Endurance Magazine Summer 2021

Summer Care Feeding for recovery

Competition Focus Riders' tips & expert advice Summer 2021

Official members' publication for Endurance GB

In this

Volume 18 – Issue 2

issue

Endurance GB Office Administration Endurance GB Office, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RP t: 02476 697929 f: 02476 418429 Publisher

Unit C, Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9QJ t: 01536 527297 e: info@matrixprint.com Designed by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Tolu Akinyemi Production Editor Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Catherine Baldock t: 01536 527 297 e: catherineb@matrixprint.com Advertising Sales Manager Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Deadlines Copy Dates to Editor for future issues of Endurance: Autumn copy deadline is 27th August. If you wish to advertise in the Summer issue, Artwork deadline is 10th September. The views and opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the editor, Matrix Print Consultants Ltd or Endurance GB. Endurance magazine is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without the permission of Endurance GB and/or Matrix Print Consultants Ltd.

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Regulars 4 6 8 28 42

Future Focus Endurance GB Chair Phil Nunnerley

News The latest news and updates

Endurance GB News Try before you buy

SERC The Scottish Team

Blog Bella Fricker on ride preparation

Features Cover Photo Courtfield Fun Ride Photo courtesy of EquinePix Photography

Follow us

14 16 24

Welfare Let’s keep it clean

Product news Equine fitness tracker

Nutrition Feeding for recovery

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Endurance GB 10

Inside Story

18

For the Record

30

Training

38

Diversity

From grassroots to FEI

The season so far

Building core strength

@EnduranceGB EnduranceGB @endurancegbinsta

34

Horse health Think fibre first

Opening up access for all

ISSN 2516-2349

contents

3

Future

Endurance GB Board of Directors

focus

Chairman, Policy & Governance PHIL NUNNERLEY T: 07860 323968 / 01761 221561 E: philnunnerley@endurancegb.co.uk Finance Director CHRIS WRAY T: 07856 500519 / 01600 860938 E: chriswray@endurancegb.co.uk Groups, Health & Safety, The Office, Volunteering ROSEMARY HENDERSON T: 07894 477049 E: rosemaryhenderson@endurancegb.co.uk International Director, Development (Including Young & Junior Riders, Coaching, Futurity, Pony Club, Para) ROSEMARY ATTFIELD T: 07810 580880 / 01403 822567 E: rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk SERC representative ALISON SEGGIE E: Alison.seggie@btinternet.com Vice Chair, Operations Director, IT and BEF Equality Action Team Representative ESTHER YOUNG T: 07454 929919 E: estheryoung@endurancegb.co.uk Sponsorship Director CLAIRE BARRY T: 07850 309 231 E: clairebarry@endurancegb.co.uk Communications Director KERRY DAWSON T: 07818 283144 E: kerrydawson@endurancegb.co.uk Welfare Director ANTONIA MILNER-MATTHEWS T: 07712 559256 E: antoniamilner-matthews@endurancegb.co.uk Safeguarding Director AMANDA WOOLCOMBE E: amandawoolcombe@endurancegb.co.uk Directors of Endurance GB are volunteers, so please be patient and considerate with any queries. Most Directors work full time elsewhere and are not always available during working hours. No calls before 9am or after 9pm please.

Phil Nunnerley | Chair of Endurance GB

Dear Members, As I write this, the Prime Minister has just announced the lifting of Covid-related legal restrictions In England. In the face of the rise in positive cases, we are being encouraged to still be cautious.

The pandemic has presented real challenges for us in both 2020 and 2021, and I am so grateful to Ride Organisers for all your efforts in ensuring we have been able to deliver a ride programme. It is pleasing to note how many new faces we are seeing at rides and all of us in the sport have a responsibility to embrace and welcome them, encouraging them to return and try one of our competitive rides. Our #GoEnduranceGB campaign, just launched, provides an incentive to step up and, we hope, get a taste for the longer, and more competitive, distances.

I am more than conscious that circumstances have disproportionately impacted on our intended FEI rides. Travel restrictions into the UK have meant the 3 Euston Park rides have been cancelled this year; and both Kings Forest rides and Lavenham have fallen to circumstances. Bella Fricker and Emma Taylor have kindly stepped up and agreed to run FEI classes at Keysoe and Thay Stephenson has identified a venue at Well Vale to also offer FEI classes. We do appreciate that only 2 weeks apart is not ideal, but they are the only dates available to us.

We do recognise how important it is for riders to maintain their qualifications and hope you will support the Ride Organisers.

Two small pleas. Can we please remember our protocols and ensure that we remain thoughtful and respectful to other riders and members of the public who may also be out enjoying themselves. Secondly, some of our rides are at risk without more volunteers. We all have a responsibility to give back to our sport and to help by volunteering when we are not riding. Please contact your local Ride Organiser or Local Group and volunteer your time if you are able.

Phil

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5

the latest

news and updates

Equi-Trek & SEIB Insurance Brokers Collaboration

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qui-Trek is delighted to be partnering with equestrian insurance specialists SEIB for comprehensive insurance protection for your horse trailer or horsebox.

Equi-Trek has chosen to work with SEIB because of their distinguished reputation for providing tailor-made policies, and extensive experience in the equestrian sector. These qualities allow SEIB to offer Equi-Trek customers insurance protection that’s built around your specific requirements.

Benefits of the cover include: •

Recovery of you, your horse trailer or horsebox, and horses following an accident • For horse trailers, the policy extends to include up to three weeks' cover for temporary horse trailer hire • Expertise and know-how of Equi-Trek as an approved repairer for horseboxes • Security of being covered by UK based insurers who’ve been awarded an ‘A’ rating by independent credit rating agencies • Reassurance of knowing that 99.8% of claims have been settled in the last 5 years For complete peace of mind turn to this experienced team for all your horse trailer and horsebox insurance requirements. SEIB have been safeguarding horse trailers and horseboxes for more than 30 years, establishing themselves as one of the market leaders during this time.

There are times when finding the right insurance for your specific needs can be challenging but help is on hand with a wealth of experience to bring to the process.

This new arrangement also brings together many years as horse owners and so combines personal experience with professional knowledge to provide a policy that is centred on your individual needs.

Call SEIB for a quote on 01708 850 000. www.equi-trek.com

6

news

New Sponsor for the Cirencester Inter-Regional Championships This year’s Inter-Regional Championships, held on the 9-11 July at Cirencester Park, welcomed new sponsors Spillers Horse Feeds in support of the 80km Competitive Endurance Rides. The feed company is excited to be involved and had planned to send its weighbridge and nutritionists to Cirencester but was prevented from attending due to the delay in relaxing Covid-19 restrictions under Step 4 in England.

The placings in the Spillers Horse Feed sponsored 80km classes were as follows:

80km Corinium Trophy 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Linda Cowperthwaite, Epis Summer Breeze Fiona Griffiths, Katmando S J Shepherd-Scrase, Golden Flame Sally Mellor, Tiffaala Tracey Rose, Copper Moon JT Fiona Videla, FF Alpha Orionis

80km Veterans Sapperton Trophy 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Becky Stapley, Copperhead Road Kathy Carr, Aberllywd Femme Fatalle Sam Howard, Sharif El Ra Louise Rich, Oakleazefarm Czamak Penny Rawnsley, Psyzan Annette Masterson, Déjà Vu

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

VIP endurance view competition

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ndurance GB teamed up with VIP Equestrian to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a VIP saddle pad worth £137.50 and feature in Endurance magazine.

