Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 466 i Your Horse

LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN Planning ahead for socially-distanced competitions Equestrian governing bodies are getting plans in place to ensure a return to competitive riding when the government is in a position to relax coronavirus restrictions. The British Equestrian Federation (BEF), British Dressage, British Showjumping and British Eventing have highlighted that they are in full support of the restrictions currently in place and will not return to action until it is safe to do so. There is expected to be a period of transition to allow horses and riders to return to peak fitness levels, and give organisers the opportunity to adapt venues to make social distancing possible. BEF interim chairman Malcolm Wharton commented: “Collectively we want to ensure that when we get to a position where competition can resume, we are…

VET KATIE BRICKMAN was about to curry favour with a client. Having assessed a horse, she offered to return with its medication — a box of pills and a bottle of antibiotics. Oblivious that her kind act was about to throw her life into turmoil as well as threaten her career, her competitive schedule and her life, Katie walked confidently into the yard, strode across an area of concrete and through a door. It was at this point that she slipped. Her right foot went forwards, but the rest of her frame went backwards. Automatic reactions kicked in. Her hands darted behind her, and the right one found that the pill box cushioned the jolt of meeting the floor. The left, though, met the newly shattered glass of the antibiotic…

EMAIL US AT: getinvolved@yourhorse.co.uk or write to: Your Horse mag, H Bauer Publishing, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Kizzy’s just kidding My mare Kizzy is a Welsh section D cross. She’s 11 years old and was broken in late, aged eight, by me. When I first got her, people used to tell me she was dangerous. We got a lot of negative comments — some people even told me she should be put down. Kizzy can still be a very stressy mare at times, but she’s a different pony altogether with her field buddy Sox — a goat! He’s just over one year old and has recently started coming out on hacks with us. They both love it and are so well behaved. It’s just the two of…

THERE’S A GRID to tackle all aspects of your horse’s improvement and this one is fantastic for helping him to develop his collection and extension in a simple yet effective way. The grid does all the work, which helps to take the pressure off both of you — plus it’s great fun. There are various exercises and routes you can take through this layout that will help to keep your horse feeling fresh and attentive. Remember not to get carried away — take regular walk breaks as this is quite tiring work. Building the grid This grid will improve your horse’s ability to collect and extend, and develop his straightness too. Build the grid in your schooling area as shown in the photograph. The four sets of three poles are…

POLEWORK EXERCISES ARE a simple and effective method of helping to strengthen and condition your horse without excessive concussion on joints and limbs. It’s a great way to improve his natural balance and self-carriage. If your horse is happy in his body, he will be willing to move forward and be more confident in his stride. Problems arise when a horse is repetitively worked in the same way over a period of time, and instead of improving and strengthening, injuries occur due to repetitive strain and over-working tired, restricted muscles. I use polework as a means of identifying where a horse wants to naturally put himself. That’s to say, is he left or right-sided? Is he straight? What muscles does he struggle to engage, and is this because he doesn’t…

IMAGINE THE SCENE. You’re standing in the middle of a field, headcollar in hand, as well as a carrot. You’ve been here for a frustrating 20 minutes. But it’s not the first time. It happens on every occasion you attempt to bring your horse in for a ride. He leads you a merry dance, coming close one minute — but not quite close enough to be caught — and then turning tail and rushing off in the opposite direction the next. Dealing with horses who are difficult to catch is at best frustrating, and at worst a major concern, especially if you need to bring your horse in for an emergency problem that requires a vet or farrier visit — and all the while they are waiting in the wings!…

EQUINE TEETH HAVE evolved to allow the effective intake, sorting and chewing of grass and forage for between 15-18 hours per day. With such a vital job to do, it’s clear that good dental care is essential for horses of all ages, but particularly for those who are advancing in years. Recent studies have found that horses have an increased frequency of dental disorders from the age of 151 , while dental abnormalities have been identified in 95% of patients over the age of 302 . Many painful dental conditions develop without obvious symptoms and, if left unidentified and untreated, they can result in chronic pain and behavioural changes, as well as the more obvious symptoms of “quidding” (dropping feed), a lack of appetite and weight loss. Delayed identification and…

SINCE CORONAVIRUS CHANGED the way the world works, we’ve all had to get used to video calls via conferencing technology like Teams and Zoom, but who knew that vets were jumping on the same kind of technological bandwagon! Telemedicine is the name given to remote veterinary care. It means that in times of social distancing the vet doesn’t even need to be in the same place as the animal — in theory they could be tens or even hundreds of miles away. Telemedicine can take place over the phone, via email, using instant messaging, or through video calling. In fact, many owners have already experienced this type of communication with their vet or doctor. During lockdown, however, this technology has really come into its own. Under normal circumstances, every animal…

SUMMER CAN BE a challenging time for your horse as he constantly has to deal with the irritation of flies. Using a fly repellent may be one way to help him — but which one should you buy? To help you spend wisely and purchase the most effective fly repellent we’ve put a selection to the test. They’ve each been tested on two horses who are turned out daily. Each repellent was assessed on how easy it was to apply, its effectiveness (this was judged on how much tail swishing was seen and whether the horses seemed happy and content when grazing), and how long the effects lasted for. Read on to find out how each fly repellent performed, and which one is crowned our ‘best in test’. How we…

“I TOOK THE PLUNGE six years ago and bought my own horse for the first time. It hasn’t been easy, however, as I work full time in the motor industry, and the 6pm finishes and a lot of weekend working don’t leave much time for horses. I also suffer from Crohn’s, a serious bowel condition. I’m taking several medications to slow the progress of the disease. Fatigue is a massive side effect, but my horse is fantastic for my mental health. My love for horses began when I was just five. It all started at a riding school in Cockington in Devon (I was born in Torquay). I didn’t have horsey parents, so I went every weekend with my nan. After a few years, I moved on to my first…

I LOVE GROUNDWORK — it’s such a wonderful gateway to creating a true bond with your horse. Learn these groundwork basics and you’ll start to build a body language connection between the two of you, plus these exercises will help your horse to learn to relax and focus more on you. The first two exercises — leading and backing up — are the foundations of everything. They teach your horse how to keep connected with you at a nice distance. He’ll learn better spacial awareness and to take responsibility for his position relative to you. You will learn how to use peripheral vision and your mental energy more. I find that some people get slightly worried about this new way of leading more remotely and when they feel they’re in…

STRIVING TO CONSTANTLY improve as riders is key to keeping your horse’s training progressing in the right direction. Not all of this work needs to be done while you’re on board, though. There are lots of exercises you can do off your horse that will have a positive effect on your riding. The Franklin Method is used worldwide to help all types of athletes. To be a good rider you need coordination and balance in order to follow your horse’s movement. You also need to have the ability to focus mentally. The Franklin Method will improve your body awareness and train your mind-body connection while also improving your movement. This three-part series will cover key areas of the body that we often struggle with. Give these exercises a go and…

WHAT IS OBESITY? A horse, pony or donkey that is obese carries more fat tissue than nature intended. In the wild it is rare to come across animals that are overweight or obese as they have evolved to survive harsh winters, live off rough grazing with little nutritional value, and walk miles each day to find food and water. Modern management, however, is as far from this as you could imagine, and more akin to living like an equine couch potato. We tend to provide more food and warmth — in the form of forage, cereal-based feeds and rugs — than our horse actually needs. Then we restrict his movement to grass paddocks and ridden exercise. Just like us, when a horse consumes more calories than he burns through exercise…

Vets commonly receive photographs of eyes, but these can be particularly difficult to assess if the image isn’t very clear. Here are some top tips to help you get the best picture of your horse’s eye, ensuring that your vet can give the most appropriate advice. 1 If possible, ask a friend to hold your horse to prevent him from moving his head around. 2 Position your horse in the stable and turn off the lights. 3 Open his eyelids carefully with your fingers. 4 Using the camera on your phone, focus on the eye by touching that area on the screen. 5 Encourage your horse to look directly at the camera when you’re about to take the picture. 6 Take the photograph with the flash switched on. 7 Videos…

How did you become a musician? My career path has taken many twists and turns. It’s hard to pinpoint, but one ‘aha!’ moment was after I participated in a music institute for two summers in Bridgeport, Connecticut. There I collaborated with some of the most gifted musicians I’ve ever met. These experiences fanned my passion for music into a flame of purpose. I’ll never forget being 16 — driving down the windswept New Mexico desert highway with my dad, listening to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Iron Maiden’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. During those moments, I felt limitless hope for the power of music, and I knew that I wanted to make music that blurs and crosses genre boundaries. Did you always want to be a musician? I always…

WHILE COMPETING MAY be off the table for the foreseeable future, there are other ways to have fun with your horse without even leaving the stable. Online showing is a great activity to develop a bond with your horse, get that competition buzz, and potentially win some fancy rosettes to hang with pride in your tackroom. Whether via Facebook, Instagram or dedicated online showing websites, there are lots of different contests available, from novelty classes to more formal showing classes. Always make sure that you read the entry requirements carefully before getting out your grooming kit. Having a wide variety of classes means that there’s something for everyone, regardless of your horse’s breed, age or colouring. It’s perfect for people who have never competed before and want to gain a…

