Bramham International Horse Trials

My favourite event of the year, across any discipline... I LOVE IT!!

I try to go to Bramham horse trials every year & am pleased to say I haven't missed a year for about the last five. I usually go for the Friday dressage & Saturday's cross country. If you haven't been and you enjoy equestrian events, it is one I'd recommend!

Countdown to Bramham Horse Trial 2017!

So, why do I love this event so much?

Well, in a nutshell, I grew up living close by to Bramham Park, and keeping my ponies at a livery yard just a stone throw away from the main event gateway. I've many happy memories of hacking through various parts of Bramham - jumping some logs, enjoying adventures in the woodlands, and some great spaces to have a canter!

But if you've not got that on your side...you'll still love it!

May Round Up

As usual, it's been a busy month!! In May we've spent time hiring arenas to do more jumping away from home outside of our lessons, we've brought more lunging work back into our routine, had some super showjumping and dressage lessons, entered an E-Dressage, and been to a local unaffiliated dressage competition!!

So, let's kick off!

During the winter months, I incorporate 2-3 lunge sessions per week to break up Louie's work and avoid just riding around the arena when the dark (& cold!) nights close in. However, once spring kicks in, I always seem to stop, with being able to hack out on an evening, doing lessons during the week and enjoying the sunshine much more! But really, I shouldn't. The benefits that I can see in Louie's strength, balance, topline and overall way of going from lunging is fantastic, so I decided to bring it back in at least once a week to continue to help Louie develop as he should.
I've got a really great lunging aid, one I'd never heard of until last year, which doesn't fix them into a false outline (like side reins), puts no poll pressure on (like a lungee bungee), and doesn't need to hold the back end in (like a pessoa)... Mine simply attaches to the bit, runs through the legs and out over the back of the withers. It's designed to help encourage long & low work, using muscles from the bottom of the hamstring, over the quarters, over the back and through the top line, down into the contact. Louie goes super in it!