A huge thank you to all that entered and we look forward to announcing the winner in our next issue.

Upcoming Endurance GB rides AUGUST Sunday 1st Stanage Pole - Local Group Ride Wareham Forest - GERs and PRs Saturday 7th Hexham - GERs and PRs Ashover Teatime Ride - Local Group Ride Sunday 8th Black Mountains Fun Ride - Local Group Ride Hexham Social Ride - Local Group Ride Saturday 14th Barbrook - Local Group Ride Waterside Parishes - Local Group Ride Sat 14th – Sun 15th Harwood Dale - GERs and PRs Keysoe - FEI 1*/1*YR, FEI 2*/2* YR, FEI 3*, CERs, GERs and PRs Sunday 15th Collingham CHAPS Pleasure Ride Local Group Ride Tuesday 17th Talybont - Local Group Ride Saturday 21st Ranskill - GERs and PRs The Long Mynd - Local Group Ride Sunday 22nd Ranskill - Local Group Ride The Pegasus Ride - GERs and PRs The Raby Ride - Local Group Ride Friday 27th Well Vale FEI (was Revesby) - FEI 1*/1*YR, FEI 2*/2* YR, FEI 3*, CERs, GERs and PRs SEPTEMBER Saturday 4th Autumn Cannock Chase - GERs and PRs Finchingfield - Local Group Ride Saturday 4th – Sun 5th Cumbria Challenge - Hosting the Riding Club Championships Sunday 5th Finchingfield - GERs and PRs Sue's Ride at Sprotboro - Local Group Ride The Dartmoor Ride - GERs and PRs Saturday 11th Firle - Local Group Ride Pikehall in the Peak - GERs and PRs Sat 11th - Sun 12th Pembrey Country Park - Hosting Welsh Championships Sunday 12th Baldersdale - Local Group Ride Bonham - GERs and PRs Lavenham - Hosting the Pony Club Eastern Championships

Saturday 18th Clocaenog - Local Group Ride Sat 18th – Sunth The Lion's Tail - GERs and PRs Sunday 19th Camelford - GERs and PRs Clocaenog - GERs and PRs Devils Dyke - GERs and PRs Friday 24th - Sun 26th Red Dragon Festival of Endurance - National and Pony Club Championships - CERs, GERs and PRs Sunday 26th Okeover Park - Local Group Ride Tanfield - Local Group Ride OCTOBER Sat 2nd - Sun 3rd Concrete Cows Fri 8th - Sun 10th Dalby Forest - Hosting the Home Internationals Sunday 10th Durham Valleys - GERs and PRs New Park Rufus - GERs and PRs Sunday 17th Buxton - Local Group Ride Maryland Fun Ride - Local Group Ride Saturday 30th Talybont - GERs and PRs Sunday 31st Brodsworth "War of the Witches" Halloween Ride - Local Group Ride Devilish Dimmingsdale - Local Group Ride - TBC Poplar Park Sandlings Autumn Pleasure Ride - Local Group Ride NOVEMBER Sunday 7th Ranskill Remembrance Ride - Local Group Ride DECEMBER Sunday 5th Christmas Carol at Shipley Park - Local Group Ride To check the most up to date list, please visit: https://egb.myclubhouse. co.uk/Events/Calendar

news

7

Phil Nunnerley, Endurance GB Chair said: “We are delighted to be launching our new scheme to tap into the real surge in enthusiasm we are seeing this year and support riders aiming to move from grassroots pleasure rides into the mainstream of the sport. #GoEnduranceGB offers a unique opportunity for riders who have tried pleasure rides over the shorter distances as well as those completely new to the sport to experience an endurance ride at the next ‘affiliated’ level before signing up for full membership.

What's new at

Endurance GB

Endurance GB invites new riders as the sport sees a surge in entries at grassroots level.

• Endurance GB sees riders registered for pleasure rides increase by more than 75% in a year • Endurance GB Board is keen to offer the more than 3950 ‘supporters’ of the sport as well as riders completely new to the sport to step up to graded competition easily via #GoEnduranceGB • Endurance GB members are being encouraged to help grow the competitive base of the sport by encouraging friends who ride outside the sport to take part in #GoEnduranceGB

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endurance news

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ndurance GB is planning to build on a post-lockdown surge in grassroots membership and participation this season with a new scheme #GoEnduranceGB to encourage riders to step up to graded level competition. #GoEnduranceGB offers the opportunity to enter up to two novice Graded Endurance Rides (GERs) up to 40km before becoming a full riding member of Endurance GB with a further £10 in membership or ride entry vouchers to all those who complete a ride under the scheme Designed to smooth the path of riders who enjoy the experience of pleasure rides to challenge themselves and their horses at the next level, anyone entering a graded novice class through #GoEnduranceGB 2021 will have access to support from experienced riders and on completion an introduction to the vetting process with a post-ride pulse check and grading for their horse.

The move comes as the number of registered supporters with Endurance GB has soared by over 75 percent since the end of 2019, the last full season.

“The scheme allows a Supporter or an Associate Member to pay a day membership fee and experience a Graded Endurance Ride, to see what speed must be achieved and how their horse copes with a slightly longer distance than that of a social or pleasure ride.

“There are mental and physical health benefits to getting out in open spaces and the benefits and enjoyment for both horse and rider from the challenge of taking part in endurance are being recognised as we have seen rising demand and record entries after the latest lockdown and we are looking forward to offering a warm welcome for faces coming into the sport.”

As well as reaching out via the existing 3631 supporters, as well as Pony Club endurance and Riding Club members, Endurance GB is encouraging current full members to ‘spread the word’ beyond their sport with #GoEnduranceGB both on social media and by word of mouth, at livery yards and in tack shops.

Esther Young, Endurance GB’s Director of Operations said: “The demand has been huge so far this season and we really feel endurance is poised to move forward this year. During the first lockdown, vets involved in the sport were reporting an increase in the number of newcomers having horses vetted for long distance riding and pleasure rides, and this has fed through into the dramatic increase in membership at supporter level.

“We are saying to our existing members, we want as a board to help you go out and spread the word, help us grow the competitive base of the sport now and this will be a springboard for a bigger future for everyone involved at every level from grassroots to international. By initiating this campaign we are working to support endurance riders at all levels in championing a sport firmly focused on horsemanship, health, fitness with high veterinary care and welfare values. Riders such as British Senior Team

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

rider and YouTuber Beth Langley are working hard to promote the sport through social platforms and are giving an inspirational lead in encouraging new blood and this initiative is a way of supporting that hard work.”

Beth Langley, whose video on going to your first endurance ride will appear on the home page of www.goendurancegb. co.uk said: “The whole reason we set up our BethEndurance YouTube channel was to inspire people to give the sport I love a go and when I hear of people going on a first social or endurance ride, it makes my day.

Encouraging everyone to #GoEnduranceGB is something I really want to get behind and I hope my fellow riders across the country will also take the opportunity to help find more converts to our wonderful sport.”

To find out more about the 2021 #GoEnduranceGB try before you buy offer, along with other offers for new members such as the free Club Membership scheme, go to www.goendurancegb.co.uk

Reach for the stars!

From grassroots

To FEI

The inside story, including the highs and lows of developing two very different horses from grassroots to FEI, by Emma Taylor a 21 year old, FEI, Team GB development squad rider.

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or many young, junior, or even senior riders, Team GB and World Level endurance are dreams that are not that far out of their reach.

