Everything horse uk february 2014

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February 2014 Issue 5

INSIDE

NEWS Ben Maher Responds to

A CHAT WITH

UK FREE

NATASHA BAKER AND ...

A CLOSER LOOK AT EQUINE HOUSING & STRETCHING FOR HORSES

‘Secret Profits’ Lawsuit

A MUST READ ARTICLE

Riding and Road Safety

The Highway Code ... Be Seen ...

Be Safe

WIN GEMOSI Jewellery Gift vouchers

SPECIAL FEATURE:

A day in the life of

Flora Harris

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Hello and welcome to edition 5 of the Everything Horse UK Magazine!

the roads at this time of year can worry many riders so we help offer top tips on what to wear to ‘be seen’.

This month we have teamed up with the horse hair jewellery specialist Gemosi to offer 2 lucky readers a chance to win one of two Gemosi Jewellery gift vouchers, turn to page 27 for more information.

With Christmas behind us and the first month of the year passed, we are left wondering what the next few months have in store for us weather wise. With forecast channels talking of snow, torrential downpours and gale force winds; now more than ever we are focusing on keeping our horses as warm, safe and as sound as we can.

Our regular news features from Daisy Jackson and Nicola Strong are also included and we welcome a new team member on board to cover the Showjumping section, Jennifer McAloon. Nicola has yet again been on the road this month as she interviewed Flora Harris, our front cover star! With her recent relocation Flora invites our readers in for a tour of her fantastic new yard and talks of her three Advanced horses, her dreams of the Europeans and competing at The RIO 2016 Olympic Games!

In this months edition of the Everything Horse UK Magazine Louise Napthine MSc is back with a fantastic article on Equine Housing. Louise goes over the different types of stabling for our horses and uses research from the Nottingham Trent University to back up her evidence.

Eiddwen Fletcher continues her series and explains the importance of ligaments, Eiddwen uses some wonderful images to demonstrate her findings and to help us understand more.

We have 3 fantastic features included throughout; one for the ‘loved up’ equestrian just in time for Valentines day. giving you an idea or two for the perfect gift! Our second feature is all about supplements, this is the first of a three part series, starting this months focusing on Breathing, Digestion and Performance. Last but by no means least we had a little fun with the Keep Warm and Carry On feature, we have tried to include a little something for everyone to help keep you warm this winter.

Our biggest news story this month is focused on Ben Maher and his current Lawsuit with the Phillips’, Fiona Kenyon keeps us up to date with the progress of the allegations and informs us on a little more of where the case currently stands.

With a fresh British Eventing season upon us and spring not too far away next months edition will be packed full of even more exciting news, features and articles!

Our Riding and Road Safety series also starts this month. We take a closer look into the ‘Be Seen...Be Safe’ issue. Riding on

Suzanne Ashton Company Director, Everything Horse UK Ltd

Contact Information

Disclaimer

General Enquiries contact@everythinghorseuk.co.uk

Everything Horse UK Ltd endeavors to bring the reader accurate and up to date information from the equestrian industry.

We may or may not agree with the information provided in this magazine, however we do aim to make sure it is relevant at the time of publishing. Images are provided by the content writers and Everything Horse UK Ltd will not be held liable for the use of images if copyright authentication has not been accurately sourced. Responsibility for Copyright authentication is left solely with the contributor. Should you have a dispute please contact Everything Horse UK, we will then be able to give details for the writer responsible for the issue of the images. Everything Horse UK Ltd strongly recommend you consult a qualified veterinary practitioner should you have any doubts over your horses health.

Editor editor@everythinghorseuk.co.uk Sales Laura Gibbons laura_advertising@everythinghorseuk.co.uk Fiona Kenyon iona_advertising@everythinghorseuk.co.uk Photography Mike Bain 5star-elite@btconnect.com Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Contents REGULARS

6. Ben Maher responds to ‘Secret Profits’ Lawsuit 8. British Dressage Update - Daisy Jackson 11. British Eventing Update - Nicola Strong 16. Jennifer McAloon - British Showjumping Update 18. Other Industry news including SEIB Search for a Star dates and the Race Horse to Riding Horse series information

ARTICLES

30. Equine Housing - Louise Napthine MSc A closer looking into different methods of stabling horses 32. Stretching for Horses - Barbara Dreyer First in a four part series of stretching exercises for horses 34. The Highway Code...Be Seen...Be Safe!

A closer look into how to ‘be seen’ on the roads, first part in a four part series

SPECIAL FEATURES

12. A Day in the Lift of Flora Harris Nicola strong is invited to Flora’s new yard 22. A Chat with Natasha Baker Natasha Baker answers questions on her ethos, thoughts and wishes 24. Love is in the air; Valentines Gift Ideas Idea’s on what to buy your loved one for Valentines day 44. Are you Supplement Savy?

First part in a three part series of looking at supplements, February’s focus Breathing, Digestion and performance.

48. Keep Warm and Carry On this winter The Everything Horse UK guide to looking ‘HOT’ this winter 47. Keeping your Horse Happy with Verdo Bedding Healthy, Happy and Stable

Natasha Baker

36. Float Loading- Mark Langley Mark talks more on techniques for loading horses safely onto trailers 42. The Horse from the Inside - Eiddwen Fletcher This months focus: Ligaments

Equine Housing 4

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

The Childéric Short Anatomical Girth

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All four girths can be adjusted in width for a bespoke fit if required.

Sizes: 45cm – 85cm Prices start at £200.00 Colours: Irish, Black and Master Image shows: Childéric Short Anatomical Girth www.childericsaddles.co.uk

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Ben Maher responds to ‘Secret Profits’ Lawsuit written by Fiona Kenyon

London Olympic show jumping Champion Ben Maher has responded to a lawsuit from his long term backers Mike and Emma Phillips alleging that he made ‘Secret Profits’ of £700,000 from sales of their horses during an eight year relationship.

In a second lawsuit the Phillipses are seeking the sale of Mahers’ Olympic winning horse Tripple X for which say they paid £250,000 for a share in 2009 , the horse is now worth potentially millions.

Maher served as a blood stock agent for Quainton Stud, run by the Phillipses’ , on multiple occasions.

He is accused of making ‘Secret Profits’ deals by providing them with false information regarding prices paid for the horses.

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The battle over sale prices began when Vigolo was sold back to his original owners for less than the price paid. This aroused the Phillipses suspicions and they began investigating other transactions.

Maher is accused of ‘Secret Profits’ in six sales.

Tackeray was sold to an American buyer for $850,000 , rather than the $500,000 the Phillipses say they were told. They say that an invoice for third party commission ‘is a sham’.

Amounts alleged as ‘Secret Profits’ from other transactions are Quainton Quinford €10,000, Avanti €50,000, Vigolo €150,000,Robin Hood £80,000, Wonderboy £222496. Totalling about Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

£700,000.

Tackeray was purchased by the Bruheim family’s Nordic Lights Farm in March. In a Horse and Hound report on the sale Emma Phillips was quoted as saying she was unaware who brought Tackeray at the time of the transaction “It was done with agents and trainers, so we don’t know who has brought him and probably won’t until they bring him out” In papers, filed with the High Court in London, Mahers defence and counter-claim alleges that the Phillipses owe him for extensive services during their association which started in 2005. He seeks a legal declaration that he is due 10% of all stud fees and 10% on sales of horses he has competed.

Maher agrees that Tripple X should be sold ,but disputes the Phillipses statement of a personal share, claiming the stallion is part owned by the Quainton Stud syndicate.

horse dealing have come under scrutiny , with Maher saying that he and the Phillipses jointly acquired Wonderboy for £400,000, he says he paid for his share with four horses belonging to his father.

Wonderboy was sold in May 2010 for €950,000, with Irish Olympic Rider Billy Twomey receiving €80,000 as broker. Mahers defence claim that the Phillipses then split the €810,000 equally, and that Mike Phillips told him to keep £200,000 as part payment of Quainton Stud’s share in Tripple X. Maher claims he is still owed £37,000.

Maher who was the world no 1 until he was overtaken by Brash in early December, now spends part of the year in Wellington Florida, with American backer Jane Clark. Maher rode Clark’s’ horse Cella to team gold and individual silver at the European Championships, and victory in the New London Global Championships Tour in 2013.

Mahers defence papers also say that no evidence of false invoicing has been produced.

Maher says he keeps faith by continuing to compete despite the ongoing court battle.

The Court papers filed reveal the split goes back to early 2013, with the formal business partnership being dissolved in early august. Mike Phillips also tried to obtain an injunction to prevent Tripple X from competing at Hickstead CSIO. The complexities of global

Emma Phillips said “ Its a very sad end to a highly successful partnership”.“it is now in the hands of the court.”

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

The case is expected to continue for some time and then to be settled out of court.

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British Dressage News written by Daisy Jackson 2013 ended with an exciting finish at Olympia’s World Cup qualifier and 2014 began with a brilliant start opening with the showcasing of British stallions at the British Bred Sports Horse and Pony Stallion Event.

At Olympia Charlotte Dujardin broke yet another world record with Valegro scoring a massive 93.97% in the Freestyle - what a fantastic role model for British dressage riders. All of those that were lucky enough to get to Olympia were treated to a breath-taking performance as once again Charlotte and Valegro surpassed themselves and all who have gone before them.

The duo gained an artistic score of 91.350% and a technical score of 96.600% including a whopping percentage of 99.000% given to them by the French judge. Also scoring highly for Great Britain was Michael Eilberg on Half Moon Delphi coming 4th with 78.70%. Lara Griffith, Laura T’s protégée scored 74.45% on Laura’s Andretti H, Carl Hester took 11th on Gemma Appleton’s Fine Time 13 and Emile Faurie came 15 with Topolino ll. In the Grand Prix Charlotte took the top spot scoring 84.85%. Michael was 5th with 74.10%, Carl came 10th with 69.89%, Lara 12th with 69.48% and Emile 15th with 67.87%. All in all a brilliant show and great representation of British Dressage!

Although not strictly dressage, I wanted to touch upon the Stallion Event held in Hartpury on the 4th January. I am a great supporter of British breeding having 3 British bred horses myself. I was keen to find out which dressage stallions are available and how we are doing as breeders on the whole. So here is a quick rundown of some of the most impressive stallions.

Larkshill Debonair showed a super canter in particular and he had only just returned from Germany from passing his 30 day stallion performance test. He was shown under his new rider Leah Beckett who had only sat on him 5 times beforehand so they did really well.

Above Larkshill Debonair

Kingswood Durable is impressive both in stature and paces. He possesses massive movement and stands at a huge 18hh but luckily is a gentle giant in the stable. Of course he has already proved himself under saddle by winning the shearwater 4 year old championships and I think his foals will be exciting. Although he had such huge scope he looked a little tired on the day as he is only young and still growing so perhaps didn’t show as well as some of the other stallions.

GF Deville and GF Dusatoir were both very good. Dusatoir is still young and as he matures will strengthen to show even more movement.

Keystone Diaggio also showed well, he is a lovely type with very good paces, another one to watch as I am sure we will see a lot of him in competition.

Of the woodlander boys, all were impressive but the two that stood out were, the pony stallion Wales who is just super and Wild Child. Wales ticks all the boxes on looks, conformation and movement, a real step forward for sports pony breeding. Wild child was shown on the lunge and is of beautiful type with long legs and is showing some good paces. I cannot wait to see him as he matures further.

Moorlands bodyguard will be popular I am sure.

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

He is by Gribaldi and was drop dead gorgeous and performed well. Platinum Honey’s Hope the pony stallion behaved brilliantly for his first time out under saddle.

His walk and canter are super and his temperament looks to have the excellent qualities you would look for in a pony.

The last to come in was Woodcraft Garuda K and heshowed himself really well, he is a stunning stallion and is such a good choice for so many British mares as he is a Trakehner so helps to refine and modernise.

Above: Erin Williams and her new ride Waverly

Back to conventional dressage and two young riders really stood out for me this month. Erin Williams whose new ride is her mother’s horse, Waverly. Erin is a 16 year old junior rider that has competed internationally at the European Championships for the pony team on several occasions and is now in a very strong position for Juniors. I caught up with Erin to find out more about her plans for this year.

“After being part of the GB Pony Team for 4 years, I am now 16, too old for ponies and officially a ‘Junior’ dressage rider! Following my last Pony European Championships in Italy in July I sold my lovely palomino pony Dynasty to Austria to concentrate on working towards a place on the GB Junior Team. Recently I have taken over the ride on my Mum’s horse Waverly (we call her Lola) to run alongside my more experienced mare Fleurie and my young stallion Billionaire.

Lola is rising 11 but is very green at competing as she was previously a brood mare in Holland.

She is by Gribaldi and has had several foals, both naturally and by embryo transfer before starting her new job as a dressage superstar!

