ETN (Equestrian Trade News) – February / March 2023

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Volume 47, No 2

FOOT PERFECT

Products for hooves, legs and joints ETN is the official media partner of BETA International

BE UNMISSABLE ONLINE

Therapy for your website

2023

PLUS

• AMTRA accredited RAMA CPD feature on worming • Bedding and stable tools • Retailer profile: meet a one-woman wonder

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Editor’s comment It’s tough out there. But you may find solace reading Retailer Profile in this month’s ETN in which Steph McDonald is refreshingly honest about just how the rising cost-of-living is impacting trade.

Steph has come up with some flexible ideas to steer her retail business through choppy waters. As she tells Deborah Hayward in the article, it’s all about helping her customers and winning their loyalty in return.

It never ceases to amaze me what determined, caring and brilliant people our industry has. We can count ourselves rich on that front.

We all cringe when we see charity shops populating the high street because actual businesses can’t compete with the preferential terms they enjoy.

So in the face of similar rising insurance, business rates, rent, staff and energy costs, is adopting a charitable status an option for hard-pressed riding school owners?

It’s all very well saying we need more bums in saddles – more customers for our industry. But unless something is done to support and preserve riding schools, there won’t be anywhere for adults and children to learn to ride.

There seems to be an awful lot of ‘equine therapy’ centres springing up, many with not-for-profit status. Maybe more riding schools should follow suit?

Tactfully addressing the question of a rider’s weight – and whether they’re too heavy for their chosen horse or pony – must be a saddle fitter’s nightmare.

It’s also a question show organisers and judges are increasingly facing as new guidelines, quite rightly, come into force. It’s not rocket-science; it’s all about horse and rider compatibility so they can both enjoy themselves.

FRONT COVER:

As Spring arrives, and many horses are set to do more work in and out of the arena, your customers are extra keen to care for the PLUS their hooves, legs and perfect fit. joints – the focus of a feature in this month’s ETN. ETN is the official media partner of BETA International

2023

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Volume 47, No 2

FOOT PERFECT

Saddle fitter and former NHS manager Amanda Pollard wrote to Horse&Hound recently with a great idea to save her fitter colleagues any awkwardness. Simply ask riders their BMI. Post pandemic, I’d almost forgotten the joy of shopping in a physical store; of browsing, of a cheerful assistant asking if I needed any help, of trying things on, of touching and smelling products, of being around people…

Internet shopping’s big selling point has always been reduced stress. In the light of recent weeks’ strikes, I’m beginning to wonder.

ETN has been published for more than 40 years, so looking back through its pages gives a snapshot of our trade’s history.

In the 1990s, readers regularly wrote angry letters to the editor to complain about “cowboys with no proper shops selling directly onto yards from the back of a van.”

There’s a great cartoon in an ETN issue from 1993 of a gentleman dressed in a Stetson and chaps attempting to get into BETA International. “Let him in,” says show organiser, “he’s not a cowboy, he’s a Western retailer.”

Well, today the Internet has largely replaced the cowboy’s van, and no-one seems to mind any more who sells where.

In many respects, it’s a good thing that’s given consumers more choice.

‘Proper shops’ are now valued for specialist advice, great service and instant product gratification (provided it’s in stock).

E-commerce is the place for research, price matching and late-night shopping.

One sector that’s barely changed, however, is feed. Probably because it’s sold in costly-to-deliver 20kg and 15kg bags and the same products are purchased regularly, feed remains the preserve of the bricksand-mortar store.

In fact, feed merchants don’t so much compete with the Internet as with one another in a geographical area. Perhaps that’s why most are so good at customer service?

NEWS

What’s been happening?

PRODUCT NEWS Latest launches

BENCH SADDLER OF THE MONTH Meet Pete Beck

PEOPLE

Who’s new, who’s moved?

IN THE HOT SEAT

With Claire Shand of Westgate Labs

4

10

16

18

20

AMTRA ACCREDITED RAMA CPD FEATURE AND QUIZ Resistance and what it means for worm control

BETTER BUSINESS

How to be unmissable online

HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS Stay one step ahead Product gallery

BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS Overview of the market Product gallery

BETTER BUSINESS

Why selling isn’t sleazy

RETAILER PROFILE

Take a visit to SJM Equestrian

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28

30 34

39 42

44

45

OBITUARY

Michael Clayton, former Horse& Hound editor 47

TURN BACK THE PAGES

What ETN was reporting five, ten, 20 and 30 years ago 48

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS

Should you jump on the theme-week bandwagon?

49

Products for hooves, legs and joints BE UNMISSABLE ONLINE

Therapy for your website • AMTRA accredited RAMA CPD feature on worming • Bedding and stable tools • Retailer profile: meet a one-woman wonder

Main Sponsor

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In this issue...

Protecting People

Liz Benwell Liz Benwell

(Photo: Valeri Vatel/Shutterstock)

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 3

ETN | NEWS

News

BUSINESS EXPERTS TO ADDRESS BETA CONFERENCE

Horse sports unite over environmental impact British Equestrian (BEF) and Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) have teamed up to lessen equestrian sports’ environmental impact The bodies have recruited sustainability agency White Griffin to work on a five-month long project.

BEF and HSI say the resulting road map will benefit both organisations at an operational level, provide a framework for their stakeholder bodies and inspire the wider equestrian community to safeguard our environment.

Sport England and Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are supporting the initiative.

“As a sector so integrated and reliant on nature and the countryside, we must make better informed decisions to reduce our environmental impact wherever we can and act as guardians of the landscape,” said BEF chief executive Jim Eyre.

Denis Duggan, chief executive of HSI, added: “Breeders and producers are the bedrock of our industry and have an intricate understanding of the environment and its interplay with the equine eco-system. Environmental sustainability is key to the future of the equestrian industry nationally, internationally and has an impact on our daily lives.”

Equestrian Trade News East Wing, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 4AW Tel: 01937 582111 Email: info@equestriantradenews.com Website: www.equestriantradenews.com Subscriptions Distributed on a controlled-circulation basis to the retail trade. Paid-for annual subscriptions are £39.95 (UK), £73.00 (Europe), £86.00 (rest of the world).

Design & Print Designed and produced on behalf of EMC by DJ Murphy Publishers: www.djmurphy.co.uk Email: abi@djmurphy.co.uk Tel: 01428 601020

Advertising Manager Evie Edgar Email: etn@djmurphy.co.uk Tel: 01428 601031 Abi Cannon Email: etn@djmurphy.co.uk Tel: 01428 601028 Digital Manager Nicki Lewis Email: nickil@beta-int.com The magazine is independent of all groups. Editorial views expressed in ETN are not necessarily the official view of any organisation or group.

Copyright All material is copyright Equestrian Management Consultants Ltd

Publisher Equestrian Management Consultants Ltd Editor Liz Benwell Email: editor@equestriantradenews.com 4 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

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How inflation will affect your business, effective marketing and new packaging requirements will be highlighted at the 2023 BETA Conference.

The annual event – famous for its networking opportunities as well as inspirational speakers – is on Thursday, 30 March at the Hilton East Midlands Airport.

Everyone who works in the equestrian industry is welcome. BETA members enjoy preferential ticket prices.

The full-day programme, with breaks for refreshments and lunch, will include presentations from experts on: • An HR update for employers.

• Making sense of the economy and the outlook for inflationary impacts.

• Working with influencers, sponsored riders and ambassadors: what is the difference and what are the rules?

• Marketing effectiveness explained.

• The imminent extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and what it means for businesses.

• And more…

Please scan for more information and booking form NEED MORE NEWS? Receive ETN’s weekly e-newsletter directly to your inbox. It’s free and you can sign up at www.equestriantradenews.com ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Absorbine Balanced Horse Feeds BETA Conference BETA Facebook group BETA International Black Nova Designs Bliss Bedding Citrus Lime Coligone Gallop Equestrian Supplies Gatehouse Horslyx Jenkinson Jenkinson Karen Addison Associates Ltd NAF Premier Equine Red Gorilla Spillers STUBBS England Sundown Products Ltd Virbac Westgate Labs Zebra Products Ltd Zoetis Animal Health

33 33 15 29 38 29 41 50 OBC 5 29 35 3 9 37 7 13 IBC IFC 17 43 27 21 OFC 23

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NEWS | ETN

MAGAZINE MARKS 40TH BIRTHDAY MILESTONE Your Horse magazine is celebrating its 500th issue, as well as its 40th birthday.

The publishing milestone is marked with an article in its March edition (on sale now) that looks back on its four-decade history.

Your Horse was launched in early 1983 when publishing house Emap put together the relatively novel concept of a practical publication for leisure riders. Liz Benwell, now at the helm of ETN, was appointed editor.

A marketing ploy to give away the first issue was so successful that 36,000 copies of the paid-for second edition flew off the shelves. By the late 1980s, 70,000 copies were regularly sold each month.

Your Horse is now owned by Kent-based Kelsey Media, which acquired the print

magazine, as well as the website, yourhorse. co.uk, and the brand’s social channels from Bauer Media in July 2020.

Last July, the print and digital editor’s role, which had been filled solely by Aimi Clark for five years, was split, with Aimi retaining control of the brand’s online offering and Julie Harding taking over the print title.

Aimi, a former journalist on Horse & Hound and Eventing magazine, said: “When Kelsey Media bought Your Horse, they injected a new lease of life into the brand and ear-marked our website and digital platforms as areas to invest in and grow.”

Julie Harding, an experienced equestrian journalist, long-term leisure rider and horse owner, worked on Eventing magazine for 21 years. “To be appointed editor of Your Horse is a dream come true,” she said.

“I have really admired what Aimi has done with the title during her time as editor and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be taking over such an established magazine that is so informative and on point for its readership.

Julie also writes for Country Life. Last year, she appeared on the ITV programme Camilla’s Country Life in connection with the then Duchess of Cornwall’s guestedited issue.

BETA International switches to two-day format BETA International 2023 will be held over two days when the show returns to NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September.

The move to a compact Sunday-andMonday format follows feedback from exhibitors and visitors to the 2022 event, say the organisers.

BETA International is owned by Equestrian Management Consultants (EMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BETA. Some organisational changes are to be made for the 2023 show with more functions being brought back in-house but operations remaining outsourced.

Long standing main sponsor Neue Schule continues for a record tenth year.

Fiona Dagger stays on as sales manager.

The New Product Showcase, a popular development introduced in 2022, is set to reappear at September’s show.

Gala dinner returns The 2023 BETA Business Awards and Gala Dinner, for many years a highlight of the equestrian industry’s social scene, is to return following a hiatus due to the pandemic.

The black-tie event will be held on the evening of Sunday, 10 September at a venue within easy reach of the trade fair.

Top awards to be presented on the night include retailer of the year and BETA’s coveted Lifetime Achievement award.

For more information about BETA International, contact Fiona Dagger sales@beta-int.com – direct dial number – 01937 203225 (main office number 01937 582111). Exhibitor bookings are open. Find out more about the show at www.beta-int.com

HORSEY PEOPLE’S SPENDING HABITS REVEALED Equestrian consumers’ latest spending and shopping habits – as well as what they do with their horses – have been revealed.

Claire Williams, executive director of BETA, presents statistics from the 2023 BETA National Equestrian Survey to the 31st

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

National Equine Forum (NEF23) in London this month (March).

The survey is commissioned by BETA every few years to provide a national snapshot of the equestrian industry. The last one was published in 2019.

Strong sales tipped for Thelwell

It’s an equestrian brand that needs no introduction… Even so, suppliers and retailers of Thelwell-themed merchandise could be in for a bumper 12 months.

This year marks the centenary of Norman Thelwell - creator of the iconic cartoon ponies. He was born on 3 May, 1923.

As part of the celebrations, filming is underway of a Thelwell feature film.

Merrylegs the Movie is currently in production and due to premiere soon.

“The movie stars a great little grey pony - and he’s very ‘Thelwell’,” says worldwide brand licensing agent, Karen Addison.

Indeed, the work of the cartoonist who inspired the term ‘Thelwell pony’ is still enjoyed by equestrians of all ages. Expect Penelope, Kipper and their friends to adorn a host of anniversary products in 2023.

Ahead of his time What’s less well known about the cartoonist, who died in 2004, is that he became increasingly concerned about development, pollution and their impact on the environment.

By 1971, he was covering these issues in his work. Thelwell’s book The Effluent Society is to be republished by Quiller next year.

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 5

ETN | NEWS

“We’re staying in Walsall”: Albion’s new era under new owner Albion Saddlemakers is to continue to be based in Walsall following its acquisition last year by the French owned LIM Group.

The company’s 60-strong workforce, which includes highlyskilled saddlers and tree-makers, is being retained.

Thanks to investment from its new owners, Albion has plans to expand and modernise the business, managing director Cath Gordon told ETN. New products, joining LIM’s digital infrastructure and advances in sustainability are already on the agenda, she added.

Albion Saddlemakers was acquired by the LIM Group, home to the Butet, CWD and Devoucoux saddle brands and saddletree-maker Lariot, in October 2022.

At the time, LIM said they had “every confidence in Cath Gordon staying on as managing director,” a role she’s held for two and a half years.

Albion Saddlemakers was founded in 1985 and run for many years by saddlery innovators Paul and Sherry Belton.

ETN asked managing director Cath Gordon more about Albion’s future…

LIM Group is French-owned. Is Albion remaining ‘British’?

It’s important to LIM and Albion that we continue to operate out of Walsall.

We have some of the best saddlers in the world at Albion, and the skills, craftsmanship and quality we have are impossible to outsource.

Do retailers and riders still value Britishmade saddles?

That’s a more challenging question. It’s important that we continue to educate riders about the quality of product they will receive when they purchase an Albion saddle. Our saddle fitters’ awareness of that quality is demonstrated in the repeat business we receive from them.

Is the factory staying in Walsall?

Yes! Our factory team is local to Walsall and we have no intention of moving anywhere.

Are all Albion’s employees staying on including your skilled saddlers?

We currently employ 60 people, and will be looking to expand over the next 12 to 18 months.

Their number does indeed include skilled saddlers, but it’s important to note that each department has its own set of highly skilled people. For example, all our trees are made in house, and we have the ability to create trees to a template

fit. The head of the Tree Room has been with us for over 26 years.

Our machinists are extremely skilled too; it takes a minimum of a year to train a machinist on the different models of saddles. The prep department are also highly skilled and, again, it takes years of training to provide people with all the skills required in this department.

What is LIM Group bringing to Albion in terms of investment?

The LIM Group are here to support us and ensure we grow as a brand. They are extremely good business people, with clear core values that they live by.

Our R&D department has now quadrupled in size, and we already have some exciting new projects underway.

Longer term, they will provide us with the group’s digital infrastructure that will be vital in modernising our business.

In response to the big drive on sustainability from the government and the EU, we will be able to work with the group to ensure we meet all the targets set out.

How is Albion’s distribution of saddles handled? Has this changed? Who can become a stockist?

There has been no change to the way we distribute our stock. LIM joined Albion based on the current business model that is established and proven.

6 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

It’s important to work with educated saddle fitters who put horse welfare at the heart of everything they do. There is no rule book on who can become a stockist, each enquiry is based on its own merits.

There was a great deal of talk of Walsall being unable to meet the vast amounts of orders for new saddles during and following the pandemic. What’s the situation at Albion now?

I’ve called it the ‘Covid hangover’, and we’re only just seeing the end in sight.

At one point, we were drowning in orders. Every saddle is handmade, and you can’t just skill up someone in a matter of weeks to work at Albion. Our capacity was pushed to its limits.

Fortunately for us, we made the right decisions in recruitment and now have a factory that’s running to capacity and staff at Albion have job security.

I’m pleased to say our lead times are approximately four to six weeks, depending on the model chosen.

Do you agree that Albion owes a great deal to its founders Paul and Sherry Belton?

Yes, Paul and Sherry created a truly magnificent brand. They were so passionate about horses and saddlemaking, and it really did translate through into the products and the brand.

Their influence will be here for years.

