In 2010, can anyone really claim to just be one nationality? Our entire existence has become so irreversibly globalised, and yet, as horse riders, we categorise ourselves according to the country where our riding style comes from. In my case, that is “English”.

By nationality, I am British. By equestrian training, I am German. Officially, I ride “English”, but over the past five years, I have found myself drawn to the principles of the American hunter-jumper training system.

After having studied the principles of classical dressage, and competitive show-jumping and dressage, I began to feel that something was lacking in the way we were training and riding our horses. My goal has always been a horse that caries itself well on a loose rein, and is light, responsive and easy to handle. Again and again, I was confronted with horses that didn’t cary themselves, and that had clearly been pushed too hard, too soon. What is the purpose of winning a low-level show-jumping competition, if the ride is rushed and the horse doesn’t even know its lead changes?  If the rider’s seat is poor, and the aids unclear?  Why would you strive to have a four year old horse working in an advanced level dressage outline which it cannot hold itself as soon as you relax your reins? Why are judges penalising a novice outline? So I began to educate myself.

I read books by George Morris and Geoff Teal. I studied videos online and learned of hunt-seat equitation classes at American Quarter Horse shows in Europe. Yes, I think I found what I was looking for, something from which I could learn a lot and adapt it to my own equestrian foundation.

This is what I’m doing, and this is what I hope this blog will do further. I’m hoping to chart my own learning curve, and discuss various equestrian issues, both contemporary and historical. I’m a hunt-seat rider in the UK, an American Quarter Horse owner, and a passionate equestrian scholar and historian. And this is my personal equestrian journey.