Listening to the Horse Others Gave Up On: The Story of DHI Hot Chip

We’ve all known, or ridden, that horse. The one who won’t conform, who’s been labelled difficult, dangerous, or just plain angry. At Equiseat Aid, instead of asking why won’t this horse just do as it’s told, we ask a better question:

What are we doing as riders that’s stopping this horse from doing its job?

The Early Days

I’ve spent most of my career working with horses others couldn’t manage—the ones considered unrideable. But none made a bigger impact than DHI Hot Chip, the horse who helped launch my daughter Charlie’s eventing career.

When I first saw Chip at age six, he was built like a "cut and shut"—short and chunky in front, long behind—and had an attitude to match. Instead of pushing him harder when he struggled, I stepped back and asked why.

His conformation made it hard for him to sit behind. Add the weight of a rider, and it felt to him like being pushed downhill. With no core strength to resist, he reared as his only way of saying, I can’t.

Groundwork Over Force

So we went back to basics. I worked him on the ground with slow, controlled lunging—lots of half-halts, transitions, and straightness exercises. No rider. No pressure. Just giving him space to learn balance, coordination, and trust.

This approach, which I’ve refined over many years, has helped me bring on numerous “unrideable” horses. It’s not a shortcut. But it works—because it respects the horse’s body and mind.

I often see people chasing their horses around in circles, letting them buck and act out, then wondering why nothing changes. But whether you're on the ground or in the saddle, your horse only sees you. Be consistent. Be clear. That’s how trust is built.

Misunderstood Behaviours

Chip’s aggression extended to the stable. At his previous yard, people weren’t allowed in his stable alone—he was considered dangerous. He would pin people against the walls. But with us, he soon softened. Why? Because we listened.

His extreme rearing, his unwillingness to move forward—all of it came from physical limitations and confusion. I’ve seen this pattern many times: stuffy horses being kicked to go forward when they literally can’t. Without equal strength in both hind legs and core stability, they can’t release their own “handbrake.”

Enter the Equiseat Aid

That’s why the Equiseat Aid has been a revelation. When horses use it for the first time, they often realise—for the first time—that they have two hind legs. They find balance. They move forward more easily. And some of them become almost unrecognisable.

“After just one session with the Equiseat Aid, my pony moved better than he ever had. I didn’t realise how much he was struggling until I saw the change.”
— [Insert Name], Equiseat Rider & Blog Contributor

From Unrideable to Unbelievable

For over a year, I trained Chip almost exclusively from the ground. I didn’t rush him. He set the pace. When he was seven and a half, he did his first event—completely unplanned. My 15-year-old daughter Charlie had a spare entry at Northallerton, and her ride had been sold. She’d been getting on well with Chip, so she took him instead.

He did a decent dressage test, two down in the show jumping, and went clear cross-country. That was the beginning of a legendary partnership.

Charlie and Chip were made for each other. From that day, we went on an incredible journey:

• Finished 20th at Bramham at age 18
• Selected for the British squad
• Accepted onto the World Class Programme
• Joined the Young Professionals Programme
• Completed Blenheim 4* at 18 years old

Some of the fences at Blenheim were so big, I could barely walk up to them. And yet this was the same horse who, not long before, couldn’t trot a circle without trying to kill you.

Still Going Strong

Now 19, Chip is still out competing with a 15-year-old girl at lower levels—and looking better than ever. His story needs to be told, because without time and patience, he never would’ve made it.

We owe him everything. And I believe, in his own way, he knows we gave him the chance to shine.

His past eventually caught up with him at the top levels—he began struggling with drops and steps into water—but with careful rehab and support, he returned to doing what he loves most. He looks incredible and remains one of the happiest, most giving horses I’ve ever known.

A Final Word

If you take one thing from Chip’s story, let it be this:

Longevity and happy horses start with structural soundness. It’s not a race—it’s a marathon.

Chip did his first BE100 at 7½, and by age 9, he was going Advanced. Everyone is in such a rush these days. But if you give horses time, help them feel strong, and teach them patiently, they’ll give you everything.

They’ll jump the moon for you