Obedience is often described as a horse doing what the rider asks, but the best examples feel more like a quiet conversation. A light aid produces a prompt…
Posts
Practising gait transitions for a more obedient event horse
Why a spare bridle buckle belongs in every eventing kit
There are glamorous parts of eventing: polished boots, a plaited mane, the atmosphere of the start box and that wonderful moment when horse and rider settle…
Cooling a Sweaty Horse Safely in Hot Australian Weather
A horse finishing a cross-country round in Australian summer can look as though someone has turned on a tap. Sweat darkens the neck, foam gathers beneath the…
How to Organise a Group Clinic with a Local Eventer
A good clinic can feel like a mini horse trial without the pressure of a prize-giving. Riders arrive with different goals, horses bring their own opinions, and…
What A Horse’s Expression After A Clear Round Means To Me
After a clear round, I often remember my horse’s face before I remember the time, the placing, or the number of jumping penalties on the scoreboard. There is a…
Why I Use A Calming Supplement Only On Certain Competition Days
There is a particular kind of tiredness that arrives before an eventing day has properly begun. I may have packed the gear, checked the weather, loaded the…
How to keep your hands still during a flying change
A flying change can make even a confident rider feel as though every part of the body has suddenly become visible. The horse needs a clear change of balance,…
The Moment I Knew My Horse Trusted Me Completely
Some mornings begin quietly. The yard smells of dew and warm hay, the kookaburrs are doing their early-morning rounds across the gum trees, and your horse…
Introducing Your Horse to Ditch and Bank Combinations on Cross-Country
Ditch and bank combinations have a way of stopping even experienced riders in their tracks the first time they appear on course. You walk the route, spot the…
Why I Walk the Last Three Cross-Country Fences Backwards
There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over a cross-country course when the last horse has gone through the cool-down and the jumpsitter is winding…