Spencer is an Olympic silver medallist, having partnered the De Niro son Super Nova II at Rio 2016, as well as at the 2017 European Championships and World Equestrian Games in 2018, taking team bronze. He is now targeting Tokyo Olympics.
I’ve always been of the opinion that if a horse doesn’t do something the way you’d like him to, there can only be two reasons why: either they don’t understand, or they physically can’t. That could be because they are not strong enough, not coordinated enough, or are uncomfortable in some way.
Thinking this way helps me to approach problems, whether in my teaching or my own riding, with a more positive mindset.
{"content":"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"}
