Say hi to Bart

25/09/2026

6am haircut for Bart this morning and there’s more to come off after work! The dodgy half a job is currently hidden under a rug until I can finish it 🙈😂

24/09/2026

This is something we have been working very hard on, but when you get it you can really feel the difference, we are very much a work in progress and we had a change in direction in training after Sharon rode Bart while I was away and felt exactly what he was doing under saddle, we are now peeling the layers off a whole new onion! (This will make sense to anyone that trains with Sharon 🤣)

An outline is not simply about where the horse puts its head—and it cannot be created by using the reins to place it there.

A true outline develops through balance, activity, suppleness and connection. It involves the horse’s whole body, as well as the rider’s ability to create and support the right way of going.

So, what should an outline actually feel and look like—and how can we recognise when the appearance is misleading?

Read the latest SJE Training Guide: https://www.sharonjohnsonequestrian.co.uk/blog/read_209366/what-is-an-outline-really.html

19/09/2026

We have been a bit quiet lately, I have been away ( no holiday for Bart though as Sharon Johnson Equestrian has been keeping him going. I will do a separate post on that as training has now taken a different direction!) we are now back at it alongside getting ready for winter, getting rugs washed and mentally preparing myself to clip the wooly mammoth when his rugs come back!

24/08/2026

Highly recommend!

PERFORMANCE DOESN’T BEGIN WHEN YOU ENTER THE ARENA.

It begins much earlier—with what your brain predicts, where your attention goes and the story you tell yourself about what is about to happen.

For Gemma, competing once began with:

“LET’S JUST GET THIS DONE.”

Then came the day she entered the ring thinking:

“THIS IS GREAT!”

The difference between those two thoughts wasn’t simply more practice, greater determination or “positive thinking.”

So, what changed?

Gemma’s story explores the psychology behind that shift—and how changing the mind can transform the experience of performing.

Read Gemma’s story:

https://www.mindsetandbehaviour.co.uk/client-stories/gemma

24/08/2026

“LET’S JUST GET THIS DONE.”

That was how competing once felt for Gemma.

Then came the day she rode into the ring thinking:

“THIS IS GREAT!”

And yes—she went on to clear 1.20m and win the puissance with Bart.

But what happened between those two moments?

Gemma has told the story with complete honesty—and it is about far more than the height of a fence.

Read Gemma and Bart’s story:

https://www.sharonjohnsonequestrian.co.uk/leave-a-review

19/08/2026

It’s great knowing Barts training is being kept up while I’m away! Look how happy he looks even though I have no doubt he will have just worked super hard!!

MEET BART!

Bart belongs to my sponsored rider, Gemma, who is away this week—so I have the pleasure of keeping him ticking over.

We had a great training session yesterday and even achieved a little breakthrough with something we’ve all been working towards for a while—an exciting piece of progress that Gemma and I can now build upon when she’s home.

It’s also a little reminder that I offer riding and schooling for horses needing:

• Holiday cover
• Help with a particular training issue
• Consistent work
• Occasional or regular support

Every horse is treated as an individual, with the work tailored to its training, fitness and the owner’s goals.

Please message me if you’d like to discuss schooling support for your horse.

www.sharonjohnsonequestrian.co.uk

[email protected]

WhatsApp 07789 512433

30/07/2026

One of the most important parts of owning a horse is making sure you know the best spots for scratches! He only let me stop when I gave him his dinner (yes I know he needs a bath!)😂

26/07/2026

Yesterday we were at Richmond Equestrian Centre for the unaffiliated show jumping, we entered the 80 and the 90, I was really pleased with the 80 we kept a great rhythm and we are getting a lot better at jumping out of the stride, we had a couple down in the 90 and a couple of sticky moments but we are still a work in progress and my nerves are so much better! Sharon Johnson Equestrian

19/07/2026

This is the face of someone who has just done something she never even imagined she would ever do and that thing was to jump 1.20m! I had been having a wobble in confidence with our SJ and even the thought of an 80-90cm oxer gave me a dose of nerves! After some mindset sessions with Sharon Johnson Equestrian looking specifically at jumping and using techniques to help squash the nerves and look at it with a different approach, my confidence is building again especially after putting it in to practice in lessons along with working on how I ride around a course, it’s still a work in progress but the results speak for themselves!

27/06/2026

Fantastic lesson today with Sharon Johnson Equestrian at Richmond. We focused on keeping a rhythm and getting Bart jumping out of his stride, we didn’t get it right every time but we are certainly getting there! I know where I was going wrong and what I need to do to fix it so we can be consistent.