#10 UK Equestrian Blog Award!

May 2016

March’s weather proved challenging for us in the wilds of Northants. The mud was becoming unbearable, but perhaps more so the cattle shed muckings out in the nearby farmyard. So we moved both horses to our dear friend and neighbour’s yard down the road. (The humans can close the window…) They now have grass and more space, and my sister Tory keeps her horse there too so we can all play ponies together – perfect. I am unbearably excited about the approaching Spring and Summer now – it seems as though opportunities for improvement are everywhere – not least because the boys’ new landlady is Mrs Motivator and doesn’t let me get away with the old stock excuses of ‘it’s raining’, or ‘he’s too lively to ride today (very rare)’! I intend to grab eac h advancement and build on it as much as I can Progress? I had another lesson with Jonathan Canty just before the Cherwell Valley RC dressage competition on March 26th, and we practised strategies for impro...

All About Tack

I don’t know about you but I always seem to be skint. If I ever have any spare cash I spend it immediately on a lesson or a competition, or if I am feeling very flush (or have a desperate need), new tack for my beloved horse. Tack is a tool, a fashion statement, a way to show off your horse’s best features, to show you understand the new field of equestrian science or simply to display your own good taste in saddles. It can help or hinder your horse as much as bad riding, and if chosen well it can improve your riding too. Always use a qualified saddle fitter to help you – they have been thoroughly trained by the Society for Master Saddlers – a list is available on their website here: https://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/ £ There’s no getting away from it though – it’s an investment. Decent tack from nosebands to discipline specific saddles is expensive. Even if you trawl eBay and pick up good quality second-hand tack it’s still not cheap t...

Later in April 2017 - Flopjogs and Jumpies

Beau Bayou Blog - Later in April 2017 Flopjogs, jumpies, Easter Eggs and finally graduating from 'Terminally Terrified' Combined Training Qualifier This has to have been Beau's favourite month with me so far! We've been jump training with Alison to try and get my head round the whole jumping thing ready for the combined training qualifier on 9th April. My issue has never been with the actual jumping, but for some reason cantering round a course of jumps was filling me with terror. So we went right back to basics and used trot/canter poles, and small jumps at trot. We then graduated to jumps fro trot with no poles, and finally hired a small course at Glebe Farm in Northants to attempt jumping more than one fence. Beau loves his jumping. Lots. In fact he loves it so much he once finished an arena eventing course after his jockey fell off at fence 3! He is also very soft in the mouth, but strong, so bitting has been a challenge. ...

How to Excel At Being Average

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