Diary of an Amateur Equestrian
As you may have seen on my last Instagram post here or on my last blog post (which you can find here) I’ve just started loaning Ghillie- an oversized yellow sun highland. I haven’t actually managed to spend too much time with him yet because the week he arrived he had to quarantine in a …
What a strange week last week was! I'm a bit of a planner (being a teacher and all) and so I often plan out my week in advance so I know what I'm doing when. Viewing a horse was not part of any plan I had. The week before last, a livery at my yard …
I am a primary school teacher and therefore I understand the value and importance of a suitable learning environment. This might be something you haven't considered when working with your horse, but if you think about your everyday experiences, it might change the way you set up the learning situations for your horse. For example, …
Continue reading "7 ways to create an effective learning environment for your horse"
Yesterday I had the most magical day. My friend booked us a 6 hour ride at Highlands Unbridled (you can find their website here) where we went out for a long ride across rugged terrain from woodland to tackling a 525 metre hill called Carnferg. The views from the top were absolutely breath taking. It …
Recently I listened to Olivia Towers' podcast episode which featured Miri Hackett. Olivia and Miri are two equestrians who I follow on my Instagram and I feel they have a lot of knowledge to offer. They raise important issues and I certainly feel more people should benefit from their knowledge and experience.I often think the …
My horse, Bo, is a Welsh Section D and over the years I have come to know the breed very well and I would say that it is my favourite of all. So in this post, I am going to explain 5 reasons for why I think Welsh Section D’s are the best horses ever! …
No matter what discipline you do with your horse, schooling is so important to build the connection between horse and rider. Even if you are just a happy hacker, a little schooling session now and again can really improve the quality of your rides. It’s important that you get the most out of your schooling …
Continue reading "How to make the most out of schooling sessions?"
Trust and understanding are my main goals when working with horses. I believe if you have these, then you are forming solid foundations upon which to build your relationship with your horse. Sometimes, problems arise in relationships which require understanding and communication to solve. I believe this is best achieved through keeping in mind that …
I am currently in my probation year as a primary school teacher right now and I have been startled at how similar teaching children and training horses is. It’s sounds weird, I know, but honestly, the same principles apply! Reward the good, ignore the bad When you are training horses in a positive way, I …
Continue reading "Why being a primary school teacher and a horse trainer are similar"
Bo will be 20 this year and because of his age and ability, I have to be careful with what I am doing. Lunging is a touchy subject because some people will say it is useful, others will say it’s damaging. Personally, I think it depends on how you’re lunging. I feel the way that …
Continue reading "Lunging 101- 5 things you should think about when lunging your horse"
Today marks the first day of the Easter Holidays and I am super excited to get Bo fit for summer. I want to have a really fun summer with Bo this year and do some jumping just for fun (very low level as he is arthritic so we’ll only be jumping tiny fences), hack further …
The weather really is horrendous right now so I’m just taking my time with these lessons for my liberty challenge. I have owned Bo for around 8 years now and I know him pretty well so I have decided to sort of do bits and bobs of lessons 1-3 together. I think if I had …
Things have been a little different recently because I have been working from home Tuesday to Friday every week as schools have switched to online learning. I only go into school on a Monday to support the key workers children and other vulnerable children so on a Monday, it is the same routine, I just …
Normal people (as in non-horse folk) struggle as it is to have the sought after 'work-life balance'. Society now is so goal focussed that people are working ridiculously hard and yet still feel incomplete, rushed or like that hamster running on the wheel but never getting anywhere. Before I started my teaching career in August …
Continue reading "5 Ways to Achieve the Work/Life/Horses Balance"
If you are an equestrian in Britain then this post just might be for you. Winter in Britain is usually very changeable- from frosty and the occasional snowy days to gale force winds and unrelenting rain. As a result of this, our fields are muddy, our horses are muddy and we ourselves get muddy, not …
Continue reading "Tips To Help You and Your Horse Through The Winter"
I have decided to kick my 2021 off to the right start by pledging to be a Brooke Champion and influencer. Brooke is an international charity who works to protect and improve the lives of working horses, mules and donkeys all over the world. Their aim is to give those in the developing world education …
I love New Year. There is just something about the close of a chapter and an opening of another that excites and inspires me. I find it helpful to reflect on the year past and to find hope and make decisions for a better year to come. I have already got my new journal sorted- …
I recently read an article in a horse magazine all about how the lockdown was experienced by horsey people when it was announced on the 23rd of March this year. Consequently, I thought I would write a little post to do the same. It will be interesting to look back on this next year when …
Since the last time I blogged, I have been doing a lot of thinking about where I want to go with my horsey passion and about the things I want to do. Originally, I was attracted to competing in dressage but as I've thought about it over the last couple of weeks, I've realised that …
Continue reading "My Riding Ambitions; A Heartfelt Confession (pt 2)"
Bringing a horse back into work is not as simple as just popping a saddle and bridle on and cantering along a forest track. If a horse has been out of work for a while, or is in very inconsistent work, it can be dangerous to assume they are fitter than they are. If a …
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