Over the last couple of years she has really matured in her training and I have begun to compete her at Advanced Medium/Junior level.

She is a big mare, at over 17 hands, but is a gentle giant and is not strong or spooky. We have done a few Advanced Medium classes and she qualified for the Winter Regionals in just a couple of outings. Last week we did an Advanced Medium Freestyle at Askham Bryan College using borrowed music and floor

Lucy and Sheepcote Don Calisto. Image kind permission from Image Point Photography

plan from Fleurie. I was really happy with the test and we scored really well to win the class with 73.88% which qualified us for the 2015 Freestyle Championships!

Next weekend Lola and I are off to the High Profile Show at Addington to have a run through of the Junior Team test. If we get a good score at Addington I am hoping that I will be able to take her to an international competition later in the year. It will all a bit of a juggling act though as I have my GCSE exams in May and June!”

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Lucy Pincus , the other young rider doing brilliantly this month has been out winning with Sheepcote Don Calisto by Don Schufro. The pair won both the qualifiers at Elementary and Medium at Hartpury giving them a great beginning to 2014 and a head start in summer qualification. 17 year old Lucy is currently studying at college doing a business diploma but is still very focused on her plans with Don Calisto who is rising 8 and working towards PSG. Lucy explains that her plans are to do the Regional Championships at Medium and Advanced medium and is hoping to qualify for the nationals. Lucy also revealed she would like to give Juniors a go at Premier Leagues. So we can look forwards to both Erin and Lucy out contesting juniors this year!

In my world..

I have had a quiet month getting ready for a warm up competition at Addington in preparation for the Regional Championships.

I am quite nervous as it will be Tango’s first regional’s and I am not sure how he will cope with the busy atmosphere. Tango can get strong and take over when he is stressed so I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep him calm and focussed!

We have had some really good training sessions this month. Tango is getting stronger and we did our first set of 4 tempi changes which I was over the moon with. It is so nice to feel the improvement and sometimes I have to remind myself how far we have come. I was 14 when we first bought Tango as a strapping 4 year old and we have been through a lot together. I can’t wait for the day we can go out at the higher levels and show that all the training has paid off.

Daisy and Furst Larkshill, stable name Tango Photography kind permission from Sarah Harvey

Introducing the

Next Generation The Childéric

DSC Dressage - now even better

Have a great month and if you would like to catch up with me on Facebook search Daisy Jackson Dressage to see what I have been up to.

If you would like to ask any of our news team a question please email yoursay@everythinghorseuk.co.uk we will do our best to answer your question in next months issue!

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www.childericsaddles.co.uk Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

British Eventing News written by Nicola Strong Badminton Horse Trials prize money increased to £80,000 for the 2014 competition, up from £65,000 in 2013, with prizemoney increases also reflected in the lower placings.

Above: One of the fences at last years Badminton Horse Trials

Paul Tapner, 2010 winner, welcomed the news saying; “Thanks and congrats to Hugh Thomas (director and course designer), Badminton Horse Trials and Mitsubishi Motors (sponsors) on this increase in prizemoney. “It will obviously only benefit Badminton prize-winners in the short-term, but it clearly demonstrates that event organisers, BE, FEI and sponsors are starting to be on the same wavelength as the riders regarding prizemoney, which can only be good for eventing in the long term.”

2007 winner Lucinda Fredericks said; ““This is fantastic news for the sport and most importantly for owners who put the money into this wonderful equestrian sport.

“Everyone knows the prizemoney in eventing is very low and it’s tough for the riders to keep their owners. This will be a great incentive to attract more owners and sponsors to the sport.

Let’s hope other events do follow in 2014.”

Above: Last years course designer, Kevin Bywater was responsible for raising the height of the fences to the highest seen yet at Badminton Horse Trials.

Elsewhere...

Inishmor wins 2013 SEIB and ROR Elite Performance Award for Eventing on 11 January . The former racehorse, owned by Ian Murray, started his eventing career with Paul Tapner in 2012, and in just two seasons has progressed quickly with successful outings at Intermediate and two-star.

The stunning grey has an impressive eventing record with three wins already, and no less than 15 top ten placings. Inishmor looks every bit worthy of the award and will be one to watch in 2014.

Left: Zara on board during the 2013 British Eventing Season Image Credit Mike Bain

Zara Phillips has given birth to a baby girl on 17 January at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The baby weighed 7lb 12oz, Mike Tindall, Zara’s husband was present at the birth. The sporting pair decided against a Royal title and named their first child Mia Grace Tindall, Italian for ‘wished for child’.

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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British Eventing News written by Nicola Strong

Flora and Bayano

Flora Harris Flora Harris believes she has the best string of horses she’s ever had. Flora has been eventing for the past eight years, and in 2011 made her Badminton debut with Law Choice – a horse with whom she rose up through the ranks, and retired the same season.

Losing a top horse through retirement can be devastating for a rider making a name for them self, but Flora’s work of past years has come to fruition now with the emergence of her younger horses.

For an eventer to ensure longevity within the sport, they need to consistently produce horses to top level, and keep their younger replacements coming through the ranks behind them.

Last year Flora achieved her highest UK ranking to

A Day in the Life of Flora Harris

date moving up to 23rd, thanks in no small part to the aptly named Amazing VIII who won at Barbury CIC two-star and placed in the top ten at Blenheim CIC three-star. Flora currently has three horses set to compete at three-star this season all of whom are self-produced. So what’s the secret to her success?

Here’s an insight into her daily life...

Schedules “On an average working day I’d get to the yard for 7am, and then aim to be on the first horse for 7.30.

I would generally ride two or three before we’d have a break for coffee, although I don’t usually stop for lunch but work on through. In a normal day I’ll ride seven-nine times in a day, and in the afternoon I’ll usually go for a run and do some admin work or teaching too.”

The stable yard

Flora and Maisie (Amazing VIII) 12

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

“For the horses, they’ll be fed when we get to the yard at 7am, and then be turned out for either the morning of afternoon, and worked the other end of the day. They have lunch at 1pm, and the last feed at 5.30pm when we leave, and they always have a ‘proper groom’ before bed.”

Below are an example of what Flora might do with her horses in a standard working week but she explains it’s difficult to be too specific; “I always tailor the work to suit the individual horse so one horse’s week might be quite different to another depending on what they need to work on.

The indoor stable block

Example winter schedule Day Activity

Mon Day Off

Tues Wed Thurs School School Jump (flatwork) (flatwork)

Fri Hack (1hr)

Sat

Sun

Jump

Hack

Example summer schedule Day Activity

Mon

Tues

Day off

Jump

Wed Thurs Fri School School Jump (flatwork) (flatwork)

“I like to do the schooling on consecutive days if we’re working on a theme to help reinforce what we’re doing, and always have a plan of what I want

to achieve. For jumping for instance, I have a lot of exercises in my toolbox that I can use depending on the horse, various grids to sharpen, and the closer to the season we’ll work on things like adjustability.

“My hacks are usually from 45 minutes to 1hr15, and they are always working through when hacking.

They’ll do plenty of trotting up hills which is great for fitness, and we hack on all terrain from road work to bridleways and on grass.

“They tend to have a holiday after the season is over so from say mid October to the end of November they’ll live out and be completely roughed off, and just allow them to be horses again. Then they come in at the start of December and we’ll just build them up gradually starting with light hacking work for about three weeks, and start to incorporate light schooling for 20 minutes at a time. Early February we’ll build in the fast work. They always seem to come back really fresh and strong after their break.”

Training and preparation “My one big tip would be to make sure you’re always as prepared as you can possibly be, then you know

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Sat Sun Hack / Compete fast work

you are equipped to do your best on the day, and don’t be distracted by what other people are doing.

“I train with Andrew Fletcher on the flat, Fred Bergendorff for showjumping, and I’ve also worked with Jon Pitts for about the past six years now. He helps with all aspects really – business, fitness, preparation, skills etc. I see him about once a fortnight and he comes to competitions too. I used to get quite nervous, but I have some good techniques to help cope with that now.

“I couldn’t pick one discipline I enjoy most, I genuinely love them all! I suppose that’s why I’m an eventer. My love for dressage has definitely developed over the years as I’ve understood more about the how’s and why’s, but also I think as I’ve matured.

“I do quite a bit of British Showjumping, and I’ll do that throughout the season. I think it particularly helps with one horse as she is quite looky, so it’s good to give her an outing and keep her out and about competing between events. I do lots of unaffiliated dressage too, but not BD otherwise it gets quite expensive having lots of memberships.

“It’s hugely important to work on your own fitness too, and I run 3-4 times per week as well as doing core exercises. Most mistakes commonly happen in the last third across country when horses and riders 13

Flora riding Cesano H at Barbury get tired because their reactions become slower. I think sometimes people underestimate how hard riders actually work in the saddle.”

Goals and aims She goes on; “I now have three Advanced horses, all of which I’ve had since they were babies so it’s really exciting. My aim now would be to establish consistent results at three-star as well as looking to expand my string. Longer term, I’ll be aiming towards Europeans and I know it’s a cliché and everybody says it, but I’d like to aim for Rio.” Flora’s three Advanced horses have been selected for the World Class Equine Pathway, a scheme which affords them top class training as potential world championship contenders. Asked if she has a stable star or a favourite, she states that she couldn’t choose one.

– really cheeky but a massive trier, and I felt he went beyond his level of talent because he just wanted to please. The right attitude in a horse is the single most important thing.”

Flora has started the year with a big boost, moving into Membury Estate in Wiltshire. The base, set within 70 acres, boats a 30m x 70m indoor arena, covered horse walker, hydrotherapy spa, solarium and all weather turnout paddock, all a stone’s throw from the internal stables, tack room and heated kitchen.

The Facilities (following three images)

“I love them all – they have such different personalities. My all time favourite though would have to be Bobs (Law Choice) who we sadly lost last year. I always said all my horses are equal, but Bobs is more equal than them all! We went through Juniors all the way up to Badminton together, so he was my one in a million horse. He was just so tough 14

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

The base was previously occupied by Laura Collett, and whilst Flora insists she did not move to Membury to become estate owner Philip Walker’s stable jockey, it does not go unnoticed that Collett’s previous rides Allora 3 and Noble Bestman (competitive at three and four-star level respectively) would currently be without a rider. No doubt the addition of two horses of this calibre would be a welcome addition to Harris’ team of horses for the 2014 season, should the horses, Walker’s three Advanced decide to give her the ride.

“I now have all of which I’ve had since they were babies so it’s really exciting. My aim now would be to“Iestablish consistent now have three results at three-star as well as looking Advanced horses, to expand my string. Longer term, I’ll allEuropeans of whichand I’veI be aiming towards hadeverybody since they know it’s a cliché and says it, but I’d like were to aim babies for Rio.” so

The base was previously occupied by Laura Collett, and whilst Flora insists she did not move to Membury to become estate owner Philip Walker’s stable jockey, it does not go unnoticed that Collett’s previous rides Allora 3 and Noble Bestman (competitive at three and four-star level respectively) would currently be without a rider. No doubt the addition of two horses of this calibre would be a welcome addition to Harris’ team of horses for the 2014 season, should the Walker’s decide to give her the ride.

Flora’s top tips: •

Be as prepared as you can possibly and pay attention to small details. This will allow you to perform the best you can on the day

•

•

Make sure you’ve ticked every box prior to competition, and do things like packing the lorry the night before

•

Flora’s top tips: •

Be as prepared as you can possibly and pay attention to small details. This will allow you to perform the best you can on the day

•

•

• Make sure you’ve ticked every box prior to competition, and do things like packing the lorry • the night before Laura’s Badminton debut with Law Choice in 2011

•

Issue 20142014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine Issue55• •February February • Everything Horse UK Magazine

it’s really exciting.

My aim Do the simple things right; if younow can dowould the basics well, everything else will follow.

Don’t be to establishbe afraid to revisit the basics frequently consistent results Make sure your own fitness is up to scratch at three-star as Select your major events first, and then build the well as looking to rest of your season around it expand my string.

Longer term, I’ll be aiming towards Europeans and I know it’s a cliché and everybody says it, but I’d like to aim for Rio.”

Do the simple things right; if you can do the basics well, everything else will follow. Don’t be afraid to revisit the basics frequently Make sure your own fitness is up to scratch Select your major events first, and then build the rest of your season around it 15 15

BS Update Written by Jennifer McAloon It was a very good start to the year for British Show-jumpers with Scott Brash and Ben Maher taking the top spots in the FEI World Rankings. Scott ended the year in the top spot after winning the Longines Global Tour Championships with Hello Sanctos knocking Ben Maher down to second. . Back in September Ben Maher was the first British show-jumper in 20 years to secure the first place in the FEI World Rankings.

