In this lesson, Grand Prix showjumper Dani Maurer helps our amateur rider Kimi Knight to prepare for her upcoming competitions. Kimi recently decided to refocus her goals and make a move into the showjumping arena and away from her eventing background. Dani is here to help her make the transition.

Peter Storr works with a young pony rider on getting her pony, Ted working over his back and swinging from behind, as well as being more supple and accepting of the contact.

Join top eventing riders Clarke Johnstone and Samantha Felton as they school Samantha’s two horses Ricker Ridge Rui and Ricker Ridge Skywalker through gymnastic exercises to prepare them for their upcoming competitions. Read on for inspiring tips and tricks that will help you on your way to the autumn eventing circuit and beyond. 

Anna Stephens guides Karina Valster and Blade; a four-year-old Thoroughbred who has recently retired from the racetrack through his first formal jumping session.

Andrew Nicholson is legendary for his smooth, elegant cross-country rounds. But how does he train his horses to achieve them? Here he shares some of his favourite exercises with us.

This lesson had a big focus on perfecting position, technique and the primary way of going on the flat before looking at jumping anything. Charelle values her time spent on the flat and feels it makes a huge difference when she comes to jump.

In this article Catherine Cameron rides the very promising then four-year-old prospect Lamaze. Lamaze is by the Holsteiner stallion La Lair, out of Jazz (by Lio Caylon). 

Preparing a young show horse for its first outing can be a daunting experience. Show Circuit Magazine sat in on a schooling session with one of Australia’s top show riders and regular producer of young horses, Laura Thomas, as she prepared Farleigh Solveig for her first show.

A simple exercise to help improve your horses' engagement 

Focus on turning

Luke Dee’s success in the show jumping ring as a teenager propelled him to the USA. Now, after a full-on few years riding and competing in the United States and Europe, he has headed back to New Zealand for a well-earned break. While he is here, Luke is happily giving back to the sport he loves by sharing what he has learned with the next generation of rising stars.

Dressage training with Christine Weal.

If you want your horse to be more forward and off your leg, there’s plenty you can do to get him thinking and moving positively. Even if your time in the saddle is limited, you’ll soon have a more forward-going and responsive ride.

Andy’s relationship with his horses is built on a foundation of trust and confidence. He gives us an insight into how he achieves this as he works with Prince, one of the younger members of his talented team.

When teaching a lesson to any rider, on any horse and at any level, control and accuracy are at the top of the priority list for Auckland-based show jumping coach Jacque McKinley. She shares three straightforward, easy-to-set-up exercises with us that can be adjusted to suit the level of training of any horse.

Duncan McFarlane’s credentials, earned during the many years he successfully competed and taught in the USA, are impressive. At heart though, this high achiever remains a humble Kiwi, dedicated to helping riders here develop to their highest level. While accepting no compromises from rider or horse, he delivers nuggets of wisdom with respect, humour, and a keen eye.

Olympian Jock Paget puts Waikato-based event rider Sam Felton and her top ride, Ricker Ridge Pico Boo, through their paces in a showjumping training session. It has been a year since Jock last taught this combination, and he focuses on the importance of balance while maintaining a powerful canter to help them hone their jumping skills.

Walking your course and warming up for a class are the final stages after weeks, months, even years of preparation to get to a competition, and getting those elements right can make the difference between a good performance and a bad one. We sat down with show jumping rider, Rose Alfeld, to learn how she prepares for her classes with her team of horses and followed her preparation for the Grand Prix class at Equidays in October 2017.

Riding a Show Hunter round can seem much more daunting than show jumping. As well as having to jump the jumps and leave them up, both horse and rider have to impress the judge with their form over the fences. And then there are the technical aspects: correct gear for horse and rider, distances, striding and lead changes. It can all seem a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated, so we have put together this helpful guide to get you started along the Show Hunter path.

Teaching a child can be hard, particularly if you are used to training with a more technical approach. Amanda Berridge has a wealth of technical knowledge at her disposal from years of competing at the top level of showing and dressage. Still, it’s a ‘big kid’ herself that has given her the edge in training up-and-coming young riders. 

We catch up with popular eventing rider Katharine van Tuyl and Double J Sunshine, and she explains to us the importance of fitness training.

It’s all about simple adjustments and fine-tuning in this jumping lesson for Auckland-based Grand Prix rider Glen Beal and his stunning grey gelding Sacramento. In this high-intensity lesson, top Australian show jumping rider and coach Clem Smith works on small changes with Glen that make a real impact. 

Jen Hamilton is one of the most widely respected coaches in North America and has been a regular visitor to New Zealand over many years. Her compelling, no-nonsense teaching delivers a range of strategies that riders can take away and apply to their ongoing training at home.