Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 482 i Your Horse

CONFESSIONS OF A #HACK1000MILES CHALLENGER… “WHEN APACHE’S OWNER asks if I’d like to ride him on the beach, I take a few days to reply. We’ve come a long way since I started riding him in January, when I was a nervous wreck after having five years away from riding and horses, but my growing confidence still feels delicate. So too is the bond I’ve slowly been building with Apache. But sometimes, you have to push your boundaries, and, keen to make the most of the summer weather, I decide to put on my brave pants, book a morning off work and accept the offer. So one Thursday morning, I find myself trying not to remember one trip to the beach when my ex-racehorse spooked at the foam on the…

EMAIL US AT yh.ed@kelsey.co.uk Unfortunately, we are unable to receive any letters by post. We reserve the right to edit letters when necessary. Take a break I wanted to write and share the unexpected result of giving my horse some time off this year. During lockdown in January and February, I was forced to give my horse about eight weeks off as lessons were cancelled, the ‘all’ weather arena at our yard was often frozen and the road the yard is on is too busy to hack from. So, I decided it was better to give him time off rather than grab the odd day when the arena thawed out. I was a little concerned that he would have lost months of training and schooling, but this wasn’t the case.…

YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING COMPETITION SPECIAL “It’s important not to rush. The emphasis should be on being creative and having fun as you and your horse develop trust and confidence” SCHOOLING solutions WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: ● How to stay calm and in control at a competition ● Easy ways to stop the spooks ● Expert tips to help you perform at your best YOU MAY HAVE your dressage test committed to memory or your jumpoff technique nailed, but have you done your homework with regards to all the strange sights and sounds your horse will encounter as soon as he steps off the box at a show? As triple Olympic gold medallist Andrew Hoy explains, training your horse to keep a cool head when all around him are flapping banners, odd-looking…

Choices, choices Q What types of bitless bridles exist and how do you choose one best suited to your horse? Megan Frost, Derby Phillippa says: There are several main types of bitless bridle, including the sidepull, shank, crossunder, scawbrig, bosal and multi, with further variations within each type. For example, within shanks, there is orbitless, baroque pinwheel, flower and English. Each type applies contact differently but always via one or more of the contact points: poll, nose, jaw and curb. In terms of the most suitable contact for your horse, there are two main factors to consider: 1) Comfort — I would usually do an assessment with a horse to see how they react to these key contact areas and decide which bridle to try first. 2) Existing communication — Some…

YOUR HORSE MAGAZINE Freelance gear editor Allison Lowther: I own an equine OAP and keeping him active is a key factor to helping him stay comfortable and happy. There’s so much you can do to ensure your golden oldie stays fit and healthy for years to come. Find out more on page 62. Vet and racehorse trainer Jeremy Naylor: Interval training pushes your horse’s biological system beyond its current capacity and increases fitness, as well as burning calories. Read more on page 28. Eventing coach Caroline Moore: Cross-country gears are all about stride length versus power and balance and changes happen in response to many things. I explain what the five gears you need to use are on page 44. Farrier Jack Climo: Hooves struggle with changing wet-dry-wet conditions, because it…

HUXLEY GIVES NEW HOPE Chatsworth in Derbyshire has welcomed a new Suffolk Punch foal called Huxley into its farmyard. The breed is critically endangered and is on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s ‘Priority’ list, with fewer than 500 purebreds left in the UK. Visitors to Chatsworth can see Huxley on the yard or in the field. Visit chatsworth.org FANTASTIC FUNDING Brooke supporters have raised more than £100,000 to help working equines in India during the country’s Covid-19 battle. The country was also hit by a fatal cyclone in June, affecting more than 600 owners and over 3,600 equines. The charity has been providing food, first aid kits and medicines to equines in need. Visit thebrooke.org/india-emergency-1 LIGHTENING STRIKES TWICE A foal born with a lightening bolt mark on his lower front…

LUCY FENSOM IS on a crusade. Fighting to save and protect the animal that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Pushing to change the intolerable suffering inflicted on donkeys in the Holy Land on a daily basis; working to relieve the pain of those that come into her care with horrifying injuries that would make any animal lover sob. While most 20-somethings are focused on university, career or family, English-born Lucy swapped her Brighton home and steady job at British Airways for a new life in Israel. “I never intended on staying in Israel for so long, it was only for the donkeys,” confesses the 50-year-old blonde who is married to Adi, an Israeli, and has a 17-year-old son, Robert. “I suppose I missed out on the good, fun…

