Lizzy Ritchie Equine Coaching

01/07/2025

📍 Tilling Hill Indoor– Wednesday July 16th

❗️Expressions of Interest ❗️

There’s room for a couple of private or group sessions — whether you’re working on fitness and conditioning patterns (maybe with a few poles thrown in because I know everyone is missing Lucy dreadfully 😢), getting some miles on a young horse, or want to spend time on horsemanship or liberty.

If that sounds like your kind of day, flick me a message 🐴

29/06/2025

Home from a wonderful weekend with lots of new faces, great to work with everyone and looking forward to seeing you all again soon 🤗🥰

26/06/2025

Heading to Renmark this weekend 🥳 A couple of spots still available, please contact Julie Robertson / Jarado Park for further info and available times 🥰

24/06/2025

Ok, ok — you’ve heard me, and everyone else, drone on about leading in a bunch of posts lately. But stick with me, because this is one of those things that actually matters.

Leading is the most essential thing your horse needs to learn. No exceptions. For their sake. For your sake. For the sake of the vet, the farrier, everyone involved. Because if your horse can’t lead well, you’re just asking for trouble. And as I’ve said before — just because your horse is wearing a halter and you’ve got a lead in your hand doesn’t mean they lead well.

I don’t hard tie my horses — but I want to know, that if I had to, I could. That if their lead got caught leaving the float, they wouldn’t lose their mind. If they step on their lead, no drama. They get pressure — not as something to panic about, but something to follow. They’re able to problem solve, not pull back.

Groundwork is a brilliant tool, but what is your horse really tuned in to? Your body language? The lead? The whip or flag? How can you tell?

Start thinking a little harder about the aids you're using — and how clearly your horse understands them.

Sure, it looks schmick when your horse follows your every move with zero feel on the rope. But if you ever plan to tie them, float them, evacuate them in an emergency, you’d better be sure they can follow a feel through the halter. Because when it counts, that’s the aid that matters.

17/06/2025

Tying Up: When Horses Are Set Up to Fail

When someone’s horse has a tying-up problem, the first question I usually get is:

“What should I tie them to?”

They’ve worked out that their horse has learned to snap bailing twine, and they’re right to feel uneasy about hard-tying. It looks dangerous—because, well, it is. Especially when the horse has already learned that panic gets results.

But they’re trying to solve the wrong part of the problem.

Now—let’s just assume, for the sake of this post, that your horse already leads. And leads well. Because if they don’t, you’ve got bigger fish to fry—and that’s probably another post entirely.

Before I even think about tying a horse up, I want to know one thing:

Can they stand still in the spot you want them, without being physically held there?
Not tied. Just… stand.

And here’s the kicker—this part takes actual work. It doesn’t just happen because you clip a rope to a halter. Bailing twine isn’t a magic spell. A solid tie point isn’t a teacher.

Instead of looking for different hardware to tie your horse to, start by looking at what actually needs work. Is it their leading? Separation anxiety?

The rope’s not the problem—the foundation is.

11/06/2025

Back into it 🙌

11/06/2025

Looking forward to heading to Renmark 😍

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN AND PRODUCTIVE TO DO WITH YOUR HORSE AS WE STEP THROUGH THE COLD WINTER MONTHS? Lizzy Ritchie Equine Coaching is coming to the Riverland. Lizzy sells out clinics everywhere, and we are so fortunate that she has now added the Riverland to her list of regional clinics.

ABOUT LIZZY
With a strong foundation in competitive riding, having won both national and state championships in showing and dressage in NSW, Lizzy brings a wealth of experience and passion to her horsemanship journey. After relocating to South Australia close to a decade ago, what began as casual requests to train ponies quickly evolved into a deep and unexpected love for horse training.

Over the years, Lizzy discovered that training horses isn’t just about working with the horse—it’s about empowering the owner with the knowledge and skills to train and connect with their own horse. She is passionate about ethical, thoughtful training that prioritises physical wellness, mental relaxation, and a horse’s overall confidence and versatility.

Lizzy blends classical principles with a practical, common-sense approach and is committed to helping riders become true partners in their horse’s education, not just passengers in the saddle.

THESE CLINICS ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE. Regardless of your chosen discipline or level of horsemanship or riding, there is much to gain from joining in. We are blessed with a friendly and supportive group of riders, and there is always a warm welcome to new riders. Camping, hot showers, a warm fire and yards available to travelers.

For further details or to book a place in the clinic, please send us a message and we will get back to you shortly.

See you soon :)

10/06/2025

☃Winter Calendar of Events Available ☃

Upcoming clinics with The Green Broke Horseman - Simon Moore, Dr Shelley Appleton Calm Willing Confident Horses,

https://mailchi.mp/potteryroad/winter-newsletter-17344165

10/06/2025

There’s a lot of noise out there.
“My training method is better than yours.”
“That person’s way doesn’t work.”
“You’re doing it wrong.”

Everyone’s an expert. Everyone’s selling the secret sauce. And in the middle of all that chaos is you—just trying to figure out how to do right by your horse.

But here’s the thing: most of it doesn’t matter.

What does matter?
Getting out there. Doing something.
Catching your horse. Spending time. Trying. Failing. Trying again. That’s how you learn. That’s how your horse learns.

What I see most often? Good people, kind people—completely stuck. Overwhelmed by too many opinions. Scared to make a mistake. So they do nothing. And that? That’s the only real failure.

So if you’re feeling lost, don’t wait for the perfect plan. Just start. Go outside. Catch your horse. Be present. Be willing to learn in the doing.

It won’t be perfect—but it’s how progress begins.