Barros Sporthorses

I thought I left the start box for the final time 8 years ago, but I returned today with a new mount on her first horse trials ever finishing on her dressage score of 30.6 in BNR!

DD loved this new adventure (especially the cross country). Pierre definitely watched over us today from above.

Cheers to many more double clears in the future ♥️🖤

Dancing DD 🎶

ocalaflorida

Wrapping up an incredible few days at the Instructor Credential Live Session at SCAD! It was a wonderful learning opportunity. We all gained valuable feedback on our coaching techniques to bring home to our students.

In an industry full of stronger bits, training gadgets, and hours-long schooling sessions, it’s easy to believe that more is always better. But Geoff Teall argues the opposite: when it comes to good riding, less is almost always more. He outlines why the simplest solutions create the best results for both horse and rider.

Many riders turn to equipment or extra work as the first answer to a training problem. A horse feels heavy? Put in a stronger bit. Is the horse too fresh? Add more lunging. A horse isn’t responding? Try another gadget.

Teall cautions that these quick fixes don’t actually solve the issue. At best, they mask symptoms for a short while; at worst, they create new problems. As he explains, “All the bits in the world won’t make an unbalanced horse move correctly. The best they will do is mask the problem for a time.”

Instead of asking, “What equipment will fix this?” Teall encourages riders to ask, “Why is this happening?”

Take the example of a horse that leans heavily on the bit. The heaviness isn’t the real problem. It’s just a symptom. The root cause is often a lack of balance and engagement from the hind end.

The solution isn’t to pull the head up with leverage. It’s to go back to the basics: teach the horse to move forward from the leg, carry more weight behind, and balance himself properly. Only then will he feel lighter in the rider’s hands.

Simplicity doesn’t stop at tack. Teall also urges riders to rethink how much they drill their horses before stepping into the show ring. Too often, riders spend hours in the schooling area, jumping fence after fence until both horse and rider are exhausted before the class even starts.

Teall takes a different approach. “If your horse knows what is expected of him, he doesn’t need a lot of warming up,” he explains. A few well-placed jumps are enough to get a feel for the venue and fine-tune the ride. That means fewer takeoffs on the horse’s legs, less wear and tear, and a fresher horse who walks into the ring ready to perform.

Another common mistake is assuming more time equals better results. Teall describes a horse he inherited that was worked into the ground by his previous owners, who thought more riding would eventually make him quiet. Instead, the horse just became harder to manage.

Teall flipped the approach. He set strict, short schooling sessions that ended on time no matter how the horse went. Within weeks, the horse settled because he knew his workload was never endless. Instead of being drilled, he was trained, and that made all the difference.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/17/less-is-more-why-simplicity-beats-quick-fixes-in-riding/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

Listen up! You can catch on the latest episode of In the Zone with Ian Robb and Dancin’ Pete Rodda!

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Equus TV or Apple Podcasts. Link in bio.

📸:

My Darling Clementine had a fantastic outing to Jumper Show yesterday! She won the 2’9” class and was second in her 2’6” class!

This lovely 2014 16 hand mare by Ustinov is proudly offered for sale in Ocala. Priced to sell in the low fives.

📸:

My Darling Clementine had a wonderful trip to Majestic Oaks Ocala Farm this morning for their jumper show! Winner of the 2’9” jumpers and second in the 2’6”!

This fabulous mare is proudly offered for sale. To schedule a trial, call/text us at 774-291-1055