel:And he's looking at you as well when you ride.
Louise:I hope so. I hope so.
Lionel:Just to start to get to talk about different subjects, I usually ask, what is a day or a week of your life looks like?
Louise:Horses. No.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:A lot of horses. No, but I train horses all day. OK. And then, of course, do all the other stuff that needs to be done on a farm. Two times a week at the evening. I teach either at home or I go away. And then during the weekends, I usually go away and teach. And every other Sunday, I have training at home. And then, I judge as well. And then, sometimes, I take a free weekend.
Lionel:It happens.
Louise:Happens sometimes.
Lionel:So, you describe it a bit. You're a professional rider. You train as a judge. And you are an instructor, a trainer. Can you tell us a bit more about training? And maybe the first question is a bit broad, but why do you think training with a trainer is important for us?
Louise:Well, of course, you improve and you get better. And I think, like in every other aspect in life, when you talk to other people and you communicate, you get better. So, you don't necessarily need to have like the best of the best as a trainer. But of course, you need someone with experience or education or both, and you know, but someone you can communicate with. Because if you communicate, you get better, you find solutions, you learn from each other. Training for a trainer who lifts up the good stuff and make you a better horse person, I think that's why it's important to train.
Lionel:I see when we talk to people about that we train, the reflex of people are, oh, but I don't want to compete. Because in your description on why do we train, you didn't mention competition.
Louise:No, because I think... I'm not saying that competing is bad at all.
Lionel:No, no.
Louise:But I'm not saying that it has to be the goal for everyone. Yes. I like to compete. It's the cherry on top. But the most of our fun happens on my riding track or when I'm in the forest or when I teach. That's where the amazing stuff happens. And competing is just a small, a small part of that. If you want to compete, you kind of have a timeline, like that competition, and then you get stressed. So, it's not, you know, intentional and it's not bad at all. It's just, I think that's, you know.
Lionel:Me, personally, I train because I, first of all, I love the training aspect. But also, I like you described it. Training allows you to talk to your horse.
Louise:Exactly.
Lionel:Can you describe a bit your approach? For instance, what is the first thing you do when you meet a new équipage?
Louise:Well, I first, of course, ask them who they are and how old the horse is, five gaiters, four gaiters, and all those things. And then I ask them to show the horse, to get an idea of what it looks like at home. And then, of course, I ask them if there's anything specific that they want to train on or that they feel because it's important to train your feeling as well. So, I always ask them what do you feel? And what do you want to improve? And then I tell them, or let them show the horse. And then sometimes I try the horse.
Lionel:Okay. It's not always?
Louise:No, not always. Most of the time. But not always. It's a little bit depending on what we need to train on. Because sometimes getting up on the horse doesn't do any good, you know. It's just for me to try the horse and sit on a nice horse or feel like, okay, this is, you know. But most of the time, I need to focus on getting them together. Because I know that if I go up, I can solve the problem. But I want them to do it together. Because sometimes it's not a problem that is like stuck. It's just something that we need to twist a little bit. And change the approach a little bit. And then I, of course, take a quick look at what equipment they use, the shoeing and, you know, I take a quick look because sometimes imbalance can, you know, of course, it affects the beat and the balance in the entire horse. No hoof, no horse, like we've all heard before. But it is true. So take a quick look. And sometimes I'm just interested in seeing if they have heavier shoes, front or back, or if they have silicone and sole and stuff. So just to get an idea, because, you know, sometimes we need to change something. And I like to know, like, I like to get a big picture of what am I looking at? What do we need to do? Where do we start? And it's easier if I have all the information, it's easier for me to make an assessment and make a plan. And say, OK, this is where we start, because we can't change everything at once. But I need to know everything to be able to see where we're going to start.
Lionel:So when we talk about training, we often mention methodology or system. Do you have a system or a way to train your students?
Louise:I try to keep it as simple as possible.
Lionel:OK.
Louise:And I don't want to complicate things that doesn't need to be complicated. And I always... There was actually another person who told me this. A very wise man who said in Swedish, Så lite som möjligt, men så mycket som behövs. And it's basically translated that you do as little as possible, but as much as necessary or as much as you need. So, you know, using the good stuff or the things that you're good at to improve the bad stuff and to solve the problems and the challenges. And I always try to create positive situations.
Lionel:Okay.
