ETN (Equestrian Trade News) – July/August 2023

JULY/AUGUST 2023

Volume 47, No 6

Sunday and Monday

10 – 11 September

2023

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Editor’s comment H ave you noticed more shoplifting lately? Apparently, the crime shot up by 22% in the past year, according to the Office of National Statistics, as consumers feel the pinch.

Retailers, who are likewise under the financial cosh, must of course try to stem the flow of lost revenue. But inevitably, it’s not always going down well on the PR front.

Facial recognition cameras watching Sports Direct’s ‘suspicious’ customers has led to accusations of Orwellian big brother style surveillance.

Sainsbury’s put people’s backs up by scanning receipts after they’d used the selfservice checkouts. And M&S and the Co-op have annoyed shoppers by putting out limited numbers of high value items such as steak.

There’s been criticism of Nisa for employing an AI system, linked to its CCTV cameras, which can spot suspected criminal behaviour such as customers putting product into their pockets or bags.

Meanwhile, a major footwear chain’s decision to allow customers to try on just one shoe at a time has left shoppers hopping mad.

Undoubtedly, the cost-of-living crisis has fuelled the rise in shoplifting. However, is the emphasis on self-service shopping also partly to blame?

From high street banks to utility companies, businesses have got so good at asking customers to help themselves that some are now taking it too literally…

Hopefully that’s not a problem our trade faces with its profusion of independent retailers offering personal service.

When I call by a feed merchants or country store to pick up a few bits and pieces, I invariably have my dog with me because we’re on our way for a walk.

When the weather is warm, I daren’t risk

FRONT COVER:

JULY/AUGUST 2023

Volume 47, No 7

The countdown has begun to BETA International, to be held 10 – 11 September 2023 at NAEC Stoneleigh PLUS next month (10/11 September). Find out in this issue of ETN how experienced retailers work the show. To register to visit, go to www.beta-int.com Sunday and Monday

SCAN ME

Main Sponsor

TO VISIT

• People and products in the news • Do you know your yeasts? AMTRA CPD feature and quiz

The leading supplier of premium materials and tools to UK equestrian industry and beyond.

Abbey England Ltd. Abbey House, Haig Rd, Knutsford WA16 8DX T: 01565 650343 | sales@abbeyengland.com | abbeyengland.com

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leaving her in the car even for a few minutes while I pop into a shop. Therefore, if dogs aren’t welcome in-store, I drive on by.

Is there scope for stores to provide a shaded area in their car parks especially for dog owners? A bit like those extra-wide spaces reserved for supermarket customers with children... A nice touch would be to provide some water bowls and a reminder not to leave dogs in cars too long, even in the shade.

Better still, let dogs come in! It’s understandable that some outlets don’t want dogs inside for various reasons.

Although I was a bit surprised when a local large pet/outdoor/equestrian retailer turned out to be completely dog-unfriendly when I phoned ahead to ask.

Needless to say, I won’t be shopping there. Instead, we’re driving a bit further to a branch of Pet Place where dogs are made to feel special – resulting in me happily spending far too much!

When show jumpers go to the gym and dressage riders have nutritional advice, I was shocked to see an endurance rider smoking while on a horse.

Not only that but, when she’d finished puffing, she flicked the fag end into the road. Not good for equestrian sport’s image with the public we’re all supposed to be safeguarding… and a terrible fire risk in a bone-dry countryside.

I’ve written to the relevant governing body.

In this issue...

NEWS

What’s been happening in the industry

PRODUCT NEWS

What’s new on the market

BENCH SADDLER OF THE MONTH Meet this month’s winner

IN THE HOT SEAT

With Dave Wright of Platinum Agencies

STAY SAFE

Products that protect

AMTRA ACCREDITED RAMA CPD How well do you know yeasts?

BETA INTERNATIONAL 2023 PREVIEW Why these retailers always visit the show

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FEEDING VETERAN HORSES

Food for Thought: Feeding the Veteran Horse 32 Product gallery 34

BETTER BUSINESS

Boost your creative thinking

PEOPLE

Who’s new, who’s moved

EUROPEAN PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION Who’s got Euro-vision?

BEDDING AND STABLE EQUIPMENT FEATURE Keeping stabled horses happy Product gallery

RETAILER PROFILE Yes, we’ve all got to do our bit for the environment… but what does that mean exactly? It’s to be hoped that when companies ‘do the right thing’, it isn’t just a box-ticking exercise to boost their corporate social responsibility rating.

The owner of a waste management company told me ages ago that absolutely everything is recyclable – it’s the cost of doing so that’s the issue.

It’s likely that government agencies and consumer groups are going to get tougher over marketing claims for products. When items are said to be ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘recyclable’ and ‘sustainable’, proof and explanations will be required.

Just because a firm wants to be seen to be ‘doing the right thing’ doesn’t mean to say it is doing it. And those consumers who care will become increasingly savvy about who is, and who isn’t.

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Galloping Ahead Saddlery

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46

TURN BACK THE PAGES

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

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS When consistency counts

49

Liz Benwell Liz Benwell

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 3

News ETN | NEWS

Equestrian education to the fore among new trade body members Horse owners’ and riders’ thirst for knowledge is reflected in the roll call of new members of the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).

An equine college, a saddle fitter, equine nutritionist and bit and bridle training provider are among the latest companies to join BETA. Companies must prove they are a reputable business before being accepted as BETA members. They can then use the BETA logo, which indicates to the equestrian public that they can buy from that company with confidence.

BETA offers its members training

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

courses and legal and business advice.

It also organises conferences and runs campaigns to raise consumers’ awareness of equestrian safety and correct equine feeding.

Other benefits of being a BETA member include the chance to join the trade association’s committees and council plus access to other networking opportunities.

Discounts on most trade stand bookings for the BETA International trade exhibition at NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September are available to BETA members too.

The latest companies to be approved for BETA membership at the trade association’s recent Council meeting are: • Galloping Ahead Saddlery, Taunton, Somerset – retailer and saddle fitter.

Retail member (provisional).

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 JULY/AUGUST 2023

www.carbonbalancedpape r.com CBP123456

• Lite My Ride, Warrington, Cheshire – solar lighting products for equestrians.

Trade member.

• Finer Equine, Sproston Green, Cheshire – luxury equestrian luggage and accessories. Trade member.

• Equinutrition, Ripon, North Yorkshire – independent equine nutritionist.

Associate member.

• Bransby and Brunton, Stratford-uponAvon, Warwickshire – exhibition stand designs, marquee hire and event management. Associate member.

• Duchy College Equestrian Centre, Callington, Cornwall – equine college.

Associate member.

• Horse Bit Fit Academy, Cairndow, Argyll & Bute - Lantra accredited bit and bridle fitting course provider. Associate member.

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 Abbey England Battle Hayward & Bower Bedmax BETA Facebook group BETA International BETA National Equine Survey BETA Membership Bodens Group Champion Charles Owen Citrus Lime Clip My Horse TV Gallop Equestrian Supplies Jenkinson Jenkinson Lallemand Animal Health NAF Premier Equine Pro-Equine Red Gorilla Snowhill Trade Saddlery STUBBS England Sundown Products

OFC 29 OBC 39 23 45 43 39 24-25 21 15 15 5 3 9 29 7 13 19 IFC IBC 37 45

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

NEWS | ETN

RAMA/SQP exam system tweaked for the better Improvements have been made to the AMTRA RAMA online exam system.

Access to past papers, practical help for less computer-confident candidates and faster results turnaround are among the changes.

Registered Animal Medicines Advisors (RAMAs or SQPs) must pass an exam and fulfil regular CPD to gain and maintain their qualification to legally supply products such as horse wormers.

RAMAs’ training and examination is overseen by the Animal Medicines Training and Regulatory Authority (AMTRA). The body has been working alongside a new team at Harper Adams University (HAU) to modernise and streamline the exam process.

Changes include a systems access test, enabling students to preview the exam format and ensure their device is compatible.

On-site exams are another addition. While still an online exam, these take place on university equipment in university facilities.

The aim is to assist less computerconfident candidates or those who don’t have access to suitable equipment or internet connection.

AMTRA and HAU are also pledging a faster turnaround of exam results and a guaranteed response time of 72 hours or less for exam-related queries.

The publishing of exam dates to the end of 2024 is another revision, designed to help employers plan staff training.

SUPPLIER INVESTS “SEVERAL THOUSAND” TO UPGRADE STOCK MANAGEMENT A distributor of European brands says its new automated stock feed is speeding up supplies post-Brexit.

Zebra Products has invested “several thousand pounds” in the upgraded technology.

The system allows stockists to view Zebra Products’ stock holding at its North Wales HQ in real-time and link it to their own stock feeds.

It’s updated four times daily. There’s no cost to stockists.

The stock feed will also quicken the delivery of brands coming from the EU, says managing director Simon Middleton.

“Post-Brexit, we’ve invested heavily into our stock here at Zebra Products,” he explains.

“This enables retailers to have access to our brands quickly without having to wait for lengthy and sometimes costly customs clearance.

“We wanted to make this stock investment fully transparent to all our retailers 24/7 - and this new stock feed provides exactly that with full access to all the information needed.

250 riding schools close in five years

NEW PRODUCTS TO GET PUBLICITY BOOST Companies exhibiting new products at BETA International 2023 can expect plenty of publicity from the experience.

Horse&Rider Magazine is to sponsor the show’s New Product Showcase this year – and editor-in-chief Louise Kittle is keen to share entries with her consumer-based readership.

Each company taking a stand at BETA International at NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September can display one new product in the showcase for free.

All entries are judged in eight categories for New Product Awards, sponsored by Equestrian Trade News.

Horse&Rider Magazine, which appears monthly in print title and across multi-media channels, is published by D J Murphy. New

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

products are an important part of its coverage, explains Louise.

“Horse&Rider readers want the best for their horses in all aspects of their care,” she said.

“They expect us to bring them the latest developments in everything from clothing to safety kit, and equipment to feed, which is why sponsoring the New Product Showcase feels like the perfect fit for the brand, and I look forward to sharing entrants in the showcase with our audience.”

Jackie Woolley, BETA International operations manager, agrees that equestrian innovation is key to the trade show’s enduring appeal.

“Many of our exhibitors launch new products at the show, which is why it’s essential for retailer buyers to be there,” she said.

More than 250 riding schools have closed since 2018, resulting in 1.5 million lost riding lessons.

The statistics – which raise concerns about future customers for our trade – are from a British Horse Society (BHS) survey.

The results have prompted the BHS to launch a ‘Keep Britain Riding’ campaign to safeguard the equestrian industry’s long-term prospects.

The survey also revealed that riding school proprietors are either retiring and/or unable to recruit enough qualified coaches and yard staff to run their centres.

“As the lifeblood of equestrian participation, riding schools are an essential part of the future of equestrianism. Without them, the professional sport and recreational riding could both be severely impacted,” said a BHS spokesman.

In 2018, there were 1,747 riding schools in the UK, says the society. Today it calculates there are 1,497 or less.

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 5

ETN | NEWS

RETAILER ACQUIRES SIXTH SHOP

Millbry Hill has taken on the Green’s Farm Supplies business based at Thirsk Auction Mart in North Yorkshire.

The acquisition gives the retailer a sixth shop joining its existing stores in Stokesley, Richmond, Whitby, Whitehaven and Sutton-on-the-Forest.

Green’s was run by Chris Jeffery and his late wife Kate, alongside a dedicated team, to whom Millbry Hill paid tribute as “a fellow independent, family-run company.”

Millbry Hill is part of the Armstrong Richardson

group which was founded in 1925 and has passed down through the Jones family who still run it today.

Serena Harriman, a third-generation member of the family, now heads the retail division.

The Armstrong Richardson Group also encompasses AR Fuels, C&C Horse Transport and its most recent addition, Millbry Hill Stud.

Customers of Green’s in Thirsk will continue to see the same product range - and great customer service with a ‘local and personal’ touch, said Millbry Hill.

Green’s Country Store has joined the Millbry Hill group.

SHOWS ARE BETTER VALUE THAN EVER, SAYS DIRECTOR

Shows and exhibitions are more valuepacked than ever, according to an industry insider.

Events, buyers and exhibitors across all sectors are enjoying a post-Covid and post-Brexit boom, says Rachel McGowan-Kemp.

Rachel is a director of Space Studio and Event Specialists. The sister brands are co-sponsors of BETA International’s exhibitor goody bags.

Space Studio designs and prints big, impactful exhibition graphics in-house at its Coventry based HQ. Event Specialists provides the infrastructure – from shell scheme to carpeting and electrics – for consumer and trade shows, including BETA International, across a diverse range of industries.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the Event Specialists team who are always professional, approachable and brimming with fresh ideas,” says Jackie Woolley, BETA International’s operation manager.

At BETA International, at NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September, a goody bag will be presented by Space Studio and Event Specialists to every company exhibiting.

Event Specialists has worked with BETA International since 2021. Space Studio launched a year later to fulfil a need for an independent graphics production service.

“We already supported many exhibitors with graphics, so see the sponsorship as an opportunity to step up the service and introduce our new branding,” Rachel told ETN. “BETA International and the equestrian sector is all about lovely people. It will be great to build even more rapport with exhibitors this year.

“It’s also a great opportunity for Space Studio to explore new avenues such as offering our services to retailers, something we’d really like to do more of.”

Tracking horse movements could mitigate disease spread Good value for visitors As someone who experiences more exhibitions than most, Rachel predicts a golden era for such events.

“Post-Covid, people got used to a distant working environment; therefore the chance to meet-up physically, to be tactile, has become even more exciting,” she says.

“For visitors, a day at an exhibition is really good value. You get a lot of bang for your buck when you think how many companies and products you can see. Not many companies have reps on the road like they used to.”

Rachel notes a post-Brexit bounce too. “European companies are having to work much harder and they’re using exhibitions to re-promote themselves to UK customers.”

What’s in the bag?

The BETA International exhibitor goody bags’ contents remain a secret… but there will be generous discount vouchers from Space Studio, Rachel revealed.

The bags themselves are being stitched at Space Studio and printed on its in-house presses.

One side of each bag will be made from a non-PVA based fabric; while the other is to feature recycled materials salvaged from Space Studio’s projects for previous shows.

The result will be a unique item to treasure – and one indicative of Space Studio’s innovative, high-quality work.

More information about BETA International at www.beta-int.com

6 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

Finding out how transporting horses contributes to the spread of infectious equine diseases is the subject of a new project.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Equine Register are undertaking the research funded by the charity, The Horse Trust.

Key to the work is Digital Stable, the Equine Register’s free app which connects owners, riders and professional equestrians with their equines’ digital records held on the Central Equine Database (CED).

“Currently, it is challenging to understand the risks of infectious disease spread between different UK horse populations, particularly among leisure and competition horses, as there is limited information about where they travel and come into contact with each other,” says the RVC. Equestrians are urged to use the Record My Ride and Record My Journey functions in the app. These allow riders to record the routes and durations of their rides, and any horse transport.

Says Tegan McGilvray, PhD student at the RVC: “Outbreaks of equine infectious diseases impact horse health and welfare and are financially detrimental to all involved.

“Improving our understanding of the movement of all types of horses and ponies will allow for improvements in infectious disease mitigation and control.”

The app can be downloaded from www.equineregister.co.uk WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

sound sales with

as consumers seek to combat the effects of hard ground NAF Veterinary Director Dr. Andy Richardson BVSc CertAVP(ESM) MRCVS “The joint structure and associated soft tissue structures have to cope with changes in surface type and can be too accustomed to repeated exercise on the same surface. With the change in seasons or when new surfaces are encountered, at competitions for example, joints are often at their most vulnerable. Recognising when soundness may be compromised and feeding a suitable joint supplement, with plenty of antioxidant support, will help to support their range of motion and help provide flexibility for life.”

What to recognise • Reduced range of motion • Veterinary recommendation

• Poor conformation • Stress induced injuries • Soundness issues

Feed Five Star Superflex and Superflex Senior • Natural cartilage production • Support healthy synovial fluid • Target bone health • Aid the anti-inflammatory process • Support the regeneration of connective tissue

THANK YOU

We are proud of our relationship with our retailers and would like to thank all of you for selling these products on our behalf.

For more information please contact your NAF Area Sales Manager, call the NAF Sales Office on 01600 710726, or our

FREE Nutritional Advice Line on 0800 373 106

naf-equine.eu/uk

ETN | NEWS

SPONSORS AND SHOWS

Photo: mximd

• Science Supplements has new partnerships with event rider Bubby Upton and dressage riders Emile Faurie and Tom Goode. “As I look to establish myself at the very top of the sport, ensuring my horses all have the best nutritional support is crucial,” said Bubby.

Added David Mitson, CEO of Science Supplements: “As a brand, we are passionate about supporting British talent.”

• Rider clothing brand Lotus Romeo has reported “an incredible first Year” supporting the British Equestrian Team with tailcoats for dressage and eventing, and riding jackets for para dressage.

Says Claire Hubbard of Lotus Romeo UK: “Our custom fit service means that each rider had their jacket made-to-measure which gave them the confidence to perform at their best whilst looking stylish and modern too.”

Next up, the brand is to supply team jackets for the 2023 European Championships and then the Paris Games in 2024.

Photo: Jo Hansford Photography

• Somerset based Equine Health Centre is sponsoring top event rider Piggy March. The centre is home to Seawalker, a chilled saltwater horse-walker, and is the sole UK distributor of the Vitafloor equine vibration therapy system.

• Former Badminton and Burghley winner Piggy March is supporting Bedmax’s bedding management education and training programme for horse owners, students, training providers and retailers.

“High performance horses like eventers spend a lot of time in their stables, and the quality of the stable environment is fundamentally important to their health and their performance,” says Piggy.

• Web design and hosting business Black Nova Designs is exhibiting at various horse shows and events this summer.

Existing and potential clients can meet managing director Danielle Holmes and her husband Kyle (pictured) at Barbury Grassroots Horse Trials (14 – 16 July) and The Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park (4 – 6 August).

• Dylan Ward is one of eleven new brand ambassadors for Hy Equestrian. The aspiring dressage rider is active on social media where he represents older boys who ride.

• Carr & Day & Martin has become a corporate partner of World Horse Welfare. The horse care products supplier is sponsoring a stable yard at Hall Farm, the charity’s Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Norfolk.

Under the partnership, Carr & Day & Martin is donating funds, products and prizes to World Horse Welfare.

“We understand the commitment and resources required to provide these animals with the best chance at a new life and this collaboration allows us to extend our support to the remarkable work carried out by World Horse Welfare,” said Caroline Davis, brand manager at Carr & Day & Martin.

Other companies are invited to sponsor stable yards at the charity’s other rescue and rehoming centres in Somerset, Lancashire and Aberdeenshire.

RECOGNITION FOR SADDLERY QUALIFICATIONS “A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT”

Society of Master Saddlers’ (SMS) qualifications, examinations and assessments in England have been recognised by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).

The Society is therefore now an Ofqual End Point Assessment Organisation with external quality assurance.

“Gaining the Ofqual recognition is a great achievement,” said SMS President Chris Taylor. “It has been a long and arduous task, but it was all worthwhile.”

While the Ofqual recognition covers only the final stage of an apprenticeship – the end point assessment, the SMS says the same stringent procedures and policies apply to all its qualifications.

The society has established an Internal Quality

8 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

PRODUCT BACK IN STOCK AFTER RECALL

Assurance team of qualified people to monitor all its qualifications.

This includes ensuring all assessors and lecturers maintain their qualifications and CPD, and are delivering and assessing to an established standard.

Simple System’s Red Bag Grass Pellets are available again following a recall earlier in the year.

After the product showed “an abnormal high result in our mycotoxins screen,” the company “felt the recall was the most responsible approach.”

Further testing has failed to repeat the result. So Red Bag Grass Pellets are back on the market.

Simple System thanked customers for their patience and understanding during the investigation.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

NEWS | ETN

IN BRIEF

• Battles is now stocking Global Herbs. The equine herbal supplement range has been available in the UK for 25 years.

• Fairfax & Favor says it’s sold 102,000 pairs of its tasselled Regina boots which were launched ten years ago.

• Free Reins Equestrian, manufacturer of safety reins designed to release if the horse or rider gets tangled in them, has changed its name to FR Vincitore. The company was founded by Laurie Williams in 2021.

• Trickle Net slow feeder nets are now available to the trade from wholesaler Trilanco.

• The cost-of-living crisis has prompted the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) and British Horse Society (BHS) to remind consumers about buying safe, well-fitting tack on a budget.

They say they want to help horse owners “make appropriate, cost-cutting decisions without compromising their horses’ health and welfare.” Educational materials are available.

OBITUARY

MICHAEL VANT Michael Vant, the founder of Westgate – one of the equestrian trade’s original wholesalers, died on 20 May. He was 86 and passed away in Kent & Canterbury Hospital having failed to recover from a stroke he suffered last month.

Michael Vant started what was to become Westgate in Canterbury in 1958. The business was initially a retail operation selling agricultural, shooting and equine supplies from a city centre shop.

The saddlery side grew considerably during the 1970s. By 1988, Michael had sold the main store, Canterbury Saddle & Fieldsports, to Ken Lyndon-Dykes’ Kent Leather Group.

The sale left Michael free to concentrate on Westgate Wholesale – which he transformed into a specialist in wholesaling equestrian products to the trade.

Westgate was one of the first wholesalers to have reps on the road, visiting retailers with a portfolio of top brands as well as Westgate’s often innovative own label products.

In 1995, Westgate moved from Canterbury city centre into a modern, purpose-built headquarters on the Romney Marsh in Kent. Four years later, Westgate HQ was extended to include a showroom and conference centre for the trade’s use.

The new facility was officially opened by Michael Howard MP. Michael Vant had formed a strong working relationship with the former Home Secretary who had helped Westgate obtain government funding to support its move to new premises.

Michael always provided visitors with a warm welcome to Westgate. He was also a superb strategist who put a great deal of thought into running his business.

“He kept out of the cut-and-thrust, preferring to be driving force from behind the scenes,” recalls a contemporary in the trade.

Field sports remained a passion for Michael. He took great pride in hosting a meet of the East Kent Hunt at Westgate HQ at the height of the campaign to preserve the sport.

On his retirement, Michael’s son Ed Vant became Westgate’s managing director in 2005.

The following year, the company merged with Equestrian Farming and Innovations (EFI) to form Westgate EFI. Michael’s funeral was on 22 June at All Saints Church, Whitstable. The family asked for donations, instead of flowers, to Age UK Canterbury who helped Michael in his last days.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 9

ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

Product News Saddle adjustment tool fitted for free

Jeffries Saddlery and Harry Dabbs Saddlemakers are fitting free TreeClix bases to their saddles for the rest of 2023.

The accessory enables saddle fitters to adjust wooden saddle trees by up to two widths on the spot.

TreeClix bases are fitted directly to the tree during manufacture, or can be added retrospectively. Wedges are then added or removed by the saddle fitter.

The device gives far more adjustability than previously seen with a wooden tree, says Katie Burke of parent company Vale Bros.

“As a saddle-making business, we are passionate about the health and wellbeing of the horses that wear our saddles. But we do appreciate that it’s not always financially viable to buy a new saddle each and every time a horse changes shape,” she adds.

“By fitting complimentary TreeClix bases to all saddles leaving our workshop during 2023, we hope to give horse owners a simple and cost-effective solution.”

Jeffries Saddlery and Harry Dabbs Saddlemakers offer training on how to use TreeClix.

INSURER OFFERS CHANCE TO EARN COMMISSION

Insurance company Agria is offering ‘affiliate partners’ the chance to earn commission when horse owners take up new policies.

The arrangement applies to Agria Lifetime Equine, a policy which covers horses for life without adding exclusions from vet cover after claiming.

The Swedish-owned company is sponsoring top riders like Ros Canter, Joe Stockdale and Natasha Baker as well as competitions including at Hickstead.

Agria is inviting equestrian businesses with “high traffic websites” to align themselves with the insurance brand and earn from it. For every new policy tracked from an affiliate partner’s website via an affiliate link, the partner will receive commission from Agria.

“We’ve been blown away by the response to Agria Lifetime Equine’s launch in the UK,” says chief executive Vicki Wentworth.

“As we enter the next stage of our growth, we’d love to work in partnership with some of the many other brilliant equestrian brands out there in Britain in a mutually beneficial way.”

Agria’s equine and partnership manager Alice Holborow adds: “We look forward to partnering with other established businesses and spreading the word further about our game-changing cover, and I’m delighted to answer any questions.”

10 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

RUG RANGES GALLOP AHEAD

A new 50g standard-neck rug has joined Gallop’s expanding Ponie turnout range.

The collection for smaller equines comes in sizes 3’6” to 5’3” and includes a lightweight, 50g, 100g and 200g standard-neck along with a 200g combo.

The weights correspond with Gallop’s Trojan range of outdoor rugs which are sized from 5’6” up to 7’.

The Ponie range has a new Rocking horse logo which indicates it’s from Gallop while giving it its own identity.

Prices start from £18.33 trade for a lightweight to £27.77 trade price for a 200g combo, offering excellent profit margins for members of Gallop’s retailer scheme.

The Ponie indoor range will soon match the weights offered by its Trojan collection, says Gallop.

Rugs’ weights are indicated by coordinated bindings across both collections.

“Our core range products not only promote consistency and certainty of what you’re purchasing from us, but also unity across all sizes and types,” says Gallop’s Amy Richards.

“Whether it be the weight needed or the desired look, we undoubtedly have the best range on the current market for most horses and ponies at unbeatable prices.”

Double whammy for flies

Forget Flies spray from Equine America has two unique features to combat annoying insects.

Firstly, Forget Flies has harnessed patented technology to turn traditional garlic into active polysulphides which flies, ticks and other biting insects hate.

Polysulphides are said to stimulate an adverse reaction in insects’ sensory receptors, deterring them from landing on the horse.

Secondly, the product comes in a reducedhiss spray bottle which is ideal for nervous horses.

Forget Flies also contains lemongrass.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

PRODUCT NEWS | ETN

New dietary and metabolic support

Veterinary and nutrition experts at NAF have combined the benefits of NAF Five Star Laminaze with NAF Five Star BioG to create new NAF Five Star Laminaze Pellets.

The unique, targeted formula of NAF Five Star Laminaze Pellets is for horses and ponies who seem to live on fresh air and can be sensitive to dietary and metabolic changes all year round.

The new product retains the nutritional support of original Laminaze - blending bio-available sulphur from MSM, key nutrients for hoof support, and naturally sourced antioxidants to support the absence of damaging free radical toxins.

While Laminaze has always provided broad spectrum digestive support for a healthy metabolism, Laminaze Pellets take that one step further, says NAF. They contain BioG, a blend of prebiotic MOS and FOS, live probiotic yeast and new postbiotic metabolites for all round support of the microbiome.

Alongside BioG, Laminaze Pellets provide additional metabolic nutritional support through bentonite digestive clay, inactivated charcoal (vegetal carbon) and ginger and licorice for herbal digestive health.

Laminaze Pellets can be fed alone or within the smallest of bucket feeds. With a maintenance feeding rate of just 25-50g per day, they can be fed from the hand.

Laminaze Pellets sit within NAF’s expanding Veterinary Support category.

NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR AMERICAN BOOTS RANGE

Mackey Equestrian has become the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Majyk Equipe.

The equine boots brand is based in California. Olympic riders Boyd Martin, Philip Dutton and Caroline Powell are among its fans.

Majyk Equipe designed its collection of leg protection for horses following its work in human performance wear.

The lightweight, Neoprenefree boots have a special lining made from ARTi-LAGE, which hardens on impact to disperse energy, within the strike area.

Mayik Equipe boots are designed for a range of equestrian disciplines. The collection includes Boyd Martin Jump Boots with tendon and hind styles available, tendon and hind Infinity Jump Boots, Sport/Dressage Boots, XC Elite Boots (pictured) and a selection of Over-reach Boots.

Mackey Equestrian is the equestrian division of the Agrihealth group.

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“AFFORDABLE” HORSE INSURANCE POLICY LAUNCHED

SEIB says its new Core Horse Insurance policy is affordable for those with limited budgets.

It’s aimed at those who are considering insuring their horse for the first time, self-insuring (using savings to meet costs) or reducing their level of cover to save money.

“The SEIB team is made up of equestrians who understand first-hand the financial pressures horse owners are under, and the sacrifices that are currently being made to keep horses happy and healthy,” says the company.

Core Horse Insurance reduces prices by providing vet fees cover for accidental external injuries only, as well as a range of other key covers.

Research carried out by SEIB shows that accidental external injuries are the second biggest cause of horse insurance claims, with the average cost of claims coming in at over £1,300 per incident.

Versatile wicking rug

The Summer Wicking Rug from Thermatex is made from the same fabric as the brand’s popular Original Cooler Rug. However, in the summer version the insulating layer has been removed, making it a good choice for warmer weather.

The versatile rug can also be used as an extra layer when it turns chilly, offering excellent value for money all year round.

The wool/acrylic blend fabric wicks away moisture from the horse’s body after exercise or bathing, or during travel, while helping to prevent chilling.

Made in the UK, the rug features a wither pad for comfort.

MANE SAVER

Rug manufacturer Bucas has developed a Wither Pad to protect the mane from rubbing.

Compatible with any Bucas Rug, the silk-feel pad with 300g wadding connects to the combi neck attachment points.

It comes in navy in one size.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 11

ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

Good gut feeling

HATS OFF TO THIS IDEA!

SNEAKING UP ON YOU

Trendy tack for tiny riders

Science Supplements’ new gut balancer Instafix Syringe is designed to rapidly re-establish the horse’s normal gut function.

The concentrated prebiotic and probiotic paste took three years to develop and has undergone two clinical trials. It also offers MOS (mannan oligosaccharides) and beta-glucans.

Instafix Syringe is for use in times of stress or change such as travelling, worming, vaccination, hard training, diet change, forage change, spring grass, competition and antibiotic treatment. It’s suitable for foals as well as mature horses and ponies.

Science Supplements’ CEO David Mitson said the product is the first of several new equine supplements lined up for launch this year.

Mountain Horse’s Airflow Sneakers are now available in black and purple, as well as navy, pink and white.

The lightweight sneakers with elastic laces are perfect for pulling on and wearing with maximum ease and minimum effort.

