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Horseback riding teaches patience, preparation, and the importance of choosing the right moment. Those same qualities are useful when exploring online…

A downhill approach to water has become one of the clearest tests of Archie’s confidence and balance. On level ground, he can travel forward with plenty of…

I had spent the morning worrying about the usual things: whether Archie would warm up quietly, whether I had packed enough hay, and whether the weather at the…

The night before a two-day event is usually when I try to remove small uncertainties from the following morning. The gear is packed, the number bib is…

A long cross-country course walk begins as a sensible inspection and can quietly turn into half a day on foot. There are fences to study, alternative routes to…

Fence seven was meant to be an ordinary part of our cross-country round. Archie had jumped the first six fences with his usual careful concentration, and I was…

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…