Moving through the levels over the last 9 years has been a huge learning curve for me and I am excited and honoured to be able to share my story with you.

10

spotlight

So, lets start from the beginning, I have brought two very different horses through the rankings with two very different journeys, both ending up so far at the same level. Firstly, Cool Dude (the pocket rocket) my 12.1hh, 17 year old native cross breed pony. He is fairly well known on the circuit as the pony with endless energy!

With 9 years' experience and almost 1000 competitive Kilometres under his belt—this makes him the experienced one of the two horses. Simeric Sarsour (aka Bug), my 16.1hh, 8 year old pure bred Arabian, with only three ridden years under his belt and two competitive seasons he definitely has age and low mileage on his side. There are up sides and downsides to both of these, experience is always a good thing but low mileage can add longevity to your horse’s endurance career.

pace of 13.5kph, so not a bad start at a warm sunny, what was then, RAF Cranwell. The 2015 season took us to all Pleasure rides and we found ourselves at the Lindum Spirit; which was an absolutely fantastic week, Dude did six rides over 5 days with the longest being 27km (however it was an unmarked route so could have been longer as I got a little lost).

Cool Dude’s story …

One ride stood out this season: Boyton Hall, two 40km rides done with a grade 2 on Saturday, 11.5kph and a heart rate (HR) of 45bpm, then a grade 1 on Sunday, 13kph and a heart rate of 34bpm!! What? A 34bpm heart rate with a native pony in the middle of August,

We bought Dude when I was 12 years old and he completed his first competitive season in 2014, which was also the first time I had ever done a graded ride so none of us knew what to expect! With a 32km Ride ridden at the flying

He was a superstar and came home with a 2nd place in the pairs class and claiming the Lindum Virgin award, meaning we came away with a rug and lots of prizes. Moving into 2016, this season saw us step up the mileage, with 9 graded rides of 32-40km and even some weekends where we would do 40km each day. The step we needed took us from novice level to open level bringing in some amazing results.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

yes, I couldn’t believe it either and I was there!

2017, was the season of mixed emotions, starting off with a high, we headed for Spring King's Forest to do our first vet gated ride of 65km, flew round through his first vet gate in 5 mins (even if my crew were stuck on course – Kerry Dawson I couldn’t have done it without you!). We loved going back out again and running into the teams from Dubai on course.

Photos courtesy of David Saunders

Ending King's on a high, we entered the 2 day 80km with an overnight vet gate, at Royal Cranwell (the new RAF Cranwell) where we had to re-present into the overnight vet gate.

Now having more experience under my belt, I would have retired him then, as we got vetted out at the end of day 2 for metabolic and an abnormal gait. We had the vet and physio out to discover he had soft tissue damage in his forelimb, taking us into a 3 month, mid-season break. After this came Boyton Hall, where we took it easy and completed two 16km PRs over the weekend which he flew round, ending the season at Royalties with a 32km GER. 2017 ended strong and we decided it was finally time; we wanted to be advanced and entered the 80km GER at Poplar Park, not realising it would be 34 degrees! Unfortunately, we were vetted out with a finish HR of 68bpm, but he rode fantastically, 2 vet gates, straight back out each time, 12.5kph and still had energy left to canter in at the end!

Knowing Dude could cover the distance and

spotlight

11

recover well, we went to Boyton Hall for a 80k done at 10.5kph and grade 4 - what a super star!

He was now advanced and half way to being FEI! The last ride in the calendar was Royalties, where it poured with rain during the 80km but came flying through at 12kph to give us another grade 4! He had done it, we had done it, we were FEI! 2019 was Dude’s best season. He rode the King's Forest Spring FEICEI1*YR 80km really well, 12.5kph finishing speed and a 2nd Place.

What a legend of a pony, flying through the final trot up and all A’s for the day - exactly how you want to finish! We then entered the 2 day FEICEI2* 140K at King's Summer ride, underestimating the heat. Having completed day 1 at 15.5kph with great presentation times (5 and 8 minutes), the decision to retire him came after he had slowed down considerably for the final loop (lessons previously learned competing in the heat). This took us to the Top British Rider in the Top British Combination in the FEI global YR rankings, which is absolutely unreal for a 12.1 pony! He has now finished FEI and has escorted Bug round his novice qualifiers so will keep to smaller distances from now on.

Simeric Sarour’s story …

Photo courtesy of IndiePics

Compared to Dude, Simeric Sarour (aka Bug), the big ginger Arab’s journey to FEI has been shorter and more or less hassle free. Our first rides of the 2019 season, were a 16km Pleasure ride at Silk Willoughby, done at 9.5kph, followed by Poplar Park, where we did his first novice 40km, completing at 10kph, with HR 44 to finish and a grade 1.

Then came Euston Park, Home of the Endurance

12

spotlight

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

Masters Festival UK, with around 700 horses on site - we also met pigs, cows and river crossings.

10.5kph and a grade 1 to finish the day – what a clever little horse. Our last novice qualifier took us to Boyton Hall, seemingly quiet compared with Euston, 11kph, some more water and a grade 1 to finish, allowing us to upgrade to open!

With everything on track, we headed to Revesby Park for the last ride of the season, entering the 80km to give us room to downgrade if needed.

The rain was coming down sideways as we headed out on course, but Bug flew round at 10.5kph, HR of 53 in 5 mins to finish and all A’s for the day.

What a star, going from his first ride to finishing his first 80km in one season!

Then Covid happened; we managed Keysoe for another 80km at 11.5kph and 56HR to finish, allowing him to gain his FEI qualification! To finish 2020, we headed to Boyton for a training session, another 80km for experience: he rode well at 14.5kph for the first 64km even had a presentation time of 3 mins with a HR of 53!

Unfortunately, a strained muscle had us vetted out in the second vet gate, but we learned a lot - I needed a stronger bit to allow him to listen to me rather than just run! That brings us to 2021, where we entered the 32km at Avon valley and planned our first FEI race at Royal Windsor.

But things didn’t quite go to plan! Horses often throw a spanner in the works and Bug decided on a very big, expensive spanner. Having lunged him back 5 days after Avon Valley, the following day we went for a hack. Bug came back absolutely dripping, much warmer than after finishing the 32km ride! A visit from the vet lead to a diagnosis of right dorsal displacement colic but after walking in hand every 15 mins, and a return check from the vet - the colic had resolved itself. Monday came and he was still dull and not really interested in anything, so we had the vet out again. Due to a slightly high temperature, bloods were taken as a precaution which showed a high white cell count and he was given a course of antibiotics.

We saw improvements as the week went on, Bug was more interested in food and he was much brighter in himself. However, the repeat bloods on Thursday revealed that his white cell had stabilised, however, due to a lack of drinking since the weekend, raised kidney levels showed severe dehydration. The vet rang to say he had referred Bug to Newmarket Equine Hospital and we had to be there in 2 hours for treatment. On arrival we headed straight to the stable for repeat bloods and fluids, which showed the same as the external bloods, he

required fluids and internal scans to make sure everything was as it should be. Finally, after 6 days of worrying and lots of fluids later, Bug was able to come home.

He had lost a lot of weight and muscle but was so happy to see all of his friends in his field. We are hopeful that we might get out to a ride this year, but it is better to have a healthy, happy pony than to rush him and risk his recovery.

There will be other rides and other seasons to compete in but there is only one Bug! You do not need a fancy Arab for FEI. Yes, it has been easier with Bug than with dude, but sometimes everything is easier the second time round. So, to everyone out there with a pony, you can do it if you really put your mind to it. And everyone else, try some new challenges because you never know where you might end up.