Scott Brash, 28, who finished 2nd in the Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva in December was also awarded the Olympic Athlete of the Year honour in Equestrianism from the British Olympic

BS Area Updates East Midlands Arena UK Lincolnshire Arena UK hosted a 4 day New Years Bash accumulating with the 1.30 m Grand Prix.

The £1000 first prize was won by young rider Jessica Hewitt on Zaronda II. Jessica was the first clear in the jump off and led from there to secure the title.

Unfortunately Arena UK’S Senior Premier Show, which was due to run 16th - 19th January has been cancelled due to lack of entries. Their next show will be the BS Winter Novice 24th 26th January before being closed for most of February due to construction works.

Northern South View, Cheshire The Fairfax Winter JA Classic Campaign kicked off at South View on 4th and 5th of January with the 148cm Pony Premier show.

Across the two days there were 45 starters with 26 combinations on the Saturday and 19 competing for Sundays qualifier. The riders each day were competing for one of three places on offer for the Fairfax Winter JA Classic Championship which will be held in July at the British Masters 3* International Horse Show.

Saturday saw just 6 of the 26 make it through to the jump off which was won by 13 year old Jodie Hall McAteer of Hertfordshire on board the 16 year old mare Tixylix with a treble 16

Association. Other winners included athlete Mo Farah and Tennis champion Andrew Murray.

Ben Maher kicked of 2014 with his Grand Prix win at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival , Palm Beach, Florida. The event on the 12th January saw Ben win the 30,000 dollar prize aboard Kavanagh IV with an unbeatable time of 35.017 seconds. The 12 year old gelding is a relatively new ride for Ben and joined his yard in the autumn from Laura Renwick’s yard. Ben currently tops the BS British rankings list in which Scott Brash is second and Nick Skelton third. clear. Second place went to the only other combination with a treble clear, Robert Murphy and Aroldo. The final qualifier place on Saturday was awarded to 14 year old Charlotte Ash from Tyne and Wear.

During Sunday’s class only 5 of the 19 competitors made it to the jump off with the top 3 places being awarded to those who went onto achieve a treble clear.

1st Emma Shingles - Lea du Genier 2nd Alex Gill - Amman Valley Santino 3rd Abbie Bevan - Forthview Master The next two qualifiers are due to be held at Hand Equestrian Centre, Avon on the 18th and 19th January South East Bury Farm, Bucks Bury Farm’s first major show of 2014 was the BS Development Classic 11th - 12th January, in which riders were competing for qualification for the RIHS , Blue Chip Winter Championship and Olympia’s Young Rider. Both Michael Whitaker and Tim Stockdale were competing however the one to watch was young rider 14 year old Emily Ward. Emily won the Dodson and Horrell World U23 British Championship Class aboard Wild Rose II qualifying for Olympia 2014. The unstoppable pair then went on to win the Grand Prix Class on a time of 32.04 seconds, ahead of 19 year old Graham Gillespie and Zorland with 33.43. All in all a very successful start to the year for Emily.

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

In other news…..

Sir Shutterfly, the full brother to the legendary show jumper Shutterfly, has moved to the UK. He will stand at Fairlight Stud in North Somerset.

It has been confirmed that the German host Aachen will not host a fixture as part of the 2014 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup this year. It is thought that this is the first time since the competition began in the 1920s that Aachen has not hosted. It has been replaced by Lummen in Belgium.

The British Breeders Awards Dinner 2014 took place on Saturday 11th January at The Grange City Hotel in London. The event which recognises breeders of British horses across all disciplines saw the Billy Studs show jumper Billy Congo presented with the British Equestrian Federation award for the highest placed British bred team GBR horse at the 2013 European Championships. The Billy Stud were further recognised with the British Showjumping Young Horse award in the 5 year old category with Billy Yen.

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Dates for your Diary 2014 Royal Windsor Horse Show - 14th - 18th May British Show-jumping Derby Meeting Hickstead - 26th-29th June Longines Royal International Horse Show - 29th July - 3rd August Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 23rd August - 7th September Arena UK Festival of Show jumping 22nd - 28th September Horse of the Year Show - 8th - 12th October London International Horse Show Olympia - 15th - 21st December

17

Equestrian News with Everything Horse UK Oscar Wins The Face of TopSpec 2014!

Oscar, a six-year-old coloured gelding owned by Julie Hammond from Aberdeenshire has been chosen as ‘The Face of TopSpec 2014’ in a nationwide competition.

For Julie, a health and safety advisor, Oscar is a very special chap as a homebred project horse and one who could easily have not made it at birth.

Oscar had impaction colic at just 24-hours-old and Julie is very lucky to still have him...and this he knows!

Their prizes include £500 worth of TopSpec feed, a professional photo-shoot and framed print and a top of the range Horseware Turnout Rug.

Verdo Horse Bedding Sponsor National Competition Verdo Horse Bedding, the clever heat-treated wood pellet bedding product is proud to announce that they are to be the official title sponsor of ‘British Riding Clubs Dressage to Music Championship 2014’ The competition, which is open to all riding club members, continues to grow in numbers and BRC is delighted to welcome Verdo Horse Bedding on board, as Sarah Phillips BHS Director of Participation explains: “It’s great to be able to welcome a new brand at this level and Verdo 18

Said Julie: “Oscar knows that he is very handsome and very charming and he definitely wants the world to know it too. He didn’t have the best start to life but he is now showing huge potential.

“He is an exceptionally fussy eater who struggles to maintain weight… being handsome is hard work you know!

“Last year he went from looking poor in early spring to qualifying for several classes at the CHAPS Championships, winning local championships and qualifying for the British Dressage Area Festivals and British Dressage Winter Regionals and we owe this to TopSpec.

“He’s a bit like Tigger, who won’t eat acorns, honey or thistles, Oscar won’t eat horse and pony nuts, he’s very particular over chaff and doesn’t like supplements... but he does love his TopSpec flakes!

Added Julie: “I am delighted he has been chosen as ‘The Face of TopSpec 2014’ - and he proves how well TopSpec products can help improve a horse’s condition and performance.”

Julie Hammond and Oscar.

“After some searching we have learned that a combination of TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer and TopSpec Super Conditioning Flakes is just the right thing for him. were equally as enthusiastic in taking on the exciting opportunity of title sponsorship of this increasingly popular championship series” Alistair McGlynn, Sales Director of Verdo Horse Bedding agrees: “We are hugely excited to be involved with BRC at this level, as many of our customers are members or have worked their way up through the British Riding Club route to go on and become professional riders. The competition also couldn’t have been more perfect, considering one of our sponsored riders is multiple Gold medallist Natasha Baker who broke a Paralympic record at her Paralympic debut in her Freestyle test”

day with Natasha at the rider’s Uxbridge yard and the opportunity to watch the talented equestrian in the saddle.

Verdo Horse Bedding Qualifiers will begin in April with the Championships taking place 4th – 5th October at Bury Farm Equestrian Village in Buckinghamshire. For further information please see www. britishridingclubs.org.uk One of the champions from 2013 Alys Matravers on Tiger Tim. Photo credit Action Replay Photography

As part of the championship prize, winners will also be treated to a Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

British Riding Clubs Winter Championship Qualifiers WITH more than 20 events already held, competition is proving fierce at the EquestrianClearance.com British Riding Clubs Winter Championship qualifiers.

Held at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire on March 29/30, the event is one of the highlights in the British Riding Clubs calendar, drawing competitors from all over the country.

Over 150 senior show jumping teams, 70 junior show jumping teams, 211 senior dressage and 57 junior dressage teams have already taken part.

With 500 competitors making it through to the finals, qualifiers for the EquestrianClearance. com British Riding Clubs Winter Championships take place across all 23 Areas including Northern

Ireland.

Successful teams qualified include the East Yorkshire RC from Area 4, who has qualified two teams for the senior dressage Championships. Riders 2000 RC from Area 15 were also successful in qualifying two teams.

Said Riders 2000 RC team manager, Karen Saunders: “We are over the moon to have two teams qualify for the Championships. The riders have worked extremely hard and we are hoping to continue our success on the day!”

Joining these teams in the senior dressage championships is Cwmaman RC and East Clwyd RC. The Llandudno RC has qualified a team for the junior dressage championship.

Lorraine Meadowcroft of EquestrianClearance.com said: “We are delighted with the support from the Riding Clubs up and down the country the qualifiers are proving very popular.

“The British Riding Club Winter Championships supports grass roots riders wanting to develop their skills across team show jumping and dressage.

“This is our second year of sponsorship with British Riding Clubs and we are very much looking forward to the final in March.”

For full details of the British Riding Clubs Winter Championships including dates for Area qualifiers head to www.bhs.org.uk or visit www.equestrianclearance.com

Over in the show jumping arena Bath RC has a senior team qualified whilst Nantwich RC and Royal Wood RC have junior teams qualified.

Junior SJ winners Mount Mascal Riding Club

Great Reception for Parelli Demonstration at Easton College The Parelli East Anglian Professionals team presented an evening of education and inspiration at Easton College, Norfolk.

There was a great turnout with around 70 people braving the cold for the demonstration. Three-Star Parelli Professional Jody Ruysen led the presentation with fellow instructors Cath Langley, Anthony Image Left, Cath Langley joined Anthony Greenleaves and Jennifer Woods, the group was led by Jody Ruysen Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Greenleaves and Jennifer Woods supporting her with their horses.

Jody kicked things off with an explanation about the Parelli program and how to develop a relationship with your horse based on love, language and leadership. She then progressed through the Seven Games and on to riding. Anthony and Cath finished off the evening with a joint spotlight for some inspiration.

All proceeds from the evening went to support the Animal Health Trust.

Turn over the page for more February News >>>>

19

THE 2014 SEIB SEARCH FOR A STAR AND RACEHORSE TO RIDING HORSE DATES The 2014 series of the popular South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) Search For A Star and the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Show Championship will begin in April with five qualifiers throughout the country. Now entering its seventeenth successive year, Search For A Star was created

by SEIB to encourage amateur riders to produce their horses to a high standard in the show ring and giving them the opportunity to compete at the prestigious finals at the Horse Of The Year Show (HOYS). SEIB has a strong ethos of putting something back into equestrian sport and the company takes an enthusiastic interest in all the competitions they sponsor.

The Search for a Star series has helped many horses to go on to a very successful show ring career, with some competitors going on to win open classes at HOYS. Each qualifying competition follows the same format, with classes for Working Hunters, Riding Club Show Horses, Riding Horse/Hacks, Show Hunters, Cobs and Show Ponies & Show Hunter Ponies. Search for a Star Judges, Richard Ramsay and David Bartram have many years’ experience in the show ring and are very helpful. There is always an opportunity after each class to speak with the judges who will offer advice on how to improve your horse for the show ring.

Search for a Star has an enviable reputation for supporting the true amateur and riders at the grass 20

roots level. While lessons and professional advice are encouraged to help riders improve their game, competitors are expected to take part in the spirit of the competition and rules regarding eligibility are strictly enforced.

Held in conjunction with the Search For A Star Classes, the SEIB Racehorse To Riding Horse Show Championship was created to support and encourage the re-education of thoroughbreds taken out of racing, re-schooling them and preparing them for a new career in the show ring.

The series is supported by the charity Retraining of Racehorses (ROR) and the winner of the championship will also collect the valuable ROR/SEIB Elite Performance Award for Showing.

The classes are judged as for Riding Horses but the best of type, whether hack, riding horse or hunter, is deemed the winner.

Equine Insurance brokers, South Essex Insurance Brokers provide cover for horses, horse boxes, yards and much more. “The Search For A Star Championship series is a way to give amateur riders the chance to achieve their dream of riding at The Horse Of The Year Show. The standard increases every year and we are delighted to give so many riders this opportunity”, said Nicolina MacKenzie, Marketing Manager at South Essex Insurance Brokers.

The 2014 Search for a Star

and Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifiers will be held at: 27th April 2014 Osbaldeston Riding Centre, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 7LZ Tel & Fax: 01254 813159 11th May 2014 Vale View Equestrian Centre, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3LX Tel: 01664 823739 22nd June 2014 Summerhouse Equestrian Centre, Hardwick, Gloucester, GL2 2RG Tel: 01452 720 288 6th July 2014 Bury Farm Equestrian Centre, Slapton, Bucks, LU7 9BT Tel: 01525 222114 10th August 2014 Houghton Hall Equestrian & Alpaca Centre, Houghton, Cambs, PE28 2DY Tel: 01480 700236 (during office hours only) 7th September 2014 (Racehorse to Riding Horse Qualifier Only) Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 2LH Finals, Horse Of The Year Show 8th – 12th October 2014 Birmingham NEC The Search For A Star competition rules, comprehensive information, a downloadable schedule and entry form are available from www.search4astar. org.uk, as well as the latest news,

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Equestrian News with Everything Horse UK details of previous winners, what to wear and a great forum for riders to share their views.

