Delivering Dreams Scholarship: Winners are grinners, and so they should be. Meet the top three applicants for our inaugural HorseVibes Delivering Dreams Scholarship. We were looking for community spirit, and we found it in spades in our top three applicants, but the judges, our editor Candida Baker; columnist, coach and eventer Charlie Brister, and coach Charlotte Inglis were all unanimous
Why riding is a bummer: CHARLIE BRISTER looks at why an independent seat is of the buttmost importance. As riders we’ve often heard coaches comment that a rider really needs an independent seat, when the rider appears a little too unbalanced on the horse. But what exactly is an ‘Independent Seat’? Could it be a chair that has no legs?
The world’s most loved horse: It was 1992, and a rainy, muddy Melbourne Cup day when Subzero streaked first past the winning post, writes JO MACKINNON, of the horse that’s gone on to win hearts all over the world. . What Graham Salisbury still remembers about his old mate Subbie, is that even during his racing career, he was a
The show must go on: As well as being beautifully turned out, a successful show horse should have ideal conformation, move with elegance and display good manners. For some expert tips AMANDA MAC caught up with one half of J & R Equestrian, the renowned Rhys Stones. If you’ve been around the show circuit for any length of time, the
Greener pastures, open minds: Most young Australian riders dream of competing in Europe, but it may not be what everyone expects, writes CHARLIE BRISTER, who recently spent a month in Europe. It’s always great to have an open mind, and during a fantastic tour of English and German stables last month, there was obviously plenty to learn. The leading eventing,
Our Boy Billy: Over the past few years Billy Raymont has been on an amazing winning streak, writes Candida Baker, maturing into a rider who’s here to write his name into the show jumping history books. “If you’d asked me that question a few weeks ago, I’d have said that sadly the answer was no,” says Billy Raymont. “Now I’m
The art of going forward sideways: There’s more to leg yielding and shoulder-in than meets the eye, so Amanda Mac asked top dressage rider Alycia Targa for some expert how-to tips. If you want good advice, the smart move is to go to someone who really knows their business. So, without further ado, meet Alycia Targa. Alycia is a world
What the hay?: As the drought bites in and hay supplies dwindle, it’s more important than ever to know one bale from another – it could make a world of difference to your horse’s well-being, writes AMANDA MAC. As the drought deepens, the supply of good quality hay is dwindling. Farmers hit by the drought, and those whose properties have
What the hay?: As the drought bites in and hay supplies dwindle, it’s more important than ever to know one bale from another – it could make a world of difference to your horse’s well-being, writes Amanda Mac. As the drought deepens, the supply of good quality hay is dwindling. Farmers hit by the drought, and those whose properties have
Gate crashing 101: Not just a time-saver, but also a test of your horse’s willingness to comply with your leg aids, learning to open gates while mounted can take both patience and practice, writes Charlie Brister. Opening gates while mounted saves time and is an excellent and simple test of a horse’s ride-ability. So let’s get our horse ready, gear up with
A Passion for Coaching: When Sally Francis was awarded an OAM for her services to horse sports and to riders with a disability, it was in recognition of decades of service to the equine industry – in all its forms, writes JO MCKINNON. You can feel the history as soon as you turn into the driveway of Tooradin Estate. A
Helen Chugg’s foal handling tips: So you’re thinking of breeding from your mare? A wonderful idea, but once that much anticipated foal arrives, what then? Amanda Mac asked renowned warmblood breeder Helen Chugg for some expert advice on the finer points of foal handling. Who better to offer advice on handling a foal than Helen Chugg, one of our foremost
Feeding mares and foals – from birth to weaning: Planning your approach to nutrition is the best way to ensure a good outcome for both your mare and foal, writes nutritionist LARISSA BILTON. The birth of a foal is an amazing feat of nature and an exciting time for an owner. Nutrition for both mare and foal plays a very
The bad floater is everybody’s nightmare: Gentle persuasion is the key to coaxing a newbie on to a float, writes Charlie Brister, who has a few ideas to help along the way. How many times have you heard of a horse refusing to load on the morning of a competition? Or seen a bunch of people flapping around a horse which is refusing to load up so that everyone can go home after
Never ask why did it happen to me: Dressage rider David Shoobridge talks to Candida Baker about surviving the most difficult year of his life, his Pony Club dad role, and his new young superstar of the future. It’s possibly a little unfair to remind David Shoobridge, who is busy telling me that that his greatest desire is to breed
