WHY AACHEN MATTERS?

Why the 2026 World Championships are returning to one of equestrian sport’s most important places Why Aachen matters When the FEI World Championships start tomorrow, they will be returning to one of the most established and celebrated homes of international equestrian sport. For generations of riders and supporters, Aachen has represented something beyond an ordinary competition.…

BylizzieAugust 10, 20260Comments

FITNESS IS NOT ONE THING

A horse can become less breathless before every tissue in the body is ready to take on more load. Cardiovascular fitness, muscular conditioning, bone adaptation, tendon capacity and technical skill do not progress as one unit at one pace. The problem with ‘he feels fit’ Riders often judge fitness by how easily a horse completes a…

BylizzieAugust 4, 20260Comments

Horse Channel

Q&A WITH JEAN BEMELMANS

Jean Bemelmans is a world-renowned Belgian-born dressage trainer who moved to Germany at the age of 17. He achieved the title of Reitmeister, an honour given to those who have successfully trained over 50 horses to International Grand Prix level. Bemelmans also served as the National Trainer for the Spanish Team, leading them to team silver…

BylizzieJune 18, 20260Comments

Horse Channel

FEI WORLD RANKINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR

The FEI World Rankings for January 2026 showcase familiar faces at the top whilst celebrating remarkable climbers making their mark on the international stage. Showjumping Kent Farrington (USA) begins the new year at number one in the Longines Rankings, followed by Great Britain's Scott Brash and Germany's Christian Kukuk. Ben Maher (GBR), Gilles Thomas (BEL), Richard…

BylizzieJanuary 10, 20260Comments

Horse Channel

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW 2025

Summary so far and what's ahead The story so far (Thursday 18 - Saturday 20 December) Thursday's Opening - British dressage dominance: Lottie Fry and Glamourdale won the FEI Dressage World Cup Grand Prix with a score of 80.783%, heading an all-British podium after Charlotte Dujardin led for most of the competition. Becky Moody and…

BylizzieDecember 20, 20250Comments

A close up image of the letter B of the dressage arena while the sun sets

Ask HQ

ASKHQ: COUNTER-CANTER

Q: What is counter-canter and why is it worth practising? Counter-canter is when a horse deliberately canters on the outside lead. For example, the horse canters on the left lead on a right-hand circle, or the right lead on a left-hand loop. In ordinary canter work, the horse’s leading leg matches the direction of travel;…

BylizzieDecember 13, 20250Comments

Dressage letters on the edge of a dressage arena at a riding school in South Africa - HQ Magazine

Ask HQ

ASKHQ: FREE WALK

Q: The dressage judge described my horse’s free work as ‘lacking impulsion and stretch’. How can I work on this? My horse is slow and deliberate in the walk and prefers to look around than hang his head. Is this fixable, or is my dressage score for the free walk always going to be low?…

BylizzieNovember 17, 20250Comments

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 30, 20250Comments

Horse Training

NECK STRAPS

Neck straps are often associated with young or tricky horses. However, many riders use them, and all have their reasons for doing so – even five-star and Olympic eventer William Fox-Pitt always uses one, even in the highest level of competition. Why neck straps? Neck straps are great for giving riders confidence in the saddle,…

BylizzieOctober 27, 20250Comments

Horse Training

CIRCLES

The wonders of circles Dressage is all about suppleness. Without consistent bend throughout your horse’s body lots of exercises become difficult and you’ll struggle to get a respectable dressage score. Here we give you two simple exercises that you can work on that will ultimately help to improve your circles: Spice it up: Circles are…

BylizzieOctober 23, 20250Comments

HQ Newsletter