Horse&Rider Magazine – January 2021

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2021 HORSEWARE CALENDAR!

NEW SERIES!

NICOLA

WILSON’S

FAVOURITE EXERCISES

Why does he do that?

His behaviour

explained

WIN! A lesson with Tina Cook

+ an Ariat riding outfit

Why mental health matters and how to support yours

Fibre feeding

fact or fiction?

Dan Sherriff

simple changes made easy 12 November – 9 December 2020

Better manners

in minutes

with Tina Fletcher

£4.25

Issue number 613 January 2021 n Nicola Wilson’s favourite exercises n Behaviour myths explained n Simple changes n Tina Fletcher: manners in minutes n Mental health n Fibre feeding facts n Hacking through winter

The UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly

NO-FUSS

WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE

SHORT ON TIME?

4 ways to keep hacking through winter

HORSEY SHOPPING:

Hoof conditioners, skincare solutions + 50 gorgeous Christmas gifts

In this feature. . .

Our expert

As told to Tilly Berendt. Photos: Adam Fanthorpe

Northallerton-based Nicola Wilson is a stalwart member of the British team, with four European Championships, three World Equestrian Games and an Olympic appearance under her belt.

She was part of the silver medal-winning team at the London Games with legend Opposition Buzz.

Our models

Fourteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood Bulana partnered Nicola to individual bronze in the 2017 European Championships, a close second at Luhmühlen CCI5* in 2018 and a win in Barbury’s CCI4*-S. Owned

by James and Jo Lambert, she’s a strong hope for the Tokyo Olympics.

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➤ Increase

your three-phase accuracy

In the saddle

➤ Create

better paces ➤ Teach your horse to think for himself

Transferable skills

Is your dressage training lacking a bit of oomph? Top eventer Nicola Wilson shows you how to find the fun again – by using it to develop your jumping skills

F

or many eventing enthusiasts, dressage can feel like something to be endured rather than embraced. But instead of thinking of it as something to muddle through so you can get to the fun stuff, treat it as the foundation that ensures you’re able to put it all together whether you’re between the boards or the flags.

There are some key qualities you need to be able to cultivate that’ll serve you well in any phase, at any level. These are rhythm, balance, impulsion, suppleness and contact – basically, the core of the scales of training – and if you can develop them in your work with your horse, you’ll create rideability, confidence and eventually, success.

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In this feature. . .

➤ What’s

expected at Elementary level

Going through

changes with Dan Sherriff

Thinking about stepping up to Elementary? Eager for a new challenge in the school? Dressage virtuoso Dan Sherriff shows you how to introduce simple changes Our expert

As told to Bethany Searby. Photos: Lucy Merrell

Dan Sherriff is an international dressage rider and trainer. He has won nearly all national dressage titles from Novice to Grand Prix.

Our models

Laragh Osman is an Irish international rider and pilots seven-year-old Intergalactic Aimbry (Red) who, when pictured, was working towards Advanced Medium.

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A

test of your horse’s ability to collect his gait, his connection and throughness, simple changes appear at Elementary level, but are also a fun, rewarding and valuable movement to work on even if you aren’t so competitively inclined. By picking the simple change apart and looking at its constituent transitions – and with time dedicated to establishing gears within canter – you’ll likely make swift progress and produce a pleasing end product.

Simple terms

What is a simple change? At a glance, it’s a change of canter lead via walk – in a test situation, three to five walk steps are required. While you can make the most of the arena when practising at home – using a corner to set your horse up for a walk-canter, for example – in competition the placement of a simple change might not be so forgiving. This makes it even more important that you put the work in behind the scenes for a polished and elegant movement in your tests.

In the saddle

➤ How

to ride simple changes ➤ Refine your direct transitions

In competition, the placement of a simple change might not be so forgiving

ELEMENTARY: WHAT’S IN STORE?

Prelim and, to an extent, Novice, don’t require too much polish in your horse’s way of going. However, as you reach Elementary territory, the expectation is that your horse will be more consistent in the contact and engaged – that is, he’s more up in the shoulder and his hindquarters are pushing forward under his body to give a more compact, powerful picture.

It’s a clear step up from Novice, and as well as simple changes you’ll be expected to perform…

• collected trot and canter • extended walk and trot • shoulder-in Thankfully, your work perfecting simple changes will also go a long way towards helping conquer these next-level movements.

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HORSE&RIDER 41

➤

Our expert

Fizz Marshall has worked with all types of horses in her six years as Centre Manager at the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. More recently she’s worked for racehorse trainer Jonjo O’Neill and as Yard Manager for Carl Hester.

Winter

wonderful Making the most of your time during the winter months can seem challenging. However, making a few small changes to your routine to tackle the colder conditions can make winter a breeze, as Fizz Marshall explains

W

e all know the hallmarks of a British winter – chilly nights, frosty mornings and inevitable rainfall. All bring their own trials for horse owners at a time of year made even more challenging by shorter daylight hours in which to get everything done.

That said, managing your horse at this time of year doesn’t have to be arduous or time-consuming.

Adopting some simple care tactics and useful winter life hacks will help you make the most of winter days with your horse.

Photos: Jon Stroud

Great outdoors

In the majority of cases, allowing your horse some turnout all year-round is the ideal. However, getting your horse out to the field and back in again can be time-consuming if your paddocks are a distance from his stable.

It’s worthwhile looking at the rotation of available fields with a view to saving time in the winter months, ideally using those closer to the yard at this time of year. This’ll not only allow you to regain precious time, but also makes it easier to grab your horse in quickly should he decide that he’s been out long enough in cold, wet conditions. Spend some time thinking about how you could most helpfully configure your available paddocks, or chat to your yard owner about a potential field move.

Mud, glorious mud

If your horse is a fan of rolling in the field, muddy legs, face and feet will be something you have to deal with on a daily basis as the rain starts to come 96 HORSE&RIDER

in. The last thing you want to do is fill your horse’s stable up with soil and stones, so set up a tie-up area outside if you haven’t already. This’ll allow you to pick out his feet before returning him to the stable after a hack or time in the field.

Ideally, position your external tie ring near the tap and invest in a hose pipe to wash off your horse’s feet and legs and towel dry them before he goes back to his stable. As well as drying his legs quicker, it’ll prevent you from having to brush mud off later.

➤

Management know-how

Adopting some simple care tactics and useful winter life hacks will help you make the most of winter days with your horse

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