{"id":125892,"date":"2025-04-25T16:59:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T14:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antares-sellier.com\/?p=125892"},"modified":"2025-04-25T16:59:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T14:59:03","slug":"competition-and-equine-ethology-andy-booth-and-gwendolen-fer-share-them-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/en\/competition-and-equine-ethology-andy-booth-and-gwendolen-fer-share-them-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition and equine ethology : Andy Booth and Gwendolen Fer share them experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Andy Booth and Gwendolen Fer may both be world-renowned horse riders and trainers but their paths haven\u2019t crossed at competitions. They share the same passion for horses and have devoted their lives to them. Yet their respective trades, equine ethology and elite sport, are often separated. Read the joint interview with these 2 great Antar\u00e8s riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did you get together?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I\u2019ve been interested in equine ethology for a while. Ana\u00efs (editor\u2019s note: Gwen\u2019s employee for 1 year) has state qualifications in ethology and she introduced me to it. You never have any spare time in my trade so my pregnancy gave me a chance to learn about it. Maxime (editor\u2019s note: Gwendolen\u2019s partner) knows Andy through the French endurance team and I asked him to call him so we could do a course. I really wanted to learn and broaden my horizons. Andy liked the idea and invited me to the stables.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: That\u2019s right, I met Maxime on a course with the French endurance team. We realised how much our trades have in common. He works on mental preparation for athletes, which involves stress and the rider\u2019s emotions. I do the same but for horses. So we discussed different mental and emotional issues and their physical effects. Then Max contacted me about a course.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>First of all, I didn\u2019t want to run a \u201cnormal\u201d course because I know Gwen\u2019s reputation as an elite athlete. I needed time to introduce and explain the subject to her before being in a situation with 8 students and as many horses to handle. I wanted a more \u201claid-back\u201d working environment to address different subjects and work with the horses together, without involving the work a course requires. I don\u2019t always have the time to chat if I have to train students. It\u2019s hard to make the connection with \u201csport\u201c. I\u2019d have to focus on the \u201cbasics\u201d and I\u2019d have all the other clients talking to me. It\u2019s hard to have a one-on-one. Gwen came up with the idea of having a real dialogue. I\u2019ve always been fascinated by working with elites. There\u2019s real credibility, which you don\u2019t always get.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elite sport and equine ethology are 2 sectors that tie into each other. What do you think you can gain from each other\u2019s experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: Ethology came to mind when I had issues with certain horses who had all the elite hallmarks but difficult personalities. I couldn\u2019t teach them, despite my efforts. Or rather, I just ran out of solutions. By that I mean non-technical solutions. Let\u2019s take health\u2026 I may have experience with so-called \u201cdifficult\u201d horses but I told myself there must be another and better way to handle them. I didn\u2019t know about equine ethology but it gave me really helpful solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously there\u2019s the \u201csport\u201d side with all its technical difficulties. I can\u2019t take my foot off the gas if I want to be competitive. What I mean is that the two go together, unless it\u2019s groundwork which I had no knowledge of. It wasn\u2019t taught back when I was taking my Galops and state exams. So I just didn\u2019t know anything about it. That said, I thought it could tie in and help me work with my elite horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"600\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 800 \/ 600;\" width=\"800\" controls src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-01.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth:<\/strong> It\u2019s called ethological riding but I think what we should really be talking about is equine training. Horse training isn\u2019t just about technique. That\u2019s one of the reasons I came to France. I find horse training fascinating and powerful. But we can be more than \u201cjust\u201d trainers. We have to be \u201cgrooms\u201d too to educate an animal. I always thought that if we could bring training and riding techniques together then we could have a powerful and unbeatable combination. Very good riders tend to be very good trainers but not necessarily very good grooms. And I\u2019m being very diplomatic about that. There are trainers who think they\u2019re real horsemen. But actually, there are very good horsemen with gaps in their knowledge. I myself would struggle to reproduce Gwen\u2019s techniques. I can start two track work and change legs. That\u2019s where I start to reach my limit. And I know my limits. Because I\u2019m an expert in the \u201cbasics\u201c.