Who’s got a ride lined up this weekend? Or a competition? I know this weekend really kicks off the season. Or who’s chilling with chocolate?

Anyone do anything nice?

I had a little play with ChatGPT and I asked it to tell me something funny that a horse would say... Yes, you. The one holding the lead rope like you are auditioning for a remake of Black Beauty... I would just like to say a few words. Firstly, thank you for the gourmet dining experience. Truly. The slightly-too-early hay net. The bucket that arrives with ceremony. The way you stare at me while I eat as if I might suddenly start quoting Shakespeare. I see you. I appreciate you. Please stop watching me chew. Secondly, can we talk about the weather? If it is windy, you say, “Ooo he’s feeling fresh today.” If it is sunny, you say, “Ooo he’s feeling fresh today.” If it is raining, you say, “Ooo he’s feeling fresh today.” At this point I am convinced that “fresh” is human code for “I am mildly concerned about my life choices.” Let’s also address The Mounting Block Situation. You line it up. You adjust the reins. You take a deep breath like you are about to summit Everest. Meanwhile, I am just standing here thinking, “Climb aboard, Susan. I am literally designed for this.” And when you wobble? That is not me. That is gravity. Take it up with Isaac Newton. Now, about your “inside leg to outside hand.” You whisper it like a sacred chant. You say it before you get on. You say it during trot. You mutter it in your sleep. Sometimes I think you believe if you repeat it enough I will suddenly transform into Valegro at the Olympics. I am flattered. I am also just Bob. And the pep talks. “Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous.” “What if he spooks?” “What if I can’t do it?” Meanwhile I am over here like, “Mum. The only scary thing here is that crisp packet you are dramatically overreacting to.” You worry about getting it wrong. You worry about not being good enough. You worry about what everyone thinks. Do you know what I am thinking? “Is there grass?” That is it. That is the list. But here is the important bit. When you breathe and soften and stop trying to be perfect… when you scratch that itchy bit on my neck without even thinking… when you laugh instead of panic… when you trust me a tiny bit more than your fear…

I spent some time gardening on Saturday, I love my gardening and find it so peaceful. I am laying down chipped bark to hopefully slow moisture loss in summer and slow down those weeds! Sunday was once again spent with my fellow NLP Master Practitioners as we started to dig into Break Through Days - How to change someone's life in a day - heavy, but powerful stuff!

One of the most powerful confidence tools we have as riders is also the simplest: breathing. When things feel tense, your breath is the fastest way to slow your heart rate and reset your nervous system. Long, steady exhales tell your body you’re safe again — and that change happens far quicker than trying to “think” your way calm in the saddle. From the horse’s perspective, this matters more than most riders realise. Horses are prey, herd animals, hard-wired to scan their environment for threat. When you’re on board, you are part of that environment. They don’t read fear as a story in your head — they feel it as changes in your muscle tone, breathing, balance, and heart rhythm. So when people say “the horse knows if you’re scared,” that’s really just a human way of describing the mechanics. The horse isn’t judging you — it’s responding. Slow your breath, soften your body, let your heart rate settle… and you give your horse permission to do the same.