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Archie has been with me through four seasons of eventing, from entry-level training at home to the 2-star at Boneo Park last spring, and the one habit that has…

For most of last season I had a problem I did not want to talk about. My spurs would slowly work their way down my boot during the warm-up, and by the time I…

The exercise looked simple enough on paper. My coach planted her stopwatch on the railing, told me to come out of the saddle, and said she would not call time…

The first time I saw a coffin combination drawn on a course map, my stomach did a small flip. A good friend had circled it in red pen and written "trust your…

A show schedule rarely behaves as neatly as the timetable suggests. At a horse trial, Archie might be listed for dressage at 8:12 am, show jumping after lunch,…

For a long time, I thought a balanced seat was the answer to almost every problem on horseback. It helped me sit quietly in dressage, keep my weight centred…

Walking a show jumping course is usually about building a picture in my head before I ever pick up the reins. I look at the related distances, the approach to…

Rain has a way of rearranging a show jumping day without asking permission. A class scheduled for mid-morning can slide towards late afternoon while riders…

Horse riding teaches patience, observation, and respect for rhythm. A successful dressage test depends on small, consistent improvements, while show jumping…

Horseback riding and online casino entertainment may seem to belong to entirely different worlds. One takes place in an arena, across a cross-country course,…