5 Key points to remember …

• Don’t over train.

• Know you horse’s limits!

• Take your time—you are only competing against yourself.

• Rest and recovery is equally as important as training.

• Teamwork—you can’t do FEI on your own!

–––

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Clean sport

Let's keep

it Clean

Kate Hore RNutr Animal Senior nutritionist, has worked at NAF for over 20 years and is also a member of the BETA Feed Committee.

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fter last year, we can’t wait to get out competing again, but ensure you prepare carefully to avoid nasty surprises.

Clean Sport is important to all sport; at it’s simplest it is the principle that everyone should compete on a level playing field – something we all support. Equestrian Clean Sport is doubly important, as you’re not just thinking about yourself, but also your horse.

Clean Sport regulations prevent horses being competed while on medication, and in so doing protect horse welfare.

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welfare

Under FEI rules the responsibility always sits with the rider, though for riders under 16 the responsibility is with their parent or guardian.

However, it is not just down to the rider, and in the case of a positive test, your team may also be questioned. Testing occurs at any affiliated event, of any level, without warning so how do we protect ourselves?

Choose your feed, including feed supplements, wisely. Products guaranteeing no prohibited substances should be avoided, as ‘100% safe’ marketing shows the risk isn’t properly understood, and the chances of

contamination are actually increased. Instead, take two simple steps.

Firstly, check the ingredients of the feed against the FEI Prohibited Substances Database (online and App) to ensure it doesn’t knowingly contain inappropriate ingredients. There is a misconception that anything natural must be suitable, but that is not the case. For example, Devils Claw is a perfectly natural, safe to use herbal ingredient, great for supporting comfort in older, non-competing horses. However, such is the strength of Devils Claw, that it is

feature | endurancegb.co.uk

BETA NOPS accredited companies ensure transparency and traceability

Ensure everyone involved in your horse’s care is aware of Clean Sport

"Choose your feed, including feed supplements, wisely" a Controlled Medication under FEI rules, so avoid its use in competing horses.

Remember positive tests more often come from accidental contamination rather than deliberately using the wrong ingredient.

Therefore, secondly, and just as importantly, check your feed supplement is BETA NOPS accredited. BETA NOPS is a unique quality audit, which imposes strict quality and testing criteria to control the risk of accidental contamination via Natural Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS). Contamination from a range of natural sources is surprisingly easy, at points including growth and harvest, storage, transport and feed manufacture. BETA NOPS ensures every step is controlled and independently audited, to give you confidence in feeds accredited to that standard.

The BETA website will tell you whether the manufacturer you are considering is BETA NOPS accredited, but also simply check the label for the logo.

Companies who are BETA NOPS accredited, manufacture to high standards, as that is a requirement of the audit. However, it’s also worth knowing what quality audits you should be looking for. UFAS, stands for Universal Feed Assurance Scheme, and is a good base standard of quality product. The considered ‘gold standard’ for feed production is considered to be GMP+FSA, an internationally recognized program to guarantee high standards of feed safety management and control. Therefore, look for either UFAS or GMP+FSA on labels and packaing, to ensure a quality product. Here at NAF we are both UFAS and GMP+FSA accredited.

You too have a responsibility, and you’re advised to implement a Clean Sport policy on the yard. Ensure everyone involved in your horse’s care is aware of Clean Sport, all medicines are locked securely away from feed. For horses on medication it’s advised to use different coloured buckets, and clean all buckets and stirrers thoroughly. Ensure feed and supplements are stored securely, and no eating or drinking around feed time – remember either a tiny amount of chocolate biscuit (theobromine NOPS) or coffee (caffeine) accidentally getting in feed could result in a positive test!

If you are competing at affiliated competition, you are advised to keep records and samples of feed, including supplements, used to demonstrate due diligence. NAF produce the ‘Feed and Supplements Logbook’. Contact NAF for your free copy, to help you keep track of your equine athlete’s competition diet. For more information please visit: www.naf-equine.eu/uk

welfare

15

All systems go!

New equine health

and fitness tracker

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n enterprising new tech company with over 25 years’ experience in developing intelligent technology for some of the world’s leading brands is bringing affordable, smart data solutions to the equine world, to help horse owners better understand their horse’s health, wellbeing and fitness on a daily basis.

David Frost says, “By launching the Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker, our aim is to bring smart technology to the equine industry and offer data insights to every horse owner, not just the equine professionals. Our focus is on creating affordable products that can have a positive impact on our horses’ lives to help us make smarter decisions to manage their health, wellbeing and fitness”.

Newmarket based, Siametric Systems, established Enduro Labs to introduce their first product, the Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker to the equine market.

The Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker represents just the starting point for this ambitious company as they focus on bringing further innovative cloud-connected monitoring devices to the equestrian industry, utilising data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

heart rate and recovery, providing a true insight into your horse’s fitness, stress and fatigue. Real time data is sent wirelessly to the Enduro FIT mobile app via a lightweight smart sensor which attaches easily to the girth sleeve.

Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker: £189 RRP Available to buy from www.enduroequine.com

Based on extensive research and development, the Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker is an easy to use, smart solution that provides health and fitness data insights to horse owners and trainers for use in any equestrian discipline. The Tracker includes a game-changing affordable, simple to use, smart fabric girth sleeve which allows you to reliably monitor the horse's heart rate during exercise and recovery. Real time data is sent wirelessly to the Enduro FIT mobile app. Your ride’s distance, speed and location tracking, along with key health and fitness indicators are seamlessly delivered to the palm of your hand.

Enduro Labs co-founders, David Frost and Neil Bailey, have a wealth of hi-tech engineering experience between them, developing and delivering Bluetooth wireless connectivity, GPS and audio solutions to some of the world’s leading mobile and accessory companies including Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Sony and Nintendo.

16

product news

FREE Enduro FIT App can be downloaded from App Store or Google Play Next issue – product review – T &T by endurance riders

About Siametric Systems

Founded by David Frost and Neil Bailey, Siametric Systems is a Newmarket based tech start-up. With a passion for all things equine and an extensive background in engineering, the company’s goal is to bring mass-market hi-tech product experience to the equine industry. By applying cutting edge technology and sustainable manufacturing in a coherent way, the company is committed to delivering easily accessible data insights for all horse owners and professionals involved in horse wellbeing and fitness.

About Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker

The Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker includes a game-changing affordable, simple to use, smart fabric girth sleeve, known as the Enduro GS, which allows you to reliably monitor the horse's

Win!

Calling all endurance riders, Enduro Equine need YOUR help!

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international

17

For the record

The season

Photos courtesy of IndiePics

so far

After a protracted start to the season as the endurance community eagerly awaited the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the sport breathed a collective sigh of relief as rides finally got underway a month later than usual, writes Elizabeth Peplow.

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ride round up

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"It was good to be back doing the sport we love "

T

Photos courtesy of LRG Photography

he honour of the first Endurance GB Ride of 2021 went to Return to Ranskill in Nottinghamshire on 31 March and a beautiful spring day saw Chris and Dave Hull and the team’s ride host plenty of first time rides for horses and plenty of smiling faces.

The Wednesday ride proved popular with riders able to work flexibly or those with weekend work or other commitments and earned huge praise for the hard work that had gone into the organisation both of the ride and Covid-compliance.

Red River in Cornwall followed over the first weekend in April with riders commenting; “For the first "Covid ride" it was brilliant. The Ride Organisers had done their very best to ensure that everyone was safe, and it was run extremely efficiently.”