They feature a mesh upper for increased airflow and ventilation, keeping feet cool and dry. Advanced sole technology makes for comfortable all-day wear as well as good grip.

Supplement on promotion

No More Moods - Equine America’s nutritional support for unwanted behaviours from grumpy geldings, stroppy stallions and moody mares - is on offer at RRP £29.50 for one litre (two months’ supply).

The low sugar, palatable solution has a usual RRP of £46.50.

Key ingredients include chastetree extract, magnesium and vitamin B1.

No More Moods is not suitable for use in pregnant or lactating mares or breeding stallions.

OFF TO A STRONG START

Cavalor Colostra has been relaunched in a new formula.

It’s now enriched with fructo-oligosaccharides – the substance found in mares’ colostrum (first milk).

If a foal receives little or no colostrum, for whatever the reason, compensation is essential for gut health.

Cavalor Colostra contains freeze-dried colostrum and is safe for all foals.

12 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

What do you do with a hat when you’re not wearing it?

It’s a question answered by the M&G Luxe Hat Clip from Mackenzie & George.

The clever accessory can be permanently attached to a bag or belt loop. Then when the hat is removed, its two magnets come into play to grip and store the hat.

No chance of the hat getting lost or sat on – and hands-free peace of mind for its owner.

The hat clip can be personalised, say with initials, and comes in tan, brown, racing green or royal blue.

Jenkinsons has some colourful new additions to its original black Elico Cub Saddles range.

The 10” pink saddle and 12” green version come with nylon stirrup leathers, a cotton girth and stirrup irons.

There’s a hand-grip for security, crupper D ring and two girth straps. The RRP for the saddle set is £77.95.

Jenkinsons also has a dinky snaffle bridle with a flash noseband and plain reins to co-ordinate with the pink saddle.

THELWELL RIDES AGAIN

Hy Equestrian, Crafty Ponies and The Thelwell Estate have brought a new Thelwell collection to life.

Hy Equestrian Thelwell Ponies are models of three of the classic cartoon characters, Penelope and Kipper, Fiona and Merrylegs and Tarquin the Pony.

Kipper and Merrylegs come with their own riders, along with saddles and bridles. Tarquin the Pony has his own rug and head collar.

The models are selfstanding and have manes and tails that can be brushed and plaited. Being soft and plush, the ponies are perfect for cuddling as well as playing.

Battles’ brand Hy Equestrian has been supplying Thelwell themed rugs since 2020.

Says brand manager Rebecca Howsam: “We kept these toys secret for a long time at Hy Equestrian HQ, and we’re now superexcited that we can share them with everyone.

“We’ve enjoyed working with Crafty Ponies and Thelwell and love the three ponies and two riders.”

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Globally recognised as the forfront of Innovation, Technology & Protection in the Equine sector.

Join the elite, become a Premier Equine retailer today.

APPLY FOR A TRADE ACCOUNT trade.premierequine.co.uk

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ETN | PRODUCT NEWS

Winning performance technology

The new Competition Range from Coldstream Equestrian combines modern style with performance technology.

The collection encompasses two distinct styles.

One focuses on breathability with a streamlined look; the other concentrates on elegance, glamour and diamante detailing.

In sustainable textiles made from recycled plastic bottles, each piece offers a 50+ UV protection block.

The garments and their linings are carefully perforated for breathability, while four-way stretch offers great flexibility.

Each piece is tailored for an attractive silhouette; details include suede edging and Coldstream detailing on buttons and sleeves. “[This new collection] is unlike anything else currently on the market and every need of the elite rider has been taken into consideration,” says Charlotte Lawson of Coldstream Equestrian.

The Competition Range features two styles of show jackets and show shirts, available in two colourways, plus two different styles of breeches.

TAKING THE BISCUIT How about a sweet treat for your customers for a special event, launch or anniversary?

Coy Biscuit, an independent bakery creating biscuit art for the nation’s digestive pleasure, fulfils bespoke corporate orders from its East London ovens.

International brands such as Nike, Converse, Malibu and Net-a-Porter are already fans of the biscuiteer.

Well connected

Helmet Connect by Finer Equine is said to be the world’s first removable Bluetooth headphone for a riding helmet.

It allows riders to make and receive calls in the saddle by connecting to their mobile phones.

Riders can speak with their trainers across distances, say on a cross country course, speak with other riders, for example when doing fitness work, or train for dressage to music.

Shaws Equestrian is the UK distributor.

14 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

LIGHT AND AIRY

Equilibrium Products’ new Tri-Zone brushing boot is said to be its most breathable yet.

Suitable for hacking, turn out and schooling, the boots are made from Spacer Fabric and EVA Waffle to be flexible, durable, comfortable and breathable.

The boots come in black, white, royal blue, plum and high-viz in a range of sizes. They’re available from Trilanco.

Rug takes cooling to new level

The new Cooling Rug from Equidaw of London can lower a horse’s body temperature by ten degrees in 30 minutes - with no chilled gels, sloshing, scraping or hosepipes involved.

Instead, the rug is simply soaked in cold water ready to provide up to five hours of coolness in transit, during and after competition or for comfort on a hot day.

The cooling mechanism comes via a unique, double-layered fabric, developed in Turkey especially for Equidaw of London.

The fabric’s upper layer wicks away moisture like a conventional cooler rug, but it’s the special fabric’s ability to retain coolness that makes all the difference, explains inventor Anna Muir.

“Once the rug is soaked, even when the sun dries the top layer, the underlayer is protected and keeps working,” she told ETN. In trials conducted in Australia, the rug’s ability to bring down horses’ body temperature has been tested and verified by an independent thermal imaging expert, Anna added.

The smart-looking equine cooling rug will be on show – complete with soakable samples and a demonstration on a life-sized horse - at BETA International 2023 at NAEC Stoneleigh on 10/11 September.

An optional neck cover, to increase the area to be cooled, is available in the same material as the rug.

Its launch follows Equidaw of London’s success with cooling coats for dogs. Equine leg wraps are in the pipeline.

“We took the equine rugs to Royal Windsor and Hickstead and had a lot of interest,” says Anna. “A couple of retailers we spoke to were very keen.

“Working with the pet industry’s trade association has worked for us in that market. So, we thought we’d follow the same line with equestrian, join BETA and take the horse rugs to BETA International.”

A little experiment Equidaw of London sent ETN a sample of the material… and I did a little experiment, writes editor Liz Benwell.

On a hot day, I soaked the sample and a towel in cold water and hung them both up on the washing line. Four hours later the towel felt damp but warm – and the sample felt damp but cool.

Brilliant!

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Have you seen it?

An affordable solution for brands looking for increased exposure

C

lipMyHorse.TV, has joined forces with Events Through a Lens, offering an unparalleled video advertising package that’s budget-friendly, flexible, and guarantees exceptional performance.

Clip my horse advertorial HPL V6 LC.indd 1

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE | ETN The Events Through a Lens team is deeply immersed in equestrianism, enabling them to deliver innovative and captivating content that resonates with viewers. Services include studio and lifestyle videography and photography, drone work and animation services. Meanwhile, ClipMyHorse.TV boasts a vast viewership, with circa 29 million video views a year. 89% of ClipMyHorse viewers, or their family members, own at least one horse, making it an ideal platform to connect with an engaged audience.

ClipMyHorse.TV showcases premier events such as the Kentucky Horse Trials and Hickstead Derby, while also broadcasting local and regional shows. Through their collaboration, Events Through a Lens will create compelling video content for brands, which can be strategically advertised on high-traffic search pages within ClipMyHorse.TV. Options include commercial spots, mid-rolls, and pre-rolls, all with customizable targeting and high-quality tracking.

Advertisers have the freedom to target specific countries, viewer locations, events, or disciplines, ensuring their advertising campaigns make a measurable impact on their business objectives.

Furthermore, all ads will be permanently available in the ClipMyHorse.TV archives, ensuring extended exposure and continued brand visibility. The content is also available for use on their personal business platforms for an agreed licensing period.

05/07/2023 09:34

ETN | BENCH SADDLER

Celebrating

the best bench saddlers...

ETN/SMS Bench Saddler of the Month, presented in conjunction with the Society of Master Saddler (SMS), recognises those who uphold the highest standards of leathercraft skills.

THIS MONTH’S WINNER: KELLY JONES Nominated by: SMS Master Bridle Maker and Qualified Bridle Fitter Issi Russell, who says: “Kelly spent nine weeks with me spread over a couple of years as part of her Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).

“I don’t usually teach anymore, but Kelly impressed me so much with her passion for the craft and for improving horses’ welfare through correct bridles that I really wanted to help her on her way.

“Kelly has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time, going from making belts and doing repairs through to specialising in bespoke bridles and becoming a SMS Qualified Bridle Fitter.

“I found Kelly very rewarding to teach because she was so keen to learn and improve as well as being a perfectionist.

Not many of us have entered the SMS National Competition Open Bridle Class for the first time and come away with a Premium Award and then a second one the following year!

“Kelly’s dedication to the horse and her knowledge is right up there with the best and I am very much looking forward to seeing where the future takes her.”

About Kelly Jones Kelly Jones was born in Hong Kong, moving to the UK when she was one. Her mother had horses, and Kelly and her sister learnt to ride at their local riding school before sharing their first pony.

“As a child, I had the full Pony Club experience,” says Kelly. “I loved eventing but enjoyed doing a bit of everything. A career with horses was almost inevitable.”

Kelly admits that she struggled at school as she has severe dyslexia. She also knew that an office job wouldn’t suit her.

“I’ve always been very open about my dyslexia and haven’t let it hold me back.

I firmly believe you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it,” she says.

It was her saddle fitter at the time who suggested she might consider a career in

When she’s not in her workshop, Kelly Jones can be found with her horse Flame.

saddlery. Kelly duly enrolled on an entry level leatherwork course and made her first belt at the age of 16. Bitten by the bug, she knew it was the career for her.

LOVING BRIDLEWORK

After A-Levels, Kelly embarked on the SMS training programme at the Cumbria School of Saddlery and with Mark Romain at The

16 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

Saddlery Training Centre.

Originally Kelly specialised in carriage driving harness, but soon realised that bridlework was her real passion.

“There’s a huge amount of flexibility and scope for customisation when it comes to making bridles,” she says. “Whether it’s adding some bling or colourful stitching, the options are endless.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

BENCH SADDLER | ETN

A bespoke double bridle by Kelly J Leather. A bridle can transform a horse’s way of going, says Kelly Jones.

“I also love seeing the transformation in the way a horse goes when they wear a bespoke bridle.”

SELF-FUNDED

Kelly has self-funded her training. In 2016, she set up Kelly J Leather and took stands at fairs selling belts and dog collars to help pay for her tuition.

She was awarded QEST funding in October 2018 and by the following March started working with Issi Russell, who made the bridle Valegro wore at the London Olympics.

“Training with Issi was amazing,” says Kelly. “I learnt so much from her and we still chat regularly about all things to do with making bridles.”

BESPOKE BRIDLES

Now an SMS Master Bridle Maker and Qualified Bridle Fitter in her own right, Kelly focuses on making bespoke bridles.

Conscious that her business has evolved slowly, Kelly has recently set her sights on selling to customers further afield. To help riders from around the world purchase their dream bridles, she’s developed a new members’ area on her website which helps them design, measure and order bespoke products.

AWAY FROM WORK

Kelly Jones relishes the opportunity to create unique designs.

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

When she’s not in her Midhurst, West Sussex workshop, Kelly is out riding her horse Flame.

“I’ve owned him for almost six years,” she says. “He was bought to event but due to a number of issues we now compete in dressage at elementary level,” she explains.

Juggling running a business and owning a horse can be tricky, so luckily Kelly’s mum is on hand to help. Flame and Kelly’s retired event horse, Jack, are kept on the same DIY livery yard. Kelly does the horses in the morning with her mum covering the evening shift, allowing Kelly to spend as much time as possible at her workshop.

Kelly has been a keen equestrian photographer too. Although she doesn’t have as much time as she would like to pursue this, she occasionally takes photographs of bridles she’s made.

HOW TO NOMINATE A BENCH SADDLER:

Everyone is invited to nominate bench saddlers they feel deserve to be named ETN Bench Saddler of the Month. Candidates for the award must be a member of the SMS and 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.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 17

ETN | OPINION

In the hot seat With Dave Wright of Platinum Agencies

What’s your current role?

Sales director and co-owner of Platinum Ltd with my business partner Chris Dovey.

What’s your business background?

I started work straight out of school when I was 16. My first job was in a Rochdale sportswear shop where I quickly progressed from Saturday boy to general manager within six years.

After seven years there, it was time for more of a challenge… I became the account manager for Le Coq Sportif and continued on this path in similar positions for brands such as Dunlop/Slazenger and finally as a national account manager for Reebok International.

Leaving Reebok in 2007 after 16 years was a massively defining moment for me!

I had a yearning to go it alone as a selfemployed sales agent and was offered the opportunity of presenting product for Sherwood Forest Ltd. This was a trade I knew nothing about.

However, I was eager to learn. It seemed like a bit of a gamble at the time but, looking back, it was a fantastic brand that was a perfect fit for the country and equestrian trade - and for me.

Chris also worked at Sherwood Forest Ltd and had previously been involved with the sports trade for 30 years for Adidas and Reebok. We became best friends. Chris was also my best man at my wedding to my wife, Vicki.

When we both left Sherwood Forest in 2014 to launch Platinum, it was a nervous time, as you would expect. However, we always had the confidence that our product knowledge, experience and years of presenting would hopefully be the best recipe to create something we are both proud of.

We were to be proved right. Platinum Agencies has seen solid growth every year since.

How does Platinum Agencies work?

We are a unique one-stop-shop offering a large variety of socks with the added advantage of headwear and gift products alongside - all at wholesale prices.

Dave Wright of Platinum Agencies, the one-stop-shop for socks, headwear and gifts.

Platinum is an expert at low-cost, highvolume products. We offer a wide range of brands such as Jeep, Heat Holders, Pringle and Wild Feet plus our own branded collection of performance headwear.

We have a showroom van enabling us to take the products, shop-ready, to customers’ doorsteps.

18 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

What happens on a typical day in your job?

The beauty of my job is that no two days are the same!

I might be on the road visiting customers, working with the warehouse team picking and packing or developing product with suppliers to create new ranges.

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OPINION | ETN

STOCK THE PRODUCTS YOUR CUSTOMERS WANT

TOPSELLING

Dave Wright and business partner Chris Dovey set up Platinum Agencies to offer retailers low-cost, high-volume products from top brands. They’ll be exhibiting at BETA International on 10/11 September.

economical supplements

Other days, I might be liaising with our in-house creative team to produce catalogues, images and customer brochures to make sure we’re providing our customers with the tools they need to sell the products to the end consumer.

We have a very relaxed approach within our team which makes for a great working environment.

and cutting down on waste wherever possible are priorities too.

Holding key price points has been a challenge this year, what with rising costs.

But we’re pleased to say that overall, we’ve managed to hold the majority of prices.

Do independent retailers still have a place in today’s 24/7 online driven world?

It’s the perfect relaxed environment to present the whole collection of products to the retailer customer. That customer can then visualise with ease what the range would look like in their store.

