Carr Equestrian - Claire Maries UKCC British Showjumping Coach

13/04/2026

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞’𝐬

Lately, something’s been sitting heavy with me and it hit even harder after spending more time helping out at the local pony club and now starting to source horses/ ponies for kids. There’s a shift happening in the equestrian world that’s hard to ignore, and honestly, it’s starting to feel like we’re losing sight of what this sport is really about.

Everywhere you turn, you see kids turning up on high-priced horses €/£/$20,000+ for a youngster with all the bloodlines and breeding, destined to jump no more than 80 or 90cm in their life. These are lovely animals, don’t get me wrong. But at the grassroots level, the horse doesn’t need to be bred for Grand Prix. It just needs to be safe and suitable.

What I’m not seeing anymore? The scruffy ponies. The odd shaped ones. The old semi retired hunter that’s taught half the kids in the county how to sit a buck. The Plain Janes of the horse world. Where have they gone?

When did we stop letting our kids learn the hard way?

It’s not just about the money (though, yes the cost of horses in 2025 is mind blowing). It’s about what we’re expecting from these kids, and how we think a good horse will shortcut them into being a great rider. Spoiler, it won’t!!!!!!!!

Because before you can make a good rider, you’ve got to make a problem solver. And problem solvers aren’t made on perfect horses. They’re made on ponies that stop at the gate. That duck out. That need a soft hand one day and a strong leg the next. They’re made in moments of frustration and tiny breakthroughs. They’re made in muck and chaos and trying again and again.

The pressure to have the right horse is everywhere. But the truth is, the right horse might be the one with a few quirks, not the one with a five figure price tag.

We’ve created this illusion that a child’s success in riding depends on the flashiest setup the horse, the truck, the gear. But the best riders I’ve known? They learned on what was available. They fell off more than they stayed on. They learned to adjust, to listen, to think, and to feel. And none of that came from being bought the perfect ride.

So here’s a gentle plea to parents, trainers, and riders alike……,

Let’s normalise kids riding average horses again.

Let them ride the hairy cob. The semi retired showjumper with a dodgy change. The pony that came from the riding school, or off a farm, or doesn’t have a passport full of fancy breeding. Let them earn their feel, their seat, their instinct not buy it.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not the horse that makes the rider. It’s the hard lessons, the dirty boots, and the thousands of tiny moments when they choose to keep going, even when it’s tough.

So if your kid has a safe pony, a helmet, and a dream? That’s enough.

And if you want to teach them to win start by letting them lose. Start by letting them learn.

That’s what makes a rider. Not a receipt.

Myself and The School Master of Gurteen 2013.

01/01/2026

But either way, we’re lunging it first, right….? 🤣

20/12/2025

Love this 🥰

According to ancient sources like Plutarch and Arrian, Bucephalus was no ordinary stallion. He was immense, coal-black, and wild-eyed, with a massive head that earned him his name—Bucephalus meaning “ox-headed.” Traders brought him to King Philip II of Macedon, but the horse lashed out at every would-be rider. Veterans failed. Noblemen failed. The horse reared, screamed, and struck, as if possessed. Philip was ready to dismiss him as dangerous and worthless.

It was then that young Alexander—barely a teenager—noticed what others had missed: Bucephalus was not savage, but terrified. The stallion flinched whenever his shadow moved, mistaking it for a living threat. Alexander, observant beyond his years, asked permission to try. When mocked, he calmly approached the horse, turned his head toward the sun so the shadow vanished beneath him, spoke softly, and waited. The fear drained away. In that moment, Alexander did not conquer Bucephalus—he understood him.

That understanding became the foundation of their bond.

From then on, Bucephalus carried Alexander through the defining battles of antiquity—Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela—charging into enemy lines where arrows darkened the sky and spears bristled like forests. He endured scorching deserts, frozen mountain passes, and years of relentless campaigning. While other horses were replaced, Bucephalus remained, aging alongside his rider, scarred but unbroken. Some accounts say no one else was ever allowed to ride him.