Louise:Because horses have a great memory. So, if they remember that last time they went into the riding track, it was awful. They do not want to do it again. When they go out from the riding track or when you come back from riding outside, they should be like, Oh, this is a piece of cake. I can do this again. I'm the best horse in the world. You know, confident. So, I think that's kind of my system. Keep it simple, create positive situations, use the good to improve the bad, and have fun, if that's the system.
Lionel:I know that personally, if you end on a good note, the next session will be better, to make sure that the horse field is the best horse in the world. And I think it's very interesting.
Louise:Yeah, on the session, when you ride, you have to think when the horse is at its absolute best in that session, and you think that this might be the peak of this session, quit. Because if you continue, it might get better, you don't know, but if it is the peak of the session, it will just go down, because the horse will get tired, you will get tired, and then you, like, the spiral goes down, and then you have to fix it to go a little bit up before you can quit, because you don't want to quit when it goes down, and the horse just feels like, this is too much for me, this is not something I want to do again. So it's always a balance, and you need to use common sense, and there's gonna be many times that you accidentally go over the limit, and then you need to fix it before you quit.
Lionel:A bit about training, where someone will just tell you, this is my world. A bit of left, a bit of right, sit better, do this, do that, do this. Can you explain a bit, why would you not want to do this?
Louise:It's mainly because I don't want my trainer to ride through me.
Lionel:Got you.
Louise:So that's why I don't do it on to my students. But of course, there are people, mostly because we communicate, and I think that's like the main thing, communication, both with the horse and with your trainer, your ferry, your veterinarian, your physiotherapist. Nice word.
Lionel:Good job.
Louise:It's very important that you communicate, because sometimes I have students that tell me, like, I need you to go with me, hold my hand step by step, because I don't remember. Maybe they started riding late in life or they just need that. If I ride through my students, if I go with them step by step and tell them every single thing they need to do, they go home and they don't remember what to do. They remember some of the things, but then they lose some parts that are important. So I would rather have them not perfect on the lesson so that they can handle it at home, rather than having them perfect on the lesson and then almost zero at home, because they don't know what they did, because my voice was all the time there, and they didn't do anything on their own. So I think that's mainly why. I always tell or try to tell what we're going to do, why we're doing it, and how we're supposed to do it. And I guide them like, OK, remember to ride through the corners, like inside leg, outside rein, and then I remind them, but I also let them be, because sometimes I can see that, OK, this is not going to work for a very long time, but I will just be quiet, so that they feel that, OK, I needed to do something. Because then I activate the student, and then they will feel like, OK, I need to do something. And then they, you know, so we do it together. I'm not going to do it for them, but we do it together, because I want them, they don't need to be here every day. They need to come regularly, but I want them to be able to ride at home as well and get that feeling at home, and then we just work from there, and they will get better, because it doesn't matter, like I said, if you're 100% and everything is perfect, like it never is, but on the lesson, and then when you get home, it's just a mess, you know. So that's why.
Lionel:You tend to explain also, you mentioned it just now, you explain also, this is why we do this. Do you think it's important for the rider to understand why this exercise, or why do you ask to use the inside leg and the outside brain?
Louise:I think that is very important, because I think in general, knowing what to do in every situation makes you feel safe. Right. And knowing why you're doing something, because it's like in every other thing in life, like in school, when you were like a kid, some things were just really boring, because you were like, when am I ever going to use this? But the things that were interesting were the stuff like, okay, this I could use. This is something that like explains a lot to me, like why my mom is paying the bills, and you learn that in school. And knowing what to do and why you're doing it is important to feel safe and in control of the situation.
Lionel:And you can more easily repeat also, I assume, right? Why do we do this is almost more important than doing it. That way I understand what we try to achieve.
Louise:Exactly. So when you get home, you will know that I do this because this. Because if you get home, you don't know why you did a certain exercise, you will be like, you will probably not do it.
Lionel:Yes, exactly. Or reproduce and reproduce the same exercise and expect the same result, but if you don't understand why you do it, you really cannot know what is the answer.
Louise:Exactly.
Lionel:A question that I tend to ask also is like, do you have a go to exercise?
Louise:I like the basic just going forward and stopping, moving hindquarters, moving the front, which is basics, but it covers a lot.
Lionel:What does it cover?