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sometimes a trainer can misinterpret behaviour. For example, a rider will increase pressure if the horse doesn\u2019t want to approach the river. That makes the horse even more reluctant to approach the river and the horse and rider end up in a vicious circle. It\u2019s not a lack of technique; it\u2019s a lack of understanding and knowledge of the animal. When you have a good understanding of the basics and the animal, it can only be a good thing. And that leads onto competition.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I\u2019ve always seen equine ethology as a big book with 4 chapters:<\/em><br><em><strong>1. understanding, 2. basics, 3. riding and 4. competition.<br><\/strong>There may be gaps in the first chapters: understanding and basics. I think it\u2019s very hard to address the 4th without the first two. And that\u2019s where I come in. I can help with chapters 1 and 2; Gwen can help with chapters 3 and 4. I think the combination can only be a good thing for riding, competition, horses and riders. It\u2019s important to do it. If ethological riding remains a separate subject from riding and competition then what\u2019s the point? There has to be that connection. That understanding and the basics can be used in horse riding.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"345\" src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-06.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Booth \u00e9thologie\" class=\"wp-image-93154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-06.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-06-300x104.jpg 300w, https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-06-768x265.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you handle a horse\u2019s stress in competition?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: First of all, you have to start with the basics. Handling stress in competition sometimes comes from missing a trick. That\u2019s something that the rider should have spotted beforehand. We talked a lot with Maxime about stress in people, it\u2019s an important topic. If we can\u2019t control our own emotions then that makes it hard to control a horse\u2019s emotions too. You have to have very solid foundations in place to do so. If you don\u2019t then everything crumbles when it comes to building something else. So you have to have a very good base. If you manage it, you should have fewer issues with stress during competition. If you don\u2019t have a very strong base then the horse can soon get into difficulty. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.<\/em><br><em>Just take how I reviewed breaking in with the horses we\u2019ve worked with today. Even though they\u2019re elite horses. The basics are key.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I think different things can make horses feel under stress: a rider under stress, unpleasant situations for the horse that we fail to notice etc. And this is just my opinion, but it can be when things move too fast. When you put horses into difficult events too quickly, they can worry and become stressful. So it partly depends on how you handle young horses. If you\u2019re patient with them and gradually move them into more advanced stages without rushing them then they feel comfortable. But if it doesn\u2019t work out, it\u2019s trickier. That\u2019s where Andy comes in.<\/em><br><em>There are other situations which I\u2019m unsure how to handle and I need solutions for. Like when a horse is alone on the track when they were in a stable with lots of horses just before. That kind of situation is where I need to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: We discuss the basics before going into competition but the rules mustn\u2019t change during the competition either. Let me paint you a picture. Imagine the \u201crules at home are the same as in a restaurant.\u201d I\u2019ve seen horses get colic just because their hair is being braided. That\u2019s when you know there\u2019s an association issue. So you have to ensure that the start of the competition is like at home. It has to be as close as possible so that the horse doesn\u2019t think being in competitions is horrible! So yes, you can up the pressure a little because you\u2019re in competition but you have to avoid the association that competition = serious stress. Otherwise problems soon arise. At home everything\u2019s fine but it\u2019s awful in competition. The rules at competitions often differ from those at home. The horse shouldn\u2019t make the distinction between home and competition. You just dress differently, that\u2019s all.<\/em><br><em>When I do demonstrations, as small as they are, there\u2019s always a microphone, music and external features that give the event scale. It\u2019s an opportunity to make amends. The first show is never the best because I have to pick up on certain things that I can\u2019t let drop. And that can take time. It would be far quicker if I let things slide. You mustn\u2019t confuse correction with punishment. If something happens that I didn\u2019t want to then I have to correct it. If it\u2019s fine at home but not in the public arena then that won\u2019t work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-08.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Booth et Gwendolen Fer \u00e9thologie\" class=\"wp-image-93156\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you make sure your horse enjoys the competition?