Posts Written By Chloë

Terminology varies when referring to riding instructors, or coaches, or trainers, or teachers and we all probably believe that they (whatever you call them) do the same thing, but I’ve come to realise that this isn’t the case. For years and years before I found my current trainer I would seemingly make progress in my lessons and feel like I’d ‘got it’, then as I was left to my own devices to practise what I had been told (not taught, told) I could feel the sense of confidence and understanding in what I was supposed to be doing and why…

When we started jumping Dustry my instructor Amanda Brewer said to me ‘we are going to have to build him Chloe, piece him together bit by bit’ and that really stuck with me. Unlike any unspoilt-un-raced-bred-for-the-job-horse Dustry has had to overcome a lot of physical and mental hang ups. Through his training my instructor and I are gradually irradiating the traces of his past career and way of going, and piecing together a more desirable picture. He has come such a long way, and the biggest change has been with his jumping. Where you could trot a lovely green, clean…

Proof yet again (as if it was needed!) that ALL the coolest riders wear green! 😉 sadly that is all we have in common, as I am pretty sure I would have face planted into the turf in that situation! Mary King aka Mary Cling! She surely must be made of velcro!?    

No!!! then what are you waiting for?… In their own words they are… “An elite, hand picked group of outstanding athletes with highly talented steeds who at all times keep the horses between them and the ground….. But seriously, #twittereventing is a group of event riders – of all levels -who met via Twitter, and who were keen to share thoughts and opinions on the sport we love. We aim to meet up at events where possible, and to support each other in our endeavours. There are no rules or restrictions but we try to keep it fun and informative.…

Dustry and I have been out and about brushing up on our jumping skills for the past few weeks, and regular jumping is working wonders for both of us. He’s going from strength to strength and I’m getting to grips with just how forwards and powerful the jumping canter needs to be. We went off to Lyneham Heath Equestrian on Monday 31st, and they very kindly let us school over the XC despite it being closed as we had booked in advance, and only wanted to pop the little fences. This is Dustry’s 3rd ever time XC schooling and over…

Yesterday myself and two of my instructor’s other clients Mel and Briony hired Rectory Farm Arena for some show jump schooling. Rectory is a fab arena, and there is always a brilliantly bright and spooky course laid out. After warming up, we set out to jump the course from scratch. I need to work on getting D’s canter forwards and up into the bridle and collecting him after the fence in preparation for the next jump. The course included a double, triple, and water tray and by the end of the session we were flying round. Amanda is such a…

There is always lots of discussion about the safety risks that surround equestrianism, most insurance companies class riding as a ‘high risk sport’ in the same bracket as activities like bull running, free climbing, surfing, and rugby! Rotational falls, and high profile accidents inevitably receive a lot of media coverage and this coverage although at times hard to watch does do a great job of raising awareness. Riders such as Claire Lomas have become hugely influential figures in the world of rider safety and rehabilitation, and innovative new products such as air jackets have hit the market in recent years…