JAMES EQUESTRIAN

18/11/2025

18/11/2025

1964, Kathy Kusner on Good Twist, owned by Colony Farm (Benny O'Meara) - Green Jumper Champion

17/11/2025

In showjumping, many horses can jump a course, but only a few become truly special. These standout horses combine natural athleticism with rare mental qualities and trainable behavior. Here are the key traits that elevate a horse from average to exceptional:

⭐ 1. Scope
A special jumper has effortless power—the ability to clear big fences with room to spare. Scope comes from:

Strong hind-end push

Good technique over the back

Natural ability to “jump up” rather than “flatten out”

⭐ 2. Carefulness
Exceptional horses hate touching poles. They are naturally aware of their legs and body in the air.
Signs of a careful horse:

Tight knees

Quick front-end

Snappy hind-end

Adjusts mid-air to avoid rubs

⭐ 3. Exceptional Intelligence
This is often overlooked but crucial. Top horses can:

Read distances

Learn from mistakes

Understand rider aids quickly

Solve problems under pressure

They know where they are in space and think for themselves without panicking.

⭐ 4. Rideability
A special horse is easy to balance and adjust. They respond to light aids and maintain rhythm naturally. Good rideability includes:

Adjustable stride

Willingness to sit and collect

Straightness

Good mouth/contact

Responsiveness without tension

Even a horse with talent won't reach high levels if it's hard to manage.

⭐ 5. Brave but Not Reckless
Bravery means confidence in front of fillers, crowds, noise, and bright fences.
But great horses also maintain carefulness. The magical combination is:

Bold enough to jump anything

Respectful enough not to charge through the rails

⭐ 6. Athleticism and Body Control
This includes:

Superior balance

Cat-like reflexes

Elastic gaits

Strong core and loin

Ability to “get out of trouble” when a distance isn’t perfect

Special horses can turn and jump with zero loss of power.

⭐ 7. Heart and Work Ethic
Some horses simply want to do the job.
Qualities include:

Desire to jump

Willingness to try, even from a bad distance

Consistency

Mental toughness under pressure

Good recovery and stamina

Heart turns a talented horse into a champion.

⭐ 8. Health and Soundness
To reach the top, a horse must stay physically strong over years of training and competition. Good bone, strong feet, clean moving, and resilient tendons are essential.

⭐ 9. Mindset for the Environment
Top showjumpers remain:

Focused in busy arenas

Relaxed with spectactors, loudspeakers, decorations

Responsive to the rider even when hyped

A special horse has the brain to handle 5* energy.

⭐ Putting It All Together
Average horse = Can jump the height with training.
Special horse = Has scope + carefulness + brain + heart + rideability all in one package.

This combination is rare—which is why elite showjumpers are so extraordinary.

17/11/2025

17/11/2025

17/11/2025

Horses have a mix of presence, sensitivity, and honesty that many people find grounding. Some of the qualities that tend to have this effect include:

1. Their calm physical presence
A horse’s size and steady breathing can create a sense of stillness. Being near them often slows our own nervous system.

2. Their attunement to human emotion
Horses are highly sensitive to body language and energy. They respond to what we feel, not what we pretend, which encourages authenticity.

3. Their nonjudgmental nature
Horses don’t care about status, mistakes, or the complicated things humans often judge each other for. They react only to the moment.

4. Their requirement for clear communication
To connect with a horse, you have to be consistent, calm, and present. This naturally draws your mind away from rumination.

5. Their honesty
A horse’s reactions are transparent. If they’re relaxed, you know. If they’re unsure, you know. That clarity can be refreshing compared to human interactions.

6. Their rhythmic movement
Walking or riding with a horse tends to regulate breathing and heart rate, which can feel grounding both physically and emotionally.

If you’ve spent time around horses, which of these qualities do you notice most? 🐴🐎⭐

16/11/2025

Finding the right horse for each rider isn’t easy because it’s a complex matching process—like pairing two athletes with different personalities, strengths, and needs. Here are the main reasons:

1. Horses Have Individual Temperaments
Horses vary just like people. Some are sensitive, some are bold, some are lazy, and some are fiery.
A mismatch—such as a nervous rider with a hot, reactive horse—can create frustration or even danger.

2. Riders Have Unique Skills and Goals
A horse that’s perfect for a confident, experienced rider may overwhelm a novice.
Likewise, a steady schoolmaster may bore or limit an advanced competitor.

3. Training Levels Must Align
Rider and horse need compatible skill levels:

A green horse + green rider = difficult and unsafe

A talented young horse + skilled rider = ideal but rare
Finding the right “balance of experience” is tricky.

4. Discipline-Specific Requirements
Jumping, dressage, eventing, trail riding—each discipline demands different traits.
Not every horse is suited for what the rider wants to do.

5. Physical Fit Matters
Size, shape, movement, and strength must match the rider’s build and ability:

A small rider may struggle on a powerful warmblood

A tall rider may feel unbalanced on a small pony
Comfort and biomechanics affect performance.

6. Soundness and Health Concerns
Horses suitable for serious sport must be sound and athletic—qualities that are harder to find and expensive.
Even for pleasure riding, ongoing health issues can make a horse unsuitable.

