There are things I remember clearly from horse trials: the sound of hooves on the start box ramp, the sudden quiet before entering the dressage arena, and the…
Posts
Why I Always Pack a Spare Pair of Breeches
How I Use Visualization Before a Jump Round
Before I enter a show-jumping arena, I spend time riding the course in my head. This does not replace schooling, course walking, or paying attention to my…
Lessons From the Horse Who Hated Loading
There are horse trials where the memorable moment is a perfect flying change, a clean cross-country round, or the sort of show jumping finish that makes…
My reliable hip stretches after a long day in the saddle
Riding can leave my hips feeling wonderfully worked and strangely stuck at the same time. After a dressage school, a jumping session, or a full day at a horse…
What the dressage judge really wants to see
Dressage can feel like the most exposed part of an eventing competition. In the jumping phases, a horse’s effort is visible in a single bound, while…
The Art Of Walking A Course Without Overthinking
Walking a cross-country or show-jumping course can feel like a quiet test before the real test begins. The arena is empty, the fences are standing, and there…
Why I Switched to a Different Type of Girth
For a long time, I treated the girth as one of those pieces of tack that deserved attention only when something was obviously wrong. I cared about saddle fit,…
How to Recover from a Cross-Country Runout
A cross-country runout can feel enormous in the moment. The horse has left the line, the rider is suddenly outside the planned route, and every second seems to…
What My Grand Prix Rider Friend Taught Me About Basics
There is a particular kind of magic in watching a Grand Prix rider school a horse. The movements look polished, the decisions seem immediate, and every…
The day my horse knew better than I did
There are moments in eventing when a horse teaches you something so clearly that you cannot explain it away as luck, instinct, or a conveniently good result.…