I was talking to a friend the other day about how funny it is to discuss our sport with non-horse people. She said that her friends couldn’t understand why she was still taking lessons. “Don’t you already know how to ride?” they asked. “Well, yes,” she said. “But I’m always trying to get better.” Competing in this sport successfully means you at least know the basics and can perform them well the majority of the time. But as we all know, beyond the basics there are so many intricacies on the path to success. Each time you move up…

  How have things been working out after 50 Transitions A Day? For Monster, pretty great! After a week of commitment to the challenge, Monster went to his first full (unrecognized) event at Majestic Oaks. As at home, I used a boatload of transitions in our warmup. EVERY time he felt heavy, I did a downward transition; strong with my seat and core, flexible with my elbows. If he was behind my leg, we did an upward transition. The results were huge! Two weeks prior at the Florida Horse Park,, Monster went to his first combined test, and scored a…

  Many of the most successful people in the world have gotten to where they are thanks to their goal-setting skills. Equestrians are no exception. Without goals, you will end up riding around aimlessly day after day. If you want to make serious progress in your riding and horsey life, then you need to set a variety of goals and work towards them. But before you can start riding away in efforts to achieve your goals, you need to make sure you have useful goals set. Every goal should meet the SMART criteria: Specific – Be as specific as possible…

  For the most part, the equestrian community is an extremely kind and supportive one. When riders are in need of a helping hand at a show, they can usually find several. On countless occasions, I have had other equestrians help me out at events with things ranging from helping me get a naughty horse onto a trailer to lending me a piece of tack that I forgot. Let’s work together to keep the horse world the nicest sporting community in the world by taking small steps to help when we have time. Here are six very easy but also…

  Spring has sprung! May is here, and we are full steam ahead for the 2019 season. Land Rover Kentucky (still referred to as ‘Rolex’ by absolutely everyone) has been and gone, and now so has Badminton. It’s an exciting yet strange time-this is the first year that the new FEI guidelines have been brought in to play. As always, the FEI seek to make the simplest of things as confusing as humanly possible. Upgrading the starring system has done two things-firstly, everyone in the sport is still talking in ‘old money’, which means we all have to keep asking…

  While riding my green horse Monster, I reflected upon our never-ending, yet always-improving struggle to balance off the forehand, avoid pulling, stay in front of the leg and light off my seat. Walking around in warmup while moving him off my right leg to left rein, I decided to challenge myself to 50 Transitions A Day. Could I do 50 good transitions in a ride? How would it help? I outlined the rules to myself: a “good” transition didn’t have to be perfect, but it had to be soft, light, and willing. Transitions within gaits counted (free walk to…

  Imagine a world where not everyone is looking for a Preliminary horse… Preliminary is the magic level in Eventing when it comes to horse sales. Many riders will only buy horses that have gone Prelim if they have the budget. Riders without the budget for a proven Preliminary horse want a horse with ‘Preliminary or higher potential’. Although I have not personally sold many horses, I have been in enough sales barns to notice this definite buying trend. Wonderfully talented horses will get imported with no Preliminary mileage and no one will even come out and try them. Then…

  Spring has sprung and competition season is about to is already in full swing for equestrians around the world. Of course, equestrians love competition season but with this time of year can come immense amounts of stress. You have spent your entire winter training hard to improve upon last year’s season and now is your time to showcase it. Unlike in other sports, your sole teammate is a horse making consistent competition success hard to deliver. Your horse is oblivious to how much competitions can mean to you, and the stressful atmosphere at events can often be our equine…