More information on the SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Show Championship is available from www.racehorse2ridinghorse. co.uk where you can download a schedule and entry form as well as the latest news, details

of previous winners and take part in a forum for sharing your views. On this website, there are also details of the ROR/SEIB Racehorse to Riding Horse Elite Performance Awards – a points scheme open to all ex-racehorses competing in affiliated dressage, show jumping, eventing, endurance and showing.

Further information on all

competitions sponsored by SEIB is available from our exciting new facebook pages at

is also the opportunity for respondents to win a £100 cash prize.

employers we must first discover the real facts.”

www.facebook.com/SEIB. Search4AStar and www.facebook.com/SEIB.R2R

Absorbine® to Support British Grooms Association Employment Survey Leading horse care products company Absorbine is pleased to announce its support of The British Grooms Association (BGA) equestrian employment

survey. The survey has been set up to help unveil the truth behind employment trends within the sector. As the professional membership association which represents the career interests of grooms, the BGA is urging all those who work with horses to come forward and have their say.

Two surveys, one targeted at grooms and the other to employers, have been compiled with the combined expertise of Georgina Brooke-Holmes of Coventry University and Sport England in partnership with BGA. Participants can opt to submit their answers anonymously to ensure that a true picture is generated.

Absorbine has generously donated two luxury hampers of their grooming and horse care products including world renowned ShowSheen and products from their Hooflex hoof care and muscle care ranges.

One hamper will be won by a participant in the grooms survey and the other by a participant in the employers survey. There

Absorbine’s European marketing manager, Rachael Holdsworth said, “We are incredibly proud to support such a worthwhile survey, an extension of the long term support we have offered to the British Grooms Association over the past few years. The information will be invaluable to the BGA in taking further their excellent work supporting British grooms”.

Lucy Katan, Executive Director of the BGA, explained, “We are calling for grooms and employers to fill in our anonymous surveys to help us to build a realistic picture of the employment practices that are occurring right now. There have been several headlines about grooms and employers recently all of which raise concerning issues. For the BGA to make a real difference to the working lives of both grooms and

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Andrew Finding, Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation, commented: “We are pleased that the BGA is taking on this research project. Once again it demonstrates that they are leading the industry in this crucial area of work. We urge all of those that work with horses, either as a groom or an employer, to take time to fill in a survey.”

Filling out the surveys is easy.

If you are a groom, freelancer, working pupil or apprentice please visit www.surveymonkey. com/s/grooms_research or you are an employer please go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/ employers_research For more Absorbine product information visit www.absorbine.co.uk or find us on facebook www.facebook.com/ AbsorbineUK. 21

“Never blame the horse. Always look at yourself, training methods, tack and equipment etc” Natasha Baker 22

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Natasha Baker Here we talk to Black Country Saddles para dressage rider Natasha Baker about ‘magic wands’ and influential mentors. Natasha is currently competing at International Paralympic Dressage Grade II and Elementary. Her biggest wins to date are two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and three gold medals at the 2013 European Para-Dressage Championships.

Tell us your phrase/motto/ethos you live your life by, and why you believe in it.

“Everything happens for a reason” - every athlete has their ups and downs but I believe that you learn a lot from that, about yourself and the people around you. Sometimes you think “why on earth is this happening” but there is always a positive in the end; no matter how long it takes.

I also have a lucky number 22 - We used to live at number 22, I was 22 in London, we bought the 22nd horse we tried… the list goes on.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your discipline, what would it be?

To take the turn on the haunches out of my grade II individual test – it’s a hard movement when you can’t use your legs!

What first made you interested in horse riding and how old were you?

I had always ridden ponies around the yard at home. My mum used to ride so I always had access but never anything overly suitable. It was the Sydney Paralympics that really inspired me to get into Para Dressage and I was 10.

What do you love most about riding horses / the equestrian industry?

Working with the horses I love every day. Every day is different; we work on different things and every day they surprise me. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

What do you dislike most about riding horses / the equestrian industry?

I don’t like to add up how much I spend on the horses, in this case, ignorance is bliss! But also the wet, cold, windy days early in the morning are not the best!

Which horse would you love to have had the ride on, and why?

I think any dressage rider would probably agree with Valegro - he is just immense!

What are the key things you think make a successful sports horse, in your discipline, and why.

and that’s going to work with me on a day to day basis.

2) Paces - A horse can have the best temperament but can’t move! I need a horse that has gold medal winning paces - walks and trots for a 9 and has the suppleness and presence to go with it.

3) Trainability - I need a horse that is going to adapt and work with my disability, I can’t use my legs when I ride so I need a horse that’s going to take me forward.

What key things have you learned from your most influential equestrian mentor(s)?

Never blame the horse. Always look at yourself, training methods, tack and equipment etc.

Do you have a favourite piece of tack?

Yes without doubt my bespoke saddle made especially for me by the team at Black Country Saddles. I am very fortunate to be sponsored by them and their saddles are made to exacting standards they are fantastic.

What’s the most common negative aspect you see in horses that are competing in your discipline, and what do you think causes this?

It’s not a massive negative but what I think some riders struggle with, because of their disabilities, is to get their horses properly through. www.blackcountrysaddles.com

I look for 3 things.

1)Temperament - I want a horse that can deal with a big atmosphere, that isn’t going to be naughty, that rises to pressure

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

23

Love

is in the air

Give your loved one a message from the heart with these gorgeous Timothy FoxxTweed Note Hearts RRP £8.99 24

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

YUMMY FOR YOUR HORSE’S TUMMY! Equine Enjoy Yums are a delicious natural horse treat created for the one you love!

Available in 1.5lb, 5lb, 15lb tub, 20lb bulk box. Prices start from £10 for 1.5lb bag (64 treats).

Rich in food value, Equine Enjoy Yums are not recommended for foals, insulin resistant horses, laminitics or those with Cushings Disease. Feeding guide: Maximum 10 treats daily www.shadowhorse.co.uk

Find your Muddy Match for Valentine’s Day with Grub’s® Performance Footwear Are you looking for that perfect gift for a loved one this Valentine’s day?

The Frostline™ boots from Grub’s are available in both ‘his’ and ‘hers’ styles and colours – making them an ideal gift for practical romantics.

These performance neoprene boots are great for most working conditions and leisure activities, and they feature excellent grip with a TRAX™ sole and HEXZORB™ DURAPRENE™ technology for comfort.

Combining the unique INSU-FOAM ULTRA™ technology with the advanced 5.0 thermal engineering, the Frostline™ boots are extremely versatile with their insulating and waterproof properties.

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

The Frostline™ boots also boast the latest high specification including a SUPER-DRI™ lining for added warmth, UNDER FOOT CHASSIS™ technology and NITROCELL™ insulating and cushioning foot-bed for comfort.

Why not splash out on his and hers boots?

They are available in a range of colours including; Mossy Green, Black, Fuchsia, Violet and Camouflage which makes them great for field sports. The Frostline™ boots come in UK sizes 4-13 and they retail from around £70.00.

For more information contact Grub’s on 01279 418052 or visit www.work-lite.com

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Boots your horse will Love!!

Protecting your horse from over reach injuries and helping to prevent your horse from pulling his shoes off is key to keeping to your busy training and competition schedule.

1.

2.

3.

The Kentucky Solimbra D3O Overreach Boots combine the latest technology with a clever anatomical design.

Styled in a tough all-weather, stain resistant Solimbra fabric outer shell, these boots incorporate a sponge-like neoprene lining with D3O intelligent molecules internally.

D3O is patented technology, which has long been used within protective clothing and footwear, including motorcycling clothing, sport swear and even stunt apparel.

Extremely comfortable and offering maximum flexibility, D3O has the ability to lock together on immediate impact to absorb and disperse energy from a strike or blow, then instantly return to it’s flexible state. D3O has been tested to the highest standards and now this revolutionary material has been included within horse boot design for the very first time.

RRP: £69.00 Buy on-line: www.kentucky-horseshop.com 26

Pretty in Pink!

When it comes to the falling in love this Valentines, on-line retailer Dressage Deluxe have some gorgeous garments and gifts, which will have you smitten at first sight!

1. For love that stands the test of time, the Dressage Deluxe Rose Pink Square Stock Pin exclusive to Dressage Deluxe is lovingly hand crafted in England. Featuring a Sterling Silver V Bar pin, it boasts a beautiful single square pink Zirconia encased in ‘Brilliante Sterling Silver’ nestling in the angle of the V design.

‘Brilliante Silver’ doesn’t tarnish in the same way as Sterling Silver and it’s combination of classic and contemporary design further adds to its allure.

RRP: £119.00 2.The Pikeur Micro Fibre Competition Shirt in Pink is styled in an ultra quick drying

with Dressage Deluxe

Meryl microfibre, which not only feels superb next to the skin, but also helps keep you cool under pressure! Featuring a cotton stand up collar and embroidered Pikeur emblem, this shirt will ensure you always look ‘hot to trot’RRP: £42.00 Sizes start UK Size 6.

3.The Pink Eskadron Brilliant Saddlecloth is styled in a poly/ cotton fabric which features a brilliant optic finish to it’s quilted outer, whilst a skinfriendly cotton lining offers comfort with class. The pretty shade of Shell Pink is complimented with a stunning anthracite Grey binding and pale Pink and White trim for the perfect pairing!

Available in Full Size in Dressage Cut. RRP: £55.00 Dressage Deluxe – fall in love with style this season www.dressagedeluxe.co.uk

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

A Valentines Treat from Tottie

Stay warm and stylish this winter with the new fashion tweed range from Tottie. These traditional tweeds are designed elegantly with a modern and fashionable twist.

Treat someone special this Valentine’s Day to the Zeena tweed jacket. This smart tweed blazer is perfect for a day out

or special occasion. This fitted blazer style jacket features antique buttons, contrasting velvet trim and contrast lining.

It has two front pockets and a single vent at back for an elegant fitted look.

The Zeena tweed blazer is available in colours green, moss or brown tweed and in sizes 8 - 16. It is priced at around £138.50.

For further information please contact Tottie on 01247 711101 or visit www.tottie.co.uk.

TICKLED PINK! This Valentines, spoil your horse AND give your washing machine time out, by grabbing yourself a set of these ‘Hot to trot’ Pink Golly Galoshes!

Golly Galoshes are clever waterproof and breathable gaiters, designed to keep your horses’ bandages and boots clean, dry whatever the weather this winter.

As seen here on top eventer Victoria Bax’s steed in Victoria’s favourite colour, Golly Galoshes are also available in a variety of colours including classic Black or smart Navy.

So this Valentines, gallop off into the sunset with a set of Golly Galoshes, because you will fall in the love once you’ve tried them!

Golly Galoshes – the gaiters that adore your boots and bandages! www.gollygaloshes.com

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

27

WIN GEMOSI GIFT VOUCHERS!!

Everything Horse has teamed up with Gemosi to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a Gemosi gift vouchers worth €50 each to put towards a stunning piece of Gemosi horse hair jewellery. The perfect way to treat someone special, or simply treat yourself!

WIN

one of two Gemosi Horse Hair Jewellery Gift Vouchers, worth €50!

Gemosi finest quality horse hair jewellery is expertly designed by professional designers to let the beauty of your horse’s hair to shine through. The perfect way to celebrate a treasured equine friendship since passed, or as a clear expression of the love and partnership between you and your horse, a custom made horse hair bracelet or necklace from Gemosi is a gift that will be treasured like no other.

To be in with a chance to win answer this simple question: Which type of product does Gemosi not make?

1) Horse hair bracelets 2) Horse hair necklaces 3) Horse hair socks To Enter please email editor@everythinghorseuk.co.uk

with your answer before the 28th February 2014

www.Gemosi.com

28

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

The beauty of your own horse, perfectly captured in a precious piece of jewellery Amo r br

ac ele t

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y nit

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rystal ny C

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Each piece is lovingly handmade by our expert jewellery designer, from your own horse’s tail hair.

Finest quality horse hair jewellery, expertly designed to let your horse’s natural beauty shine through.

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Issue 5 • February 2014Email: • Everything Horse UK Magazine info@gemosi.com

or Tel: 00353 1 8436667

29

Equine Housing:

Understanding Stable Stress written by Louise Napthine MSc

Traditional stables are a popular form of

equine housing. Yet, many equine behaviourists think that stabling is not all it’s cut out to be.

Traditional stabling and management systems, which segregate horses into individual pens, can lead to stress causing physical and psychological health problems. Studies of short and long term confinement and isolation have reported increased stress symptoms like raised heart rate, vocalisations, defecation and disturbances in feeding, as well as the development of abnormal behaviour. Stable management practices are often based around the human, structured by convenience and organisation, rather than being orientated around the behavioural needs of the horse.