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: The horse mustn\u2019t lose sight of its environment or rider. I like to say \u201cthe horse thinks its handling its Australian\u201d (editor\u2019s note: Andy Booth is Australian). Especially during rest. I squeeze my leg, my horse reacts well, I stop squeezing my leg. I use my hand, my horse reacts well, I stop using my hand. Every time I apply pressure, the horse knows how to make it stop. I let them win but I don\u2019t use my aids to force them. Not using my aids is my way to get the reaction and train them. I let the horse manage the environment. If they think that there\u2019s a solution to every problem, they shouldn\u2019t be stressed or feel like it\u2019s a bad experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Now then, do they think they\u2019re having the time of their lives? It\u2019s us who choose to go into competitions, not the horse! But the sense that they are still in control of their environment is the best possible outcome. I think that if demonstrations outside my stables go well then there may be an appealing association. It\u2019s up to us to explain to the horse that it\u2019s fun. Most of my horses think I\u2019m more fun in demonstrations than at home. So they behave properly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I have competition horses. For example, Romantic is meek at home but as soon as he gets on the field his eyes glint and he wants to give all he\u2019s got to win. On the other hand, there are introverted horses that feel \u201csmall\u201d when they start competing. That\u2019s why I think you have to be able to soothe them and reproduce a similar layout to what they have at home. Even though it\u2019s not always possible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For example, my horses go to the meadow a lot and they\u2019re in stalls when the\u2019re competing. So they need to get out more. In the end they get more attention because there are fewer horses to handle. We\u2019re with them more and can massage and treat them. So I think they enjoy it too. Elite horses, the ones I\u2019ve ridden and taken cross-country anyway, may feel a little stressed but they still want to go. If they didn\u2019t really enjoy it, after a certain point you wouldn\u2019t be able to force them any more. They have to be very brave and trust their rider to get past it. So I think elite horses enjoy it and we make them feel comfortable.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: That\u2019s an important point. We\u2019re even more present at these times than we are at home. Some of my horses probably think I want them to do more exciting things when I\u2019m competing than when we\u2019re at home. It\u2019s an appealing association. It\u2019s harder with more sensitive horses.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"600\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 800 \/ 600;\" width=\"800\" controls src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-02.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you think are the best exercises to improve communication with your horse?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: It isn\u2019t really to do with technique in my opinion. One of the reasons I wanted to spend time with Gwen during the course is because ethological riding can\u2019t be separated from riding. And you can\u2019t do ethological riding twice a week. We have a certain understanding of the animal that we put into our work. That\u2019s when it becomes worthwhile.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So there\u2019s no exercise. The main thing is to have an animal that isn\u2019t afraid and to have control of its legs. The environment cannot control the animal if I have control of its 4 limbs to go forwards\/backwards\/focus on the hips\/shoulders, on the ground and mounting. But if I don\u2019t have good foundations for control then the environment, especially in competition, takes over and then\u2026 The screen, spectators and everything else gain greater significance. The risk is bad associations. The horse can be frightened because I\u2019m not focused.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So I have to have confidence, control (of the 4 legs) and concentration. If I have the first 2 then I tend to have the 3rd too. But if I don\u2019t have confidence and control then the environment takes control and then we\u2019re in trouble!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I think it\u2019s about diversifying work. If a horse does dressage every day and has to do the same thing with no breaks then it puts them off after a while. My horses are outside a lot, I think that\u2019s important. I also do a lot of work in the fields. Just take Romantic who\u2019s not interested in the riding arena. I often work on dressage in the fields. I work with the undulation too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It lifts the horses\u2019 spirits as well. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s something we should lose sight of. You have to diversify the work and locations for them. I think that\u2019s how they come to enjoy it. That way we improve communication with them and gain trust.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: That\u2019s why eventing has a huge advantage over others because it\u2019s diverse. As I mentioned to Gwen, a lot of event riders are interested in equine ethology when they\u2019re the ones who need it least. There are lots of varieties so there\u2019s a sense of balance. Too much of the same thing isn\u2019t good for horses. Too much variety isn\u2019t great either.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-03-1.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Booth \u00e9thologie\" class=\"wp-image-93152\" srcset=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-03-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-03-1-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-03-1-768x415.