There are certain things riders hear about and mentally check out – assuming they are for ‘other riders’. Self-carriage is one of them. I think from years of misinformation, many riders think it sounds too technical, or ‘dressagey’. Just too fancy or advanced – and because of this, perhaps a little intimidating! But self-carriage is not just for dressage riders.…
There’s a particular feeling most riders learn to identify pretty quickly, even if they don’t have the words for it! You know the one where, the one moment, you and your horse are moving along fairly happily together. Until the next moment, it’s as if the whole arse has fallen out of everything! You go from being carried to being…
Have you ever felt as though the concept of the half halt is a memo every other rider, except for you, somehow received? If so, you’re not alone! There was no memo, and there are more riders than you can imagine out there who also just don’t ‘get it’! Which is strange because the half halt is one of the…
This morning I sat in a big school hall, surrounded by parents buzzing with anticipation, watching my six-year-old son and his classmates step onto the stage for their very first school concert. And as I was watching them put their weeks of practice into action, I began thinking how we, as riders, can learn a thing or three from these…
What is it about the idea of a fresh start that is so appealing? You know, a clean slate, a blank canvas. A ‘do-over’! As riders, we often make the crucial mistake of approaching all of our work with our horse, or improving our riding this way. And this can be a mistake because we are not asking one important…
Instant gratification. It can be tempting to take a shortcut if it means you get the quick result. But shortcuts in your riding rarely have long-term benefits. Riding is one of those beautiful (and sometimes frustrating) journeys where the lasting results are usually anything but instant! It takes time, patience, and a good dash of humility. For most riders, the…
