Bangalow Creek Warmbloods

16/05/2025

Interested in developing your dressage. This program is definitely worth doing

25/04/2025

Le Roi de Platinum!

24/04/2025

Ferg is going to be part of the stallion show and silent service fee auction at the CDI!

15/02/2025

BC Memphis attempting to be less wobbly and more grown up!

12/02/2025

Lessons for young riders at Hill Top Farm Nana Glen

25/01/2025

So true…

This concept is third hand, in the sense that Jeffie Smith Wesson told it to me as something explained to her by Mr. H L M Van Schaik (photo)

So I may get Van Schaik’s message slightly garbled in translation, but the essence is that when someone goes to a riding teacher to get a lesson, almost invariably the teacher teaches the student where she is right now in her riding, rather than teaching her what she needs to be taught.

His point was that ideally and in theory the explanation of riding should begin at the beginning, and progress a-b-c-d-e-f-g and so on, but if a riding teacher actually took her students back to square one and filled in the holes in their basics, most students wouldn’t come back for many lessons. Too boring. Too basic. Too demeaning. Too lots of reasons.

And I do get that. I was thinking of a clinic, for example. Some clinician has been imported to teach riders she’s never seen, and into the ring comes a rider with an entire array of incorrect basics, wrong tack, wrong posture, wrong use of hands, wrong ideas, wrong attitude. And, yes, this DOES happen in real life.

So, does the clinician treat this rider like a total beginner and have her do nothing but walk while she attempts to explain where to begin? Nope. The rider would be angry because “she didn’t get her money’s worth” from the clinic.

So teachers like clinicians and those who have the once or twice a month haul in students are likely to mend and patch rather than to break down and start at the beginning and rebuild.

But the REGULAR instructor has a better chance of going step by step, if the student will allow it.

But that word “allow” is key, and reminds me of something said by Jack Le Goff, who, like Van Schaik, had been trained in the European military tradition. Jack said, “Americans don’t want you to teach them how to ride. They want you to teach them how to compete.’

08/01/2025

If you want to pursue harmony AND dressage success (be that at competitions or in training at home) in 2025... this is for you!

Brett Parbery's 2025 Dressage Success Summit
How to build a training strategy for harmony AND performance.
WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY
6.30pm AEDT

A free online event, everyone is welcome, it's guaranteed to be 60 minutes* that'll improve your training strategy this year.

* it's highly unlikely we'll keep Brett to only 60 minutes on this topic 😂

Comment HARMONY below and we'll message you the link to join us for free, so it's easy for you to access when you're ready.

04/12/2024

I quite liked this little quote

01/12/2024

My plaiting wax has arrived!! Thank you Boston Park Equine! Great stocking filler idea for the dressage and showing enthusiast. 🎄

17/11/2024

Thinking about breeding this season? Perhaps take a look at Le Roi de Platinum!

Superb Breeding. Phenomenal temperament. Fabulous scores.

Le Roi de Platinum is an 8yo Warmblood stallion by Ferguson (Floriscount/ Lauries Crusador/ Weltmeyer) out of a Ferro mare. 173cm, just over 17hh

His temperament is very calm, very sweet with a very good work ethic and exceptional trainability.

Le Roi de Platinum started his competition career in June 2022 with scores over 70% in Novice and Elementary. Three years later he has just competed in his first PSG with 68%. All through the grades he has consistently scored 70% +. His developing Piaffe and Passage training is looking very good.

$1200 LFG. Frozen semen only.

16/11/2024

A friend of mine came up with a great idea to keep hoods securely in place!