Halado Park Training & Education

29/08/2026

This is so well written I had to share!

It reconciles the attitudes between historical and modern approaches beautifully.

Hundreds of years ago, starting young horses was considered its own profession. Important, but in the same league as builders...they are not referenced in the training manuals any more than builders are referenced in historical architecture. But that early work was crucial before handing over to the noble riders as "a dressed horse". The Masters were (mostly) not starting their work with green horses.

Some things never change though. The first thing a young horse needs to learn about posture is to correct the natural tendency to live life on the forehand. To do that, we concentrate on raising the front end...the purpose of the snaffle to facilitate this (once the horse is in self carriage and responding to the seat and legs, the snaffle becomes redundant). As we raise the front end and increase shoulder mobility and control, the hindquarters can't help but begin to engage. Only when the horse is ready and capable do we start to isolate the activity of the hind legs. But in the beginning, we draw with crayons. The calligraphy will come...

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28/08/2026

I've never tried this exercise at liberty before. It's not perfect, but it was very good for a first try! (Especially as it was this horse's first ever liberty session!)

Also, if anyone has any tips for Pivo's over-zealous zoom, please share!

27/08/2026

A beautiful sunny winter's morning for our farriers!

25/08/2026

Have you ever wondered what the difference between all the classical schools actually is?

A nicely informative article to give some clarity.

(And to really immerse into how the schools evolved around world politics and culture, consider joining our Riding Through History workshop series)

A lot of times, when people look at different classical trainers, they see or look for trainers from different "schools." But what does this mean? What difference does it make? Well, it can make a lot of difference, depending on your horse and how you ride! A Brief History If you haven't read the po...

11/08/2026

REMINISCENCES

In 2014, I attended the Nyeregszemle national horse show in Hungary where I found myself put forward as the masterclass rider for a classical dressage demonstration, with only a very basic understanding of Hungarian!

That's a story for another day!

During some downtime, I was watching the incredibly understated rider Gabor Penzes "playing" informally with the garrocha.

At the time, I hadn't seen garrocha in real life (or indeed that standard of riding), and he did something which made my jaw actually hit the ground in disbelief at what he had just done.

With the garrocha, he came out of a left canter pirouette and then, with superb balance, straight into a pessade with the garrocha behind his back.

And my friend caught it on camera! (below)

Ten years later, during my own garrocha demonstration at a medieval fair, that memory came back to my mind.

The moment was right. Everything aligned.

During the performance, I performed that exact manoeuvre. Spontaneously, and without practise.

Not without trepidation, as nothing quite prepares you for how it feels to hold the pole behind your back during a rear, but what a feeling!

To achieve something myself that I didn't even realise was possible the first (and only) time I saw it!

But also, perhaps, to give someone the same feeling that I experienced that day in Hungary... and, perhaps, to inspire them to one day try something that once seemed impossible.

09/08/2026

A BIT ABOUT ARENAS

This is our arena after receiving 27mm of rain last night (with more on the way). Not a single puddle, and the remaining water content adds a softness that makes this surface even better to ride on when wet.

This is the importance of investing right from the start in getting the base absolutely spot on. In fact you can see the run off at the entrance where the slope starts. That gives an indication of how much water was draining off the arena at the time!

But maintenance is another important factor here. There is regular harrowing to level the surface, and what I call remedial harrowing where noticeable areas in the surface are given special attention with extra circles by the harrow and sometimes hand raking.

I also, without fail, harrow the arena before heavy rain is expected. Not only to avoid pooling, but it is diagnostic...I can see straight away if any parts of the arena need work by whether there are puddles left after the rain.

Consider when you are paying for instruction, agistment or arena hire just how much work goes into arena maintenance on top of its actual construction because this is a part of the big picture that is rarely seen or talked about.

(And don't mention gum leaves!)

08/08/2026

Another workshop idea that's been sitting in my head for a while now is wanting to come out!

It's one that covers a BIG gap in mainstream riding instruction!

Think "evening worshop in a private function setting". Combining a powerpoint presentation with group practicals to develop riding habits off the horse.

Details coming soon...