For horses, stabling can mean reduced stimulation and behavioural choices, as well as confinement and social isolation.

Dr Carol Hall, from Nottingham Trent University says: “Many horses and ponies are kept for long periods on their own in stables where their movement is restricted and they generally eat while standing still. The health and behavioural problems that can occur as a result of this are

30

Btoodmare Group Support at Weaning

clear indicators of less than optimum housing and management.”

Traditional yard exercise and feeding regimes mean that restrictions are placed upon the horse, often dictating what it can do and when.

Although many owners are increasing the amount of forage they feed their horses and introducing stable toys to help counter boredom, management routines intrinsically place limitations on horse behaviour. Researchers are concerned by the absence of behavioural choice in the stabled environment, because this in itself is a psychological challenge. Whilst any style of management largely dictates how a horse might choose to behave, a field or group-kept horse typically has a larger range of behaviours available to it at any one time and so can often find this environment less frustrating.

The wider concern is that the restriction of behaviour can negatively impact equine welfare.

“We need to consider the social needs of the horse throughout its entire life to ensure that we are not compromising their well-being” says Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Dr Hall. “ The legislation that aims to protect the welfare of animals (the Animal Welfare Act 2006) clearly states that the person responsible for an animal has the duty to meet the needs of that animal...The extent to which traditional stabling and management complies with this legislation is debatable.”

To explore alternatives to traditional stabling, Nottingham Trent University PhD student Kelly Yarnell investigated the effects of different housing designs. Supervised by Dr Carol Hall, she documented the stress levels, ease of handling and appearance of abnormal behaviour in horses under different housing conditions. During the study, horses were split into four different housing types: single housing with no physical contact; single housing with semi-contact; paired housing with full contact; and group housing with full contact. To evaluate the effects, the team observed the horses’ behaviour via video footage and analysed dung samples for stress hormone, corticosterone.

The researchers also used a five-point scale to assess how easy they horses were to handle.

Results from the study showed that levels of corticosterone were higher in the horses housed in the ‘single housing no contact’ treatment.

Additionally, the occurrence of abnormal behaviour, notably crib-biting, box-walking, weaving and head nodding, was also higher in these horses. Equines in group housing with full contact were not seen to display any of these abnormal repetitive behaviours and horses housed in the social environments were also found to be easier to handle.

Housing type can also influence the horse’s response to stressful events. In a study of housing behaviour, Visser and colleagues examined the effect of first-time stabling on the behaviour of young horses.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the team surveyed the behaviour of thirty-six 2-yearolds, housed either individually in stables or in paired-housing.

During the study, Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

stress-related behaviours, like neighing and pawing, were seen more commonly in the individually housed horses and, by the end of the study, 67% of the lone horses were seen to display an abnormal repetitive behaviour, such as weaving.

Heleski and colleagues investigated the behavioural and physiological stress markers of foals weaned in stalls versus foals weaned in social paddock groups. Although both groups of horses underwent the stress of weaning, behavioural observations showed that the horses responded differently. The stall-kept weanlings spent more of their time engaging in behaviours such as kicking, pawing and chewing the stable walls, whilst the paddock kept youngsters spent their time in ways more similar to that of a feral horse. Based on their behaviour, the researchers concluded that the welfare of the paddock-kept weanlings was higher than that of the stalled weanlings.

“Social interaction and group living have been shown to be very important to horses and ponies. If individual animals don’t appear to thrive in the company of others this may well be because they’ve never learned how to”, - Carol Hall, PhD. Overall, social interaction and movement are vital to good equine welfare. Choice of housing and management are highly influential in this. It is important to take into consideration the behavioural needs of the horse when making decisions relating to all aspects of housing and management.

Image Left: Youngsters relax in a ‘group housing’ barn

31

STRETCHING Stretching Exercises for Horses This months focus - for different ages and different levels of fitness

Part 1 written by Barbara Dreyer

“Never stretch cold body parts - this can cause injury”

We all know that we have to warm up before and stretch after exercise to prevent injuries. This goes for horses as well. Have you ever seen your horse scratch on a certain post or tree in the field and wondered, ‘how is that even comfortable or possible’?

Horses instinctively know how to stretch and they will not overstretch. Horses living out or who are being turned out regularly, will stretch their own muscles whenever needed.

Horses who spend a long time in stables will not have the same opportunity to stretch.

There are many benefits from stretching such as:

MEET THE EXPERT Barbara Dreyer I am an Equine Massage Therapist, I run a mobile Equine Massage Therapy service in Cheshire and North West. I have worked with and around horses my entire life. I believe massage is a necessity - not a luxury!

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• Relaxation • Reduction of muscle tension and stiffness • Increased circulation of both blood and lymph fluids • Increased elasticity of the muscles, tendons and

• • • • •

ligaments Increased flexibility and range of motion of the joints Improved coordination Reduction of muscle strain and ligament sprain Improvement of the stride length Promotes the maintenance of the older horse

When to stretch?

Always stretch when the horse is warm, remember stretching a cold horse can cause injury.

Stretching should be done every day after every training or massage session. Ride your horse as normal, but before putting him away for the night finish off your routine with a few stretches, this can prevent future injuries. The dark and cold winter evenings are perfect for spending a bit of quality time with your horse. The winter weather doesn’t always permit riding so why not go for a long slow walk or lunge him instead and finish off with stretching.

What NOT to do ...

Never stretch cold body parts- this can cause injury!

Never pull or stretch the part beyond its established range of motion- this can cause injury!

Never bounce a stretch back- always return the stretched body part to its normal and recognised position.

Never stretch an injured area.

Never stretch a healing area! If your horse is recovering from surgery or has recently had any physical problems that affect the joint and muscles (a fall or kick) contact your veterinarian or Equine Massage Therapist before starting a stretching exercise program.

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

How to stretch Stretching is not a competition, it is not about how far you can go or how bendy your horse is on the first attempt. Stretching takes time.

The aim of stretching is to relax the muscles and the ligaments tension so freer movement is obtained. Always stretch safely. Start off with the easy stretches and build it up to a regular, deeper stretch. Never go too far! This can cause the muscle to tear.

Horses of all ages and fitness levels can stretch. I recently had great fun with a 3 year old mare who had never tried stretching before.

She quickly saw it as a game and excelled in a very short time.. The old saying ‘practise makes perfect’, really is true. Your first few attempts might not go as anticipated, but don’t give up with practise and patience you and your Neck Flexion Stretch: This stretch is for neck and topline flexion. This stretch stretches 4 of the Major Stress point Muscles and two ligaments: Brachiocephalicus, Splenius, Rhomboid, Cervical Trapezius, Nuchal Ligament and Supraspinous Puzzle my lovely assistant Ligament.

1: Use the treat to coax and encourage the horses muzzle down to his chest aiming between his forelimbs. (Hold it for 5 sec) Let him have a piece of treat.

2: Once the 5 sec is gone coax the horses muzzle back up again to the start position.

As your horse gets better at this stretch increase the time held whilst stretching.

Neck Lateral Flexion Stretch: This stretch is for neck and topline flexion and for prevention of the one sided horse.

This stretch stretches 4 of the Major Stress point Muscles and two ligaments: Brachiocephalicus, Splenius, Rhomboid, Cervical Trapezius, Nuchal Ligament and Supraspinous Ligament.

1: Using the treat to coax and encourage the Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

horse will soon see and feel the benefits from stretching. You might find that once you start a certain stretch your horse will start releasing and relaxing into the stretch, which is a great feeling.

I have included a few easy stretches to try at home: Remember never to overstretch and never stretch cold muscles. Not all horses are the same, some might not like their legs lifting in that case don’t put yourself in danger, some horses get aggressive around food again, don’t use food as a reward, don’t put yourself in danger.

All you need is yourself, your horse/pony and a few treats ( carrots are great as they are slightly easier for the horse to see and take a bite off and they are low in sugar). horses muzzle over to his near side shoulder. (Hold for 3 sec) 2. Allow him to take a bite of the treat and the coax his head back to start position with the rest of the treat.

3: Repeat on the other side.

As your horse gets better at this stretch increase the time held before releasing it.

OBS: If your horse moves during this stretch (i.e walking towards the carrot or in circles) it means he cannot stretch as far as you are asking him to. Try and ask him to stretch less and build up the stretch slowly.

If you and your hose want to try other stretches there are loads of good books to choose from, If you are struggling or not sure if it is something you fancy trying on your own most qualified and experienced Equine Massage Therapists will happily help you and your horse in the right direction.

So, give it a go, any horse can do it from the inexperienced horse to the top dressage pony and they will all benefit from regular stretching.

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Riding and Road Safety

The Highway Code ...

Be Seen ... Be Safe

Part 1 An overall view on how to reduce your risk and keep safe on the roads

Hacking out, is for a lot of riders, the most surfaces, potholes, blind corners that restrict enjoyable part of their time with their horses, drivers vision and little passing room. especially in nice weather and with friends.

Even the shortest journey on a quiet road can have a significant risk. Visibility is often poor In an ideal world all riders would be able to leave their yards having access, that doesn’t even throughout the the day, it doesn’t have include riding on the roads, straight on to to be dark to increase the risk of danger when hacking on the road. It has been noted that bridleways or suitable riding tracks. This is not the case for most riders, they cannot avoid drivers are far more likely to speed on rural roads, there is also a higher risk of drink driving riding on the roads, when hacking. on these roads. The BHS believe there to be In reality no rider wants their horse to put one around 3000 road/horse related accidents per hoof on tarmac, especially the rural roads that are not maintained as well as urban roads year in the UK, over half of them are on the and motorways. Rural roads often have rough rural roads.

“Visitbility is often poor even throughout the day, it doesn’t have to be dark to increase the risk of danger when hacking out on the road” CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO INFORMATION REGARDING THE RIDING AND ROAD SAFETY TEST WITH

THE BHS

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Vital points to consider before hacking: 1. Preparation and Training

It is essential to gain as much knowledge as possible about road safety, before riding your horse on the roads. An important point to remember is that you cannot predict another person’s behaviour, or how your horse will react to a situation, vehicle or object they have not seen before. Even ‘bomb proof’ horses have off days and get spooked.

2. Desensitising your horse

Horses are herd animals with a flight instinct if they are scared or upset by an object or noise. The taller something is and the faster it moves the more likely your horse is to find it scary, horses don’t really focus on an object until it stops. So in a situation where a big noisy truck is relentlessly approaching your horse it may have a reason to want to escape.

When a horse gets spooked ‘I will get off its too scary’ can be a riders reaction, however when you have 100’s of pounds of frightened horse it is much harder to control from the ground and

Some Top Tips to make it safer whilst on the Road • Make it a habit to wear high visibility and safety clothing at all times.

• Always tell someone where you are going, how long you expect to be out.

• Take a mobile phone for emergencies, never use a mobile phone or have earphones in when riding.

• Identification tags on your hat and your horses tack, in case you become separated.

• Always be aware of what is going on around you and what the potential hazards might be.

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

you risk being dragged in to oncoming traffic.

Training before hacking is vital.

3. High Visibility and Safety Clothing

Always be seen and be safe. High visibility clothing is one of the most effective, easiest and affordable ways to be seen. High visibility clothing allows a driver to see up to 3 seconds faster, this is valuable time to react to a situation.Being seen is necessary every time you hack out not just at night or bad weather, even on sunny days drivers need to adjust their eyes to changing light and shady areas. High visibility clothing can also be seen by helicopters alerting them to presence of horses and riders.

4. A protective helmet, Boots and Body Protector should always be worn,

correct boots and a body protector can add additional protection.Horses should have high visibility tack e.g. leg/ tail wraps with reflective strips. Lights attached to boots are also a good way of being seen.

In articles over the next few months we will be expanding on the vital points and below are some websites that will help with any information you may need http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/ adviceandinformation/horseriders/ http://www.horseaccidents.org.uk/ http://think.direct.gov.uk/horses.html http://www.bhs.org.uk/training-andqualifications/exams-and-qualifications/findexams/exams/riding-and-road-safety-test 35

Float Loading is the Australian term for Trailer Loading 36

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Float Loading

written by Mark Langley www.equineability.com.au

Taking a thorough approach to the education needed in preparing your horse for loading and travelling reduces the risk of injury to your horse and yourself by promoting safety through trust and clear understanding. To avoid the nightmare stories of float loading you will need to ask your horse to accept and understand different pressures, requiring a basic level of education – so don’t make float loading their first education!

