14/09/2026
Athena and Eloise at their first BS show and I was really pleased with them both. A few spooky moments in the first round, but by the second she was really starting to get there.
What pleased me most wasn’t the result, it was Athena’s stress levels. She is, and probably always will be, a spooky mare and if I’d had her 25 years ago I suspect I would have just piled the pressure on and ruined her. Instead, we’ve not given a fig about results and concentrated on helping her cope with the environment and letting her confidence grow.
There are some lovely little examples in this round. On the far side she couldn’t cope with trotting between the red fence and the edge of the arena, so Eloise brought her back to walk and she could manage it.
Then watch her at the black and white fence. She didn’t really want to look at it as she walked towards it, and when she did you can see her nodding her head up and down and chomping on the bit. It’s fairly subtle, but for Athena those are signs that she’s feeling the stress. Then look at her approaching the next fence and you can already see a very different outlook.
At the pink fence we felt she was ready to be asked to go through that moment of anxiety rather than stop and look. You’ll also notice Eloise is wearing spurs… shock horror 🙈 Ideally I’d rather she didn’t need them, but when Athena gets anxious she can stop listening to the leg. They’re not there to make her go faster, but to allow Eloise to give a very small, clear aid when Athena needs that extra bit of guidance.
I’ve always said I use pressure in training when I feel the horse is ready to cope with it. We can do all the preparation in the world, but at some point the wild boar comes out of the bushes, or something spooks them towards the traffic, and you need to be able to say, “I know you’re frightened, but I need you to listen to me.”
For me it’s about knowing when to take the pressure away, and when they’re ready for you to quietly say, “you can do this.”
I’d be really interested to hear what other people think, particularly about those moments where you decide your horse is ready for a little more encouragement rather than taking the pressure away.