Pammy Hutton on setting achievable targets, and riding schools’ plight
We’ve had no choice but to stay positive this winter while training at home. To all those who have stuck with it outdoors in force 10 gales and sub-zero temperatures, I salute you!
My goals may not be as high as they once were, and many riders are in the same boat. But achieving daily goals with an end goal in sight – perhaps even a “live” competition or two – is what has kept us all going.
My latest target is 200 metres in my best sitting trot with no wobbles or flops; no changes or resistance; horse and rider in balance, rhythm and outline to produce one picture… although I find that 20 metres in, my inner core (wherever that is) screeches with inability.
{"content":"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"}
You might also be interested in…
Laura Graves riding Verdades in the grand prix special at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018.
It’s all thanks to the determination of his only rider that this sensitive gelding defied the odds to become one
Olympic gold medallist Laura Tomlinson shares some invaluable training tips and tricks to incorporate into your own schooling
Credit: Kevin Sparrow
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu and All In at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, USA
Credit: Susan Stickle
“He tries his heart out for me every time we go down the centre line, and I just have to
