Category: Training

Becoming a confident horse rider is not easy. When it comes down to being a confidence in the saddle, two things can affect your outlook; your ability and your mindset. After time off riding, you might feel as though the reset button has been well and truly hit regarding your previous boldness in the saddle. So, what can we do to get back to our courageous riding ways? Tackling the Ability Barrier No matter how much time you have had away from the saddle, you horse knowledge is still in…...

Struggling to hit the centre of your fence when jumping? It’s a common mistake riders encounter, putting crucial seconds on the clock, risking faults, and compromising the effectiveness of their jump. However, we’re here to make sure you’re always on target with advice on how to hit the centre of a fence every time! Straight From the Get Go… Focus on straightness from the outset! If you want a straight approach to the jump, make sure your horse has the foundations down first, including rhythm, balance and responsiveness to aids.…...

Riding a perfect 20m circle sounds fairly simple. However, it is a manoeuvre where a lot of riders lose crucial points in their dressage tests. Riding a perfect circle is the foundation of equitation. Present in dressage tests all the way up the levels and a vital move in showjumping, cracking the perfect circle could put you in favour of a podium position. So, to help, we’ve put together some pointers to get you on your way to circle perfection! Bend One of the most common errors riders make when…...

Riding and Road Safety Points to Consider Speculation surrounding motorists not taking enough caution, or time to think, while approaching and maneuvering around horse and rider on the road is, and has been for some time, a hot topic in the industry. However, it’s not only the driver of a vehicle that holds a responsibility to keep the horse and rider safe on the road, it’s also that of the rider. So, what can we do to help make sure everyone is kept safe? Here we look at assessing the…...

How to Ride a Flying Change How to ride a flying change with Animalife sponsored dressage rider Tor Fenwick. To some, a flying change may initially be experienced by complete accident, while to others it’s ‘the’ move that when trying to ride it, they seem to fail every time. In this article, Tor talks more about making sure the basics are correct before moving on to training a flying change and leaves her best advice on how to ride one. Get the basics right first Horse Before you think of…...

Cooling off a horse after any exercise is crucial. No matter what the activity or duration, time to stretch out muscles and let the heart rate return to normal should be a regular part of any horse rider’s routine when riding the horse at home. Event rider, Harriet Morris-Baumber understands the importance of cooling a horse effectively, especially following the cross-country phase of an event. Here Harriet explains ‘aggressive cooling’ and how to efficiently reduce a horse’s core temperature. Guest Post: Harriet Morris-Baumber Cooling off a horse after exercise Everyone…...

What is a Green Horse? For many, the term can be quite confusing. The saying can mean different things to different people. Essentially, a green horse refers to one who is inexperienced in a particular discipline and/or its education. In this article, we invited international Dressage rider, Alex Harrison, to give us his thoughts on what makes a green horse … green. Alex dives into what training can be undertaken and how to deal with competition days by using turn on the forehand. Written by Alex Harrison, International Dressage Rider…...

Are you ready to get fit for horse riding? Riding is a great way to stay in shape and connect with horses, but it requires physical fitness. So before you jump into the saddle, you need to make sure your body is up for the challenge. After riding for some time, you will notice an increase in health, fitness, strength, flexibility and endurance; however, it’s advisable to give yourself a ‘leg up’ (pardon the pun!) before you start. Even if you’re an experienced rider, some work on yourself out of…...

Build your horse a fitness plan with this quick and easy guide. We take a look at how you can schedule an effective programme for improving your horse’s performance and help reduce the chance of injury. Before You Begin Before you begin your horse’s fitness plan, he or she should be given a general health check. This is an ideal time to: First Things First If you’re starting from scratch, take a look at our guide to bringing your horse back into work. However, if you’re upping the intensity or…...

Horse riding requires a level of fitness specific to the sport itself and often even the fittest of individuals struggle when it comes to getting on horseback. It’s all very well being able to run 5 miles a day without stopping and attending all the latest fitness classes, but without taking part in the correct exercises you are likely to find horse riding challenging. Getting enough hours in the saddle itself is a massive help towards correct rider fitness, but there are many ways to improve this when out of…...

