{"id":61648,"date":"2021-11-29T16:07:19","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T05:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=61648"},"modified":"2022-08-29T14:22:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T04:22:01","slug":"christopher-bartle-the-ultimate-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2021\/11\/christopher-bartle-the-ultimate-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"Christopher Bartle &#8211; the ultimate coach"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-61650\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-18-WEG-GBR-Team-1700-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"390\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Rebecca Ashton interviews the world&#8217;s most successful equestrian coach, Christopher Bartle &#8211; how does he do it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-61651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamVictoryLap.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamVictoryLap.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamVictoryLap-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamVictoryLap-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamVictoryLap-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Gold for Team GB at Tokyo (photo: FEI\/Kai F\u00f6rsterling)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>He\u2019s arguably the best equestrian coach in the world. After a twenty-year gold rush with Germany, Christopher Bartle is well on the way of repeating the same success with his home country eventing riders, Team GB. Having won Gold at the last World Equestrian Games, this year Chris and his squad also took out Team Gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and then few months later achieved the same result at the European Championships in Switzerland, as well as all individual Medals. Time to catch up with this man with the Midas touch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-61652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamHug.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamHug.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamHug-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamHug-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TeamHug-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><em>(FEI photo &#8211; Christophe Taniere)<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Tokyo, talk us through it:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>It was a strange experience. In terms of the place we were staying, we weren\u2019t in the Olympic Village, but in a hotel in Yokohama. It was a policy decision by the equestrian discipline to stay out of the athletes\u2019 village, just because of the risk of getting Covid in the Village. We stayed in what I referred to as a five-star prison. We were in solitary confinement in our rooms, with room service. I had a lovely view from my prison cell over the harbor. \u00a0Even just going backward and forward to the mini bus that took us to the venue, we had someone marching in front and behind us to make sure we didn\u2019t stray. It was all pretty strict. At the end of the day, it was probably worth it as we managed to get in and out of Japan without any cases in our discipline. And we were back on the plane straight after we had competed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">And what a result?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-61653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/LauraCollett.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/LauraCollett.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/LauraCollett-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/LauraCollett-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/LauraCollett-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><em>Laura Collett &#8211; too much work in the days before? (FEI photo &#8211; Libby Law)\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Yeah great result, and of course for GB it had been 49 years since an Eventing Team Gold. On the other side of the coin, I guess there\u2019s a slight niggling feeling on my personal part that maybe we should have had another rider on the podium for the individual medals. The temptation is always to try to do better and better, and the risk is that athletes overwork their horses, and I think probably Laura (Collett) overworked her horse in the days before, and his test wasn\u2019t as stunning as it should have been. His test should have been in the low 20s, I think he could have even gone 19. Ok, we can say if only this, if only that, and in the sport that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about I guess. Anyway, the fact is we had great team result. Oliver had a great result for the team in every phase of it. Of course Tom McEwen, a stunning performance from him and an individual silver.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60005\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JuliaKrajewskiCCTokyo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"703\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JuliaKrajewskiCCTokyo.jpg 703w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JuliaKrajewskiCCTokyo-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JuliaKrajewskiCCTokyo-444x300.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Julia Krajewski &#8211; another CB production&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">And I had a personal win with Julia Krajewski\u2019s result because she has spent so much time in Yorkshire with us in the past and I\u2019ve been so much involved in her journey as well. She is a really good and thorough trainer of horses with the likes of Chipmunk and Samourai du Thot. I take my hat off to her. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">How was the preparation with Tokyo\u2026it\u2019s on, it\u2019s off, it\u2019s definitely on, maybe\u2026.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">My attitude to it, and the one I tried to get across all the time to our guys, there\u2019s going to be someone standing on a podium who\u2019ll be very happy with a medal around their neck, and that will be the person who never gave up, who trained well and was ready on the day. And so you couldn\u2019t start thinking will it, won\u2019t it, shall we, shan\u2019t we, you just had to all the time focus on the basis you take every precaution that you can at the same time, like taking a positive attitude that it will happen. That was certainly the message that we, the coaching management, including Dickie Waygood my partner in crime, he\u2019s really good on that side of things across all disciplines. He was the Chef d\u2019Mission for the equestrian team so he had plenty on his shoulders. He kept putting across this message and I think it was excellent.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Next Chris discusses the Games format<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/batessaddles.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40928\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/THM_Bates_Advanta_Launch_May_2018.