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 7

ETN | NEWS

CUSTOMER SERVICE APPLAUDED

NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR HELMET BRAND Gatehouse Equestrian has appointed KM Elite Products as sole distributor of its riding helmets, including the HS1 Jockey Skull.

The Gatehouse brand belongs to Design Headwear, owned since 2007 by Bruno Goyens.

“We have the product, and we have a famous brand that is well recognised in the industry – I could not ditch that,” he said.

Blue Chip Feed has received a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award.

The award is given by the platform that collects consumer reviews to companies delivering exceptional customer service year after year. To be eligible, firms must achieve a Feefo rating of 4.5/5 three years running.

“The fact this award is based on feedback from real customers gives us confidence we are providing an exceptional level of service,” said Blue Chip Feed’s founder Clare Blaskey.

The Gatehouse HS1 helmet, now available to retailers via distributor KM Elite, is popular with eventers such as Alex Bragg.

Safety equipment: new rule reminders

New rules for riding hats came into effect on 1 January, BETA has reminded retailers and riders.

Helmets with PAS015:1998 and Snell 2001 standards are no longer permitted for British Eventing (BE), British Riding Clubs (BRC), The Pony Club and Riding for the Disabled (RDA) competitions and activities.

Notice of the change was given a year ago, giving riders, tack shops and organisations the chance to prepare, says BETA. Equestrian bodies will check and re-tag riders’ helmets with new pink tags this season, to indicate they meet the required standards under the revised regulations.

British Showjumping (BS) withdrew permission to wear hats made to PAS015:1998 and Snell 2001 at the beginning of 2022.

Body protectors From 1 January 2024, body protectors meeting the 2009 standard will no longer be permitted for use by BE, BRC and The Pony Club.

With no new standard coming through, this will leave the BETA 2018 label as the only standard accepted by these bodies after the end of this year, explained Claire Williams, executive director of BETA. “Riders can of course continue to use BETA 2009 garments for general riding or in other disciplines that don’t specify a body protector requirement,” she added.

Showing update Meanwhile the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) is making BETA Level 3 body protectors compulsory for adults and children riding in all jumping classes under its rules.

The showing body is also changing its riding hat rules to reflect those adopted by BE, BRC and The Pony Club (see above).

FEED FIRM SUPPORTS GLOBAL RESEARCH

SPILLERS was represented at the Global Equine Endocrine Symposium in January.

The latest ground-breaking work on endocrine disease – which can be associated with laminitis - was revealed at January’s event held in Switzerland and hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim.

The maker of SPILLERS, via the Waltham Equine Studies Group, was involved with ten of the 37 research papers presented on the diagnosis and management of Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS).

The symposium was attended by eminent researchers and equine vets.

8 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Consumers reveal futuristic wishes

The future is bright for the horse industry if a survey of 2,000 British Horse Society (BHS) members is anything to go by.

Recyclable bedding, virtual riding lessons and off-road tracks in most towns are among their predictions for 75 years hence.

Respondents to the survey – conducted to mark the BHS’s 75th anniversary – also thought that horse manure would become a valuable alternative fuel by the year 2097.

Key findings included: • Encouraging people from more diverse ethnic and social backgrounds to enjoy horses is a top priority for over two thirds (67%).

• 79% believe riding will become a recognised therapy.

• 45% think there will be dedicated off-road infrastructure for equines in most towns and villages, while 86% see improvements to off-road access as a priority.

• 50% predict the availability of virtual reality riding lessons.

• Recyclable bedding will be commonplace, according to 67%.

• 48% can see horse manure becoming a valuable alternative fuel.

WELCOMING NEW BETA MEMBERS

A bit and bridle fitter, tool supplier and manufacturers of seaweed products and riding helmets are among the latest companies to join BETA. Potential new members are scrutinised by the trade association’s Council before approval is given.

Having completed their membership applications, the following are now entitled to use the BETA logo - sign of a reputable equestrian company.

• Equiphoria, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Retail member (provisional) - bit and bridle fitter.

• The Equine Advisor, Winterton, North Lincolnshire. Retail member (provisional) – saddle fitter and mobile retailer.

• SJ Equestrian Supplies, Dunlop, Ayrshire. Retail member (provisional) – retailer.

• Animals First Group, Buxhall, Suffolk. Retail member (provisional) – online retailer.

• ARRO Helmets, Cambridge, New Zealand. Overseas Trade member – helmet manufacturer.

• Ocean Harvest Technolgy, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam.

Overseas Trade member – manufacturer of dried seaweed for animal feed.

• E P Barrus, Bicester, Oxfordshire. Trade member – garden tool and outdoor accessories manufacturer and supplier.

• Agria Pet Insurance, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Associate member – animal insurance.

• EquineShow247, London. Associate member – Virtual exhibition for the equestrian community • Lallemand Animal Nutrition UK Ltd, Malvern Link, Worcestershire. Trade member - producer of pre/probiotics WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

SPONSORS AND SHOWS

• More opportunities for amateur showing competitors are opening up as HOYS organiser Grandstand Group takes on the management of The Showing Register (TSR). The Showing Register Summer Show (15/16 July at Stoneleigh Park), will feature a series of home-produced and amateur HOYS showing qualifiers. This, plus a new Premier Amateur League which replaces the HOYS La Liga League, will create 112 places across HOYS amateur showing classes.

• £500,000 has been invested in a new motorhome and recreational vehicle park at Ingliston Country Club and Equestrian Centre in Renfrewshire. The project on the 100-acre complex has created ten new jobs. Managing director Paul Fraser (pictured) says it will open up a new leisure market.

• Extraordinary horseman Lorenzo is set to appear at the Great Yorkshire Show on 11 – 14 July. Visitor numbers for the fourday show are capped at 35,000 a day.

• Waterproof riding wear specialist Ri-Dry Clothing is the new sponsor of British Riding Clubs’ Intermediate Winter Championships which features dressage and show jumping. RiDry Clothing was founded in 1980.

• Hickstead has frozen ticket prices for its summer season.

The Sussex venue is offering a 10% discount on admission to its flagship international fixtures when tickets are bought in advance. Thursday 22 June, the first day of the Hickstead Derby meeting, is a free admission day, with a £12 per car charge for parking.

• Bolesworth is revamping its international horse show to create a country lifestyle and equestrian event on 14 – 18 June. Alongside top-class show jumping at the Cheshire venue will be live music, dog agility, a fairground, a garden zone and watersports. A “substantial” retail area will encompass country, equestrian and premium shopping.

“We’ve been brave, ripped up the rulebook and I’m confident that we’ll create an event that will set us apart from any other horse show in the country,” says organiser Nina Barbour.

• Dressage Circle has cancelled its summer championship show but is keeping its online competitions going.

• Baileys Horse Feeds has become Official Feed Partner to British Eventing (BE). This is the 21st consecutive year the company has supported the sport. Said Jane Buchan, Baileys’ marketing manager: “As long-term supporters of BE, we’re excited to embark on this new partnership and are looking forward to the opportunities it brings, in particular, working with a wider range of members, as we deliver nutritional advice through our new role as Official Feed Partner.”

• Trade stand opportunities are available at the 22nd National Schools and Riding Clubs Two-Day Event. Set to attract up to 300 riders to Princethorpe College near Rugby on 27/28 May, a new spectator area is introduced this year.

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 9

ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

Product News Rugs look good enough to eat!

Equine treats are the mouthwatering theme of new rug prints from Gallop’s Ponie and Trojan collections.

Summer fruits and fairies designs are set to launch too.

This Spring sees the arrival of Apples ‘n’ Mints Ponie rugs across lightweight turnouts with detachable necks, as well as fly rugs.

“They are a perfect reflection of how we like to spoil our ponies with their favourite treats,” says Gallop’s Amy Richards.

Also new in a standard lightweight in sizes for horses and ponies is a bold but pretty summer strawberries and cherries design, with a fly sheet to match.

The third newcomer is the enchanting Fairyland 100g dual set in Gallop’s Ponie range.

“These will be a super addition to your shop and will surely grab the consumer’s attention and inevitably help boost sales,” says Amy. “They will be a must have for every horse’s wardrobe and children will love the fun, cute prints for their ponies.”

SLOSH INTO SPRING

Barnsdale Wellington Boots are Toggi’s latest addition to its footwear collection.

Designed to be stylish, comfortable and practical, the RRP is £130.

The Barnsdale has a back gusset, adjustable for different trouser styles and socks via a smart leather strap and metal buckle which compliments the leather piping around the boot’s top.

These boots are 100% waterproof, thanks to a vulcanised rubber outer.

They’re lined with 4mm neoprene for a thermal barrier against the cold and to ensure a soft, comfortable lining.

A dual-density cushioned sole absorbs shock to ensure the wearer has a spring in their step even at the end of a long day on their feet.

Unisex Barnsdale Wellington Boots come in black, navy or olive in EU sizes 37 - 48 (UK 4 - UK 13).

10 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

FOR A CLOSER FEEL

The new Sportiva Jump monoflap saddle from Bliss of London delivers close-contact style and performance.

Riders can choose from five tree profiles, while the wool flocked, lightweight design features sumptuous leatherwork and a refined sports finish.

This model is also available as the Sportiva Eventer monoflap with a flat seat option. Forward flap and custom block options are available for all Sportiva monoflap saddles, with a choice of seat size from 15” to 18.5”.

The Sportiva is available in black, cocoa or claret with customisable trim detail and cantle designs.

Coming soon: great new boots

Due in March 2023 at Snowhill Ltd, brand new Rhinegold Harper boots are a vegan-friendly, economically-priced long riding boot.

With an elasticated lace front for freedom of movement, the Rhinegold Harper has an insulated, weatherproof Cordura fabric leg.

There’s also a full-length rear zip with an elasticated side panel for movement, synthetic strappings and foot upper and a non-slip rubber grip sole unit.

Available in sizes 3-8 and four calf widths, the trade price is £49.50.

Mock croc trim Snowhill is also set to welcome the new De-Luxe Long Riding Boot with Mock Croc Trim.

Following the huge popularity of the brand’s luxury leather Rhinegold Luxus boots, the De-Luxe comes in the same butterysoft leather which needs no wearing in.

For added glamour, these boots are trimmed with patent mock croc on the toe, heel and top of the leg.

With elasticated leather rear panels to ease the full zip fastening, and a new style guard to protect the zip from dirt and breakages, these boots will be a winner.

Available in sizes 3-8 and four calf widths, the trade price is £66.50.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

PRODUCT NEWS | ETN

Fly rugs get makeover

Gallop’s standard fly mesh rug has had a makeover for the new season.

“We’re bringing these in at such a superbly low price that you will be able to keep your stock levels high and profits consistent,” says Gallop’s Amy Richards.

The combo model features a fixed neck with double fastening, easily adjustable cross-over surcingles and a generous tail guard to ensure protection from flies.

Gallop’s New Fly Mesh Dual is rather special. The detachable neck has a new, more effective shape to prevent any lifting of the super-light material while the horse is grazing.

There’s also an additional point of contact, making this probably the first five-point neck cover on the market.

Gallop’s combo and dual style fly rugs will be available throughout the spring/summer.

“We’re aiming to provide more choice within our ranges to ensure we cater for everyone’s needs at all times of the year,” adds Amy. “Everyone is surely able to afford to buy one - or even a few if they desire - with our unbeatable RRPs. “Our aim is to continue this year with unbeatable trade pricing to help our clients, which in turn helps them achieve more profitability and continuous sales.”

DESIGNED FOR DRESSAGE

The recently launched Amerigo Selva dressage saddle is built on a newly developed wooden spring tree.

It also has ‘support panels’ to optimise weight distribution and increase freedom of shoulder movement.

The Selva is designed for horses with moderately defined withers and prominent shoulders, slightly rising to the croup. The saddle has an extra wide gullet.

The seat helps create an ideal riding position, while new style ergonomic knee rolls allow precise communication between horse and rider.

Handcrafted in Italy, the Selva dressage saddle is available in three leather choices - Grip Leather, Pinerolo Leather and Traditional Leather in brown or black.

The RRP is around £5,750. Amerigo is distributed in the UK by Zebra Products.

Great gift idea

Horsey people will love this Classic Shoe Scraper from Stubbs.

Made from real horseshoes set into a solid steel frame, it has scrapers on both sides.

The Classic Shoe Scraper looks smart at any door, is a seriously heavy-duty product, with a hot dip galvanised finish for durability, and it really works.

A great gift idea too.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

All season worm control

Equimax and Eraquell equine wormers provide proven and trusted efficacy.

Equimax is the ideal choice for strategic spring and autumn worming, treating roundworms, bots and all three species of tapeworm in a single dose. Eraquell is the ideal choice when summer worming for roundworm is required.

Equimax and Eraquell are available in ergonomic syringes to treat up to 700 kg bodyweight.

STIRRUPS OFFER A SAFER RIDE

RID’UP safety stirrups – with patented quickrelease - are now exclusively available in the UK and Ireland from Mackey Equestrian by Agrihealth.

Their unique (European patent N° 17165359.5) automatic release system is designed to reduce the risk of dragging in the event of a fall.

In addition, the footbed moves with the rider to enhance comfort. The good-looking stirrups come in a variety of colours too.

There are two styles, both featuring the patented release system. RID’UP PLUS has a high performance TPE sole for shock absorption, combined with steel studs for grip. RID’UP Fun is an entry level model, suitable for up to boot size 39.

PoS and marketing support is available from distributor Mackey Equestrian. RRPs are from £130 to £230.

International dressage rider Nicole Faverau uses RID’UP stirrups.

“The wide floor with its mini spikes really allows us to have a very good stability of the foot on the stirrup and to have a good grip,” she says.

“Another important point is the articulation of the sole which really allows us to have a degree of flexibility but, nevertheless, avoids the exaggerated descent of the heel and the blocking of the leg forward.

“The colours are fun for those who wish it, but also sober enough for those of us who compete in international dressage.”

Use moxidectin for the longest expected egg reappearance period

Equest is an oral gel containing moxidectin for single dose control of roundworms - including encysted larval stages of small redworms, and bots.

It is available in a 700kg syringe and, together with Equest Pramox has the longest expected egg suppression period (13 weeks) for small strongyles of any equine wormer currently available.

Equest and Equest Pramox are the only products available to treat for encysted small redworm in a single dose.

Equest Pramox is an oral gel containing moxidectin and praziquantel for single dose control of all three species of tapeworm, roundworms - including encysted larval stages of small redworms, and bots.

Equest and Equest Pramox are licensed for use in breeding, pregnant and lactating mares and have been shown not to adversely affect the fertility of mares.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 11

ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

More brands sign up

Equisafety from Trilanco, Avignon, Aubrion, Moretta and Arma from Shires, and Ezi-Groom are the latest brands to become available on Citrus-Lime’s Cloud POS supplier integration system.

Retailers using the facility can get products online faster – and therefore sell at full margin for longer, says the e-commerce specialist.

“Sourcing product data for your website can be hard work and hugely time consuming,” says Citrus-Lime.

“Typing up tech specs, colours and sizes, as well as uploading images is quite a job, so it often doesn’t get done.

“Cloud POS does all the leg work for you. It fills in the data you need to make your website look slick, automatically activating listings with enhanced information as soon as your stock hits the shop floor.”

High and mighty

This Luggage Rack from Stubbs is a bonus for any tackroom or horsebox.

Ideal for mounting high on a wall, it saves space on the floor and keeps kit clean and tidy. A great way to use otherwise wasted space.

The Luggage Rack, in Stubbyfine coated steel, has two large storage hooks below, plus end bars prevent smaller items dropping out when used in lorries and trailers.

It works well used in multiple units end-to-end – and might even be useful in a tackshop.

The same width as Stubbs’ popular Welly Racks, it can be mounted smartly above them.

COOL PERFORMERS

Best known for its bits, Neue Schule has extended its equestrian expertise to a collection of saddle cloths.

Thanks to Coolmax All Season technology, moisture is transported away from the horse’s skin to the surface of the fabric, where it quickly evaporates.

The result is a cool horse when it’s hot and a dry one when it’s warm for enhanced comfort and performance.