Yes, massively! If I’m buying as a consumer, I want to be able to touch product and try it on rather than buy online. And I think a lot of our outdoor and equestrian customers are similar.

We’re also an industry that needs professional fitting of equipment and clothing from the boots up.

What’s one thing the equestrian trade could do better?

Spend at least one day at BETA International in September! I find it difficult to understand why some retailers don’t take the opportunity to reap the benefits of all the hard work and investment that goes into the show – our industry’s very own!

It’s really the only chance to see what’s really happening in the equestrian and country industry. Shops can also get ideas for displays and new products and find out what’s new; no amount of reps can bring all that to your door.

The price of fuel has gone down lately – so there’s really no excuse not to go to BETA this year!

What’s new at Platinum Agencies?

We’re always developing new collections of the products to make them more technical and appealing. Environmental packaging

WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

Why must retailers come along to see Platinum at BETA International?

How do you like to relax at the end of a busy working week?

My biggest passion is specialised carp fishing which allows me to relax and switch off from a busy daily life.

I also enjoy cycling, going to the gym and generally spending quality time with family.

And I mustn’t forget to add walking the new love of my life - INKA the Goldendoodle.

INKA really belongs to Dave Wright’s walking companion, INKA the my daughter Lauren Wright Goldendoodle. who’s a paramedic but will be working for us at BETA International on the Platinum stand.

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 19

ETN | STAY SAFE

Just in case…

Riders have never taken safety more seriously. ETN reviews some products meeting this growing need.

Mind your back

Champion says its new Sculpt Back Protector offers comfortable, sleek, lightweight protection for riders seeking a middle-ground between a full body protector and nothing.

Suitable for hacking, schooling and showjumping, the Sculpt is manufactured to the EN1621-2-2014 motorcycle standard and designed to protect the riders’ back in the event of a fall.

It comes in black with union flag detail on the back and a zip front.

Its foam can be removed to allow the garment to be washed.

The Sculpt Back Protector is available in 12 sizes, ranging from small to large, in a standard or slim fit and with regular or short back lengths.

Lightweight rider protection

Standout outfit

The new Reflector base layer by Hy Equestrian certainly stands out.

It comes in adult or young rider sizes, in pink or yellow, and can be worn alone in summer or as a layer when it’s colder.

The fluorescent, stretch material is finished with reflective detailing on the arms and shoulders.

Matching riding tights are available in black/yellow or black/pink in a mixture of polyester and spandex making them extremely stretchy.

With an elasticated waistband featuring reflective Reflector branding, brightly coloured fluorescent sidestripes are partnered with reflective strips. Matte silicone knee patches add grip.

Hy Equestrian is available from Battles.

The Rhinegold Prestige zipfront body protector is tested and approved to the BETA 2018 Body & Shoulder Protector Standard Level 3.

Small segments of padding give it flexibility for movement and comfort.

The Prestige is light in weight. It has double-touch tape fastening with coloured safety markers for maximum closure and a front clip-in belt with elasticated straps.

The front zip enables easy on/off once correct positioning of the side panels is achieved.

It also has day-glo piping on the front and back, smart diamond quilting and a satin look finish. The RRP is £112.50.

Rhinegold is available exclusively to the trade from Snowhill.

Optional MIPS addition

The Kylo from EQX by Charles Owen has an easy-to-fit precision dial-fit system.

Complete with a removable, washable headband, it’s certified to three international safety standards. Optional MIPS technology is available from this month (July) The Kylo is available in navy and black colourways with a high-quality matte or gloss finish.

Me and my shadow

The Shadow back protector offers limitless movement over jumps whilst protecting against impacts from a fall, says manufacturer Charles Owen.

Certified to motorcycle back protector standard EN1621-2-2014, the Shadow has a machine washable cover. It can be hidden under a show jacket.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

20 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

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ETN | STAY SAFE A stable of safety

Shaws Equestrian distributes a number of equestrian safety products from its portfolio of European brands.

Riding on air Seaver’s Safe-Fit Air Vest has developed a real following in the UK since being introduced to the UK and Ireland by Shaws Equestrian last year, says the distributor’s Monty Stuart-Monteith.

“They’re exceptionally lightweight and comfortable to wear,” he adds, “they are breathable and hug the figure like a fashion gilet.”

Every Safe-Fit vest comes with 12 months’ subscription to the SAFERIDE track and emergency alert system.

Helmet range Abus, one of Europe’s largest cycling helmet manufacturers with over 30 years’ experience, collaborated with Pikeur to develop the AbusPikeur equestrian helmet collection With the emphasis on comfort, ventilation and fit, there’s a choice of colours and styles.

The Air Luxe and the Air Duo helmets both have the Kitemark, with the Air Duo also certified as a cycling helmet.

Safety stirrups Flex-On’s Safe-On safety stirrup is said to significantly reduce the risk of a rider being dragged as a result of a fall. Design developments have made re-attaching the opening branch even easier.

The Safe-On shares the Flex-on brand’s signature shock absorption from the elastomers, encouragement of a good leg position from the skewed leather slot and inclined footbed, and the security of the ultra-grip tread.

Practically perfect

Riders often forget they’re wearing the uvex perfexxion II, such is its excellent ventilation and lightweight comfort.

The helmet’s strap and size adjustment systems make it easy to alter the height and width to fit an individual head size – a big advantage for retailers selling them too.

The chin strap is quick to fasten thanks to its onehanded closure that operates with the push of a button.

The uvex perfexxion II works well with glasses and sunglasses.

Uvex is distributed in the UK by Zebra Products.

22 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

Visible and dry

It’s more important than ever for riders to be seen on dull, wet days – which is when the Ri-Dry Hi Vis Lanacre comes into its own.

The UK made coat has reflective piping and a waterproof rating of 10,000mm to keep out the heaviest rain.

Features include large pockets with waterproof flaps, an inside phone pocket, belt, storm flap, taped seams and a long front zip.

It’s washable at 60 degrees centigrade.

The generously cut Lanacre has a rear pleat that sits over the saddle’s cantle to keep out the rain.

Wherever I hang my hat…

Riding hats and body protectors need proper storage to keep them effective.

They definitely deserve better than being chucked on the back seat of the car or left on the floor outside the stable door.

Stubbs England has some greatlooking solutions that could work well for in-store display of safety gear too.

This Hat Rack takes care of hat, whip and body protector or coat when returning from riding. It’s handy to have in the tack room too.

In red or black Stubbythene coated steel, a double tubular version is available in black only.

Body protectors can be stored on this five-hook Multi Coat Hanger. Supplied on a backplate, the heavy-duty steel construction is Stubbythene coated in red, black, blue, green, grey, yellow, pink or purple to suit any interior décor.

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GROW YOUR

BUSINESS FIND NEW

SUPPLIERS SEE NEW PRODUCTS

Sunday and Monday 10 – 11 September NAEC Stoneleigh, CV8 2LG

Main Sponsor

REGISTER TO VISIT AT www.beta-int.com

ETN | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Upsurge in demand for helmet safety Incorporating Mips® safety system: technology designed to help reduce the rotational motion of certain impacts that may otherwise be transferred to your head.

F

or anyone in the equestrian world, whether professional or hobbyist, rider, trainer or store owner, safety has to be the top priority when considering any activities involving horses.

Protection from injury is paramount and over the past few decades, technological advances have been made in all aspects of safety equipment. But perhaps one of the most noteable in recent times has been the development of the Mips® safety system in rider helmets.

What is Mips?

Mips technology consists of a lightweight, low-friction layer strategically placed between the expanded polystyrene foam and the padded inner helmet liners. The Mips layer is designed to move 10–15mm in all directions, mimicking the brain’s natural protection system with the intent to help reduce the rotational motion of an angled impact by redirecting the energy and forces generated during such a fall. This is intended to help reduce the risk of embracing innovative concepts brain injury. and materials to ensure all its products exceed the latest In a recent study safety standards – in fact, conducted by Virginia Champion’s scientific Tech University in the USA, research has even helped the Champion Revolve X-Air Mips Jockey Helmet was rated develop those standards.

The latest in this line of 5* and topped the leader concepts is Mips and it board of 39 equestrian really could change the way helmets from a range we think about helmet safety. of brands.

A driving force Champion helmets have At the forefront of this safety always provided protection from revolution is Champion which has crushes, flat impacts and object penetration been a driving force in the development as standard. The incorporation of Mips and design of protective riding hats for technology takes helmet design to the next more than 40 years. Over the decades, level.

Champion has refined, enhanced and perfected its helmets by researching and

“No better time than the present to embrace the future.” the perfect opportunity to put themselves at the forefront of helmet evolution by investing in Champion Mips helmets in preparation for the anticipated upsurge in demand for this technology. So, for any retailer looking to offer their customers the latest in design and technology, there really is no better time than the present to embrace the future of equestrian safety.

Spreading the word

Mips is already widely known and supported in many sports that require helmets, and is now also available in equestrian helmets. Alongside Champion, the aim is to raise awareness of rotational motion and highlight to retailers and riders the risks involved.

The future of equestrian safety

As knowledge of Mips increases within the equestrian world, retailers currently have

For details of Champion’s Mips helmets, visit championhub.com

Equestrian Equestrian Equestrian Helmets Helmets Helmets PAS PAS PAS015:2011 015:2011 015:2011

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Equestrian Helmets Equestrian EquestrianHelmets Helmets PAS PAS PAS015:2011 015:2011 015:2011 KITEMARK KITEMARK KITEMARKTMTMTM

Certification Mark

Made To The

BETA

201 8 Horse Rider

Body & Shoulder Protector Standard

Level 3

THE

BRITISH EQUESTRIAN TRADE ASSOCIATION East Wing, Stockeld Park Wetherby, LS22 4AW Tel: +44 (0) 1937 587062 Fax. +44 (0) 1937 582728 Web:www.beta-uk.org

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The Official Label

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Level 3

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

SO, HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YEAST?

By Hannah Elliott, technical manager at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

The different types of pure yeast products

Y

east has been in human diets since the ancient Egyptians were using it to leaven bread and ferment wine. Yeast’s exceptional fermentative and nutritional properties make it a valuable and affordable nutrient source for domesticated animals, many of which have been fed some form of yeast for over 100 years.

Yeast is a single-cell, eukaryotic microorganism classified in the fungi kingdom. They are around 10μm in size, have a nuclear membrane, a cell wall, and cytoplasmic content. Characterized as heterotrophs, they rely on organic material for energy and nutrients

26 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

and are very diverse organisms with around 60 genera and 1,500 species, each with unique metabolisms.

Only a few are used commercially, the main species being Saccharomyces cerevisiae, due to its remarkable fermentative capacities and nutritional properties. Annually, S. cerevisiae produces 60 million tonnes of beer, 30 million tonnes of wine, 600,000 tonnes of baker’s yeast and 20 billion litres of bioethanol. Due to its versatility, yeast can also be a product of primary fermentation - specifically and consistently produced for its intended purpose. Or secondary fermentation - the yeast WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM

CPD FEATURE | ETN is produced as a by-product of another industry, for example brewer’s yeast, which can result in variable quality and efficacy dependent on its primary use.

Within the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species, there are thousands of strains, each with a unique genetic makeup, leading to different outcomes in composition, metabolism, and functionality when fed to animals. To visualize these differences, the different yeast strains can be likened to horse breeds. A Clydesdale and a Falabella, although both horses with similar physiology, vary greatly in terms of metabolism, characteristics, requirements, and output. Hence, each product should be carefully selected for its desired use and outcome to maximise its efficacy and value.

LIVE YEAST

Four strains of S. cerevisiae are permitted for use as probiotics in horse products within Europe. In general, probiotics help balance digestive microbiota, help reduce undesirable microorganism presence, maintain digestive comfort and support fibre digestion.

However, not all live yeast is equal: each strain has an optimum temperature, pH and fermentative capacity both during production and within its host/ application. The S. cerevisiae strains selected for real ale, wine and bread production will be different due to the substrates used, production process, and the required outcome e.g. leavening, alcohol content, desired flavour profile. Similarly, a probiotic yeast may not perform optimally in both ruminants or hind-gut fermenters and monogastric animals due to differences in digestive tract and feed; which is not only supplying our animals with substrates and nutrients, but also feeding and influencing the native microbiota and the probiotics we add. Feeding choices, housing, breed and individual variation in microbiota balance can all effect live yeast efficacy. If you are unhappy with the outcome from one live yeast product, try another. Once you’ve tried one, you haven’t tried them all!

A challenge with probiotic yeast is to ensure the yeast remains alive and active throughout the entire production process, packaging and storage, until it reaches the active site in the animal’s digestive tract. Many different factors can affect probiotic viability such as moisture, temperature, pressure, coating method and other interacting ingredients. To test viability, live yeast can be retrieved from feed and supplements and colonies can be grown and counted in a laboratory to confirm probiotic survival through processing and storage.

“A challenge with probiotic yeast is to ensure the yeast remains alive and active throughout the entire production process.”

INACTIVATED ENRICHED YEASTS

Yeast can incorporate trace minerals into its cell, making it possible to produce mineral-enriched yeast biomass. Selenium-enriched yeast represents an important source of organic selenium as it offers enhanced selenium digestibility and functionality within an animal. Specific S. cerevisiae strains utilize inorganic selenium, incorporating it into the yeast proteins as organic seleno-amino acids such as selenomethionine and selenocysteine. Yeast naturally contains <10ppm selenium. Selenium yeast products are registered with a minimum guarantee of 2,000ppm total organic selenium and a minimum of 1,260ppm selenomethionine, which serves as an indication of organic selenium incorporation.

To make selenium-enriched yeast, selenium is added to the fermentation medium during fermentation. The incorrect yeast or a mal-adapted process can reduce yield (as selenium reduces normal multiplication and can induce cell death), and result in a Se-enriched yeast product with sodium selenite present (which can damage the gut) and a reduced level of organic selenium.

Producing high-quality, concentrated, Se-enriched yeast requires suitable yeast strain selection, specific process development and time.

AUTOLYSED AND HYDROLYSED YEASTS

Autolysis is the process of self-digestion, in which the cell is inactivated by its own digestive enzymes (endogenous enzymes) leaving proteins and nucleotides partially fragmented. Hydrolysed yeast are obtained through a further yeast cell digestion by specifically selected exogenous enzymes to obtain the desired level of hydrolysis. The selection of the enzymes, as well as the control of the conditions, will determine the product composition, consistency and functionality. Hydrolysed yeast still contains the cell wall and yeast extract as there is no separation step during the process and so offer both nutritional and functional advantages such as palatability with the presence of highly digestible proteins, free amino acids and nucleic acids, as well as insoluble components.

Live yeast cells S. cerevisiae (scanning electron microscopy)

YEAST CELL WALLS Live yeast cells S. cerevisiae (transmission electron microscopy)

Yeast cell walls (YCW) are the insoluble fraction of autolysed or hydrolysed yeast, obtained after the separation from the cytoplasmic content (yeast extract). The YCW represents 30-40% of the dry weight and consists of two layers. Each YCW product and strain has a specific composition and cell structure, such as the number and density of adhesion sites, which directly influences its functionality and application in animal nutrition.

