The Parbery Podcast

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon discuss the balance of goals and plans, with adjusting to your horse on the day, and how that gets even more difficult on competition day.

Join Nat Foxon and a panel of world-class experts—Olympian Laura Graves, coach Brett Parbery, and performance psychologist Jonah Oliver—for a dynamic workshop on mapping out your best year in dressage. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: - Reflect on your past year to fuel real progress - Craft a bold, meaningful vision for your riding and life - Build structure and set measurable, motivating goals - Focus on what matters most, even under pressure - Harness the power of community and support Whether your “Olympics” is a national event or a local club day, this episode will help you reverse-engineer your goals and create a blueprint for success, enjoyment, and growth in 2026. You can work with Laura and the team in the 2026 Gold Program, find out more at www.performanceriders.com/2026gold

Ready to map out your best eventing season yet? In this special workshop episode, join legendary five-star eventer Boyd Martin, Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde, top Australian dressage coach Brett Parbery, and eventing pro Lillian Heard Wood for a deep-dive into building your 2026 eventing plan. You’ll hear Boyd’s honest take on goal setting (for both rider and horse), the importance of rideability, balancing ambition with reality, and why detailed planning and flexibility are the backbone of every successful season. Peter shares show jumping secrets for eventers, Brett unpacks the dressage fundamentals that underpin all phases, and Lillian gives practical advice on structuring your training—even when facilities or confidence are limited. This episode is packed with actionable strategies, candid stories, and the kind of coaching wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re moving up a level, starting out with an off-track Thoroughbred, or chasing your next big breakthrough, you’ll come away inspired—and equipped—to make every ride count. Join the Boyd Martin Eventing Program at www.performanceriders.com/boyd

Grand Prix Judge Kristen Closson inspired this topic, from her month working with the riders in the Performance Riders Gold Program. Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon discuss what connection really is, how riders are often confused and chasing the wrong feeling, and homework we can all do to improve our feel. Download the free Performance Riders App to use our fun (and super helpful!) AI training tool with Brett.

JJ Tate joins Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon to discuss the idea that 'dressage serves the horse'. Download the Performance Riders app for more free training!

Fresh off the plane from the US working with world number one eventing rider Boyd Martin, Brett Parbery discusses with Nat Foxon the Boyd-ism 'Every champion started as a beginner who refused to quit'. Download the Performance Riders app for free training inspiration and our app-exclusive Weekly Hack training segment.

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon launch into Brett's 'no filter era' with a conversation about how he would prefer to watch a well-ridden palomino pony than a poorly trained fancy imported warmblood, any day! Find out about working with Brett and Nat to upgrade your dressage training, at www.performanceriders.com

World Equestrian Games Dressage rider and coach Brett Parbery and host Nat Foxon discuss how riders should do their due diligence when booking with visiting clinicians, to prevent being held back in their training. Find out about training in Brett's programs at www.performanceriders.com

World Equestrian Games Dressage rider and coach Brett Parbery and host Nat Foxon discuss how riders should never let their standards slip in training, and the importance of separating the half halt and downward transition aids. Find out about training in Brett's prorgams at www.performanceriders.com

Dressage coach Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon discuss the idea that although each horse has a back-story and an individual personality, at the end of the day, horses are very much the same and fall into a few categories of 'types'.

If you want to progress in dressage, you have to work harder, right? Maybe that's not the best approach, especially with horses. Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into this topic about where improvement really comes from.

If we're not training our horses for their highest benefit, physically and mentally, how can we justify our partnership with horses in the sport of dressage? Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into an idea posed to them by former world number one dressage rider and wonderful horseperson Laura Graves, that riders must believe in the benefits of dressage beyond the sport of dressage.

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon discuss the concept of "lightness" in dressage, emphasizing that it is often misunderstood as solely a hand sensation. Brett clarifies that lightness should be felt throughout the horse's body, including the shoulders, back, and hindquarters, and is achieved through impulsion, balance, and proper training. He stresses the importance of riders developing a 360-degree awareness of their horse, focusing on comfort and adjustability in the reins. Lightness is described as an end product of good riding, not a goal to be actively pursued. The conversation highlights the need for riders to understand and feel the horse's entire body to achieve true lightness.