Does your horse focus? Horses are such incredible animals, they not only give us much joy, love and entertainment, but they also provide us with exercise and even sports competition. Horses are incredibly social creatures and enjoy spending time with other horses. They also love human interaction and ‌can bond intensely with their owners. Training a horse can be rewarding and fun, especially as it involves using your hands, body and voice. However, horses also require consistent attention from humans as otherwise, they can be distracted which can lead to poor…...

Introducing a Green Horse to Jumping a Course with Bex Mason Here, Bex Mason shares 4 top tips on introducing a green horse to jumping a course for the very first time so that they learn lots and enjoy themselves. About Bex Mason Bex is a Gloucestershire-based showjumper and has a strong team of up-and-coming world-class horses, which she competes across the UK and Europe. Bex spent years training and competing with leading showjumpers, including Tina and Graham Fletcher (GB), Ludo Philleaperts (BEL), (NZ) and Viki Roycroft (AUS). In recent…...

Four showjumping tips for the more experienced horse This month we are joined by equestrian competitor and coach, Bex Mason who gives her four top showjumping tips for readers with more experienced horses by highlighting the importance of the basics, variety, cavaletti training and goal setting. About Bex Mason Based in Gloucestershire, there’s not much Bex Mason hasn’t done in terms of equestrian competition since the launch of her business in 2010. Having spent over a decade training and competing with top riders such as Tina and Graham Fletcher, naturally…...

If your horse is lacking top line and you’re hoping to use lunging aids to help them, then take a look below at our top suggestions. Lunging aids are a great way to improve your horse’s performance and topline, the area from the horse’s wither, along it’s back to the croup. There are many benefits to lunging when done the correct way. It’s an excellent way to help build back muscles without the rider being on board, helps the rider assess the horse’s way of going, and improves rhythm in…...

Horse lungeing exercises can be very beneficial to incorporate into a routine and can make sure your horse is actually listening to YOU. Starting with the basics is key so your voice doesn’t get lost in translation when beginning more advanced work, which could cause stress and upset both you and your horse. To put you on track to success and get the most from your groundwork sessions, we’ve put together three essential horse lungeing exercises you should master. Rein Back On the lunge, horses are told to move forward,…...

Equestrian Training Tips Discover equestrian training tips for amateur horse riders in the following guide. No matter if you are a professional 3-day eventer or a novice learning the art of horse riding, regular training is key in your improvement. The fantastic nature of partaking in equestrian sports is the variety of events which encourages engagement with the sport and allows the rider to find their best fit for them and the horse. Depending on what event you choose to take part in, often determines your training routine and techniques.…...

5 Non-Riding Exercises to do with your Horse Riding/Training:: Everything Horse As the lockdown persists, here are 5 non-riding exercises to do with your horse. While riding hasn’t been banned, it may still be a good idea to consider doing more groundwork to help prevent injury, as the last thing any of us want to do right now is end up in hospital, or put any more strain on the NHS. Now maybe the time to learn a new skill, slowly and safely of course. New skills and exercises undertaken…...

  There’s never been a better opportunity to fine-tune your riding skills than now, in fact, it’s something that should be done at any time of the year. In this article, we take a look at the rider’s core strength with event rider, Harriet Morris-Baumber. As riders, we are becoming increasingly aware of our own fitness and the impact it has on our ability in the saddle, alongside the performance of the horse. Overall fitness is important but having good core strength can transform your riding. Why core strength? Your…...

Kevin McNab gives top tips on how to bring a horse back into work following injury Bringing your horse back into work following injury will require time, patience and a plan. You’ll no doubt be eager to climb back onboard, but depending on the type of injury and how your horse has been managed, will alter the plan you put together to start working your horse back to fitness. In this article, Team McNab eventing shares their thoughts and tips on how to work on fitness after injury by shedding…...

Preparing to ride an accurate dressage test can be challenging as riders need to not only remember their test, but work on each riding element to try and get the best marks possible. In this article, Bert Sheffield explains the importance of preparing to ride an accurate dressage test. Bert rides for Canada but is based in the UK. She represented Canada at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 and at two World Equestrian Games in 2014 and 2018. She has also had several successes in international para competitions and is…...