Team White archives: A fine backside (April 2007)

Ten years ago, my husband Ian and I completed what was to be our last eventing season. At the start of the following year, Ian was diagnosed with a grade IV brain tumour and died 3 months later. During our time as amateur eventers, I wrote a monthly column for online equestrian magazine, Eventing Worldwide, in which I related our adventures as Team White. To celebrate what would have been Ian's 51st birthday this week, I have chosen 2 of my favourite articles from this column to share with you. This is an adapted version of the article first published on EventingWorldwide.com.

This month began with a trip to one of our favourite horse trials: Goring Heath. We have visited this event every season since we started eventing. It has a wonderful atmosphere, is well organised, and we love the fact that at each level both the show-jumping and cross country courses are challenging but fair. It is interesting how, this season, Ian and I have walked the novice courses with a different perspective from a year ago. Only another season has gone by but our confidence has grown. The fences at this level no longer look impossibly big and scary. What a lovely feeling to know we are progressing, however slowly! 

Ian and Moose flying at Goring Heath

Ian and Moose entered the Novice class for the first time at this venue and began by completing a reasonable dressage. Despite considerable improvement in Moose’s flatwork at home, Ian struggles to get the same co-operation in an arena. Under the pressure of having to perform movements in quick succession and in a restricted area, the dressage is still a battle. Ian went into the show jumping a little deflated and a sudden and uncharacteristic stop at fence 3 didn’t help matters. But, as always, the boys went into the cross country phase as determined as ever to enjoy the day. They jumped clear around what was a technical course that demanded bold riding. Moose flew over the fences, ears pricked and Ian’s face as he crossed the finish line said it all!

The girls looking smart for dressage

Willow and I were contesting the Pre-novice class and as we warmed up for the dressage, I was feeling quietly confident. However, any attempt to look cool and professional was soon dashed as Willow announced her arrival to the stewards with a resounding whinny which made them all laugh. I explained that her boyfriend was nearby. “Oh yes,” one steward smiled. “We’ve met Mr Moose!” With a few minutes to go before we started I turned away to do a last walk around. “That’s a fine backside she’s got,” said another steward. I can only assume they were talking about Willow!

The dressage went well and a clear round in the show jumping followed. At this point, I have to say a thank you to fellow columnist and Australian eventer, Bill Levett. Bill gave me some excellent tips on how to improve Willow’s canter during a recent clinic. I’ve been working on this since and as a consequence the show jumping phase has become easier. With a promising start, we warmed up for the cross country feeling rather pleased with ourselves. Willow felt fit and well across the course and having cleared the corner at 18, the end was in sight. I felt her back off from the trakehner at 19, so gave her a quick tap with my stick and up she soared to a loud shout of “woohoo!” from the gathered onlookers. We finished with a double clear and a seventh rosette was our prize.

Water? No problem! Hambleden

A couple of weeks later, Moose and Ian competed at Hambleden – again a first attempt at novice at a venue that is another favourite of ours, and this year the bluebells were stunning. The sun was shining and with only one horse to manage, the mood in the Team White camp was optimistic. But then - the dreaded dressage loomed and once more Ian fought his way through the test. My heart went out to him. He came out of the arena and I knew we were thinking the same thing – was it fair to keep Moose as an eventer if the dressage phase was truly out of his comfort zone? Our options were to sell him to someone who would showjump or hunt him, or to send him away for training. In some ways it was a relief to have a discussion about something which had been on our minds since the start of the season, and to have some agreement on the options we had.

As if he knew his future was hanging in the balance, Moosie put on the best show of his life for the show jumping. He jumped a lovely clear round despite a loose dog giving him encouragement in the arena! He then flew round the cross country course, sailing through the first water complex, which had caused no end of trouble throughout the day. He had once again demonstrated just how effortless he finds the cross country phase and how much potential he has. We knew there and then we had to find a way to keep him and improve his dressage.

