Keeping an event horse sound between competitions is less about finding one perfect exercise and more about making hundreds of sensible decisions. I have…
Posts
How I Keep My Event Horse Sound Between Competitions
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…
The Morning Routine That Sets Up a Good Show Day
A good show day rarely begins when the truck rolls through the gate or the horse enters the warm-up. It starts earlier, in the quiet hours when the yard is…
Choosing The Right Bit For Your Horse’s Mouth
Selecting a bit is less about finding the strongest piece of equipment and more about matching the horse’s anatomy, training, temperament and the rider’s…
The Quiet Pride Of A Clear Cross-Country Round
A clear cross-country round rarely arrives with the dramatic finish that fills a photographer’s frame. There may be no rosette lifted above a smiling face, no…