UK eventing legend Lucinda Green said Australian riders had “amazing ability” and she was impressed by what she had seen during a two-day clinic here.

“The more bush they are, the better they are,” the six-time Badminton and two-time Burghley winner commented.

“They get less mollycoddling ... most of them have learnt to ride by the seat of their pants.”

Green shared decades worth of top-level tips during two skills sessions at the Albury-Wodonga Equestrian Centre on February 6 and 7, with riders putting their training into practice out on the cross-country course.

Green is a household name in the international equestrian world and her unmistakable British accent is well known across the airwaves, providing commentary for successive Olympic Games.

She has been hosting clinics in Australia for the past three years but this was her first visit to the Border – and she wasn’t disappointed.

“I’m really impressed; I’ve barely had to correct anyone’s balance,” Green said.

“It means riders can set out on the cross-country course with a much safer ready-for-trouble position.”

Green said she had seen some very good riders in the group but appeared less impressed with the quality of the horse flesh.

“There were some nice horses but top-quality horses are hard to come by and here today some of these riders had to ride exceptionally well to get something out of them,” she said.

Green said her teaching focused on encouraging riders to develop a better connection and “feel” for their horse.

“Sometimes too much thought destroys feel,” she said.

“Of course you need structure to learn anything but you have to be careful that it doesn’t kill talent.

“It’s the same in horses – they may not perfect but they can still be brilliant if they have a big heart and want to do it.”

Green said it was very easy to train a horse to not want to do something.

Nowhere can this be more catastrophic than out on a cross-country course with huge, immovable structures to clear.

“You always want to train your horse to gather confidence so that he thinks it’s never an option to stop or run out,” she said.

Green bemoans the emphasis placed on dressage in modern eventing.

“There is a lot of dominance in the training by all but the very best riders and that takes away the ability of the horse to think for itself,” she said.

“And that’s when you get some god-awful falls in cross-country.”