7. Budget Limitations
The “perfect” horse may exist, but not within the rider’s price range.
Well-trained, safe, and athletic horses are costly.

8. Emotional Expectations
Riders often have a picture in their mind of the “ideal horse,” which may not match what they realistically need.
Learning to separate wants from needs can be challenging.

In short:
Sourcing the right horse isn’t easy because it requires aligning temperament, training, physical suitability, health, discipline, skill level, and budget—and the perfect combination is rare. 👍❤️👍

Need a new horse PM us 😜

15/11/2025

15/11/2025

15/11/2025

“Know your circle. Sometimes it's the ones that are riding with you that really aren't riding for you. Sometimes it's the ones that you'd throw a punch for that wouldn't take one for you, and sometimes it's the ones you'd take a bullet for that's behind the trigger. KNOW YOUR CIRCLE. Just because they hang around you, just because they laugh with you, doesn't mean they're for you. Just because they smile in your face, doesn't mean they're talking good about you behind your back. People pretend well. Most will tell you that they got your back, but only few will prove it. Loyalty is RARE, so appreciate the ones who give it to you daily. Not everybody who says "I'm happy for you" wants to see you happy. That's why the better you do with your life, the smaller your circle tends to get because intentions get exposed. So watch who you tell your secrets to, watch who you share your dreams with, because there is no guarantee that the relationship will last forever. Sometimes it's the ones that say I'm praying for you, that are the main ones behind closed doors laughing at your struggle. KNOW YOUR CIRCLE. Real situations will always expose fake people, so pay attention. Just to get ahead in life, people will drag your name through the mud, just to clean up their own image. Just to get ahead in life, people will tear your life down, just to build theirs up. It's a cold world. Friendship isn't about how much you talk, but how much you're there for each other in a time of need. KNOW YOUR CIRCLE. The smaller my circle got, the clearer my vision became. There's not strength in numbers, there's strength in loyalty. Surround yourself around people who won't hesitate to go through it with you, when things get real. Surround yourself around people who won't let your back get against the wall because they actually got your back. If your circle doesn't have that type of loyalty, that type of commitment, then you need to do some surgery and cut some people out. KNOW YOUR CIRCLE.” -Trent Shelton. ✨
Stay focused, keep grinding, and say peace to the ones who don’t support your dreams and accomplishments. ✌🏽💜

15/11/2025

Somethingroyal & Secretariat

15/11/2025

Why Some Equestrians Never Succeed in Their Chosen Discipline 🐴🐎🥺

1. They Don’t Have the Right Horse for the Job
Success in equestrian sport is 50% horse, 50% rider.
Many riders try to succeed with a horse that is:

not sound enough

not talented enough for the level

not suited to the discipline (e.g., a low-scope horse for showjumping, stiff horse for dressage)

mentally too difficult for their skill level

A mismatched horse–rider combination is one of the biggest reasons riders stagnate.

2. Inconsistent, Unstructured Training
Horses thrive on consistent, progressive training, and so do riders.
Riders who fail often:

ride without a plan

go long stretches without lessons

don’t track progress

focus on “comfort-zone riding” rather than skill development

Talent gets you started; structure and consistency actually create progress.

3. Poor Coaching or Lack of Coaching
A rider can work incredibly hard, but if they’re following the wrong instruction, progress can stop entirely.
Common issues:

choosing a coach based on friendship instead of expertise

staying with a coach who can’t take them to the next level

taking lessons too infrequently

learning techniques that don’t scale to higher levels

The wrong coach can quietly stall a rider for years.

4. Fear or Mental Blocks
Fear is normal. What matters is how it’s managed.
Some riders never overcome:

fear of falling

fear of “ruining” their horse

show-ring nerves

perfectionism

comparison with other riders

Mental skills are a core part of riding, yet most equestrians never train them.

5. Not Enough Time in the Saddle
Riding well is incredibly time-intensive.
Many riders underestimate the saddle time required to climb levels, especially in disciplines like dressage or eventing.

Casual riding = casual results.
Elite performance = elite consistency.

6. Financial Limitations
Equestrian disciplines are expensive.
Limited resources can affect:

horse quality

coaching quality

competition frequency

access to vet care, farriery, training facilities

Money isn’t everything — but it affects nearly every part of a rider’s progression.

7. Not Understanding Horse Management
Success comes from far more than riding.
Riders who lack knowledge in:

nutrition

soundness

conditioning

saddle fit

behaviour

groundwork

…often end up with horses that are inconsistent or underperforming.

You cannot ride your way to success on top of poor horsemanship.

8. They Give Up Too Soon
Many equestrians quit when:

progress plateaus

they can’t immediately fix a flaw

competitions go badly

they compare themselves to others on social media

training gets repetitive or challenging

Success in equestrian sport is long, slow, and rarely linear.

9. Misaligned Expectations
Some riders:

expect too much too soon

want the trappings (ribbons, gear, social media) without the grind

don’t set realistic goals for themselves or their horse

If expectations don’t match reality, frustration follows — and progress stops.