Posts
Choosing a bit for a competition horse is rarely about finding one magical piece of equipment and using it everywhere. Archie feels different depending on the…
The morning Archie and I rode at a dressage competition near Melbourne, the forecast looked manageable: a cool breeze, scattered cloud and no rain. By the time…
There's a particular flavour of chaos you only find at Australian eventing competitions during spring — horses jog-lopping past each other in a packed warm-up…
The last time Archie and I loaded up for a horse trial, the mercury was nudging thirty-six degrees somewhere west of Ballarat, and I spent half the drive…
The week before a three-day event is the strangest week of my season. Archie is fit, the entry is paid, and the float is booked, yet I spend most evenings…
A flower box is meant to make a show jumping track look cheerful, but Archie has occasionally treated one as a suspicious new species. At home, he can walk…
A sharp turn on a narrow cross-country path asks for a different kind of balance from a straightforward jump. The horse has to stay focused, organised and…
After a long day of dressage, show jumping and cross-country, my helmet is usually the least glamorous piece of kit in the float. It has absorbed sweat, dust,…
After dressage, show jumping and cross-country, Archie and I take a slow lap around the venue before heading back to the float or the stable area. It is a…
The morning started with the usual competition scramble: checking the float, loading hay, finding my gloves, and trying to drink a coffee before it went cold.…