Richard has represented Great Britain at four Olympic Games, including London 2012 riding Hiscox Artemis. He is also a European medallist, a former World Class performance manager and British Dressage team captain.
In our family, there’s a saying: “They can who believe that they can.” I first saw it at my grandparents’ house, framed at the top of the stairs. One day it was missing. Apparently the cleaner slipped while dusting it and broke the frame. I came across the broken pieces in the attic and have decided to have it repaired. But this time, I might hang it on the ground floor.
When it comes to training tips, the one I live by is to treat every horse as an individual and work within its own strengths and weaknesses. I also think it’s important to keep learning about horse anatomy and function; it will support your riding and training efforts. When I started to learn about neuromuscular and motor control, everything fell into place, especially the role of consistency when trying to embed pathways for equine behaviour and horse sport.
{"content":"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"}