EDITOR’S LETTER
BEING AN EQUESTRIAN journalist must be one of the best jobs in the world, but some of the stories we cover are so heart-rending that they never leave you.
One such story is that of event rider Matthew Wright. I first interviewed him as a rookie reporter when he sprung to prominence at the Pony Club Championships aged 12. In barely the blink of an eye he was competing at Badminton and Burghley with a succession of special equines. A few years after that and he began blogging about his mental health struggles. It came as a shock to many who knew the sometimes brash competitor.
There followed, though, an even greater bombshell — that he had taken his own life. However, as his brave widow, Victoria, explains, Matthew had been fighting demons largely silently for years. Just before he died Matthew and Victoria launched Riders Minds, and since his death overseeing the now award-winning charity and growing it further has given Victoria a purpose.
We have covered Riders Minds before, and make no apology for returning to it again. The thing is, you don’t need to be a five-star event rider, enduring all the pressures that a life at the top of a tough sport brings, to experience debilitating mental health problems. Finally, there is a 24/7 service that anyone connected to horses — from pleasure riders to Olympic contenders — can access if they are feeling low, or worse. Turn to page 12 to find out more.
Equine psychology has been a massive growth area in recent years — thankfully — and we like to reflect this in the pages of Your Horse. The advice of behaviourists, after all, is transforming for the better how many of us work with and ride our horses. In the second part of our series from BHS Suffolk’s Hacking Confidence Clinic (page 22) we discover from Intelligent Horsemanship trainer Emma Sharman how boosting leadership skills through groundwork is the first step towards improving a horse’s respect for his rider’s aids in the saddle — and hence riding harmony.
Anyone whose equine takes charge when on the end of a lead rope can also find out from behaviourist Millie Martin what techniques will turn him into a lamb to lead (page 40).
We have been talking to sporting stars this month, too, to find out how some have used equine psychology to form a better bond with their rosette machines. Find out what the likes of Kitty King and Joe Stockdale have to say on the subject by turning to page 44.