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/THM_Bates_Advanta_Launch_May_2018.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/THM_Bates_Advanta_Launch_May_2018-212x300.jpg 212w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Do think the format will stay the same or is it too early to tell?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s perhaps too early to tell, but frankly the vibes are not good in the sense that we were all trying to push for going back to a format of four in a team but I believe that\u2019s just off the table. We all put our heap of ideas and points of views in but I get the feeling that it\u2019s a bit of a closed shop and all the talking and pressure that we put on has no effect whatsoever. And I don\u2019t actually think personally that it\u2019s the IOC. The IOC says it\u2019s down to the sporting discipline to decide, the sporting discipline says it\u2019s the IOC, they want more flags. The organising committee wants less expense. So everyone passes the buck in terms of blame. But it was a particularly uncomfortable experience for those guys there as the reserves. They had to be ready at every second to jump on and go while at the same time they were there as bystanders. We were very fortunate that Ros Canter was a fantastic reserve for us in terms of her attitude that whole time, her positivity, she helped the others particularly Laura, so I take my hat off to her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">However I feel in a funny sort of way that was possibly her undoing at the Europeans due to the horse being, as it were, prepared and not running and doing the long journey and being perhaps short of a run or two to sharpen them both up and you get caught out. In the end, yes you have to be honest and look back and say well perhaps we should have thought about it and done something slightly different in the preparation. So we\u2019re always learning, looking back, analysing and seeing what we can do better next time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-61654\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-17-FEIEEC-GBR-Team-3155.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Christopher and his team at the 2017 Europeans in Stzegom (Libby Law photo)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">And when you started with Team GB this time, they were generally quite young riders. Did you approach that differently than say a German team with your Ingrid Klimkes and the like?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>Yeah, but if I think back to my time with Team Germany, they were all quite young then too when I started in 2001. That was a long time ago! But there were the old timers then, Herbert Blocker, Dibowski had been there forever. Some guys were set in their ways, you might say.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/London310712_719-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/London310712_719-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/London310712_719-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/London310712_719-1-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/London310712_719-1-433x300.jpg 433w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Ingrid and Chris walking the course at the London Games<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"Body\">Then Ingrid was one of those younger ones, then along came Michi Jung, along came Julia, all the younger ones you tend to have a little bit more influence with.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbraxxasSGall08.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbraxxasSGall08.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbraxxasSGall08.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbraxxasSGall08-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AbraxxasSGall08-364x300.jpg 364w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Ingrid Klimke &#8211; one of the young ones&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"Body\">I guess the same applies here at Team GB. Our first team at the Europeans at Poland, we had a mixture, up-and-comers like Ros Canter at the same time as the established riders like Tina Cook who was on that team and Nicola Wilson. I worked with her as a young rider so she\u2019s personal to me in the sense that I\u2019ve had some role in her development from way back while I was still at Team Germany; Tom McEwen has come through. It is always easier when you have younger ones you can mould to your style and way of thinking.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">So what is that way of thinking? I mean, winning so much gold with Germany, and now winning everything with Team GB? There has to be something you\u2019re doing\u2026and we want to know all your deep, dark secrets! There must be something you\u2019re doing very differently surely. No?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-61655\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/WEB-21-BOEK-GBR-Team-1788.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Christopher with his Nations Cup winning team at Boekelo 2021 &#8211; left to right &#8211; James Rushbrooke, Nicola Wlison, Izzy Taylor and William Fox-Pitt (Libby Law photo)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>Yeah it\u2019s fascinating, isn\u2019t it? I don\u2019t think I have any particular secrets. I\u2019m obsessed about the sport, I\u2019m obsessed about winning, I\u2019m obsessed about thinking about everything that comes into producing a winning performance. That\u2019s the technical side, it\u2019s the mental side, it\u2019s the preparation of the horses, the preparation of the athletes. As I say, I refer to them as athletes and that\u2019s perhaps something that is a little bit different. I do have to sometimes think well what is it that produces the result because what I don\u2019t want to do is lose it! What\u2019s the key ingredient that\u2019s made it work, the magic juice!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">It\u2019s obviously very satisfying but at the same time, as I said now talking about the Games, well what could you do better next time? As long as I have that when I wake up in the morning, that sort of feeling that we could be better then it\u2019s exciting and it\u2019s that challenge that\u2019s exciting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Do you take from other sports?