Moose massage

As a celebration and a treat for Moose we took advantage of a free equine massage offered at the event. Oh yes! The Moose visited a masseuse. And no I never thought I’d ever write those words. The massage was given by Rhiannon Flatman of Equimas who, having qualified recently, had given up her work in the City to pursue her dream of becoming a freelance equine massage therapist. At a diminutive stature, she had her work cut out with the 17.2hh Moose but whatever she did must have been worth standing around for. Moose, who is a notorious fidget, didn’t move for 20 minutes!

Ian has considered moving up to compete at Intermediate level this season.  So, we returned to Hambleden the next day to watch the Intermediate competition and take notes. After watching the dressage we both concluded there was no way Ian and Moose were ready! The question we needed to answer was whether the boys were capable of competing in the dressage at that level with extra training. As fate would have it, we bumped into Gill Watson, who we had had a few lessons with. Having explained the situation she suggested that we bring Moose over to her yard later in the week for professional eventer, Abi Walters, to ride. Hopefully, Abi would be able to give us an opinion on whether it was worth pursuing an eventing career with Moose on the basis of his dressage. A few days later and Moose arrived at Gill’s base at Hyde Heath Farm. Abi rode him and made a very accurate assessment of his issues. She gave Ian ideas on how he could improve the way he was going, which came down to improving the basics and in particular the transitions. Moose begins a test well, as reflected in the good early marks, which then decrease following each transition. It was reassuring to hear Abi say that she thought Moose had potential, with good movement and cadence. “He’s definitely worth persevering with”. So, watch this space for how Moose gets on at dressage boot-camp in a later column.

A fine backside!

The next day, Willow and I went off to Nurstead Court to compete in our first novice this season, and our first since our accident at West Wilts. It had not been my intention to ride my first novice at an unfamiliar event. I had originally planned to ride in the Pre-novice regional final for the Grassroots competition. However, at the time of entry I had obviously drunk too many glasses of red wine - under the influence and egged on by an equally inebriated husband, I entered the Novice class instead. The strategy paid off. I have put off riding at Novice level at several events on the basis that there are one or two fences that I’ve seen on each course which I don’t feel confident riding. By going to an event totally ignorant of what was in store, I ended up jumping fences that I would have avoided before.

We arrived at the event in good time, and having walked the courses, Willow and I completed the dressage with a reasonable score. Half an hour before the show jumping and it all could have ended in disaster, when I suddenly discovered I hadn’t packed my body protector. I couldn’t believe it! Thank goodness for the saddlers, Horses in Sport, who were at the event and who had a body protector in my size in stock. A big thank you as well to my good friend, Mary and her daughter Kerri, who live close to the venue and who were coming along to support me. The SOS went out via Mary to Kerri who turned her house inside out in order to try to find her own body protector to lend me!

Woohoo! Willow at Nurstead Court

With that problem resolved and having completed a clear round in the show jumping (another first for me at Novice) I felt quite relaxed going into the final phase. We entered the start box and waited to be counted down.The starter chatted away to me, asking me about my day and about Willow’s breeding. As I rode Willow to the front of the enclosure, I had to smile as his last comment to me was: “She has a fine backside”. Twice in one month - I yet again assumed he was talking about Willow but couldn’t resist giving a little wiggle as we set off to gallop around the course and complete our first Novice course of the season.

Coming later this week: A Royal Event - Moose and Ian win their first Novice rosette at Gatcombe and shake hands with royalty.
Did you know brain tumours kill more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet research is significantly underfunded? To find out more about this devastating condition and help raise funds for vital research, visit the Brain Tumour Research charity website. 

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd medical writing services and  Cathean Ltd equestrian journalistm & copywriting services. She is a published medical writer and equestrian journalist/copywriter with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world. 

Meet Sarah Charnley, groom for top event rider Rosalind Canter

Meet Sarah Charnley, event groom to the highest placed British rider at this year's Badminton Horse Trials, Rosalind Canter. Sarah has groomed for Ros since 2012 and juggles her eventing commitments around a full time job as a building control surveyor. Here she describes her life as an event groom and how she came to be grooming at the world's biggest three-day event.


Sarah and Ros first met about 9 years ago when they both played for Louth Hockey Club. As Rosalind Canter Eventing really took off, Sarah offered to lend a hand as she had her HGV licence. "I think my first event as groom was Burnham Market (Norfolk). Things then began to snowball and I ended up being out most weekends as well as plaiting, bathing, riding out and helping at the yard."

