Posts
Cross-country day asks a lot from both horse and rider. Archie needs to gallop, jump solid fences, balance through turns and stay comfortable while his…
A new extended trot demand can make an otherwise familiar dressage test feel completely different. Archie and I may know the movements, the arena and the…
Submission is one of those dressage words that can sound more complicated than it feels in the saddle. For me, it means Archie stays attentive to my aids,…
A horse spooking at the show jumping ring gate can turn a straightforward round into a conversation about trust, timing and attention. For Archie, the gate is…
Before I ride Archie, I often spend a few minutes lunging him with a side rein. It is a small part of our routine, but it has made a noticeable difference to…
Eventing asks a lot of a horse and rider in a single day. Archie might begin with a quiet dressage test, wait around in the float or stable area, then switch…
The first time I saw a bank combination on a cross-country course with Archie, it looked much more intimidating than it had from the back of the course walk.…
A triple combination asks for a particular kind of discipline. The fences arrive quickly, the distances are fixed, and there is very little time to repair a…
I used to think a bit was fitted correctly if Archie accepted it quietly, chewed occasionally and did not try to evade the contact. That definition seemed…
A bridle path is a small clipped section behind a horse’s poll, yet it can change the whole impression of a turnout. When I prepare Archie for an event, I do…