Posts
A low dressage mark can follow me around for the rest of an eventing weekend if I let it. After preparing Archie for weeks, travelling to the venue, plaiting,…
A slippery downhill or uphill section on a cross-country course can change the entire feel of a round. The fences may be straightforward, yet the ground…
Changing a horse’s bit is never a decision I make casually. Archie and I had spent a long time developing our dressage work in a simple snaffle, and it had…
Overnight travel to a competition changes my usual leg-protection routine. Archie may spend several hours standing in a trailer, then arrive at a venue where…
Waiting in the warm-up ring has become one of the most revealing parts of competing with Archie. The jumping, dressage test, and cross-country course all…
Before my lesson on related distances, I thought I understood the basic question: count the strides, keep Archie balanced, and arrive at the next fence with…
A two-day event begins long before the first horse enters the dressage arena. For me, the real competition starts when Archie steps off the lorry and I begin…
Gate questions on a cross-country course can look simple from the ground. Ride up, stop, open the gate, pass through, close it, and continue. In the saddle,…
There is a particular kind of nerves that arrives when I know I will be riding without my usual support crew. At a team event, there is often someone to…
After a long journey, a horse can step off the lorry looking perfectly normal while carrying plenty of stiffness. Hours of standing, balancing around bends,…