My Story
 I have been riding horses for 28 years.
I have taught riders in Russia and now I live and teach in Canada.
I focus on the rider's seat
and its influence on the horse. I have a master's
degree in biology and I have studied the anatomy and biomechanics of
horse and rider. Being in North America for 17 years, I have worked with
instructors who emphasize correct seat before they ask students to perform more
challenging tasks. I use the same approach in my teaching. This gives my
students a chance to shift attention onto developing their feel, and learning
how to listen to a horse instead of ordering him around. It lays a
foundation for a beautiful partnership and trust between horse and rider.
Since I have started riding, I have felt that I'm missing something.
I was good, but not good enough. Being naturally athletic,
I have learned how to stay on a horse and influence him to some
extend. However, I saw how some riders were much better than me, no matter what
horse they rode. What did they have that I didn't?
In 1998 I had an opportunity to become a working student
for a wonderful dressage instructor, Frances Carbonnel, who
teaches in Castle Rock, Colorado. Her website is
www.classicallegacy.com.
She is one of a very few, who
focuses their attention on the rider before asking something from the horse.
Some of the things she was teaching me, such as
correct rising trot, were new and felt weird.
Everything she told me about how to ride a horse was true even though
I couldn't understand all of it then. With her help, I have
prepared and showed a 4-year old Oldenburg stallion at Training level and
we've gotten a 68% and 72% in our first show.
I have moved to Canada in 2000 and now I live in Alberta about 160 km
from Edmonton. Even
though I'm quite away from the dressage community, I have my own barn and I keep my own horses
as I've always wanted. I don't have enough opportunity to take lessons.
That encourages me to explore, study, attend seminars and clinics, and
listen to my horse. Discovering Mary Wanless' work and attending a seminar that featured one
of her students Sandy Howards from California was a major breakthrough for me.
All the pieces that I have tried to put together, all of a sudden, started
coming together on their own and slowly the path of logical riding and training
began to emerge.
I take lessons from a very talented instructor and dressage rider,
Sharon Merkel-Beattie,
from St. Albert.
The more I understand how riding works, the more fun it is to take lessons
and see horses I ride become better and better. In spring of 2007 I started
working toward my coach certification from Equine Canada. In July of 2008
I have passed all the exams. At the teaching portion of my assessment
I was praised for my teaching skills
and encouraged to develop my career as a coach. I have received a certification for
Equine Canada English Coach Level 1.
In 2013 I have received the EC/NCCP Coaching Award. My students nominated me
and submitted their stories. Some of the stories brought tears to my eyes. I was deeply touched and honored
to learn how my teaching affected their relationship with their horses, with riding in general and even with life.
I love my work. I enjoy teaching and the challenge it brings. I learn from my students
as much as they learn from me. They make me question myself and look outside the box, search for answers
to help with specific problems. We work together as a team and everyone can voice their opininon, including the horse!
My Horses
In January of 2010 I bought a youngster. He is an Andalusian-Holsteiner cross.
His name is Santo de Pequeno PT, aka Santo. I found him in South Dakota
at a family breeding farm
Prairie Thunder Ranch.
He wasn't even 3 yet, untouched and very emotional.
Santo has grown into a handsome horse. Training him has been a thrill.
Summer of 2012 was his first official show season. He did fantastic in Training Level becomig a champion
at EC gold dressage show scoring in upper 60s. Check the
photo gallery page to see him in action.
In 2013 Santo started his show season by winning every class in First Level open divison at EC gold dressage show. We had our personal best 69%. Santo is consistently scoring in mid and upper 60-s in gold shows. In 2014 and 2015 in Second level he got 65.5 and 68.5. August 2015 Santo debuted in Third level at Canadian Andalusian Nationals scoring 67.7% in test 3 and becoming Reserved Champion. Santo showed Third and started Fourth level in 2016 and consistently scored in 60-s at Gold shows. We are now working toward Prix Saint George. On May 29th 2010 I acquired another horse, a beautiful little bay filly was born. Her name is Regala. I have bred my friend's QH mare to an Andalusian stallion Merlin II of Swan Creek Andalusians. She has fun and curious personality and loves attention. She thinks work is play and comes up to me ready to go every time I step into the paddock. In 2012 Regala had received her ground work education and had a few rides. I am looking forward to training her as she is quite well put together and elegant. In summer 2013 I have bred Regala to a handsome Andalisian stallion Hablador who is sired by Invasor III. Hablador belongs to Christa Peterson. He is a young stallion and this baby is his first baby. In May 2014 Regala gave birth to a beautiful colt. His name is Arroyo and you can see his pictures on photo gallery page. In summer 2015 Regala showed for the first time ever at Canadian Andalusian Nationals. She got Reserved Champion in Training level with high score of 66%. I was so impressed with her behaviour. She took everything in stride and never lost her cool including schooling and performing in indoor arena for the first time in her life. In 2016 she showed First level with scores up to 69% and now is working toward Second level. My Teaching
I teach students of different ages and skill levels, on horses of different
breeds and abilities. Principles of riding are the same, implications may
vary depending on the rider and the horse. All my riders show improvement.
First, they learn how to
keep their own balance and not to disturb the horse.
Second, they begin to influence their mount without compromising
the balance (either theirs or horse's). It is amazing to see how horses
react when riders stop pulling on the reins, keep up with the horse and
become light and balanced. Horses start to look bigger, they move with
more energy and spring in their step. Even expression on their faces changes.
The riding concepts, such as feel, timing, thoroughness,
keeping your horse on the seat, riding from back to front etc., make so much more sense now.
Now I can see the big picture, all important pieces are in place,
only details are different. I'm not saying I know everything or can do
anything, far from that. Now I can understand my riding mistakes and
see how much depends on me. If things do
not work for whatever reason, I usually find that I am the problem. Over
and over again, I see that my horse couldn't execute my request because
either I was out of balance, or I didn't ask correctly, or I couldn't see that he was out of balance
and and so on and so on...
Irina Yastrebova, Riding Instructor and
Trainer.
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My blog is about teaching, riding and training. I share what is important to me in my work with horses and riders. The writing helps me
to think things over and have a better understanding of training ideas and priciples.
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