Louise:You clean the aids, you educate the horse, you educate yourself to clean your aids, you combine the aids when you move hindquarters and the front. And I think it solves a lot of problems, because sometimes we get so focused on what is happening up here, like, okay, I don't have a clear beat in Tölt, so I need more of this or more of that. And sometimes you just forgot that, okay, that the brake doesn't work, because also, when you know something, if you've learned an exercise like leg yielding or stopping the horse, like with young horses, it's like, okay, now it knows how to stop. But if I don't do it in two weeks, you, of course, stop the horse when you go off. But you know what I mean? If you don't train it, they're going to forget. So they will stop, but maybe it takes you 10 meters to stop, instead of one meter, to just have them sensitive to the aids. And also, the rider gets more activated and more aware of your riding and your body, and you know what you're doing. Because sometimes you're telling the horse to go forward, but you're also pulling the reins or squeezing with the knees that the horse was taught to stop at. So, yeah.
Lionel:Can you tell us how important is a good seat for you and for your student?
Louise:It's very important for me because I am, of course, very, very trained in the seat from the vaulting, because you need a good seat and a good balance and body control. And then I trained a lot of centered riding. Sally Swift, her theory, which works a lot with the seat. And I think it's important, you know, you get aware of your body, you get aware of your riding, because if you, sometimes you pull a rein a little bit more, and if you don't know that, you can't do anything about it. You just feel that the horse is not doing what you want them to do, because you think you're doing something else with your body. So, just the simple... I usually let my students let go of the stirrups.
Lionel:You do?
Louise:Yeah. Most of the time, they feel comfortable doing it, and then I ask them to do that. Let them have their feet not just hanging, but having the feet like they would be in the stirrups, but they're not in the stirrups. Because then you can't push in the stirrups, because that's like a common thing, pushing a little bit in the stirrups, and then you let go with your seat bones, and then you start pulling the reins. So if you let go of the thing that makes you push from the beginning, like the stirrups, you get come down in your seat, and then you realize that, okay, like if I don't activate my core muscles and feel my seat bones, I will start pulling the reins, because I lose my balance, because I cannot push with my feet anymore. So you can just do that in walk, and then in tölt, and then in trot, because I've been trained to do it in trot.
Lionel:And you want all your students to do that? I'm particularly interested in that part. Do you want all the students to do?
Louise:Yes. Okay. It will come. No, but it is not just do it for the sake of it, but it's in the trot. Of course, have a horse that is generally easy to ride in trot, not have like the biggest trot you can find. That would be very cool, but not very smart. But it is finding your center, yeah, finding your center and your balance, like low in your belly, find your seat bones, and then get your hands free from your body and not jumping with your body. That's a very good thing. And it starts in the walk and in the tilt, because your body moves in walk and tilt as well. But in the trot, it's so much more.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:So much more. And in the canter, it's quite easy, actually, to sit, because if you have a good canter on the horse, it's easy to just follow. So that's like the easiest gait, of course, walk and then canter is quite easy as well, to sit without the stirrups.
Lionel:Yep. Am I right to say, because you talk about, we talked about seat, but you also talk about then the hands and the hands on the reins. So, pulling the reins, I guess, you don't want someone to pull too much of the reins, or understand the reins' contact.
Louise:Yep. Because if you pull the reins, well, a lot happens when you pull the reins, but when you pull the reins backwards, you kind of lock the horse in, and you kind of prevent the hind legs from going under them, because you lock the door in the front. It needs to be open to push from behind. But also, you know, having instable hands of course is pulling the mouth a little bit, like, you know, a very un-nice way. So, it's good to not have your hands pulling on the reins, and you know, and of course, that's not very nice for the horse's mouth, if you pull and make it uncomfortable for them. So, having a stable and soft hand, but still, you know, have the contact so the horse knows where you are, or no contact if that's, you know, what you prefer. But no pulling, if we can try.
Lionel:Yes, if you...
Louise:It is hard, it's harder than you think. Because this small pulling is also, you know, it's super easy, because it is... We keep our balance, like, when we lose our balance, we use our hands. You can see it on small kids. When they lose their balance, they grab with their hands. So that's what we do as well. We grab with our hands when we lose our balance. So when we lose the balance on the horseback, it can just be a little bit, you know, if the horse moves too much forward and you're not prepared, you accidentally pull the reins because you lost your balance. And the horse is not built that way. They are a flight animal. Yes. And we are predators and we grab with our hands. So when the horse, you know, from the ground is trying to flee from us, we grab, we grab with our hands and they just see us as a predator, you know, when we do that. And that's the same from the back, you know, pulling them and kind of preventing them from fleeing, you know.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:So, you know, we're kind of working from two different directions. And that's why we, because the horse did not choose to be ridden, we chose to ride them. That's why we need to work on our stuff to get better and to adjust to the horse.