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">I\u2019m interested in the management side of other sports. It would be something that seems illogical in a way, but Formula 1 is not dissimilar to our sport. Huge, huge budgets, totally different in that respect but what the driver is doing with his car is what the rider is doing with his horse. They get the best car they possibly can the same way we get the best horse we possibly can. They treat their car to make it perform better. We treat our horse to make it perform better. They can go to the garage and get a new tire. We can\u2019t do that. We have to look after our horses so carefully. We can\u2019t crash them into a wall and go get another one out of the garage. So, there are dissimilarities, but at the same time this aspect, what is in the rider\u2019s control, and what is down to the horse, and how can we train the horse, develop this partnership. When I say train it, perhaps improve or change its way of going through the training we do. You could also liken it to other sports with a piece of equipment like sailing or cycling. Now of course in our case we have the horse as a piece of equipment so to speak, but we have all the equipment that goes with that horse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>I guess perhaps where my approach is different I think anyway is that many people focus on the horse more than the rider. I\u2019m obsessed about the rider.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ChrisBartle2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61663\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ChrisBartle2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ChrisBartle2.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ChrisBartle2-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Do you have them all working out yet?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Yes we do have them working out. Strength, condition, suppleness, balance, every aspect you can think of is important. There are little details that are so fascinating because at the end of the day when you\u2019re talking about the eyes and the affect of the rider\u2019s vision and their ability to separate where they\u2019re looking from their body and vice versa, it has a minute and yet important effect on the horse\u2019s response to the rider\u2019s body language. (Chris and I had previously discussed some work I\u2019d seen with eye\/body\/mind connection).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Way, way back in the days when I used to teach in Dural and what I did there (Christopher used to come to Australia to teach us many moons ago), nothing\u2019s changed in that respect. I wrote the book back in 2001 \u201cTraining the Sport Horse\u201d and I talk there about position and body language and that still remains the essence. These things that you\u2019ve just referred to, eye\/body coordination and so on, is a huge thing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/JungSamDress12.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61665\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/JungSamDress12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"502\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/JungSamDress12.jpg 502w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/JungSamDress12-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/JungSamDress12-376x300.jpg 376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Michi Jung and Sam starting out on their way to medals at London<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>more follows<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/batessaddles.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-64090\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Bates-Saddle-Pad-Range-Rectangle.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Bates-Saddle-Pad-Range-Rectangle.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Bates-Saddle-Pad-Range-Rectangle-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">I guess it comes down to the \u201cone percenters\u201d which has become a popular term in sport, but it really is. Those little things.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IngridOpenReinTU.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IngridOpenReinTU.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IngridOpenReinTU.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/IngridOpenReinTU-277x300.jpg 277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Ingrid Klimke uses an open rein to hold her line&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Sure it is. This morning I was just looking at videos doing a cross country analysis of one particular rider, and looking at a tiny detail of the way they handle their reins, which eventually has a huge impact on how the horse responds on the cross country course, and its effectiveness on cross country. These little details, the dexterity. That can make a difference to the end result, not just in terms leading to confusion with the horse and a stop or a run out or a fall but also marginal affects on your speed and efficiency and fatigue levels going cross country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Badminton_jr_050506_053-Mar11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Badminton_jr_050506_053-Mar11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Badminton_jr_050506_053-Mar11.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Badminton_jr_050506_053-Mar11-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Badminton_jr_050506_053-Mar11-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">That\u2019s a coaching skill too, though. Being open minded to be able to look deeper and bigger.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Yeah you\u2019re right. I\u2019m going to be going over to Germany soon and they want me to meet up and talk with their national trainers in all disciplines. I think that\u2019s probably where I\u2019ll go into a bit more detail. Certainly that fascination of looking outside the box, and not staying within standard equestrian terms, what that leads to, whether that be in the dressage with how the riders sit and communicate, it\u2019s not just about the classic text book half halt, but thinking beyond that, the physics of it, how the horse\u2019s body is constructed, the details of how horses respond to stimulation, where the nerve endings are located, that amount of detail is interesting and can also lead to that extra 1% you talk about, or even 0.1%.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CBartle4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61669\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CBartle4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CBartle4.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CBartle4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CBartle4-451x300.jpg 451w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">What makes a good coach?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>Winning I suppose! Attention to detail, the yes-we-can attitude, the mental side of training. Whoever you\u2019re working with, you\u2019re trying to take them on a journey where they are always searching for that little bit of improvement at the same time not getting to the point where they feel the journey is too long or too difficult, the target is too far away. The target has to be just within reach. Just. It just needs one more little detail to crack it. Keep that carrot just 1cm in front of their noses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>The psychology of the person sitting in front of you is also another fascinating part of the job. Sports psychology. I actually prefer the expression mental training. We talk about technical training, physical training in terms of strength and conditioning, so mental training makes sense as well. I know psychology is a fancy term for it, but it always implies to me someone wearing a green coat and you lying on the couch. It is understanding and knowing the characters you\u2019re working with. Everyone is an individual, and you have to find that key to them, and that key to them is not always a direct key in the sense that it\u2019s ourselves as coaches. It might be someone on the periphery who we identify as a key person. We might need to go through another person to get it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">I always remember training with you years ago. You always communicated so well and so simply\u2026.even if it wasn\u2019t simple.