The year is going by quickly, and we are now a couple of months into 2026. I start travelling in the next week or two with my Australian schedule. First stop is Western Australia, with Jenny Jackson at Horsemanship First. I start in W.A. on the 5th of March and finish Monday the 9th of March. Then it is back home for a week or so and then up to North Queensland at Barkly Downs for a couple of weeks. In April we have a home course on April 18th & 19th.
The process is all under way for my U.K. schedule in August. The course schedule is up on the website.
The updates to the website should be finished in the next month. I hope all enjoy the article below.
The images and video below are a collection of images taken from different courses and situations from Australia and the U.K. I think this year it is 33 years that I have been teaching courses around the world and nearly 40 years since I started riding horses for the general public.
In that time of teaching courses and lessons and riding lots of different horses. I have asked myself and many people what did you learn today. There is no right or wrong answer to this question.
For myself, horses are horses and people are people. For the most we are all trying to do the right thing. Years ago I wrote about the importance of developing a solid dependable riding horse. I still believe that is true today.
We talk about developing a foundation on a horse, what is probably not appreciated is the time that takes. I would say that time frame was around 5 – 7 years. It takes time to develop the horse, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Many might say, that they don’t have that time, and are not really interested in the process. That is fine , for those that are, to develop, a horse that operates on a feel and an understanding is special.
Simple things done well today, eventually flow into the elegant and advanced movements of tomorrow.
What you want to do with your horses is probably not that important. How you do it and the way you do it, is going to affect your horse. Again, I think that we are all doing the best we can with what we know.
Horsemanship is something that is learned over time and from good experiences and not so good expereinces. As our knowledge improves so does everything else. Life is too short to learn it all by ourselves, having good tuition is really important.
To bring this blog or article to a conclusion. I have observed horses and or riders come into the arena with a lot of talent. I have also observed horses and riders that were not as gifted. With time, it is those with; the good attitude, the dedication, the heart and work ethic that mostly shine.
Enjoy your horses and take the time to develop your horses and yourself.
