HerdLeader Riding Coach + Simulator

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.

16/01/2026

A slightly different customer on Teacher the simulator today 🐈

With Jo Szegota

11/01/2026

⬇️ looking forward to our next joint clinic on 8th February… and hopefully some more through 2026🤞

Tone is the invisible readiness of your muscles to contract. 💪

When we think of tone in this way rather than just strength or weakness, it helps us understand why regulating the nervous system is so important when it comes to helping people release long standing habits that might keep certain muscle groups in chronic contraction.

This is why in the work I teach we learn how to:

- Pause and exhale before and during each movement 😮‍💨

- Do progressive micro-movements or 'thought movements' when building up to an exercise we may find difficult 🧠

- Carve out 15 minutes each day to lie in semi-supine. Aswell as being a great position for decompressing the spine, it more importantly allows our nervous system to down regulate after a day of being 'on the go'. 🤸🏃

10/01/2026

Well said 👏

This 👇

Why I like to teach collection on the longe ⚜️
It's actually quite simple: The horse can say "no".
- "No" if it doesn't understand
- "No" if it is not able to
- "No" if it feels overwhelmed

Let's look at how collection on the ground is often taught:
The horse is placed by the wall, the the human in front, often in a bridle, sometimes with side reins, and there is a whip involved. Sometimes, there is a second person standing by the hindquarter holding another whip.

Now let's look at this from the horse's perspective, as in the example I drew:
It can't go the right, because there is the wall.
It can't go forward, because there is the human.
It can't go to the left, because there is the whip.
It could go backwards, but then the human will probably use the whip to drive forward, and if there is a second human involved, that way is also closed.

I don't want to say that this always involves stress for the horse. Because if we are kind and don't use the whip forcefully, and teach everything in little steps so that the horse understands vs. "making" it step on the place, it shouldn't be a problem. And there are many trainers who can do this with feel and good timing. And yet, we see it misused a lot, because the basic setup doesn't leave the horse a way out. It's not a criticism, just something to think about.

***What if we taught collection in a setup that leaves more choice?***

Then let's look at teaching collection on the longe (drawing below):
The horse can go forward any time.
The horse can drift over the outside shoulder and away from us.
It can say "no".

And we can always return to forward, to avoid "getting stuck".
It's not so easy to work horses with less talent beyond their limits.

BUT...

Because the horse can say "no", we have to explain well and take it step by step! We have to be a good pedagogue.

I'm glad that in the Academic Art of Riding, we have a very far developed system of longe work, without side reins, in which we can teach all exercises from basic to high school. It's a wonderful tool to have, and the horse's enjoy it!



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If you would like to learn more about basic and advanced longe work, you are welcome to join my Classroom! The monthly fee is half of the costs of a riding lesson, and you'll find over 400 videos, from theory to training sessions!
www.bettinabiolik.com/classroom

09/01/2026

This weather 🥶 🌧️ is the perfect time to come and meet Teacher 🐎 Work on your position, symmetry, confidence and effectiveness ✔️

With Jo Szegota

06/01/2026

Over the Christmas break I spent some intensive time with two clients… making the most of the good weather. Lovely Pippin was one. He had become a bit worried about coming in at the end of the day…

…some suggested lifestyle changes to tackle the reason for his concerns. And then some groundwork rules to keep everyone safe and him much happier. Great result by owner Lucy 🧡

With Jo Szegota

https://www.facebook.com/stories/1786619898069736/UzpfSVNDOjE1MDE1MjMyMzQyNzY3ODQ=/?view_single=1&source=shared_permalink

29/12/2025

For anyone who admires my in-hand cavesson - this is where you can get one 👇

✨ EXCITING NEWS ✨

Im so happy to announce that SJP Bitless Bridles will be back in stock next year!

A new (and fabulous) supplier has been sourced - even better quality, and of course still proudly made in the UK 🇬🇧

New updates:
🤎 Brown available when pre-ordered
🐴 Pony size available when pre-ordered
🐴 Quailty leather Reins available

DM me to pre-order or be the first to know when this next batch lands.

www.sjpequestrian.com

24/12/2025

Amen! ⬇️

MY CHRISTMAS WISH FOR EVERY HORSE PERSON

It’s Christmas and gift-giving season.

I have been thinking, if I were Santa, what is the one training skill I would want to give every horse person for Christmas? Many things come to mind - feel, patience, kindness, a questioning mind, etc.

But if I were pressed to choose just one power I’d want every horse person to possess, I guess it would be the ability to direct a horse’s thoughts as the first step to asking a horse to do something.

I know I harp on this topic a lot, but it continues to amaze me how few people don’t even understand the principle, let alone how to put it into practice. Most people recognise the importance of a horse’s thinking in regulating both the physical and emotional sides of horses. However, so few people really understand how to direct a horse’s thoughts or even recognise when it happens. People confuse what a horse is doing with what it is thinking. They are not the same thing.

It’s hard to inspire a horse to think to the left when it believes thinking to the right is a much better idea. And when the horse turns to the left, people often believe the horse is now thinking to the left because that’s where its feet are moving. But this may not be true, and recognising where a horse is directing its thoughts and when its thought changes is a skill that eludes many people.

How many instructors have you known who emphasise and focus on teaching how to direct a horse’s thoughts? Compare that number with the instructors you have known whose main focus is teaching how to get a horse to move and its biomechanics.

Both are important, but in my view, directing a horse’s thoughts should always precede driving the movement. However, it is my experience that most people do it the other way around. When we learn to direct a horse’s thoughts, applying aids that we use to block unwanted responses, like using an outside rein to block drifting to the outside of a circle, are unnecessary and redundant. When we learn to direct a horse’s thoughts, you and your horse are invested in working together because you share the same idea. Unfortunately, most people apply the principle that driving movement will elicit a change in a horse’s thinking. Rarely does driving the feet result in the change of thought we are striving to achieve.

There are many other skills I would like to pass on to people to help their horsemanship, but none are more important than being able to direct a horse’s thoughts. When I learned this foundational principle, it changed everything about the way I worked with horses. It’s hard, and it’s frustrating at times. But when it comes together, it is like every day is Christmas for you and your horse.

Happy Christmas.

23/12/2025

So agree with this 👇

Some people are a little nervous or dismissive of my biomechanical training - “I tried that once and it didn’t work”, “RWYM is too prescriptive”.

This is far from the truth… I try and apply the principles to the body in front of me… in the way that the body’s mind can take the input.

With Jo Szegota

19/12/2025

It is great to hear more and more people talking about how horses need to move.

I also believe that horses love to explore, so movement in a new environment.

Here is Gunner out for explore #5, along the lanes and being 🥇 with the first 🚜 and trailer in a tight space.

With Jo Szegota