Grey Mare

Remember when horse sport was just… on the telly and the whole family watched it together. From Olympia and Hickstead to Badminton - what happened and can we really blame the BBC for all of it?

We measure eventing in seconds. But are we measuring the things that really matter?

Eventing has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. But what if the biggest change isn't simply the fences? I look at the horses, riders and experiences behind them — and ask whether studying the saves might teach us as much as studying the falls.

Thinking harder about horses. I’ve been around horses for most of my life. Long enough to have watched ideas about feeding, training, veterinary care, management and welfare come into fashion, disappear and occasionally return twenty years later with a new name and a higher price tag. And after all those years, I find myself with more questions, not fewer. Are we actually getting better at looking after horses? How much of what we do is supported by evidence - and how much is

What keeps us older riders reaching for the saddle, brushing off our horses and tacking up for yet another ride - even when everything aches and our energy levels are sometimes lower than a double bass? What keeps us middle-aged equestrians climbing into the saddle despite the inevitable bumps, bruises on older bodies, moments of doubt, and the sheer day-to-day slog of having horses? Yes, we’re talking about that undeniable bond between horse and rider - a connection so deep

For the first time in ages, I opened up the equestrian events pages and scribbled down a few shows I might enter with a young homebred mare I had then. And off we went. I’d forgotten how lovely it is to be out and about - how many friends you bump into in just one day at a show.