Some riders at Red River voiced concerns that too much emphasis was being placed on restricting numbers while unaffiliated single events were springing up and staging pleasure rides for up to 400 horses. However, Operations Director Esther Young, who was working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the sport met all requirements, stressed, “as the sport’s Governing body, we are members of British Equestrian and with that comes a responsibility to lead and deliver on compliance in accordance with Government guidelines. No one should forget that the ‘second wave’ of Covid was the backdrop to this season and our organisers across the country have worked brilliantly to ensure that the safety of our members, officials and volunteers has been paramount. ” There was lift off for the national ride season over the second weekend in April with Bibury Salt Way and Tilford staging two tremendous weekends of competition. A major route change on the eve of the ride due to restrictions in accessing the Devil’s Punchbowl at Tilford saw all hands to the pump in re-marking for organisers Maggie Pattinson and Shelley Bates.

Harry Ingram expressed the feelings of

everyone on Facebook posting: “TIlford - last ride before lockdown, first ride after lockdown part 1, first ride after lockdown part 2! Takes some ballsy ride organisers and I’m sure not without its challenges. Thank you so much.”

Local riders were to the fore in the two main classes both of which were sponsored by Equine Exceed who kindly donated prizes for the Performance Formula classes. Alice Ingram won the 84km GER with Best Off Du Valois while Katie Bedwin took the 65km class with Elayla with partner James Dickinson in second place with Magdy. Carri Ann Dark and Bey Sahli were the winners of the Open/Advanced 40km class with Amie Grainger and Vlacq Zilal (Cefn Du Endurance Horses) taking the 40km Novice section.

Meanwhile at Bibury Salt Way, they had four seasons in one day weatherwise with sun, hail and even snow, but the ride won praise for the quality of the going, the route marking and the stunning countryside with calls from a number of competitors for organisers to consider including 30km, 60km or 80km classes in the future.

Sam Hunt completed a 20km class and underlined that ‘winning’ is not always about crossing the line first. Summing up the camaraderie intrinsic to success in endurance, she said: “So today [at Saltway] I rode two different horses, both called Cyril, over 20km -

the horse for the first 10km was the evil twin, then for the second 10km the good twin came to the fore.

“I admit to having had a bit of a wobble - well, actually a full blown confidence crisis - when Cyril was proving to be a bit of a handful at first, but thanks to my wonderful, fantastic, fabulous ride companions Antonia Milner-Matthews and Sally Toye , who both did a marvellous job of encouraging me through it (and both of whom I simply can't thank enough) we completed the ride (by then riding good twin Cyril). I apologise to both of you for slowing down the ride speed so much.”

The action was focused on Poplar Park and Cerne Giant over the May Bank Holiday weekend with the first Competitive Endurance Ride of the season held over Iceni’s stunning coastal course in Suffolk.

"Great welcome and support given to newcomers to the sport"

ride round up

19

and wind! We are grateful to Baileys Horse Feeds who generously donated feed vouchers for the class winners.

The results were calculated using the French Formula, now known as Performance Formula (PF), and the winner of the top 62km GER class was Emma Martin with Nightfire Hallelujah Louis.

Nicola Lewis and Sakama Taliesin collected the 43km GER win while the Novice 43km GER went to Scarlett Chapple and Durboro Tansey.

Photos courtesy of LRG Photography

With several of the sport’s leading riders working towards championship qualification, they’ve used the early part of the season to good effect.

Among those breathing a sigh of relief that an FEI 160km class is in sight at Royal Windsor, Nikki Malcolm last year’s Southern Regional Champion, returned to the venue at Breamore with her on form Oso Spiralling Wind and was soon celebrating after learning they had an entry in the three star class at Windsor.

Some had more time than others to appreciate the estuary views, Harry Ingram winning the first race ride of the season with Cabirat Larzac at a speed of 17.8km/hr.

Harry said: “It was good to be back doing the sport we love and riding with lots of familiar faces and talented riders.”

Laurence Ridgeway who was also Harry’s new farrier in the run up to the ride took second place with Vlacq Kassandra at a speed of 17.6km/hr. Lisa Powell and Akwaduct completed in third place at 14.1km/hr.

seven completions in the 65km GER and 30 completions including three grade ones in the very popular 42km class. Among the finishers was rider Philippa Verry who earned a completion with Charterlands Stilton.

Philippa said: “Thanks to everyone involved in making Cerne Giant possible. Stunning countryside and some lovely grassy going. Lots of gate monitors.... brilliant... Stilton and I had a great ride and I will definitely be putting this one in the diary for next year....”

“Cabirat was on good form with great recoveries and riding strong but relaxed on the loops.”

While competitors commented on firm ground conditions in the early part of the season, the wettest May on record brought fresh challenges with heavy rain and wind dogging many rides.

The Baileys Cheshire Frolic was no exception with Pat Guerin and her team winning plaudits for the quality of the route marking, the track and the venue as well as the great welcome and support given to newcomers to the sport.

Meanwhile across the country on very different terrain at Cerne Giant, there were

Pat’s verdict? “You are all true endurance people whether you were riding or helping in the rain

Harry added: “Laurence helped us get out of a rut and think outside of the box with his approach to shoeing. It was an exciting last loop at 22kph and he was hot on my tail!

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ride round up

“Makes yesterday’s training at Breamore EGB ride in the relentless rain worthwhile that’s for sure, Spiral was on top form if a tad strong! But can’t blame him for that as last time we competed at that venue he stormed a very fast last loop to claim the Southern Championships and the reigning champ thought nothing of breezing round his 42km loop yesterday.

Nikki added: “As a team we are very grateful to Endurance GB that despite lockdowns and covid restrictions he has had three outings in recent weeks all within an hour of home which has helped keep his mind happy whilst the body is being fine tuned with his regular training and we can’t wait for the opportunity to race 160km in the Queen’s Garden.”

In a season of challenges, not least for the strain on organisers, officials and the Board who were managing a moving situation in attempting to schedule and firm up the calendar, there was early disappointment as a number of key events fell by the wayside with news breaking that the resumption of outdoor hospitality, meant that the Chisholm family, set to organise their last Golden Horseshoe Ride, had unavoidably to cancel the event to focus on reopening their pub on Dartmoor. Challenges in managing their sites also forced the Forestry Commission to impose restrictions and left an eagerly anticipated King’s Forest high and dry. Shortage of rides and early seasoning fittening caused the Home International at Cirencester to be postponed, but there were some chinks of light with the inter-regionals announced for Cirencester, the promise of FEI competition returning to the rescheduled Royal Windsor in July and at Euston Park and new rides coming on stream. While the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship

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farms for allowing us over their land to save some roadwork, Dan Page of Lodge Farm Elkington for his help rescuing a stray horse and his family's help with supporting our stewards where we crossed the young farmers' tractor run. Also the Northamptonshire Young Farmers for working closely with us to enable the two events to continue without any incidents.

120 horses and 50 tractors are not the ideal combination.”

The 80km CER was won by Sarah Rogerson riding Warrens Hill Rubyn with Sally Mcilwaine riding Winnie the Witch in 12 mins later followed a second later by Anna Kidd riding Whippletree Kray Jellyaby.

