Ben Hobday Training
Q&A written by Kai Warner following a fabulous weekend away training with Ben Hobday.
How did you feel when you were offered the chance to train with 5* rider Ben Hobday?
I felt very fortunate to be offered such a wonder opportunity of training with Ben Hobday through Cool Ridings. Having not ridden for around 4 months due to university commitments it was something I was very keen to get back in the saddle for. Being under Ben’s watchful eye and guidance over the weekend gave me such an abundance of information that will stay with me throughout my riding career.
Can you describe a moment in your lessons that made you feel particularly proud?
I felt most proud of my ride, 6yo Gerry, throughout the weekend as he is young and green but took everything in his stride and felt so confident by the last training session. I was also proud of how I absorbed Ben’s teaching and put it straight into practice.
What did you enjoy most about the weekend with Ben Hobday and Cool Ridings?
The most enjoyable part of the weekend was being surrounded by my fellow peers in Cool Ridings. Having a community in the horse industry is very important and it is essential for us all to boost eachother and learn in tandem.
What disciplines of riding have you focused on, and why?
I have mainly focused on eventing due to the variety in work, and my love of cross country. For the eventing, I believe that each discipline needs to be as strong as another in order to produce that desired sub 30 double clear!
What have you learned from Ben Hobday that you hope to build on?
From Ben I have learned to truat my own judgement, and have created a system which aids me to create an even stride at a fence.
Have you faced any challenges or fears in your riding journey?
I have been lucky enough to not have faced any particular fears in my riding career, however I have battled with creating that perfect stride at a fence, which in the last has lead me to overthink and then presented in my riding. However, with Ben’s help and my consistent training with instructor Blaine, this has been rectified.
What were your initial thoughts and feelings on day 1 of training? Did anything surprise you?
On day 1, my main expectation was to just enjoy the experience as I wasn’t sure how my horse would react to the environment and new arena, alongside my own rustiness. However, my expectations were positively exceeded and I had a very harmonious round
