Posts
Riding without stirrups on a longe line has become the part of my weekly schedule I look forward to most, partly because Archie gets a brain break and partly…
The first time I really looked at a three-stride combination with a skinny vertical at the end of it, my stomach did that familiar flip. Anyone who eventers in…
Most eventers and show jumpers will tell you that walking the course is non-negotiable. The question I used to skip over, until Archie and I started messing up…
Archie drops his inside shoulder the moment we enter the arena at Boneo Park, and my left hand is already doing too much. By the time we reach X for the first…
Archie is a 15.2hh station-bred gelding who treats every competition like it's his last, and he sweats like he knows it. Three-day eventing pushes his body…
The clipboard lands in your hand, and the smile that was still on your face from the last halt starts to fade as your eyes scan the judge's scribbles. One line…
The weather had been unsettled all week, but the forecast for Archie’s show jumping class looked manageable. There was a little rain on the radar, nothing that…
A qualifier event carries a particular sort of pressure. It is still one competition day, with the same dressage arena, show jumps and cross-country fences as…
There are items in my show trunk that earn their place through careful planning: spare gloves, plaiting bands, hoof oil, a first-aid kit and enough snacks to…
A muddy competition weekend usually leaves more evidence than a few brown splashes on the horse float. By the time Archie and I get home, my tall leather…