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Happy New Year, EN fam — and good riddance to the last one, frankly. This year, I’m all about setting goals and aims — but I’m also learning that setting intentions and making space to give myself the grace I’d afford other people is even more important than trying to tick boxes. My best friend has been a great resource in teaching me how to prioritise slower, gentler joy — and make the most of my time with my horse — and I’m excited to follow her lead throughout 2024 as she launches her equine-assisted therapy centre, which focuses on improving mental health, aiding adults with ADHD, and much more. Give her account a follow, and join me in committing to being a more positive force in your own, and other people’s, lives in 2024.
National Holiday: It’s New Year’s Day, in case you missed that. And that means… we’re officially in an Olympic year! My stress levels are rising already.
Your Monday Reading List:
Further research is being undertaken into the murky subject of judging bias. Can it be overcome or balanced out, or is AI the future of dressage judging? Read some salient thoughts on the matter here.
Puissance — that much-loved novelty high-jump class — is disappearing. But why? And is it something we should be fighting to save? Aaron Vale has thoughts — and memories — to share on the topic.
One of the most useful things you’ll ever learn is how to wrap a hoof. But depending on the nature of the injury and the use of the bandage or poultice, you might need to adjust how you do the job — so if you want to ensure you have at least five functionally educational minutes today, give this handy primer a skim, because you KNOW your horse will give you a reason to need it soon.
On the first day of the year, most people are dwelling on their resolutions for 2024. Looking beyond that, though, what should the horse world at large be aiming for over the next 365 days? From increased diversity efforts to improved horse welfare, here are some resolutions we’d love to see us all collectively stick to.
Morning Viewing:
It’s always useful, as an amateur rider, to see a professional on your horse occasionally — and it’s also, oddly, quite educational to see it when it’s not even your horse:
