The Equestrian’s Inner Life, a new podcast hosted by Pernille Hogg, explores the unseen journey of riders. Launched last month with an episode featuring six-time Olympian Mary Hanna, it delves into connection, resilience, and the transformative bond between horse and human.
In episode two of ‘The Equestrian’s Inner Life’ podcast, Pernille Hogg catches up Australian representative dressage rider and in-demand coach Brett Parbery.
Ep 2. Brett Parbery: From rodeo to international dressage rider
Some riders take a traditional path into dressage, however Brett Parbery’s story begins somewhere different — in the dust and rhythm of the rodeo arena. That early foundation gave him more than just balance in the saddle — it gave him feel, timing, and a connection that runs deeper than technique. Today, Brett is known as one of Australia’s most accomplished dressage riders, with a reputation not only for his natural feel but also for his ability to translate that feel into words. Through his Performance Riders program, he’s created systems that help others understand and apply the principles of high-level dressage in their own riding.
‘The warm-up is for the rider…’
One of the themes explores in Penille’s conversation with Brett is his saying ‘the warm-up is for the rider’.
“You know, horses are incredibly intelligent animals,” begins Brett. “Let’s actually figure out ways to convince them to do what we’re asking in a way they really enjoy doing it — through pressure and release, through rewards, and through not overworking them or drilling something endlessly. Actually, make it a bit of fun for them. You’ll find that the top riders in the world, in any discipline, really understand that concept — not only training the horse to do something, but creating a desire in the horse to want to do it for the rider.
“As the rider grows and gains more knowledge, that understanding deepens.”
A rider’s attitude — and their energy and mindset — that they bring to each ride is important. As Brett explains, those first few minutes when we first hop on are where we can shape the ride ahead.
“I have a saying I tell all my riders, especially the ones who are still learning with me: the warm-up is for the rider,” says Brett. “When we hop on and walk around, people often think they’re warming up the horse. But the horse was born warmed up! Of course, that’s not literally accurate, but what I mean is — the first fifteen minutes of a session are about the rider becoming aware. The warm-up is about us — getting our focus, clarity, and awareness together.
“During that time, we should be thinking about how the horse is responding to our individual aids, about pressure and release, and about the quality of our communication. It’s the rider’s chance to notice what the horse is doing, to form a strategy for the session, and to train consciously through that.
“So yes — the warm-up is all about the rider. The horse could step out of the stable and gallop immediately if it wanted to. The horse isn’t born responding to our aids — it learns to do that through our clarity. The clearer the rider is in applying the aids and in timing the pressure and release, the better the horse will respond.
“That’s why I always want my riders, during the warm-up, to go into a zone of awareness — focus, clarity, recalling their knowledge — instead of just hopping on and immediately starting to pick on the horse.
“So attitude really is about how the rider shows up. And with a positive attitude — that’s everything. It’s well documented that bringing positivity into everything we do is always the better way.”
Click here to listen to The Equestrian’s Inner Life Ep 2. Brett Parbery: From rodeo to international dressage rider
Available on all major platforms (YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify); search ‘The Equestrian’s Inner Life’.
