HerdLeader Riding Coach + Simulator

04/05/2026

Keeping up with the blondes of yesterday… today was team yellow 👏

Today was Gunner’s turn to go out 🚛, park in a new place and our first ride out with another horse.l.

Thanks again for Daisy Ashley and Dante for, well following more than leading us around. G as brave and bold as always!

With Jo Szegota

03/05/2026

We had a great day with Kim Bergin: Alexander Technique on Friday, she particularly enjoyed teaching on my new toy, the Home Horse.

Very pleased to announce that she will be back for a joint clinic on July 3/4th with ridden spaces available… more details coming soon but let me know if you’re interested.

With Jo Szegota

03/05/2026

A very blonde adventure this morning. Teller and Trooper went out in 🚛, parked in a new place, and went for a hack with another blonde horse. Trooper’s first taste of company. All calm (apart from passing the donkey!) and enjoyed each other’s company 🧡

Thanks to Daisy Ashley and Dante for accompanying us 🐴

More videos in first comment 😀

With Jo Szegota

29/04/2026

This is a great list for keeping the oldies comfortable… I know how much our 31yo struggled in his last few years.

I would also add the use of a soft pad to stand on (SURE FOOT Equine) or similar can really help them.

With Jo Szegota and Kat Jay

29/04/2026

I haven’t had a horse shod for over 30 years but still find this a really interesting subject ℹ️ in a digestible short video 🎦

With Jo Szegota

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1435743204995811/

22/04/2026

This is a great post… to all the ‘middle-aged’ non- professionals over-horsing themselves I mean this kindly 🙂

I feel like I am beginning to understand what it takes to make a good horse that is safe and reliable. Much of this is because I invest a lot of time and energy into them and keep them all hacking for many hours each week - in both familiar and new environments.

With Jo Szegota

13/04/2026

This 👇

I taught a couple of lessons over the weekend which matched this sentiment. One was helping to load a horse who needed to go home from my yard and the other other was preparing for a journey in a few weeks time. Both needed the exercise breaking down into tiny chunks and explaining to the horse in great detail.

With Jo Szegota

WHY HORSEMANSHIP?
I have learned that a person can be a good rider without being a good horse person. A person can be a successful horse breeder and not be a good horse person. A person can be a blue ribbon competitor in any discipline you wish to name and not be a good horse person. But a person can’t be good at horsemanship and not be a good horse person.

As an embryonic competitor and horse trainer, I used to think horsemanship was what I used when I needed to teach a horse to pick up its feet, stand tied up, or load into a trailer. At that stage of my education, it had nothing to do with jumping a clear round or performing collected movements in a dressage test. But now I see it differently.

As the term implies, horsemanship is the understanding of horses. But just those six words incorporate a lifetime of learning and understanding. Horsemanship is the art of feeling what a horse will feel and do before the horse knows. Horsemanship is the art of a horse and a human being able to finish each other's sentences.

Horsemanship is what props you up when you are training a horse to perform a lead change or wear a crupper. Horsemanship is the stuff that fills in the gaps between riding across a bridge and chasing a polo ball. Horsemanship teaches you how to walk up to your horse with feel at the start of a day and how to walk away from your horse with feel at the end of a day. Horsemanship is what makes it possible to salvage the relationship with your horse even after a bad experience.

Horsemanship is a serious study, irrespective of what discipline you ride or what level of skill you ride. That is why the study of horsemanship is a lifelong pursuit. That is why being skilled at horsemanship is its own reward.

12/04/2026

Last weekend we held the first clinic of the year with Arne Koets.

9 horse & rider combinations took part in a variety of sessions;

Janet brought her 4yo for her first clinic with her 25yo as emotional support. Their first session was ride and lead where they looked at riding half-pass to show the youngster the body shape and positions required. Followed by other session of in-hand.

Psyche worked towards her first piaffe - in-hand and under saddle.

Daisy brought her 5yo for his first stay away and grinned the whole way through their ridden sessions.

Emeryn worked on half-passes and some lance work.

Victoria had her first ridden session then used my Home Horse (a saddle on a wobble board) for a dismounted session… with a few dance moves thrown in 💃. It is an interesting piece of kit!

Summer rode her first ever flying change… and also grinned through all her sessions!

My x3 boys all did excellently. Sailor was very lively in the wind but did his best ever piaffe and worked on his ‘Apuy’.

Gunner was quite a handful in-hand but I really got to grips with a ‘hole’ in his in-hand work when I’m on his right hand side. His last session was ridden and he was foot perfect. We changed him into a ported Pelham and he was, and remains, much happier. I learnt how to extend his neck using the curb.

Teller was his usual incredible self and was voted the pony that everyone wanted to most take home! He did ridden sessions with the lance and his first steps towards piaffe 🌟

With Jo Szegota

18/03/2026

Just had to share this gorgeous combination… that’s the look we are all going for. Poll up and open under neck the whole time

06/03/2026

I’ve facilitated two great trials this week with both horse & rider combinations being instantly impressed… one moved to tears of joy at the changes she felt 🧡 🐎

Anyone else want to try them out?

With Jo Szegota

24/01/2026

I have just been listening to Roger Frampton on Davila’s podcast. So many amazing nuggets about what healthy movement is all about.

Train your body for the results you want to achieve in 10 years time.

Move it or lose it!

With Jo Szegota

https://open.spotify.com/episode/307e9dynnmgcftnwp45w0u?si=4nifRrnIQOauO88EWmuXSA&pi=hGmikaxMTkOfW&t=0

Begin Again with Davina McCall · Episode

21/01/2026

This is something that I have always been concerned about, especially with horses who really need to wear a rug a lot of the time.

Mine wear them for turnout but I try and take them off, or at least change them to something different/lighter for a few hours each day when they are all come into their stables/yard for riding, feeding and other care.

IS YOUR HORSE’S RUG SHORTENING THEIR STRIDE? 🐴
We spend a lifetime perfecting our horses' way of going. We invest in the best physios, master saddlers, and hoofcare. But for twenty-two hours a day, we often overlook the garment they live in.

It’s time to talk about the biomechanics of rugging.

Recent research (including findings presented at the BSAS 2025 conference) has highlighted a significant issue: poorly fitted rugs can physically reduce a horse’s stride length. When a rug is too tight across the chest or exerts heavy pressure on the withers, the horse naturally adapts its "motion strategy"—taking smaller, more guarded steps to avoid the pinch.

THE FLAW IN "STANDARD" SIZING

The equestrian industry has relied on a single measurement—back length—for decades. But horses are three-dimensional, moving athletes. Relying on a "6’3”" label is a gamble because...

Shoulder Restriction
If the chest closure is even slightly off, it restricts the thoracic sling, preventing the front leg from reaching its full extension.

Wither Tension
Constant pressure on the withers creates a "guarding" reflex that can cause stiffness throughout the neck and back.

The Sizing Lottery
We’ve all been there—buying a rug that fits perfectly in one brand, only for the same size in another to slip, rub, or pull.

WE’RE WORKING ON A BETTER WAY.

At Equine Tailor, we don't believe your horse's comfort should be a game of trial and error. We’ve been busy analysing the data of equine morphology and the real-world impact of rug design on movement.

We are currently developing a solution to bridge the gap between scientific research and your horse’s wardrobe. We want to ensure that "perfect fit" isn't just a lucky guess, but a precision standard that protects your horse's natural movement.

Watch this space. We’re changing the measure of comfort.