LRG Photography

Sarah said: “Our season got off to a great start at Avon Valley. Rubyn's first outing since 2019 and we both loved it. First place at 17.3kph with a beautiful trophy thanks to Larissa Whiley.

went ahead in Italy on 22 May with 31 nations represented, followers of international competition in the UK could only watch from afar as travel restrictions had only just opened up, with the added complication of Italy being on the UK’s amber list, making participation

by Team GB impossible logistically. The pain of not being there was eased by livestreamed coverage by FEI TV and there was consolation for British fans of the sport as Harry Ingram in the commentary box had the delight of reporting on success for his former ride Warrens Hill Chayze, bred by Lesley Dunn, who earned a fourth place with Spain’s Juma Punti Dachs.

Harry said: “Chayze made the impossible possible. 4th at the World Endurance Championships in Pisa with Spain! I had a mixture of emotions but I was overwhelmingly proud to see him fulfilling his potential with Juma and Maria. Congratulations to his breeder, Lesley Dunn. Juma told me that Chayze was an amazing horse, very honest, who could do even better! I can’t wait to see what the Europeans holds in September!”

Lesley Dunn said: “I spent four years watching that lovely movement. He was a stallion when Harry bought him but hadn't covered any mares yet. A shame that we decided that sending Chayze away for frozen semen

collection before he was gelded was too expensive for us at the time.”

The British team led by Chef Fiona Bloom will regroup and aim for the European Championships at Ermelo in September.

Proving that the season could spring some more welcome surprises, it was a revamped ride, the Leicestershire and Rutland Group’s Avon Valley taking place from the 1600-acre Park Farm, Stanford on Avon, over two days for the first time that got everyone talking.

Plaudits came thick and fast for every aspect from the amazing route and venue to the smooth running down to all the gates being opened. Organised by Larissa Whiley and staged in welcome sunshine over stunning Northamptonshire Countryside, the ride had everything from social rides to a 80km CER and there are hopes that the competition will be back bigger and even better next year with potential for international classes one day.

Just for info, we extended our first vet gate hold to enable the tractors to pass up a road that we were also using, we just had to cross their path later in their route and they supported our stewards in stopping the tractors to allow our horses through.

After the wettest May on record in the UK, a bleak month ended with a heatwave but combinations coped well and everyone enjoyed the party at Endurance GB’s South East Southdowns Ride organised by Katie Bedwin, James Dickinson, Fiona Bloom and Su Middleton.

The results of the Performance Formula, sponsored by KM Elite Products saw wins for Victoria Ham and Cwyrtai Sharif in the 82km winner, Christine Smyth and Alraad Bin Jesra in the 67km, Charlotte Purkis and SG Haneesh in the 45km, Charlotte Robinson and Harepies Magic Mila, (45km Nov), Kirsty Wiscombe and Yawl Hill Freya (33km), Elisa Kubickova and Anmer (33km Nov).

Carol Legg who together with Sam Mowatt, winner of the GER Classes Presentation and Handling Award, took two horses to the ride said: “Excellent day at The Southdowns ride yesterday with Lateral Thinking and Lady Goddiva successfully completing a hot 67k.

Larissa said: “We are hoping that this year will be the start of many more years for the Avon Valley ride, with the potential to make it a large FEI ride in years to come.

“It was also our fist ride using the Enduro Equine Fitness tracker: pleased to report no rubs and excellent connection throughout the 67k. Now to get to grips with all the data it supplies.

“I would like to thank the landowners especially Michael Eggington of Parker Farms our host at Park Farm Equestrian, Peter Moyles of Thornby

“A big thank you to Stevie (Jones) and Samantha (Mowatt) for looking after the ponies in the heat and bringing them home safely. And the biggest

ride round up

21

"It was good to be back doing the sport we love" thank you must go to the ride organisers and helpers without whom we wouldn’t have a sport.”

The Avon Valley ride was originally held from the Bath Hotel Shearsby in the late 1980’s with its main event being the 60 mile Denbigh Slate, prior to its move to Cirencester. The route was a full circular 60 miles with vet gates out on course, one in a small village called Laughton in Leicestershire the other at Park Farm, Stanford on Avon. It ran for a few years before the organsiers put all their energy into Cirencester. In the early 2000’s it started again for a couple of years from the current venue at Park Farm, which provides nearly 10 miles of good off road riding over the Hemplow hills and along the old railway line as it goes through the Avon Valley just to the east of where it was flooded in the 1920’s to create Stanford Reservoir. The views from the top of the Hemplow hills over the Avon valley are stunning.

Photos courtesy of IndiePics

Make it a date: head for Avon Valley in 2022

What they said about Avon:

“Beautiful ride at Avon Valley thanks to all the organisers who made it possible will definitely be back next year.” Louise Rich “Tissy had a wonderful time doing the 32km at Avon Valley. She loves nothing more than a pony party but she was a bit cross not to be going off with the race riders,” Beth Langley

“We are enjoying our bank holiday weekend 20 miles completed at the Endurance GB Avon Valley, (Northamptonshire) Ride. Diego gave me a great ride, he felt like he enjoyed every step as much as I did. We glamped over for the night too, to enjoy spending the evening with our endurance buddies,” Lisa Hayworth “Rearsby Lodge Riding Club had an endurance team competing at Avon Valley on Saturday and we hope to have qualified for the BRC championship in Cumbria in September,” Claire Atkins

22

ride round up

Photos courtesy of IndiePics

“Louis completed his first 80km ride today at the Avon Valley Ride upgrading to an advanced endurance pony. He finished on a heart rate of 48 at a speed of 13.9 kph. Lovely route with lots of canters and fab views,” Emma Martin

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Got a ‘Working Foody’?

PERFORMANCE BALANCER Low starch & sugar

Low calorie Low energy

Despite being a performance horse, The Working Foody is usually a chunky type that is prone to appearing on the ‘fleshy’ side. They can perform beautifully at the start of a course but often finish puffing like a baby dragon and can take a while to recover afterwards. They generally look ‘fine’ in their appearance but lack a bit of Valegro appeal. In an attempt to avoid carrying The Working Foody around the arena, owners may feel they need more energy and switch to higher calorie competition mix but unfortunately, the mere sniff of a calorie goes straight to The Working Foody’s bum.

It’s tempting to under-feed The Working Foody but his requirement for essential nutrients, like quality protein, vitamins and minerals, is just as high as any other working horse’s, he’s just a “good converter” as far as calories are concerned. Baileys No.19 Performance Balancer can provide optimum levels of all these nutrients without the calories associated with a mix or cube.

For your free sample & information: Baileys Horse Feeds

MADE IN

Tel: 01371 850 247 (option 3) www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

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OUR OWN

23

Nutrition for competition

Feeding

Photos courtesy of IndiePics

for Recovery Katie Grimwood MSc, of Baileys Horse Feeds, advises horse owners on the phone and via message and email, as well as now visiting in-person to assess and formulate horses’ diets. She also provides nutritional back up to the Sales and Marketing teams, gives talks, writes articles and keeps abreast of the latest research.

H

ard work can take it out of a horse, whether it’s during training or competition, so they need time to recover but optimising this recovery should be part of our daily management plans and not left to the day of, or after, the event or training session.

(body salts) are minerals which form charged particles, or ions, when dissolved in water. They are integral components of body fluids, which are released when the body sweats to cool down, with the horse losing electrolytes, including chloride, sodium and potassium, along with smaller amounts of calcium and magnesium.

