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Archie is happy to gallop, and he is usually sensible about a pole on the ground. His difficulty appears when I ask for his canter to become shorter and more…

By the time I bring Archie back to the float after a full day of riding, my body usually feels as if it has been holding one long, careful brace. A dressage…

When I plan an event with Archie, my packing list starts with the obvious things: saddle, bridle, boots, medical kit, paperwork and a bucket full of carrots.…

There is a particular kind of silence when a horse decides the fence in front of him is not worth attempting. At a cross-country course, it is loud enough to…

Being the last rider to go in a dressage class gives me plenty of time to overthink. I can hear horses warming up, watch the scoreboard change, and imagine…

A corner fence looks innocent when it is standing in the middle of a schooling arena. It is usually lower than the more imposing oxers, and the shape seems…

Stadium-jumping warm-up can look busier than the round itself. Rails go up, cups rattle, volunteers hurry between fences, and a rider asks whether the course…

Cross-country days have their own rhythm. The car is full of tack, Archie’s boots, a spare rug, buckets, paperwork and the sort of gear that only seems…

Archie can turn a straightforward fence into a tug-of-war in half a second. One moment he is taking me to the next jump; the next, his neck is up, his eyes…

Archie usually walks out of a cross-country round looking dirtier than he feels. Mud cakes his boots and splashes up his legs, while his tail hangs heavy with…