Style & Protection with HKM Faux Fur Protection Boots

Combining a stylish boot for the dressage warm up with full leg & overreach protection

Louie wears brushing & overreach boots for all his flatwork, but also when he is out hacking, as well as being booted up with tendon and fetlock boots when he jumps. 

Why? Well, you just never know when accidents happen, but also, you only need to look at the pads of my brushing boots, the backs of my overreaches or the scratches between the tendon and fetlock boots to know he catches his own legs.

Showjumping Training Update - 26.01.19

Last weekend, three weeks after we had a supersonic showjumping training session to kick start 2019, we headed back to Will2Win to take our next step forward in our showjumping training. I was really looking forward to it, not only because we hadn’t jumped for a few weeks, but to prove that the the hard work and ways of riding since our last session was paying off.

The sessions didn't disappoint.

Dressage Competition Report - 27.01.2019

Yesterday, we ventured a little further afield to Richmond Equestrian Centre to compete in two British Dressage Novice test in the Bronze section. Although it's a bit further for us to go, it's only about a 90 minute drive over 65 miles, which sometimes I forget some people here in the North and Scotland need to do as a regular occurrence to compete at British Dressage...

Sunday morning wasn't too early a start... My alarm was set for the same time as it would be if I wanted to go out for an early sunrise ride, 7am. I arrived at the yard around 8.15am with only needing to feed, plait, do a bit of stain removing and give Louie a good overall brush. It makes a big difference having Andrew on hand so I don't have to think about getting the horsebox packed and sorted, plus he even gave me a hand plaiting, passing me the spray, brush and bands.

We left right on time - 9.40am. My dressage time wasn't until 1.05pm, so I needed to be in the warm up by 12.30pm. When travelling a bit further, I like to give Louie some chill time when we arrive, rather than just arriving to tack up and get on, so I was aiming to be there for 11.30am.

Changes to the Rules in Eventing for 2019

Entries are now open for the first British Eventing date on the 2019 calendar!

That's right folks, Aston-le-Walls & Epworth are now taking entries for their first events that run on 2nd March! I've seen many MANY social media posts of sheer elation that competitors are only six weeks from the start of the eventing season...well, almost just five by the time this post is published!!

Each year, British Eventing tweaks their rules & guidelines whether it is with safety and wellbeing in mind, or to enable the sport to become increasingly more accessible and encouraging new participants. 

I've been taking a look at some of the changes for 2019 that affect the grassroots level throughout to right at the top of the sport. And there lies one of the changes...

Make Boudica Equestrian Your One Stop Shop for Breeches!

First up, I am a very tricky customer when it comes to me buying breeches...I'm every equestrian shop's nightmare customer. I try on hundreds of pairs of breeches, in many MANY shades and different style, only to walk away saying I don't like any of them. About eight or nine years ago, I found a pair of everyday breeches that I loved and I've stuck to them ever since. Competition wise it's similar, I found a pair a long time ago, and never needed to replace them... Until recently!

Boudica Equestrian is the place to head! Laura, CEO, takes the time to ask every which question you can possibly think about connected to breeches.

Dressage Competition Report - 16.01.2019

Earlier this week, we took a day out of the office and headed to our first competition of 2019. As you'll have seen, we've spent A LOT of our arena time over Christmas and in January trying to work on our showjumping, including riding a totally different way. I've felt, even at home and on hack, that Louie isn't enjoying the new way, but does respond positively to it when the jumps are in front of him. As such, I've felt him become a little resistant to the contact, slightly less supple and willingness to bend, and overall just waiting for me to really get a hold of him. Even at home in the arena, this has led to him feeling much more tense and less willing to reach forward and through his frame.

A few days before, I went back to our old way of schooling on the flat, and all of the above symptoms started to disappear, but I could still feel hints of them, ready and waiting to rear their heads! I finished our last schooling session a few days before we headed out, and it became more harmonious as it went on and felt just like before Christmas, but I knew at the competition, I'd have more tension at play...

Competition Day

A lovely luxury time of 11.17am for our first test. Great news! I could plait on the morning and leave the yard after any possibility of rush hour traffic. I even got an hour's lie in compared to a working day... It's all about the small wins!

International Eventing Forum 2019

Time is galloping on to the 2019 International Eventing Forum!

As we’re nearly mid-way through January, do you have a plan in place to ensure you have your best eventing season yet? A great way to start is with the annual International Eventing Forum, which has become an essential date in the calendar of riders of all levels of skill and ambition.

What's on the agenda? 

A story of making progress in showjumping

While browsing Twitter over the first weekend of January, after a busy few days back in the office, I came across a tweet that just for some reason really resonated well with me... It showed a dark bay horse jumping a small cross pole and plank, contrasted with a less calom looking photo from 6 months earlier after going over a pole on the ground.

I read the tweet and found out that the rider had managed to jump her horse over some small jumps without a dramatic scene on the landing side. For anyone who has followed min and Louie's journey, or even just taken a flick through our 2019 goals, will know that our showjumping is a work in progress. Perhaps that's why seeing progress like this struck me so much more than usual.

Here's the tweet I'm talking about...

Top Tips for Winter Stabling

Let’s face it, no equestrian puts winter as their favourite season! There’s definitely positives to the winter season such as winter training opportunities, but the dark nights, cold temperatures and distinct increase in mud, leave most of us pretty glum for these months of the year.

We’re welcoming Emily Davis onto Team Tunnah this morning to bring some of the top tips for if you’re considering whether or not to stable your horses. Keep reading on to enjoy four of Emily’s top tips

Training Report - 06.01.19

Starting our showjumping as we mean to go on...

Well...the title says it all really... Only a few days ago, I published our 2019 goals, in which we were very open about our showjumping and we needed to get over the issues we've got with planks, fillers and water trays.

In fact, this actually just boils down to Louie going where I ask him to and when I ask him to. He needs to trust me and have the confidence that I'm not going to put him anywhere near danger.

Anyway, today we started on that road.

2019 Goals

So, here we are in 2019...who'd have thought it. It only seems seconds since I was sitting thinking the same thing 12 months ago... But this year, I'm sitting what do I really want to achieve over the next 12 months? There's none of this "new year, new me" stuff, but I've got some big ambitions for both my blog and for Louie & I.

Let's start off with what I'd like to achieve with Louie.