Working Out Loud

Today, in english lesson, we have received an intervene who met us with the idea to talk to us about the Working Out Loud Concept. 
Before this intervention, I didn't know it at all and I was pleasantly surprised by this concept which is something very useful for each one of us who wants to develop his project.

According to wikipedia the definition of Woking out loud would means working in an open, generous, connected way so you can build a purposeful network, become more effective, and access more opportunities. 

This concept is a balance between giving and receiving. 

It works by making connection with people on social network from all around the world who could be potentialy useful for your project. The exchanges between you and others are the reason which can lead a positive impact on the realization or your project because others can help you to have an other point of you on the treated project, they can fill out it or confirm what you do is great. It's a common work, without others in business world the project makes no sens so you become nobody and your project will never come into the world. The costumer is the king and if we don't satisfy his needs and his desires it can't work for us. He is the functional key of our business. 

Citation related to the Working Out Loud concept: 
"Study the past if you would divine the future.” Confucius

What do you think about it? Does it seem a pertinent way to improve your network and realize your project? Have you other methods which could help people in the carrying out of their projects? 
Thank to all!

Teos : my horse

I have always dreamed in my life to have one day my own horse.

I'm native from Alsace (East of France) and by moving to Auvergne my parents told me I could realize my dream. The move created some psychological trouble which made I stopped my studies this year. I felt uproot and lost in my life. The idea of having my horse in a close future had been very beneficial for me in my personal reconstruction.
I searched a lot before finding mine. Then, I found an announcement for a horse which were located in Angers in France. I had a crush on him directly by seeing him on the announcement. He presented all the characteristics I wished for my future horse: chestnut, white marking on four legs and a special blaze on his face and was made to do jumping, the discipline I like.
I decided to show the announcement to my parents to tell them it was this horse I wanted and the adventure began.

One day, we took the car to Angers in order to meet Teos and his old owner.
First of all, I met Teos and take a time to enter in connection with him. Then, we made the tidiness before mounting on his back. We put the necessary equipment on Teos : saddle carpet, saddle and bridle and me, I have just to put my helmet because I have already worn my specific equipment.
We led to the carrer, place where we ride horses. I began by warming up Teos in the three speeds (walk, trot, gallop) in order he will be ready for the second part of the work which consisted to jump.
I remember the jump time was not a jollification... He was trained to jump like a steeplechase horse  (horse racing) and horses who are chosen for that type of competitions don't jump the same way than the ones who are doing jumping competitions. The first ones jump have a lack of technical nature in the way they jump: it means when they arrive towards an obstacle they just jump the way it arrives whatever if it comfortable for the horse rider (it is sometimes a little bit freestyle) whereas for jumping competitions the horse has to pass his back up in order to jump the obstacle by rounding him off.  It is the optimal position for a horse and his horse rider to jump an obstacle correctly and in the best security conditions in order to take the most height and not making errors.

After that time of jump I was not sure I will bring him with me to Auvergne even he was adorable. When I went back to the stable, we took of the horse equipment and the owner told me : "Bring him to the field without holding the halter thong, you will see he will follow you!".
After he gaves me that information I tried and Teos have exactly had this attitude! It was so magic, not so much horses follow people in that way. I told myself at this moment, this horse has definitely something special and even if there was work to bring him in the good way to obstacle, I didn't care. He was young and it is a thing which can change whereas the comportement, the soul of a horse is unique.

One months later, he was in a stable in Cusset near Vichy and this wonderful adventure started from that time. It takes a lot of time to take care of them, to train them but you don't regret if you are passionate because horses give you back so much in return of our investment that you forget the amount of time you spend in this activity whereas you could put that time in others.
It is just a life choice, choice defines according to what matters to me!

Can horses recognize people and voices?

A study was made to know if horses recognize people and voice people they rub shoulders with frequently or not. To sump up, researcher work on the fact horses can or not make the difference between somebody they know and someone they don't know.

From that study it results that when a horse is in front of two people who are calling him, the horse turn his head to the side of the familiar voice and so towards the familiar face. He is not interested at the first time by the unfamiliar people. So we can consider them very grateful and smart.
If the unfamiliar person use his voice to catch the attention of the horse, it will take a longer time to achieve to interest the horse and when it is the case, the horse will take a look at him just for a briefly moment...

According to that study, mares performed the recognition task better than geldings.

To conclude, horses make people seem important if they are familiar to them and in the other case it will take time it needs to take up an important place in the heart of the horse. It explains the really beautiful relations it can exist between a horse and his rider.

When I take on board what it is said in that article I can do a coming closer with the relation I maintain with my horse. My horse is grateful by period of time. There are period he will be very happy to see me. He shows me that by a whinny when I just go out from my car, I park not far from the box, and this whinny means "Hello, I'm happy to see! Come see me and look after me pleaaasee!!" So cute. But other time he doesn't care when I come visit him. He just look after his food and doesn't want I interrupt him in his occupations.
I have nothing to complain about, he is all the same a very grateful horse and I won't exchange him for nothing else in the world.

