A dressage test can feel strangely personal. You ride down the centre line, salute, and spend several minutes presenting your horse to one person sitting in a…
Posts
When a dressage judge looks bored
Why a handful of hay can settle a nervous horse
A nervous horse can turn an ordinary moment into a full production. The float arrives, the saddle comes out, or a new horse walks into the yards, and suddenly…
The Simple Way I Check My Stirrup Length Before a Test
Before a dressage test, I want as few decisions as possible between leaving the warm-up and riding down the centre line. My horse has enough to think about, I…
What a Start Box Taught Me About Riding Through Fear
There are horses that prance into the start box as if they have been waiting all day for the countdown. They step between the rails, glance towards the first…
How To Build A Season Plan Without Burning Out
A full eventing season can look wonderfully simple on a calendar. Add a few dressage days, choose some horse trials, book lessons, and aim for a personal best…
Why I Love Riding in the Rain at a Horse Trial
Rain changes a horse trial from something polished and predictable into something honest. The arena darkens, the warm-up becomes a patchwork of puddles, and…
Staying With a Powerful Horse Through Core Strength
A powerful horse can make every part of eventing feel larger. The stride covers more ground, the jump arrives with greater force, and a small shift in the…
The cross-country walk that saves me time
I used to think a cross-country course walk was mainly about seeing the fences in order. I would arrive with a plan, follow the marked route, and hope that the…
The Barn Notebook: A Better Record Of Every Ride
A barn notebook can become one of the most useful pieces of equipment in your tack room. It does not need leather covers, colour-coded tabs, or perfectly…
Why I Blanket My Horse Differently in the Fall
Autumn is the season when I stop treating the temperature on the weather app as the whole story. A cool morning can become a bright, warm afternoon, while a…