Nearside Equestrian

02/03/2026

Reminder: Tomorrow night! 🎯 Join us at 7:30 PM for the second Winter Webinar with Nardine Oakes.

She’ll help you have a better understanding of the importance of strength and conditioning training for equestrians and how it can improve and support your riding.

➡️ Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/83442176596/invitations?signature=tjqXHKgfaSmiowiFrtrmTBy8vKJ_g8CDp4InljvrvTY

(Link will also be in our stories!)

.strong.rider

01/03/2026

We are very excited to link these wonderful facilities into a show series!

15/02/2026

𝗔 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀):

Most of the time, it’s not the judge.

When I watch tests back with riders, the issue is rarely the movement itself.

It’s the basics underneath it.

Here are 𝟲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 👇

1️⃣ 𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱

If the horse loses balance, changes rhythm, or drops onto the forehand,

the transition wasn’t good — even if it was on the letter.

2️⃣ 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁

Straight lines need to be straight.

Circles need to be round.

“Nearly right” geometry is an easy way to lose marks.

3️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱

Impulsion is engagement and connection.

If the horse is running or the contact isn’t consistent, the movement won’t score.

4️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲

If you’re crooked, the horse will be crooked.

If you’re busy, the horse will be tight.

Good riding is quiet, stable, and clear.

5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

The way you enter, halt, and present the horse sets the tone.

It’s not about being fancy — it’s about being organised and confident.

6️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

You either look at the test honestly…

or you start blaming away.

Only one of those leads to better scores next time.

Most riders don’t need harder movements.

They need to make the simple things 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

👇 Save ready for your upcoming dressage test

👇 Share with anyone who can use this to improve for next time

15/01/2026

Hard days in show jumping happen to everyone—even Olympic riders. What matters is how you handle them so they make you better instead of burning you out. Here’s a practical, rider-centered way to get through them.

1. Separate performance from worth
A bad round doesn’t mean you’re a bad rider.

Ask: “What went wrong today?” not “What’s wrong with me?”

One refusal, rail, or time fault is information, not a verdict.

Mantra: I can have a bad day without being a bad rider.

2. Read the round like a professional
After emotions settle (even 10–15 minutes helps), break it down:

Rider error? (line, pace, eye, distance)

Horse moment? (fatigue, confidence, spook, misunderstanding)

Training gap? (adjustability, rideability, strength)

👉 Write down one thing to fix and one thing that went well. Always both.

3. Protect your horse’s confidence
On hard days:

End with something easy and positive (small jump, flatwork win, a pat and walk)

Avoid drilling the mistake

Praise effort, not perfection

A confident horse forgives tomorrow what today didn’t go perfectly.

4. Don’t train while emotional
Anger, frustration, or embarrassment lead to:

Over-riding

Micromanaging

Loss of feel

If emotions are high:

Walk

Breathe

Get off if needed

Good riders know when to stop. Great riders stop early.

5. Reframe the day
Instead of:

“That show was a disaster.”

Try:

“That show showed me exactly what to work on.”

Every successful rider you admire has had:

Eliminations

Eliminated horses

Confidence crises

Seasons they’d rather forget

They just didn’t quit.

6. Zoom out
Ask yourself:

How was my riding 3 months ago?

Is my horse improving overall?

Am I learning consistency, feel, and timing?

Progress in show jumping is not linear—it looks like steps forward, plateaus, and occasional backward days.

7. Take care of you
Hard days hit harder when you’re:

Tired

Hungry

Stressed

Comparing yourself to others

Simple fixes:

Eat

Hydrate

Step away from social media after bad rounds

Talk to someone who understands horses

8. Keep perspective
Show jumping is:

A partnership

A long game

A sport where mistakes are visible

But it’s also:

A privilege

A teacher

A place where resilience matters more than ribbons

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas to all! It wouldn’t be Christmas without a festive sweater!

20/12/2025

Hot take:
If your horse ignores small aids, you are in trouble.

When riders say,
“He just doesn’t react unless I really ask,”
what they usually mean is this:

The horse has learned that quiet aids don’t matter.

That didn’t happen overnight.
It happened slowly — every time a small aid was ignored and nothing followed.

Horses don’t suddenly become dull.
They become dull when whispers have no consequence.

And here’s the important part:
When a horse ignores the whisper, he forces the rider to shout.

