There's a moment just after the beeper goes off and you've slowed your horse to a walk where the world feels different. Your pulse is still hammering, your…
Posts
Rewarding your horse after a good run
Finding A Quiet Moment To Breathe Before Cross-Country
Cross-country days have a particular kind of noise. There are float doors banging, boots being pulled on, coaches calling times, horses snorting at unfamiliar…
Why soft hands matter more than strong legs in eventing
For years I chased the feeling of a perfect leg. I squeezed, hardened, did endless two-point without stirrups, and rode through burning thighs believing that…
What To Do When You Forget Your Dressage Test In The Arena
Forgetting a dressage test in the arena can feel like the entire competition has suddenly gone quiet. The letters are still around the edge, your horse is…
What actually shifts when you step up to Preliminary
The jump from Training Level to Preliminary is one of those milestones every eventer talks about, and it rarely feels as straightforward as it sounds on paper.…
Why horses get stiff after travelling and how to bring them back
Travelling horses to competitions across New South Wales, Victoria, or South Australia is part of life for anyone serious about eventing. A long float trip can…
Why I Write a Short Note to My Horse After Every Ride
I have always been someone who remembers a ride in fragments: the feel of a soft rein, the moment a horse relaxes through the back, a fence that arrived sooner…
How to Choose a Helmet That Feels Good All Day
A long day at a horse trial starts before sunrise and ends well after the last rosette has been handed out. Between the early morning hack to warm up,…
Confidence When Riding a Skinnier Fence
Eventers talk a lot about rideability, fitness and balance, but ask anyone who has walked a course with skinny brush fences on the cross-country map and they…
What one bold horse taught me about tricky cross-country combinations
It was a stinking hot January arvo at Werribee when I finally realised how little I actually knew about riding a combination. The kind of heat that makes the…