Lionel:And to the horse mentality, I guess, also.
Louise:Yeah. To their nature and, yeah, make it as natural as possible as it can be by sitting on a horse.
Lionel:Yes, yes. You train a lot of tölt, I guess.
Louise:Yes.
Lionel:But do you train other gaits? And why would you train other gaits than tölt? Come on, because tölt is the best. But why would you train other gaits than tölt?
Louise:I agree that tölt is very good. Flying pace is much better.
Lionel:OK.
Louise:You're going to try that sometime as well, and I will change your mind. No, but it is important to train all the gaits, but not get too focused, because sometimes it's quite common on Icelandic courses that they have a hard time with the trot or the canter, but trot can be hard sometimes. And not focus on that, OK, I need to ride trot, I need to ride trot, because the key to trot is a really good tilt. So, you can, tilt is really good to train, because it is the key to a lot of things. You get the combination between the forward and the...
Lionel:Collection?
Louise:Yeah, exactly. And you get them between your aids, and when you get the horse between your aids, everything gets easier. But, no, it is important to train the horse different in all the other gates as well, because then they use their body. Because if you train the same way, and in the same gate, on the same place all the time, you will get injuries. So, a lot of different things, different surroundings, different ground to work on, and different work every day.
Lionel:Would you say that the gates are linked between each other?
Louise:Yes, of course, of course. It is very interesting. We can talk about it for a long time, so we'll just make it quite easy. But, if you make, there are these hoof placements.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:And if you make all the gates and you make squares, this is what we get taught when we, both writing instructor and as a judge, that's what you need to study and nerd into. But then you can see that a lot of the gates have a lot in common.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:That they have moments in the gate that all the gates have, which is quite interesting. So, they are linked together and the whole riding in one gate can affect the next one, as we all know.
Lionel:So you train riders, you also have your own horses. You starting, you ride them in as youngsters. Can you describe with you, how do you do it?
Louise:Well, it's a long way, but I, of course, start from the ground, and then you teach them to go away from pressure, to follow you. Well, the first thing is to follow you. And then you kind of teach them to release for pressure, so that they learn to move away from you, from the pressure. And that's, you know, the thing you want when you ride later, you know.
Lionel:That's the first bits that you need to know, the basic, yeah?
Louise:Yeah, and then you just basically learn them everything from the ground, and then you make them used to the saddle and the bridle and all those stuff, and then you sit on them. No, no, but it is like many things you do, but it's, when you work from the ground, it's much about first making the horse follow you, so that they feel safe and feel like, okay, this is a nice thing, a moving thing. It doesn't want to hurt me. And then you desensitize the horse, so that it's not too sensitive to movements and the rope going over the horse and all that stuff. And then you sensitize it again with the stuff that you want them to react to, like the pressure and sounds. So that's desensitizing and then sensitizing the horse again. And then when you start to sit on them, you do the same things, because they learn the signals and the aids from the ground, and then you do it from the back. Yeah, from the back. And then you just go from there, give them a lot of breaks.
Lionel:Yes, it's important. Breaks are important.
Louise:Very much. Both when in the moment, giving them breaks, but also in general, when they are super good, just let them be for a few weeks.
Lionel:Just to sit on it, or to reflect on it.
Louise:Yeah, because it's like 99.9% of the time when you take them back in from a few weeks off, they are so much better because they've processed everything, and they kind of just, you know, breathe out. Because of course, they get nervous when we work with them. It's not, you know, they can be calm, but it's a lot for them. It's not natural at all for them to be touched in that way, and to have all this stuff on them, and someone, because even if we try as much as we can to behave as horses so that they see us as a leader, but they will never see us as a horse, of course, because they can see that we're not a horse. No. So we just have to make them trust us and see that we are not a predator.
Lionel:You talk about giving horse break. Do you give your older horses break as well?
Louise:Yeah, I do. The very old ones from like 15, 16 and up, I give like active breaks. Because sometimes I feel like when you let them be completely for more than one or two weeks, they can get a little bit stiff, like with humans as well. When you get older, it's not, you know. So active breaks, which can be like fewer days a week, and then just walking them, working a lot from the ground, very much from the ground, and then maybe just having a nice sitting on them in walk in the forest, just having a nice time. So, yes, and the competition horses get breaks after competition to heal like the tendons and joints and everything, so we don't over activate them.
Lionel:During winter, do you give them more break?
Louise:No, not necessarily. Maybe like Christmas and New Year's Eve, because…
Lionel:But that's more for you, then?
