Letting your horse loose in a safe arena can look like a simple reward after riding: open the gate, step aside and watch your horse move without a rider…
Posts
Letting Your Horse Loose in a Safe Arena
What to look for when walking a show jumping course
When walking a show jumping course, I want to leave knowing what each fence asks of my horse and which questions still need answering during the warm-up. A…
Improve Your Position Over Fences with Trotting Poles
A secure position over a fence is built long before the horse leaves the ground. The jump itself is only the visible moment in a chain of decisions involving…
Why I always carry a spare pair of breakaway cross-country boots
Cross-country has a way of making a tiny equipment problem feel enormous. A lace loosens, a sole flexes oddly, or mud packs into a seam, and suddenly I am…
My first novice event: nerves, lessons and better judgement
My clearest memory of my first event is not the ribbon or the prize rug. It is the laminated dressage test sheet, clipped to my coach’s board, and the way my…
How to recover from a run-out on cross-country
A run-out on the cross-country course can feel much larger than the seconds it takes. The horse stops or veers away from a fence, the combination loses…
Why I count strides between cross-country fences
There is usually a number going through my head as we approach a cross-country fence. Sometimes it is five, sometimes six, and on a line I have not ridden…
Turning on the forehand at home without losing the partnership
Turning on the forehand sounds technical, but at home it can be as practical as asking a horse to look towards a bucket, bend through a corner and keep walking…
When your horse loses a shoe at an event
The moment a shoe comes off, time seems to speed up. Your horse may be lame, another competitor is waiting, and your mind jumps straight to the cost of a…
Cooling a Horse Safely Through an Australian Summer
Hot weather changes the way every ride, lesson, and competition day needs to be planned. A horse can look comfortable while working hard in the heat, then…