A horse’s ears can feel like two small weather vanes, turning towards whatever matters most in the moment. As we approach a fence, they may point straight…
Posts
What My Horse’s Ears Tell Me When We Approach a Fence
Why a Headlamp Lives in My Tack Trunk
There are items I pack for a horse trial because someone sensible once told me to: spare gloves, safety pins, plaiting bands, electrolytes, a first-aid kit and…
When Schooling Has To Become Showing
There is a familiar point in an eventing preparation where the work in front of us changes character. At home, I can circle, repeat, rebalance, and quietly…
How I Keep My Event Horse Sound Between Competitions
Keeping an event horse sound between competitions is less about finding one perfect exercise and more about making hundreds of sensible decisions. I have…
Learning To Ride The Gallop Instead Of The Jump
There is a particular kind of anticipation that arrives before a cross-country course. It begins in the lorry park, when horses are unloading and riders are…
What to Do When Your Horse Loses a Shoe on Course
A lost horseshoe during a cross-country round can turn a confident ride into a split-second welfare decision. You may hear the sharp clink behind you, feel a…
How To Introduce A Young Horse To Its First Show
A young horse’s first show should be a carefully managed learning experience rather than a test of finished performance. The aim is to help the horse…
The Most Underrated Skill In Eventing Is Breathing
Eventing asks a horse and rider to change languages several times in one day. Dressage demands quiet precision, show jumping rewards rhythm and accuracy, and…
Why I Practice My Dressage Test in the Barn Aisle
There is nothing especially glamorous about my dressage preparation. I do not always have a freshly watered arena, a perfectly level surface, or an entire…
My competition-morning food for a focused ride
Competition mornings begin long before the first bell. At an Australian horse trial, I may be awake before sunrise, checking rugs, filling water buckets and…