Neue Schule saddlecloths are available in general purpose, dressage and jump styles. The RRP is £39.

CHOICE OF THIGH SUPPORT Passier’s GPS Dressage Saddle now comes with two variations of thigh support – long or short to suit the individual rider.

The monoflap saddle has an extra-deep seat with a special lining for comfort.

Horse friendly features include Passier’s freedom panel.

It’s an eye-catcher too with patent leather on the cantle and stirrup leather loop plus sparkling clear crystals.

Seat sizes 16” to 18” are available.

Sparkly showstopper Gold plated stirrups – yes, really

Sprenger has launched an 18-carat gold-plated Flexcite Grip Stirrup.

Its bow shape helps the rider achieve a correct leg position while relieving strain on joints and ligaments.

An extra wide tread offers superb stability, yet has no sharp edges to catch on clothing or the saddle.

With a built-in safety element and high breaking strength, these stirrups combine practicality with a touch of golden glamour. The RRP is around £449.90 Sprenger is distributed in the UK by Zebra Products.

12 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

The uvex suxxeed Blaze is a real eyecatcher in the dressage arena.

The new design simply sparkles with its shiny lacquer finish shell, shimmering glitter insert and chrome-plated frame.

But this is a functional piece of safety kit too. The uvex suxxeed Blaze is adjustable in height and width thanks to the 3D IAS size system. It has a comfortable webbing and synthetic leather strap.

There’s an effective ventilation system, plus a breathable liner that can be removed for washing.

This model is said to be particularly sympathetic to riders who wear glasses when in the saddle.

The uxex suxxeed blaze conforms to the EN 1384:2012 and VG1 01.040 2014-12 standards.

It’s available in black shiny, navy shiny and burgundy shiny in four sizes, RRP from £325.50. uvex is distributed in the UK by Zebra Products.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

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ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

A good read

Sales of ‘real’ books are at a ten-year high, according to the Booksellers Association, the body for independent book retailers.

Quiller Publishing has just launched three new titles on another topical theme – good horsemanship.

In Sports Horse Problem Solver, former international event rider Eric Smiley shares his immense knowledge to help riders whose horses may not have had ‘the right start.’

Every horse comes with its own baggage, behaviour or training issues, minor or significant, that may be difficult to pinpoint or resolve. In these pages, Eric addresses the most common problems he has seen over the years in dressage, eventing and show jumping, Partnering Your Horse is a guide to training techniques and the development of mutual trust between horse and rider. The book imparts effective, humane training and conditioning in handling and riding, and combines newer, scientifically proven methods with long-established ‘kinder’ techniques.

Author Susan McBane offers a proven way of restoring horses’ faith and trust in us and making them our friends.

Dressage rider and trainer Sue Grice grew up with ‘the scales of training’ and found them to be boring and confusing when implementing them as part of daily training.

Instead, she conceived a new approach, based on the old standard but focussing on a better rate of success. The Training Spiral explains this in the form of a practical guide for trainers and riders at all levels, from novice to advanced.

FASTER, HIGHER, STRONGER…

Equine America’s new supplement Cortaflex Recovery is formulated for horses in high intensity or hard work.

Potential customers are those with racehorses (Flat and National Hunt), competition horses and those that travel internationally.

Cortaflex Recovery provides key nutrients to support joint, tendon and ligament health - including collagen, hyaluronic acid, key amino acids and vital trace elements including copper, manganese and silicon.

In addition, it supplies a blend of phytonutrients to support antiinflammatory processes - including boswellia and curcumin (found in turmeric), as well as omega 3 fatty acids - for muscle and joint recovery following exertion.

Cortaflex Recovery also delivers natural antioxidants, including vitamins E and C, as well as beetroot, grapeseed extract and rosemary, to neutralise free radicals produced during intense exercise.

This, says Equine America which can provide references, helps to reduce oxidative damage to cells and supports muscle health and recovery.

Bio-available copper and vitamin B12 also feature, to support red blood cells, oxygen transport and energy production.

Cortaflex Recovery is BETA NOPS and UFAS accredited.

14 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

RIDING SKIRTS: WHY AREN’T THEY MORE OF A ‘THING’?

Riding skirts look so elegant, but they’re much more than a throwback to the days of Downton Abbey.

ETN asked long-time riding skirt fan Gill Seddon to explain why she loves them – and which is her favourite brand.

“The best thing about riding skirts is that they keep you warm and dry, yet they don’t bulk up around your legs like most overtrousers do. You can wear your normal breeches and boots to get ready to ride, then simply slip on your skirt before getting on.

“Having worn riding skirts for ages, I acquired an Equetech one this winter - and I love it,” says Gill.

“It’s best thing for me is that it’s reversible, black on one side with reflective strips, hi-viz on the other - a big winner.

“Another big plus is that, unlike some, it hasn’t got a warm liner.

I ride in a body protector and often get too hot. But while it’s very robust, the Equetech riding skirt doesn’t make you too warm.

“It does, however, protect you very well from the wind and rain and is totally waterproof. I’ve ridden for 2.5 hours in it, in constant wind and rain – and felt snug, and smug!

“The Equetech riding skirt is cleverly designed so it moves with your legs when mounting and dismounting - unlike my other riding skirt, which gets snagged on the saddle. It also completely covers the saddle, so it too is protected from the rain.”

Watch this space for more riding skirts making an impact next season.

25% off with balancer promotion

TopSpec has a 25% off promotion running on its TopSpec Cool Feed Balancer throughout February and March.

The offer price for a 15kg sack is £21.45, compared with the usual RRP of £28.60.

TopSpec Cool Feed Balancer is a moderately conditioning, non-heating balancer for horses and ponies in light to medium work.

A safe and effective way to improve condition and topline, without promoting excitable behaviour, it’s ideal to complement grass, hay or haylage.

TopSpec Cool Feed Balancer is an economical product, perfect for horses that don’t need a hoof supplement and are not in hard work or demanding circumstances.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

BETA conference 2023

The trade’s first opportunity in the year to meet and network. With invaluable insights into topics vital for your business throughout the year.

30th March, Hilton East Midlands Airport

Can you afford not to be there?

Open to all – members and non-members.

Updates on employment law, the economy, the commercial value of sponsorship and new obligations on businesses with regards packaging, and much more.

Find out more by scanning the QR code or contact the BETA office for a full programme: info@beta-uk.org Virtual attendance possible

ETN | BENCH SADDLER OF THE MONTH

Celebrating

the best bench saddlers...

This award, presented in conjunction with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS), recognises those who uphold the highest standard of leathercraft skills.

For almost six decades, Pete Beck has been using his considerable skills at the bench to create beautiful saddles.

ETN/SMS BENCH SADDLER OF THE MONTH: PETE BECK Nominated by: SMS Qualified Saddle Fitter Poppy Webber, who says: “Pete deserves Bench Saddler of the Month...maybe even the decade! He has so many fabulous qualities that make him deserving of this accolade.

“Pete’s love for the job is obvious which, combined with his unrivalled knowledge of saddles, makes him an incredibly special man.

“He has such a kind and compassionate nature, and he takes me under his wing whenever I visit the Ideal Saddles factory [where he works]. He patiently explains everything to me, several times - always demonstrating everything in his gracious, calm manner.

16 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

“Pete has taught me so much, from secret ways to knot thread to the correct use of power tools. The saddlery world is so much better for having had him in it for almost 60 years.”

ABOUT Pete Beck Pete started as an apprentice bench saddler at Walsall Riding when he left school at the age of 15.

“I don’t really have an interest in horses; it was my mum that wanted me out earning and Walsall Riding was just up the road from where we lived,” explains Pete.

Following his five-year apprenticeship, Pete continued to work for Walsall Riding until it was taken over by Ideal Saddles in 2006 and moved to the current location in Walsall in 2015.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

BENCH SADDLER OF THE MONTH | ETN

NO DESIRE TO RETIRE

Pete has been making saddles for 57 years, and has no desire to retire just yet.

“I’m an active person and I can’t see myself retiring anytime soon. I don’t think I could sit down for long enough,” he says.

During his day-to-day job, Pete is found at his bench putting saddles together. He also undertakes most of the rectifications and repairs.

“Occasionally Rob [Lugsdin, Master Saddler and director at Ideal & WRS] lets me loose and I get to create a saddle from second grade leather,” says Pete. “It’s a chance to be a little bit creative, using different coloured stitching and other finishes.”

See nearly 400 quality products

at STUBBSENGLAND.com

CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY

In the nearly six decades of Pete’s time in the industry, much has changed in the saddlery world.

When Pete began his career, every part of the saddle was made and put together by one person, making it a bespoke, handmade product. This also meant that each saddle was slightly different.

Now, a great deal of the preparation is already done in advance; for example, the leather is cut by a team of people and the saddle’s tree is made by another team. All these parts are then assembled, and the saddle is made by the bench saddler.

“The way saddles are made has changed, they were also more basic when I first started,” says Pete.

“It’s more complicated now, with all the different options available to people. Various types of leather, different coloured stitching, sparkly panels, the list goes on.”

RIDING BIKES AND WALKING DOGS

When not at the bench making saddles, Pete enjoys spending time with his family. He also used to love riding sport bikes.

“I spent quite a bit of time going on rides out on the bike,” says Pete. “I enjoyed zooming around the roads in Wales.

I was eventually persuaded to give the bike up as I won’t bounce as well if I come off.”

Pete and his wife now have a caravan in Wales and love taking a break and spending time there.

He is also a dog lover. Pete’s beloved slate grey bearded collie called Summer Sky follows him everywhere – quite literally, she is his shadow. And wife has three Bichon Frisé dogs, so a lot of his free time is spent walking the dogs.

CLASSIC Tool Holder S2933

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Wooden Boot Jack

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HOW TO NOMINATE A BENCH SADDLER:

Everyone is invited to nominate bench saddlers they feel deserve to be named ETN/SMS Bench Saddler of the Month. Candidates for the award must be a member of the SMS and can be based in the UK or overseas.

To nominate a bench saddler (or more than one), email editor@equestriantradenews.com and tell us why this person deserves to be put in the spotlight. Please include the bench saddler’s name and business name too.

SCAN HERE

See them all at STUBBSENGLAND.com WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

Made in England Since 1836

ETN | PEOPLE

People

Photo: Liz Gregg

Mars Horsecare UK, the maker of SPILLERS, has appointed a new quality manager. Laura Callaghan, who’s been with the feed brand for ten years, has been promoted from quality team leader.

Her role is to manage the quality assurance functions of the SPILLERS business and maintain the company’s accreditations including BSI ISO 9001, UFAS and BETA NOPS. Laura joined Mars Horsecare UK as a customer support advisor at the end of 2012. She went on to work in the accounts department before joining the quality team as a quality and food safety technologist. She was promoted to quality team leader in 2018.

“I enthusiastically embrace the responsibilities of my new role in ensuring the continued delivery of quality and value to our customers and not least the thousands of horses and ponies that are fed on SPILLERS every day,” said Laura.

Gordon Smith, general manager of Mars Horsecare UK, added: “With [Laura’s] considerable knowledge of the brand, together with her expertise in all aspects of quality, she further enhances our consistent delivery of exceptional and reliable quality across our substantial product portfolio.”

After clinching two gold medals at last year’s dressage world championships, British rider Charlotte Fry began 2023 leading the sport’s global rankings. Riding the stallion Glamourdale, the 27-year-old climbed a remarkable 70 places up the FEI international league table to take the top spot.

Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has named Kathryn England as its new chief executive. She joins the charity from London Zoo, where she is chief operating officer, and starts at the RDA on 1 March.

Kathryn is a trustee for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and has spent most of her career with organisations that work with animals.

“The engagement between animals and people and the powerful impact this can have on the lives of individuals is something magical,” she says.

“The local RDA group was where I participated in my first ever volunteering work experience placement… [so to now] lead this wonderful charity forward to its next exciting chapter is a true privilege.”

18 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Dr Stephanie Wood has joined Dodson & Horrell as R&D and marketing manager.

Stephanie is an equine nutritionist who was previously Feedmark’s director of science and nutrition. Before that she lectured in animal production, welfare and veterinary sciences at Harper Adams University.

Welcoming Stephanie to the business, managing director Sam Horrell said: “This important role will ensure nutrition and technical expertise continue to be at the heart of the Dodson & Horrell brand, and we are thrilled to have someone of Stephanie’s calibre joining the team.”

Stephanie added that she was “particularly looking forward to developing [Dodson & Horrell’s] R&D and marketing plans to help deliver the best nutritional programs for the equine community.”

Anna Smith is Dodson & Horrell’s new head of Thoroughbred.

She has previously worked with the business’s UK racing accounts.

“Anna will be providing an extra layer of technical support to our Thoroughbred team and will be available to all yards, both existing and potential, to ensure that Dodson & Horrell continues to lead thoroughbred nutrition,” said managing director Sam Horrell.

Anna added: “2023 will be an exciting year as we bring forward the next generation of nutrition and feeding solutions.”

Thanks to the Tokyo Olympic Games being postponed for a year, Paris 2024 will be upon us before we know it.

Preparations for the equestrian competitions are well underway with Santiago Varela Ullastres from Spain and France’s Gregory Bodo appointed as co-course designers for the show jumping and jumping phase of the eventing.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

PEOPLE | ETN

Lucky Hattie I’Anson from The Golden Paste Company swapped a few weeks of the British winter for a balmy Indonesian island.

Her mission was to find out more about the turmeric spice used in the brand’s horse, human and dog supplements.

Hattie spent time on Java, working with local farmers and learning about turmeric production from Hattie I’Anson and Indonesian turmeric farmer field to factory.

Supiono share a passion for the golden spice.

“When arriving at the village, I quickly realised the importance of this golden spice to people’s livelihoods,” she said.

“The aroma of turmeric was certainly strong in the air; it was everywhere. The men were out in the fields harvesting the turmeric, the women were sat outside their houses cleaning the root, grating it and preparing it to be dried naturally by the sun, while their children were playing in the village with an old football and a few bicycles.

“It seemed such a basic and radically different life to the western world, but the community spirit and happiness of the local people was infectious.”

Hattie was impressed by the knowledge and passion of the turmeric farmers. Among them was Supiono, who at 75 has been growing turmeric since he was seven.

“What do you love about life?” Hattie asked him. “The ability to provide for my family,” was his reply.

Hattie joins a family as they clean turmeric root outside their home.

Hattie I’Anson visited Java to discover, quite literally, the roots of the turmeric spice that’s used to make supplements by The Golden Paste Company.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

Rider, horse lover and outdoor sports enthusiast Jools Kelly has joined the team at marketing agency Admire PR. “With a background in medical science, Jools brings a wealth of knowledge to the Admire team for our veterinary and scientific horse care product clients,” says CEO and founder Andrea Sexton.

As preparations for BETA International 2023 get underway, sales manager Fiona Dagger is already busy taking exhibitors’ stand bookings. The show has switched to two days for this year’s running at NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September.

To find out more, contact Fiona on tel 01937 203225, email sales@ beta-int.com or visit www.beta-int.com Master Saddler Godfrey Morris was appointed MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours List.

A serving soldier with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2, or Squadron Sergeant Major, he has been Master Saddler to the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery for eight years.

Godfrey joined the King’s Troop in 2002 after completing his basic military training. Since qualifying as a Master Saddler, he has mentored a number of trainees.

Following Prince Philip’s death last April, he was interviewed for ITN TV News about how the army was preparing for ceremonial duties surrounding the funeral. He was also involved with preparing ceremonial harness and saddlery for the late Queen’s funeral in September.

In 2020, Godfrey’s entry for the Society of Master Saddlers’ 2020 National Saddlery Competition won the President’s Choice class. The category had a nautical theme, for which he made a lighthouse entirely from leather.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 19

ETN | OPINION

In the hot seat

With Claire Shand from Westgate Labs.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT WESTGATE LABS?

It’s my family’s business [founded by Claire’s parents David and Gillian Booth] and I’m the marketing director which is code for ‘everything that doesn’t fall under someone else’s remit’!

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE IN YOUR JOB?

A flippant comment from my mum. I was working as head of marketing and communications at the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) but always helped out with Westgate where I could.

Westgate was growing rapidly and needed a new website and database which I was helping with from afar. My mum said: ‘Oh, it’s no good, you’ll just have to come and work for us.” My dad rang me later, quipping: “I hear I’m ringing you for a job interview…” We realised it could work, and that was it.

My BEF role gave me some amazing experiences – the biggest probably as press attaché to Team GB Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games - but it was time for family to come first.

AFTER A DAY’S WORK, WHAT MAKES YOU SAY “IT’S BEEN A GOOD DAY”?

Anything that adds up to encouraging horse owners to be more sustainable about parasite control.

Wormer resistance is one of the biggest challenges facing horse health. We must use fewer wormers to slow resistance and reduce their toxic impact on the environment.

I see my role as a translator – taking what can be complex research and breaking it down into bite-size pieces that are easy for horse owners to understand. I create a lot of content to help educate horse owners about how and why we need to be using the targeted worming approach. Horse poo and parasites isn’t always the shiniest topic to engage people, so you have to think outside the box.

It’s rewarding when something hits the spot with your audience, you’ve taught yourself something new or made a great collaboration that has helped people to an ‘aha’ moment to improve horse health.

We’re a small team that’s always trying to do better which means lots of opportunity to try new things. Re-designing our retail test kits in compostable, re-usable packaging was a definite passion project of mine. It’s reduced our waste to landfill by around 75% over the last four years.

For a little business, we’ve had our share of high days. In 2020, we scooped the BETA International Innovation Award for our retail Sand Test kit in new compostable packaging, plus the Marketing Effectiveness category in the BETA Business Awards for the new All Season’s Subscription Service that I developed. Recognition like this makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Claire Shand: “We’re going to have to find new ways around parasite control to keep horses healthy and equestrian businesses tenable.”

about wormer resistance and build trust and reputation. It’s not just selling a service but a concept, and that can’t be done overnight.

I’m a big believer in collaborating. Building networks and working with other businesses and organisations who share similar values has been an important part of this and also makes life much more fun! You can achieve so much more together.

I’ve been honoured to speak on our topic at prestigious places like The National Equine Forum, The Royal Vet College, The Animal Health Distributors’ Conference, universities and colleges and also to World Horse Welfare, the British Horse Society, BETA and riding club audiences.

We’ve done some amazing work on eco-toxicity of wormers with the entomologist, Dr Sarah Beynon at Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm. I presented it on a World Horse Welfare webinar with British Equine Veterinary Association president David Rendle. Fascinating places you never thought you’d get to!

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

WESTGATE LABS DID MUCH TO PIONEER ACCESSIBLE TESTING FOR PARASITES RATHER THAN BLANKET-WORMING. ARE YOU FINDING MORE ORGANISATIONS IN THE HORSE WORLD ARE NOW KEEN TO WORK WITH YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD? Westgate turns 24 this year - pretty incredible from where it all began with the lab in the tiny still room of our farm and the paperwork on the kitchen table. Back then, we were a lone voice for evidence-based worming. We’ve had to work hard to campaign 20 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Claire’s passion project: Westgate Labs’ range of resealable, compostable retail kits.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

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ETN offers print advertising, print advertorials, inserts, email banners, takeover emails and lots more! Make sure retailers know to stock your product. To discuss a bespoke marketing plan for your business please contact Abi Cannon 01428 601020 abi@djmurphy.co.uk or Evie Edgar 01428 601031 For editorial please contact Liz Benwell editor@equestriantradenews.com

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ETN | OPINION

BY DEVELOPING EASY-TO-USE POSTAL FAECAL EGG COUNTS AND TEST KITS, WESTGATE LABS HAS MADE TESTING ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. WHAT DO YOU HOPE WILL BE THE NEXT ‘BIG THING’ IN EQUINE PARASITE CONTROL?

There’s still lots to do. We’ve made a big shift, but we’re far from there yet with getting everyone on the same page with testing first and targeting treatment.

While awareness is certainly much improved, too many people are still taking the easy option and relying on regular blanket dosing schedules. It’s short termism. As a result, wormer resistance is growing rapidly.

All five of our licenced worming chemicals are already showing resistance to some parasites. Experts estimate that if we carry on as we are, it will be within years - not even decades - that we’re faced with multi-drug resistant parasites which would be a death knell for many yards and liveries.

The good news is that the industry isn’t resting on its laurels. A pan industry group dedicated to helping the whole equine community combat wormer resistance launches in March 2023.

CANTER (Control of Anthelmintics in Equines Responsibly) brings together vets, prescribers, parasitologists, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic labs, welfare bodies, horse owners and professional keepers to develop a single source of truth and coordinate action. I’m proud to sit on the core steering group of CANTER and to lead the communications subgroup coordinating the launch.

I’m also looking forward to a saliva version of the ELISA small redworm blood test (that can detect encysted redworm) coming to market in the next few years from Austin Davies who developed the EquiSal test for tapeworm. New research will help us to see refinement of worm egg count use, leaving low risk horses untreated for longer and renewed focus on management in parasite control.

What I don’t expect are any new wormers on the market licenced for equine use. There just isn’t the market to make it viable for big pharmaceutical companies.

However, research is underway into alternative biological solutions like tannins and fungi to supress worm burdens. There are barriers to overcome - such as stability of these products for commercial sale, palatability and licensing/marketing difficulties but the potential is interesting.

One thing’s for sure; we’re going to have to find new ways around parasite control if we’re to keep our horses healthy now and into the future.

HOW CLOSELY DOES THE NEW VISION FOR THE WAY WE WORM ANIMALS ALIGN WITH OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS?

There’s increasing evidence about the devastation worming chemicals are wreaking on our environment, so resistance and the environmental concerns go hand in hand.

We’re all going to have to shift our ways - and soon. If we don’t, within years we will see properties with multi-resistant parasite strains - and that will radically change the way we keep horses.

Much lower stocking densities will be needed to reduce parasite challenges which will make many equestrian businesses untenable.

Sadly, horses will suffer with colic, poor health and death.

A few easy changes now will save us a lot of heartache.

One of two of Claire Shand’s paintings to be accepted for an open exhibition entitled Wild Northumberland. Her watercolour Silent Night Hunter was awarded Highly Commended.

DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR RAMAS/SQPS TO CONTINUE IN THEIR ROLE AS PRESCRIBERS OF WORMERS? IT’S BEEN ARGUED THAT THIS SHOULD BE A VET-ONLY FUNCTION…

We have a major problem to overcome, so the bigger the army we have to fight it, and the more touch points to influence on it, the better. There are some very knowledgeable SQPs/RAMAs out there doing a fantastic job of changing behaviour around parasite control.

I’m confident that the CANTER initiative will provide the impetus for all prescribers who need to update their knowledge to get on the front foot of test-based parasite control.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX AFTER A BUSY DAY’S WORK?

Claire and Bertie riding around Fen Letch nature reserve on her family’s farm in Northumberland where Westgate Labs is based.

22 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

I’m very lucky to live in beautiful rural Northumberland along with my much-loved golden retriever and two horses. We’re establishing a 130 acre nature reserve here on reclaimed opencast land that has come back to our farm.

When not doing something with poo (work or animal related!)

I’m often to be found walking or riding the reserve looking for wildlife. In 2019, I took up watercolour painting as an antidote to work. I also love a bit of yoga and am exploring sound healing and shamanic drumming.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

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For further information please contact Zoetis UK Ltd, First Floor, Birchwood Building, Springfield Drive, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7LP • www.zoetis.co.uk Customer Support: 0345 300 8034 or CustomerSupportUK@zoetis.com Date of preparation: February 2023. MM-23452

BY ZOETIS

ETN | CPD FEATURE ABOUT ETN’S RAMA/SQP FEATURES ETN’s series of CPD features helps RAMAs (Registered Animal Medicines Advisors/SQPs) earn the CPD (continuing professional development) points they need. The features are accredited by AMTRA, and highlight some of the most important subject areas for RAMAs/ SQPs specialising in equine and companion animal medicine.

AMTRA is required by the Veterinary Medicines Regulations to ensure its RAMAs/SQPs undertake CPD. All RAMAs/SQPs must earn a certain number of CPD points in a given period of time in order to retain their qualification. RAMAs/SQPs who read this feature and submit correct answers to the questions below will receive two CPD points. For more about AMTRA and becoming a RAMA/SQP, visit www.amtra.org.uk

RESISTANCE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORM CONTROL

By Zoetis vet Wendy Talbot

G

rowing resistance to dewormers presents a serious risk to the future health and welfare of horses worldwide, and this is why it is essential for you to continually keep up-to-date with best practice advice for worm control.

But what exactly does this mean on a practical level for you as a RAMA/SQP when you are dispensing advice and prescribing dewormer products to your customers?

Photo: Chelle129/ Shift Drive/ smereka/ Shutterstock.com

EXPLAINING RESISTANCE

Helping your customers to understand the concept of resistance is a good discussionopener and will enable you to clear up the common misconception that it’s the horse itself who develops resistance.

Resistance is the term used when a parasite population previously controlled by a drug is no longer susceptible to that drug. The active ingredient of the horse wormer kills the sensitive parasites in the population, but those parasites not affected go on to create new generations of resistant parasites.¹ Resistance affects the population of parasites which are found on the pasture. This means that eventually any horse grazing that pasture may pick up an infection of worms which cannot be effectively treated with the currently available dewormers.¹ The incorrect use of wormers, including under-dosing, can cause resistance to occur, as can the effectiveness of the wormer.¹

The biggest cause of resistance is the indiscriminate overuse of de-wormers.

However, the biggest cause of resistance is the indiscriminate overuse of de-wormers. Every time a de-wormer is administered, it is only the usually small number of resistant parasites within that horse that will survive and multiply to contaminate the land with new resistant worms. If this situation is repeated again and again then the majority of the parasites on that field or yard can become resistant to treatment.¹ Your customer will be pleased to hear the good news is that resistance does not occur overnight and there are some easy ways that they can alter their worming strategy to help to prolong the effectiveness of de-worming products on their yard.

24 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

DIAGNOSTIC-LED TREATMENT

The way forward for the for the control of small strongyles is to use diagnostic-led treatment wherever possible. This is now recognised as the gold standard for worm control. ²,³ Diagnostic-led treatment utilises faecal egg counts (FECs), antibody and blood tests, preferably with a yearly risk assessment from a vet. This treatment option is particularly suitable for yards with a good management routine that includes frequent poo-picking (at least twice per week), low stocking densities, mature healthy horses with no illnesses, low FECs and regular cross grazing to keep pastures clean.²,³ WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

CPD FEATURE | ETN CANTER

Talking to customers gives RAMAs the chance to clear up the common misconception that it’s the horse itself who develops resistance.

ASSESSING THE RISKS

As a RAMA/SQP you will need to focus on five specific things when risk assessing the circumstances of your customer’s horse: Results of egg counts and antibody tests will be analysed and classified for each individual and those sharing the same grazing space.

Illness history will be considered, specifically previous parasitic disease and colic.

Stocking densities will also be taken into consideration.

Key worming plan: the current worm control methods will be discussed, including pasture management and the quarantine of new horses.

Year: the age of each horse will be noted – horses of less than five years old being at highest risk in terms of age alone.

The acronym ‘RISKY’ will help you to remember these points.

Each should be classified as low, medium or high risk for disease or with the potential to further contaminate the pasture with eggs passed in the droppings (egg-shedding): ²,⁴,⁵

a strategic approach maybe more feasible, especially for larger groups of horses where individual egg counts may not be possible.

In these cases, using moxidectin strategically for the whole herd, only twice a year (at the end of the autumn and 2-4 weeks after turn-out onto summer pastures), as opposed to using either moxidectin or ivermectin four or more times per year, is expected to delay resistance development ²,⁹

TO DOSE OR NOT TO DOSE

The risk assessment results may identify some horses as needing administration of a dewormer containing moxidectin for single dose control of roundworms - including encysted larval stages of small redworms, and bots.

Examples include high risk horses who would need a dose administered in late autumn/early winter and/or spring to control encysted stages of small redworm.

In addition, moxidectin is advised as a quarantine dose for new arrivals on a yard, for persistent and very high shedders and those with signs of cyathostomin disease. ³,⁵,⁶,⁷,⁸

THE PLACE FOR STRATEGIC TREATMENT While diagnostic-led treatment is the ultimate aim and we should all be striving to achieve this gold standard, sometimes

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

Foals suffer from different parasites at different ages.

IT’S DIFFERENT FOR FOALS

Foals, with their reduced immunity, need a minimum of four de-wormer treatments in their first year. Traditionally, many foals received a far greater number of de-wormers, in some cases every month until six months of age.

Foals suffer from different parasites at different ages and it is crucial to tailor treatments appropriately. As a guide, foals should be de-wormed for ascarids at two and five months of age followed by de-worming for strongyles at nine and 12 months of age with an additional treatment at six months of age If strongyles are found on a faecal egg count.³

Vets, parasitologists, prescribers, horse owners, charities, the pharmaceutical industry and others have recently come together in a newly formed group, known as CANTER (Controlling ANTiparasitic resistance in Equines Responsibly), to define the challenges associated with resistance in equine parasites and to identify solutions that can be consistently applied. We all have a collective responsibility to work together to preserve the efficacy of the de-wormers that remain available to us and protect the future health and welfare of our horses.⁵,¹⁰,¹¹,¹²

CASE STUDIES

At the end of the autumn, it is time to consider if a combined moxidectin and praziquantel dose is required for ESRW, bots and tapeworm. The scenarios below provide some examples of how a risk assessment can help guide selective therapy.

SELECTIVE THERAPY

1. Byzantium is a 13-year-old gelding (low age risk). He is kept at a livery yard in his own field (low risk). The field is poo picked at least twice weekly (low risk).

Byzantium has no signs of disease (low risk). His owner conducts faecal egg counts every three months and the results are < 50 = no eggs seen (low risk). He had a tapeworm antibody test six months ago and no treatment was needed (low risk).

Based on the current information Byzantium’s risk of parasitic disease is low.

A small redworm blood test will help to identify if there are hidden encysted stages of small redworm requiring a moxidectin dose. A current tapeworm saliva or blood antibody test should be performed to determine if the moxidectin should be combined with praziquantel in a single dose.

2. Tam is a four-year-old gelding (high age risk) kept at livery yard in a field with six others (moderate risk). The pasture is cleared less than twice weekly (high risk). Tam has no signs of illness (low risk) but had a recent faecal egg count of more than 1000epg (high risk).

In this situation the overall risk of parasiterelated disease and egg-shedding for Tam is high. Performing a small redworm blood test will not add further information as the high egg count shows there is possibility for hidden encysted small redworm stages to be present. A moxidectin dose should be administered. A tapeworm saliva or blood antibody test prior to treatment will determine if the moxidectin should be combined with praziquantel in a single dose.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 25

ETN | CPD FEATURE STRATEGIC THERAPY

The aim of strategic therapy is to provide an interim step in reducing the frequency of treatments throughout the year where it is not yet feasible to do fully selective therapy. The aim is to reduce the threat of resistance whilst still ensuring that the horse does not suffer from parasitic disease. An example of when this may be used is: Fliss is a six-year-old mare (moderate age risk). She is turned out in a group with up to 10 horses at a time where the population changes regularly (high risk).

References: 1. Sangster N C (1999) Veterinary Parasitology 85. 189–204 2. ESCCAP Guidelines 2019 p22-24 https://www.esccap.org/uploads/docs/ kvhqnc12_0796_ESCCAP_Guideline_ GL8_v9_1p.pdf 3. AAEP (2019) Parasite Control Guidelines 4. Nielsen MK (2012), Sustainable equine parasite control: Perspectives and research needs. Veterinary Parasitology.

2012;185(1):32-44.

5. Rendle D et al (2019) Equine deworming: a consensus on current best practice. UK-Vet Equine. 2019;3(Suppl.

1):1-14.

6. Matthews JB (2008) Matthews JB. An update on cyathostomins: anthelmintic resistance and worm control. Equine Veterinary Education. 2008;20(10):552560.

7. Rendle D (2022) Best Practice For Worming And Anthelmintic Resistance.

Vet Times. 4.

8. Reinemeyer CK and Nielsen (2018) MK Biology and life cycles of equine parasites. In: Nielsen MK, Reinemeyer CR, eds. Handbook of Equine Parasite Control, 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. 2018:3-23.

9. Geurden T, et al. (2021) Three-year study to evaluate an anthelmintic treatment regimen with reduced treatment frequency in horses on two study sites in Belgium. Vet. Parasitol.,298 (2021) 109538 10. Nielsen MK, Banahan M and Kaplan RM. Importation of macrocyclic lactone resistant cyathostomins on a US thoroughbred farm. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance 14 (2020) 99–104 11. Stratford C, Pyatt A, and Perrett J (2022) Equine Anthelmintic Resistance Stakeholder Meeting, March 2022, Summary Notes. Equine Pan-Industry Working Group 12. Stratford C. Pyatt A, Perrett J, Equine Anthelmintic Resistance Stakeholder Workshop Summary Notes. In Proceedings: Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). 2021

The pasture is not cleared (high risk) and egg-counts and antibody tests are not performed (high risk). The worming regime last year used ivermectin administered five times a year at two-monthly intervals with a moxidectin + praziquantel product administered in November.

The aim with Fliss is to ultimately adapt management practices to allow reduction of the risk as this will provide the best opportunity to reduce disease and slow the development of resistance on the property.

This will include regular poo-picking, quarantine of new horses and individual

egg counts for the whole herd every three months. Until that is possible, the risk of disease and resistance may be reduced by using a strategic worming approach.

The whole herd should be treated in late autumn with a moxidectin and praziquantel combination to target encysted small redworm, tapeworm and bots. A second moxidectin + praziquantel dose should be administered in late spring the following year. Timing the dose during the period when egg shedding on pasture is likely to be high will help to keep overall infection pressure down.²

RAMA CPD QUIZ SELECT YOUR ANSWERS AND SUBMIT THEM AT WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM UNDER THE CPD SECTION 1. What is resistance? a.

When a horse refuses to accept a particular de-wormer b.

When a parasite population is no longer susceptible to the drug used c.

When the horse itself is resistant to the drug used 2. What is the biggest cause of de-wormer resistance? a.

Overuse of de-wormers b.

Under-dosing c.

Incorrect use of de-wormers 3. What is now recognised as the gold standard for worm control? a.

Diagnostic-led treatment b.

Strategic treatment c.

Routine treatment 4. Which acronym helps you to remember the five key elements of a risk assessment? a.

RISKY b.

RESIST c.

RAMAS 5. Which ingredient in a dewormer is advised as a quarantine dose for new arrivals on a yard, as a dose for high shedders and to control encysted small redworm and bots? a.

Moxidectin b.

Ivermectin c.

Praziquantel 6. When might a strategic approach to treatment be more feasible than selective treatment? a.

For larger groups of horses where individual egg counts may not be possible b.

For horses with compromised immunity c.

For confirmed high shedders

26 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

RAMA C Questio PD ns Februa ry/Marc h 2023 E TN

7. With their reduced immunity, what is the minimum number of de-wormer treatments foals need in their first year? a.

12 b.

6 c.

4 8. What does the acronym CANTER stand for? a. Controlling anti-parasitic resistance in equines responsibly. b. Combating anti-parasitic resistance in equines responsibly c.

Controlling anti-parasitic reactions in equines reliably 9. If a horse has been assessed as low risk what is the most appropriate selective therapy to use during late autumn/early winter? a.

Encysted small redworm and tapeworm tests to determine whether a moxidectin dose should be combined with praziquantel b.

No further action should be taken c.

A moxidectin and praziquantel dose should be administered as a precaution anyway 10. If a horse has been assessed as high risk for strongyles, what is the most appropriate selective therapy to use during late autumn/early winter? a.

A moxidectin dose should be administered as soon as possible b.

A tapeworm test should be conducted to see if the horse needs praziquantel combined with moxidectin c.

A small redworm test should be performed to see if the horse actually needs a de-wormer

SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS ONLINE AT WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM UNDER THE CPD SECTION.

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ETN | BETTER BUSINESS

How to be unmissable online The key to success online is having a social media presence and a good website, says Liz Benwell.

F

irst impressions of a website are 94% design related, according to digital marketing agency WebFX. Your website is your shop window – your chance to captivate people, pulling them in so that they browse your stock and head over to the checkout loaded with goods they want to buy.

From the same WebFX survey: “38% of users will stop using a website if they find the layout unattractive.” Yes, a goodlooking website has never been more vital.

Positive ROI

While there’s often a substantial upfront cost involved, a refreshed website reaps a positive ROI which can be gauged via leads it generates.

As people discover you online, they’ll browse your website and become interested in who you are and what you offer. You can encourage them to find out more by using content such as email integrated contact forms, appointment/call booking systems, or integrated maps showing potential customers where they can visit you.

that your business will be remembered by visitors to your site. They’re then more likely to make an enquiry, or buy something, and to return.

Checking the competition

An additional benefit of having a website is the analytics generated through (often free) digital integrations such as Google Analytics.

Another platform that’s great for sniffing out the competition is Ubersuggest which gives you a good insight into how competitors’ websites are performing.

Information gathered via these online tools can help form your digital marketing strategy, and in turn grow your business.

Website checklist

• Don’t overcomplicate things, keep your domain name to two/three words that are easy to input and remember.

• Include clear and concise calls to action on every page, so viewers know what to do and where to go. Avoid pop-ups; it’s suggested that Google disfavours websites with pop-ups, plus a pop-up

free site makes for a nicer user experience.

• More than 50% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, according to consumer data analysts at Statista.

Ensure your website is compatible with and easily viewable on all devices.

• Keep navigation simple. The menu should be clear, easy to use and with minimal destinations/options.

• Searching for contact information is one of the top reasons people visit websites.

So, make it easy for them. Interactive and integrated email and phone links help keep your visitors feeling positive about your business instead of frustrated.

With thanks to: Black Nova Designs offers website design, hosting and IT solutions services. The team includes a number of equestrians. As official domain registrars, Black Nova Design can provide you with effective domain names too.

Organic visits/traffic

Visitors to your website are classed as traffic. Once your business is online with a search engine optimised (SEO) website, you’ll be in the running to appear on the coveted first page of Google search results.

SEO is an ongoing process which should feature on your regular ‘to do’ list.

Photo: GaudiLab/Shutterstock.com

Boosted branding

A website gives you the chance to showcase your brand, to stand out from competitors and to show people what makes your business different. Without one, you’re limited to people stumbling across your shop, social media or business listing.

By clearly establishing who you are, what makes you unique and your values, you drastically increase the chances of customers buying from you.

A well-branded website - with consistent colours, fonts, professional images and of course your logo - increases the likelihood 28 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

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ETN | HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS

Stay one step ahead Hooves and legs need regular care and protection, and products that offer this are big sellers. It’s important to stock a good range of items to meet the individual needs of customers and their horses, says Halima Sadat.

T

he old saying ‘no foot, no horse’, is still as true today as it ever was and, by logical extension, the concept includes the legs as well. As a result, if horses are to have long and active lives, good hoof and leg care must be top priority for anyone who cares for them.

Fortunately, we no longer have to rely on old-fashioned, homemade lotions and remedies for this task (although some did their jobs relatively well) because scientific knowledge coupled with modern materials and technologies mean we have a very effective toolkit available to us both for maintaining good foot and leg health and for putting things right when problems arise.

Photos: CameraCraft / 11A Fotografie / Groomee/ Shutterstock.com

HOOF STRUCTURE

The outer wall of a hoof is essentially made from keratin, a tough, hard material similar to human nails that protects the delicate structures within the foot. It’s imperative that this outer wall, which grows continuously from the coronet band at the top of the hoof, is kept in good condition because as well as providing protection from physical damage, it prevents dirt, bacteria, viruses and foreign objects from entering the hoof capsule where they could cause a variety of very serious issues.

The sole on the underside of the hoof is also comprised of a keratinised material and, although relatively hard, it is concave to prevent it coming into direct contact with the ground.

The most vulnerable part of the horse’s foot is the frog, which is a tough, highly elastic and cushioned structure that runs from the heel to the centre of the foot in a triangular shape. Containing blood vessels and nerves, its job is to provide information to the horse about the ground surface, provide traction, aid in blood circulation within the hoof and act as a shock absorber. Like the hoof wall, it grows continuously and will peel or be shed from time to time, or the farrier may trim it during shoeing.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY FOOT CARE

Caring for the foot on a day-to-day basis should include paying attention to all three of these hoof parts and this would typically include picking out the feet to remove mud and stones and applying topical products to maintain good health.

For this, there are products that add moisture to prevent drying out of the hoof wall. This is important in order to prevent cracks forming, especially in very dry conditions, as cracks caused by brittle horn can allow contamination to enter the hoof.

Similarly, very wet conditions can weaken the hoof wall by causing it to expand, which, again, can lead to foot problems, 30 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

such as weak horn and soft soles. In this case, a greasier product that acts as a barrier is advisable to prevent the hoof from becoming waterlogged. Special attention should be given when wet conditions are followed by dry, as during the process of the drying out, the horn shrinks and can become susceptible to cracks as moisture leaves it.

In both cases, products with antibacterial and antifungal properties will give that extra level of protection.

Many of these hoof dressings contain pigment or gloss to enhance the appearance of the hoof wall, too.

Stocking a wide range of these kinds of products is important to give customers the opportunity to purchase the right one for their horse.

HEALTH FROM WITHIN

Of course, ultimately, good hoof health comes from within, so in addition to the topical products, there are also feeds and feed supplements that will encourage healthy horn growth and strengthen feet. Some of these will be remedial for horses with already damaged or genetically weak feet while others will be wider spectrum, supporting hoof health generally rather than specific issues.

It’s also worth remembering that horses are individuals and hoof quality between them will vary in much the same way as fingernails do in humans. Even in the same animal, hoof horn can be affected by the horse’s general health, environmental conditions and type of feed, so it is an ever-changing picture.

Although topical products can give some help both with maintenance and when a problem arises, supplements will be very beneficial for all horses because they provide, in the form of nutrients, the basic building blocks needed for strong hoof material. Ingredients to look for are biotin, methionine and zinc, as these work in conjunction with each other to form strong horn and support the integrity of the hoof wall.

SHOW A LEG

When it comes to legs, products other than boots tend to be less routine in their application and more specific in action. For example, cooling gels, ice boots and clays will soothe limbs after WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS | ETN

high-intensity exercise or if they’re sore for some reason, while boots and bandages will provide protection and support.

Feed supplements for legs tend to focus on increasing the mobility of joints and these are particularly helpful for older horses who might be developing stiffness or mild arthritis in their legs, especially in the hocks. For these products, expect to see nutrients such as glucosamine and methyl sulphonyl methane (MSM) on the list of ingredients, as these help with the lubrication of joints as well as the synthesis of connective tissue and collagen.

BOOTED UP

In the case of boots, the various styles available do different jobs, so, for example, brushing boots give all-round protection – especially on the inner side – from the horse knocking his own legs when moving, while tendon boots are open-fronted and designed to protect the back of the leg when jumping. Similarly, fetlock boots offer protection to the lowest part of the leg.

Not only do boots come in a variety of styles and materials – for example, neoprene, leather, sheepskin and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) – they also are sized, so it’s important to stock a variety to suit the profile of your customers. In addition, exercise bandages should also be an option for customers who prefer these to boots. Bandages can give good support and have the added advantage in that they do not have to be sized, although a choice of colours should be stocked because bandages can be particularly popular with customers who want to colour co-ordinate their saddlecloth with other items.

When it comes to the feet, overreach boots have been a longstanding favourite, giving protection to the heel and coronet areas of the front feet should they be struck by the hind ones. In

Boots are considered essential items by most riders and keepers

addition, use of another type of boot – the hoof boot – is becoming more prevalent among horse keepers and riders.

Designed to encapsulate the foot, these boots are primarily used for foot protection when a horse has had a hoof injury or has lost a shoe, but they are also becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for the traditional iron horseshoe as part of the barefoot trend that leaves horses unshod. As this is a relatively specialist area, it’s a good idea to spend some time with the rep to discuss fitting and suitable usage of these boots to be able to then advise customers accordingly.

Finally, no equestrian store is complete without a range of travel boots on offer. Designed to protect the legs from knocks during travel, these padded boots usually fit from the foot to over the CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 31

ETN | HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS knee or hock and some styles cover the hoof as well. The boots are secured by large Velcro-covered straps that allow for considerable adjustability. Having said that, as with all boots, a good fit is essential to ensure the legs are correctly covered and to prevent the boots from slipping down or out of place when worn.

When things go wrong

The feet and legs are the parts of the horse’s body most affected by injury and, although some can be readily treated by the horse’s carer, many issues will require veterinary intervention. It’s therefore advisable to stock a range of basic first-aid products, particularly if they can also augment anything provided by the vet.

While the list of potential products is extensive, at the top of it are poultices (and poultice boots), tape, gamgee and selfadhesive bandages, followed by antiseptic treatments for cuts and grazes and liniments for sore legs.

Thrush is a relatively common fungal condition that affects the frog, so topical treatments for this should also find their way onto your shelves.

Again, specially formulated feeds and supplements can help provide the essentials required for healing and this is especially true when a horse or pony has suffered a bout of laminitis and needs a low-carbohydrate diet, but one that is also nutritionally complete and offers hoof-health support.

Every first aid kit should include poultices and self-adhesive bandages

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Of course, it’s not possible to stock every single permutation of all the products on the market but by offering goods that can fulfil the basic requirements, as well as a few selected specialist ones, you’ll be offering realistic options to most of your customers.

Furthermore, as you listen to what they tell you, you’ll be able to pick up on any recurring themes that can then guide you when it comes to restocking.

And, finally, by building strong relationships with your suppliers, you’ll not only become more familiar with and knowledgeable about the various products and their specifics, you’ll also be better placed to ask for more information or to place special orders for customers as and when needed.

Laminitis Latest Kate Hore RNutr(Animal). R.Anim.Technol(Cert), head nutritionist at NAF, gives an update on recent research into this debilitating and dangerous condition.

After winter many of us eagerly look forward to the longer days and warmth of spring and summer – but grass growth can mean alarm bells for owners of laminitics. How can we advise owners so they are taking the right steps to keep horses and ponies sound throughout the season?

Recently published research, led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC)*, has examined a cohort of sound, laminitisfree ponies to see if any early signs can be identified. The results confirm current understanding, but also allow us to widen the conversation with owners.

A high body condition score was recognised as a significant risk factor for laminitis, so care should be taken to avoid excess weight gain, especially in spring.

Ideally, owners will have used winter to shed some pony pounds, but they need to keep up the good work. For the good of

our horses, the idea that plump is healthy has to change. The notion of ‘fit not fat’ will help the health and welfare of all horses and ponies.

Correct care

It must be remembered that the restricted diet is often deficient in micronutrients, so it’s important to ensure the diet is balanced with a suitable concentrated supplementary balancer to provide all the essential vitamins and trace elements.

The RVC study also recognises lack of exercise as a risk factor. Owners are busy, time is tight, but encouraging everyone to fit in regular exercise for all equines will be of greater benefit than simple diet restriction alone.

Divergent hoof growth, where growth may be wider in one part of the hoof than another, was also seen as a laminitis risk.

Ensure owners are building daily hoof care into their regime and are maintaining regular farrier visits, whether shod or barefoot, to keep hooves trimmed and in good shape.

32 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Managing for health

Laminitis is recognised as commonly endocrinopathic and can be related to insulin dysregulation, equine metabolic syndrome or PPID (i.e. Cushing’s), and the study found excess hair growth (hypertrichosis) to be one of the early signs. PPID is very common, affecting 20–25% of all horses over 15 years, but it’s frequently underdiagnosed. Encouraging owners to recognise the early signs, particularly as their horses age, will keep them aware of what to look out for.