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's about our equipment only being as good as the rider. Brett and Nat discuss spurs, the whip, the double bridle, and draw reins. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's 'you don't get judged on feel'. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's 'forward is one of the most unhelpful words in dressage'. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's 'a decision not to invest in growth is a decision to stay at the same level', and it's about working on ourselves as well-rounded humans. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another stolen Parberyism, this time from podcaster and author Tim Ferriss, and it's all about knowing vs doing. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism; this time, one stolen (Brett prefers 'borrowed') from famous German Olympian Ulla Salzgeber, and it's all about focusing on what matters rather than getting psyched out comparing yourself with others. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism; this time, it's about the slow and steady process of development, and how perfectionism can get in the way. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism; this time, it's about becoming a 'silent' rider and presenting a harmonious picture by finding moments to disappear. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's about relinquishing the strong desire to 'help' your horse every step of the way to prevent issues, and rather allow the mistakes to happen.  We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's an odd one, 'Activating the third eye'. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's "if you're going to light the fire, you'd better be ready for the smoke". This the the first 'stolen' Parberyism! Courtesy of Patrik Kittel. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with Brett in one of our programs for dressage riders, head to www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another Parberyism, this time it's "80% of this sport is mental, the rest is in your head". We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about our Performance Psychology program, head to www.performanceriders.com/resilientriders

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'There are no bad rides'. Ummmmm what!? You may beg to differ! :) We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'The enemy of a flying change is a rider who wants to make a flying change'. Let's dig into what happens when us riders get a little overzealous in our approach to training, especially the flying changes! We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'Our job as riders is to create the best possible version of our horses'. What's the best version of your horse, and are you on the right pathway to achieve that? Dressage is a sport of development over a long time and the sport itself will benefit our horses, but only if we apply the training concepts and horse management practices in the right way. So how do we know what the pathway of development is, and what indicators can we look for to ensure we're on the right track? We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'The voice inside your head should be your own'. You'll hear about the pitfalls of being over-coached or having too many different coaching influences, and how to ensure you are owning your own training direction. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'Exercises are for people, aids are for horses'. You'll hear about the vital piece of the puzzle that turns an exercise into a valuable rider-training-tool, and the benefits and limitations of training exercises. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'You won't get better scores by competing more'. You'll hear about the disadvantages of competing 'too much', how there usually isn't a link between more competitions and higher scores, and how often Brett likes to compete. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'I'm aiming for a head full of structure and a body full of feel'. You'll hear about how Brett is creating a balance between riding with feel and structure, and which is more important. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – 'the consequences aren't high enough at the lower levels'. You'll hear about how winning at the lower levels doesn't equate to building a strong foundation for the upper levels, and how to prioritise what's important for progression at the lower levels. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Brett Parbery and Nat Foxon dig into another "Parberyism", this time it's – go crazy off the horse, not on the horse. The discussion covers dressage rider development including fitness, knowledge-building, skill acquisition, and sparing our horses from having to carry us through all of our development as riders. We hope you enjoy the discussion, and if you're keen to find out about working with us, you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program that's the right fit for you at www.performanceriders.com

Dressage rider Brett Parbery and host Nat Foxon explore dressage concepts using a "Parberyism" that Brett has mentioned in his Performance Riders programs. In this episode the Parberyism is 'the best riders create time in the test'. Find out more about working with Brett and Nat at www.performanceriders.com

In this inaugural episode of The Parbery Podcast, Brett and Nat dig into the Parberyism – nothing replaces time in this sport. Is time the most valuable element in dressage? Are we all in too much of a rush with our training? Or are we wasting time? Enjoy the discussion, and you're welcome to find a coaching or mentoring program for you at www.performanceriders.com