The Olympic gold medallist and multi-grand prix winning showjumper Scott Brash is at the top of his profession as one of the world’s most respected horsemen.
The Scotsman, currently ranked number 11 in the world, talks to H&H showjumping editor Jennifer Donald on this week’s episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast about which of his horses we should be watching this year, what Hello Sanctos is up to these days, and what Scott spent much of lockdown doing – namely creating his own online training platform.
“When the pandemic hit, it gave me time to put my thoughts down on paper, get a camera crew in, do these tutorials and put them online to see if that could help a broader scale of rider to understand their horses more and in the end help those horses improve their lives, to hopefully be better educated and to make everyone happy at the end of the day,” says Scott.
“There’s nothing worse than seeing someone come out of the arena looking really unhappy because something’s gone wrong,” he adds. “Then the horse always looks unhappy when the rider’s not happy, and that’s a horrible feeling. Then at the other end of the scale, it’s so nice seeing someone delighted with their horse having jumped a brilliant round. So all those things made me put this concept together and produce the Scott Brash Equestrian Training platform.”
According to Scott, the most commonly asked question he hears is regarding horses rushing either before or after a jump, as well as how to improve your jump-offs, such as with better rollback turns.
“But a lot of people also ask a simple, but very complicated, question which is ‘How do I see a stride’ and that’s a tough one if I’m honest!” he says. “But there are some exercises that you can set up to help that.”
Scott Brash training: ‘You can learn a lot just by watching the practice ring’
But even Scott himself never stops learning.
“I’m still hungry to learn and I’ve been learning a lot lately about our own bodies and how to improve our own structure as a person,” he says.
“I come to a lot of five-star shows so I’m very privileged to be able to watch some of the best riders in the world and there’s a lot of different ways to get to the end product of a rideable, well-balanced round.
“I love Marcus Ehning’s style – how in-tune he looks with his horse. There are lots of different riders I watch for different things and what they teach their horses. You can learn a lot just stopping to watch the practice ring.”
Behind the scenes, Scott is breaking in and producing the next generation of equine talent, including offspring from his former top mare Ursula XII.
“I’m really excited,” he says. “It’s been really nice spending time with them – they do have some really great attributes. We’re a good few years away with them but there’s a long-term future for them hopefully. The dream is always great! When you use a very talented stallion to your very talented mare, you can definitely have high hopes.
“I love working with them – I really love seeing a horse that doesn’t know what you’re asking from them and then they start to ‘get it’. I love seeing the young horses learn. It’s so rewarding.”
- Listen to more of Scott’s thoughts about training, this week’s Royal Windsor, his “clever but strong-minded” Olympic contender Hello Jefferson and what Hello Sanctos is up to these days on episode 102 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – listen here or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.
You may also like to read…
‘My biggest regret was London 2012’: find out what makes Scott Brash tick in Q&A
Does your horse rush when jumping? Tips from an expert to help solve this problem
Preparations gather pace for World Championships
7 polework exercises to keep your horse interested
Subscribe to Horse & Hound this spring for great savings
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
