Are You Brave Enough to be Kind to Your Horse, Yourself and Others?
Are you brave enough to be kind to your horse, yourself and others? An article has been published titled ‘An Ethnographic Account of the British Equestrian Virtue of Bravery, and Its Implications for Equine Welfare’, which is available open...
We are meant to change, so why is it so difficult?
“It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes.” (Machiavelli) Change is inevitable and it’s part of our human history and evolution. Adapting to new...
Researchers Recommend Helmets On and Off the Saddle
Head injuries and broken ribs are common injuries in equestrian sports, but they don’t have to be par for the course. According to a new study looking at horse-related accidents in a primary (non-trauma) care centre, falls cause the most injuries, but ground-level...
It’s the Thoughts That Matter
How much of your life and riding is influenced by your thoughts? The answer is, much more than you think! I have recently undergone some major changes in my personal life and, naturally, when big things happen to us, our mind goes into overdrive. As the changes...
Make Hay, Not Straw Men! A Guide to Recognising and Avoiding False Arguments
I have previously written about biases and how they can skew our beliefs about what we consider right, correct and truthful. When it comes to how we defend those views, we might find ourselves using or being countered with a logical fallacy. Read about biases by...
Horse Riders’ Attitudes to Managing Risk “Disturbing” Says Safety Researcher
So, horses are dangerous. Is that just the way things are? And does taking risks with horses make you look braver, more confident, or more of a leader? According to one equestrian safety scientist, there are better ways to deal with horse-related risks. And there are...
Anxiety Levels High in Eventers Post-lockdown, Say Researchers
When human and equine athletes get separated for several weeks—such as during lockdown—physical and emotional strain can lead to anxiety, poor performance, and even reduced welfare, according to a new study. Elite three-day eventing riders isolated from their horses...
Recovering Your Worth
How do you recover when someone questions your self-worth? I think we have all experienced moments when someone has made us feel unworthy. This sometimes takes the form of bullying, but other times it is very quiet and dismissive. Either way it hurts! Let’s be honest...
It’s official: Horses are good for us, they get us close to nature
New research shows horses are good for the soul because they get us close to nature. When you go for a ride, do you feel more “at one with nature”? If you do—and in particular if that makes you happy—you’re not alone. According to a new study, horseback riders feel...
Can Horse People Get Along? Tips from Six Blind Men and an Elephant
It is possible for horse people to get along? Horse people! We have a reputation for being a bit, well, crazy. But not just in the eccentric way. I mean in the way that we don’t get along very well with one another. It’s quite ironic that if anyone was going to...
Here’s How to Make Eventing Safer
“There are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns” is a phrase US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used in a news briefing in February 2002 when speaking about the lack of evidence linking the government of Iraq with the supply of ‘weapons of mass...
It’s Time to Change the Culture
I want to comment on a recent article in Eurodressage by Adriane Alvord, “The Pain that Lives Behind the Barn Door” referring to the tragic death of Teresa Butta in the US. We have lost three professional riders to suicide in the last three months and there are many...
Royal Windsor Show Pivots to a Virtual Platform to Beat the Pandemic
Faced with a pandemic, the Royal Windsor Horse Show 2020 has pivoted to a virtual platform. In doing so quickly and with a beautifully designed platform, the organisers have set the bar high for all other equestrian events going online to continue supporting...
The Equestrian Coach Challenge
The coronavirus crisis is creating huge problems, but it's also opening opportunities for us to focus on connecting with what really matters and embracing the opportunity to lead. A leader who believes in turning a crisis into an opportunity for meaningful change is...
Pony Club Australia Launches Plan B
Pony Club Plan B. Even though your local Pony Club is not running competitions or rallies right now, there is still plenty to do. Pony Club Australia has launched the #ponyclubplanB to help you BE ACTIVE - BE LEARNING - BE CONNECTED BE ACTIVE: Have an Active April!...
what3words App Improves Horse Riding Safety
what3words is a new app that makes horse riding safer. It has divided the globe into 3m x 3m squares and given each one a unique 3 word address. You can share the 3 word address with anyone to help them find you, wherever you are in the world. The accurate and easy to...
The Overlooked Benefits of Being Around Horses
Benefits of being around horses. Therapeutic riding is a well-established and highly regarded equine-assisted activity for helping people with physical disabilities. Horses are also becoming increasingly recognised for their beneficial role in interventions designed...
Improving Rider Asymmetry
Rider balance. If you were an imbalanced rider, wouldn’t you notice that? Not necessarily, scientists say. People usually feel their own natural asymmetry as symmetrical. Their horses, however, would notice—managing uneven weight across their backs which might even...
Safety Overhaul in the Horse Industry Will Require a Mindset Change
Safety in the Horse Industry. Every year, 20 Australians lose their lives to horse-related incidents, and hundreds more are hospitalized. But according to an industrial safety risk management specialist, it doesn’t have to be that way. If people in the horse industry...
Bias Beware! Researchers have identified more than 50 types of biases
Bias I own the most beautiful horse in the world. Well, maybe I’m a little biased. We all have our own biases – things that skew our attention away from seeing the bigger picture or considering other options. Sometimes our biases are just towards our likes. Most of...
Being Good Enough
Internal and external validation: Do you know when you are doing a good job or do you rely on others telling you that you are? In my experience, many riders don’t trust themselves and, therefore, keep looking and craving other people’s praise. This in itself is not a...
20 (More) Reasons to Wear a Helmet
Reasons to wear a helmet. Horse riding is dangerous. I’m not going to go into the statistics on horse-related injury and fatality because they are far from straightforward. Do you calculate injury rates per ride, per hour spent in the saddle or per jump attempt? ...
Recognising Concussion
Recognising Concussion: Concussion in any sport is common and presents a significant public health issue, yet it remains poorly understood and is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. So what do riders need to know? Recognizing concussion is the first step. ...