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

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EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 27

ETN | CPD FEATURE Yeast cell wall composition and architecture

Mannan oligo-saccharides (MOS) Chitin Membrane

β-1,3-glucans

• The external layer is rich in mannan oligo-saccharides (MOS) and represents 20-30% of the YCW depending on processing conditions. MOS are responsible for binding flagellated undesirable bacteria, for parietal exchanges, porosity/permeability and, more widely, the protection of the yeast from the environment. The main role of MOS products within animal nutrition is binding capacity, helping to limit the development of undesirable bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract and ensure an optimal intestinal integrity. Favouring the development of beneficial microorganisms within the intestinal microbiota gives a prebiotic effect. The effect is strongly dependent on the inclusion rate, mannan length and its adhesion capacity.

• An additional step can be applied during the YCW production to remove the MOS layer via enzymatic or chemical treatment to obtain a product containing a high level of exposed ß-glucans for specific immune system modulation function.

The percentage of ß-glucan and MOS should be measured during the quality control step of yeast production to ensure consistency.

• The internal layer, rich in β-1,3 and β-1,6-glucans (representing 20-35% of the YCW), provides rigidity and flexibility to the cell

β-1,6-glucans

wall. β-glucans modulate the innate immune system of animals, which helps reinforce their natural defences. It also contains chitin (≈ 2% of the YCW), which has a major role in the integrity of the cell wall, affecting the “cohesion” of the wall.

CONCLUSION

Yeast is an adaptable and valuable source of functional and nutritional components for horses. Each yeast product has its own characteristics and beneficial effects on digestion, well-being and health, especially in stressful situations. Numerous yeast products are available creating a plethora of options and often a misconception that a lot of yeast and yeast products are the same. It is essential to understand the differences between yeast products, their production processes and strain to make a costeffective decision and select the most appropriate one for their desired effects based on specification and functionality when added to feed or supplements.

RAMA CPD QUIZ

SELECT YOUR ANSWERS AND SUBMIT THEM AT WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM UNDER THE CPD SECTION

RAMA CP Questio D n (nutritio s July/Au n) gu 2023 E st TN

8. What is the value of β-glucans within YCW products? a. β-glucans modulate the adaptive immune system b. β-glucans modulate the innate immune system and should to be exposed for maximum efficacy c. β-glucans modulate the innate immune system and have maximum efficacy underneath the MOS layer

1. Which yeast product relies on exogenous yeasts during production? a.

All yeast products b.

Hydrolysed yeast c.

Autolysed yeast

5. What can yeast be classified as? a.

Eukaryotes b.

Prokaryotes c.

Protozoa

2. How many different S. cerevisiae yeast strains are there? a.

Hundreds b.

Thousands c.

Millions

6. Which yeast product should I use to provide highly digestible nutrients? a.

Yeast Cell Wall products b.

Live yeast/ probiotics c.

Hydrolysed yeast

9. Are all yeasts the same? a.

Yes b.

No c.

Once you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all

7. What yeast products covered in this article should you be aware of? a.

Live yeast, inactivated enriched yeast, autolysed and hydrolysed yeast, yeast cell walls b.

Inactivated enriched yeasts, probiotic yeasts, antibiotic yeasts and yeast cell walls c.

Human yeast, poultry yeast and equine yeast

10. Understanding the specific differences between yeast products and yeast strains will: a.

Allow me to use one yeast product for all applications b.

Allow me to choose a product which does not fulfil the intended purpose of a product c.

Allow me to make an informed and economical decision based on product quality, functionality and efficacy

3. What features should we be aware of when using secondary fermentation yeasts? a.

Quality and efficacy may vary b.

Efficacy may very c.

Quality may vary 4. What dictates the efficacy of a MOS product? a.

Inclusion rate b.

Mannan length and adhesion capacity c.

All of the above

SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS ONLINE AT WWW.EQUESTRIANTRADENEWS.COM UNDER THE CPD SECTION. 28 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

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ETN | BETA INTERNATIONAL 2023 PREVIEW

“If you don’t go, you’ll never know…”

Retailers tell ETN why they’ll be visiting BETA International - and how they work the show.

“A

second pair of eyes is always useful,” says regular BETA International visitor David Griffiths from Zoar’s Ark. It’s why at least two people from this Neath, Port Talbot based retailer will be heading for NAEC Stoneleigh for this year’s show on 10/11 September.

“We always go to BETA,” adds David, “we usually do two days and stay over in a hotel.”

With an equestrian store, pet superstore and garden centre to buy for, the Zoar’s Ark team attends with open minds.

“We go to pick up anything new and exciting… we’re always looking for the next big thing,” David says. “It’s sometimes the

quirky things from new suppliers; if you hit the right one, you can do a lot of good with them.

“If you make the effort to go, you see things before others who don’t. If you don’t go, you’ll never know!”

David’s plan for a visit to BETA International revolves around making appointments with leading suppliers. He and his team also build in plenty of time to browse the show as they hunt for that elusive ‘next big thing’.

“BETA International has had to adapt and evolve as the industry has changed,” says the managing director of the Totnes, Devon based retailer.

“Gone are the days when you did all your buying there. Nowadays, it’s all about the networking and meeting people.”

Ben welcomes this new direction, however.

“BETA International is good because it brings people together, puts faces to names. It gives you whatever therapy you need… even if it’s just the chance to have a good moan to others [in the industry].”

“IT GIVES YOU WHATEVER “If we didn’t get out to meet people, THERAPY YOU NEED…” A visit is all about meeting people, according we’d all be staring at lists of numbers or screens…but BETA International has a good to Ben Tuff from Redpost Equestrian.

30 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

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BETA INTERNATIONAL 2023 PREVIEW | ETN

Maurice Emtage, owner of Colne Saddlery, and his team are regular BETA International visitors.

of between four and six to the show in September.

“It’s good for the purchasing team to go and meet suppliers,” adds Ben. “They work hard but I think they enjoy the day out too.” get-together vibe about it.”

Ben does most of his deal brokering after the show, but a visit often triggers those transactions.

“Last year we found a handful of products we might not have stumbled across otherwise. And we’ve definitely dealt with a couple of new suppliers we met there.”

Surprisingly, given his keenness to meet people, Ben advocates not making too many appointments ahead of a visit to BETA International.

“To get the most out of it, you need to make sure you get round the whole place. So I’d say don’t make too many appointments – if you do, you’ll always end up running late - but leave yourself free to have a good look round.

“In the run up, every supplier wants you to book a time. With the majority, we don’t, and we’ve not suffered because of it. You can still find people to talk to while going round the stands and come back later if they’re already in a meeting.”

Ben prefers to leave detailed discussions until after the show, and names technology such as Teams and Zoom as a gamechanger in this respect.

The unique opportunity to meet people and see products in real time means Redpost Equestrian will be sending a team

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MY THREE INGREDIENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUYING TRIP

Colne Saddlery found its Christmas bestseller at last year’s BETA International.

Needless to say, a return visit is definitely in the Gloucester retailer’s diary for 10/11 September, 2023.

While the business’s owner Maurice Emtage usually ‘does’ both days at the show, assistant manager Abigail Houghton and at least one other team member will also be going this year.

“It’s all so interesting and useful to see so many different things, especially after Covid when we didn’t see any people or new products in the flesh,” says Abigail.

“You find so many different options that you wouldn’t otherwise think of… Last year, we picked up some LED beanies and headbands which were a big hit for us at Christmas. We wouldn’t have found them if we hadn’t gone to BETA. “You can only see so much on social media and you need unusual products that draw people into the shop. At the moment, customers want useful but not too expensive [products].”

As a registered animal medicines advisor (RAMA/SQP), Abigail says a series of seminars is “another good reason to go to BETA.”

“Attending a few talks in one place means I can get more AMTRA points [the CPD needed to retain the RAMA/SQP qualification to supply the likes of horse wormers].

“Anyway, the talks are always really interesting; I enjoy the ones on marketing and business as well.”

Abigail’s top tip for first-time visitors to BETA International is to be sure to take three vital ingredients - a pen, paper and bottle of water.

“We make notes as we go round the stands and at the talks. And it’s important to keep drinking, so you can whip out the bottle whenever you need it.”

Although there is ample sit-down catering (and loos) at NAEC Stoneleigh, Abigail prefers to “keep going to make the most of the day.”

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 31

ETN | FEEDING FOR VETERANS

Food for thought:

feeding the veteran horse Photo: Frank Fennema/ Morgentau/Shutterstock.com

Senior horses have specific nutritional needs, so correct feeding is vital. Leading nutritionists give their top tips for maintaining good health and mobility in older animals.

S

pecialised feedstuffs and supplements, advances in veterinary care and improved husbandry in general mean that our senior horses can enjoy healthy lives well into their later years. Of course, each horse is an individual, but many happily continue in ridden work, albeit less strenuously, in their 20s, some of them even competing. The advantages of this are that the horse remains alert mentally and mobile physically, which, in turn, helps with fitness and wellbeing, and as long as any specific health conditions are taken into account, there’s no reason why a horse can’t continue living an active life until he becomes quite elderly.

One of the keys to keeping an older horse healthy is good nutrition. As with humans,

nutritional needs change with age - for example, owners might find it difficult to keep weight on or off their horses. Older horses can develop tooth problems, which then have an impact on their ability to eat, while two of the most common issues are joint stiffness and reduced respiratory function, both of which can be supported by feeding the right kind of diet.

Veteran horses can also become more susceptible to certain conditions, such as laminitis, reduced immunity and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), in which case careful feeding will be needed in accordance with any veterinary advice.

We asked nutritionists from leading feed companies for their advice on feeding veteran horses and here’s what they had to say.

32 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

“There’s no reason why a horse can’t continue living an active life until he becomes quite elderly.”

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FEEDING FOR VETERANS | ETN

Lizzie Drury MSC RNUTR, Saracen Horse Feeds, Senior Registered Nutritionist It’s important that forage and fibre remain the mainstay of the veteran horse’s diet but some may find this feedstuff more difficult to chew properly and digest if they have loose or worn teeth. Regular dental checks are important, as are signs of quidding or increased difficulty in maintaining an optimum body fat score. For these horses, softer, less mature forage is suitable, and advice can be sought on alternative fibre sources.

Katie Evans, BSc (Hons), Feed Advisor, Dengie Horse Feeds For older horses who are underweight, it’s important to ascertain the reason and not put it down to ‘old age’. Having run through a checklist to eliminate any specific cause, it’s worth considering a more senior-specific, higher-energy feed or a hay replacer product, especially for horses struggling to chew longlength forages. However, the best feed for veteran weight gain may not be a senior-specific mix or cube, especially for horses with problems such as laminitis or PPID that require a low-sugar, low-starch diet. Instead, a higher-calorie fibre feed with a calorie level equivalent to a conditioning mix or cube could be suitable, as long as it does not contain high levels of sugar and starch.

Fibre forms that are easier to chew are often recommended for veterans.

Kate Hore RNutr (Animal), Head Nutritionist, NAF Sarah Nelson BSc (Hons), Nutritionist, Spillers Excess weight gain can be as much of a problem in senior horses as it is in younger ones. Obesity carries a number of health and welfare risks but may further exacerbate issues associated with ageing, including joint strain, difficulty regulating body temperature and chronic low-grade inflammation. Due to the concentrated nutrient supply and low daily feeding rate, balancers are the ideal way to provide essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids needed to balance forage, while adding very limited calories, starch and sugar to the diet. Some balancers also contain added functional ingredients such as pre and probiotics to support digestive health and glucosamine to support joint health.

Emma Nissler BSc (Hons), Nutritional Manager, Dodson and Horrell Every horse is an individual, and as long as he is obtaining adequate vitamins and minerals, calories and fibre from his current diet, there is no rush to start feeding a specialist ‘veteran’ feed earlier than necessary.

For elderly horses, it’s important to feed the best quality and most digestible forage possible. A good-quality, bagged forage made from ryegrass can be an ideal choice for individuals who need a little help with their weight, while for those who are still doing well with their weight, a later-cut, lower-calorie bagged forage will be suitable.

A good-quality bagged forage is not only dust free, but it will also provide a consistent level of calories, fibre, protein and nutrients required by the individual animal. Chaffs can also be used as a partial forage replacer to support the older horse who is struggling to chew.

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As horses age, like all animals, their immune function weakens through a gradual progression of immune dysfunction. The horse’s gastrointestinal tract acts as the major immune organ of the body, providing over 70% of immunity. Hence, when considering nutrition for older horses, owners are recommended to supplement for digestive efficiency with targeted gut support. In addition, research shows ageing horses show an increase in inflammatory responses and this may contribute to common age-related conditions such as joint stress and compromised airway function. As a result, supplementing the diet with targeted nutrition to support the body’s own antiinflammatory responses can be beneficial.

Nicola Tyler BSc (Hons), RNutr, Nutrition Director, TopSpec Equine An elderly horse may struggle to provide the microflora in his hindgut with enough thoroughly chewed fibre for optimum digestion, with inefficient digestion and loose droppings a common consequence. A way to monitor this is to physically check his droppings.

Wearing rubber gloves, place a ball of droppings on a clean surface. Divide this dropping into two piles, with one pile containing particles up to approximately 1cm in length and the other containing particles of 1cm or more. If a horse is chewing his fibre effectively, the pile with the smaller particles should be about 80% of the total volume.

If the pile containing the larger particles is more than 20% of the combined total, his chewing is not being effective and his teeth should be checked by a qualified equine dental technician or vet.

If it’s found that the grinding surfaces of the teeth are being lost, a hay replacer, such as soaked fibre cubes, could be fed alongside a senior balancer to form a complete feed.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 33

ETN | FEED FOR VETERANS

Thriving in later life Horses can lead better lives for longer with good management and the right nutrition. These products can help.

DEPENDING ON CONDITION…

Whether your customer owns a veteran that can easily carry too much condition - or one that needs a helping hand gaining condition, TopSpec has the answer.

For horses needing more condition, TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer combines the benefits of a conditioning feed balancer tailored to the needs of elderly horses with a joint supplement On the other hand, TopSpec Senior Lite Feed Balancer is designed for elderly horses that do not need extra condition.

It combines the benefits of a nonconditioning feed balancer suitable for elderly horses with a joint supplement.

Both feed balancers include the scientifically recommended rate of glucosamine in a daily quantity of feed to support healthy joints - 10 grams of glucosamine/500kg horse/day.

Keep them sweet

Veterans with clinical reasons for needing a controlled dietary starch intake can pose a problem when they require extra calories to help them maintain condition.

That’s because traditional senior and conditioning feeds are often cerealstarch-based, says Baileys Horse Feeds.

Baileys Meadow Sweet with Turmeric is an ideal moderate conditioning option as the mix is free from whole cereal grains, with a starch content of just 7.5%.

Its appetising, fibre-based calories are non-heating, while good-quality protein sources help promote muscle tone and a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals supports health and well-being.

Meadow Sweet is molasses-free, with a light coating of honey which still keeps its sugar content down to 5%.

For customers seeking additional nutritional support for their horses’ healthy joints, TurmerAid supplement is included.

WHOLE LOT OF CONDITION Cavalor Wholegain is a high-fat concentrated feed mix.

It provides important nutrients, including B vitamins and minerals, and is suitable for horses that lack condition or have difficulty gaining weight.

Cavalor WholeGain has a balanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to promote a shiny coat and boost the immune system.

It’s available in 20kg bags from Zebra Products.

