5 Elements and when elements mix The five elements of a horse's personality are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. In a nutshell, you could say Wood horses are dominant and fearless, Fire horses are expressive and emotional, Earth horses are reliable and calm, Metal horses are competent and responsible, and Water horses are timid and sensitive. U...

2026:Year of the Fire Horse! Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse.And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold outward going energy! Sounds promising! The Chinese Zodiac has 12 cycles, named after an animal...

2026:Year of the Fire Horse! Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse.And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold outward going energy! Sounds promising! The Chinese Zodiac has 12 cycles, named after an animal...

2026: Year of the Fire Horse! Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse.And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold outward going energy! Sounds promising! The Chinese Zodiac has 12 cycles, named after an anima...

2026: Year of the Fire Horse! Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse.And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold outward going energy! Sounds promising! The Chinese Zodiac has 12 cycles, named after an anima...

Happy New Year! As you probably have seen just about everywhere, it is the year of the Horse, the Fire Horse to be exact. Officially the year of the Fire Horse doesn't start until February 17, this is the Chinese New Year and we'll move from the year of the Snake to the year of the Horse. And apparently we will be going from introspection to bold o...

This autumn we've been working hard to make a printed workbook for your training. Many of you enjoy the online information provided by our Online coaching courses "Endurance: Step by Step" and the "Endurance: Train smarter" or our webinar series "Prepare your season" and  the "Midsummer progression".These include online worksheets, but the ide...

       Day 2: The Horse – Body and Movement Task: Assess your horse's movement and physical condition. Identify your horse's strongest gait or exercise, and specify an area you would like to improve or find challenging. Take into account any conformational issues, previous injuries, or other risks, and evaluate how your horse's ...

There are five main personality types. Each horse has a basic personality type or a mix of 2, that is continually affected by external factors. Every horse actually possesses characteristics from all types, so it is normal to find a bit of a mix. Fill in the questionnaire and answer YES if this really applies to your horse. No if it is not, or only...

5 Elements, horse personality typing The five elements of a horse's personality are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Wood horses are dominant and fearless, Fire horses are expressive and emotional, Earth horses are reliable and calm, Metal horses are competent and responsible, and Water horses are timid and sensitive. Understanding a horse's do...

        Day 5: Summary Task: Bring together your findings from the previous days. Summarise the key areas for improvement and note any resources or support you may need going forward. Use this summary to help plan your next steps in strengthening your partnership with your horse. Look at the findings of task 1, has this given yo...

        Day 4: Season's Reflection Task: Review the season you have just completed with your horse. Identify any obstacles or problems you encountered, as well as things that went particularly well. Consider what may have contributed to these positive and negative outcomes, looking for underlying causes. In order to become a bet...

        Day 3: Rider Task: Reflect on your own role as a rider, manager, and partner. What are your strengths, and what areas could benefit from further development? This could include riding skills, training knowledge, mental challenges, fitness or weight, or even time management. We as riders (and carers) of our horse influenc...

       Day 1: The Horse – Temperament Task: Consider your horse's personality: is it friendly, lazy, excitable, or sensitive? How does your horse react to particular situations or exercises, and what are you currently doing to address these responses? Reflect on whether any aspects of temperament are preventing progress for you ...

Groen Equestrian invites you to take part in a new (FREE!) partnership challenge from 1 to 9 November 2025 that encourages you to deepen your connection with your horse—no matter your discipline. Whether you are passionate about endurance, dressage, jumping, team chasing, eventing, or simply enjoy hacking, everyone is welcome to join the exper...

This is the third in a new series of articles in which we will investigate the quality aspect of training and how to maintain a healthy, sound, and happy equine athlete. The first article touched on the basics and "riding in the box," and in the second I gave you information, tips and exercises for the practical quality aspect of training In this t...

This is the second in a new series of articles in which we will investigate the quality aspect of training and how to maintain a healthy, sound, and happy equine athlete. While logging miles is important, the manner in which we do so is equally, if not more, crucial. The first article touched on the basics and "riding in the box," and in this insta...

We've got you covered! Loads of help available for you, something for everyone.You might just want to listen to a webinar one evening, or follow a number of them. But it could also be you want more structural help via one of the endurance coaching courses on our website. Let me start with what we have to offer webinar wise: Keep an eye on...

I'm thrilled to write another 4 articles for you (if you have missed the previous ones about "Fuel efficiency", "How to gauge the efforts of our horse in work", "Using your HR monitor when training" and "The fitness plateau", have a look at the older blogs on the website. The first of every year (art 1 and 5) are on the normal blog space, for ...

Have you followed the World Endurance Championships 2024? If you didn't, have a look at the different media available. A start in the dark in a huge thunderstorm and then 160 km of tough muddy conditions, really testing all combinations at this top level of our sport. Being a Dutchie in the UK, I supported 2 countries, cheering on both the Dut...