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Well no I think that is important because you go back to my point that success is only 1mm away. If you can try to put your message simply, it implies that they can fix it no problem. That\u2019s another mantra of mine; failure motivates. We all learn more from mistakes than we do successes because\u00a0 we analyse mistakes much more. Whereas successes we celebrate. But sometimes we need to stop and analyse the successes, what it was that lead to it. As far as the failure aspect is concerned, my post event analysis is always done in a way where I try to emphasise the positive, and emphasise the simplicity of fixing the problem, rather than it be critical. That\u2019s important. You need to take the athlete on the journey with you.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FeatJungJump2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61670\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FeatJungJump2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FeatJungJump2.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FeatJungJump2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Michi Jung showjumping with the great Sam<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">You\u2019ve also said before the athlete needs to have the will to win, and I guess failure will motivate those people, and not those who don\u2019t really want it<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-US\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Absolutely. Those who are immediately demotivated by failure, that\u2019s going to apply to them in every aspect of their lives, so this is something that goes beyond sport, into how you manage your life. There\u2019s me becoming a life coach as well! I\u2019ve had a few people to experiment on over the years\u2026my kids and so on! You get honest feedback from them!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EscadaIngridKlimke-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EscadaIngridKlimke-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EscadaIngridKlimke-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EscadaIngridKlimke-1-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/EscadaIngridKlimke-1-437x300.jpg 437w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Early days, Ingrid and Escada<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">That will to win, is that measurable? But there are those riders who might make the team, but the riders who end up on the podium time after time, are they wired differently?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">I think there is a different attitude from those top athletes in any sport who are winners. They have that all-consuming desire to be the best. They\u2019re not satisfied being second best. In life there are those people who are great relaxed, laid back, happy go lucky people who enjoy their life, but they\u2019re not driven by always wanting to be in the front. I guess I am in that latter category. I am a very competitive animal, and no matter what I\u2019m doing, it doesn\u2019t have to be equestrian, I don\u2019t like being beaten. What I mean by being beaten, if I set off on a race now there\u2019s no way I could win a marathon, but if I\u2019ve set myself a goal, my win is beating my goal. That\u2019s the sort of driven attitude I think those top sports people have. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TakinouJung.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TakinouJung.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TakinouJung.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TakinouJung-300x236.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/TakinouJung-381x300.jpg 381w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span lang=\"EN-US\">Michi Jung making it to the last fence at Aachen, on his second ride, Takinou, persistence&#8230;\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">I think also some people think they\u2019re working really hard, and giving their all, but if they really understood what it really took to be the best, they would be shocked.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>I sometimes refer to persistence, sometimes I talk about stubborn patience. Some people get frustrated because they\u2019re not achieving, or their horse isn\u2019t performing, or whatever, and I talk about stubborn patience. We have all the time in the world, but we are going to do this. I have more time than you have. Sometimes when training horses, and I take the expression of George Morris, \u2018you always have to have more time than your horse\u2019. Your attitude is one of well we haven\u2019t got it now but we\u2019re going to stick with what we\u2019re doing, and wait for you to change your mind, in terms of the horse. I\u2019m not saying we need to be unrealistic in terms of our training. If it\u2019s quite clear that a particular road has come to a dead end, then we have to admit that it\u2019s come to an end, and try and go up another road. There\u2019s a fine line between stubborn persistence and reality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">What riders out there in all disciplines at the moment are you really noticing?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span>Oh I think it would a very long list if I stopped and thought about it. The ones who have got longevity in the sport because they perform as consistent winners. In our discipline, riders such as Oliver Townend. He has sometimes said himself, to his own detriment, he can win pretty and he can win ugly. That doesn\u2019t go down well sometimes with some people who observe him. At the same time what he has, is that attitude. I\u2019ve known Oliver since he left school because he came to us from school. He\u2019s done a lot more since then, and is hugely successful, and that is partly I guess because, I can\u2019t say this for certain without him saying yes or no, but from a coach\u2019s perspective, I think he\u2019s a driven person because he had to do it from zero, without any advantages in terms of background money or facilities. He\u2019s driven himself, like a lot of top athletes, because he had a point to prove. And that continues to be a driver for him. As a person who\u2019s coaching him, and sometimes I\u2019ve had this with other riders, probably more males than females, you offer your best advice, you make suggestions and try to help them and initially you don\u2019t get much feedback. You wonder sometimes if it\u2019s gone in, or gone over, or been totally ignored. You only recognise it afterwards when you see a slight change in how they deal with things, or their style or their performance, and you think, ok something stuck there.