34 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

For OAPs – old age performers

NAF Five Star Metazone is a synergistic blend of ingredients that target the support of natural anti-inflammatory pathways.

The plant-based phytochemicals that make up this product support these pathways wherever they are needed in the body be it joints, feet, tendons, ligaments, muscles or skin.

NAF Five Star Metazone is available as liquid, powder or fast acting syringes.

Five Star Superflex Senior provides NAF’s highest specification of the key joint support nutrients for horses.

These ingredients work in synergy with rich natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids and naturally-sourced antioxidants to support healthy, flexible joints in older horses and ponies still leading active lives.

In the Pink Senior is specially formulated to meet all the nutritional requirements of the older horse to give him the support he needs to stay active.

Balancing the diet and the digestive system enables the horse to maximise the value of his feed intake. In the Pink Senior provides pre and probiotics plus vitamins and minerals.

There are also naturally-sourced antioxidant ingredients to flush excess free radicals from the system, as well as providing nutrients to support joint health, plus specially chosen herbs.

COMPLETE JOINT CARE

BETTALIFE PharmaQuin Joint Complete HA contains a 10:10:4 ratio of glucosamine, MSM and chondroitin alongside hyaluronic acid to support joint health and mobility in all horses.

Veteran horses in particular can benefit from the palatable PharmaQuin Joint Complete HA powder which offers complete care for joints, cartilage and connective tissue.

Available in a variety of sizes, the 1kg tub of PharmaQuin lasts a 500kg horse 100 days on the maintenance serving. The feeding rate can be increased as and when needed.

LIQUID COMFORT

Lincoln It’s Not Bute from Battles is made from liquid devil’s claw.

It’s useful for maintaining joint mobility and comfort in veterans. Apple flavour adds to its palatability.

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FEED FOR VETERANS | ETN

INDEPENDENTLY VETERINARY APPROVED

SPILLERS’ Senior range has something suitable for every senior, from the dentally compromised fussy eater, to the elderly good doer.

To give your customers added reassurance, every product in the senior collection has been independently veterinary approved.

SPILLERS Senior Complete Care Mix includes glucosamine and MSM to support joint health and pre and probiotics to help support gut health, plus an appetising blend of herbs.

SPILLERS Senior SuperMash is ideal for those with dental issues - it soaks in less than two minutes. High in fibre and molasses free, it contains live yeast alongside prebiotic MOS and FOS to support digestive health.

SPILLERS Supple & Senior Balancer contains glucosamine, MSM & Omega 3 for joint support and is a great choice for older horses that maintain condition well on forage alone. It provides a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, quality protein to support muscle and topline and antioxidants to maintain immune health. There are pre and probiotics, while the low starch and sugar content makes it suitable for those prone to laminitis.

SPILLERS Senior Conditioning Mix is for active seniors who have trouble keeping weight on. It contains a blend of steam flaked cereals and oil for condition. Small-sized particles make for easy chewing. It includes glucosamine, live yeast, chelated minerals and antioxidants.

An easy chew

EquiGlo Quick Soak 10 Minute Beet is a high-fibre feed with an easy-to-chew texture, making it perfect for older horses with poor dentition.

Created by Henry Bell & Co from British-grown, non-GM, unmolassed beet, it is low in sugar and starch, providing an excellent supply of non-heating, steady energy for all working horses and ponies.

It can also be safely fed to those at risk of laminitis and is approved by the BETA feed assurance scheme highlighting products best suited to equines prone to gastric ulcers when fed as part of a balanced diet.

EquiGlo is quick and easy to prepare, taking only ten minutes to soak in cold water and five in hot. When used as a partial hay replacer for veterans, it should be given with three parts unmolassed chaff or other hay-replacing feed and introduced gradually.

QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

Quality is key when it comes to feeding veterans, says British Horse Feeds.

The soft texture of a mash, for example, can improve appetite and is easy to eat for horses with dental issues.

British Horse Feeds’ Fibre-Beet is a conditioning feed combining Speedi-Beet and alfalfa supplemented with biotin, sodium and calcium. It’s soaked to make a mash that’s highly palatable and provides slow-release energy.

Speedi-Beet is a great source of calcium and has optimum biotin levels for hooves and coat, as well as good-quality protein for muscle tone and function.

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PACKED WITH CARE

HayCare from Simple System is a high fibre, quick-soaking product containing timothy grass.

It’s idea for older horses and ponies unable to eat hay due to dental issues.

Low in sugar and starch, HayCare is suitable for those prone to laminitis. It’s also appropriate for dust-sensitive equines.

Age is just a number

Horses age at different rates and so require individually tailored diets, says Dengie. The key is to offer your customers a choice of products.

As Dengie’s highest calorie fibre feed, Alfa-A Oil is suitable for older horses that need to gain weight but require a low sugar and starch ration.

Dengie Hi-Fi Senior combines nutrient-rich alfalfa with soft grasses making it ideal for veterans with less than perfect teeth.

It can be used as part of the bucket feed or as a forage replacer for horses who are no longer able to eat hay or haylage.

Soaked fibre feeds such as Dengie Alfa-Beet can be fed alongside or instead of a chopped fibre feed.

Made from alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet - two highly digestible fibres, Alfa-Beet helps with weight gain and condition even for those with no teeth at all. This soaked feed encourages hydration too.

BOOST FOR OLD-TIMERS

If an older horse isn’t looking quite as good as he used to, it could be time to step up to a ‘veteran feed’, says Baileys Horse Feeds.

Oat-free Baileys Senior Mix provides readily digestible, non-heating calories to promote a little more condition than a high fibre, low energy feed.

It also offers the extra nutrients he needs to stay looking and feeling good.

With good-quality protein from alfalfa and soya, Baileys Senior Mix helps maintain muscle tone, whilst a yeast culture and Digest Plus prebiotic help promote gut efficiency.

Support for ageing

Hilton Herbs’ Senior Horse range of herbal supplements supports all aspects of ageing.

It includes ingredients such as milk thistle, burdock, meadowsweet and hawthorn to maintain liver and kidney health, the circulatory system, joints and muscles and good digestive health.

Other Hilton Herbs supplements suitable for veterans include Thrive & Shine for condition or the Cush X range which offers endocrine support.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 35

Photo: alexei_tm/Shutterstock.com

ETN | BETTER BUSINESS

Often people are more creative when doing something like walking the dog rather than sitting at a desk with a notepad in front of them.

How to boost your creative thinking

We all know that good ideas are key to commercial success. But how and where do we ever find the time for creativity? Chris Thomason has some tips.

C

reative thinking helps solve issues in all workplaces. But it doesn’t always come easy.

Once upon a time, we were able to do it as easily as breathing. Remember when you were a kid how many different things you saw when you looked at the inside of a loo roll? A trumpet. A tunnel for toy cars. A false nose. A pirate spyglass.

These days, it’s merely recycling.

As life becomes more serious, creative thinking can be trickier to tap into. But it can be done. And you can train yourself to be better at it.

Top athletes pay close attention to two targets. The world record for their event (which they have no control over) and their personal best, over which they have full control. Clearly, they want their personal best to get ever-closer to the world record.

The same applies to creative thinking. You simply need to consistently improve your personal best in thinking about important issues. These tips will help you.

Find a repeatable process

It would be brilliant if great thinking and new ideas just happened; but they don’t.

You must actively work your imagination to force useful, creative thoughts out. To do this, you need a process that not only works well for you but is easily repeatable and permits flexibility.

Without a process, you have only a semi-random set of events, which makes it harder to monitor if you are being successful or not.

Committing to finding that process is the first step.

Find where you think best

Creative thinking can take place anywhere, at any time, but some places and times are better than others.

36 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

One of the most challenging locations is at a desk or table with a notepad and pen in front of you. Research has proven that performing some kind of undemanding task produces better thinking. This could be walking the dog, washing dishes, even taking a bath or shower.

It needs to be a light activity that doesn’t occupy you completely.

Try out different activities to find your personal sweet spot.

Find when you think best

Roald Dahl wrote for two hours in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon, with a very, very long lunch break in between. When writing Harry Potter, JK Rowling would write from 9am to 3pm.

There are morning people and there are evening people (and there was Franz Kafka who would do his best writing from 11pm through the night to 6am).

Finding the best time for you is key to accessing your most creative thinking. There’s no point trying to do good thinking when you’re feeling tired (no matter how much you may admire Kafka). If you want to do powerful thinking, save it for the time of day when you believe you are at your most creative.

Choose where to focus

You need to have a focus for your thinking on the topic you want to address. This is called your killer question. It’s an important, enduring question that hasn’t yet been answered well enough, and which will deliver significant value for you.

If a killer question is too big and over-encompassing to be tackled in one go, chunk it down into component parts, and think about these individually. When you have ideas that address each part, integrate them together to form overall solutions to your killer question.

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Incubate your ideas for later

Everyone will have experienced the situation where a small fact or detail can’t be recalled, like the title of a song or the name of someone who lived next door. Frequently, when we give up and forget about remembering the detail, after a time (could be minutes or hours), the answer suddenly comes to us unbidden.

This is our subconscious mind working on unresolved issue in the background.

A similar thing happens when you are working on a killer question. Even when you’re not actively thinking about the topic, your subconscious is working on it for you. Each time you come back to the question or task, your subconscious has advanced your thinking by finding a new perspective to consider, or reinterpreting an element of it in some way.

Each gap in your thinking encourages subconscious incubation. Use this to great effect on your issue (Roald Dahl’s long lunch breaks likely did more than fill his tummy).

Find your Win Quicklies

Win Quicklies are ideas—or elements of your bigger idea—that can swiftly test or prove an interesting part of your solution.

A Win Quickly can be a useful proof that something much larger has the potential for success and value. It may be the case that a number of Win Quicklies are actually more beneficial that implementing one bigger, slower-moving project. But even when that’s not the case, nothing boosts our confidence more than seeing one of our ideas delivering value.

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Flat Sided Hanging Bucket

Jumbo Feed / Water Bucket

S85A

S43

Boost creative confidence

Recipes for success can vary—different people need different ingredients—but a common component is a belief in our ability to attain a desired level of performance. In relation to creative thinking, this is often referred to as creative confidence.

The greater the creative confidence, the easier it is to learn and perform a new task, and the easier it is to persevere through to success.

The more we apply our thinking process, the better results we achieve, which makes us more confident to pose harder killer questions. This, in turn, requires us to apply the process moreeffectively which helps us achieve better outcomes, and so the cycle goes on indefinitely.

Hay Roller S4280

Rock ‘N’ Roll Ball S420

Choose excellence situations

While athletes do continuous fitness training, they don’t try to break their personal best record every day. They only attempt this on specific, optimal occasions – and it’s a similar situation with creative thinking.

Decide which issues you face that are worthy of additional thinking effort and time to push out some exceptional new ideas. You can’t be excellent all the time, so choose the situations or occasions where you want to excel.

About the author: Chris Thomason created Freaky Thinking, a process that helps individuals in organisations to think differently about important topics and issues. He also founded Ingenious Growth which helps organisations change their thinking to boost innovation, productivity, profits and staff satisfaction. Chris has written eight business books including The Idea Generator, Freaky Thinking, and Excellence in Freaky Thinking.

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Luggage Rack S2304

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ETN | PEOPLE

People Veterinary surgeon Dr Kathryn Tuckett has joined Equine America as veterinary technical advisor at the supplements and horse care products supplier.

After graduating from the Royal Veterinary College, Kathryn spent more than a decade in clinical equine practice working in Kent and Buckinghamshire.

Her varied career over the years has included being on the treating vet team at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), and on-duty vet at point-to-point meetings and the Bucks County Show. She’s also been a riding school inspector and DEFRA official veterinarian for equine exports.

Kathryn says she has “an interest in equine preventative healthcare and nutrition, and generally all things equine medicine.”

She particularly loves donkeys, she adds.

This Esme is to make personal appearances at Devon retailer Redpost Equestrian over two days in August.

Tickets are free for the pre-bookable meet-and-greet sessions with the social media star who will be at the store on 18/19 August.

This Esme – real name Esme Higgs – has 500,000 followers on social media and 100,000,000 views on her YouTube channel.

British Eventing has appointed Rosie Williams as its new chief executive officer.

She takes up the role in September.

Rosie’s first job with a national governing body was as national sports manager for the Australian Equestrian Federation. Most of her career since has been spent in the sport of rugby including ten years as CEO of the Rugby Football Union for Women in England.

She was awarded an OBE for her contribution to rugby.

Rosie grew up in New South Wales, Australia, where she competed in eventing, show jumping, dressage and polocrosse.

Eight-year-old Anya Dewey Clarke has joined the Coldstream Equestrian team of sponsored riders.

Anya is the daughter of Richard Dewey and Anna Clarke, who run brand-owner and distributor Battles. An accomplished show jumper and HOYS-winning show rider, she’s qualified three different ponies for three classes at the upcoming Royal International Horse Show.

38 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

Communicating well with owners when discussing horses’ diets was the subject of a presentation by Katie Williams of Dengie Horse Feeds to the Equine Science Society 2023 Symposium in Dallas, Texas.

Katie’s paper A detailed analysis of consultations between equine nutritionists and a client was included in the Journal of Veterinary Science proceedings of the symposium.

“We have to be very careful not to downplay the seriousness of issues such as a horse or pony being overweight by using informal language. But equally, we want to speak in a way that ensures we are approachable and understandable” says Katie.

Ned Flaxman, UK country manager for pharmaceutical company Krka UK, has been elected as the new chair of NOAH (National Office of Animal Health). Ned was previously with Pets at Home and Zoetis.

Also at the NOAH AGM, Caitrina Oakes (Vetoquinol) was elected as past chair, Gerard Ensink (Boehringer Ingelheim) as vice chair and Matthew Frost (Elanco) as treasurer. Oya Canbas (Zoetis) and Rachel Smithson (Animalcare) join the NOAH board.

Emily Humphrey has joined Battles as a marketing assistant. An archaeology and history graduate, she mainly promotes Lincoln Horse Care.

Spoga horse director Maria Näther is to leave the German trade fair’s venue, Koelnmesse, at the end of September to take up a new role.

Maria has worked for the Cologne based exhibition centre since 2016, taking over as spoga horse director in 2020. The fair moved to its regular February date under her tenure.

Roly Owers, the chief executive of World Horse Welfare, was awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Roly, a vet who’s led the charity since 2008, said the honour was as much for the team at the charity as for him. “Recognition at this level demonstrates the continued relevance of horses to society and the part we all play in protecting their welfare for future generations,” he added.

Amanda Evans is the new head of performance support for British Equestrian’s World Class Programme funded by the National Lottery.

She works with international riders to maximise science, medicine and technology alongside their coaching.

Amanda was previously with UK Athletics for nine years, and a competitor in track and field events.

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EUROPEAN PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION | ETN

Euro-vision While Brexit changed the way the UK trades with Europe, experienced agents and distributors have kept supply chains flowing.

Photo: Ink Drop/Shutterstock.com

AVOIDING COSTLY CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

Zebra Products was established in 2000 with just three members of staff.

Now with a team of 15 at its North Wales HQ, it distributes a host of top European brands to UK retailers.

Zebra Products has a products portfolio encompassing clothing, saddles and accessories, whips, spurs, stirrups, boots for horse and rider, care products, supplements, horse rugs and helmets.