Louise:Yeah, that's more for me, like a break. But no, I try to use, because of course, it's not very nice weather, and I, of course, can use the daylight. I get that when you work a normal job, if you would say that, 9 to 5. It's dark when you go to work, it's dark when you get home, the motivation isn't so much, maybe. But for me, I can use the daylight, and then I like to use the bad weather. If it is a lot of snow, I use the snow. I don't use the rain, because I don't like the rain. But so, I get why people give them more break or have like a low season during winter, which is totally fine. But I can use, or us who train horses, we can use the daylight differently. And we have different motivation, of course, because we can control our life a little bit different.
Lionel:Yes. You give lessons to students, but I know that sometimes you also take people's horses in. Can you explain the reason why, and in what case you're doing that?
Louise:Sometimes it's when someone needs help with like a problem that they can't solve on their own. So, it's usually my students' horses, so that we agree together that this would be a good plan. And then it's very different, everything from two weeks to two months, that they stay here. Sometimes, it's just, they just need a little push, a little boost. So, sometimes it's easier to just take, separate them, get the horse to one point, and then we...
Lionel:Then you educate the rider.
Louise:Put the rider in, and we mix them together. So, that's it. And then, of course, when people want their horse to be ridden in, or if they need help with something, like teaching the horse telt or something, like young horses, if someone bought a young horse, and they don't know what to do. So, yeah, that's basically it.
Lionel:You actually have a training or qualification as a judge.
Louise:Yes.
Lionel:Why did you decide to become a judge?
Louise:Because I was done with everything else. No, I've done my writing instructor, and I wanted… Well, it's mainly because I want to know more. I want to learn. I am a nerd. I want to do everything that I can, and I think it's interesting. And it's also nice to… It's a nice perspective, because as a judge, I look at different things than what I do when I teach. Yes. And sometimes it's nice to just be there and be like, OK, I don't need to fix this problem. I just need to see it and evaluate it. It's good. So, it's different, and it's nice to have different things to do while working with horses and have different things in the same area.
Lionel:Would you say that learning and being a judge helped you in your writing?
Louise:Both yes and no. It, of course, makes me more aware and that I can sort of judge myself because I know what I want and looking at. The more you know, the harder it gets, and you can kind of get stuck in your head, and then it's just both as a writing instructor and a judge. And I did both things in the same year.
Lionel:Okay.
Louise:Both education, I've been working with them like parallel. And yeah, it kind of makes you dizzy, and you're like, no, I don't know what I'm doing. I learned more, but I don't know a shit, so.
Lionel:How the training looks like?
Louise:Well, it is like with writing instructor, you do prepare with courses through the Swedish Icelandic Course Association. And then you get into the course of becoming a sport judge. And we do, we were going for almost a year, I think, having different topics, and we went through everything that you need to know, and then you get to train in between. And then you need to do this training, sitting next to a judge for a certain amount of time.
Lionel:So, you are a helper of a judge during a competition, for instance?
Louise:Yeah, sitting next to them, learning from them. So, and then you do the examination, both in theory, and then you do a practical test as well, to judge, of course. And that's it.
Lionel:And then you have a qualification as a judge?
Louise:Yeah, you get the license.
Lionel:Do you judge a specific type of competition, like sport or geringa?
Louise:It's a... I'm a sport judge, not a geringa, keppni, judge, yet. I want to do that too.
Lionel:Yeah? Is it an extra qualification? Or is it a different qualification?
Louise:It's different, because it's... They don't work together. We'll see. I want to do that too, because it would be fun, because I compete geringa as well.
Lionel:Good segue to competition. Almost it's rehearsed, it's not. What type of competition you're writing?
Louise:I write both sport competitions and geringa. And I've been doing that since I started competing. I think I started my first... Yeah, it's been ten years, almost.
Lionel:All right.
Louise:More than ten years, maybe, since my first, at least, Swedish championships. But I've competed a little bit before that, but after that, it's just been both sport and geringa kidney with the different horses.
Lionel:What kind of classes do you ride, depending on the horse, maybe?
Louise:Yeah, depending on the horse, but it's been a lot of five-gate through the years. A little bit of four-gate, but mostly five-gate and off-lock.
Lionel:You mentioned flying pace.
Louise:Yep.
Lionel:Pace race? Did you ever try that?
Louise:Yep. I've been riding every discipline.
Lionel:Okay.
Louise:So, I've been sitting in those start boxes with a very experienced horse who knew exactly what to do, and I didn't.
