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)…

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…

What are some safety "musts"?



Obviously eventing is a dangerous pursuit and we must take every precaution to keep ourselves and our horses safe. One thing that I see often is rider’s riding in stirrups that are too small for them and this could be very dangerous if they had a fall as they could get dragged. My advice to riders who have a fear of this or have problems keeping the weight in their heels so their foot doesn't go all the way through their stirrup is to use "TOE…

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…

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.…

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…