A busy warm-up ring can make even a reliable horse feel as if the whole world has changed. Horses are sensitive to movement, noise, tension, and proximity,…
Posts
A calmer warm-up ring starts long before show day
Why Weather Belongs in My Competition Checklist
I always check the weather before a competition because the forecast affects nearly every decision I make at a horse trial. It changes what goes into the…
When the saddle stopped feeling like home
There are changes in a horse’s way of going that announce themselves loudly. A refusal, a dramatic spook, a hollow back, or a run of rails down can make a…
What A Horse’s Whinny Says About Its Mood
A horse’s whinny can sound like a simple greeting across the field, yet it carries much more information than volume alone suggests. The pitch, length, rhythm,…
How Counting Canter Strides Calms My Eventing Nerves
Eventing asks my brain to process a remarkable amount of information at once. I need to remember the dressage test, feel whether my horse is supple, judge the…
Riding the Horse Beneath You
A warmblood and a Thoroughbred can both become extraordinary eventing partners, yet they often ask different questions of the rider. The contrast is not simply…
Why good cross-country boots are worth every penny
Cross-country is the phase of eventing that makes me feel most alive and most aware of every decision I have made before leaving the start box. The rhythm is…
What a stopped horse taught me about eventing
There is a particular kind of silence at an eventing start box. The announcer has called your number, the cross-country timer is ready, and the horse beneath…
The value of walking the course twice with a friend
There is a particular kind of quiet concentration that settles over a cross-country course before the start of a horse trial. Jumps stand bright against the…
Resetting After A Disappointing Dressage Score
A low dressage mark can follow you around the showground. It appears on the sheet in black and white, while your memory supplies every detail: the hurried…