10/21/2026
You don't need a new horse... or pony.
You need practice, consistency, and time.
Often in this sport, a rider begins to struggle with their partner as they move up the levels. You see it in sales descriptions all the time: "Requires a more accurate rider as the jumps go up." Yet the immediate reaction is that the horse or pony is no longer suitable, and it's time to trade in for something bigger, faster, or more experienced.
But more often than not, the horse isn't the problem. Sometimes, the next level requires YOU to become a different rider.
The reason a crossrail rider is winning at crossrails is because they have become proficient at the skills required to be successful at that level. Add the pressure of showing, navigating a course, managing nerves, and making decisions independently at a bigger level, and things become considerably more complicated. Just because you're jumping a meter at home doesn't mean you can effectively course a meter in the show ring without your trainer talking you through every step. Once you're in the ring and that buzzer goes off, you're on your own. And that's where your skills and education must take over.
I watched this play out with my own son, Gunner.
Gunner was Walk Trot Pole Champion in 2022 and Crossrail Reserve Champion in 2023. He was jumping and coursing 2' to 2'3" at home, so we decided he was ready to move up to Short Stirrup.
But then things got difficult.
He began having significant issues, particularly traveling in the left direction. He struggled to keep his pony straight and began having consistent runouts. The conversations with his coach at the time turned into "he needed a different pony".
Because Poppy was a bad pony, right?
Wrong.
Deep down, I knew what was happening. Gunner was getting nervous, his position was changing, and his body was asking his pony to do things he didn't realize he was asking. He was stopping her forward motion by pulling, leaning when he needed to be taller, and struggling to ride effectively through his nerves.
Anyone who knows Gunner knows he has plenty of courage. But courage and confidence aren't always the same thing, and being brave enough to attempt something doesn't automatically mean you have developed all the skills necessary to do it consistently and safely.
I pushed back considerably against the suggestion that he needed a new pony for months. My instinct and experience told me that we needed to address the riding, not replace the horse. But eventually, I gave in, convincing myself that the experience of the people advising me outweighed my own knowledge and intuition.
That decision is one I wish I had trusted myself enough not to make.
The pony we acquired didn't solve the underlying problem. If anything, more motor and more attitude added another layer of difficulty. When she eventually bucked him off violently, his existing struggles with confidence became significantly worse.
And before anyone misunderstands me, I am not blaming that pony, either.
Horses don't understand our expectations, our division changes, or our timelines. When a horse and rider aren't communicating effectively, there is usually something to investigate in the horse's comfort, the rider's aids, the training, or some combination of those things. The answer is never to blame the horse, and it certainly isn't always to find another one.
So we sent that pony back, returned to Poppy, and started over.
We took a step back. We stayed out of the show ring. We worked through the fear, rebuilt Gunner's confidence, and spent the time developing the foundational skills he needed before asking him to move forward again.
No rushing. No forcing it. No trying to prove he was ready before he actually was.
And you know what happened?
The following year, Gunner went on to have a fairly successful Short Stirrup season. Now, he's building toward the Children's Pony divisions while continuing his partnership with Poppy and developing a relationship with an additional pony. For 2027 he will remain in the short stirrup division with our sights set on the Children's Ponies in 2028.
Not because we found a magic pony who fixed everything, but because we went back and did the work. Poppy carried him through that process, and now he's ready to continue growing with her while expanding his experience with another pony.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for a horse and rider is take the pressure off, put the ego aside, and go back to the basics. Sometimes progress means moving up. Sometimes progress means staying exactly where you are until the foundation is solid enough to support the next step. Sometimes progress means going back to the beginning.
And sometimes, the hardest lesson for a trainer is learning to trust their own judgment, especially when everyone around them is convinced the answer is a different horse or otherwise.
Before you decide your horse or pony is holding you back, ask yourself an uncomfortable question.
Have you truly outgrown your partner, or have you reached the point where you need to grow as a rider?
Because those are two very different things.
And if the answer is that YOU have more work to do, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. That's horsemanship. That's training. That's how you build a partnership that lasts beyond a single division.
You don't need a new horse.
Sometimes, you just need to become the rider your current horse has been waiting for. đź–¤