Hydration

Body fluids need to be kept at a certain concentration so, when water and electrolytes are lost in this way, the concentration is altered and an imbalance of salts occurs, which can influence tissue and organ function. This can have negative effects, including muscle fatigue,

With the spells of hot weather experienced over the last couple of summers, awareness of electrolyte supplements has risen but their true value in aiding recovery from “everyday” exertion is probably not fully appreciated. Electrolytes

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nutrition

"The provision of water alone is often not sufficient"

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lack of concentration, reduced energy levels and a loss of co-ordination, all of which will have a detrimental effect on performance, depending on how much the horse sweats.

The provision of water alone is often not sufficient as it can further dilute the concentration of body salts so the use of an electrolyte supplement is therefore advantageous in helping replace body salts and in reducing the risk of detrimental issues occurring.

The most effective way to help replace fluid losses is to provide an electrolyte solution where the concentration is the same as in body fluids (isotonic). This helps the horse’s body to recover from dehydration by providing fluid without unbalancing the levels of body salts, and sodium in particular.

Although we cannot ‘pre-load’ the system (as the body is unable to store excess electrolytes), giving electrolytes prior to a competition, or a harder work session, can help to ensure that the horse will not be starting out with a deficit. During a competition, an isotonic solution could be provided between classes, at vet gates, or between phases in eventing and can aid recovery in preparation for the next stage. Following the competition, the provision of electrolytes, within an hour of work being completed, can help to improve recovery and assist the horse in performing to the expected level on subsequent days.

Indeed, research has shown that when used in this way, electrolytes can help delay the onset of fatigue and the same study also showed that, horses given an electrolyte solution an hour before exercise, could continue for 34% longer that those who were unsupplemented.

Electrolytes should also be provided when working in a higher ambient temperature or humidity, even if work is not of a high intensity just as in humans, warmer weather can cause the horse to sweat to a greater extent.

The method of administration may vary between different brands of electrolytes but, typically they should be provided in the drinking water or in a very wet, sloppy feed, such as beet pulp. For fussier horses, a separate bucket of plain drinking water should be provided so the horse still has the option to drink, and it’s wise to help a horse get used to the electrolyte solution by gradually introducing it into their normal routine at home.

It is also important to monitor daily water intake, which may mean using buckets, rather than automatic drinkers. Adding something sweetsmelling to drinking water, such as a splash of fruit cordial, apple juice, peppermint oil, or even herbal tea, can help to tempt reluctant drinkers and can be useful to disguise ‘foreign’ water, when away from home.

Following the competition, the provision of electrolytes can help improve recovery

Refuelling

Glucose and fatty acids are the two major fuels used for exercise, with both being required for harder levels of work. Glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver and in skeletal muscle, while fatty acids are stored in muscle and in fat (adipose) tissue, throughout the body. Stores of fat are virtually unlimited in this context, whilst glycogen stores are much more limited and, when these become low, exercise performance may be affected.

Horses use glycogen when they work so, the longer and harder they work, the more glycogen is used up. After hard work, it can take 48 to 72 hours for a horse’s glycogen stores to return to full “resting” levels, compared to humans, for whom it takes around 24 hours. This means that at least two days of lighter exercise should be planned between harder bouts to avoid ‘bottoming out’ a horse’s fuel reserves.

Glucose is needed for glycogen replenishment and, while a high glucose meal, given immediately following exercise, is not thought to be of additional benefit in “speeding up” the process,

"After hard work, it can take 48 to 72 hours for a horse’s glycogen stores to return to full “resting” levels"

nutrition

25

dietary glucose levels should be maintained and these are ideally provided by cereal-based feeds, whose starch content is digested and absorbed as glucose. Dehydration may affect muscle glycogen replenishment time, however, reiterating the importance of electrolyte provision and sufficient water intake with harder exercise.

In human sports, ‘glycogen-loading’ strategies prior to competition are common and, typically, involve an elevated soluble carbohydrate intake for several days beforehand, along with reduction in exercise. This process has not been found to be of significant benefit in the horse, however, indeed such alterations to the ration may also increase the risk of detrimental effects, such as digestive disturbance or exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up).

Modern feed balancers allow this dietary flexibility, by providing a balance of nutrients, likely to be lacking in forage

"Completion rates in endurance horses were significantly higher in horses with body condition scores of 5-5.5"

Instead, a more suitable guideline is to provide appropriate and consistent feeds to meet the horse’s requirements, on a daily basis. Feeding recommended rates, for size and workload, of a suitable fortified concentrate will supply a good balance of vitamins, minerals and quality protein, alongside forage. The diet of a competition horse should supply a sufficient nutrient and calorie (energy) provision to maintain ideal body condition and ensure the horse has adequate reserves to optimise performance and recovery, throughout the year.

This includes during periods of ‘down time’ or less intensive work, ensuring that calorie intake is adjusted appropriately but not at the expense of essential protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Modern feed balancers allow this dietary flexibility, by providing a balance of nutrients, likely to be lacking in forage, without the calories associated with a mix or cube, and means that good-doers, especially those with variable workloads can still receive the necessary nutrition for performance and recovery.

A horse who is not carrying enough condition will not be receiving sufficient energy/calories from their diet and internal reserves will be lower, which may affect recovery times and performance.

Body condition scoring can be used to assess whether the horse’s dietary energy requirements are being met for work, with a score of 5 (on the 1-9 system) representing an ideal condition.

Garlinghouse and Burrill (1999) identified that completion rates in endurance horses were significantly higher in horses with body condition scores of 5-5.5 (on the 1-9 system), compared to lower body condition scores, and that leaner horses were more likely to suffer

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nutrition

from fatigue and energy substrate depletion.

This indicates the importance of a suitable dietary energy provision, alongside key nutrients, for horses in harder levels of work.

In higher levels of competition, especially in the cross country phase of eventing, an increased work intensity places a greater anaerobic and musculoskeletal stress on the body, increasing the demand for antioxidants to support the horse’s ability to cope with the higher physical exertion (Williams and Burk, 2012). An appropriate performance feed, fed daily, will supply good levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin E and selenium, to support muscle integrity and recovery following exercise. A balanced diet should be provided consistently, both before and after competition, to help ensure requirements are being met.

On returning home from a competition, normal routine should be maintained, and feeding a bran mash in anticipation of a horse’s day off is not recommended, as sudden changes to the ration can cause digestive upset. Rations should not be significantly reduced following intense work, as the horse will still need to replace nutritional reserves, so a balanced diet is still key.

Whilst the horse is recovering from a harder exercise session, protein synthesis in the muscles increases so that muscle tissue, damaged during work, can be repaired.

Digestive Support

The importance of sufficient levels of fibre, within the ration, should also not be forgotten.

Forage acts as a reservoir for water and electrolytes in the gut, so can help to maintain and support hydration. Additionally, the importance of a constant flow of fibre through the system, and associated chewing, can help to reduce the risk of performance-inhibiting issues, like gastric ulcers and colic so restricting the horse’s access to forage (hay or haylage) at any time, on a competition day or when travelling, should be avoided.

Good-doers may need lower calorie forages, fed in small-holed nets, to make a smaller ration last longer, but this is preferable to the horse suffering long spells without forage and the associated risk of gastric ulceration that this also brings. Conversely, horses who are prone to ‘backing off’ their forage, perhaps due to the stress of competition or travelling, may be tempted with a selection of alternative fibre sources, like alfalfa chaffs or beet pulps. Offering a “smorgasbord” of these in the stable, alongside the normal forage ration, will encourage natural foraging behaviour and, hopefully, increase overall fibre intake to help maintain gut health and hydration status.