Sarah's first major trip was accompanying Ros to Austria in 2013 where Ros rode for Great Britain in the CIC2* European Championships. Sarah was one of the official Team GB grooms. "I have since groomed for Ros at several international events, including all 'the big B's in Britain' as well as travelling to Ireland when Ros represented her country at her first Nations Cup and then Poland last year."

Ros and Alby

Ros made it to the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials last year but All Star B (aka Alby), owned by Caroline Moore and Ros, only competed in the dressage phase because of a heart irregularity picked up at the first vet's inspection. This year, however, it was an entirely different story as Ros finished the highest placed Brit. How did Sarah feel to be grooming there? "This year I was a little more composed. Going through the gates last year was pretty emotional and I think my mouth must have been constantly open, catching flies!"  What is it like to be a groom there? "You are very well looked after. They give you meal and snack vouchers and the food is amazing. You could easily end up eating three full meals every day. Fortunately, with all the running around, the pounds don't stick!"

Watching nervously!

Behind every successful sportsperson there is a fantastic team at home and Sarah grooms alongside Ros's mum. "Heather is a huge part of Rosalind Canter Eventing and organises the horse feed, the yard, and everything else you can think of. Her energy and work ethic is inspirational. She loves being involved so we work as a great team, as does everyone else back at home." Sarah's responsibilities include preparing the lorry to ensure everything is packed so Alby is kept in tip top condition while away from home."The team at the yard keep everything shipshape while we are away and we mustn't forget Ros's dad who cleans the lorry."

Sarah and Etie

Sarah  grooms as a hobby using her annual leave from her day job to attend events. "I do it for the love of it and the thrill of seeing Ros and her horses go well." She also competes and bought her first horse when she was 15 having saved up her birthday and Christmas money. However, her father was against her having an equestrian career, so she sold her horse and went to university. "I got my own horse again at the age of 30 and have never looked back." She now has a lovely 5-year old mare, Etie, who Sarah has brought on to event with coaching from Ros. "She is turning into a seriously nice horse and in our first year we qualified for the National Riding Club Championships and the BE grassroots championships held at Badminton." And if that isn't enough, Sarah volunteers for British Eventing as a qualified Controller, Olympic fence judge and  trainee BE steward and is a brand ambassador for Emerald Green Feeds. "I think it's safe to say I'm an eventing nut!"

Sarah 'in control'

If you want to see Ros in action, she will be competing at Rockingham and Houghton horse trials later this month, where yes, you've guessed it, Sarah will be grooming and competing (Rockingham). "Busy, busy, busy!"

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd medical writing services and  Cathean Ltd equestrian journalistm & copywriting services. She is a published medical writer and equestrian journalist/copywriter with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.

Mole diaries: comfort, companionship, confidence

"No! Don't do this to me!" I joked as I was handed a little bundle of fur. This was my first encounter with Mole, he was 
2 weeks old. "If he licks my finger, then it'll seal the deal." Mole clearly agreed and licked my finger. Ten weeks later he came home and the love affair with this gorgeous man began.

What I wasn't prepared for was the significant impact this small hound would have on my life. I'm not talking about the sleepless nights due to the howling from his crate (he soon found his way onto my bed) or the exhaustion from toilet training, recall practise and general entertaining. No, I'm talking about the unexpected positive effect he has had on my self-confidence and social life.

His arrival soon caused ripples in a relationship that clearly wasn't working and with him by my side I had the courage to walk away. His company at dressage competitions helped me overcome the nerves I suffered following a bad fall from Wilbur. And, walking Mole has given me the perfect excuse to explore the beautiful countryside that surrounds us - with the added bonus that we meet lots of other dog owners who all stop to chat. Puppy training has resulted in human friendships, and Mole is quite the celebrity in the local coffee shops we frequent not to mention his important role as chief mascot for the hockey team. With his cute looks and friendly personality, he's the ultimate charmer!

Having a dog has been an incredible experience on so many levels and I cannot imagine life without my scruffy little urchin and best friend, Mole. Happy birthday gorgeous boy.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and  Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in

collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.