Teaching them to understand different pressures on the ground will help you to position your horse precisely and smoothly in the float. With horse training, education is simply help. So no matter what you are asking your horse, you need to approach it in a helpful manner. Some thoughts that I always have in my head to keep my judgement fair and consistent are: What happened? Why? What’s needed? & How can I help?

Before loading, try to address these foundation points:

have no problem handling any part of their body whilst standing.

If your horse has very sensitive areas, or is still frightened of you when you stand in different positions around them, they will only be worse once they are compromised inside the float. Try to ask your horse to step forward a few steps, stand calmly, then back some more steps and then from backwards walk forwards with no brace in the transition.

1) Soft leading & backing It is very important that your horse understands how to soften and follow the lead rope. You want your horse calm and relaxed when the lead rope pressure tightens. You don’t want them to brace and jump forward, so when you teach your horse to lead and understand pole pressure you should not use too much force – just regular repetitions that focus on forward thought and softness. If your horse can walk forward responsively and softly they should also be able to back up softly and calmly. If they are not comfortable backing, do a lot of it until your horse finds it easy.

2) Calm Standing-If you are not giving your horse a cue to do anything in particular, they should be very happy and able to just stand calmly. And you should

MEET THE EXPERT Mark Langley Using clearly explained techniques that make sense and are less stressful to horses and riders, I focus on mental calmness and attentiveness to enhance our relationship and body control needed for pleasure and competitive disciplines.

pressure. Horses are often nervous in a float and will brace, not wanting to move across easily, so the slightest resistance in sideways pressure may well be exacerbated inside a float. Aim to be able to get in close to your horse and move them across or sideways. You should be able to Prior Preparation: teaching to walk forward past me, off lead pressure.

3) Moving SidewaysWhen you are inside a tight float in between a few horses, you need to know that your horse won’t stiffen and lie against

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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put your hand on their hip and gently ask them to step across softly. Their shoulders should respond similarly.

4) Send your horse past your shoulder-This is very similar to sending a horse out to lunge. If you ask your horse to step past your shoulder and go out in front of you, your horse should calmly walk past you on your cue. If your horse feels rushed or nervous, then you should repeat this until they have calm energy and show no sign of stress.

5) Happy to move forward to

Loading

Now that you have assessed that your horse has some degree of the above foundations, you are ready to start loading.

6) Approaching the float I always park the float in an area where I can walk around both the float and the vehicle and where there is plenty of space to work. Firstly, if my horse is still frightened of the float’s presence, I start from a distance and weave my way across from one side to the other, exposing each eye progressively and then two as you as you turn. I let my horse get closer without making an issue or forcing it – weaving my way in simply lets my horse get accustomed to a new object.

Whilst I do this, I constantly test how they feel on the lead rope, taking out any little blocks that I find. This is the most crucial part – where I confidently lead and educate. At this point, your horse can learn to understand and follow your cues or block and ignore them.

7) At the ramp, reward any tries 38

at Image a time Your and without horse should fear. be well breaching bars -Make sure your handled from the top of its tail horse is calm with butt pressure and used to things touching them. down to its back feet Your horse has to be well handled from the top of its tail down to its back feet. Once your horse feels safe to a stick and to your hands I like to put a breaching rope on. It is simply just a looped rope which I use to apply controlled pressure to their butt. Once they are calm with the rope I like to back them a few steps and then gently pull the butt rope until they step forward.

Repeat this until your horse is happy with the butt rope anywhere between the tail and the hocks and will calmly step forward, one step Once I am close to the float, I may just walk past the ramp and let my horse stand to the side. I do this on each eye separately, then with both eyes simultaneously.

Once my horse is beside the ramp, they may give it a sniff or a stomp. All curiosity should be allowed. When I am able to walk my horse around the float and around the vehicle and I feel that my horse is comfortable with being close to the float, I walk up inside the float a little bit, giving my horse some room and apply gentle pressure through the lead. I hold this gentle pressure and then give a vocal forward energy cue (I use a click). Maintaining the same pressure and the rhythmic click I give a tap with a dressage stick on its shoulder.

If there are any tries in my horse, i.e. if they

lean forward, tap the ramp or take a step, I stop all cues, giving my horse a release of pressure and let them rest. From this point on, I reward any tries in the same way.

8) Bracing If my horse decides to brace and pulls back, I ask What happened?

Why? What’s needed? & How can I help? Generally a brace in a horse in this situation is due to

Take the pressure off when your horse makes a try Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

fright or lack of foundation. If your horse has been leading softly up until this point, it is likely to be fright. Either way, you need to go back to leading lessons. Your horse may also need more time adjusting to the float.

To soften in the lead, I apply direct pressure through the lead to the halter and ask my horse to go past me. I can use a dressage stick or the lead rope on the shoulder to help encourage forward energy.

Once my horse feels like they can send forward to the lead I test them by leading out in front to see if they brace. I also test my back up to make sure that backwards too is soft. Once my horse is responding and soft to all the cues, I just go back to the float and ask to see if they will come forward again.

Remember, it is not a lesson to

make your horse uncomfortable away and comfortable at the float.

You are only working on the areas where you feel resistance and as soon as you feel a try, and a softening in your horse, you need to reward with a softening in your education, no matter where you are in relation to the float. It is not good when we encourage our horses to seek refuge from us and our education.

9) Teach your horse to back off as soon as they step on Once my horse is stepping up on the ramp, I like to teach them to back off before I teach them to load. Once my horse puts one foot on, I might back them up and repeat it a few times until it is easy for my horse. Then I might get my horse to go on 3 steps and get them to back off again, then on again and stand for a bit. I repeat

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

this until eventually my horse is all the way in the float. By doing the lesson like this, my horse can not only take nice forward steps doing one step at a time as I ask for them, but they can also take the same soft backward steps, one at a time. In between, when I stop cue’s, I have made sure that I have stood my horse until they are calm and relaxed. At the start some horses need more time than others to adjust between tries.

Just remember, if a horse has grown up around buildings, stables or cars, floating may seem less of a threat than a horse that has only grown up with bush and open spaces. Acknowledge your First loading lesson for this young gelding. Standing both inside and outside and anywhere in between of float is very important. Exiting forwards was necessitated by the ramp steepness.

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horse’s background, and give them the preparation and time they need to adjust to your objects of travel unreservedly.

Let them stand until you start to see some signs of relaxing: look for softening ears, softening eyes, a lick or a chew etc.

After this is established I put my horse in reverse and ask for forward repeatedly, simulating my horse stepping back and the lead tightening as it would in a straight load float.

By the time I have loaded a horse

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they have stood, walked forward and walked back on every part of the float. There is no such thing as ‘in’ or ‘out’ because all I have done is ask for forward then stand, ask for back then stand, regardless of where my horse is in or partly out of, the float.

and out of the float. It is best to rub them down like this only when they are calm.

11) Backing off Once my horse has engaged the float and has been fully inside, and is ready to be backed off, I still stop on the way out and ask for 10) Rub them all over a few forward steps and I make During this in and out process and a habit of doing it more than the first few trips. I like to keep my whilst my horse is standing, I like horses focused with me, pliable to move around and stand at the back of them, handle their tail, rub and ready to move as I ask – not their hind and back legs, getting predicting whether they should them familiar with me close to be in or out. You never know them and all over them both in when the situation may change –

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

imagine a child suddenly running out behind the float with your horse locked in reverse.

If you spend time on these processes, by the time your horse is in the float, they are very comfortable with the floor and are very happy to stand and move around in the float. This is very important to your horse’s mental stability for travelling. Your horse needs to feel that they know the

float; that they are able to move a little and that the floor is safe. A horse can freeze in a float and not back off because of anxiety about floor sturdiness.

Regardless of whether I am loading in an angle load or a straight load float, I always teach my horses to back off and where I can, to walk forward off calmly. You never know what float they may end up getting on

p o T s k M ar Tips

and this trust based skill for both directions is a useful one.

Once you feel that your horse is happy standing on and in any part of the float, and can move calmly in and out, you can practise standing at the float ramp and asking your horse to walk ahead past your shoulder and into the float by themselves.

This is not a speed lesson. It is about trust and consistency and safety. Take as much time as your horse needs to get it right.

a strong separation anxiety, it is wise to travel with a calm companion for a while. Aim to wean them at some stage.

Tip 1 To practise and test leading and tying, I sometimes get a long lead rope (over 7m) and stand my horse some distance away from a rail, put the lead rope over the rail and walk off at an angle behind my horse before putting pressure on the rope and asking my horse to lead up to the rail.

Tip 4 Some horses need more room to spread their feet out; I have come across horses that travelling on their own with the centre bar to one side has no issues but travelling with the centre bar in place, leads to them scrambling with every pot hole and corner.

For training use your normal halter but for floating stick to a good, strong, thick web-halter that will not cut/ rub/ break if they panic.

Tip 2 You can also lead your horse over ramps, through garden archways, in and out of sheds and other unusual objects, familiarising them with what you will be asking them to do in a float and practising overcoming any resistance – this is your chance to cement your role as leader.

For your first few trips, after unloading ask your horse to walk straight back in, stand and then unload again.

Tip 3 A small dark float will be more claustrophobic to a horse than one which has a big window at the front and which feels more open. Just because your horse loaded easily on one float doesn’t necessarily guarantee they will on another. Horses will react very differently to floats which feel like a box.

For certain horses, especially ones that have quite

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

Tip 5 Some rubber floors become slippery with urine and manure – just a small slip on a floor can panic a horse. Dry wood shavings may help.

Tip 6In straight load floats, tie up to the lower ring with enough slack so your horse is free to lower its head but short enough to prevent them from turning their head back or getting their nose behind the chest bar.

Don’t tie your horse until your breaching bars/ dividers are secured.

Tip 7 Horses with limited handling are safer travelled in an open, cattle type truck. Leave floating until they have had more education.

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The Horse From The Inside written by Eiddwen Fletcher

The Importance of Ligaments The horse’s skeleton provides stability and protection to the body, connecting the bones and cartilage of the body are bands of fibrous tissue known as ligaments, ligaments are essential to provide support and strength to the joints of the body, they are positioned around the joints to prevent movement outside the natural range of motion, preventing over stretching of the tendons and damage to the bones and cartilage. At moveable joints the ligaments form a capsular sac which contains synovial fluid and prevents the articulating bones from rubbing upon one another.

Ligaments are made up of dense bundles of collagenous fibres which are extremely strong and relatively inelastic. An extracellular matrix of elastin fibres provides the ligaments with some flexibility, but this is often limited and if put under extreme stress a ligament will rupture. Blood flow to the internal ligament cells is limited; resulting in slow healing and repair functions, the scar tissue that forms is made up of much smaller collagen fibres with altered cell connections and flaws in the elastin matrix, retaining only 10-20% of the normal viscoelastic properties of the original ligament fibres.

Ultimately the ligament becomes less able to maintain a load and less able to absorb energy before failure.

As riders we all appreciate the joy we get from horses, yet we rarely stop to wonder how they achieve the amazing variety of movements we ask them to perform. Whether you’re a happy hacker, showjumper, jockey or dressage rider; you are constantly reliant on your horse’s Anatomy and Physiology. In this series of articles you will learn how the horse functions and how this influences his ability to carry you as a rider and perform as a competition animal.

In the ridden horse there are a number of ligaments that are of vital importance to performance: The main ligament of the neck is known as the nuchal ligament, this elastic ligament attaches at the occipital bone at the back of the horse’s skull and across the ridge of the first two cervical vertebrae of the neck, it spans the crest of the neck and attaches at the beginning of the withers where it merges with the supraspinous ligament of the back. The remaining cervical vertebrae of the neck are attached to the nuchal ligament via two fan-like sheets of elastic ligament which functions to restrain the movement of the cervical vertebrae and support the weight of the head – similar to a suspension bridge. While keeping the vertebrae in place the nuchal ligament also assists the upper neck muscles by storing energy during movement. When the horse’s head is raised the nuchal ligament becomes slack and unstrained, when the horse’s head is stretched down and forwards the nuchal ligament is put in traction which loads the elastic matrix with energy, creating elastic recall to assist the muscle to lift the head back to its resting position. This energy storage reduces the strain placed upon the muscles during locomotion by up to 55%. The nuchal ligament also has a huge influence on the support of the horse’s back. When the horse is ridden in a ‘correct outline’ (on the bit) the cervical vertebrae are flexed and the nuchal ligament is placed under tension which passes to the supraspinous ligament that runs along the midline of the horse’s back and covers the tips of the spinous processes. When under tension the supraspinous ligament provides support to the spine allowing the muscles of the back to contribute more energy to propulsion rather than support Continuing down the back to the hind quarters we reach the sacroiliac joint which is of huge importance to the equine athlete.