Alongside endocrinopathic triggers are metabolic ones. The role of the microbiota right along the digestive tract is increasingly being recognised in disease conditions including laminitis. Therefore, it’s advisable to recommend daily gut support to at-risk equines to maintain a stable microbiome to positively influence health and immunity. * Knowles EJ et al (2023) E.V.J. 55(1) 12-23

Top Tips for reducing laminitis risk • • • • • •

Check body condition regularly Maintain exercise Book regular farrier visits Monitor the horse for changes Balance the diet for micronutrients Use targeted nutrition for a stable microbiome and sound, healthy hooves

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Helping you, to help more horses Cost effective targeted formulations Completely balanced rations Traditional ingredients No fillers or weird and wonderful protein sources Family run British based, for over 35 years Efficient nutrition

NE W W STO AN C TE KIS D TS

Contact us for a friendly chat and to find out about stocking Balanced products.

0800 1975200 enquiries@balancedhorsefeeds.co.uk balancedhorsefeeds.co.uk Balanced Horse Feeds, Byhurst Farm, Leatherhead Road, Surrey KT9 2NL

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ETN | HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS

Sound as a pound

ETN explores the products keeping equine limbs and feet on the road.

A happy ending

Last year, Dengie ran a competition asking horse owners to share their experiences of using Healthy Hooves Molasses Free.

Among some great entries, the most moving and eventual winner was Manchester based Naomi Riding and her pony Seren.

Seren was diagnosed with liver disease in 2021, then came down with laminitis.

However, after a successful dorsal wall resection, box rest and a change in diet, Naomi and Seren are back doing what they love.

“Seren’s health seriously deteriorated, and our world was turned upside down,” says Naomi.

“Recovery was a long road but with a fantastic farrier, a great team of vets and a

revised diet plan including soaked hay and Healthy Hooves Molasses Free, Seren is looking and feeling better than ever.”

Part of Naomi’s prize for winning the Dengie competition was for Seren to become the new face of Healthy Hooves Molasses Free.

The product is a nutritionally balanced, low-calorie, high-fibre feed which contains essential nutrients for healthy hooves.

PROVIDES THE BUILDING BLOCKS TopSpec Joint Feed Balancer combines TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer with a joint supplement.

It includes the recommended rate of glucosamine in a daily quantity of feed to support healthy joints, that’s 10 grams of glucosamine/500kg horse/day.

It’s also rich in the building blocks for hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin. The complete molecules of HA and chondroitin are too large to be absorbed in any significant quantity from the horse’s gut, yet these glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are essential constituents of synovial fluid, explains TopSpec.

High levels of manganese and vitamin C are also included, as they are important for cartilage synthesis.

Joint Feed Balancer also contains methionine and other bio-available sources of sulphur, which help to maintain optimum function in tissues such as tendons, ligaments and muscles.

There’s also a blend of antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E, to help maintain healthy cell function around the joints. The RRP is £47 for 15kg.

Other TopSpec products to help with joint support include TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer, TopSpec Senior Lite Feed Balancer and TopSpec 10:10 Joint Support.

Helping hand for hooves

ColiHOOF helps ensure maximum nutrition for horses’ hooves through improved digestive function.

It includes 50% Coligone which helps combat compromised digestive health and supports optimum digestion of the hoof supplement ingredients.

ColiHOOF is low in sugar and suitable for horses and ponies with laminitis issues. It offers calcium, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients to support optimum hoof care.

It’s formulated for horses with weak, brittle or slowgrowing hooves.

34 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Healthy Hooves Molasses Free contains just 2.5% sugar, which is found naturally in the ingredients. Starch levels are also extremely low too, at just 1.5%, because the feed is completely free from cereals or grains.

When fed at the recommended rate of 500g per 100kg bodyweight, it provides all the vitamins and minerals needed, including the recommended amount of biotin and good levels of MSM. Dengie’s Healthy Hooves Molasses Free has an RRP of around £16.75 for 20kg.

On the hoof

Farrier Solution by PROFEET has been formulated by farriers to maintain sound hooves, encourage growth and support healthy horn all year round.

Recommended for those with poor hoof quality, the dense liquid is rich in emollients providing a nourishing blend high in stearic, oleic and other fatty acids.

Blended for deep penetration into the horn to help prevent premature cracking and drying, it also protects the hoof capsule by defending it from waterborne infectious threats.

PROFEET Farrier Solution from NAF has RRPs from £15.75 for 500ml.

KEEP MOVING

Horslyx Mobility Balancer provides optimum joint support with glucosamine HCL, MSM and omega oils to help maintain healthy, supple joints and allow mobility and flexibility for comfortable movement.

It balances typical nutrient deficiencies in forage and grazing, plus contains antioxidants and a hoof package which includes biotin and zinc.

Horslyx Mobility Balancer is available in 650g (RRP £5.20), 5kg (£21.24) and 15kg (£43.60).

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS | ETN

In a league of its own Lincoln Biotin Premier from Battles is a hoof supplement to maintain hoof structure and strength.

It’s especially useful to support hoof integrity when nutrition is restricted, for example if horses are on poor quality forage.

Daily feeding provides the total requirement of biotin plus the recommended amount of lysine and methionine amino acids.

The RRP for 600g is £20.50.

GET HAPPY!

SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF is a low calorie, short-chop fibre ideal for those prone to laminitis.

It has all the vitamins and minerals they need, plus biotin for hoof health and can be used as a total hay replacer.

For those concerned about molasses, SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF Molasses Free is a lowcalorie fibre blend with garlic and oil - and no added sugar.

It contains biotin to support hoof health and can also be used as a total hay replacer.

THE RIGHT COMBINATION Five Star Superflex from NAF is a scientifically balanced ratio of readily absorbed glucosamine and chondroitin, the highest quality MSM plus a powerful anti-oxidant formula designed to address excess free radical build-up around the joint.

Horses’ joints have to cope with extreme forces and it is commonly the cartilage that is the first part to show wear and tear, says NAF. The key cartilage nutrients, glucosamine sulphate, MSM, chondroitin sulphate and hyaluronic acid (HA), are well known for

their support of the health of cartilage and the thick synovial fluid that oils the joint.

Research recommends that feeding a combination of the key nutrients allows them to work together more effectively than any one nutrient alone, says NAF which has developed this product over 25 years of working with sound horses.

Naturally sourced antioxidants are included to work synergistically with glucosamine plus MSM to support joint health.

Available as liquid or powder, RRPs are from £38.99 for 1L, and £25.50 for 400g.

SUPPORTS MOBILITY

Money back guarantee

KER EO∙3 is a source of omega-3 fatty acids with demonstrated benefits to joint health, bone development and inflammatory response, alongside skin and coat condition, says supplier Saracen Horse Feeds.

The product, developed by Kentucky Equine Research, is derived from marine sources.

The highly palatable, minty/apple flavour liquid supports the joint health and mobility of horses of all types, ages and workloads.

It can be used to provide omega-3 supplementation to diets that are high in omega 6 fatty acids, for example those particularly high in cereals. The RRP for 946ml (32 servings) is £76.94.

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PharmaQuin Joint Complete HA from BETTALIFE supports joints with a high specification formula containing a 10-10-4 ratio of glucosamine, MSM and chondroitin.

The product is suitable for horses of all ages and workloads, and is available in a variety of sizes and with a 100% money back guarantee.

The RRP for 1kg (100-day supply) is £77.50.

Retailers stocking any BETTALIFE products receive complimentary product training and POS as well as 28 days to settle accounts.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 35

ETN | HOOVES, LEGS AND JOINTS

Powerful hoof hygiene

Lincoln Hoof Klense is a dual-action, water-based antibacterial preparation to apply to hooves.

Importantly, it remains active in the presence of mud and wet.

Designed for use as part of a routine hoof hygiene programme, it’s ideal for maintaining hoof condition while protecting against environmental challenges.

Available from Battles, Lincoln Hoof Klense comes in 250ml or 500ml containers with RRPs from £6.99.

FRIEND OF THE LAMINITIS-PRONE

EquiGlo Quick Soak 10 Minute Beet is a great source of fibre for equines prone to, or at risk from, laminitis.

A convenient and safe feed, it is made from British-grown, non-GM unmolassed pure beet flakes and is low in both sugar and starch.

This palatable feed provides an excellent supply of non-heating, steady energy and can be used as a direct replacement for starchy, cerealbased feeds or as a partial replacement when forage is limited or of poor quality.

It should be soaked for 10 minutes before feeding or five minutes when hot water is used.

EquiGlo Quick Soak 10 Minute Beet is manufactured by Henry Bell & Co (Grantham) Ltd, a trusted name in the feed sector since 1825.

Supporting hooves and much, much more

TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer contains several supplements – including a superb hoof supplement - combined with good quality protein to promote muscle development and topline.

This versatile product offers generous levels of anti-oxidants and sophisticated digestive aids too.

TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer is a palatable, non-heating pelleted feed formulated without cereal grains. It’s low in sugar and starch. Its RRP is £37.25 for 15kg or £49.50 for 20kg.

Other TopSpec products to help with hoof support include TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer, TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer, TopSpec Performance Lite Feed Balancer, TopSpec Lite Feed Balancer, TopSpec Senior Lite Feed Balancer, TopSpec AntiLam Forage Balancer and TopSpec Healthy Hoof.

COMBINED BENEFITS

Lincoln Devil’s Claw+ from Battles is a liquid supplement containing three natural ingredients.

Devil’s Claw is reputed to support flexible joints. MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) also feature.

The liquid formulation aids absorption, while the combination of ingredients optimises the combined benefits in hard-working horses’ joints and tissues. Apple flavouring improves palatability.

The RRP for 1 litre is £25.99.

Devil’s Claw is a controlled substance under FEI rules.

36 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

TARGETED NUTRITION

Five Star Laminaze from NAF is a complex of synergistic natural ingredients combining with key gut support, bio-available sulphur and targeted nutrients.

The palatable product is formulated to maintain hoof health and improve the diet and lifestyle.

Prebiotics and live probiotic yeast are included for a stable, healthy gut environment. Naturally sourced antioxidants are present to support the liver.

Bio-available sulphur (MSM) is recommended for supporting healthy hoof growth and strong sulphur bonds within the laminae.

Laminaze contains all the key nutrients for optimal dietary support, especially around the time of year when spring and autumn flushes of grass occur. RRPs are from £37.50 for 750g

Great choice for older easy-keepers

SPILLERS Supple & Senior Balancer is ideal for seniors and those that may benefit from joint support as it contains glucosamine, MSM and omega 3 fatty acids.

There are also pro and prebiotics for digestive health.

It’s a great choice for horses that keep their condition well and is low in starch and sugar making it suitable for those prone to laminitis. It provides a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals and is high in antioxidants too.

JOINT APPROACH

ColiFLEX supports healthy, flexible joints in two ways.

Firstly, via the digestive system - because a healthy digestive tract is essential for the horse to gain full benefit from targeted joint nutrition.

ColiFLEX contains 50% Coligone which supports optimum digestion.

Secondly, ColiFLEX supports healthy, flexible joints by providing a beneficial combination of key nutrients including glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, MSM, omega 3, vitamins C and E, moringa and apple cider vinegar.

Putting hooves first

Hoof First from Horse First contains biotin plus all the essential vitamins and minerals to produce a healthy hoof.

It’s formulated to support a strong, healthy hoof with continuous growth and a natural, shiny coating.

Hoof First contains 40mg of biotin per daily 25g serving for optimum uptake, combined with a number of other key ingredients – methionine, lysine and zinc.

A 2kg tub provides an 80-day supply. Hoof First is also available in 750g, 2kg and 5kg containers.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

Norman Thelwell: A National Treasure Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of his birth in 1923 One of Britain’s most popular cartoonists Famous for drawings of iconic ponies and children, but so much more...

A great observer of Country Life, with his witty pen and ink cartoons, and magnificent paintings that captured the humour of British Country Life at its best.

Thelwell’s big break came in 1952 when Punch published the first of what would be 1500 cartoons including 60 full colour covers, many more drawings followed over the years.

The Thelwell brand continues to grow today with many new products coming to market every year.

There might even be a film – we have a lovely pony in training!

For more details have a look at www.thelwell.org.uk and get in touch with Karen Addison at: Karenaddison@karenaddison.co.uk

© The Thelwell Estate 2023

ETN | NEWS

Saddlery showcase Celebrating the best of British craftsmanship

T

he Saddlers’ Company were proud to welcome the Society of Master Saddlers to Saddlers’ Hall for their prestigious National Saddlery Competition which was back at full strength following the Covid pandemic. Some 120 entries were judged by the leading Master Saddlers in the country with awards being presented in nearly 30 categories on 6th February.

This ancient Livery Company has been supporting the trade and craft of saddlery in the UK for over 850 years and its work today in sustaining the sector is as important as it has always been.

The competition formed part of a 3 day celebration of British Saddlery. Following the Competition, on 7th February the Company and the Society took the opportunity to showcase the winning entries to a wide cohort of stakeholders and partners including Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Perpetual Master of the Saddlers’ Company, students from local schools supported by the Company and young people from Ebony Horse Club, the British Racing School and the Fortune Centre for Riding Therapy.

All were able to view displays and demonstrations of leather and saddlery work by staff and students from Capel Manor College, the Saddlery Training Centre, the Royal Mews, the Kings Troop, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and Master Saddler Suzie Fletcher, perhaps best recognised for her appearance on BBC TV’s Repair Shop.

Later in the day, there was an event for Equine Fitters, where those who fit bridles, bits, harnesses and saddles to horses were recognised and congratulated on the completion of various fitting

The Prince Royal meets saddlers and students at Saddlers’ Hall.

courses and qualifications. The Prime Warden of the Saddlers’ Company, Mrs Lucy Atherton, commented: ‘Professional equine fitting sits at the heart of a healthy equestrian sector and is a key factor in improving standards of horse and rider welfare and wellbeing. By acknowledging the achievements of those determined to improve standards and to raise awareness, we hope that all in the equestrian sector will continue to enjoy responsible riding in all its forms’.

The third day featured displays from saddlery and leather businesses and organisations attended by representatives of British equestrian organisations. The finale was a presentation on the final evening by Yeoman of the Company and Equine Veterinary surgeon Dr Jane Nixon on The Future of Riding – The Growing Importance of Saddlery.

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Scan me for 38 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022 WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM information Fiona Dagger | sales@beta-int.com | or call +44 (0)1937 582111 | www.beta-int.com

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BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS | ETN

A suitable bed is vital for a horse’s welfare and comfort

Bedded down

Bedding is not only for the winter. Knowing the right kind to suit both horse and keeper, whatever the season, will lead to happy customers.

Halima Sadat highlights some of the most popular options available.

E

ven in the warmer months, most horses will be stabled for at least some of the time if only to have some relief from the heat and the flies. This means having the right bedding is important all year round and not just during the winter.

Stables come in many types and sizes. They might be made from wood or from brick or stone. They might have doors on each box that open to the outside or boxes could be arranged along the sides of a barn with doors opening to the interior. Their design is an important consideration because it will influence the level of air flow within the stable itself and dictate whether any individual horse will be sharing that air with others.

Respiratory issues in horses are common and more likely to arise when this air flow is limited, but even a traditionally designed stable that opens onto an external courtyard will have lower air quality than an open field. Generally, though, the larger the stable, the better the air flow within it, which will have a beneficial effect on the respiratory health of the horse kept inside it, as well as providing more space for movement.

When looking for bedding, the majority of customers will be considering cost, amount of wastage and dust levels. The traditional bedding has, of course, always been straw but there are so many other options available today that customers have a good selection to choose from when deciding on the best bedding to suit their horse, their type of stable and their budget.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Of course, that isn’t the whole story because each type of bedding has its pros and cons and customers will have their own list of priorities when deciding which one to purchase.

The most common forms of bedding that you might consider stocking are: Straw: This is the most traditional form of bedding and is a byproduct of grain harvesting, which could be wheat, oat or barley.

