A lot of eventers—myself included—are drawn to the sport of eventing because of cross country. When I first experienced the thrill of riding cross country in clinics with David and Karen O’Connor as a teenager, I was immediately hooked. There’s just something magical about it that pulls you in.

When I look back on my career so far, I’m very proud of the singular accomplishments my team and I have worked incredibly hard to achieve, but I also take a lot of pride in the system of producing horses that we’ve built over time. Eventing is a journey. Sure, it’s about the big wins, but more importantly it’s about the day-in and day-out work of developing horses thoughtfully and intentionally.

Many of the questions I get as a trainer and coach come down to one thing: foundations. When people run into problems, whether it’s in dressage, cross country or show jumping, it’s often because something is missing at the base level. And for me, one of the most important foundational concepts is helping your horse develop self-carriage.

Why Self-Carriage Matters

Self-carriage and balance lie at the heart of all riding, but these concepts aren’t magically achieved overnight. They’re about creating a positive connection where your horse learns to carry himself. That means he’s balanced, engaged and is using his hindquarters effectively, without relying on the rider every step.

Some people have the misconception that self-carriage is just about a horse being “light” in the hand. But it’s not that simple. To me, a horse in self-carriage is in front of your leg and balanced enough that you could ask for an extended canter or a collected canter, for example, without dramatically changing the pressure in your hand. That doesn’t mean there’s no contact—it means the horse maintains a steady, consistent connection.

Every horse is different, but the goal of developing this balance is the same: to help your horse learn how to carry himself, so he’s not overly dependent on you as the rider.

Developing Self-Carriage: It Starts with the Rider

The first step in developing self-carriage is looking at yourself. As riders, we don’t always realize how much we rely on our horses for our own balance. When you lack core strength or a secure, correct position, your ability to balance will be diminished. This creates a ripple effect and makes it harder for your horse to carry himself. Your fitness, mobility and stability in the saddle are crucial.

One thing I focus on with riders is how small changes in their position can make a big difference. Think about your lower leg, your core strength and even what your eyes are doing. Your balance and independence in the saddle have a direct impact on your horse’s ability to move freely and confidently.

Building Strength Through Transitions

For horses, transitions are one of the best tools for building strength, balance and self-carriage. They’re like going to the gym—just as we build strength through repetition, so do horses.

Simple transitions, like trot to canter or canter to trot are great indicators of how much strength your horse is gaining in his hindquarters. As the horse advances, you can use more challenging transitions, like halt to trot or walk to canter, to gauge their progress. These movements help the horse learn to load his joints from behind, which is essential for improving balance and self-carriage.

Self-Carriage Across the Phases

Self-carriage isn’t just for the dressage and executing movements. It’s something that translates directly to cross country and show jumping as well.

Cross Country

In cross country, catching the optimum time is as much about being efficient as it is about being fast. A horse who understands self-carriage is easier to adjust and is much more economical in his way of going—both things that are critical on cross country when decisions and adjustments must be made at speed.

I often suggest riders spend time figuring out their horse’s natural balance. In your conditioning work, for example, you can set up four single fences around the perimeter of your canter track or arena. Canter around to determine what kind of rhythm naturally brings those fences up without needing a lot of adjustments. This exercise is also great to improve your eye, but even more so for your feel.

The goal is to work with your horse’s natural balance, not against it. Every horse has a unique way of going, and forcing a uniform style rarely works. Instead, focus on building from what comes naturally to him.

Show Jumping

The concepts of balance and self-carriage apply equally to show jumping. A horse in self-carriage lands from a jump and immediately finds his balance, which allows the rider to adjust quickly for the next fence.

In technical courses, inefficiency often leads to time penalties. The more balanced your horse is, the fewer adjustments you’ll need, the smoother your ride will be, and the fewer time faults you’ll pick up.

A key part of this is developing a canter that’s balanced and “on the hind legs.” Ideally, it’s a canter that feels like you could jump any fence at any time. Teaching your horse to respond to subtle aids and maintain this kind of rhythm makes it easier to navigate even the toughest tracks.

A Lifelong Process

There’s no secret recipe for self-carriage. It’s a principle that goes back to the basics: connection, balance and trust. It takes time, patience and a willingness to meet your horse where he is, every single day.

For me, eventing is as much about the process as it is about the results. Whether you’re training on the flat, galloping cross country or jumping a technical show-jumping course, the work you put into building self-carriage will pay huge dividends in all three phases—and beyond.

For more on Will Coleman and his training advice, click here.