PMP Preseason Showcase Day: Horse First

Horse welfare and high performance does not need to be mutually exclusive.

Join us for an inspiring and educational day centred around building a partnership with your horses, understanding how they learn and develop; and how you can get the very best out of your horses in competition and training, whilst maintaining the highest levels of horse welfare.

Preseason is often the time of year we double down on training and get excited about competition planning; and we hope these thought-provoking demonstrations, led by some of the best coaches and professionals in the sport, give you the tools to lay solid foundations for the season ahead, with the horses in mind.

8:00: Doors Open

9:30: Developing a Partnership 

To begin the day, hugely respected coach and horsemen, Yogi Breisner, will work with a mixture of riders both on the flat and through jumping exercises, demonstrating his training philosophy that is built on mutual trust, instilling confidence and correct basics. Yogi will share how his approach to training horses has evolved over time, and highlight key fundamentals we must not underestimate in training.

Presenter: Yogi Breisner

10:15: Horse-Rider Relationship

Yogi will be joined by Charlie Unwin (Performance Psychologist) and Dee So'oialo (Performance Specialist) to collectively work with a variety of combinations, discussing the relationship between rider psychology, physiology and performance; and how we can have a positive or detrimental effect on the horses, without even realising. Discussing rider balance, tension, nerves, reactive riding and more, aiming to develop harmony within horse and rider.

Presenters: Yogi Breisner, Charlie Unwin, Dee So'oialo

11:15: Break I *Opportunity to walk exercises / Q&A

11:45 Help or Hinder?

Dee will be joined by Equine Anatomy Specialist, Gillian Higgins, to take a holistic view on horse/rider biomechanics and share their work on the relationship between horse/rider symmetry, posture and alignment; highlighting key areas to improve to promote longevity and soundness, as well as a winning performance.

Presenters: Gillian Higgins, Dee So'oialo

12:30: Horse-First Dressage

In this exciting collaboration, Gillian will be joined by International Dressage Trainer, Lisa White, to show the effects correct and incorrect training has on the horses body. Gillian and Lisa will discuss the outline and correct positioning of the neck, true self carriage and troubleshoot common mistakes in dressage training; backed up by a painted horse to show the true picture of our training.

Presenters: Gillian Higgins, Lisa White

1:15: Training Fundamentals

Director of Equine Behaviour, Gemma Pearson, and Associate Professor, Brad Hill, will conclude the flatwork sessions; sharing their work on Equine Learning Theory, and opening an important discussion around how we interact with our horses. Summarising and simplifying the 10 basic responses every event horses needs, and importantly how to put them into practice in your day to day training.

Presenters: Brad Hill, Gemma Pearson

2:00 Break I *Opportunity for discussion / Q&A

2:30: XC Fundamentals

Lucinda is an absolute master of XC riding, but more importantly she is a master of understanding horses, and how to communicate with them. In this demonstration, Lucinda will share how she lays the foundations for a successful partnership and the building blocks that must be in place for XC.

Presenters: Lucinda Green

3:00: Establishing a Partnership

Two XC legends team up to share their wisdom. Chris will introduce his successful, and proven XC system, that has won countless Championship medals, a system built on horse-rider connection and clear communication, backed up by Lucinda exploring why the system is so successful 'through the eyes of the horse'.

Presenters: Lucinda Green, Chris Bartle

3:45 Training To Win

To wrap up the day, Chris will work with advanced horses/riders through technical XC lines and exercises, role-modelling what a successful partnership looks like. Collating the learnings from each workshop throughout the day, this session will highlight the type of partnership we should be striving for, and how we can be fast and competitive XC, when a partnership is built on mutual respect, trust and solid foundations.

Presenter: Chris Bartle

4:30: Finish I *Opportunity to walk lines / Q&A

The PMP Preseason Showcase Day aims to inspire, educate and act as an opportunity for the eventing community to come together for the love of horses. Highlighting how we can collectively train and ride better, improve standards in the sport and ensure we have happy, healthy athletes for years to come. 

The day will also raise funds for the Performance Mentoring Programme, a legacy left by Caroline Moore FBHS, which aims to support, nurture and mentor the next generation of Team GB athletes and coaches; as well as showcasing some of the PMP riders and their training principles.

BHS Approved CPD for coaches, carrying 6 CPD points. 

Group booking discounts available - please email callum@banfieldequestrian.com

* = PMP Training Club members.

Blankets and warm clothing recommended, hot and cold refreshments available throughout the day.