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Research article2022Peer reviewed

Instructing Equestrian Feel: On the Art of Teaching Embodied Knowledge

Lundesjo Kvart, Susanne; Melander Bowden, Helen

Abstract

This study explores the instruction of equestrian feel as an interactional accomplishment. Equestrian feel is an embodied knowledge encompassing riders' ability to feel the horse's actions and to act appropriately. Building on ethnomethodological and conversation analytic analyses of video-recordings of riding lessons, we explore how equestrian feel is instructed in interaction between riding teachers and students. The results show how teachers use verbal resources, e.g., metaphors, to describe embodied feel, as well as perceptual resources that are made relevant by orienting to the horse's body as a semiotic field. Moreover, the teachers produce online instructions in the shape of directives, metaphorical vocal descriptions, and embodied demonstrations, thus molding the equipage by bringing attention to different aspects that together shape an embodied experience. In all, the study sheds light on communicative practices during riding lessons and on the interactional work involved in the art of instructing embodied knowledge.

Keywords

Embodied knowledge; equestrian feel; ethnomethodological conversation analysis; instruction; molding; multimodality

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
2022, Volume: 66, number: 2, pages: 290-305
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

    Sustainable Development Goals

    Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Didactics

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2020.1869076

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/110360