Every rider knows the moment the reins go slack and the horse walks off without you. That hollow, almost embarrassed feeling is the opposite of what a bridle…
Posts
to Stay Connected With Your Horse Through the Bridle
Why I never skip the cool-down walk after a gallop
There's a moment after the cross-country finish flags when every part of me wants to leap off, throw my arms around my horse's neck, and sprint back to the…
Packing Your Tack Trunk for a Weekend Horse Trial
Whether you're heading to Boneo Park, Sydney Eventing, or a smaller club trial out near Toowoomba, the weekend away starts long before the horse floats roll…
Warming up your back before you mount up
Picture this: you have arrived at Melbourne Three Day Event with your horse sweating in the float, the ground crew is calling your dressage time, your saddle…
When a Horse Says No at a Fence: How I Handle a Stop in the Show Ring
The thud of a refusal is something every eventer recognises in their bones. One moment you're cantering towards a brush oxer with the right pace, the right…
A Spare Pair of Socks and What Wet Days Have Taught Me About Eventing
There's a pair of woollen socks that lives permanently in the passenger footwell of my ute. They came out of a Bunnings grab-bag three winters ago and they've…
Practising your dressage test pattern in a small space
For many riders around Australia, the dream of a full-size 60x20 metre dressage arena stays exactly that—a dream. Between the cost of land in places like the…
The Unexpected Gift of Bringing a Non-Horse Friend to an Event
Horse trials have a way of swallowing you whole. From the moment you drive through the gates of a venue, the world shrinks to a swirl of warm-up arenas,…
Reading a horse's breathing pattern for clues about his nerves
It is still half dark when I lean against the lorry at the Melbourne International Three Day Event, my hands wrapped around a thermos and my breath making…
Hydration Habits That Carry You Through a Full Day of Eventing
A full day of eventing is a marathon disguised as three separate sports. From warming up at dawn in the dressage arena to walking cross-country in the blazing…