The company works closely with elite riders such as dressage stars Laura Tomlinson and Carl Hester, show jumpers Ben Maher and Scott Brash, and eventers Andrew Nicholson and Oliver Townend.

Brexit saw Zebra Products act to make life easier for its retailers.

As managing director Simon Middleton explains: “Post-Brexit, we’ve invested heavily into our stock [holding] here in the UK. “This enables retailers to have access to our brands quickly without having to wait for lengthy and sometimes costly customs clearance.”

“IT’S SETTLING DOWN”

Derbyshire based Shaws Equestrian is the UK distributor of European brands such as Pikeur, Eskadron, Flex-on, Roeckl and Erreplus.

Managing director Monty Stuart-Monteith is optimistic about the future.

“Brexit’s impact on the equestrian industry has settled down as importers have got used to the new regulations,” he says.

“The market will always find a way!”

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ETN | BEDDING AND STABLE EQUIPMENT

Soft surfaces While shavings still top the bedding league, other dust extracted products are gaining popularity with owners looking for cost-effective, easy-care options, says Halima Sadat, writing for ETN.

W

hen choosing the right bedding for their horses, there are three top questions customers most commonly ask.

“Is this bedding healthy for my horse?” “Is this bedding economical?” “Is this bedding easy to use?” Any bedding that ticks all three boxes is likely to be a popular choice, even if, on the face of it, it isn’t the cheapest available.

FOLLOWING TRADITION

Of course, the traditional choice has always been straw - usually wheat, oat or barley - because, first, it tends to be readily available, second, it’s fairly cheap and, third, it makes a comfortable bed that horses like. It does have drawbacks, however, in that, as relatively large amounts are used, it requires plenty of storage space and it generally necessitates a full muck out each day to keep the bed clean and odour free.

However, perhaps the biggest drawback with straw is that it can cause problems with a horse’s respiratory system (and their owner’s, too) due to the quantities of dust and spores present within it and the fact that its limited absorbency leads to high levels of ammonia from the horse’s urine building up in the stable in between muck outs.

Rather than having a full muck out each day, these types of beds can be maintained on a semi-deep-litter system, with droppings picked up daily and wet patches either removed every day or once a week – and potentially even less frequently.

While these types of bedding tend to be more expensive per bale than straw or shavings, their big selling point is that smaller quantities need to be used to maintain a bed once it’s laid, with the result their cost in real terms, following the initial outlay, is very favourable. Added to this is the fact that they’re quick and easy to use, so customers not only save money but time, too, an important factor to take into account when people lead busy lives or have several horses.

And for customers, there’s another practical advantage. Because smaller amounts are needed, one or two bags can easily be picked up from a local supplier as required and popped in the back of a car. Purchasing bedding in this way also means customers can effectively spread the cost by buying once or twice a month instead of having to find a much larger sum for a big delivery, something which is not a minor consideration for many horse owners in these cash-strapped times.

Photos: Bedmax, Mike Smith Photography

A POPULAR ALTERNATIVE

In more recent times, for horse owners for whom the disadvantages of straw outweigh the advantages, shavings have proved to be a popular alternative, and this remains the case now.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by BETA shows that shavings constitute around half of all bedding bought by horse owners in the UK. This finding was also backed up by a recent survey run

by Horse&Rider magazine, which found that shavings have the greatest number of users, followed in second place by straw.

Like straw, shavings are easy to use and create a good bed, plus they’re absorbent, have lower dust levels than straw and don’t need too much storage space. Nevertheless, there are disadvantages in that they’re usually not totally dust free, any wet bed can be heavy to remove and shavings don’t rot down as quickly as straw on the muckheap.

A further issue currently being encountered is that the wider lumber industry is facing a supply shortage of timber and this, in turn, has led to a rise in the price of shavings and unpredictable availability. As a result, many owners are looking for alternatives and there are now several products on the market that are gaining traction and interest.

COST-EFFECTIVE CHOICES

These new beddings usually take the form of either pellets (straw and wood) or short fibre produced by the chopping of plant stems (chopped straw, miscanthus, hemp and flax). One thing that they have in common is that they’re highly absorbent, so they’re managed in a slightly different way from shavings and straw.

40 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

A straw pellet bed is easy to lay and maintain.

A NEW TAKE ON STRAW

While straw has been used for centuries as animal bedding, straw pellets are a new take on this age-old form of bedding, with many of straw’s advantages and none of the disadvantages. As the name suggests, the pellets are made from straw but, in the manufacturing process, the straw is chopped, milled and dust extracted, before being turned into pellets. This is done under pressure and at a high temperature to eliminate bacteria and spores. In this way, the main issue of the dust associated with a regular straw bed is eradicated.

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BEDDING AND STABLE EQUIPMENT | ETN

Shavings remain the most popular bedding choice among owners.

Another big advantage for owners is that once the initial bed has been laid (usually between six and eight 15kg bags), the very high absorbency of the pellets means only one or two bags are needed every week as top up, as wet areas in the bed tend to be confined and therefore easy to remove. This not only makes straw pellets an economical choice for owners, but the reduced storage space needed makes them practical for owners and retailers alike.

Other positive selling points for straw pellets include the facts that they’re sustainable, generally using locally sourced straw and low-energy production methods, and, due to their high absorbency, they produce a smaller muck heap that composts very quickly. Furthermore, because of the type of bed produced, horses are disinclined to eat straw pellets, in contrast to straw, which is highly palatable to many horses.

Managing director of Bedmax (manufacturer of a straw pellet brand called Strawmax) Tim Smalley says: “We believe straw pellets will take a substantial and growing share of the market from loose straw and wood pellets over the next two or three years.

“Straw pellets appear to give owners everything they want in a bedding and when properly used, they create a healthy, hygienic bed with very little breathable dust and plenty of depth and volume for comfort and support.

“For retailers, they offer an additional option to supply customers who would otherwise buy loose straw direct from farmers, or wood pellets online. As with all our products, we are bringing Strawmax to the market through our national network of retailers who have helped make Bedmax shavings so successful over the past 23 years.”

How to lay and maintain a straw pellet bed

Straw pellets are made using pressure and heat.

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There are two methods for starting a straw pellet bed. One is to lay the bags of bedding out in the stable and split them open and the other is to empty each bag directly onto the clean stable floor.

In both cases, the pellets should be watered generously using a hosepipe and then left for an hour to absorb the water. When the hour is up, any full bags should then be tipped onto the floor and, for both methods, the pellets fluffed up and spread out.

For maintaining the bed, wet areas and droppings should be removed daily using a close-tined fork and the bed replenished as needed. As this is similar to a deep-litter system, it’s advisable to remove all the bedding and sanitise the stable from time to time.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 41

ETN | STABLE EQUIPMENT AND BEDDING

Heading home...

Now’s the time to stock up on stable yard essentials ahead of the winter season.

CLEVER DESIGNS SAVE TIME AND MONEY While professional yards are always looking for ways to save time – and therefore money, amateur owners will soon be battling against shorter daylight hours to get their horsey jobs done.

So you’re onto a winner by stocking products that make a stable yard run smoothly. Time saved on tasks thanks to fast, efficient solutions also means more to spend with the horses – a win, win for all concerned.

Stubbs England has a host of clever innovations for every stable yard.

Hazard-free hosing

The Hose Boom makes it easy to hose-down horses without the hazards of a hosepipe trailing on the ground.

The sturdy steel construction, hot dip galvanised after manufacture, is hinged on wall brackets allowing the boom to be folded back to the wall when not in use.

Sectionalised into four main parts, it simply bolts together with just the appropriate spanners required. The internal diameter of steel tube allows for a good-quality hosepipe to be accommodated.

Soaking made easy

Lifting soaked haynets out of water is a horrible job. They’re heavy when sopping wet; and it’s nigh on impossible to tip up the soaking container to get rid of the dirty water.

But no longer… Stubbs’ new Soak ‘n’ Roll Soaker solves all that.

And it’s big enough for large haynets.

The 'tank' can be rolled over in two stages after soaking to empty the water. It’s tipped to the first drainage point for a few seconds, then the rest of the way. The effort required is a small

42 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

fraction of that needed to tip a flat-bottomed container.

Drainage channels remove almost all the water during tipping; and once the haynet has drained for a few minutes, it becomes liftable.

Made in tough Stubbythene, the Soak ‘n’ Roll comes in red, blue, green, black, white or pink.

Waste not, want not

Stubbs’ Slo-Grazer is a seriously tough, circular ground feeder.

It does everything a conscientious horse owner wants when their horses are stabled in winter - cuts wasted forage, slows consumption and is a great boredom breaker.

The speed of forage intake from the Slo-Grazer is equivalent to a horse naturally grazing grass – as your customers can see for themselves via a video on the Stubbs England website.

Ground level feeding is, of course, recommended for good posture, correct dental wear and best digestion.

Key to the Slo-Grazer is a grid which goes down with the forage level as the horse nibbles away at the hay or haylage just as he would pick at grass.

Made in tough Stubbythene, it’s available in red, blue, green, black and pink.

For equine escapologists

Stubbs designed the first anti-weave grilles in the 1960s in conjunction with John Waterfall at Horse Requisites.

They have been universally successful and popular. However, some horses, seeing the wider upper section, imagine they can jump out; bendable tines are a safety feature of all Stubbs’ top door grilles.

The new Anti-Jump Anti Weaver is for those equine escapologists. It incorporates the antiweave opening but with vertical sides.

Of strong steel construction, it’s hot dip galvanised and supplied complete with standard mounting sockets.

Identical tine spacing allows easy interchange with other Stubbs’ grilles.

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ETN | STABLE EQUIPMENT AND BEDDING

SUNNY SIDE UP FOR SHARON

Bedding supplier Sundown Products has appointed Olympic eventing bronze medallist Sharon Hunt as a brand ambassador.

Sharon, who these days show jumps, competes in dressage and coaches from her Buckinghamshire base, is a long-time Sundown Products customer.

Said Rachel Cubitt, director: “Sharon uses our Sundown Yellow chopped rapeseed straw bedding and Sun-e-bed straw pellet bedding for her competition and breeding horses, so she’s the perfect brand ambassador for us.”

Sharon switched from wood shavings to Sundown’s Sun-e-bed straw pellet bedding a few years ago.

She likes its superior absorption properties and low dust levels, which she says are so important for competition horses’ wind quality.

“I now have a muck skip at the yard, which we pay to have emptied. Reducing the volume of waste saves us money, and with Sun-e-bed I can muck-out five loose boxes, or six on a good day, into one barrow, so it was an obvious choice for me,” Sharon explains.

“I was also introduced to Sundown Yellow rapeseed chopped straw bedding and have been very impressed. It’s incredibly absorbent and the eucalyptus smell is amazing.

“We used to use three bales of bedding a week and now we’re down to just one or two Sundown Yellow, so the financial savings make a big impact as the cost of everything continues to go up.

“I’m so pleased to be a brand ambassador for Sundown Products,” added Sharon.

“I love their bedding and it’s great to be supporting a family business that understands the equine community and uses sustainable materials from local farms.”

BRIGHT COLOURS, GREAT DESIGNS

Gorilla Plas - the skips, mangers, buckets and tubs collection from Red Gorilla - is now available in four bright colours Made exclusively in the UK for Red Gorilla, Gorilla Plas is a polymer product range designed to sit alongside the brand’s existing tyre rubber range.

While it might look similar to rubber, Gorilla Plas is tougher, lighter in weight and made from 100% recycled plastics. The resulting range is easy to handle, weather resistant, non-absorbent and extremely tough.

When cross-contamination across feed buckets can be worry, Gorilla Plas material comes into its own. Because it’s impermeable, it’s easy to clean – making administering medication, supplements, feeds and water a whole lot safer.

Gorilla Plas comes in pink, red, blue and purple.

44 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

BEDDING MANUFACTURER LAUNCHES A UK FIRST Bedmax has launched the UK’s first AMTRA accredited course for RAMAs/SQPs covering bedding management and wellbeing for horses.

Worth four AMTRA CPD points, the online course explains the benefits and drawbacks of the most popular types of bedding, how it can affect the health and wellbeing of a stabled horse, and best practice in making and managing a healthy bed.

Videos demonstrate how to make a bed using Bedmax shavings and Strawmax straw pellets.

The course also covers the BETA NOPS Bedding certification now carried by all Bedmax equine beddings.

The self-paced AMTRA accredited course runs to a total of 40 minutes.

Bedmax’s managing director, Tim Smalley (pictured), believes it’s a major step forward in the company’s long-term commitment to raising awareness of the importance of bedding to equine health and wellbeing.

“We based the development of our beddings on veterinary research and advice on the effects that bedding can have on the health of horses in their stables,” he explains.

“Good bedding can help safeguard horses from the many health risks they face in their stables, and we have always tried to communicate this really vital information to our customers and our retailers.

“The AMTRA accredited course takes this to a whole new level and we hope it will help keep the UK at the forefront in raising the standards of equine care to the highest level.”

Claire Williams, executive director of BETA, sees the Bedmax AMTRA accredited course as a major resource for people making a career in the industry.

“Britain really does lead the way in equine management training and qualification, and the Bedmax course now meets that British standard of excellence in the key area of bedding management.

“It’s a great advantage for RAMAs/SQPs to be able to gain their CPD points on the SQP Training portal, and we are sure that the response to this course is going to be tremendous.”

NET BENEFITS

Trickle Nets are high-quality, durable hay nets with small holes.

They’re particularly useful for good-doers and horses whose turnout and exercise time may be restricted in winter.

To extract forage from these nets, horses must pluck and nibble, simulating their natural grazing behaviour and rhythm while extending eating time.

Trickle Nets are available in sizes determined by the weight of the forage they hold.

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upda date tedd Meet the up Sundown bedding range New style packaging for Sundown Yellow and Green ✔ New packaging uses less plastic, with improved presentation in-store ✔ More compressed and uniform bales ✔ Same amount of high quality bedding

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

NATIONAL EQUESTRIAN SURVEY 2023 OUT NOW Providing the latest insight into the size and shape of the equestrian landscape!

FREE summary report for all BETA members Full detailed survey available with discounts for BETA members Detailed product reports on: Feed & Bedding Horse and Rider Clothing & Saddlery To order your copies, email tina@beta-uk.org for an order form

ETN | RETAILER PROFILE

Emma Dicey-Cordy’s Galloping Ahead Saddlery is based at an equestrian centre outside Taunton.

Making great strides

Emma Dicey-Cordy talks to Deborah Hayward about her business, Galloping Ahead Saddlery, as it picks up pace in a mission to provide horses and riders with great-fitting saddles.

E

mma Dicey-Cordy is certainly a force to be reckoned with and has shoehorned a huge amount into her 40 years.

From crazy times as an Ibiza DJ and a successful but unfulfilling career in property to undertaking an equestrian apprenticeship, she has certainly lived life to the full, with her foot pressed firmly on the gas.

When she sets her mind to something, she goes for it and all the dedication and commitment she invested in becoming a fullyfledged saddle-fitter has certainly paid off.

With her passion for horses and an entrepreneurial spirit burning brightly, Emma is delighted to have gained an MSFC

After gaining her MSFC qualification, Emma is now a fully qualified saddlefitter.

