I am often asked what types of strategies I am thinking about for different types of jumps, that aspiring eventers might also keep in mind.



When I ask riders what they most fear it is normally jumping downhill, apexes (corners) and ditches. I'll focus on downhill and ditches today.



When I walk a course and I’m walking it to ride a young horse, I’m very mindful of the lay of the land. I will plan to slow down in plenty of time when a downhill jump is coming up, as the…

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It is to the advantage of the European stud books to be quiet about their thoroughbred genes as they develop their highly successful brands…and that is what most have become. They are often presented as breeds but in fact they are brands, and part of a marketing system rather than a method of showing the true breeding of horses. A number of leading sires are even approved by all the major European stud books, and therefore have registered offspring in different stud books. In addition many…

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The Horse and Hound is the most prestigious equestrian magazine in the UK, the equivalent of the Chronicle of the Horse in the USA. I was writing an article on horse breeding for them, including details of the ‘Holstein’ stallion Cavalier Royale, the Irish based stallion that has produced so many top class event horses, including World Silver medallist and winner of Rolex Ben Along Time and Mary King’s wonderful international pair, Call Again Cavalier and Imperial Cavalier. Their breeding…

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When we breed a mare and a stallion it is a fact that we breed the brain as well as the body. Nothing strange about that, and trainer after trainer, coach after coach, and expert after expert all continually repeat the line about the need for a good temperament…a good brain for working with humans. Unfortunately this message is often ignored as we put greater emphasis on beauty and brawn rather than brain. Or we misinterpret the message by breeding the type of docile horse that will put up…

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Hi everyone! Here are two questions I've recently been asked.



1. When you are selecting a potential event horse for an advanced amateur rider/a beginner amateur rider, what are your priorities?



When looking at horses for amateur riders, for me the most important thing is temperament. You can forgive movement that is not great or a slightly wonky leg as these horses are not going to have the legs galloped off them in a hurry. I think you need to be very realistic.…

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So be honest… before buying your groceries who looks at the list of ingredients on the back of the box as well as the appealing tag lines on the front? Probably not many of us, but now the research indicates that we are becoming much more aware of the true contents of the beautifully packaged and photographed goods on display. We have learnt that ‘90% fat free’ actually means 10% fat, which is a high fat content and probably also includes a high sugar content. We have learnt that ‘100%…

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Hello to everyone at Barnmice! I am delighted to be a part of this community and I hope everyone enjoys my blog! If you have any questions that you would like me to answer in an upcoming post, feel free to leave a comment on my page.





Choosing my horses.... how do I?



I get asked all the time and it is actually quite hard for me to answer as I really have not bought a horse in a very long time. As we breed horses at my property Kirby Park in Hahndorf South…

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Why did I choose Courage and partnership as my two themes? Winston Churchill can explain the former...."Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees all others." And Partnership? I believe the Power of Partnership is the key to fulfilling your potential and indeed in some cases to even go beyond what would appear to be possible.



To be either a good coach, student or rider you need to be a good team player because each is half…

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Under saddle, disobedience from the horse can be caused by a number of factors, not necessarily just unwillingness to work. Here are a few points to consider:



Reward

The reason why horses are easy to train is because if you do things consistently they will pick it up; they are creatures of habit.



I am a great believer in giving a horse a pat as a reward for good work. However which method you use to praise your horse is not important, it is the consistency of… Continue

Cooperation under saddle begins with good ground manners. If despite your best efforts you are still having problems with your horse in the stable, don’t panic! Here are some things for you to consider:



General welfare



Before any type of training can be undertaken there are obvious areas that need to be paid attention to.



First and foremost, is the horse in good enough condition to do what you are asking him to do? Can he bend his head to the left and… Continue

Continuing with last week’s blog, here are 6 more helpful tips for the ring:



Plan your corners. A typical course builder’s challenge is to place a jump so that you are jumping towards or into a corner. Deliberately designed to test you and the horse, as this naturally stifles the jump and may tempt your horse to jump off centre as he anticipates the turn you will be making. So keep straight, jump the centre of the jump… Continue

I’ve always believed that rosettes are won at home. You just collect them in the ring. With that in mind, here are five of my top tips to help you put all your schooling to good effect:



1. Be clear in what you ask your horse. You walked the course and your horse didn't, so you need to make it clear to him which fence he has to jump. As you enter the ring, the first jump your horse sees may not be the first on the course and he may get drawn to the wrong fence. This is one of… Continue