Legends grew around the pair. Soldiers whispered that Bucephalus sensed danger before it struck, that he would rear or sidestep just in time to save Alexander’s life. Others claimed the horse shared Alexander’s ambition—that he thundered forward not out of training, but out of loyalty and pride. Whether true or not, Bucephalus became a living symbol of Alexander’s rule: fierce, intelligent, and unstoppable once fear was mastered.

When Bucephalus finally died—after the Battle of the Hydaspes River in India, either from wounds or old age—Alexander was said to be devastated. In an era where lives were spent cheaply, his grief for a horse stood out. To honor him, Alexander founded the city of Bucephala near the place of his death, ensuring that the stallion’s name would endure in stone and memory.

At its heart, the tale of Bucephalus is not just about conquest. It is about perception—how greatness sometimes comes not from strength alone, but from seeing what others overlook. A feared beast was calmed by empathy. A boy proved himself a king not by force, but by insight. Together, they became legends, bound by trust, carrying each other to the edge of the known world.

23/07/2025

Love this; mares aren’t being “hormonal”, they’re just less tolerant of bu****it 🤣🤣

For years, horse owners and trainers have often blamed a mare’s misbehavior on her hormones. Kicking at the stall wall? Must be her cycle. Refusing to focus under saddle? Probably "hormonal." But groundbreaking new research from the University of California, Davis, is challenging that long-held belief — and the results may surprise you.

🧪 What They Studied:
Researchers at UC Davis examined 2,914 hormonal profiles from mares who had been referred to their Clinical Endocrinology Laboratory and Equine Reproduction Service. Each case file included concerns around behavior — words like “misbehaving,” “aggressive,” or “difficult” showed up consistently. The scientists wanted to know: Are these behavioral issues really linked to elevated ovarian hormones, like testosterone or estrogen?

📉 What They Found:
Out of all the data, less than 10% of the mares with reported misbehavior actually had elevated hormone levels. In fact, the only pattern that showed a reliable hormonal connection was a very specific kind of stallion-like behavior — things like loud vocalizations, biting, or mounting other horses. But the more common forms of acting out — such as irritability, reluctance to work, or general aggression — showed no significant connection to elevated hormone concentrations.

💡 So What Does This Mean?
It means we may need to stop assuming that hormones are the root of every behavioral quirk a mare displays. The UC Davis team emphasized that these results debunk a major misconception in the horse world — that mares act up because of their ovaries. According to the data, most misbehavior has nothing to do with hormones.

🎯 Why This Matters:
Understanding that behavior isn’t always tied to biology helps owners and veterinarians take a more holistic approach. If a mare is acting out, the cause might be pain, stress, environment, lack of enrichment, or even training confusion — not just her heat cycle. With this new insight, we can better meet our horses' needs and stop unfairly labeling mares based on assumptions.

📌 Takeaway:
Mares aren’t moody — they’re complex individuals. And sometimes, when she’s “acting up,” it’s not about her hormones at all. It's time we listened a little closer and looked a little deeper.

20/06/2025

SAY 👏IT 👏LOUDER 👏FOR 👏THE 👏PEOPLE 👏AT 👏THE 👏BACK

24/05/2025

Love this approach. Arthur was never really a bitey foal, but if he ever did have a little taste is was just to see what I was and I never chastised him for it.

01/04/2025

Just nipped across to 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands for a little training show this morning; now on the plane back after securing gold for GB in the Grand Prix.

01/03/2025

(Credit to Naomi Tavian) This is really interesting and shows how your saddle should always be fitted to you as well as the horse!

02/12/2024

Stolen from TikTok, but a great lesson in humility and putting your horse first. A must watch for any horse owner; thought provoking and inspiring.

02/08/2024

⭐️Absolutely stellar performances from our 3 heroes! Tense to watch but worth the nail biting in the end! ⭐️

It's GOLD for Team GB! 🥇

Scott Brash and Jefferson bring it home for the British team, picking up just one time fault to put us on a score of two, ahead of the USA and France 🥳