Bigger leg.
Stronger hand.
More pressure.

From the horse’s point of view, that feels unpredictable and unfair —
because the correction comes late, not clear.

That’s why I repeat this so often in lessons:
If he ignores the whisper, clarify immediately.

Not aggressively.
Not emotionally.
Just clearly.

A quick clarification, followed by an instant release, teaches the horse that light aids matter.

And once light aids matter,
everything gets easier:
– the horse feels lighter
– the reactions improve
– the tension drops
– the ride becomes calmer

Quiet horses aren’t born.
They’re trained — through timing and clarity.

💬 Be honest — does your horse react to the first light aid, or only the second or third?

👥 If this sounds familiar, follow me for more clear, practical training advice like this.

12/12/2025

🟢 OVER-TRACKING - Your horse’s hind feet step clearly IN FRONT of the prints left by his front feet.

🔴 TRACKING-UP - Your horse’s hind feet step INTO the prints left by his front feet.

🔵 UNDER-TRACKING - Your horse’s hind feet step BEHIND the prints left by his front feet.

-------

WALK

👉 Over-tracking is mentioned on a dressage sheet in reference to the free walk and is also looked for in the extended walk.

👉 If your horse has a particularly good walk, he might over-track in free walk by as much as 12 inches.

👉 Although it’s not demanded in the medium walk, some over-track is expected if your horse is using himself properly, but at the very least, he should track-up.

👉 In the collected walk, the steps are shorter and more elevated, and the horse may under-track.

TROT

🫱 In working trot, tracking up is expected.

🫱 In the medium and extended trot, a degree of over-tack is required in line with the lengthening of your horse’s stride and frame.

🫱 In the collected trot, the steps are shorter and more elevated, and the horse may under-track.

CANTER

🤙 Because of your horse's natural canter gait sequence, over-tracking, tracking-up, and under-tracking don’t really apply.

------

Your horse’s capacity to fulfill these requirements will depend on multiple factors, such as his conformation, innate talent, level of suppleness, and the correctness of his training.

Illustration created and copyrighted by HowToDressage

10/11/2025

“Confessions of a Riding School Saint”

Hello, human.
Yes, you — the one still trying to find the correct diagonal.

I’m the riding-school horse you meet once a week. You call me “steady,” “safe,” or, when I don’t immediately burst into extended trot, “lazy.” I’ve carried hundreds like you — some with bouncing enthusiasm, others with a death-grip on the reins and a look that says, “Please, not canter.”

Every rider brings their own style. Some kick like they’re starting a lawnmower. Some perch like a baby giraffe learning ballet. One even tried “natural horsemanship” by whispering at me for twenty minutes. (I admired the effort, but grass would have been more persuasive.)

I do my best to translate. But it’s tricky when one person wants me to go forward, the next to collect, and the next to “just feel the rhythm” while clamping both legs and pulling on my face. You’d be confused too.

Sometimes, when the messages get too loud or too mixed, I tune out. You call it “lazy.” I call it “self-preservation.” You see, my job isn’t easy — I must keep everyone safe while pretending your seat bones aren’t trying to send Morse code in three languages at once.

I’ve met every training philosophy going: “forward fixes everything,” “never use the leg,” “ride from the seat,” and my favorite — “just sit deeper!” (Usually shouted as the rider performs a mid-arena levitation.)

But I’ve also met kindness. The quiet rider who remembers to breathe, softens their hand, and says “good” when I try. That’s when I lift my back, stretch my neck, and remember what partnership feels like.

I don’t care about levels or ribbons. I care that you try to understand me. That you see me not as a piece of gym equipment but as a partner — one who has to process your nerves, your posture, and your Spotify playlist of contradictory aids.

So before you call a horse lazy, ask yourself: am I clear? Calm? Consistent?
Because the truth is, I’m not stubborn — I’m exhausted from reading mixed signals.

If you listen, I’ll listen. If you work on you, I’ll meet you halfway — maybe even with a flying change if I’m feeling fancy.

After all, I’m not just your ride. I’m your mirror, your teacher, and occasionally, your unpaid therapist.
Now, pat me. I’ve earned it.

Author: Gary A Diplock

27/09/2025

It is in our DNA . . .

17/09/2025

26/08/2025

Week Two Camp Crew!!!