Whether you’re riding in your back paddock, a quiet arena, or a field with a view, riding alone can feel both empowering and… well, a tad overwhelming! Without an instructor or trainer on the ground beside you, having a goal to improve your riding can seem light years away. And second-guessing yourself can become the default way of training! That…
Dressage is a funny thing when we really think about it. Riders pay someone for their opinion on how well they are riding for those few minutes. And how well their horse is responding and performing for those few minutes. And yet, often when riders receive their marks, it can feel like harsh criticism! Remember, dressage is all about the…
As riders, we have all heard of the half halt. Many riders use it regularly to, let’s be honest, varying levels of success! And while it can be easy to say that your horse is just not all that responsive, and just leave it at that. I think a better plan would be to tweak your approach and see if…
Training your horse alone can feel like a big responsibility. And, let’s be honest, for the most part, it is! And if you’re anything like what I was like when I first began playing with this (with my saint of a pony), there’s a good chance there are a couple of things ‘missing’ from your ‘program’. You see, training a…
Is there a golden rule about how often a horse should be worked? I’m not so sure. However, when I have riders ask me how many days they should ride, I usually have a pretty standard answer… “It depends”. And that is what I want to dive into today. Helping you to figure out how many days to ride your…
I remember the excitement I felt when I began working with my pony ‘alone’ at home in the fields when I was younger. The feeling that anything was possible if I was only willing to put in the consistent effort and work. And the feeling that there was just so much to do and so little time to do it!…