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/articles/31849/can-horses-recognize-people-and-voices

Troxel helmet in the USA vs GPA helmet in France

Troxel, born in 1898, is the pioneer brand in terms of horse rider's helmet in the USA. They have already provided over 3 millions equestrian helmets to the equestrian market.They sold as a brand-name second by the distribution of light-weight vented helmet by its innovative design and by working with physician who insure the development of safety helmet which are made to protect horse riders from specific falls, studied by physician precisely. This aspect reinforce the legitimacy of those products.

In France, the leader firm of equestrian helmets is the GPA brand. It is considered as the precursor in that field. Their products range complies in new european requirements and are really appreciated for their design, lightness and comfort.

What is the importance to wear a helmet when you are riding a horse?

Horseriding is a dangerous sport.

Its dangerousness is related by different facts.
When a rider mount a horse he can find itself to a height which can reach 13 ft (4 meters) up.
Originally, the horse is a wild animal. Even if he has been domesticated he kept its primary instincts : horses have a fearful nature so as soon as they are afraid they just take flight. They are speed animal and unpredictable.
All this made this sport one of the most dangerous because the rider has not all the power of the action. He has to deal with the reaction of its horse.

The two disciplines where risks are more important are racing and eventing in which cross-country discipline is practiced.

According to an article from "riders4helmets", 75-80% of head injuries occur during the rider is on the back, and more specially on the saddle, of the horse.
Head injuries are the number one reason for hospital admissions and the leading cause of death in the practice. According to NEISS data 2007, on 78, 279 people who were to the emergency, 15 percent of those injuries are head injuries. Over 100 deaths per year are estimated to result from equestrian related activities, with 10-20 times as many head injuries occurring for each fatality.

The Equestrian Medical Safety association recommends to wear a helmet during the practice of horse-riding. This one has to be certified ASTM/SEI (american official norm), has to be properly fitted and has to present a security harness.
Around 60% of deaths in the equestrian world are due to head injuries. Wearing that specific kind of helmet allows to prevent death and reduce the severity of head injuries sustained while riding.

For more informations on horse rider's helmet, you can read the article on which I based my writing:
http://www.riders4helmets.com/2011/02/equestrian-sport-statistics-facts-what-you-should-know/

That picture can not be more representative of horse falls and shows the interest of wearing a certified  horse rider's helmet

The basics of horseriding

Horseriding is one of the rare sport which is practised by two by forming one entity. It is the union of  a human (a rider) and an animal (his horse) which move together in total harmony to the liking of the horse members' flapping.

The main attribute of the horse and the horserider:

• Horse equipment:

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- the saddle : it is the seat on which the rider sits during the ride.
- the stirrups : there are the orifices in which riders put their feet in it to be balanced on the horse.

- the bridle : it is the harness which allows to the rider to drive his horse

- the saddle carpet : it is a piece of fabric which is put under the saddle during the ride in order to avoid the friction of the saddle on the back of the horse.

• Rider Equipment:

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- the riding hat : it is a head protection which allows to protect the rider in case of fall

- the riding breeches: it is the trousers which allows to people to ride in an optimal comfort.

- the boots : it is one of the master piece of the rider because without them riding can be complicated. Their soles and heels allows to have a better adhesion to the stirrups and like they are rising they protect the rider's calf from friction.

- the horsewhip: it is a long and fine piece of plastic which allows to correct the horse when he doesn't listen to you and when he becomes dangerous. This element of the horserider is to use very carrefuly. A horse is not a toy.

The equestrian disciplines the most practiced and the most known:

- CSO (Jumping Competition) :

It is a sequence of obstacles, realized in a career which is a close outdoor structure. The couple rider/horse has to cover that obstacles course in a definite order, without touching bars and with the better time possible.

- Dressage : 

The couple rider/horse has to do some compulsory figures which allows to show the taming quality of   his horse.

- Cross-country :

That equestrian discipline consist of passing over massif natural obstacles on natural ground, always in a definite order and in the shortest time possible.

It is the most dangerous equestrian discipline because the obstacles are fixed and robust so if the horse comes badly, it is the horse which will fall with the rider and not the opposite...

My year project in Master Sport Innovation Management and Engineering Project

As part of my STAPS course, we have to find and create our own project in order to learn to manage correctly a project from its begining to its end.
I'am a horserider so ideally I would have wanted to develop something in the horse field. I had the luck to can! So glad!

At the beginning of the month of September, I had an accident with my horse. He just hindered himself and brought me to the floor with him. I had a real physic and emotional shock further to that.
Fortunately, I was wearing a riding hat which has really cushioned the impact on my head.
After that accident, I told myself there is something to improve in terms of security products in the equestrian world. That's the little story, the triggering factor which turned us towards our current project.

The idea was to find a system which allows to protect the whole body of the riders in order that there is no more bodily traumatism during the practise.
We have 6 months to work on the project so we decided to look at it again to simplify it: 6 months is not enough to do a such project and we are not engineer in biotechnology...

We read some bodily traumatism study report in horseriding to discover which part of our body is the most expose in case of fall.
The report has showed us it was essentially the head and the neck so we just tried to find an other way to protect this part of the body. After reflexion, we found the idea of reinforce the hull of the riding hat with an airbag as well as the neck ...    We just want riders could practise horseriding in better conditions.