Reining – It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s a whole lot of fun!: Mick Taylor, top reining rider and owner of Spin Valley Ranch talks to Amanda Mac about the joys of reining. You would think that one of the most successful reining riders Australia has ever produced would have been in the saddle from just about the moment he
Preparing your stallion for the breeding season: Careful attention to pre-season nutrition will pay dividends, writes nutritionist LARISSA BILSTON. Although breeding is obviously a natural function for stallions, fertility levels don’t have to be left to genetics and luck alone. For instance, it’s important to take care of routine dental work, worm counts and worming, as well as other veterinary
Plain sailing through water: Even horses that love to swim can take exception to a sudden puddle. Charlie Brister looks at ways to help your horse cope with water dragons. Aquaphobia. We’ve all experienced it, but the fact is that every eventer has to jump into water, most show jumpers have to leap over water, and trail riders sometimes need
Smashing goals: Polocrosse stars Lucy and Jim Grills are at the top of the Polocrosse ladder at the moment, and enjoying every minute of the ride, writes Candida Baker. They breed them tough in the country, for sure. I guess if you’ve spent all your high-school years doing a three-hour round trip every day of the week to go
Eventing puts a smile on your dial: Top eventer Dom Schramm, and owner of the hilarious blog Evention TV, talks Dannii Cunnane through eventing 101, and explains the unique element of cross-country. Dom Schramm hails from the small outback town of Charleville, Australia where he developed an affinity with horses from an early age. This ‘country’ influence is evident in
Managing the mums: Animal nutritionist Larissa Bilston, explains why the higher nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating mares is so important. As we move into spring, many brood mares move into their final months of gestation signalling higher nutritional requirements. Have you thought about what you’ll need to feed your mare from now until she foals? And what will she
From racehorse to pony clubber: The young and the old came together recently at a clinic held by Pony Club NSW and Racing NSW to focus on retraining retired racehorses, and Charlie Brister was there. With everybody’s sights set on embracing diversity and new beginnings for retiring racehorses, Pony Club NSW selected a group of talented and keen members to
Colleen Brook on why it’s all about the horse, the horse… Colleen Brook is a quiet achiever in the equine industry, but the alternative training methods she’s used has produced some of Australia’s best performance horses, writes Candida Baker. There’s truly not many people who can say they have three generations actively participating in horse life, but Colleen Brook is
Blasting the barrels: Adele Edwards has won every major barrel race in the eastern states in the past ten years, writes DANNII CUNNANE. She also happens to be renowned as a top-level breeder and trainer. Nangus-based Adele Edwards and her husband Darrell own 3D Quarter Horses and have bred some of the most successful barrel racing horses in Australia from
Crystal ball judging is always hard: Charlie Brister was in Toowoomba recently judging the young horse eventing classes. Not an easy task. Judging is a lot harder than it looks. And judging young horse eventing classes is even harder. Not only are you assessing horses perform on the day, you have to forecast their future competing at the top Australian
Mary Hanna – Pursuing her Passion: The indefatigable Australian dressage legend has already competed at five Olympic Games. With a move to new stables, a new trainer and new horses, she has Tokyo in her sights. Mary Hanna has just finished schooling her three horses for the day. It’s lunchtime in Germany, and a good time to chat at the
Training for Endurance: Dannii Cunnane collects some tips from The Australian Endurance Riders Association to help prepare a rider and an inexperienced horse for its first training ride. The purpose of the Intermediate ride is to introduce newcomers to the sport of endurance without the pressure of a competitive event. The Intermediate ride is non-competitive and is a friendly, low-pressure
Brister’s Brief: What’s the difference between riding with your Mind-full vs Mindful? A lot, writes Charlie Brister. ‘Live every day as if it were your last’, is a powerful motivational quote. Maybe sometimes even a tad too powerful, urging us to cram everything possible into a tiny moment. (And it’s probably a good thing we don’t all follow it to
‘Chuggy’ – keeping it real: Showjumper Chris Chugg talks to Candida Baker about the serious side of building a horse business. If I’ve heard one constant refrain over the years from my vet and my chiropractor it’s been about the dangers of over-lunging, and yet for many trainers and riders it’s still normally a go-to method of training. Not Chris
Training tips with David Finch: From mustering in his father’s old stock saddle to becoming one of the few Level 3 accredited jumping specialist coaches in Australia, David Finch sets the bar high when it comes to training tips, writes Dannii Cunnane. David, or ‘Finchy’ as he’s affectionately known, has earned a reputation over the years as someone who can
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