46 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

saddle-fitter qualification in May this year, allowing her to ramp up her business, Galloping Ahead Saddlery, a gear with a fitting programme to boost and enhance her previous offering.

SETTING UP A SADDLERY

Galloping Ahead Saddlery heralded Emma’s move back into the equestrian industry. Working with horses has always been her dream. “This was the path I wanted to take on leaving school, but I was discouraged by my parents, who didn’t feel that horses offered a suitable career,” she recalls.

“However, the dormant ‘rebellious teenager’ reawakened and I have gone back to my original plan, leaving the corporate sector behind and moving into the horsey world, although the introduction into saddles has happened in a more indirect way.

“It all started in 2017 while shopping online for second-hand saddles for my own horse. I blindly bought a few that didn’t fit, so had to sell them on.

“With my skills and experience gained in house sales, I realised I could photograph, present and describe them better. I made a bit more money than I paid for them, so I bought more saddles, cleaned them up and put them on eBay.” Emma’s fascination with saddle-fitting continued to grow and what started as a sideline became a full-time business last year.

She took a loan and Galloping Ahead Saddlery now boasts an eye-catching e-commerce site and premises at the Comeytrowe Equestrian Centre, just outside Taunton, Somerset.

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RETAILER PROFILE | ETN SADDLES FOR SALE

The company’s website and shop allowed Emma to offer a more dynamic service to customers throughout the UK and overseas.

As she was yet to qualify as a saddle-fitter, she offered saddles with a seven-day trial and a recommendation that riders get them professionally checked during this time.

“This gave customers the opportunity to try a saddle without the commitment of buying it first,” says Emma. “I also offered ‘try on’ appointments at Comeytrowe, where we have two arenas, or I would take a selection of saddles to the customer.”

Second-hand saddle sales – sold on commission or as partexchange – continue to be a key factor in Emma’s business and she is extremely discerning about what she will stock.

“I will only sell a saddle I would happily put on my own horse’s back,” she says. “I request full details, including photos, before someone brings me a saddle for consideration. When the answer is a ‘no’, it makes it much easier all round.”

GROWING IN EXPERIENCE

Although operating in this way provided Emma with invaluable experience for her saddle-fitting training, she did not want to offer advice to customers at this stage in her career.

But her belief that every ridden horse should have the right saddle pushed her further down the path to becoming a saddlefitting professional with the appropriate qualifications and credentials.

“I started my training with the Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) in 2019, taking its Introductory Saddle Fitting course, and have attended several of its other courses, including the Flocking to Fit module,” says Emma. “I also have a City & Guilds in flocking and adjustment, obtained through the SMS. “I studied for the MSFC saddle-fitter course at the same time and went over to France to take my exams. It is a very well-respected qualification and I was thrilled to have passed. With this under my belt, I can now offer a Emma divides her time between fitting saddles full saddle-fitting on her own premises and at customers’ yards. service.”

ETN asks Emma…

Q: How did you come up with the name of your business?

My dad, David Dicey, was an amateur jockey who died when I was seven. His brother, Richard Dicey – also a jockey, who had a very successful career – lives in Australia, where his company is Galloping Ahead Horse Equipment. I asked my uncle if I could use the name here in the UK in honour of them both and he agreed.

Q: Who is your typical customer?

Because I had been selling mostly second-hand saddles, customers tended to be leisure riders or grassroots competitors.

With new sales on board, I am sure this profile will change.

Q: What is the most common problem you see?

People think they can buy an off-the-peg saddle in a specific size and it will fit their horse, but there are so many other elements that should be taken into consideration apart from width and length. They need to appreciate that, although they might have

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BUSINESS HQ

The stone-built premises Emma rents from the equestrian centre, with its 50 horses, gives a physical presence to the business and is open by appointment only, allowing her to divide time between conducting fittings on site and making customer yard visits.

Emma enjoys a long-standing connection with the centre, as it’s the place where she took lessons to rekindle her love of riding after a long break. She has also loaned and kept a horse at the centre and once worked there as an apprentice.

However, an unfortunate fall resulting in a fractured vertebrae meant that she left shortly before taking her BHS Stage 3. To have a base here feels, in some ways, like coming home.

In addition to saddle-fitting and sales, Emma runs an equine laundry, with repairs carried out by her friend Sarah Mitchell.

“The laundry side fits nicely with other aspects of the business and is a great networking tool All riders and their horses can benefit from a among local horsey professional saddle-fitter, Emma believes. people,” says Emma.

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!

Emma’s new status as a qualified saddle-fitter has opened doors, allowing her to work with some of the industry’s leading brands.

“I am really pleased to have been welcomed into the Black Country Saddles family,” she says. “I spent an amazing day with the company, looking at how they make their own trees on site, seeing all the different leathers and hides, and finding out about their entire saddle-making process.

“Some saddle-fitters even have their own templates for gussets and panels, which is really interesting, as it just goes to show how the makers there are working with fitters to ensure the saddles are exactly what the horse needs.

“I am also thrilled to be working with Heritage Bespoke Saddles, as they offer really great quality at an amazing price point, and I have a trade account with Cavaletti for an adjustable saddle option.” some knowledge, professional advice should be sought, as saddlefitting is a lot more complicated than it seems.

Q: Are you a BETA member?

Yes, I have joined BETA to show that I have a professional and trustworthy business. I am serious about what I do and like to do things right. I am also a member of the Society of Master Saddlers.

Q: Do you own a horse?

Yes, my nan taught me to ride as a child and kept a pony for me on her smallholding. Today, I have my own horse, a sporty Irish cob type called Joe, and his companion, a mini-Shetland, Paddy, who belongs to my three-year-old daughter, Lilia. My husband is also called Joe, so, to avoid confusion, my horse gets called Jo-Jo while he is Joseph!

Q: Do you have any pets?

We have a dog called Bailey and a white cat named Jon Snow, as well as about 30 chickens and two guinea pigs, Annabelle and Lola.

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 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 July/August 2018, ETN reported:

FIVE YEARS AGO...

E-commerce specialist B2C Distribution unveiled The Drillshed, an equestrian shopping website and Essex based showroom. Its main buyer was former sales agent Cath Gordon; while the retailer’s managing director was ex-Horse&Hound MD Paul Williams.

The Princess Royal attended a reception in Walsall hosted by the Saddlers’ Company to celebrate British saddlery. She visited saddlemakers Albion and Fairfax while in the town, presenting Rupert and Vanessa Fairfax with their company’s Queen’s Award for Innovation.

“Stock up now or pay higher prices.” That was the message from bedding manufacturers in the face of soaring timber prices and a poor straw harvest after a hard winter.

In product news, Dodson & Horrell launched a range of six feed balancers and wormer manufacturers were picking up the pace in a bid to promote responsible worming.

In July/August 2003, ETN reported:

Matchmakers was about to relaunch its recently acquired Caldene brand. Neville Lawrence, managing director of Matchmakers, told ETN that extensive market research was underway to 20 pin-point a target audience for the new YEARS AGO... range. Sales director David Hutchinson had appointed a team of five Caldene area sales managers.

Sue Moxon, managing director of R&R Country, wrote about the “difficult decisions” retailers faced when moving to an electronic point of sale system.

Olympic eventing team gold medallist Jane HoldernessRoddam was named as successor to Sir Adam Butler as BETA president. Sir Adam had fulfilled the role for 12 years. “The trade can be very influential in supporting the horse world,” said Jane.

Colin Missenden, Harrods’ equestrian buyer and Master Saddler, was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with a Royal Victoria medal. He retired, aged 70, as a member of the Queen’s Yeoman of the Guard, but continued to work two days a week in his workshop in Harrods’ saddlery department.

48 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

In July/August 2013, ETN reported:

TEN

Bit specialist Neue YEARS Schule signed up as AGO... main sponsor of BETA International – and announced it would host lorinery seminars at the trade fair.

A group of businesses based in the south-west joined forced to boost British exports from the region.

The South West Animal Cluster, including Hilton Herbs, Verm-X, Pro-Motion Equine, Smart Grooming, Griffin NuuMed and Snuggy Hoods, secured £3,000 funding from UKTI. TAGG Equestrian made a four-year agreement to become Official Rug Supplier to the British Equestrian Team. The deal included the Comfort Zone, Falpro, Funnell and Loveson brands.

Amanda Shirtcliffe, store manager at Derby House in Olney, was short-listed for the Paralympic Games in Rio. Amanda had been head of mail order for the retailer’s previous incarnation as Olney Saddlery.

In July/August 1993, ETN reported:

Ken Lyndon-Dykes bought Crockstad Saddlery in East Sussex, bringing the number of shops in his Kent Leather Group to 11. Renaming the shop 30 Chandlers Saddlery, Ken YEARS pledged to improve on its AGO... £250,000 annual turnover.

Home shopping was reported to be a growing trend among horse owners and riders. Yorkshire retailer Ride-away said it was printing 19,000 copies of its 100-page, full colour mail order catalogue to meet demand.

Product news featured the first waterproof tweed from Barbour; an equine therapy massager that ran off a car battery; Grannick’s Bitter Apple, said to “correct negative behaviour in the stable”; and the world’s first “electronic equine speedometer” which was in prototype stage but set to retail at £300.

Romance was in the air…Harold Knight (80), chairman of BETA Trade Fairs and recently retired chief executive of the Society of Master Saddlers, married 51-year-old schoolteacher Sarah Richardson. Love had blossomed at Saddlers’ Hall too with Group Captain Kingsley Oliver, Clerk to the Saddlers’ Company, engaged to marry Audrey Langsdale who worked for the livery company.

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Photos: fizkes/Shutterstock.com, Chamomile_Olya/Shutterstock.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS | ETN

It doesn’t matter what you choose, but be consistent and make a style guide for everyone in your organisation to follow.

The devil’s in the detail Consistency can elevate a brand’s image, says Rhea Freeman.

D

oes it matter if you use the right shade of blue for your logo? If your fonts vary from post to post? Or if you use filters on some content?

It’s not life and death, but if you want to create a strong, professional brand image, it does matter. Through creating brand guidelines that are shared with everyone in your company responsible for any type of creative, you can elevate your brand at no cost.

Think of the colour blue. What colour of blue are you thinking of? More sky or navy? Midnight or azure? Sapphire or electric?

These are six ‘names’, and I bet my ‘navy’ will be a slightly different colour from yours. When we look at it from a brand perspective, variation in a colour can prevent people from identifying your brand as quickly and it really does erode the professionalism of your brand.

Every aspect of the visual identity of your brand should sit together. It’s good to think of your social media, website, swing tags and catalogue (and anything else) together - cohesion is what elevates brands. It’s why huge brands from all over the world have put time and energy into developing strict brand guidelines whether their brand assets are used internally or externally.

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The good news is that although these details make a huge impact, it’s not all that hard to create a brand ‘bible’ (aka brand guidelines) that everyone can work to. This will make it easier for everyone and gives a formula for all future creative content.

Key areas to consider…

Logo: How can your logo be used? Do you have different versions (as in full colour/the reverse/black and white)? Do you have full and short versions? Do you have additional logos for your sub brands? How can these be used? Can they be resized? The colour altered? The proportions changed? In what situations would you use each one? …and then placement. Do you have your logos centred on graphics or always at the top left? Yes, it’s a small detail but it matters. You can also include the size in relation to other elements if you want to take it to the next level, so everything is balanced.

Fonts: What are your primary and secondary fonts, and when can these be used? Also, make sure that if the fonts you use on your printed material aren’t available online, are you happy with an alternative (and what is this).

CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023 | 49

ETN | SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS Colours: Know your brand’s colours - and this includes primary, secondary and tertiary. Put the exact colour in hex colour picker at least, but depending on what you do and how you create your creative, you might also want to add a Pantone, RGB and CMYK reference. Also, explain how these colours are used. Tertiary colours will be used a whole lot less than primary, but when would you use them? Can you give examples?

Layout: From your social media posts to your ads to your printed material and everything else, how do you like things to look? Where does your logo sit? Your website address? How does it look? Analyse what you do and write instructions for each element - also include visual examples of what’s right and wrong.

Images: What images do you want to associate with your brand? Are there any absolute no-nos, such as a rider who isn’t wearing a hat or a horse that’s overbent? Spend some time looking out examples to illustrate the point, so if a member of your team is looking on Canva for a background image for something, they know what not to use.

Filters: Filters or edits can transform an image, and if consistency isn’t maintained here, it can create a really jarring and disconnected result. If you use a specific filter, say what it is. If you use a preset to edit images, write this information down.

Graphics: Graphics can be a great way to illustrate a point, but the range of styles across the graphics available is vast, so be clear. What style aligns with your brand - are you more into line drawings? Realistic graphics or cartoon style? It doesn’t matter what you pick but be consistent.

These little details might not change your business overnight, but tightening up what you do to ensure consistency and promote professionalism should be seen as an incremental gain.

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.

Coming soon

in ETN…

OCTOBER ISSUE • SUPPLEMENTS AND FEED BALANCERS – WHAT TO STOCK • CHRISTMAS IS COMING – GREAT GIFT IDEAS • WINTER CARE – GET READY FOR WINTER WITH USEFUL PRODUCTS FOR SEASONAL ISSUES PLUS THE FIRST AID KIT • WORKING DOGS

Editorial submissions by 23rd August 2023 to editor@equestriantradenews.com. For more information, contact Abi Cannon on tel 01428 601028 Evie Edgar on tel 01428 601031 email etn@djmurphy.co.uk

50 | EQUESTRIAN TRADE NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2023

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Snowhill Trade Saddlery

Issue 26 Catalogue Out Now!

Wholesale Saddlery and Country Clothing Suppliers New In Promo Price

Rhinegold Kenya Mesh Fly Rug With Neck Cover The brand new Kenya Fly Rug is made with a robust but soft mesh.

With a Detachable Neck Cover and easy touch tape loop fastenings for the rug.

The topline and chest is lined with a satin feel fabric for comfort and to help prevent rubbing.

Product Code: 612 Colour: White Sizes: 4’6” to 7’3”

Trade Price Was £24.50

NOW £20.00 To Clear

Pack Of 10 Haynets

Rhinegold Padded Logo Headcollar

Traditional polypropylene 36” haynets with running rings

Features a fully adjustable headpiece and noseband with a super soft padding

Product Code: 349 Colour: Black Size: One Size

Product Code: 353 Colours: Black, Navy, Red Sizes: Shetland, Pony, Cob, Full

Trade Price Was £10.00

NOW £6.00

Trade Price Was £4.50

NOW £3.00 Rhinegold Fly Rugs With Detachable Neck Cover Narrow fitting on the neckline.

Product Code: C671 Colour: White Sizes: 6’0” to 7’0”

To Clear www.snowhilltradesaddlery.co.uk

Rhinegold Harper Long Riding Boot Vegan friendly economically priced long riding boot.

The boots have an insulated, weatherproof Cordura fabric leg, full length rear zip with an elasticated side panel for movement.

Product Code: 854 Colour: Black Sizes: 3 (EU36) to 8 (EU42) Calf Fittings: 0, 1, 2, 3

Trade Price

Trade Price

NOW £14.50

NOW £30.00

Was £19.90

Email: sales@snowhill.ltd.uk

Was £49.50

Tel: 01243 672323

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