The end portion of the spine is known as the sacrum and consists of 5 fused

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

vertebrae, on either side of this lies the front most wing of the pelvis (ilium) which is held in place by ligaments. The joining of these areas is known as the sacroiliac joint which holds the pelvis tightly to the spine allowing little movement to occur and providing stability to the hind quarters. Two sets of ligaments hold the sacroiliac joint together and these ligaments are often subject to strain injury, it is suspected that 50% of horses with back injuries present with sacroiliac pain, unfortunately this joint is positioned deep within the gluteal muscles of the hind quarters making diagnosis difficult. Signs of sacroiliac strain include: asymmetry of the hindquarters, poor performance (more evident at slower paces), intermittent hind limb lameness, toe-drag and tendency to plait with hind limbs, lack of impulsion, disunited canter, difficulty to collect, refusal to jump, sensitivity at top of hind quarters and loins and general signs of discomfort during ridden exercise.

Causes of sacroiliac strain can range from traumatic injury to conformational weakness but modern training techniques may also play a role. Commonly in performance horses we require that the canter is sustained for long periods, this asymmetric gait combined with repetitive movements such as jumping, will ultimately place uneven strain on the body resulting in weakness and injury.

In performance horses the limbs are the most common area for ligament injury to occur and the worst offender has to be the suspensory ligament! The primary function of the suspensory ligament is to prevent excessive extension of the fetlock joint during weight bearing. This ligament lies along the back of the cannon bone where it splits into two branches which pass either side of the fetlock and pass to the front of the pastern where they join the extensor tendon. The suspensory ligament is part of the suspensory Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

apparatus which prevent the fetlock joint collapsing during standing and locomotion and acts as a spring which stores energy when the fetlock is extended and returns energy to the limb when the fetlock flexes. In addition the suspensory apparatus is a critical part of the ‘stay apparatus’ which allows the horse to stand at rest for long periods with barely any muscular effort. So if the suspensory ligament is so vital to the horse both during locomotion and inactivity, why is it so commonly subject to injury?

As previously discussed ligaments are relatively inelastic, when a ligament becomes over loaded it is unable to stretch, resulting in tearing or rupture of the fibres. During strenuous exercise such as galloping or jumping; excessive strain is placed on the flexor muscles of the limb causing them to fatigue, combined with extreme forces, the fetlock is forced to over extend resulting in the supportive structures being overloaded and subject to injury. The signs of suspensory ligament injury can vary depending on the area of the ligament damaged; slight or intermittent lameness may present but often in the early stages a horse can continue to function in spite of the injury resulting in further damage and progressive thickening of the ligament. In more acute cases heat and swelling may be evident and the area may become sore to touch. It is essential that any intermittent lameness or loss of performance be seen by your vet immediately to rule out possible ligament damage, if left untreated the ligament fibres will continue to tear creating further injury and reducing the chance of recovery. Although ligaments are able to produce new connective tissue, the scar tissue is significantly weaker and it is important to limit further damage as much as possible. In severe cases thickening of the suspensory ligament can result in pressure upon the structures of the limb and may result in splint bone fractures.

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Are you

Supplement Savy?

Let Everything Horse UK point you in the right direction with a little help in understanding more about particular supplements available for your horse; February’s focus Breathing, Digestion & Performance In this months issue of Supplement Savy we look more closely at supplements from Dengie, EQUIMINS and Alltech, all of which focus on three factors that can effect our horses well being during the winter months; Breathing, Digestion and Performance.

Poor quality forage and lack of ventilation in stables/barns can often effect our horses breathing. Prolonged stabling in the winter months can often lead to respiratory problems such as COPD. There are many supplements on the market today that are uniquely formed to help horses ‘breath easy’.

Good digestion is key to a horses mood, temperament and well being. Standing still for long periods and the reduction of their natural forage during the winter means supplements are often recommended to help maximise digestive capabilities.

Performance supplements are essential for the horse in ‘harder’ and more demanding types of work, they allow for essential nutrients to be replenished after strenuous exercise or competition and help maximise your horses recovery period.

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

BREATHING RESPIRATORY CLEAR BREATHER by EQUIMINS Clear Breather

£25.80.

RESPIRATORY- AIR POWER BOOSTER by EQUIMINS Air Power Booster

Clear Breather helps to support lung function.

To help respiratory function and soothe the respiratory tract, Air Power Booster is a great product.

It contains MSM, a bioavailable form of sulphur that’s important to lung tissue, along with hesperidin that works with ascorbic acid to support circulation of blood to the capillaries, to promote clear airways.

Clear Breather is available in 700g and 1.4kg tubs where 700g will last up to 25 days and has a RRP of

It contains honey, cider apple vinegar, aloe vera, menthol, eucalyptus oil and concentrated lemon juice and can be administered using an oral syringe once a day before exercise. It can also be given again in the evening if needed.

DIGESTION and complementary diet care – contains yeast metabolites and live yeast to promote gut health, aid fibre digestion and increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. It also includes a prebiotic to feed good bacteria, which lives in the gut.

Dengie Natural Vitality Digestive Health Plus can be given at a maintenance Digestive Health Plus does exactly what it says on the tub level all year round or a concentrated level during – it helps to keep the digestive times of stress, such as during the competition system in really good health. season or when on box rest.

It is made specifically for horses and ponies in work, veterans or others that are underweight or in poor Natural Vitality Digestive Plus, RRP: £27.57 condition. £35.61 (1kg), RRP: £114.12 - £133.99 (10kg).

The supplement – one of a range providing specific DIGESTION - NATURAL VITALITY, DIGESTIVE HEALTH by DENGIE Supporting Digestive Health

DIGESTION INNER BALANCE PROBIOTICS by EQUIMINS Inner Balance Probiotics

Inner Balance Probiotics can be used each day or as a pick me up, for horses who are stressed or following antibiotics.

Equimins’ Inner Balance Probiotics supplement has been created to support the horse’s digestive system either daily or during times of stress.

Inner Balance Probiotics can be added to feed or drinking water and come in 700g, 1.5kg and 3kg tubs, A 700g tub will last for 45 days and has a RRP of £24.25.

Each scoop contains prebiotics, lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium, which benefit from an enteric coating to ensure safe passage through the acidic environment of the stomach and into the small intestine. Here, they help support good gut health.

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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DIGESTION - Naturally Good Digestion with Lifeforce from Alltech Naturally Good Digestion with Lifeforce from Alltech

Good digestive health in horses is the secret to all round good health, including strong hooves and a shiny coat. The Lifeforce Range from Alltech is designed to deliver the correct combination of natural ingredients to optimise digestive health in horses.

Offering horse owners a simple choice between three supplements the Lifeforce Range includes Lifeforce Focus, Lifeforce Elite and the original Lifeforce Formula and is aimed at horses in three specific lifestyles.

LIFEORCE FOCUS is for leisure horses in low activity or those that spend a lot of time grazing. It creates an ideal digestive environment which allows good bacteria to work most effectively throughout the gut helping to prevent digestive upsets. It also

addresses challenges related to weight loss and body condition and provides organic trace minerals that are more easily absorbed and maintained.

LIFEFORCE ELITE is for competition horses and those often faced with stressful situations. The constant travelling and training of our top horses can have a negative impact on their digestive health.

Lifeforce Elite supports a healthy immune system, increases the availability of antioxidants, stimulates an anti-inflammatory response and naturally maintains hydration which helps aid recovery. It creates an ideal digestive environment and enhances peak body and muscular condition.

LIFEFORCE FORMULA is for breeding horses and those in moderate activity levels and provides the building blocks to enhance the body’s own natural immune system. It maintains a well balanced microflora in both gastrointestinal tract and the caecum, which allows your horse to extract maximum nutrients from all its feed sources.

Lifeforce Formula also improves the quality of a mares’ milk which in turn promotes healthy growth in young foals, supports the reproductive system of both mares and stallions which increases the likelihood of a successful mating.

The Lifeoforce Range is available in 5kgTubs which provides a three month supply.

Prices start from £60 .Please visit www.lifeforcehorse.co.uk for more information,

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE - PER4MANCE BOOSTER by EQUIMINS Per4mance Booster

Combining honey, glucose and ginseng, Equimins’ Per4mance Booster helps to boost body and mind.

The instant energy shot can be used when extra energy or concentration is required, to give a little extra umph. It’s ideal for those who event, hunt, jump and race and should be given at a rate of 50ml up to three times a day as needed.

Per4mance Booster is available in 1L, 2.5L and 5L containers, and prices start from £10.75.

For more information see www.equimins.com, email sales@equimins.com or 46

Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

Keeping your Horse Happy with Verdo Bedding

HEALTHY, HAPPY AND STABLE

In the midst of winter, it’s inevitable that most horses will probably see more of their stable, than their field. The combination of bad weather and less daylight hours mean that your horse may be stabled for longer periods, so how can you keep him healthy and happy with this change of routine?

Verdo Horse Bedding, the cost effective and environmentally friendly bedding solution gives Everything Horse readers some top tips for keeping your horse happy and healthy this season.

Perhaps the most important factor to your horse’s well being is to introduce changes slowly to his routine. If you know you will be reducing his turnout, then start this process gradually before the bad weather or daylight completely fades. Suddenly going from all day/night turn out to being stabled for 8 hours or more can unsettle some horses.

Make sure that your horse has plenty of roughage to munch on, when stabled. If your horse is a quick eater, choose a haynet with smaller holes or double up two haynets to slow down his eating.

Stable toys can provide entertainment and fun and there are plenty on the market from snack balls

through to licks and play balls, but always introduce anything new to your horse whilst you are present and if in doubt always remove it before heading home.

Your choice of bedding is also an important consideration over the winter months. Keeping a consistent and quality supply is essential.

Fortunately Verdo Horse Bedding is manufactured here in the UK at our own plant, which is in production 364 days a year and because it’s a clever pellet bedding, it’s easy to store and takes up very little room, which unlike shavings and straw, means that you can buy in bulk if you are concerned that bad weather will interrupt delivery.

Looking for a bedding product that has a low dust content is also key especially for those equines with respiratory issues, Verdo has less than 1% dust and as the pellets are heat treated and made only from virgin UK softwood, they are also hygienic and 100% biodegradable.

Your bedding choice can make a difference to your horse’s feet too. Long periods standing on wet bedding can cause medical issues such as thrush and again Verdo is highly absorbent, able to absorb three times its own weight in liquid. Good stable management is of course key, so skipping out regularly and picking out feet also helps prevent problems.

Even if the weather is awful, you should try and get your horse out of his stable for a leg stretch for a few minutes each day to break up his day and allow him to move properly. If your horse is used to being turned out with others, then allowing him to groom a friend over the stable door can help lift his mood and some horse owners report that putting up a stable mirror can also help.

Whatever the winter weather, stabling your horse doesn’t have to mean his happiness and health has to suffer! www.verdohorsebedding.co.uk

For stockist enquiries: 01264 342 009

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Keep Warm and Carry on this Winter’ with the Everything Horse UK guide to the ‘Hottest’ equestrian clothing

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

For the Men BOYS IN THE HOOD!

Featuring ‘wind stoppers’ in the sleeves, an adjustable waist, two chest pockets, two bellow shaped pockets below the waist and a smaller pocket on the left sleeve, this jacket is the ideal winter warmer for guys about town or countryside.

1. Pikeur - The Pikeur Cantano Parker is a fabulous new addition to the ‘Men’s Department’ at online retailer Dressage Deluxe.

This sporty parka style, longer length jacket is down filled for warmth and comfort and features a clever detachable fleece lined hood, trimmed with faux fur, which is also fully detachable, offering versatility with good looks.

Available in Black Sizes: UK 36 - UK 42 RRP: £235.00 www.dressagedeluxe.co.uk

2.

2. Toggi - Stirling Quilted Deerstalker Super cosy quilted deerstalker hat with cosy faux fur trim. Pretty printed lining adds a touch of colour.

Colour: Black, Lode Sizes: XS/S & M/L Price from: £17.50

3.

3. Toggi - Broughton Mittens Super cosy quilted mittens with luxurious faux fur trim. Lined with fleece for extra comfort and warmth.

Colour: Black, Loden Sizes: one size Price from: £10

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

1.Tayberry - Catherine Gilet To go on top of 1.Tayberry - Catherine Gilet To go on top of a fleece when it’s a little cooler or as an extra a fleece when it’s a little cooler or as an extra layer when it’s really cold, Catherine is a winter layer when it’s really cold, Catherine is a winter wardrobe essential. wardrobe essential.

This clever gilet is fully reversible (providing a This clever gilet is fully reversible (providing a two in one look) and is even water repellent on two in one look) and is even water repellent on one side, in case you get caught in an unexone side, in case you get caught in an unexpected shower. It’s fully padded for warmth, has pected shower. It’s fully padded for warmth, has easy to use press stud fastenings and pockets easy to use press stud fastenings and pockets and looks great. and looks great.

