The Equestrian

FOR THE ART OF RIDING

Stübben

WE ARE SO happy and proud to have a new saddler! All my horses are from now on trained in the highest performing tack I have ever had the pleasure to use; the 124 years of experience German saddlery Stübben. I’ve known Stübben for the genuine quality since I was about 14 years old I think and put a Stübben bridle on my wish list to Santa Claus, but I didn’t know until recently how extremely high the quality, performance and innovative solutions they use.
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Earlier this year I stared to doubt the saddlery I used to be with as I couldn’t really feel my horse’s backs as I wish to. I especially struggled on Caruso who’s long and tall and I really need to feel him to know what’s going on when we train. I know many riders function very technically, they don’t use their senses as much as I do and therefor are fine with harder saddles, but I truly feel my horses when I rider them and to have a brick wall between us is a problem. For me feeling my horses is my main source in figuring out what to do for them. I double checked that my old saddles were rightly measured more then once, which they were according to that brands values, but when Stübben contacted me a while back and offered me to try their saddles I totally found my missing link. Ah I’m just so incredibly grateful to ride in Stübben now and I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right tack!
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This has not just made Caruso better but it’s a clear difference on all three horses, they grew another whole size up only during our trial period of three weeks! & to sit Caruso’s trot is no longer a big deal. It’s all of a sudden even easier then rising. As it should be! I’m as you know the last person to state that the magic is in the gear, but ahh, I’m ready to admin it makes a TOTAL difference this time. Normal saddle tress are all solid so they don’t move at all, but the Stübben tree is flexible and moves just like the horse. I mean ! The leather is all organic and made of the highest quality you can find (only Gucci and Prada has access to the same level of quality) and it’s made 25% lighter then leather from other saddle bands, so it’s quite a significant amount lighter for your horse to carry every day. And there is so much more. Huge, huge thanks to Team Stübben, and I can’t wait to share my options as soon as my own saddles arrive!

FIRENZE!

SO HAPPY with Caroline Edgeley’s superstar lady lion Firenze (aka ‘Nibbles’) out on our first competition together! Her first medium, with loads of room for improvements, she’s bringing home a 2nd on 67.94%!

Really excited of how far she’s come in a couple month, and even more about how much there is inside her that we haven’t shaped yet! This super girl is the sweetest cuddle at home, but she surely knows when it’s time to step up to work. & I think she LOVES it! Or rather, she loves showing off her beautiful self <3 So exciting for the future of this mare.

As always lots of love and huge thanks to Caroline Edgeley, & to Equestrian Stockholm, Stubben och Longines for helping us look and feel great during the whole performance <3  

HI AUTUMN

JUST A KIND REMINDER this early monday morning: ‘Work hard beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard!‘ You can feel the autumn here in UK now and even if it’s not as easy to jump out of bed as it was in June work and practice is just as important and I’m still so excited about the close future. My main ponies Caruso and Firenze (‘Nibbles’) are both doing really well I can’t wait for the autumn season to start. We have loads of fun events and projects lines up as well and I just can’t wait!

More to come!
Work hard, & be kind.

STHLM CLINICS

GREAT DAYS teaching in Stockholm this weekend! Giving the one day clinic at the jumping with the stars stable AP-Ridutveckling and teaching my oldies but goldies in Vallentuna. LOVE to see them grow up so well. & that it’s still summer here!

At the one day dressage clinics we go through the whole basic system of dressage. From the dressage rider’s seat and aids, to the horses’s body and the education of the horse through the levels. We ride in the morning, before we go through theory. Then yummy healthy lunch, before another hour of riding. Love to give new faces the whole package of the basics, and looking forward to do it again on below dates!

October 6
November 10
December 23 

All levels of riders are welscome, and you can rent one of Anna Wallberg’s dressage horses if you don’t come with your own. There’s a few spots left so if you’re interested, just sign up HERE.

Lots of love to Anna Wallberg for hosting <3 Now time to get back to ride my dear four legged waiting at Springhill! <3 

SUPPLENESS

EVERY ATHLETE and every dancer loosens up his muscles before starting to work. And oh how important this is for the horse, which in all his movements and actions must not only bend to the will of anpther living creature but also carry him. As the sculptor’s clay must be soft before he starts to shape it, so must the horse be relaxed both in body and mind before he is ready to be trained by his rider.