Wheat straw tends to be the most popular, while barley is the softest. The main advantages of straw are that it’s readily available, CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 39

ETN | BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS

“52% of Horse&Rider magazine readers have recently had to change their bedding type due to price increases and/ or shortages”

Photo: sharon kingston/ Artazum /Shutterstock.com

Shavings have become expensive and harder to source

Chopped straw: This is an option for customers who like straw but worry about the dust content. It has a similar appearance to straw but with a much shorter stem length, as the name suggests.

It’s usually made from wheat straw but rapeseed straw is also available. Its advantage over regular straw is that it behaves more like shavings in that it’s very absorbent and doesn’t require a full muck out every day, so it’s cost-effective, plus it’s dust-extracted, making it a healthier option. To discourage horses eating the bedding, manufacturers usually scent the bedding with eucalyptus.

Straw is traditional but it makes for a large muck heap

it’s cheap, it’s biodegradable and it’s easy to use. However, it is the least lung-friendly type of bedding (for both horses and humans) due to the dust and mould spores it contains, and it can also vary in quality. Also, it’s bulky to store and quite large quantities are needed to make a good bed. Furthermore, some horses have a tendency to eat it – especially oat and barley – although spraying with weak disinfectant will discourage this.

Shavings: These make a soft bed and if dust-extracted options are used, the risk to the horse’s respiratory system is low. It’s easy to store and very absorbent, so although it’s more expensive than straw, it can still be cost-effective. On the downside, as with straw, it can vary in quality, and if it has been produced in a sawmill, it may be contaminated with undesirable chemicals. Due to rising timber costs, it has become quite pricey and, in some areas, it can be hard to source, as there’s currently a general shortage of supply.

Wood and straw pellets: These are made from compacted straw or wood and their main advantage is that they’re highly absorbent, which makes them a good choice for horses who are particularly wet. Their disadvantages are that a large number of bags is needed to make a full bed and the pellets tend to break down and become dusty when they dry out, so thorough mucking out and generous topping up are needed regularly. Some people use them only in the parts of the bed that get wet with straw or shavings elsewhere.

40 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

Hemp, flax and miscanthus: The advantages to these beddings are that, again, they’re low in dust, are biodegradable, sustainably produced and extremely absorbent, so wastage is minimised. In fact, their very high absorbency makes them a good choice for deep-litter bedding, especially as odour levels are greatly reduced.

They’re made from the woody core of the plants and this gives a soft and attractive bed, although it does need to be lightly sprayed with water on a regular basis to maintain the absorbent properties.

Unfortunately, these beddings are also relatively expensive (although this is offset by the reduction in the quantities of fresh top-up bedding needed once established) and horses can be tempted to eat the bed, even though the plants are indigestible for them.

Paper: This is a cheap, if unattractive, bedding that is low in dust and unpalatable to horses. Made from old newsprint, its main disadvantage, apart from its appearance, is that it’s difficult to manage, as the paper becomes very soggy and heavy when wet and can blow about, littering the yard, when dry. It also has unreliable levels of absorbency depending on the type of paper, and there is a small risk of horses developing skin allergies to the ink used in printing.

PRICE AWARENESS

According to Emily MacLachlan of Wadswick Country Store, customers are currently being driven by cost considerations, particularly when it comes to wood-based products, as the lack of availability of wood has pushed up prices. Unfortunately, the knock-on effect has put pressure on the supply of other forms of bedding, and this could potentially cause a shortage of these, too.

However, it seems that customers are very open to trying other types of bedding if they can save time and money. Emily says, “People are trying different bedding options more than usual to compare effectiveness versus cost. Sustainability is important, but it is not the deciding factor and usually cost dominates.

“Customers are also shopping around and making more comparisons. In our case, we have many new customers calling us who haven’t shopped with us before.”

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BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS | ETN DON’T FORGET THE EXTRAS

Naturally, as well as buying bedding, your customers will be looking for appropriate tools to use for mucking out and these can vary according to the bedding type selected. A typical fourpronged fork will be all that’s needed for straw but other types of bedding will require forks with multiple tines – the finer the bedding, the more tines needed – while a traditional shavings fork will be flatter than one suitable for other types of bedding that need a more scooped profile. The weight of forks is also a consideration, with light but strong options required for highly absorbent products.

There are also special forks – and silicone brooms – for use on rubber matting and these have rounded ends to prevent damage to the rubber, as do forks designed for use with pellets. Rakes can be useful, too, for smoothing a shavings or pellet bed to give a smart, even appearance.

The other vital piece of equipment is, of course, the wheelbarrow. For customers using straw and to some extent shavings, a large size will be needed to keep trips to the muck heap to a minimum but for those using the more absorbent beddings with less waste, smaller barrows are more suitable, especially as these types of bedding can be heavy when wet due to the large amount of liquid they contain.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

When advising customers on bedding, it’s not only the horse’s welfare to consider. It’s worth asking whether the horse has a breathing problem or any other health issues, such as arthritis, as these will influence the choice of bedding. Equally important points are the owner’s budget and lifestyle. Find out information such as:

• whether they have plenty of turnout (and how much time their horse is in the stable) • if cost is a primary consideration • how long they have for mucking out (for example, if they have several horses or other commitments away from the horse) • whether they’re interested in sustainability • if they have any issues with muck-heap disposal • what kind of storage they have and if they’re transporting the bedding themselves and how The answers to these kinds of questions will give you a good idea of their needs – and once, you know those and can fulfil them, you’ll have happy customers who trust you and will come back to you time and time again in the future.

BETA NOPS BEDDING SCHEME

BETA now offers bedding companies the chance to be accredited to its NOPS Bedding Scheme. Like its feed counterpart, it helps manufacturers of bedding reduce the risk of naturally occurring prohibited substances (NOPS) occurring in bedding. It audits manufacturers annually, looking at all phases of production from the sourcing of raw material through the manufacturing process to packing and gives added assurance to users that members of the scheme have taken all steps possible to produce a bedding suitable for competition horses.

ETN | BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS

Home comforts

Looking after horses is hard work, making owners keen to buy efficient, time-saving products that won’t break the bank.

HEMP MAKES A SAFE, SECURE BED

Horses suffering from the respiratory condition COPD may be safely bedded on Aubiose.

That was the result of tests carried out at Bristol University, say the suppliers.

Aubiose is derived from the soft centre of the hemp plant. It’s said to absorb up to 12 times more urine than straw and four times more than shavings.

Spongy by nature, Aubiose traps odours and helps prevent the horse treading through to the stable floor. It keeps the horse warm, and rarely presents a wet surface.

The recommended way to manage a bed is to skip out daily, clean out the wet every five to seven days, and top up with approximately one bale per week.

Aubiose quickly decomposes into an organic fertiliser, ideal for gardeners, nurseries, fields and mushroom growing.

The maker says horses are not usually tempted to eat Aubiose; but in the case of inquisitive equines, recommends sprinkling the bed with a weak solution of safe disinfectant when first laid.

20kg bales have an RRP of £10.99 to £13.50.

Take a tip – and flip

Every yard needs a Stubby Star!

This great wheelbarrow tips and flips for complete emptying with easy operation, regardless of whether it’s fully or partly loaded.

In motion, it’s superbly balanced for pushing along, even when filled to its 210-litre capacity.

Importantly when transferring a load of mucked out material to the muck heap, the body tips beyond the vertical. A steel reinforced tipping edge ensures longevity.

Sunny side up!

Sundown Products has launched branded packaging for its Sundown Green and Sundown Yellow chopped straw horse bedding.

It’s updated the packaging for its Sun-e-bed straw pellet horse bedding too.

Featuring the Sundown smiling sun logo, each bedding product is easily identifiable in-store. The company says its range offers consumers excellent value for money.

Says Sundown sales manager Danielle Gautrey: “The brightlybranded bales have exceptional shelf-appeal and build on the long-standing reputation of Sundown’s high-quality horse bedding products.”

The horse bedding range includes Sundown Green chopped wheat straw, Sundown Yellow chopped rapeseed straw, and Sun-e-bed soft straw pellets.

All have low dust levels, and the chopped straw products are fragranced with eucalyptus.

Adds Rachel Cubitt, director of the 19-year-old family business: “We take great pride in producing high quality horse bedding, made from 100% British straw, sourced locally to our manufacturing plant in Cambridgeshire.

“Over the past 12 months, we have significantly improved our offering for retailers, including developing clearly branded packaging and marketing materials for use in-store, increased marketing of the range to horse owners, and stockist listings on our website.”

The Stubby Star has a galvanised frame with wear pads on the legs.

The ultra-tough Stubbythene body comes in blue, green, pink or purple and is mounted on two large 40cm 4ply pneumatic tyred wheels. Keep these properly inflated (around 28-30psi / 2bar), suggests the manufacturer Stubbs, and punctures seldom occur.

The Stubby Star is supplied packaged with handles, legs and wheels inside the shrink-wrapped body complete with a POS label – and quickly assembles with six bolts (17mm spanners required).

42 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

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BEDDING AND STABLE TOOLS | ETN

LONG-LASTING FAVOURITE

Softness guaranteed

The Chip Fork from Stubbs has been a firm favourite on stable yards for more than 35 years. And it still works as well as ever.

Strong yet lightweight with a head in robust hot dip galvanised steel, it’s well-balanced for comfortable use.

The tines are correctly spaced to allow shavings to drop through while retaining the droppings for disposal, enabling fast mucking out with minimal bedding waste.

Bliss Bedding is a UK company based in the heart of the Peak District in Derbyshire. It has been supplying the equestrian world with premiumquality bedding over the past 20 years. Made from chopped rape straw and sourced from UK suppliers to ensure only the highest-quality straw is used, Bliss Bedding is highly absorbent, making it the ideal solution for wet or messy horses. It’s also triple dust extracted and suitable for a range of horses, from sweet itch sufferers to those with respiratory issues.

Bliss Bedding is economical to use, with only four bales required to start a fresh bed and one bale thereafter for maintenance.

All bedding is treated with a bittertasting agent to prevent consumption by horses. Bliss offers three varieties: Basic (unscented), Eucalyptus and Citronella.

Bliss Bedding is the choice of professionals such as paralympic dressage rider, Sir Lee Pearson CBE, and CCI**** event rider, Maddy Moffett.

RETAIL TIP

If you stock different types of bedding, display a sample of each so customers can feel and smell them. You could even invite them

to pour water onto a saucer of bedding to test its absorbency for themselves. Ask the suppliers for samples and PoS materials to place nearby.

Sundown bedding range Made from 100% British straw ✔ New branded packaging for in-store appeal ✔ A sustainable bedding choice ✔ High quality and great value

100% chopped wheat straw that makes a soft and warm bed

100% chopped rapeseed straw that’s absorbent and hard wearing

Soft straw pellet that’s absorbent, easy to handle, and quick to muck-out

Find out more about the Sundown bedding range

visit sundownproducts.co.uk

ETN | BETTER BUSINESS

Being good at sales doesn’t mean being sleazy

Use these tips to get over your fear of selling, says Rhiannon-Amber Leavett.

Photo: antoniodiaz/Shutterstock.com

I

’m glad the world is moving towards being more conscious of our mental health, the power of mindset and busting limiting beliefs.

You probably hold some limiting beliefs about sales. I know I certainly did when I set out into business. I found it so easy to sell other people’s products and services… but my own? I fell apart.

So, let’s break it down…

1. Limiting belief no.1: “Selling is sleazy” Some salespeople are sleazy, but sales is not.

Drop the Wolf of Wall Street picture in your head, the vision of a busy call centre packed with determined money grabbers scamming people into buying things they don’t need.

No one minds you pitching your offer, absolutely no one. Do you get angry when you see all the shopping stalls at HOYS selling their goods and advertising their services? No. We’re excited to walk around and look at what they have to offer.

What is sleazy is when you can’t take no for an answer and pressure a sale. Anyway, you shouldn’t pressure sales because this only results in unhappy customers wanting their money back.

2. Limiting belief no.2: “I’m no good at selling” I bet you are, just drop all ideas of the sales pitch idea cliché and don’t try too hard.

You can probably hold a conversation with your customers, right? Ask them what they need, offer them advice and tell them which products you’d recommend based on their situation.

Tell them how it will help, your experience with the product, give feedback from previous customers and explain how it’s going to solve their problem.

Sales is simply setting out how you can help and proposing a solution to a problem.

You don’t need to ramble on like one of those never-ending TV shopping channel adverts… Just tell your customers how you can help.

No-one minds you pitching your offer – they only get annoyed when you can’t take no for an answer.

3. Limiting belief no.3: “People get annoyed by sales” They don’t, I promise you. No-one is annoyed by you pitching your offer, posting your offer on social media or even telling customers in your shop that “we have an offer on X product.”

They’ll be grateful for an opportunity to save money, to find a solution to their problem or know more about how you can help. Remember, people you’re selling to only get annoyed when you can’t take no for an answer.

44 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

About the author: Rhiannon-Amber Leavett is the founder and head consultant at Improve Mint Business Services, an equestrian-focused business coaching and consultancy agency.

She worked with competition horses internationally before moving into corporate management. RhiannonAmber launched Improve Mint to help business owners enhance their business knowledge. Find out more at www.improve-mint.co.uk

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RETAILER PROFILE | ETN

Where there’s a will, there’s a way Steph MacDonald’s Berwick-uponTweed business, SJM Equestrian, has thrived, going from online and pop-up shops to a bricks-and-mortar store, as Deborah Hayward reports.

S

teph MacDonald is resilient and resourceful. As a child, she learnt the basics of riding from books at her local library.

Her family was poor and, with four children to care for, there simply wasn’t enough spare cash to pay for ponies.

But this Northumberland lass, born and bred in Berwick-uponTweed, has always believed that where there’s a will there’s a way.

ONLINE AND IN BUSINESS

Steph set up SJM Equestrian as an online shop in 2016, as well as running small pop-up shops in village halls and community centres in the region.

“Having a physical presence was a great way to bolster the website and get a feel for what the next steps could possibly be,” she says.

The venture was her first foray into the retail world after running a touring-caravan site. Before launching the online store, Steph made a beeline for BETA International to build connections within the equestrian industry.

“I went on a fact-finding mission to meet stockists and wholesalers,” she explains. “Some weren’t interested in supplying me, but others liked that I was individual and had a good grasp of their products.

“It was a difficult time, as ‘bedroom sellers’ were starting to kick in and many online businesses were being judged unfairly.

Thankfully, I was able to secure suppliers, as I could show I had a website and a storage unit.”

MOVING OFFLINE AND IN-STORE

In addition to the pop-up shops, Steph took a tradestand to three large equestrian events, kicking off with Floors Castle International Horse Trials in Kelso.

“People were constantly asking where my shop was and saying they wanted to come and try things,” Steph recalls. “It was clear that there was demand for a bricks-and-mortar store, but I was worried about putting money into one when there had been so many failed tack shops in Berwick.

“There had been a proper, old-fashioned saddlers in the town for more than 60 years, but even that had closed down when new owners failed to make a go of it.”

However, after much consideration, Steph decided to make a go of it, adding a physical store to run alongside her existing website.

“I got a start-up loan from Virgin, which supplied a mentor who turned out to be fantastic and so positive,” she explains. “Berwick is a small town and many of its retail stores were not suitable for turning into a tack shop.

“So I eventually settled on a small industrial unit that I thought would make a good showroom and had space for wagons to make their deliveries.”

A visit to BETA International gives Steph the chance to meet Teddy the Shetland.

Steph cautiously took a one-year lease before throwing open the doors in June 2017.

“Just before I opened,” she recalls, “someone said, ‘I’ll give you six months – it’ll never work.’ This was like a red rag to a bull and I knew that I would do everything in my power to prove them wrong.”

And indeed she did. Steph remained there for the year, serving customers from a 30-mile radius.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

A chance conversation at a burger van while collecting lunch resulted in a second home for Steph’s store. “The lady who ran the van pointed me in the direction of another unit in a converted dairy,” she says.

“It was only 200 yards from the original shop and by no means ideal, but it was £250 a month cheaper and it would give me time to build up the business.