Alongside exercise, monitoring your horse’s calorie intake through feed, forage and grazing is a vital part of maintaining a healthy weight. It can be difficult to know where to start, but these key areas can make a difference: ■ Using a weigh tape and body condition scoring your horse at regular intervals every 2-4 weeks is a quick and easy way to notice any changes. ■ Keep an eye out for summer grass growth, as energy and protein content increases. Restrict grazing to control intake. ■ If you’re cutting back on food and forage volumes, it is extremely important to maintain fibre intake at 1.5-2% of your horse’s bodyweight per day to keep his gut functioning effectively. ■ Lastly, make sure he is still getting all the essential nutrition he…

YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING COMPETITION SPECIAL AGOOD CROSSCOUNTRY horse has a repertoire of varying canters and gallops that his rider can access swiftly and successfully in response to different questions, allowing each fence to be met at an appropriate pace. But don’t panic if gears aren’t yet in your rider’s toolkit as solidly as you’d like. From instilling them at home to putting them into practice on competition day, Caroline Moore explains the ins and outs of gear use on the cross-country course. Why use gears? For me, gears are all about stride length versus power and balance. Lower gears have a higher rev count, delivering power over a shorter stride with a more established contact to promote balance and control over a tall, vertical fence. Higher gears encompass a longer…

Maximum protection Q What should I look for in a well-designed cross-country boot? Melissa Cope, Shropshire Ali says: Cross-country boots are very different in design to general brushing boots, for example, because they need to focus their protection on a much larger surface area of the leg. What are they protecting? The front boots need to protect the back of the leg/tendon area from strike injuries from the hind hoof, and the front of the cannon bone from knock injuries should the horse catch their leg on a fence. The hind boots protect the front of the cannon bone, as horses — when tired — can sometimes trail a leg over a fence and the cannon bone can be very badly bruised or injured. Many hind cross-country boots will also have…

Hidden treasures Q My mare is very wet and also has a tendency to bury poo everywhere. She is on straw as I love a big, cosy bed, but mucking out each day is a time-consuming nightmare. How do you recommend I bed up this kind of horse, and with what type of bedding? Crissy Snaith, North Yorkshire Clare says: Wood fibre bedding would be a great alternative for you and your horse, as urine will drain through the wood fibres straight to the bottom of the bed, keeping the top layer of the bed dry. Wood fibre bedding also creates a bed that is firm under foot, so droppings tend to stay on the top layer of the bed making it easier to skip out. On a daily basis,…

A RELAXING TREAT The must-have Massage Ball from Epiony uses cold gel technology within its rotating stainless steel ball to help reduce inflammation, relax tight muscles, and ease stress and pain. The gel in the ball holds a temperature, hot (immerse in hot water) or cold (pop it in the freezer), for up to 40 minutes. The soft handle is easy to use, and the ball is simple to clean. RRP £19.95 EPIONY.COM COMPETITION LEGGINGS The light and breathable Mochara white technical competition leggings are designed with style and practicality in mind. The unique, sleek design looks great, and they are non-see through. The SPF 40+ fabric has been treated with a unique finish to prevent UV rays penetrating the fabric, for sun protection and to reduce heat absorption. They…

MOUNTAIN HORSE AURORA TALL BOOT RRP £259 COLOURS Black, brown SIZES 36-43 in a variety of height and width options MOUNTAINHORSE.CO.UK These sleek and sophisticated leather boots offer unique Mountain Horse technology to keep your feet comfortable all day in a stylish and durable boot. The Vertycore 4D shock reduction system provides cushioning and comfort. The unique Z-shaped steel shank runs across the heel, up to the arch and down into the front of the foot, for superior stability in the stirrup and comfort on the ground. A pressure-absorbing insole provides comfort and helps to reduce fatigue, and a closed-cell memory foam foot bed offers further comfort for either riding or walking. MILAN LONG RIDING BOOTS RRP £249 COLOURS Black, brown, blue SIZES 3-8 BAREBACKFOOTWEAR.COM This elegant long riding boot…

On sale 16 Sept 2021 ULTIMATE RUG GUIDE The latest designs for a clean, dry and cosy horse this winter + How to make your rugs last longer + Knowing when to repair or replace ALSO IN THIS ISSUE ❋ How to glean more marks for your next dressage test ❋ The simple treble set-up to hone your and your horse’s jumping skills ❋ Effective exercises to achieve more collection on the flat ❋ How horses communicate with us and what they’re saying ❋ Clipping A-Z: what type of clip will suit your horse and why ❋ Vet advice for what to do if your horse is bitten by a dog out hacking…

