Chase Equestrian at Chase Meadow Lane

09/16/2025

Unbridled, reminds me of the work of my colleague Katie Armstrong

09/11/2025

Some education for a Monday morning 🌅

09/10/2025

Helps reset me after 30 years of teaching, coaching, facilitating and encouraging. Time to get the plank out of my own eye before pointing out the speck in others (Matt 10:28) and clean up my own side of the street.

That’s why it’s so frustrating when someone you love isn’t living up to what you “see” in them.

Because it’s what you see. It’s your projection, not theirs.

The only person whose potential you can truly bet on is your own.

So stop pouring all your energy into who you think someone else could be, and start focusing on who YOU are becoming.

09/09/2025

What a Guy! Best smile, hugs AND international jump course designs.

🇻🇪 We just saw him watching from the side-lines at the Spruce Meadows Masters – waiting to see how the horses and riders would perform, so he can tweak the course in that very technical second round at the CPK International presented by Rolex.

Leopoldo Palacios is a legend in the world of showjumping course design. With a career spanning over four decades, this Venezuelan maestro is renowned for his innovative and balanced approach, creating courses that are not only a challenge but a fair and enjoyable test for both horse and rider. From his roots in a horse-loving family to becoming a full-time professional, Palacios shares his unique journey and philosophy, offering a rare glimpse into the artistry and dedication behind show jumping's greatest courses.

Read our interview with him via the link in the comments below.

09/09/2025

Stacia was a great Junior a rider, now one of the foremost coaches in the US. Hear how she prepares for medal finals. How are YOU preparing?

09/09/2025

09/09/2025

09/08/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

I wrote this today after the Scottish weather broke me, I’m soaked to the skin because apparently I don’t know what a waterproof coat is 🤣

So, you fancy being a riding coach? Right, here’s the reality check!!!!

You’ll work stupid hours. 13, 14, 15 a day. Not for champagne, just enough for diesel, leccy, and maybe a soggy Greggs pasty eaten in the car between lessons.
You’ll freeze in winter, roast in summer, and the rest of the year you’ll be permanently damp. Christmas? Forget pigs in blankets, you’ll be the pig, muddy, wet, and still shouting “heels down.”

People will say you’re too soft, too strict, too old-fashioned, too modern. Basically, whatever you do, you’re wrong.
Shows? Glamorous? Don’t kid yourself. It’s you, stood in a bog, yelling “sit up” at someone who’s pretending not to hear.
Parents? Half of them think their kid’s ready for Badminton, when they can’t even steer in trot.

You’ll see tears, tantrums, bolting ponies, and more drama than Love Island. Some days you’ll mutter, “That’s it, I’m done.”

But then…

That nervous kid finally canters.
That “lazy cob” pings a jump.
That adult says, “I’d have quit riding if it weren’t for you.”
And suddenly, there it is, the reason you put yourself through all this madness.

Why don’t people tell you this?
Because if they did, no one would become a coach.
And because the best bits? They can’t be put into words.

So here we are , cold, broke, dripping wet, boots squelching… and still, somehow, happy.

Representation of what I look like today 🤣
Tag your coach!

09/08/2025