Nia is an Equine Nutritionist and Podiatrist with a particular interest in species appropriate feeding and management of the horse for optimum health and performance. She is a Director of Finer Forage, a natural horse food and supplement company. She is also a tutor at Areion Academy where she teaches equine nutrition, and co-owns Pony Pedicures with Ali.
www.areion.co.uk/een
www.finerforage.com
www.facebook.com/equineandpetnutrition
Ali is an Equine Podiatrist, working with Nia and Harriet at Pony Pedicures. He has a particular interest in the rehabilitation of hoof pathologies and believes that rebuilding the hoof structures to improve function, comfort and performance is usually possible when a whole horse approach is employed, by working collaboratively with other professionals such as physiotherapists, nutritionists and vets.
www.ponypedicures.com
www.facebook.com/ponypedicures
Harriet is a horse trainer focussing on harmonious partnerships and healthy biomechanics and is passionate about rehab work and holistic horse care and management. She is also an Equine Podiatrist working with Ali Taylor at Pony Pedicures and runs her own business H&H training and hoof care.
https://www.facebook.com/Horses.Hattie

This is an audio version of the blog post 'Learning in the ugly zone: the importance of play and exploration.'

The out-take at the beginning is Snoopy (my border collie) helping me by highlighting play and exploration with his 'squeeky piggy' Christmas present.
The full blog post including the diagramme of the Ugly Curve can be found on the Dynamics Coaching website by following this link https://dynamics-coaching.com/articles/learning-in-the-ugly-zone/
Dynamics Learning (ugly) Curve (Davies and Davies, 2019)

The dynamics challenge-performance learning curve, adapted from Davies and Davies (2019) is an ecological dynamics model of optimal challenge for learning. It is based on the self-organising properties of movement dynamics (e.g. Kelso, 1984) the ‘cusp catastrophe model’ (Thom, 1923; Hardy & Fazey, 1987) the ‘challenge point framework’ (Guadagnoli & Lee, 2004) and Dave Alred’s (2015) concept of the ‘ugly zone’..

Show notes to follow.
My fabulous guest, Dr Gal Ziv can be found on Research Gate at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gal-Ziv
'Gal's main research interest is the role of attention and perception in human performance of motor skills. Specifically, he is interested in the role that visual attention plays when learning complex skills such as flying an aircraft or performing surgery.'

This is the paper that inspired me to connect with Gal for a conversation about his research (open access) - An embodied and ecological approach to skill acquisition in racecar driving.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1095639/full

In this episode we revisit the importance of considering where an athlete or learner is focusing their attention and why focus of attention is so important for skill acquisition, retention, and transfer.
My guests bring the topic to life with an overview of the research literature to date. We also discuss some of the challenges of research, application to practice and why this area is so important for coaches to be aware of.
Findings in the 'focus of attention' literature for the benefits of an 'external focus' has been one of the most replicated phenomena in sports science. But, is it that simple? More recent research is challenging the simple internal vs external focus dichotomy and looking at what perceptual information might be most important for the performer to be attuning to.
We also discuss the importance of researchers learning from practitioners.
My guests on this episode are Dr Vicky Gottwald and Dr Robin Owen.
Vicky Gottwald
X @GottwaldVicky
University profile
https://www.bangor.ac.uk/staff/spss/vicky-gottwald-016917/en
Robin Owen
X @RobinOwenPsych
University profile
https://www.hope.ac.uk/si/dr-robin-owen.html
Useful Links
Gottwald et al, (2023). Every story has two sides: evaluating information processing and ecological dynamics perspectives of focus of attention in skill acquisition

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1176635/full
Harnessing the power of attention: Exploring 'focus of attention' theories, practice, and myths. In book: Myths of Sport Performance (Due in Spring 2024). Publisher: Sequoia.
Draft version: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377416924_Harnessing_the_power_of_attention_Exploring_'focus_of_attention'_theories_practice_and_myths

In this episode, I catch up with someone who is very much a practitioner for a wonderful conversation about his thoughts and reflections on the history and future of dressage. Georges shares his incredible experience, philosophy and opinions with candour, warmth, humour, and a great love of horses shining through the conversation.
This episode is filled with a wonderful mix of personal stories and practical advise for improving your riding and relationship with your horses. All of this is underpinned by a passion for ensuring that equestrianism seriously tackles the current issues facing horse welfare.
This is the link to the research paper about conflict behaviours in dressage https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787822000843?fbclid=IwAR2S3rt9_0CnpuMoU2um2_pJ4ZwLPCHXTWa-k3k_1LidixPQB2YuJkLS7B4
About Georges and Carreg Dressage.
"HORSE & RIDER IMPROVEMENT
With over 35 years of experience of successfully progressing many horses and riders, Georges Dewez has a tremendous depth of both practical and academic knowledge – enabling you to take your riding to the next level.
LIGHT, FORWARD & BALANCED
The proof of our approach is the trademark of Carreg Dressage – happy horses with an ability to show expressive and gymnastic paces whilst moving correctly over the back.
IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
We are fortunate to be based in the UNESCO recognised Dyfi Biosphere in mid-Wales. Our ethical and organic principles ensure that we minimise our impact on this land, and provide a sustainable resource for our equestrian business."

Find Georges on Facebook
The Carreg Dressage Website at https://www.carregdressage.co.uk/