The most useful riding advice I have received was also the simplest: make the turn smaller in your mind, but bigger with your body. When a horse loses…
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The Best Advice I Got About Riding a Slippery Turn
How to Stay Positive When the Dressage Arena Feels Tiny
There is a particular kind of nerves that appears when a dressage arena looks smaller than it did at home. The letters seem to have moved closer together, the…
What My Horse’s Ears Tell Me When We Approach a Fence
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…
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…