Young horse diary: Aid responsiveness and rider staility

It's been 5 months since Baz came into my life and in that time, we've started to build the foundations for what I hope to be a great partnership. Most importantly, our trust in each other is growing daily. At only 4 years old, he has a happy and chilled demeanor, peppered with an element of cheekiness, which I love; because it stops me from becoming complacent! Here is an update on what we've been working on in our schooling with the help of  my instructor, Gail Allum.

Baz's responsiveness to the aids is something we've explored recently. A fundamental aspect of this is my position in the saddle so that I'm able to give Baz clear signals. I had become a little defensive in my position, only because of my inexperience of riding a youngster, Baz and I are still getting to know each other after all and I wanted to be ready to anticipate any unexpected moves on his part! The defensiveness has manifested itself as a tendency to grip the saddle with my knees, which then results in greater movement of my lower leg and a lack of suppleness in my lower back. These factors restrict Baz from being able to move forward freely and mean my aids are less clear.

How have we resolved this? One exercise we've done is to take my legs out and away from the saddle for a few strides in all three paces while keeping my feet in the stirrups. This not only frees up your horse's movement, but that of your lower back too. It certainly tests your balance as a rider and makes you work your core muscles! You then bring your legs quietly back so they drape round your horse's sides.

Sally Swift, author of Centered  Riding, has a great analogy for helping you improve your leg position and lower leg stability. She encourages you to imagine your legs are growing longer until your feet are resting flat on the ground. This results in a softening of your legs, knees and ankles and deepens your seat in the saddle. Your lower leg will be more stable because your knees will be less likely to grip the saddle flap. The added bonus of this analogy is that imagining your feet are touching the ground has a grounding effect on you as a rider. Any nervous energy is dissipated. The resulting calmness is particularly useful when riding a youngster or a horse who feels a little fresher than you'd like because your horse will pick up on your calmer, more centred energy.
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Having practised the exercise from Gail and used the visual aid from Sally Swift, I've been encouraged by the feeling of greater stability in the saddle and how much quieter I can ride. My leg aids are clearer and, therefore, more effective because there is less 'noise' caused by the constant movement of my lower leg. Meanwhile, Baz can move forwards with ease as my lower back moves with him. Try it yourself and let me know how you get on in the comments.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and  Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.

Smoke signals: Shoeing a young horse and lessons learned

Having made great progress on the previous two shoeing visits, our ever-patient farrier faced a challenge on his third. Baz was clearly not in the mood for being shod on this particular occasion,  but with coaxing and skill, Baz went away with shiny new shoes.  Here are some helpful tips and lessons I've learned from our experience.

• Firstly, ensure your young horse is familiar with the place where you have him shod. Baz is not stabled on the main yard where he's shod. Therefore, bringing him on to the main stable yard just for the farrier meant that Baz was already wound up before the shoeing process had begun. Now, I regularly lead him round to the place where he is shod to increase his confidence in that location. I apply TTouches when he's there so that he learns to associate the main yard with pleasant events. Stroking his forelegs with a schooling whip from elbows to feet helps to ground him and invokes calmness in him and me!

• In addition, I lead Baz round to the main yard to watch other horses being shod so he's regularly exposed to the sights, sounds and smells of shoeing without the stress of experiencing it for himself. It seems to be the smoke, or perhaps the smell of burning hoof, or both, that worries him the most. Hopefully, the calmness of the other horses being shod will rub off on Baz. 
• Other suggestions include standing him in a position where the smoke swirls away from him rather than towards him, or to apply a calming essential oil, such as lavender, around his headcollar to mask the smell of burning hoof.
• Our farrier always gently taps Baz's foot with his hammer before nailing the shoes on so he gets used to the sound and feel of having his shoes fitted -  a brilliant way of reducing the risk of him panicking and causing injury to himself or the farrier/handler.
• I plan to give Baz an oral sedative before he's shod next time to minimise any anxiety building and to create a positive experience that we can then build on.
• Finally, cold shoeing remains an option if we cannot overcome the stress associated with the smoke and smells of hot shoeing.

