Performance Riders Blueprint

Performance Riders, based in Australia, hosted a free live web session with Boyd Martin, Peter Wylde, Lillian Heard Wood, and Brett Parbery to promote their subscription online training module. As such, it was a hybrid sales pitch + teaser of what to expect from the program.

I knew from touring Windurra with Boyd years ago that this man has zero chill with sharing his opinions, approaches, methods, perspectives on literally everything he does with a horse – at a pace that makes you wish you’d hit “record.”

True story: he spat out so much rapid-fire detail on that tour about conditioning upper-level horses – how often they’re ridden, the focus of each ride, how intensity progresses – I literally couldn’t write fast enough, and most of those details blew over my head like dust in the wind.

Not this time, tho! I knew what to expect and was ready to go lol.

that time i fauxto-shopped boyd onto the legend himself, charles <3

So! Here are my notes:

The agenda was to basically create a ‘blueprint’ for our 2026 plans (that presumably you’d start executing by signing up for the program).

Boyd advises creating two sets of plans, one for the horse and one for the rider. Naturally, horses being horses, we should map a plan but keep it adjustable.

For the rider, however, Boyd was more strict: he urged us to evolve as riders, to be really really honest with ourselves about where we are, what’s coming up short, and where we want to go.

He said it’s easy to practice what we’re good at – but that’s not going to help us with…. anything else. Boyd’s personal goal examples included working on flying changes and addressing the ‘stiffness’ that’s creeping into his seat and position as he ages. 

Especially this time of year, it’s easy to talk ourselves out of practicing intentionally. But before we know it, it could be March and he won’t have sat the trot in months.

pictured: a man who is willing and eager to tell you everything he knows, no matter who you are!

For the horse, Boyd’s approach to goal setting was maybe… less relatable to my personal reality. Planning for Kentucky or Burghley obviously requires significantly more logistical resources than Area II champs an hour and a half down the road.

I’ll share his insights anyway, tho:

Boyd starts by picking his big events for his upper-level horses for the year – maybe one in spring, one in fall – then works backward to reverse engineer the steps to get there.

For example:

• Three or four weeks before a 5*, he’ll aim for a 4*-S or Advanced where he can give it a proper physical push – letting the horse go forward at speed across the country
• Before that, he’ll aim for 1-2 easier competitions as lead up events – maybe down a level to the 3* or even Prelim/2* for the veterans to get them started for the year
• Intermingled with that trajectory, he’ll do some show jump rounds as “training days” to get the horses into big rings, big tracks – maybe down in Florida.
• He’ll also pick out a couple dressage shows
• (Editor’s Note: “bite-sized outings!”)

Boyd & Tsetserleg in the MDHT 3* leading up to the Pan American games in 2019

Peter, an Olympian and one of Boyd’s coaches, further emphasized going to the show jumping events to practice, just to take the edge and jitters off. Like literally down to specifically wearing polo shirts and tan pants – just getting horse and rider into the ring, getting comfortable, putting in the reps, since eventers do so relatively few actual rounds.

Peter advised focusing on two main attributes in show jumping practice:

1. Rideability: We want our horses lovely and polite to ride – round, supple, light, not completely closed in the neck, a lighter more ‘up’ frame.
• In our exercises at home, he said to include course work that focuses on the horse staying lovely and nice around the course. It’s not about being a perfectionist, but rather being diligent in insisting that we do things well. Don’t just hop on and fly over the jumps (Ed. Note: me, this is me 100%) – but work on repeatability.
• He suggested using ground pole courses too, and Boyd offered a nugget that he uses with one of his hotter horses Luke: do a trot transition halfway across the course, or add a couple bounces in the middle.
2. Repeatability: Horses are happier when things are consistent. Peter suggested thinking about it like a “recipe.” Try to be consistent, try to figure out what formula you do with the horse for each event, each practice session – what gets the horse the best feeling so that you can make a plan for that.
• The most successful way to train horses and riders is to set up a plan then tailor that plan for approaching each event.
• That way, if the plan doesn’t work, you’ve got a blueprint for making tweaks or changes.

pictured: me and Charlie figuring out what not to do in a show jump schooling round at Plantation, naturally with a somewhat intimidating audience… 

