Sandra Trott Equestrian

09/11/2025

02/11/2025

01/11/2025

6:20pm last night!

After the storm had passed (26ml and no damage - very thankful), we got this beautiful sunset!

31/10/2025

27/10/2025

Yes it’s actually true - and this is not toxic psychology!

When we use our problems as guides to address fundamental dysfunction in our systems they can be hugely helpful.

Why? Because the root cause of one problem is going to also be the root cause of others.

So moving through symptom management to address the cause of the problem often (almost always in my experience) results in multiple problems becoming spontaneously improved if not resolved.

So when possible I will always work through fundamental problems like float loading or kids non compliance with clients in quite a deep, progressive, thorough manner.

I often say ‘getting the horse on the float is not the objective’ because really it’s not, fixing the root cause of the floating refusal is the objective and when we fix that we shall spontaneously fix the float loading (and many other issues as well).

🌻🌻

May this be of benefit 🙏🏻

27/10/2025

So much to love about this foundational principle.

‘Trained’ means you do less, need less to achieve a particular result.

It gets easier and simpler.

Using a scientific lens and ES principles made this happen for me as a trainer.

When I was using traditional methods that wasn’t happening; getting a talented horse and moving up the ranks made it harder and more complicated.

The struggle was celebrated and normalised. Due to this I never questioned it.

It is still very apparent to me the ‘traditional’ methods who ignore and reject behaviourism and equine ethology are still lost in the normalisation of the struggle.

“My mantra throughout the years has been: if you have trained a bird to sit on your arm, you must let go of its wings. If it flies away, it is not trained to do that, it is held. Holding is not training. Training horses is exactly the same. When your horse is truly trained, you can place both reins forward for two strides and the horse will not accelerate or change his head or neck outline.”​ - Andrew McLean on self carriage.

This is an excerpt from Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 2 - available for purchase in time for Xmas at our webshop. https://esi-education.com/product/modern-horse-training-equitation-science-principles-practice-volume-2/

25/10/2025

Turns out this was an important lesson at school and from Dad. 😉😉

24/10/2025

‘Not feeling’ anxious isn’t the goal, because if you aren’t feeling anything you are either highly cognitively impaired in some way or so over aroused (anxious) you are shut down.

Neither option is helpful.

The aim is to be able to have feelings and continue down your chosen path anyway.

It’s life changing and I highly recommend doing the work to get to that place.

If you want to start - my doors are open! Book a time and let’s make competitions less stressful and more enjoyable!

24/10/2025

Right this moment the level is out and we are entering the final stretch!

21/10/2025

Exciting day!

New yard site plus this will include some work on a riding ‘area’.

Not an arena proper, that will be a few years away perhaps, but a smooth area to do a little training on will be welcome!!