Alice Hallows is getting set for a winter of learning and improving...

With eventing fast becoming a dressage competition for brave and capable horses, we'd better get that dressage boxed ticked as soon as possible..

Since August 2021 I've been visiting Alice at Hubbards Hall Farm, Ipswich, coaching her with dressage training and in particular dressage 'RingCraft'. The concept, with the use of earpieces has proved helpful and productive, with scores ending up where they need to be, where and when it counts, in the arena at events.

A Hack Up customer since 2017, Alice finishes the 2021 season with 4 sound and very capable horses, 2 advanced, 1 intermediate and a novice. Watch this space in 2022 as this lady will be in the headlines - you heard it here first!

Dressage for pure dressage is very different from dressage for eventers. A brave horse, capable and willing to jump cleanly and at speed into water, over hedges and through combinations with arrow heads and skinnies, often doesn't have the ideal conformation and attitude for dressage. It's a case of working with what you have to get the best dressage mark possible.

This is the challenge I LOVE.

If the dressage score is where it needs to be, then it's worth going for it cross country. If it isn't then it's best rethink, and get the dressage mark where it needs to be to make the XC and SJ phases worth doing.