Kind reminder to tick of suppleness before you ask for harder work/contact/impulsion/collection! 

Very happy to give you the recipe through The Equestrian Retreat.

LGCT 2018

THIS EVENT. In London. Top horses. Top people. Top food. Ah! 

Longines Globals Champions Tour brings together the top show jumpers in the world to compete in prestigious locations for unprecedented prize money. From Monaco, Miami, St Tropez, Doha, Berlin, Cannes and Shanghai to Madrid and Hamburg. This weekend in London and my dear friends at Longines hosted a wonderful event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, literally in the middle of London town! & I just walked around loved everything, from my dress, to the course (yeas yeas I walked it), the the oh so dear and very special people and friends of Longines, to the food! Yes they even had Linnea friendly food. I only eat anti inflammatory foods, I will have to write a post separately about this topic, but in short it’s most gluten-, dairy- and sugar free goodness that supports your metabolism and over all life energy.

Thank you Longines for an absolutely gorgeous day! 

HORSE+GIRL POWER

SO HAPPY to attend a totally sparkling day at the all-female Swarovski Magnolia Cup at Qatar Goodwood Racecourse on Ladies’ Day yesterday! The racing sport is quite far from my equestrian genre, but the goods that these horses come with is pretty awesome. This race raised funds for Cancer Research UK, while also empowering women in sport <3

Swarovski, sponsor or the race yesterday, held the all-female race, with twelve amateur riders compete in aid of charity. This year, the proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK and celebrating strong, inspirational women who are testing their limits in the challenging sport of horses. So good 🙂

Also cool: Swarovski is a brand with over 70% female workforce and strives to empower all women, from those who manufacture their products to those who wear them. They are a signatory of the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles, also part of the UN Women UK National Committee Corporate Advisory Group, supporting the work of UN Women in its mission for gender equality AND they support numerous charitable initiatives that promote women’s empowerment, both on a corporate level and through the Swarovski Foundation.
Total (horse) girl power! SO GOOD.

Photo of Sabrina Percy, Charlie Webster, Faya Nilsson, Olivia Wayne, Amy Williams, Linnea Aarflot, Joanna Hardy.

IT’S A DATE STHLM

GREAT COUPLE days teaching in Stockholm this weekend! I’m always SO happy to see my oldies but goldies progress, and to meet new riders teaching at the Jumping with the stars dressage stables AP Ridutveckling. Now we have dates set at AP for the rest of the year.

On our day clinics we work on a dressage rider’s seat in the morning, on the horse’s different frames and education in the afternoon, and we go through all theory around it over a recharging lunch in AP’s lovely facilities.

For you riders who have already taken this course I will hold follow up sessions after the day clinic is finished.
If you wish to come only for the lunch theory please email me.

Dates for the autumn are: August 11, Sept 8, Oct 6, Nov 10, Dec 23.
To book above dates please go to AP-Ridutveckling, or email me.

Looking forward to see you!

Lots of love to Anna Wallberg and the team at AP for having me <3 

Wild Horses Mountain

HAVE JUST had the beautiful experience to meet this cheeky herd of wild horses!

I’m in France for a couple days and what better way to spend a weekend off then climbing a mountain (for 5,5h!) to meet these guys?!

I love to see how they respond to my presence and how they interact with each other. It’s such a balance in a wild herd, the stallions, mares and foals are communicating so clearly. The boys are in charge of making sure the herd is safe, and the girls makes sure there is peace and order within. These guys were pretty curious to be wild, and it probably means they’re living a quite peaceful life on top of their mountain. Next to all the vultures and lizards. So beautiful!

& it reminds me of my time with ‏Moonshine and the wild horses herd in New York <3

(If you ever get time to observe a wild herd, please take your time to do so. Your domesticated horse will thank you!) 

UNDERSTANDING

JUST A kind reminder of something important here: ‘The horse should be a partner, not a slave. The goal of Equestrian Art is the perfect understanding with our horses, which requires them to be free of mental and physical contraction.

Ask often, be content with little, and reward greatly,’
– Nuno Oliveira

Photo of Caruso cuddles by Ella Coleman