Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 479 i Your Horse

IT’S SAID THAT a tidy house equals a tidy mind, and I think the same applies to horseboxes. Arriving at an event in an organised lorry or trailer with everything you need easily and quickly accessible is one less thing to worry about. Not being able to find your gloves or number bib before a dressage test or jumping round can be the last straw when your nerves are teetering on the edge — and yes, I’m speaking from experience! Now that we’re able to get out and about with our horses more, we asked riders for their ‘must-have’ horsebox items and storage secrets (p70). Whether you have a trailer, 3.5t horsebox or a large lorry, there are ideas in here that you can try too. A post in our…

NATIONAL STUD TOURS Staycations are the theme of 2021 and you can go behind the scenes at The National Stud in Newmarket, home to many racing champions over the past century, to see cute foals, handsome stallions and hear all about the stud’s history and what goes into producing future champions. RRP £15 for a 90-minute tour. Local accommodation available. Discovernewmarket.co.uk DONKEY RUN The Donkey Sanctuary is offering places in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, 3 October. There is a virtual event, with minimum sponsorship of £250, as well as the live event in London (minimum £2,000 sponsorship). Runners receive a branded Team Donkey Sanctuary running vest and training support. thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk COSY TOWELS Add a touch of equine to your beach days with this swimming towel from…

WHAT IS THE point of life if you don’t dream? Sarah Rao has big dreams. Bigger dreams than most people dare to have in an entire lifetime. The dressage rider from the People’s Republic of China is already trying to imagine riding up the centre line in a giant, cream-coloured sand arena in Versailles around which the world’s most famous sporting symbol — five interlinking rings — will be displayed. If she earns a ticket to the Paris Games in 2024, the 23-year-old will be only the second Chinese dressage competitor in history to earn Olympic selection (after Liu Lina, who rode in Beijing in 2008). But first, over the next three years, there are a few obstacles to overcome, not least bolstering her relatively limited experience (she is a…

MEET THE TRAINER A Fellow of the BHS and UKCC Level Four, SAM YORK is a British Eventing (BE) accredited coach and BE youth coach. She is also the official coach to the British Army sports teams and India’s national eventing team. Sam has been a senior university lecturer in equestrian science for over 20 years and competed in top-level eventing, advanced medium in dressage and reached the Foxhunter finals in showjumping. DIAGONALS DO: ☑ Ensure the horse’s hind legs take an equal workload ☑ Promote suppleness through the horse’s back ☑ Allow their muscles to develop evenly DIAGONALS ARE IMPORTANT for all horses and riders, regardless of whether you are a competitive rider or love to hack. Riding on the correct diagonal when schooling and regularly changing your diagonal…

MEET THE TRAINER WADE BARLEY is a UKCC Level 2 dressage coach, British Dressage Youth Coach and assessor, and BHS accredited Professional Coach. He has ridden to prix st georges level and competed at three national championships. Wade is based in Stamford and runs a training and livery yard. WHETHER YOU HACK out or you’re working your way through the dressage levels, lateral work is a great gymnastic exercise for all horses to help strengthen muscles, improve suppleness and boost their overall way of going. The term lateral work is used to describe movements in which your horse moves forwards and sideways. These exercises can be ridden in walk, trot and canter (apart from turn on the forehand, which can be ridden from halt or walk) and each one involves…

Managing laminitis Q If a horse is showing signs of laminitic discomfort, what action should owners take?Katie Carson, Blyth Emma says… Laminitis is an extremely serious and painful condition which can be detrimental to equine welfare in its own right. The majority of laminitis cases are caused by an underlying disease process. Even if your horse appears to become sound again after a few days in the stable, this laminitis is highly likely to recur and grumble under the surface if you don’t treat the underlying cause. The longer laminitis is left, the more irreversible damage is likely to occur in the foot — often this can only be assessed with radiographs to look at degrees of rotation of the coffin bone or the presence of founder (sinking of the…

A MODERN BOOT The Ariat Ascent Tall boot is an innovative women’s riding boot that combines an athletic sneaker design with traditional high-performance equestrian footwear. Lightweight and flexible, it is comfortable to wear all day. It’s made using a moisture-wicking knit, and the boots support your muscles while the material keeps your feet cool. The Ascent also features a full-length zip with keeper and reinforced panelling. Ariat’s patented ATS technology in the sole provides stability, cushioning and comfort. RRP £240 BUY AT www.ariat.com/gb/en MARBLE EFFECT The WeatherBeeta Marble collection includes the Prime saddle pad, a durable cotton pad with a wick-easy lining to keep your horse cool and dry. It has a breathable mesh spine and covered girth patch. The Crochet ear bonnet features a vibrant marble print, and the…

HY EQUESTRIAN NEOPRENE PROTECT TAIL GUARD RRP £13.99 COLOURS Navy, black SIZES One size FOR STOCKISTShy-equestrian.com This shock-absorbing tail guard prevents rubbing and offers protection to the tail while travelling, with reinforced neoprene at the base of the tail. This neoprene guard features strong touch-tape fastening straps for easy use. SNUGGY HOODS FLEECE TAIL GUARD RRP £12 COLOURS Burgundy, black, navy, blue heads, red heads, blue shoes, red shoes, leopard SIZES XS-XL BUY AT snuggyhoods.com This tail guard is made from soft fleece and is thickly padded for maximum tail protection while travelling. The clever design ensures that pressure is distributed evenly. Strong, elasticated straps provide a comfortable, secure fit. It also features rise padding to protect the area at the top of the tail which is most susceptible to…

Freelance gear editor Allison Lowther: Lateral work helps to improve suppleness, straightness and so much more. It even helps out hacking, passing spooky objects and opening and closing gates. We kick off the series explaining how to leg-yield and turn on the forehand on page 56. Fellow of the BHS and UKCC Level 4 coach Sam York: If you always ride on the same diagonal, you’re constantly ‘sitting’ on the same hind leg, which leads to problems. Get the lowdown on diagonals on page 40. Vet Sarah Hunter MRCVS: I explain everything you need to know about vitamin D in horses, including whether fly masks and rugs affect absorption, where to find it in the diet and how much horses need. Page 74 International showjumper Matt Lanni: If you’ve ever been told…

Riding currently isn’t that popular in China. Not every town has a riding school, and there are few large-scale equestrian centres. Beijing would be the most horsey city when it comes to showjumping and dressage, while Mongolia is the hub for endurance riding. Showjumping is increasing in popularity, but for the few who do dressage there are only a couple of competitions at PSG level across the entire country each year. There are moves to improve equestrianism, though. The government is being more supportive and is starting to build show arenas. They have also just put together a national polo team — and they played their first match in Thailand recently. Alex Hua Tian has helped equestrianism no end in China. Without him a lot of Chinese riders and stable…

MEET THE TRAINER International dressage rider JANE SAVOIE was a member of the United States Equestrian Team and reserve rider for the 1992 Olympics. She coached the Canadian eventing team at the 1996 and 2004 Olympics, was a motivational speaker and author of many bestselling equestrian training books and videos. Jane died in January this year following a five-year battle with cancer. Dressage Between The Jumps is her book HORSES, LIKE PEOPLE, are rarely ambidextrous. But one of the goals of physical therapy through dressage is to make the horse straighter by strengthening his weaker hind leg. When a horse is straight, his spine overlaps his line of travel with the hind feet following in the tracks of the front feet. This position applies to both circles and straight lines.…

MEET THE TRAINER ROSA VERWIJS is a certified horse behaviour consultant with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, and is registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council. Rosa is a senior lecturer at Writtle University College. She leads the BSc (Hons) equine behavioural science programme, and carries out behaviour research. Rosa also contributes to the Understand Horses online education platform. WHEN 10-YEAR-OLD gelding Paddy suddenly started freezing on the driveway out of the yard, rearing and spinning if pushed by his rider, his owner decided she needed help. They hadn’t managed to hack out in weeks, and his behaviour had become dangerous. Napping is a horse’s way of telling us “NO!”, and quite loudly too. It happens when we ignore or are not aware of the smaller gestures…

I believe I can fly Q How do I teach my horse a flying change to save time in a jump-off situation? Rachel Lear, Devon Corinne says... If a horse does not do a flying change naturally, they’ll need to be fairly advanced in their dressage work to enable them to do so. They need to be strong across their back and be able to collect the canter correctly while the aids for the change of leg are given. Remember that collection comes right at the end of the scales of training. So you will need to have a very well-established horse to achieve a true flying change mid-course. Enlist help on the ground However, you can use your weight aid at the fence and look where you are going early…

Retirement home Q My 12-year-old Thoroughbred is retired from ridden work and I can’t afford to keep him if I’m to afford a new horse I can ride and compete. Is rehoming as a companion animal normal for a horse of his age and type — what kind of life might he have? Maisie Smith, Peterborough Rachel says… Sadly, retirement can happen to any horse at any age through illness or injury. A good companion home is an ideal solution, but the reality is that there are far fewer such homes out there than the number of horses needing them. Retirement rarely bothers a horse, but we need to ensure they can still enjoy a good quality of life. We have many non-ridden Thoroughbreds enjoying life at Redwings, but our native ponies…

The Swedish equestrian clothing brand PS of Sweden has designed and developed a riding wear collection for curvy equestrians. Each piece in the new Curvy Line is specially crafted to offer a perfect fit for women in larger sizes that looks stylish and is comfortable to wear. The collection is characterised by handpicked sustainable materials, functionality, and unique details. Each piece in the collection from breeches, shirts, tops and vests has been created with curvy women as a starting point — the clothes need to have a different fit, so it’s always best to measure them on larger body types from the start, rather than simply taking a smaller sized item and making it bigger. This ensures that every item of clothing fits beautifully. For real riders During the design…

NATALIE CLARK is a press officer, most recently working on BBC’s Comic Relief. She recently started riding again after a long break and her #Hack1000Miles partner is Apache. PLEASE REMEMBER to kick,’ pleads my Dad silently as my sister and I canter into one of the last fields on an eight-mile fun ride. This ride is well-known in Devon for having all sorts of cross-country jumps, starting at 2ft all the way up to 3ft 6in. The field we’ve just entered is the site of the notorious trakehner. I say notorious, because it’s a proper rider frightener — so much so, that it tends to attract a little crowd. Many attempt it, few clear it. Hence Dad’s silent plea after watching rider after rider forget to use their legs. Later,…

Veteran horses rock — fact. The Your Horse team loves a golden oldie and we know that you do too. We asked our Facebook followers to tell us about their older horses, and we were overwhelmed by the response. Here’s a small selection of some truly awesome veteran equines. Poppy is 27 years old but with the attitude of a three-year-old. Samantha Norris Lady is 29 and has been my best friend since she was five years old. She’s now teaching my children to ride and still loving life. Lisa Jackson This is Monty, 33, who I bought as a foal and who has moved with me from the Isle of Man to Yorkshire and now Scotland. He has very few teeth left, but still loves apples and treats. Cathy…

Pretend that your right hand is your horse’s body. Hold it up in front of you, and curve it so it looks like the letter “C” written backward. You can see that the inside of your hand (the palm side) is shorter than the outside of your hand (the knuckle side). This is the position of a horse that is stiff to the right and hollow to the left. Notice how the right side (the stiff side) is longer in inches, and the left side (the hollow side) is contracted and shorter. Also notice that the base of your thumb, which corresponds to the horse’s left hind leg, sits to the left of your knuckles. If your ‘hand horse’ were to take a step with the left hind (the base…

MEET THE TRAINER International showjumper matt lanni is a British Showjumping Level 3 Accredited Coach. He runs Halefield Stud, a training facility in Northamptonshire, and is supported by Voltaire Design, Lord & Lady Equestrian Clothing, LeMieux and Newbridge Sports Horses. SCHOOLING solutions WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: • Easy ways to improve your horse’s suppleness and balance • Tips for flatwork and jumping • How to lighten his forehand IF YOUR HORSE has a tendency to fall on his forehand and be a bit downhill, there’s always a reason. That reason, says international showjumper Matt Lanni, is usually linked to conformation. “A long, strong-boned horse with a long neck will be strong from behind,” says Matt. “He’ll have a lot of length in his stride and mobility in his shoulder, but his…

Space can be tight in lorries, especially 3.5t ones, so keeping everything organised and tidy so you know where it all is will help your day run smoothly. ■ Gloucester-based rider and trainer Stef Eardley has very little storage in her lorry, so she uses the seats in the living area to store her equipment. “My gas cooker doesn’t work so I also use the cupboard underneath it where the gas bottle should be,” she says. “At a stay-away show, I use the horse area as a feed area and tack room. My tack trolley converts to a poo bucket holder, and everything in my living area is carefully organised and kept in boxes or old rug bags for neatness” ■ Loose hay is probably one of the hardest things…

Strap, grackle and stop! Q What should the positioning and fit of a grackle noseband be? Rosie Jones, North Wales Gail says... There a few different types of grackle noseband and, unfortunately, I see many out there that are badly fitted. Nosebands like grackles are designed to increase the signal through the bit when rein pressure is applied. The fit A well-designed grackle is one where both straps that cross over the nose are fully adjustable. This works to ensure that the X shape created on the nose sits at the right height — not too high so that it is of no effect, but equally not too low so that it causes excess pressure on the sensitive part of the nasal bone, and definitely not on the cartilage. Care must…

Donkey pals Q Can horses and donkeys live well together? I’d like to rescue a donkey, but our horses have always treated them with suspicion in the past. Kelly McInnery, North Yorkshire Rachel says... Horses and donkeys can live happily together, but it is essential to research donkeys’ specific needs, as they differ from other equines in many respects. For this reason, Redwings always manages its sanctuary donkeys in separate groups. We also recommend rehoming two donkeys rather than one. Donkeys form extremely strong pair bonds, and these relationships contribute significantly to their health and well-being. Robust barriers Whether you decide to keep donkeys and horses as neighbours or field mates, it’s important to introduce them as carefully as you would any new equine. Turn them out in adjacent paddocks, ensuring…

IF YOU’RE PLANNING to get out and about with your horse this summer, you may be in need of a set of travel boots. Our testers have been testing six sets of travel boots for the past couple of months. Each of them has been assessed for their fit, how well they protect the lower legs and whether they offer value for money. Read on to find out which ones rate as the best. How we score: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Each set of boots is marked out of five for fit, performance and value for money. This give an overall rating out of 15. WOOF WEAR TRAVEL BOOTS RRP FROM £66 COLOUR Black/silver SIZES Pony, cob, full size, heavy hunter BUY AT woofwear.com FIT The material is quite…