Jewellery maker How I make it work: My mum, Carol, helps with the horses, while my husband, Jamie, shares the nursery runs Work life… I run my own company, The Silver Stable. I design and hand craft jewellery and a strong equestrian theme runs through all my pieces, from my stirrup necklaces to the rope bangles, which mirror a lead rope. I make everything in my studio in the Lune Valley in Lancashire. I officially launched the business last summer, having started to design the collection in January. Everything is made with sustainability in mind, using either eco sterling silver or recycled solid 9ct gold. How I got here… Ten years ago I graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in food marketing management. I then worked for Greencore,…

Keep your photos coming in to yh.ed@kelsey.co.uk What’s so funny? Here is our boy Hugo. The strangest of characters but he’s the sweetest boy you will ever meet. Alex Cole, Lincolnshire A rare selfie Barney is 19 and usually hates selfies, but he let me snap this one on our holiday in Wales. Liz Roskell, Lancs One of the family Me, my three-year-old daughter Hannah, and my Arab gelding Khez, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday by filling his belly on a grass verge. I’ve had him since he was born and he’s loved by the whole family. Dale Heather Jones, Anglesey Just the three of us Me, Cola and my daughter Annabelle. Sharan Jane, Cambridgeshire Just chillin’ Managing to nail a selfie with Peter Piper. Caitlin Ward, Chesterfield So…

YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING COMPETITION SPECIAL IT’S QUITE COMMON that we become nervous on competition day and sometimes this can have a significant negative impact on how well we do with our horses. There are of course different levels of this effect: some people may get slightly nervous before competing, but it doesn’t really affect performance, whereas others feel so overwhelmed by nerves that their performance is really poor. This matters not only for those competing at a high level, perhaps trying to qualify for something or do well at championships, but also at lower levels as it can affect our enjoyment of competing. Preset reactions So why do we get nervous around competitions, but not necessarily while riding at home? Our bodies all have a ‘preset’ reaction to a stressor…

YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING COMPETITION SPECIAL MEET THE TRAINER VANESSA BEE is the founder of the International Horse Agility Club and is based in Devon. She specialises in building relationships between horse and rider from the ground up. As a qualified teacher, Vanessa uses her education skills to develop a series of courses that teach people of all abilities and experience levels to achieve a positive relationship with their horses. Thehorseagilityclub.com HORSE OWNERS WHO play over obstacles with their horses, especially without riding them, are often told they are just “doing tricks”. I wondered what the difference was between a ‘trick’ and a ‘skill’, so I did a bit of research. A skill is something that an animal does that is useful to the person training him. For example, a horse…

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: • Common summer conditions to look out for • How to prevent and treat them MEET THE EXPERT SARAH HUNTER is an equine vet at Clevedale Vets in North Yorkshire. She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2012 and is currently working towards a certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring her local area through riding and running. LAMENESS Although we are all keen to get out and about riding as much as possible at this time of year, it is important to build up the exercise intensity gradually to reduce the risk of injury to your horse. During dry periods in the summer, the ground can become hard, making injuries more likely if a lot of fast work or…

Cycle of seasons Q At what ages do seasons begin and end, and how often do mares come into season? Leigh Mitchell, Warks Sarah says: Fillies usually become sexually mature at between 12 and 15 months of age, some time during the spring/summer of their yearling year. They continue to cycle into old age, although age-related diseases such as PPID (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction) — also known as Cushing’s — can affect the reproductive cycle. Unlike humans, mares do not go through a menopause, although there is a significant age-associated decline in fertility. Season cycle During the natural breeding season, mares come into season every 21 days, with approximately five days “in season” (oestrus) followed by 16 days “out of season” (dioestrus). Under natural conditions, mares come into season regularly through the…

Which bed? Q I’ve been riding for many years but am only just getting a horse of my own. I don’t know where to start with deciding what bedding to put him on as my new yard doesn’t supply it. What are the pros and cons of different bedding types? Carla Moody, Lincolnshire Clare says: For the reasons mentioned on the previous page, wood fibre is a great bedding type for your horse. It can be used as a half bed, ¾ bed and a full bed, with or without banks. The bed is designed to be a deep litter bed that is supportive to your horse’s legs and joints. It is free draining, so the base of the bed will hold urine, meaning the bed will not move about as…