At our recent TRT Live Event, Marten joined me for a powerful demo on how to truly prepare your horse for competition — not just at home, but also during the warm-up, and even in the test itself.
From the moment your horse steps off the trailer, how you show up and what you do sets the tone.
Are you calm and grounded? Or are you rushing and already carrying tension?
During the warm-up, Marten does something most riders don’t.
Instead of diving into the exercises right away, Marten begins by helping his horse feel confident and connected in her own body.
He uses the TRT groundwork patterns to give his horse a familiar process that builds relaxation, confidence, and focus.
”At first, it felt strange… everyone else was practicing their test lines, and I was doing groundwork.”
”But once my horse was relaxed, I could skip the exercises, because she remembered them all from home.”
By allowing his horse time to tune into her own body, Marten sets the tone for a ride that begins with relaxation—not tension.
It’s about teaching your horse what to do with her body in the presence of those ‘scary’ things — that’s what truly empowers her.
Avoiding the scary cameraman, or the sponsor signs, or big screen when first entering the competition space might feel easier.
But it’s essential to show your horse everything up front. That way, you’re not keeping any secrets—and your horse can feel confident in the environment you need to perform in.
Sometimes, you have to be willing to lose points on a single movement to give your horse a positive experience that builds confidence for the future.
There will be moments in the arena when your horse feels nervous or unsure.
And it’s tempting—especially under pressure—to push through, to add more leg, to hold tighter, all in the hope to avoid a low score.
But more pressure often creates more tension. And that tension lingers through the rest of the test.
Instead, together with Marten, we show how to turn those moments into opportunities.
By giving the horse the right experience—right when it matters most—you don’t just save the test.
You build confidence that your horse will carry into every ride after.
Marten’s way of preparing for competition is a powerful reminder that success in the arena starts long before the bell rings.
By starting every ride with awareness, relaxation, and the TRT patterns, he gives his horse the tools to be confident and relaxed. No matter the environment.
Instead of pushing through tension, he listens. Instead of forcing a result, he creates the conditions for a different one.
We want to thank Marten for sharing not just his skills in the saddle, but his mindset, his process, and his commitment to putting the horse first.
Thanks, Marten, for showing what it truly means to be a thinking rider.
Thousands of equestrians have transformed their horse’s lives.
Thousands of equestrians have transformed their horse’s lives.
