Murrumbateman Equestrian Services

22/06/2026

Rider weight ratios are a wildly contentious subject - it's horribly easy to be accused of fat-shaming any time the topic is discussed.
But really, it's a matter of horse welfare. If you weigh a certain amount, you need to calculate what size of horse is needed to carry that weight with no adverse effects.
Speaking as a saddle fitter as well as a coach, it's also important if you are acquiring said horse to consider if it has the space on its back to accommodate a saddle of the size you need. Some of the heavy breeds have a surprisingly short bearing area!
The 20% calculation is based on old cavalry guidelines that horses should carry no more than 20% of their fit body weight. Note that the rider weight actually includes saddle, bridle, boots, helmet and other accoutrements that the horse has to carry.

15/04/2026

Our day-to-day training is improved if we understand how our horses' memory, generalization and context-specific learning actually work.

08/03/2026

If you think it's OK to keep a horse on its own, have a quick look at the evidence that says otherwise.
https://horsesandpeople.com.au/teleonome-horse-welfare/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQZ42lleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4blBmMlRVU0RyQ0ZjMFpWc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHu_3AlwJm_HZoXQ8KruYwtLZWuExcjAya_CnAi868dsU3mTWozdRmrV7JuBI_aem_KurJT6_Agol7cuF-UjxHig

Why does a horse pace, call out, and stop doing it over time? The teleonome explains what's really happening beneath the apparent quiet.

01/03/2026

08/02/2026

Extremely interesting and useful research out of the UK linking previous incidence of laminitis with strangulating lipoma colic.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1317164057112427&set=a.624816219680551

Horses with prior history of laminitis have been shown to be almost 11 times more likely to develop strangulating lipoma colic in a recent UK-US case-control study.

The findings of Gillen et al.'s research strengthen the link between endocrine/metabolic disease and SLO risk and underline the importance of proactive EMS and laminitis management when assessing colic vulnerability in older or at-risk horses.

Read "Risk factors for equine strangulating lipoma colic: An international, case–control study" in full on the Wiley Online Library.

19/12/2025

As usual, Denny Emerson nails it - the horse must NEVER be caught in the mouth over a jump if it is to be confident of being able to use itself properly.

11/12/2025

The mysterious half halt!! This is a great explanation of the concept behind that manoeuvre. It's a movement that is performed to say to the horse "hey, I'm about to ask you to do something different - prepare yourself and pay attention" by shifting the balance. And subtly.

25/11/2025

I've taught this for years, but it's still something that is a foreign concept to a surprising number of riders!

25/11/2025

It's the number one requirement for a good walk. How often do you see riders constantly squeezing or kicking to get the horse to walk out, while in effect they have the brakes on with their un-giving shoulders, elbows and hands?

If you watch a horse that has a nice ground covering walk, you will notice how its head swings up and down with each stride.

If the rider has a completely loose rein the horse can swing along unimpeded. But if the rider is riding on contact, it is so important that the rider has elastic elbows and shoulders that follow forward as the horse’s head goes down and back as the head comes up. If the rider has rigid shoulders and elbows that do NOT follow the motion of the head and neck, the horse is basically being hit in the mouth with every stride.

This unfollowing hand that restricts the good walk is a big problem with so many riders who have never been taught the correct way.
If you have trouble fixing it on your own, get some sharp eyed person to help you.