A clear round starts long before I pick up the reins at the in-gate. For me, visualisation is the quiet work of walking through the course in my mind, noticing…
Posts
How I Use Visualisation to Ride a Clean Show Jumping Round
What A Spooking Horse Taught Me About Partnership
There are rides that look successful from the outside and rides that change something quietly inside you. The latter may involve no ribbon, no perfect score…
The Best Way to Practice Flying Changes at Home
Flying changes can look like a single polished movement, but the change of leg is only the visible part of the exercise. Underneath it sit balance,…
How to Keep Focus When Your Friends Are Watching
There is a particular kind of pressure that arrives when the people in the rail-side seats know you well. They have seen your horse spook at a plastic bag,…
Why I Always Thank My Ground Crew After a Run
When I finish an eventing round, the first people I look for are rarely the judge, the photographer or even my friends gathered beside the arena. I look…
The Difference Between A Good Trot And A Competitive Trot
A good trot can feel pleasant, balanced and reliable. The horse moves forward without rushing, the rider stays comfortably in the saddle, and the pair can…
Choosing Cross-Country Gloves That Keep Your Grip Secure
Cross-country riding asks a great deal from a pair of gloves. You need enough grip to stay connected to the reins over a drop, through water, and across a long…
What my first three-day event taught me about pacing
Before my first three-day event, I thought pacing meant deciding how quickly to ride cross-country. I pictured a stopwatch, a minute marker and a sensible…
Why I Schedule a Rest Day Even When We Feel Ready
There is a particular moment before an event when everything begins to feel possible. The horse is moving well, the transitions are prompt, the jump sessions…
When My Horse Took Me Around the Course
There is a particular kind of silence that settles over an eventing course before the first horse leaves the start box. The warm-up is full of movement and…