Related to that ‘recipe,’ Boyd gave the following example of tailoring his show jumping warm up at an event:

• Start flatting about 12 horses to go (~24min from ride time)
• Start jumping 6 horses out (~12 min to go)
• Start with a vertical, focusing on rideability and discipline, and do a walk transition on landing to help the horse think ‘slow’
• (Ed. Note: interesting that the practice at home includes more course work, and the warm up includes more “one at a time” jumping)
• Put the vertical up, then go to an oxer
• About 2 horses out (~4min), he hops off the horse to reset the saddle (even if it doesn’t need it) and take 30seconds to exhale
• This gives the horse a minute to take a breath and calm down
• (Ed. Note: Could this be the silver lining to being our own jump crew while schooling at home??)
• Jump your last fence as the rider ahead is on jump 2 or 3 – set it to a tall vertical to get the horse jumping up

His point is to create a predictable routine system. Vertical, land, walk. Vertical, land, walk. Show the horse the routine, use body language to calm everything down, and help the horse recognize the pattern.

Ultimately, the mega goal is success at the one big event, with a game plan to use lead up outings as schooling and prep.

Boyd & On Cue at the Plantation 3* in 2020

Fitness and conditioning are obviously also key components. Boyd outlined the following schema for Kentucky prep:

• December is dedicated to long, slow dedicated flatwork – horse “yoga” vs test riding.
• January introduces long slow stamina work
• February will see the first couple events, again at lower levels and slower still speeds
• March is when more speed and hill work starts, with the goal of eventually hitting 14 hill gallops before the spring 5*

He encouraged us to observe what works for successful people, and adapt it to our programs, recognizing that things go wrong all the time. The people at the top of the sport aren’t doing some sort of magical riding. It’s not like they aren’t facing setbacks too. Rather, it’s the small fundamental details that make the biggest difference.

Boyd really emphasized that riding goals are not negotiable. Especially this time of year, he’s not just going to toddle around in the indoor arena or go for a hack. It’s too easy to just go through the motions (Ed. Note: Ahem, guilty as charged!) – but to improve, you have to go after it.

The rate of improvement is very minute, mayyybe 0.1% a week. Day to day, you won’t feel like you’re getting anywhere – it can be frustrating to put in a huge amount of effort every ride for a minuscule or nearly undetectable reward. But that’s what it takes, and you must be relentless, disciplined, committed.

pictured: me and charlie demonstrating the sometimes frustratingly slow path to improvement at a tricky water question, natch with Boyd again watching (and waiting for us to finish) from the truck 

There are only so many jumps a horse can jump, obviously he acknowledged it’s a luxury to practice on so many different horses. But for each horse, each session has to count. You can’t just whiz them around – you have to be clear minded and committed that your sessions have purpose – that everything you do with your horse has a purpose.

Doing more of it badly won’t make you better. We’ve all fallen into that trap of basically being an ‘exercise rider’ just spinning them around, vs intentionally training every ride (Ed. Note: Hi, yes, the problem is me!).

The true champions still ride their horses with the same window of time, but are more engaged with their sessions, staying true to the real goal.

Brett, an Olympic dressage rider based in Australia, chimed in to observe that a high performance mindset is a mindset of detail. Working on the simple things and getting them right.

He said there are five critical steps to achieving your goals:

• Today, today, today, today, today

It’s what you do today that puts you in place tomorrow. And we need to take the time, break things down, create structure for how to improve skillsets, understanding and knowledge. Horses crave structure in their preparation and development, and it’s our job to provide it.

making the rounds at our local club’s recognized event

Obviously this session was intended to get riders jazzed up enough to enroll in the program (“Today!”), but for me, there’s still a lot of utility and truth in what’s written above. Especially as it relates to engaging more deeply in each session.

With Doozy, it’s always been true that I need to find ways to engage positively with her tension, without indulging in the drama. Staying proactive and mindful in each ride (like with my Brit Bot app!) is a big part of that, and something I shouldn’t abandon entirely even when relegated to dusty laps in the indoor or sharing space with lessons.

Also, it reinforced the importance of preparing through “bite-sized outings,” something that should definitely be part of my plan this year too.

What about you, any big takeaways? Or anything that can be adapted for your own off season work?