HERE AT YOUR HORSE magazine, we’re big advocates of making #Hack1000Miles your own. We have always promoted our unique and popular hack challenge as being for everyone, whether you’re riding, driving, or walking your horse in-hand. The moral is that you don’t have to saddle up to clock up your miles — if you’re with your horse outside of an arena it counts! Currently the British Horse Society (BHS) and many other organisations and charities are advising against riding. The BHS states on its website: “There are no specific government guidelines for the question around whether we should still be out riding at present. Our strong advice is that it is not appropriate to put unnecessary pressure on the emergency services now or for the foreseeable future.” However, provided that…

REGAL AND AGILE, the Andalusian was once revered by Spanish nobility — so much so that owning an Andalusian outside of its native country was greatly restricted until the 1960s. The Andalusian originates from the rugged, hilly areas of the Iberian Peninsula and is one of the most ancient breeds. All modern-day Andalusian horses can trace their lineage back to a small number of animals bred by religious orders during the 18th and 19th centuries. They were used for a variety of purposes, including as a cavalry horse, in the bullfighting rings and in dressage schools where they were admired for their courage and athleticism. In Spain Andalusians are known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española) and are registered in the Spanish Stud Book. They have…

MANY PEOPLE ARE struggling to cope during the current coronavirus pandemic — cut off from family and friends, and unable to go about their normal lives without being overwhelmed by anxiety. The lockdown really has affected everyone. All of us have had to go through drastic changes to our lives and are bound to be feeling more worried than usual. If you’ve lost your motivation and are struggling to see a light at the end of the tunnel, I have some techniques that you can use to help you deal with anxiety, plus some general coping strategies. I look at how we can try to turn lockdown into something positive — a chance to take stock of our lives, appreciate what we have, and make changes for a brighter future.…

CANTER-WALK-CANTER transitions, also known as simple changes, are a basic introduction to flying changes and come into dressage tests at elementary level. They enable you to change the rein in canter without doing a flying change. Simple changes are ridden at elementary, medium and advanced medium levels. Their primary purpose is to teach your horse to collect the canter and it’s a similar preparatory exercise for more difficult movements, such as the canter pirouette. It’s also necessary as a preparation for when you begin to enter the arena in canter, and there’s a walk to canter transition at novice, too, so it expands through all the levels. Simple changes are one of the building blocks for collection. EXERCISE 1 Before attempting to ride a  simple change, check that you can…

HAVE YOU EVER picked up your dressage sheet at the end of a competition and read the words: ‘Losing rhythm on the turn’, ‘lacking rhythm in the medium trot’, ‘loss of rhythm on canter circle’, or something similar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many riders struggle with rhythm, but there are some simple exercises that you can do to improve it. What is rhythm? The word rhythm is derived from the Greek word rhythmos which means ‘measured motion’. You could also describe ‘rhythm’ as the regular reoccurrence, or timing, of a beat. In equestrian terms it relates to the regularity of footfall in any pace. If your test sheet says you’re ‘losing rhythm in trot through a turn’, it may be because your horse slows down or backs off your…

These three exercises will teach your horse to come to you and be caught easily in the field. Begin by roping off a corner where you can work with him in a small space. As he becomes more established, you can try him in a bigger area. How long the process takes depends on each horse, and I recommend that you practise each stage until it’s solid before moving on to the next. You may have to repeat the exercises for a few weeks until your horse is happy to be caught. Exercise 1 COME TO A TARGET So how do you teach your horse to come to a target? In the field, hold your target towards your horse. If he comes up and touches it, click and reward. If…

A HORSE’S FAECES becoming sloppy or watery is known as diarrhoea. It can be acute (lasting a couple of days) or chronic (lasting for more than a week) and there is usually an increase in the number of times the horse will go to the toilet. Often an animal with diarrhoea can suffer from weight loss, or show signs of colic, and it is important to speak to your vet so that the problem can be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible. The causes Acute diarrhoea can be caused by a change in your horse’s routine — for example, if a new food is introduced, or a medication, such as an antibiotic or worming treatment, is given. A sudden change in diet, or an oral medication, can change the…

GRAZING CONTROL If you’re watching your horse’s waistline the Slow Feeder Grazing Muzzle by ThinLine could help to stop him gaining the pounds. This muzzle is soft, flexible and comfortable for your horse to wear. It’s made from an extremely durable polymer that’s fungal, mould and UV-resistant. RRP £79.99 (headcollar not included) BUY AT kmeliteproducts.co.uk GET A GRIP The Amerigo Vespucci Hand Grip Reins are a great option for riders who are looking for an alternative to traditional continental reins. Leather stoppers are placed every 6cm down the length of the reins for extra grip and the design helps you to keep your hands in the correct position and maintain an even contact. They’re made from a mix of rubber and leather for durability and comfort. RRP £121 FOR STOCKISTS…