With perseverance and training, I'm sure Baz will become an easier horse for our ever-tolerant farrier to handle.

What challenges have you faced when your young horse has been shod, and how have you overcome them? Please send your comments.





Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and  Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in

collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.

Part 1: What are you doing today to create a better version of yourself?

Over the past few years I have had the privilege of working with some brilliant coaches. The one common theme I've learned from all of them is that we create our own reality through our thoughts and mindset. In other words, we generate our own luck in life as well as the challenges we meet along the way. The power of our mind is truly incredible. Leadership coach, Dawn Bentley, shares her thoughts on how we can help ourselves when we get 'stuck' in old habits and repetitive patterns of behaviour. This will then enable us to build the life we really want.

Have you settled for less?

•  Do you find that you are not getting what you want?
• Are you feeling limited or stuck in some way?
• Do you find that you are repeating patterns of behaviour, or phrases, or ways of thinking that get in your way?
• Have you settled for less?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes then I’ll bet you are living your life according to old patterns of thinking and conditioned ways of being to run your life. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can get whatever you want if you are prepared to make changes to the way you think and perceive the world around you

Why do we get stuck? 

Being stuck, or thinking that you can’t do or have what you want, is normal. We all have limiting thoughts about our abilities and it happens when we attach ourselves to the past or the future. Often it’s due to an unconscious decision we have made in the past, and more often than not it’s driven by emotion rather than logic. We make choices thinking that having a certain belief will help us get what we want or keep us safe. Being stuck is a mental state whichbecomes a habit because it’s driven by a deep-rooted belief. Your brain drives your thoughts and your behaviour. When you are stuck in old patterns, the body responds automatically. When you are on ‘automatic pilot’, your habitual patterns play out so life seems repetitive.

Rising above your conditioned way of being: The first step to change is self-awareness. Start by becoming an observer of yourself. It’s very easy to be critical of things that you do, particularly when it’s a habit you want to change. Additionally, being critical is more likely to close down your thinking. So, you want to open up your thinking, be curious, and ask yourself questions such as:

• How did I create this habit in the first place?
• What is it about this situation that is causing me to behave in this way?
•  How do I actually feel right now?
• What one thing can I do to begin to change?

Once you start to break an old pattern, you can start to learn new ways to operate and build more positive, enabling habits.

Practise is the key: The thing that got you into this stuck state was practise. You took on thoughts, beliefs and actions, and repeated them until they became automatic. Therefore, it makes sense that a new practice will help you to become unstuck. 

To find the practice that is right for you, you need to be clear about what you want. For some people this can be the real challenge. As a coach, when I first ask this question, I often hear ‘I don’t know’. The second most common response I receive is people telling me what they don’t want. For example, if I’m working with someone who wants to be more confident, they’ll tell me they don’t want to be nervous, or they don’t want to forget what they are wanting to say, or they don’t want to stutter over their words. But, this focuses your brain on what already happens – your old practice - your aim is to train your brain to focus on what you really want to get a crystal clear picture in your mind. Be as specific as you can, so think about what you will do, how you will look, what you will say to yourself - and write all this down.

Be consistent in your practise. 
Remember you are creating new habits that will help you live the life you want. Consider where you are going to practise, with who, and in what situations. Then practise.

A word of advice: Be patient! You are re-wiring your brain which has been doing things in a certain way for many years. Start small and build on it. Praise yourself for small successes. Focus on what is working and adjust what isn’t. Think about the first time you got on a bike, or drove a car. You started by practising some of the basic actions and had support. You made mistakes along the way but through hours of practise you became competent. The same rules apply here, so be kind to yourself and find someone who will cheer you on as you make small steps to living the life you want.

In Part 2, Kathryn will share her own experiences of how working with Dawn and other coaches helped her become 'unstuck' in her own behaviours.

Dawn Bentley is an executive coach working with leaders who are open minded and want to continue to learn and grow. She believes everyone has hidden potential and can achieve whatever they want with the right level of support, challenge and encouragement. If you’re ready to take the next step on your leadership journey give set up a discovery call or find out more by visiting her website.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and  Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.