SETTING THE TONE IN THE WARM-UP ARENA

The real purpose of the warm-up Text: Lara Ellwood of Insight Equine There’s something about the warm-up arena at a show that seems to buzz with invisible tension. It’s meant to be a space to prepare, to ease our horses and ourselves into rhythm and readiness, but more often than not, it becomes a pressure cooker.…

BylizzieApril 14, 20260Comments

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ASKHQ: MIRRORS FOR FLATWORK

Q: How do I use mirrors to improve my flatwork? A: Mirrors are handy and can act like your eyes on the ground to not only see what your horse is doing but also to correct yourself. You can use them in so many different ways, and they can help you to see what you are…

BylizzieFebruary 22, 20250Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

FLATWORK FEBRUARY #7: THE COUNTDOWN

'The Countdown' is excellent for improving your horse's reaction to your aids, ensuring they are in front of your leg, and getting them to engage with their hind end before you start to attempt more complex exercises. How to ride the countdown Like many of the exercises we have spoken about, the countdown is centred around…

BylizzieFebruary 7, 20240Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training Q&A

ASKHQ: FILLER FEAR

Q: My horse is generally very forward-going and happy to jump. However, the second you introduce any type of filler she is a nervous wreck. How can I help her with this? A: With these kinds of issues, the best advice is to go back to basics. The first thing to do is revisit simple poles on…

BylizzieFebruary 12, 20220Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

SHOULDER-FORE FOR SUPPLING

The suppling abilities of lateral work are essential for horses in any discipline and therefore should play a major role in your horse’s training programme. Introducing lateral work early gives you time to establish it in the horse’s repertoire and allows you to move onto more advanced work with more confidence. A really useful exercise for…

BylizzieOctober 10, 20210Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: ARENA ETIQUETTE

Q: What is the etiquette when several of you are schooling flatwork in the arena at once? A: When riding at the same time as others in the arena, you need to make sure you are aware of other riders and what they are doing to avoid crashes or other incidents. This is made easier if…

BylizzieNovember 24, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Health Know How

ASKHQ: LIFECYCLE OF A FLY

Q: What is a fly’s lifecycle and are there ways in which we can control it? A: Flies thrive in stable yards, as horse manure is the perfect environment for them to feed and breed. A fly’s lifecycle consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. It takes approximately two to four weeks for a…

BylizzieJuly 13, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training

ASKHQ: DIFFERENT SURFACES

Q: What are the benefits of working on different surfaces? Answered by Jan Tucker A: Soundness is a key issue for all equine athletes, and the trainer's ability to keep the horse in peak condition while working at the required level depends on a complex interaction between horse and environment. The surfaces a horse trains and competes…

BylizzieApril 15, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

ASKHQ: FRESH

Q: What is the longest I can leave my horse unworked without him getting fresh? A: This is a difficult question to answer, because so many factors come into play: feed, turnout, breed, way of going, temperament etc. Some horses are no different even after a few weeks' holiday, and others are impossible after only a…

BylizzieNovember 25, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

ASKHQ: THE SPOOKY HORSE

Q: My horse is really spooky about anything we encounter on around the outside of the arena, but he's absolutely fine jumping pretty much anything I put in front of him. Why is this? A: Horses spook for lots of different reasons, but fundamentally they are flight animals so their instinct is to run from something…

BylizzieAugust 3, 20190Comments

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