“There was no insulation and it had glass double doors, which were a real novelty, as I didn’t have any windows in the first shop. I took a month to move in and spent the next two years there – one of which was during the Covid pandemic.

“It certainly had its challenges and the electricity would trip every time I was washing rugs!”

BIGGER AND BETTER

Steph’s next move was to a bigger and more expensive unit in a great location on Ramparts Business Park in Berwick. She is still in the building today, but signing the lease was a massive deal, as it meant doubling her running costs in a difficult economic climate.

“Although it was perfect, it was a lot of money, particularly as tough times were beginning to bite,” she says. “I would spend hours trying to see how I could make things stack up, how I could make it work.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 45

ETN | RETAILER PROFILE competition venues,” says Steph, “although we have Ian Stark’s place about 50 minutes away and Alnwick Ford Equestrian, about 30. It is much better now than it was ten years ago.”

Steph, who runs the business single-handed, believes that the store’s strength is its excellent customer service.

“My customers know they are much more than just a number to me,” she says. “I have such a good relationship with them and spend a long time talking to them about their horses and giving advice.”

HELPING CUSTOMERS THROUGH TOUGH TIMES

SJM Equestrian is now concentrating on essentials as customers cut back to weather the cost-of-living crisis.

“I was just about to turn it down when I heard that the local Carr’s Billington branch was closing down. It was the main horse feed provider in the area, so I spotted a potential hole in the market and went for it, and I am so glad that I did.”

TIME TO CELEBRATE!

SJM Equestrian moved into its current store in August 2020 and marked the occasion with event rider Ben Hobday conducting the official opening.

“I put such a lot into organising it all,” says Steph.

“I had reps from lots of companies, including Baileys, Toggi and Champion, and a talk with Ben. I had booked him for three hours and sold tickets to recover a wee bit of the cost.

Event rider Ben Hobday helps Steph with her store’s official opening.

“Everything was really quiet at first and I was worried that nobody was going to come but, as soon as it hit the time advertised, everybody arrived and it turned out to be a brilliant day.”

PROUD TO BE A BETA MEMBER

Steph was accepted as a BETA retail member in 2018. “Joining the trade association was something I really wanted to do,” she says.

“It not only gives me benefits, but also a standard to adhere to, and it offers reassurance to my customers.”

LOYAL CUSTOMERS

Many of the store’s customers are one-horse owners and there is a 50:50 split between leisure riders and semi-professionals.

“We don’t have many riding schools in the area now – there’s just a couple – and we are pretty remote when it comes to 46 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

The challenging economic environment has hit the business and its customers. “I’ve seen turnover fall to below 50% of what it was and that’s a huge, huge drop,” says Steph.

“People are not spending on luxuries. They are buying clothes only when their old garments wear out. There have been significant changes with feed, too.

“I have a lot of customers who have been extremely brand-loyal and are now looking for cheaper options. They have also become far more aware of balancers.”

The fall in revenue and demand has seen Steph cutting stock lines and levels. “I am running the clothing and footwear side down a little,” she says. “But my customers are very aware that if I don’t have something in-store I can always order it in for them.

“Until things begin to get back to normal, I am going to push forward with affordable but good-quality products. I will also reduce less in-demand product lines and focus on supplements and lotions and potions instead.”

YEAR-ROUND RUG WASHING

Steph is a one-woman wonder when it comes to rug washing.

“When I started, people would tell me that I wouldn’t wash a thing from November to March,” she recalls. “I would worry that it was going to be a long winter with me paying for this giant washing machine “But, as it happens, I have been washing rugs all year round. It does go slower in winter, but in summer it is absolutely mad. I have had 120 rugs to wash and repair in one week, and I was so busy you couldn’t move because they were everywhere.”

To help customers spread the cost of rug washing, Steph introduced a subscription service at the start of January.

“Some people want up to six rugs washing at a time,” she says.

“I wanted to make this more affordable by introducing monthly payment plans for individual and professional use.”

ETN asks Steph…

Q: What did you do when you left school?

I worked as a groom and qualified to teach riding.

Q: How did you eventually learn to ride on a horse?

In middle school, a teacher had a riding school and she allowed me to ride on a school activity day. I loved it and managed to persuade my mum to pay for some lessons.

Q: Have you ever owned your own horse?

I bought my first horse when I was 15, saving every penny myself. Today, I have Little Jack – a two-and-a-half-year-old coloured warmblood I got as a teeny foal. He qualified for CHAPS at his first show and was the highest placed two-yearold from Scotland at the British Breeding Futurity finals.

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OBITUARY | ETN

OBITUARY MICHAEL CLAYTON

Michael Clayton, the former editor of Horse&Hound and a towering figure in the horse world, died on 19 December.

He was 88.

Michael began his journalistic career on the south coast, on the Poole Herald and Bournemouth Times. After a move to Fleet Street, with a stint on the London Evening News, Michael moved into broadcasting, presenting the BBC Today programme and working as a war correspondent in Vietnam and the Middle East.

During the 1960s, he had started to contribute hunting reports to The Field.

This lapsed briefly in 1970, when he was unavoidably detained under siege in Amman, Jordan.

Brought up in Dorset and around the New Forest, Michael had a grass-kept pony and was encouraged along to hill meets with the Portman by Sir Peter Farquhar.

While at the BBC, he began hunting with the Whaddon Chase and struck up a lifelong friendship with their joint-master Dorian Williams, the great equestrian innovator and commentator.

Free hunting and a company horse

When retirement loomed in 1973 for longstanding H&H editor Walter Case, Dorian recommended Michael to be its third-ever editor. The BBC man was lured to the weekly magazine by the considerable bait of free hunting and a company horse.

Michael Clayton continued to support hunting and equestrianism after his retirement from the Horse&Hound editorship.

Club suppers to “fill him in” on horseworld politics.

Politically, Michael was way ahead of his time in calling (not always successfully) for the introduction of organised sport horse breeding; a more subtle form of hunt dress to mitigate niggling elitist criticisms; and agricultural status – with consequent tax advantages – for the horse.

Moving with the times

The lure of free hunting and a company horse persuaded BBC war correspondent Michael Clayton to join Horse&Hound as its third editor.

It was a shrewd appointment. Equestrian sport was entering a new, professional era but Michael never baulked from criticising decisions. He was quick to highlight such hypocrisies as the “shamateurism” then prevalent in showjumping.

Powerful figures such as Col Sir Mike Ansell, Sir Harry Llewellyn and Raymond Brooks-Ward’s business partner, Bob Dean, took the “new editor” – as he continued to be known for a decade – to endless Cavalry

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For years. Michael hunted in a top hat, but, when safety became a big issue, he was happy to endure the mirth of fellow followers to sport a BSI-approved crash cap and practise what he preached in the magazine.

In the office, he won many boardroom battles to keep H&H at the vanguard of modern publishing techniques.

In 1984, photographer Kit Houghton wanted to try new satellite technology to beam colour pictures from the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Michael was the only magazine editor in Europe to accept the challenge, holding the presses for the front cover – the gamble worked, winning H&H an industry award.

every Thursday to collect two copies for Buckingham Palace. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the offices in the 1970s, and the Queen Mother in 1986.

On retirement from H&H, Michael became chairman of the British Horse Society (BHS).

Though he had left H&H by the time the hunting ban became a reality, he continued to contribute to its campaign and as chairman of the Cottesmore Hunt.

Michael wrote hunting books and authored equestrian biographies and practical manuals. Last year, he finally penned his memoirs, My Life in the News.

Michael was married three times, first to Mary Watson a fellow news reporter, to Jane Ryman, whom he met at the Horse & Hound Ball, and latterly and very happily to Marilyn Crowhurst, an estate agent whom he met when launching a property column in H&H. He had two gifted children from his first marriage – Marcus, who won a place at the Royal Ballet School, and Maxine, who followed her parents into TV news reporting in New Zealand – and a stepdaughter, Georgina.

Royal connections

Michael was proud of H&H’s links with the royal family.

For some years a carriage arrived at the H&H offices in King’s Reach Tower

With thanks to Pippa Cuckson/ Horse&Hound. Photos courtesy of Trevor Meeks and Future Ltd.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 47

ETN | ETN REPORTING

TURNING BACK THE PAGES…

For more than four decades, ETN has reported on the equestrian trade. Let’s look back at the news, people and products that were making headlines this month five, ten, 20 and 30 years ago.

In February/March 2018, ETN reported:

In February/March 2013, ETN reported:

In February/March 2003, ETN reported:

In February/March 1993, ETN reported:

l Irish horse rug manufacturer Bucas Ltd was acquired by German company Albert Kerbl GmbH with Ulf Casselbrant to stay on as managing FIVE director. “Bucas rugs will YEARS continue to be made in the same way in AGO...

Cork, Ireland and in our factory in Shanghai, China,” said a spokesman. l Richard and Anna Dewey Clarke acquired Lincoln based wholesaler Battles from former owner Jim Bowen in a multimillion-pound deal. Mr Bowen, who was set to retire, had led a management buy-in of Battles 11 years previously. Richard had been financial director and Anna commercial/marketing manager at the company for a number of years. l Fiona Nellis became the new Horslyx general manager when she joined brand owner Caltech from Dodson & Horrell.

Previously, she was the brand manager for CEVA Animal Health on the poultry and swine team. l Barbour credited the “Meghan effect” for a 2% rise in its annual profits. The year ending 30 April 2017 saw the brand achieve sales worth £184.3m and a profit of £29m – helped by Prince Harry’s bride-to-be Meghan Markle wearing its jackets.

l Mars acquired Spillers Speciality Feeds which had been formed following a management buyout from Dalgety in 1998. Mars 20 was already operating an YEARS equestrian business under the Winergy AGO... brand and planned to combine it with Spillers with Jeremy Brereton as managing director. l There was great excitement surrounding a £40 million project to turn Essex County Showground into the UK’s first dual-purpose racecourse and equestrian centre. John Holmes, owner of the site at Great Leighs, recruited former Horse&Hound deputy editor Pippa Cuckson to work full-time on the scheme. l Caldene was put up for sale. The 81-year-old clothing brand was to cease manufacturing at its Mytholmroyd factory in Yorkshire and gave redundancy notices to its 43 employees.

Carl Uttley, whose grandfather founded Caldene, reported “serious interest” in its acquisition. l The team from John Whitaker International – led by Lee Thornton, Louise Whitaker and Jeanette Brogan – burst into what they thought was a BETA International fancy dress afterparty. Disguised as Al Capone and his molls, fake machine guns at the ready, they genuinely alarmed other guests… because it was the wrong hotel.

48 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

l The Fairfax Performance Girth, famously kept secret to give Team GB a competitive edge at the London 2012 Olympics, was officially launched to the trade. “Girthing and girths have become my obsession,” said Vanessa Fairfax who TEN developed the product using pressure YEARS testing and equine gait analysis trials.

AGO... l HorseWorldLive, the show which had left traders and the public disappointed at ExCel in November, ceased trading with debts of £372,000.

Organiser Equidae Ltd went into liquidation. Traders who took stands at the show felt “duped”, claiming the estimated 5,000 visitors fell well short of the promised 30,000. l New feed company Keyflow caused a stir by using beetroot as an ingredient. In-house trials had indicated that the root vegetable was “a new and exciting source of protein and digestible fibre for horses.” l Equestrian Clearance Warehouse paid a six-figure sum to an American seller of the domain name Equestrian.com. CEO Lorraine Meadowcroft said she planned to build a global retail operation following the acquisition, using “the ultimate domain name to future-proof the business.”

l Convital launched a range of wheat syrup supplements; Bryan Lawrence & Co advertised its latest Thermalite heatreflective rugs and numnahs; and an American company promoted Sadl-Tite which was said to 30 reduce slippage on YEARS reins, saddles – and the AGO... seat of the pants. l Cottage Craft introduced headcollars and co-ordinating leadropes in chequered bright violet or burgundy. Matching headscarves were also available in the “fashionable design.” l Captain Mark Phillips endorsed the latest edition of the British Equestrian Directory, a sister publication to ETN. l Barry Richardson, the former owner of Chaskit and by then a saddle fitter, stopped off near some woodland to relieve himself after several cups of coffee… and stumbled across a dead body. He later appeared in a reconstruction on BBC TV’s Crimewatch.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS | ETN

Should we jump on the bandwagon?

Stop and consider before leaping aboard the latest awareness campaign, cautions Rhea Freeman.

No equestrian brand has become involved with Houseplant Week – yet.

Photo: stock_studio/Shutterstock.com

A

s I write, it’s Blue Monday – the day in January that’s meant to be the most depressing of the year. But, hey, it’s got a label… so it might be an opportunity to promote a product or service.

In fact, Blue Monday was created from a press release.

Someone had done an analysis to find the day on which people feel most miserable, then used it to help boost holiday bookings.

When you know the background, it takes on a whole different vibe, doesn’t it?

Depending on what you read, the analysis is up for debate too; but that’s not the point. The question is, should we be jumping on awareness days and other dates of note to boost our sales? I’d say the answer is yes - and no.

DAY, WEEK, MONTH...

First of all, it’s important to realise just how many awareness days there are. While researching this, I counted more than eleven days/ awareness drives/events happening on just one day in January.

Some campaigns last a whole month, like Veganuary (when people are encouraged to ditch meat for January); some last a

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

week, like Houseplant Week (I’m being serious); and others are just for one day, like Squirrel Appreciation Day (a new one on me too).

Some are very niche, some not so much. The key is to not use them as a lazy content calendar.

EVERYONE BENEFITS

Some awareness days can be great for brand, business and the reason behind that awareness day too.

A great example of this is Breast Cancer Awareness month that happens in October. Most people have some connection to this awful disease, but the campaign’s signature colour – pink - has also been adopted by many brands to help raise vital funds for the fight against the illness.

Some companies have brought out pink pieces, with a percentage going to charity; others encourage the wearing of pink to work on the right day with a donation made to the charity. This is a great way to use an awareness day well so everyone benefits.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 | 49

ETN | SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS TOO RANDOM

Too many brands desperately try and weave a random awareness day into their narrative in their efforts to give it enough weight to make it into a post.

Let’s take Houseplant Week, because I’ve never - thank goodness - seen it used by an equestrian brand…yet.

If you run a garden centre, then absolutely, this is your awareness week. You can talk about the benefits of houseplants, how to care for them, how to decide which one for which room.

In short, you could go to town on houseplants and it would make sense.

But if an equestrian brand starts talking about the houseplant in the corner of the MD’s office…? Unless it was given to him by a member of the Royal Family, it’s random. And even if it’s been given to him by someone of note, it’s still a stretch.

About the author: Rhea Freeman is an award-winning PR adviser and social media expert who is a Meta Certified Lead Trainer and accredited #SheMeansBusiness trainer. She runs a webinar series with BETA which includes free sessions for BETA members and paid for sessions that are open to members and non-BETA members, although BETA members enjoy preferential rates. Find out more by contacting the BETA office.

CHECK THE SOURCE

Be aware of where awareness days come from. This not only ensures you’re giving the relevant charity (in some cases) the correct exposure, but you’re also making sure you’re happy your brand is connected to it.

Take Blue Monday, for example. Who’d have thought that started as a press release and was all about holidays? The assumption is that it is about mental health, based on deep research and perhaps supported by a notable mental health charity, but that’s not the case at all.

So, if you’re looking to use an awareness day, or maybe many, in your content plans, please, please make sure they align with your brand and your beliefs.

Otherwise, they’re useless, more than a little lazy, and your fans and followers may question why they’re even following you…

Classified FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES contact Evie Edgar on tel 01428 601031 or email etn@djmurphy.co.uk

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Equestrian Trade News East Wing, Stockeld Park, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 4AW Tel: 01937 582111 Email: info@equestriantradenews.com Website: www.equestriantradenews.com

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Editorial for consideration should be received by 22nd March, 2023. Email editor@equestriantradenews.com For more information, contact Abi Cannon on tel 01428 601028 Evie Edgar on tel 01428 601031 email etn@djmurphy.co.uk

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