The ride where getting off was the bravest—and smartest—thing I did (apologies for the swear words therein contained) I share plenty of good moments with my horses: the breakthroughs, the softness, the connection and those rides where the hard work finally seems to click. But not every ride is like that. Sometimes it is shit. Yep, shit! Sometimes your experienced horse becomes completely overwhelmed, your own survival instincts start screaming, and the best decision you can m

One of the biggest mistakes I see in horse training is the belief that more is better. More exercises. More repetitions. More time spent drilling. More things to tick off the training plan. In reality, piling exercise upon exercise into a session can quickly overload a horse both mentally and physically. Rather than asking, "What can I teach my horse today?", a more valuable question is: "What does my horse need from me today?" When we shift our focus to the horse's mindset a

What I would observe before deciding whether a young horse is a suitable prospect—and worth progressing to an independent veterinary pre-purchase examination. Buying a horse is deeply personal. Buying one under two years old can feel even more so, because you are assessing the horse in front of you while imagining the partner they may become. This checklist is not designed to find a “perfect” youngster. That horse does not exist. Nor can one viewing predict future soundness,

Shedding season has arrived. The days are getting warmer, winter coats are loosening, and every grooming session ends with horse hair in your eyes, on your clothes and somehow inside your bra. While nothing replaces a good curry comb and plenty of elbow grease, this is also the perfect time to give our ponies a thorough wash. One product worth adding to your spring-cleaning toolkit is the Livestock Shampoo Foamer from Saddleworld Ipswich. Why Use a Shampoo Foamer? Washing a h

Filmed your test? Need to upload your video? Here is how to send your online competition entry to Lagoballo for judging. One of the lovely things about an online competition is being able to ride your test in a familiar environment, with your own horse and without the float trip, parking puzzle or traditional competition-day rush. Once you have entered a Lagoballo online competition, received your test and filmed your performance, the final step is submitting your video for j

My young horse’s first rides during a six-day Mark Langley Horsemanship intensive at Skylark, Victoria. Thor turned three on 9 September. Some horses might celebrate with carrots, a birthday photo and perhaps an undignified party hat. Thor celebrated with some “pre-flight checks,” a saddle, and me climbing aboard for our very first ride together during a six-day Mark Langley Horsemanship intensive at Skylark, Mark and Jenny Langley’s beautiful property in Rosewhite, Victoria.

When we think about horse welfare, many people immediately focus on nutrition, exercise, veterinary care, or training. While these are undeniably important, true wellbeing is much broader than any single element. A horse's quality of life is built upon several interconnected pillars that work together to create a balanced, healthy and content individual. When one pillar is neglected, the others are often affected. For me, there are seven essential pillars that support every h

Why We Are More Productive Than Ever, Yet More Overwhelmed Than Ever There has never been a time in human history when we have had more tools designed to make life easier. We carry supercomputers in our pockets. We can communicate instantly with anyone in the world. Artificial intelligence can now draft reports, create presentations, answer questions, analyse data and automate tasks that once required hours of human effort. Yet despite all this progress, many people feel exha

When it comes to feeding horses, most discussions focus on what we're feeding. But perhaps we should spend more time thinking about how and where we're feeding. Traditionally, horses evolved to graze with their heads down for much of the day. More recently, many horse owners have embraced the idea that feeding from the ground is always best. While there are certainly benefits to ground feeding, I've come to believe that the "best" feeding position depends on the individual ho