MADE IN THE UK
We asked dressage rider Hannah Biggs, an international Grand Prix competitor and dressage trainer, to share a favourite flatwork exercise and answer three burning questions. Hannah has represented Great Britain on Junior, Young Rider and Senior Teams at the European Championships and Nations Cup shows. She has many Young Horse, Regional and National championship titles, and has competed abroad at many top level international shows, up to 5* team competitions and World Cup events. An extremely promising ride is Equine Construction Freeman, a rising-eight gelding by Foundation x Ehrenstolz who has been on a winning streak with Hannah for some time now, including with the TheraPlate Ltd Medium Gold win at last year’s winter regionals.
Freeman has benefitted from Sue Gilliatt’s innovative mouth moulding consultations with an Equine Dental Technicians that help Sue prescribe the most suitable Bomber bit based on equine mouth conformation, as well as the rider’s needs.
Can you share a simple yet effective flatwork exercise?
One good exercise is to ride the horse one metre off the track all the way around the arena, even keeping away from the track when on circle lines. This way you have to ride the horse evenly into the contact to stop them falling back to the wall. It builds core strength in the horse, and improves connection from the hindlegs to the contact. It’s also a very revealing exercise to see who is in charge or the lines you are riding; you or the horse!
1.Which is your most memorable horse and why?
This would have to be Fort Knox. He was the ex-racehorse I rode as a teenager in Hong Kong at Beas River Country Club. He had completely downhill conformation, but he had a heart of gold, and we did everything together! We raced across country, cleared a five foot wall in a puissance, and gave me my first taste of international success in the dressage arena. He showed me what it was like to have a trusting bond with a horse, and how kindness and courage could overcome any obstacle.
2.What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received, and why?
At the end of the day, the winners are not necessarily the best horses or most talented riders, but those with the most positive mindset. Learning from mistakes and developing a growth mindset was the best advice anyone gave me. It can apply to all areas of life.
3.What’s your ultimate riding or training goal?
That would be getting to know each horse as an individual, and giving them the tools and knowledge to understand what we are working towards. I do love competing on the world stage, and I want the horses to be able to enjoy the journey with me. Ultimately dancing our way onto Championship teams is where I’d like to be headed!
Visit Hannah’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/hannahbiggsdressage
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