General Equestrian Advice

One of the major challenges that I help recreational and amateur riders with is undoubtedly hacking confidence. Hacking isn’t without real hazards, but making sure that you have decreased the risks to a minimum and then applying some mindset techniques can really help to improve your enjoyment of this valuable form of exercise.

I’ve heard it said many times before – horses and school are increasingly hard to balance when you approach exams and make your way closer towards the end of your educational career. It’s also something that I have been asked about quite a few times on my Instagram account (@mycrazyponies_x), most commonly when young people are distraught at the prospect of having to give up their horse to devote more time to their schooling and exam preparation. As someone who made it through school wi...

So much goes into getting prepared for shows, but it seems like most people are just expected to know how to prepare. We’ve got some (hopefully) handy tricks to help make show day a breeze! Give yourself plenty of time! Preparing your horse for a show can be stressful enough without having to do it against the clock. So it's very important to make sure you give yourself enough time (and more!) so you can take it at your own pace without feeling rushed. Trust me, you'll be grateful you did onc...

Deciding whether to insure your horse or not is a very personal decision. Many factors should be taken into consideration, such as your view on risk and how likely you believe your horse is to suffer from illness or injury, how much financial risk you are willing to take on, and the treatment you would want to offer your horse. For example, putting your 20 year old retired horse through colic surgery may not feel appropriate, but it may feel essential for your 8 year old Riding Club all-rounder.

Running a livery yard can be deceiving. To many, those who have the ‘luxury’ of owning stables and grazing look like they are somewhat affluent, but for most yard owners this could not be further from the truth! Running a livery yard is one of the least profitable sectors of the equine industry and the price of livery services have barely changed over the last 20 years. Whilst the cost of livery services is at the forefront of horse owners’ minds when choosing a new yard, it can be hard...

It’s a never-ending discussion: Draw reins... Should we use them or not? In Gerhard Kapitzky’s book, “The Horse from A to Z”, he says that horses with weak, stiff or anatomically unsuitable muscles of the back and neck are helped, without force, to stretch forward and down. This stabilises the arch starting at the back of the horse and ending at the chewing mouth. The slightly stronger action of the draw reins has to be counteracted by more engagement and collection of the back end. T...