To celebrate the launch of our new website, the run up to Christmas and the fact that me and Scottie are finally back to Dressaging, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about one of our fantastic sponsors, EquiMind.
Who are EquiMind?
For those of you have missed our many EquiMind posts this year, EquiMind are an online horse show company. They have the broadest range of classes I have come across in my time using online companies (and I have used quite a few!) While we tend to stick to the dressage, they also offer:
- Ridden and In Hand Showing
- Fun and Serious photo classes
- Western
- Horsemanship
- Vaulting
- Blind horse
- My First Pony
- RDA
After Scottie’s injury it was fantastic to still be able to take part in the Summer Championships we had qualified for by doing an in hand horsemanship class which could be used as part of his rehab work!
What makes them different to other online companies out there?
It’s no secret that there are a lot of online companies offering a similar service now and over the past few years I have used a lot of companies and they tend to fall under one of two categories. Competition focused or Fun focused.
Companies which are competition focused are perfect for people who are riding at a good level and are out competing in the real world regularly too. These companies tend to have really tough competition and stricter rules on giving out rosettes and prizes. But they give you a realistic taste of what to expect at a real competition.
On the other side you have the fun companies. These companies focus more on everyone enjoying their horses and winning rosettes and prizes. These companies are great for helping people’s confidence, especially if you have been having a hard time recently, winning a few rosettes can do wonders for your mentality.
EquiMind is one of the few companies who sit somewhere between these two groups. They have strict judges who give you similar scores you could expect at an affiliated event. They also hold seasonal qualifiers you can work towards, much like you can through affiliated organisations like British Dressage.
However, they also have plenty of fantastic prizes up for grabs and gorgeous rosettes given out to the majority (if not everyone) of the class. Not only this but they give you very detailed feedback on why you scored what you did and will even give you feedback on tests you’ve ridden at shows or specific movements you are trying to perfect. They are genuinely interested in helping you improve and provide you with so many tools to help you do so!
Is Online Competing for You?
There is an idea around online competing that it is only for people who don’t have their own transport. But this simply isn’t the case. While it is a fantastic option for those of us without our own transport, there are so many other ways online competitions can be a useful tool for any horse and rider.
You can use online competitions to have your first attempt at the next level up without the added pressure of travelling and being somewhere new. This will give you a realistic idea of if you and your horse are ready for the next level.
Alternatively, if you are starting a young horse or just wanting to progress your training. Taking part in online competitions can help motivate you to keep your schooling interesting by giving you regular goals to meet. Me and Scottie improve so much more when we have lots of competitions coming up as they motivate me to go that extra mile and pay that bit more attention to what we are doing.
EquiMind allows you to enter any test you want to be judged for feedback if that particular test isn’t included in that months classes. This means that if you have a big competition coming up you can ride your test in front of a qualified judge so you know what you need to work on before the show.
Why not try something different for Christmas?
Tis the season to be merry and enjoy yourself. So why not try something a bit different and take part in one of EquiMind’s fun Christmas classes.
- Musical Christmas Ride (£7)
Ever fancied trying a bit of dressage to music but find all the music too confusing? EquiMind have the class just for you! Download their premade Christmas Music and create your own freestyle routine to it. - Best Christmas Photo (50p)
If you love a bit of festive fancy dress, take a photo of you and your favourite 4 legged friend. - The Christmas Race (£5)
Who doesn’t love a bit of Gymkana games? EquiMind have created a way where you can compete in a classic gymkana race against others without having to leave the yard.
Entries close on the 15th of December so that all the lucky winners can recieve their prizes before Christmas. Also, in the spirit of Christmas, £1 from every music and race entry will go to the Animal Health Trust.
Fancy 50% Off your first entry?
If you are interested in trying EquiMind, they offer a fantastic referral scheme. Simply drop me an email at equipepper@gmail.com with your name and horse’s name and I can pass this on so you can get 50% off your first entry!
Last Updated on 22/12/2021