The Catherine Gilet is available in magenta/ The Catherine Gilet is available in magenta/ purple, sky blue/navy and teal/cream, in sizes purple, sky blue/navy and teal/cream, in sizes S-XXL. It has a RRP of £42.99. For more inforS-XXL. It has a RRP of £42.99. For more information, see www.tayberry.co.uk mation, see www.tayberry.co.uk 2. Toggi - Toggi Alden Offering superb warmth, 2. Toggi - Toggi Alden Offering superb warmth, comfort and luxury this winter, Alden is a sucomfort and luxury this winter, Alden is a supremely stylish ladies down filled jacket with a premely stylish ladies down filled jacket with a water repellent finish to keep it looking fabulous water repellent finish to keep it looking fabulous for longer. for longer.

With flattering quilt stitching and seaming, a With flattering quilt stitching and seaming, a generous collar containing a useful hood, suede generous collar containing a useful hood, suede finish trims and piping add sophistication and finish trims and piping add sophistication and touch of luxury. touch of luxury.

Sizes: 8-20 Colours: Caramel, Navy Price from: Sizes: 8-20 Colours: Caramel, Navy Price from: £90 For more information see www.toggi.com £90 For more information see www.toggi.com

KEEP CARRY ON AND CARRY ON KEEP WARM WARM AND with the soft hand feel outer adding an extra with the soft hand feel outer adding an extra touch of luxury. It also has a supersoft lined touch of luxury. It also has a supersoft lined inner neck, shirring side hem to slim the waist inner neck, shirring side hem to slim the waist and contrasting colour trim. and contrasting colour trim.

Natalie is available in plum and mulberry in sizNatalie is available in plum and mulberry in sizes S-XXL. It has a RRP of £45. For more infores S-XXL. It has a RRP of £45. For more information, see www.tayberry.co.uk mation, see www.tayberry.co.uk 5. Tayberry - Amber Fleece The Amber Fleece 5. Tayberry - Bonnie Supersoft Ideal for time in is a wonderful winter layer and comes in two the saddle and time on the yard, Bonnie Supergreat colours to add a bit of brightness to a soft is a great way to stay warm this winter. dreary day.

The sweatshirt is made from long pile supersoft The marl fleece fabric has added stretch and fleece and has a concealed half placket front flattering princess seams as well as concealed zip, herringbone tape ties, toggle adjusters and zip pockets with cover stitch detail and inside zip pockets too. It’s available in cream and a toggle adjusters at the hem for a great fit. rich mulberry colour, which is perfect for hiding ‘horse’!

The Amber Fleece is available in sizes S-XXL in purple and teal and has a RRP of £32.99. For The Bonnie Supersoft is available in cream and more information, see www.tayberry.co.uk mulberry, in sizes S-XXL, and has a RRP of £45. For more information, see www.tayberry.

6. Tottie - Olivia Fleece The Tottie Olivia fleece co.uk is ideal to keep you warm this winter.

6. Tottie - Olivia Fleece The Tottie Olivia fleece Soft and cosy the fleece, features an oversized is ideal to keep you warm this winter. neck with two zip pockets and velvet ribbon detailing for a fashionable look. This fleece perfect Soft and cosy the fleece, features an oversized for down the yard. neck with two zip pockets and velvet ribbon detailing for a fashionable look. This fleece perfect Available in Grey Marl and Fuchsia, in sizes for down the yard.

Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large and priced at around £39.50.

Available in Grey Marl and Fuchsia, in sizes For further information please contact Tottie on Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large (01274) 711101 or visit www.tottie.co.uk and priced at around £39.50.

For further information please contact Tottie on 7. Tayberry - Bonnie Supersoft Ideal for time in (01274) 711101 or visit www.tottie.co.uk the saddle and time on the yard, Bonnie Supersoft is a great way to stay warm this winter.

7. Tayberry - Amber Fleece The Amber Fleece is a wonderful winter layer and comes in two The sweatshirt is made from long pile supersoft great colours to add a bit of brightness to a fleece and has a concealed half placket front dreary day. zip, herringbone tape ties, toggle adjusters and zip pockets too. It’s available in cream and a The marl fleece fabric has added stretch and rich mulberry colour, which is perfect for hiding flattering princess seams as well as concealed ‘horse’! zip pockets with cover stitch detail and inside toggle adjusters at the hem for a great fit.

The Bonnie Supersoft is available in cream and mulberry, in sizes S-XXL, and has a RRP of The Amber Fleece is available in sizes S-XXL in £45. For more information, see www.tayberry. purple and teal and has a RRP of £32.99. For co.uk more information, see www.tayberry.co.uk

Keep Warm and Carry on 3. Toggi - Toggi Nico 3. Toggi - Toggi Nico this From the latest Toggi Black Collection for the Winter’ with From the latest Toggi Black Collection for the youthful and modern, the Nico semi fitted pad-Everything the youthful and modern, the Nico semi fitted padded jacket combines striking good looks with ded jacket combines striking good looks with Horse UK guide fun and funky finishing. Featuring a removable fun and funky finishing. Featuring a removable hood, elasticated cuffs and an elasticated drawhood, elasticated cuffs and an elasticated todrawthe ‘Hottest’ cord at the hem to keep warmth in and the cold cord at the hem to keep warmth in and the cold out, pockets sewn into the side seams include equestrian out, pockets sewn into the side seams include zip fastenings for added security. The brushed zip fastenings for added security. The brushed clothing cotton fabric in vibrant check design at the back cotton fabric in vibrant check design at the back neck gives a deep and warm pop of colour, neck gives a deep and warm pop of colour, while the stamp design embroidery and exquiwhile the stamp design embroidery and exquisite finishing of the Nico complete its stylish, site finishing of the Nico complete its stylish, preppy look. preppy look.

Sizes: 01-06 Colours: Black Price from: £65 Sizes: 01-06 Colours: Black Price from: £65 For more information see www.toggi.com For more information see www.toggi.com 4. Tayberry - Natalie Gilet Tayberry’s Natalie 4. Tayberry - Natalie Gilet Tayberry’s Natalie Gilet is a padded microfibre waistcoat that’s Gilet is a padded microfibre waistcoat that’s great for cool days. great for cool days.

The quilted design is flattering and easy to wear The quilted design is flattering and easy to wear Issue55• •February February • Everything Horse UK Magazine Issue 20142014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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can be worth their weight in gold.

What are thermals

(and why do you need them)?

Base layers, long johns, leggings… whatever you call them, a good set of thermals can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying the winter weather.

Here, Rachel Plant from Hot Togs, a company that specialises in advanced thermal wear, explains how thermals work and why they

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Keeping warm when the weather’s against you can be really tricky. It’s tempting to throw on a jumper or jacket over a standard t-shirt but, in truth, you could be setting yourself up for a cold day. See, layering is a great idea, but it’s important that the materials used perform too. Take cotton- it doesn’t wick and just holds sweat next to your skin, leaving you feeling clammy when warm and cold as you cool down. Picking the right base layer, made from the right material removes this issue and has a lot of other benefits.

Thermals help to keep you warm without adding bulk to your ensemble. From a visual point of view, it’s always nice to look trim. From a practical point of view, being dressed in bulky clothing when you’re trying to ride, bend down to pick out a hoof or put on boots makes everything much harder. As for why you need them, the truth is you could muddle by with layers of jumpers and coats all winter long. However, if you feel the cold and don’t want to be restricted or uncomfortable in your clothing…thermals Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

KEEP WARM AND CARRY ON

are for you.

There are some key features to look for if you’re buying thermals: Close fit- make sure that the base layer has a snug fit, whether it’s a top or leggings. This will help to trap warm air close to the skin and avoid cold air pockets. A close fit can also aid blood circulation, which aids body temperature.

Stretch- lots of stretch is very important as it helps with the fit, allows unrestricted movement when you’re riding, walking or participating in any other outdoor activity…and it can even help to support your joints.

Wicking- moisture is the enemy when it comes to keeping warm, so make sure your base layer wicks moisture away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric.

Seams-the less seams, the better. Of course, some seams are necessary, but these should be flat locked to ensure that they sit flatter and prevent abrasion and soreness. If you’re riding in your base layer leggings, makes sure they are side seam free.

Lightweight- clothing that helps to keep you warm doesn’t have to be heavy. If you’re involved in anything outdoors you’ll know that heavy clothing can be very restrictive.

There’s a lot of choice available and the good news is that a good base layer doesn’t need to cost a fortune- far from it. It also means that layering clothing really works and you’ll need to wear less ‘bulk’ to keep you warm and snug.

Hot Togs specialises in advanced thermal clothing for outdoor people. The company makes a range of thermal base layer leggings and thermal socks, many of which are made using Thermolite yarns that manages moisture, insulate and keep the wearer warm and comfortable without the weight. Using hollow core fibres, Thermolite traps the air for exceptional insulation. In addition to this, Hot Togs’ range really scores in the design stakes too with side seam free leggings featuring ankle grips and high rise comfort waists to keep them in place when used under tighter garments. To find out more, see www.hottogs.co.uk.

Above: Hot Togs Ladies Thermal Leggings Left: Hot Togs Knee Length Socks

Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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Boots Tuffa - Country Riders

With wool lined feet and a stunning design, Tuffa’s Country Riders will keep you snug and stylish all winter long. The boots have oiled nubuck leather uppers that are water repellent and sport a full length design with Tuffa’s dual hook and loop style fastening straps around the top of the leg for great fit. They feature rubber soles that are made for stirrups, but are durable and tough enough for a day on the yard.

Country Rider Boots are available in black and brown, in sizes 3-9, in standard and wide calf widths. They have a RRP of £189.99.

For more information on Tuffa see www. tuffaboots.com

Toggi Berkeley Country Boot

The exquisite Berkeley country boot from Toggi combines style and elegance with comfort and performance, to give you the ultimate country boot. Featuring a fully waterproof full grain leather upper, a waterproof and breathable hydro-guard membrane, anatomic arch-moulded foot bed with gel bag for comfort and shock absorbency and a sure grip rubber sole unit, whether you’re a countryside explorer or outdoor stroller, these spectacular boots will keep your feet dry and comfortable all day long.

Colour: Cedar Brown Sizes: 36 – 46 Price from: £169.50

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Everything Horse UK Magazine • February 2014 • Issue 5

KEEP WARM AND CARRY ON

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1. Pikeur - The Pikeur Knitted Loop Scarf is a clever wrap around scarf without ends, which will help keep your neck warm against the elements. Easy and comfortable to wear, the cable knit scarves combine this winter’s catwalk trend with warmth! Whatever the weather forecast you can be certain that with these additions your wardrobe never looked so stylish or felt so toasty! The Pikeur Knitted Loop is available in Light Grey or Black RRP: £29.00 2. Pikeur - The Pikeur Striped Knee Length Socks bring together style and warmth with their knee length design. Beautifully soft in a fine gauge knit, they gently hug your leg and foot for a slim line fit, making them ideal for wearing with breeches and long boots this season. Available in Purple, Chocolate and Navy Blue. RRP: £12.00 3. The Roeckl Polartec Gloves are a must have for winter! Styled in a Polartec, powerstretch material they are incredibly warm, extremely comfortable and dry rapidly after becoming wet. Featuring a sticky palm for extra grip, they combine warmth with performance. Available in Black & Brown Sizes 6 – 8.5 RRP: £26.00 For items 1,2 & 3 Visit www.dressagedeluxe.co.uk Issue 5 • February 2014 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

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4. Timothy Foxx - Ear Warmers These gorgeous limited edition Timothy Foxx Earwarmers are perfect for those early morning stable visits, helping to keep your ears warm during yard duties and also helping to disguise dreaded ‘hat hair’ after riding. Available in five different tweeds and two sizings. RRP: £28.00 5. Timothy Foxx - Beenie Bobble Hat This unique Timothy Foxx Beenie Bobble Hat is seriously stylish. This Unisex hat is made from the finest British Tweed patchwork fabric and fully lined with fleece, which makes it exceptionally warm. It has a Union Jack flag on the side and a funky woolly bobble on the top.

Size Guide – crown measurements: Small - up to 55cm Medium 56cm - 59cm Large 60cm 63cm Extra Large 64cm - 68cm RRP: £65.00 6. Toggi Shellbrook Knitted Hat, Lumsden Knitted Scarf and Blaine Knitted Fingerless Glove Made in Scotland from 100% Lambswool in a striking stripe design, these fab knitted hats, scarves and fingerless gloves from Toggi will keep you warm and cosy all winter long. Sizes: One size Colours: Royal Purple, Deep Pink Shellbrook Price from: £22.50 Lumsden Price from:£27.50 Blaine Price from: £15. For more information see www.toggi.com 55

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