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This is my ten year old son on his 24 year old 11.2 pony - both of whom need to be carefully minded. They are jumping a fairly substantial fence. Quite a challenge and quite a risk many would say, but the two of them can do this time and time again with little risk. In fact my son can ride down to this fence like an international rider, in terms of getting his balance right and presenting his pony at exactly the right take off point, despite…

I see no difficulty in bringing together good dressage, jump and cross country training. Indeed I believe it produces a better, more efficient and humane training programme....a point also made by Dressage legend Reiner Klimke who also evented and show jumped to a high level as a young man. I believe the dressage helps the jumping which in turn helps the dressage. It is all about having the flexibility to choose from the fullest range of exercises to benefit each rider and horse…

I am very disappointed to hear that a number of people have inaccurately interpreted the messages in my last blog to the extent that I am being portrayed as anti-dressage.



I LOVE DRESSAGE



Let me make it 100% clear that I love good dressage at any level, and I am in love with seeing a rider and horse working in harmony and with real quality...to me each moment is then something of great beauty and still gives me enormous pleasure on a daily basis. Good dressage training…

On February 8th Hartpury College in the UK are hosting an International Eventing Conference entitled ‘Training for Safety’. An admirable aim without doubt and some great sessions are scheduled for the day, so the organisers are to be congratulated. However the description of one of the presentations worries me greatly. The title is Dressage – the relationship with Jumping. The description explains that Pammy Hutton FBHS will dispel the ‘myth’ that the higher level of dressage can be…

'Hannoverian' Butts Leon - German Senior Team '08 & '09 - 97% Thoroughbred.



Convincing people of the need for thoroughbred blood in the event horse is should not be difficult. Ireland has been the World Breeding Federation leading country for event horses for the past 15 years with horses that are almost exclusively 3/4 to full thoroughbred, as have been the majority of the greatest event horses in history.…

A fifth-leg supremo, William Fox-Pitt.



If you want to jump safely, the fundamental aim in training should be to develop your horse’s ability to look after himself. If your horse looks at what he is jumping, makes automatic alterations, and has quick reactions when getting too close or far away from a fence, or when slipping or tripping, he can be said to have a ‘fifth leg’. All horses should have a fifth-leg training programme as part of…

One of my training cornerstones is the philosophy that a good idea has to give way to a better idea. It makes every sense, it encourages continuous study and effort to improve, and it helps avoid polarisation between different ‘schools’ of thought. I never think you can't do something because it hasn't been done before. I believe it is vital we keep an open mind and search for better ideas, especially when better might mean more humane as well as more efficient.…

Hellllooo everyone



Yes, I have been busy! Not sitting in front of my computer of late hence the “no blogs” from Megan. I have much to tell you all..... no I’m not getting married!

Firstly, I went to NZ a couple of months ago to do a run of clinics. This was my first time teaching in the “land of the long white cloud” and I really enjoyed it. Everyone was keen to learn and they want me to come back in January. ( i just might miss some of our hot hot weather over here)…

Germany's Dirk Schrade has just won the last four star international horse trials of the season at Pau in France. He was riding his 'Holsteiner' gelding King Artus. The reports of his win have quickly spread around the world...to the delight of those breeding and selling Holsteiners.



However there is no mention of the fact that his sire is in fact a thoroughbred, King Milford, out of the Holsteiner mare Alida 1V. Then one looks at…

Our homebred star Mandiba and Karen O'Connor stormed back to form today to be 2nd at the *** CCI International at Fair Hill in the USA, despite Karen breaking her scapula and ribs only weeks ago in a motorbike accident, and despite terrible weather. The pair showed their class and courage to lead after the dressage and go clear across country.

"My shoulder was getting sore so I slowed down towards the end of the track," said…

The bit that you use on your horse is quite a personal thing. It is like shoes really. Sometimes we just force ourselves to wear certain types shoes that we really shouldn’t just because they are in fashion not because they fit us. The same sometimes goes for saddles, boots, saddle cloths, nose bands and bits.



I personally have a lot of shoes that I rarely wear that have been bought over the years, some fit and some I just like the look of. I’m the same with bits. I have over a…

This afternoon Kevin Staut of France won the Individual Gold Medal in the European show jumping championships in Windsor, England, riding his 'Selle Francais' stallion Kraque Boom Bois Margot.



He is by Olisco (by the legendary jumping sire Jalisco B out of a mare who is over 60% Arab ) who jumped very successfully in the United States in the 1990's ridden by Michael Matz, and out of Joyau D'Or a 'Selle Francais' mare.



When you do the analysis on this stallion's breeding…

Convincing people of the need for thoroughbred blood in the event horse is the easy bit in this series of articles. Ireland has been the World Breeding Federation number one country for event horses for the past 14 years with horses that are almost exclusively 3/4 to full thoroughbred, as have been the majority of the greatest event horses in history. The key component and value of the TB is obviously speed……and safety.



LESS THAN MAXIMUM SPEED = SAFER



Cross-country…