BY LIZ CRUMBLY
Editor
To talk with Wendy Murdoch is to be swept away on the swells of a fast-moving, but decidedly inviting, conversation about effective riding. Equestrians on Facebook have found themselves pulled into the dialogue recently as Murdoch has begun releasing bite-sized lessons on the social media platform.
A lot of her ideas center on the concept that the horse’s potential for performance is already present – it’s just up to the rider to unlock it.
“We have to tune our focus to what it is we’re looking for, because it’s there,” she explains of her general approach to teaching.
She calls her easy-to-read Facebook instructionals “Murdoch Minutes -” they’re derived from the literary material she’s been producing for much of her 30-year career as a trainer, instructor and clinician. The Washington-Va.-based professional relies on her background in biology of the equine body – she has a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in equine reproductive physiology.
HOW A MURDOCH MINUTE WORKS: Murdoch begins by asking questions of her reader:
“Do you ever find yourself scrambling to shorten your reins?” or “Do your hands lean on your horse’s mouth?”
2. Murdoch gives a brief description of what’s missing and how to fix it.
“It’s about empowering the student to be a better observer,” she explains.
3. She encourages readers to feel their way through her exercises and rely on what their horses tell them.
“The horse is the biggest biofeedback unit on the
planet,” she says.
Significant numbers
Some 5,000 users have begun expecting a Murdoch Minute release each Monday, and Murdoch is pleased with the response – posts get 100 shares regularly. These numbers are pretty significant among Facebook users marketing an equine-centric message, but for Murdoch, social media is just one more tool to reach riders who need some guidance.
“I just want that information to get out there,” she says of her Minutes – the entire collection is actually available on her website for free.
Murdoch first Minutes date back to 2005 – she pulled material from two of her books – “50 Five Minute Fixes to Improve your Riding” and “40 Five Minute Fixes Jumping to Improve Your Riding” – and also from countless articles she’s written for a host of equine publications over the years. In fact, she’s got 115 of them stockpiled.
ONLINE: wendymurdoch.com FACEBOOK: Murdoch Method LLC
Branching out
Although she’s had significant success reaching a print audience in the past, Murdoch says she recognizes that the book industry is struggling. So she’s expanding her horizons on the Internet. She’s introducing online courses this January – virtual clinic attendees can see Murdoch work with riders in real time.
“They can participate in clinics from their living rooms,” as she puts it.
She’ll have a link at wendymurdoch.com to the online course site in the near future.
Murdoch isn’t done with science either. She’s planning to be on the expo circuit this year promoting Surefoot, a product she developed, which allows horses to fine-tune their own balance by standing on specially-designed pads. More information about Surefoot is available at Murdochmethod.com.
No matter the project, Murdoch’s approach to humans and horses seems to rely on the same steady logic: the solutions are there for the unlocking.
“Everything’s there already,” she says. “You just have to notice it.”
