TDRC January 2026 News
January Newsletter
Cheers to a New Year & another chance to get it right. We open the book to find blank pages which we can now fill those pages with lots of horsey events happening throughout the year. This is our opportunity
AGM SAT 31st JAN- Bishop’s Hull Hub 7:30pm
Frid 9th Jan– Talk by Nikki Routledge-West Buckland
Frid 16th Jan – Evening dressage training, paired sessions – Conquest
Frid 30th Jan– Evening SJ Rally-Conquest
Frid 6th Feb – Evening dressage training, paired sessions – Conquest
Sun 15th Feb – Dressage competition – Heazles EC
Sat 21st Feb – Area 12 Grassroots Dressage qualifier – Stretcholt
Frid 27th Feb– Evening SJ Rally at Conquest
Frid 20th March Evening SJ rally at Conquest
Dates of Area 12 Winter Dressage Qualifiers:
To qualify for Dressage Championships April 24-26, 2026 at Arena UK:
Feb 8, 2026 @ KSEC – Open Dressage
To qualify for Nationals at Lincoln Showground Aug 2026
July 4, 2026 @ Chard
If you are interested in being on a Team (NQ or Q) or trying to qualify for Winter Champs, please let Colleen know.
Unmounted Social Series with Nikki Routledge,
McTimmoney Chiropractor, Human and Animal Behaviourist, University Lecturer
Fri 9th Jan 7:30 – 9:30pm – West Buckland Village Hall
Types of learning and how we train our horses
Delving into the seven main types of learning utilised across the animal kingdom, how these apply to horses and the way we train them. This session includes discussion and fun exercises to help us as riders and trainers comprehend how horses learn from scratch and how they build their knowledge from the basics to more advanced movements. Attendees are also provided with some easy fun tests to try with their own horses at home.
Thurs 29th Jan 7:30 – 9:30pm – West Buckland Village Hall
How our horses perceive us and what their behaviour tells us about their emotional state
To really understand behaviour, we need to understand perception – how do our perceptions change and how do these differ from those of horses. How do anxiety and fear manifest in horses and why they are so difficult to alleviate once established. This session builds on the first using discussion and class exercises to work through some common issues and include easy fun tests for use at home too.
Thurs 19th Feb 7:30 – 9:30pm – West Buckland Village Hall
When things go wrong – how to assess your own horse
Behavioural symptoms can indicate physical pain – how do we determine if that is the case? Understanding the most common causes of pain allows us to develop a step by step programme we can work through to eliminate potential causes or indicate areas for further investigation. This can be a theory-taught or practical session looking at how we use hands-on palpation of our horses, gait apps and other tools available to monitor health and welfare in a targeted systematic approach.
Sat 28th Mar (Cordings Farm):
Clinic in Practice
Practical applications for the above methods and theories with Nikki and Colleen Knox. Demonstration followed by learning sessions. Bring your horse and put what you’ve learned into practice!