From PSG to Grand Prix: Erin MacQuarrie’s Barefoot Dressage Journey
For Nova Scotia dressage coach Erin MacQuarrie, Scootboots are already part of everyday life with her horses. In 2026, she also rode her homebred gelding in Scootboots at Prix St Georges (PSG) level, drawing plenty of interest from other riders at the show.
Erin is an Equestrian Canada certified competition coach who has trained and ridden her own horses to Grand Prix. She teaches more than 100 students across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Alongside her dressage students, she teaches flatwork at hunter and jumper barns and runs a small breeding programme.
A family of homebred competition horses
The 11-year-old gelding Erin showed at PSG in 2026 is one of three homebred horses she hopes to campaign next season. Her plan is to move him up to Intermediate I (I1). His full sister, who has competed extensively at PSG and I1, is expected to return to competition at Grand Prix. A younger gelding from the same mare is schooling at third level.
All three horses are barefoot, and Erin currently works two of them in Scootboots. Her 2027 plans include shows in the Maritime provinces as well as trips to Ottawa and Quebec.
A new opportunity for Canadian dressage riders
Erin’s PSG outing came during a significant year for hoof boots in Canadian dressage. Under Equestrian Canada’s 2026 national dressage rules, black hoof boots are permitted in competition. A steward may ask a rider to remove them during a tack check.
That distinction matters: national competition rules do not mean hoof boots are permitted in every class or at international CDI competitions. Riders should check the rules for their event, particularly as the 2027 season approaches.
For Erin, competing in Scootboots prompted conversations with riders who had not seen them used in dressage at that level locally. We’re looking forward to following her horses as they continue their training and, we hope, return to the competition arena next season.
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