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/oliver_townend3-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/oliver_townend3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"530\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/oliver_townend3-1.jpg 530w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/oliver_townend3-1-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/oliver_townend3-1-386x300.jpg 386w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Oliver Townend, proving a point<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Do you ever feel like you have to pull riders back a bit or is it about shaping that drive?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">I think there are people who need to be restrained somewhat, to calm down, be patient. That\u2019s partly what makes being a coach interesting, because you are dealing with these different characters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">One moment I call myself a coach, other times a trainer, another time an instructor. Each of these words mean something entirely different. When you\u2019re in a coaching environment, you\u2019re really doing it in an holistic sense; the technical performance, the mental performance, the lifestyle, you\u2019re looking at so many aspects. Whereas the trainer is focused on the technical side of performance, whether that be training the horse, or training the rider. That aspect of coaching is hugely important, but less so five minutes before you\u2019re going to go into the Olympic arena. Then it\u2019s a case of getting the athletes to stick to their system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h1 class=\"Body\">Another expression I often say in coaching or training riders, I\u2019m always looking for what I refer to as self carriage. What I mean by that, we want our horses to be in self carriage and all that, but we want the riders to be in self carriage in that they can make their own decisions, react correctly, not look for somebody outside to tell them what to do. In a training situation, I often give them a task, without any guidance, in order that they can go in there, and learn for themselves. I expect them to make a mistake as it were, and to learn from that.<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Michael-JungSelfC-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Michael-JungSelfC-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Michael-JungSelfC-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Michael-JungSelfC-1-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Michael-JungSelfC-1-379x300.jpg 379w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Michael Jung and fischerRocona FST at the WEG in 2014<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"Body\">In terms of training horses, I\u2019ll very often put fences on an imperfect distance because I want the horses to learn to adjust for that imperfect distance. Sometimes I send riders into the ring and tell them to jump the fences without having walked the course, they just get to look at the numbers and react to what\u2019s there. These are things that help to develop that, what I call, self carriage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">How do you think your coaching has changed over the years?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">The basic underpinning philosophy remains the same, but as I\u2019ve gone along I\u2019ve learnt by observing, by practising, by experimenting, by being told. You\u2019re all the time picking up more information. You always wish you\u2019d known then what you know now. I would have been a better rider! Still, it does enable me then overtime to be more helpful as a trainer and coach because I have many more experiences to fall back on and to pass on to others. You never stop learning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><b><span lang=\"EN-US\">Are you still riding?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\">Yes, not competitively but I ride horses who come for training. I haven\u2019t got a horse of my own that I\u2019m competing but I have my daughter\u2019s horse. Between us we acquired a four-year-old, soon five, and the project will be for us both to see if we can get the horse ready for 2028 Los Angeles. I started my Olympic career in Los Angeles in 1984. 2028 is Los Angeles again so I\u2019ve set myself and my daughter\u2019s target to be at the Olympics in Los Angeles. You never know.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-31224\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ChrisBartleWilyTrout-Mar11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ChrisBartleWilyTrout-Mar11.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ChrisBartleWilyTrout-Mar11-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/ChrisBartleWilyTrout-Mar11-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Christopher and Wily Trout &#8211; will another Bartle star in Los Angeles?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h1 class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\">That\u2019s some goal, but wouldn\u2019t it be something? If anyone can do it, Chris Bartle must certainly be the odds on favourite.<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i>Breeding an eventing champion? Go to: <\/i><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ihb.com.au\">www.ihb.com.au<\/a><i> and find the bloodline you need &#8211; like\u00a0Britannia Royal and many other great stallions&#8230;<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Britannia-Royal-jump-4-980x653-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61213\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Britannia-Royal-jump-4-980x653-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Britannia-Royal-jump-4-980x653-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Britannia-Royal-jump-4-980x653-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Britannia-Royal-jump-4-980x653-1-451x300.jpg 451w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h1 class=\"Body\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"Body\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christopher Bartle &#8211; he&#8217;s the equestrian coach with the midas touch&#8230; Rebecca Ashton has a fascinating interview with this exceptional mentor and motivator&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,5,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-eventing","category-horse-care-and-health"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61648"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64234,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61648\/revisions\/64234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}