MENTION Yorkshire to most animal lovers and watch their eyes mist over, as they remember the much-loved television series of their youth, All Creatures Great And Small. Rarely have the Yorkshire Dales appealed to so wide an audience as in this simply, yet beautifully crafted drama.

No doubt some of Ireland’s finest vets have found inspiration in the characters during the fledgling stages of their own careers. Whether it was the well groomed yet somewhat eccentric Siegfried; the more square but honourable James or devil-may-care and frankly idle Tristan, each character brought colour to rural life in 1940s England.

Fortunately the veterinary practices remembered nostalgically from the series have moved forward and such medical procedures as an onion up the bottom for colicking horses have little place in the pristine surgeries of today.

This week I retraced the steps of the famous James Herriot as I visited Yorkshire for some pre-season training with Chris Bartle. Based at the impressive Yorkshire Equestrian Centre near Harrogate, Chris Bartle has achieved global acclaim for both his riding and coaching expertise. Horseware Stellor Rebound (Rocket) and BLM Diamond Delux (Murphy) were going back to school! While Chris will train horse and rider in any of the three disciplines, I decided to concentrate on the cross-country phase.

Anybody regularly riding cross-country will acknowledge the importance of rider balance. Whether it is by being behind or in front of (and on a really bad day, under) the horse’s movement, the rider can greatly impede their mount’s natural jump. Thus one of Chris’s fundamental training philosophies is the positive use of rider movement and rider balance.

His first order to me was to order the shortening of my stirrups by three holes. Having spent several years honing my cross-country seat and previously considering my stirrup length more than adequate, I was initially quite surprised at this.

However when Chris explained his method to me, it made perfect sense. The aim is to put the rider slightly behind the horse, where their weight does not throw the horse onto its front during the approach to and over fences.

While I initially felt more like a flat jockey rather than an eventer, I soon got the feel for this new position. When we moved to schooling over solid fences, I experienced all the positives of this new found leg length (any of my pupils here in Ireland should punch some new holes in their stirrup leathers before their next lesson with me!)

So fixated is Chris on the concept of rider balance that he has a permanent yard feature devoted to it. Called ‘Rock on Ruby’, she is a mare like no other.

Ruby is a giant see-saw made from a wooden telegraph pole and sleepers, which aims to challenge both your balance and core strength.

During my session on Ruby, Chris placed and removed weights from the other end, thus mirroring the actions of a horse with its nose on the ground, or with its head in the air. In the absence of a connection from my hand to the horse’s mouth, I was forced to rely solely on my balance and body position to counteract the movement.

After 20 minutes on the finicky Ruby, I gained a new level of respect for rider balance in all three eventing phases. With the 2015 eventing season rapidly gaining ground, I am excited to utilise these new learnings on all of my horses.

The first big event with my two older horses, Rocket and Murphy, will be Burgham in northeast England. A well-subscribed CIC*** class with Ireland strongly represented, looks set to open my international season. Following a long and cold winter, this opportunity to compete internationally is sending a fever of excitement through my yard.

Of course, my yard is much more than just my two top horses. A string of promising youngsters are also chomping at the bit to get going and luckily for us, the hunter trial season is just arriving. Building cross-country bravery in youngsters can only be achieved by simply doing it. As an event rider, hunter trials are worth their weight in gold to me.

With one season just beginning, another has drawn to a close, much to the dismay of my forlorn husband. March has blown the horn on the hunting season and both hounds and horses are gone to cover.

Happily for Niki, he received an invitation for one last hurrah before hanging up his boots. Barry Keogh of Westwinds horses and the Killinick Harriers kindly played host to him for the day. Niki and his equine sidekick Bruce Almighty headed south for Wexford, with warnings regarding the county’s notoriously narrow double banks falling on deaf ears.

Having made it unscathed through an entire season with the Meaths, his trip to the Model County did not end without some souvenirs, namely twice muddied jacket and breeches. Yes, both Bruce and Niki twice fell foul of these banks of lore. It was a fitting end to another exhilarating season of hunting.

“Yes, here’s to the dawn of a hunting morn! The cry of the hounds and sound of the horn.” (Fay Bohlayer 1981)