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you handle poor performance in competition?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Gwedolen Fer<\/strong>: You need time to digest. After you reflect and analyse. Look at the tracks, try to understand the mistakes, bring in external consultants to point out things we may not have spotted (I mean the coach because they are essential no matter your ability). You need to use all that to bounce back, improve and not make the same mistakes again. I think that\u2019s what sets a good rider apart from an elite one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s bouncing back after reflecting and analysing the failure. I think that if you want to stay on top of your game, you can\u2019t spend days feeling sorry for yourself. It doesn\u2019t work. When I say digest, I mean for one night. Then the next morning you go back to work and focus on your next performance. That\u2019s what sets the good apart from the great. Aside from the technical aspect and work, you have to accept you\u2019re going to have bad sessions and bad days. So accept it and move on.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: It\u2019s a bit of a clich\u00e9 but the kind of quotes you see on Facebook are true: \u201cI never lose. I either win or learn.\u201d So you say to yourself: \u201cOK, what have I learnt from this failure?\u201d I can be fairly stressed when I\u2019m doing a demonstration. I\u2019m no magician, I don\u2019t know if everything\u2019s going to go to plan. But I know my job. I\u2019m not in my comfort zone; I\u2019m in my skill zone. It can still be stressful even though I like being out of my comfort zone. But sometimes it doesn\u2019t go so well. Then I wonder how I can learn from it. You have to be able to question what you do and move on. You must never linger over it. How can you do better and move on? Don\u2019t dwell on the negatives. OK, it happens, let\u2019s get on with it!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Another thing is to explore the issue rather than get annoyed about it. When I started out and was working with difficult horses, I\u2019d get very frustrated and that would stress out the horse. The 2 things together don\u2019t work. So I said to myself: \u201cRight, instead of getting annoyed, I\u2019m going to explore it and see what I\u2019m going to do about it.\u201d From that moment on, it became far easier. Easier for me to deal with anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"600\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 800 \/ 600;\" width=\"800\" controls src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-03.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy, you\u2019re working with competitors more and more. Why are elite riders reaching out to you? What do they want from you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Andy Booth<\/strong>: In our case, Gwen didn\u2019t call me because she had a problem. There wasn\u2019t the sense of coming in like a mechanic and finding a solution. Unfortunately that is often the case. And the problem tends to be because of a lack of training. I hope that soon I\u2019ll be called in to help riders train their horses properly so there are no problems to solve. Spotting the problem can be a bit dangerous for me because I sometimes have to mount horses that haven\u2019t had enough training. Another thing is avoiding the issue. There\u2019s no point spending just one session training the horse. Old habits die hard. What we did with Gwen was a real process. There was a hunger to learn and do in-depth work. That\u2019s a rare thing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gwen plays devil\u2019s advocate and says that elite riders often don\u2019t have enough time because of their competition schedules. The little time spent at the stables is devoted to horses and the days are often fairly long. She highlights that her pregnancy gave her the chance to soak up the experience and that she would like to have a team trained in ethology.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-02.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Booth \u00e9thologie\" class=\"wp-image-93150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-02.jpg 450w, https:\/\/preprod.antares-sellier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Competition-ethologie-cheval-02-300x243.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We would like to thank <a href=\"https:\/\/www.andybooth.fr\/\">Andy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gwendolenfer.com\/\">Gwen<\/a> for taking time out to answer our questions. This interview has been a chance to share very complimentary opinions which have much in common. All the very best to Gwen and Maxime as they start a new chapter in their lives together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andy Booth and Gwendolen Fer may both be world-renowned horse riders and trainers but their paths haven\u2019t crossed at competitions. They share the same passion for horses and have devoted their lives to them. Yet their respective trades, equine ethology and elite sport, are often separated. Read the joint interview with these 2 great Antar\u00e8s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":93148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[347],"tags":[],"prestashop_id":[],"class_list":["post-125892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Andy Booth and Gwendolen Fer share them experiences | Antar\u00e8s Sellier France<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ethological equitation and competition are often separated. Is this wrong? 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