Lionel:So, you're hang tight?
Louise:Yeah.
Lionel:Is it that?
Louise:Yeah, you just hold the main.
Lionel:Hold for your life?
Louise:Hold the main. That's what they told me. Hold the main and just squeeze your legs in so you don't hit your knees on your way out. No, but I've done everything. Pace race, speed pace.
Lionel:What is fun? The pace or competition?
Louise:Everything. Both. I love the pace itself because it's hard to explain. It's just a feeling. It's fast, and you get this adrenaline kick, and it's amazing. And also fun to compete in it as well, because it's so... You never know. You can, of course, some horses are really good, and you know that they will always do pace, but 5Gate and pace is really... Anything can happen. It is.
Lionel:So, we're recording during the winter, and I guess you're preparing for the next competition season. Can you tell us how do you prepare for next year, and do you have a specific goal for next year's season?
Louise:Yeah, I set up goals, and I make a rough plan on what the horses need more of, and how I'm going to train them through the winter. And I work a lot on the basics. I work on the stamina on the horses, so that they are prepared and ready to go in the heat on this oval track in the summer, or spring and summer. Yeah, and I think it's good to have a plan. Not a too detailed plan, because it can get you too much into bad stuff as well, but a rough plan and a big picture of what needs to be done in the winter.
Lionel:Yeah. Is there a difference between your winter training and your summer training?
Louise:Yeah, the winter is very much the basics, just putting a lot into the horses, a lot into the bank account, and then you can take it out when you go on competition. I see the horses as a bank. You put in and then you take out. Every time you compete, you take out money.
Lionel:Well, me, I see the horses as an empty hole where you dump your money. But I guess it's a different point of view.
Louise:And then during the competition season, summer season, you just keep them happy, maintain everything, and yeah.
Lionel:You don't do too much between the competition, I guess.
Louise:No, just small adjustments if there's something that I'm like, oh, this is completely, I need to, I forgot this or this is something I really need to get into place for next competition. But if there's something huge, I'm like, okay, I make the best of it and then the winter goes to that because, well, of course, you can do changes and stuff, but I don't want to do too much during the competition season. And also because it's usually very hot as well. So you just want to keep the horses happy and free.
Lionel:Yeah. Do you have any goals for your competition season? Do you set yourself goals? I want to do those kinds of points, or I want to do this type of competition next year, or...?
Louise:I, of course, a goal is always to qualify for the Swedish Championships. Yes. That I've been, yeah, I've been there every year for many years now. So, but it's always a goal, because you always need to earn your place. And so, with Mowitz, just to get better, we didn't compete much this year, because I had both the writing instructor education and examination, and the sport judge education examination. So, I had a lot going on, and I worked a lot. I was teaching a lot, training a lot of horses, so we didn't compete much. But next year, it's, of course, competing more and improving what we've done before, getting better, new personal bests. And yeah, I always aim high. And then I'm coming out with some new horses, maybe. And hopefully, I will do a breeding assessment on the young Hult that I bought last year.
Lionel:So are you going to ride during the breeding assessment?
Louise:That's the plan. I've never done that before, so I really want to do that too.
Lionel:It is very specific, right?
Louise:It's different. But I've heard people saying that it's much more fun than competing. I have a hard time believing that because I love competing. But I definitely want to do that.
Lionel:Is it going to be the first horse that you own, that you're going to show?
Louise:Yeah. It's good to do it with my own horses first, so I don't mess up someone else's assessment. No, but it's going to be fun, different, but I want to do it.
Lionel:Talking about breeding, do you want to breed with horses having your own breeding?
Louise:I have two mares now, one of my own breeding and then huddled, of course. So, the plan is that those two will eventually become moms. I like them both a lot, so it will be fun to have something after them.
Lionel:So, I guess we can speak to you soon, and you will say, I have nine, ten horses, I guess.
Louise:That's the thing, if you don't buy more horses, you create more horses.
Lionel:That's the way to go. I hope your parents and your father don't listen to that.
Louise:No. I hope so, too. I have a lot to answer after this.
Lionel:Yes.
Louise:A lot to explain.
Lionel:Thank you, Louise, for talking to us.
Louise:Thank you.
Lionel:And thank you, everyone, for listening. We will come back next month with a new episode. In the meantime, do not hesitate to share this episode. And before leaving you, we would like to mention that you can follow us on Instagram and TikTok. You can follow Louise on Instagram. Goodbye.
Louise:Goodbye. Thank you.