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Beneficial bacteria maintain their populations in the digestive tract by either reproducing quicker than the rate at which they are being expelled, or by attaching to the gut wall. If the flow of material through the gut is increased, such as when the horse is excited or stressed, the bacteria are no longer able to reproduce quickly enough to maintain their populations.

Harmful bacteria can take advantage of this situation by trying to colonise the gut while the beneficial bacteria are struggling to cope with the unfavourable conditions.

Feeding a prebiotic supplement will help to maintain a healthy population of good bacteria by providing them with a food source and encouraging their numbers to flourish at the expense of pathogenic bacteria. Since some beneficial species are involved in stimulating the immune system, it becomes even more important to maintain their numbers during competitions when a horse is exposed to other horses and potentially harmful bacteria. Using these supplements for a couple of days before, during and for a couple of days after, a period of stress will help to keep the bacteria and therefore the horse, healthy. They can also be used routinely every day for horses that suffer with very loose droppings and/or digestive disturbances.

5 FACTS

• Giving an electrolyte supplement before work can delay the onset of fatigue meaning the horse can work for longer before tiring and is likely to recover more easily.

• Lean horses are more likely to suffer fatigue and energy substrate depletion than those with an ideal body condition score.

• After strenuous exercise, it can take two to three days for glycogen stores, in the horse’s muscles, to fully replenish.

• Fibre acts as a reservoir for water and electrolytes, in the hindgut, so good levels of forage intake and a healthy gut are essential for performance and recovery.

• Whilst the horse is recovering from a harder exercise session, protein synthesis in the muscles increases so that muscle tissue, damaged during work, can be repaired. This highlights the need to maintain a consistent, quality balanced diet at all times.

Feed forage in small-holed nets, to make a smaller ration last longer.

References

Garlinghouse, S.E. and Burrill, M.J. (1999) Relationship of body condition score to completion rate during 160 km endurance races. Equine Veterinary Journal, 31(S30), pp.591-595.

On returning home from a competition, normal routine should be maintained.

Williams, C.A. and Burk, A.O. (2012) Antioxidant status in elite three-day event horses during competition. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2012.

Lindinger, M.I. and Ecker, G.L., 2013. Gastric emptying, intestinal absorption of electrolytes and exercise performance in electrolyte‐supplemented horses. Experimental physiology, 98(1), pp.193-206.

nutrition

27

The Scottish team

Team?

What team?

28

serc

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

I

n the light of the Home International and Celtic Challenge being postponed, there’s still time to get fit for possible selection. Fiona McCulloch was taken by surprise back in 2002 …

Not long after I joined Highland Branch with Ailsa, a scruffy wee Highland pony from the Isle of Skye, Branch chair Fiona Henderson sidled up to me one day and said words that literally changed my life. ‘There’s a training weekend coming up at Dores. If you can, I suggest you come along.’

Backtrack 12 months. I had just bought Ailsa when Foot and Mouth broke out, intending to do a little hacking but not much more. Got the bug for endurance riding when I went along to a talk by Clive Pollitt on the Tevis Cup, the Holy Grail, and as a result joined SERC. That first season after F&M was a few pleasure rides and then up to low level competitive rides which I had just started when Fiona asked the question!

I signed up for the training never giving it much thought, and turned up on the day with a shaggy grumpy Highland pony, and not much else. The training was interesting and addressed all levels of rides. The training covered indoor schooling with Candy Cameron, lectures and practical training on various aspects of competitive riding and equine care by vets and physios, followed by a training ride over the fabulous hills above Dores.

As an inexperienced endurance rider I did feel the learning curve was incredibly steep but threw myself and Ailsa into every challenge, some more successful than others. In between training sessions I kept being asked by other riders what my goals were, what was my training plan, what was I doing about various aspects of my equine care, all of which were a mystery to me as at that stage I didn’t even know I needed to know these things. When I asked the same questions in return I was given chapter and verse on their plans for their season! I also quickly worked out that I was in the company of seriously good endurance riders, right up to that elite band of riders Gold

"I was in the company of seriously good endurance riders"

Series and beyond. What on earth was going on and why was I even there? Whatever was going on, I decided to take full advantage of this fabulous knowledge and experience and pick their brains on how to improve my own performance - and had settled down to do just that when we were all gathered together at the end of the first day to talk tactics for selection for … the SCOTTISH TEAM and what we needed to do during the selection process!

Well, blow me down with a feather! Here I was in the middle of a team selection training weekend! I thought there must be some mistake so checked with Fiona that she did really intend me to be there. Yep, I definitely needed to be there as was being considered as Novice rider/horse for Celtic Challenge or Home International teams. Oh my giddy aunt! Up to that point I had heard mention of the Scottish team but I had no idea that the team included rider/horse combinations at all levels.

Suddenly I felt the weight of team responsibility settling gently around my shoulders and looked at my grumpy girl Ailsa in a new light. Could we really do this? Did Fiona see something in us that really wasn’t there? Would we even be selected?

Surely not!

Full of self-doubt we committed to the challenge and the journey began. Worked out ride plan to ensure we did the right rides at the right speeds. Go too fast in first season at your peril!

Lol! Speed was not a problem for a Highland tank! Commenced training, training, training of said tank pony, opinionated wee beastie that she was! Tried to remember everything learned at training weekend, forgot most of it as geared for fast posh Arabs. Rode each ride to hone skills of pace, vetting, travelling, overnighting. Went to the right rides to be seen for selection purposes.

Had nightmares re high heart rates, speed and navigational errors. And finally got the news. We were on the TEAM! And then the real training began! We were a team combination now. We belonged body and soul to the Scottish team. We lived and breathed the Scottish team right through to the last minute of the last day of the competition and then held our breath through the Awards Ceremony that night.

But … the weekend of the competition held at Dores that year was not without its challenges.

The weather had been dreadful for weeks, the venue was waterlogged. We hand built all the stabling over three days prior to the first horses arriving. The whole event was very nearly cancelled on safety grounds due to the ground conditions. The Irish team horse lorry was towed into the venue by tractor, sinking into the ground as it went. Took two tractors to pull it out again.

But all challenges were overcome and the fun began. The things that stay with me all this time

"Here I was in the middle of a team selection training weekend!"

later? The huge support team members are given by the whole of SERC to get the job done. The spirit of friendly competition between all the national teams, the Irish Junior and some very Senior riders getting up to all sorts of antics, watching their horses come off their giant lorry looking like they stepped off the Irish hills fresh as daisies.

The tense breath-holding wait during vetting to get the heart rates down. Watching Ailsa surrounded by crew throwing everything at her to get her cooled down. Waiting for the vet’s decision … PASS! Put the flags out, sound the horns. Round and sound! Now the wait for the rest of the team horses! One by one they come in. So do all the other teams’ horses.

Hard to tell how each team is doing! All home now. Some did not pass vetting. Results kept a secret until awards tonight! We are all dying of anticipation!

Well fed and watered, in clean clothes and some feeling a little pain from the days’ rides the announcements are made. Celtic Challenge – Scotland - WE WON GOLD! Who would have believed 12 months previously that a shaggy wee Highland pony would win a Gold medal representing Scotland? Ailsa did me and the Scottish team proud that year. As for me, I had the good fortune to be selected once more for the Scottish team with the lovely Imran, going on to do a two day 80k class at Kelso in 2006, coming away with a Silver medal.

So if anyone sidles up to you and suggests signing up for training, you never know, it could be you on the Scottish (or other Home Nation) team! Enjoy every moment!

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Grampian Branch newsletter, March 2021.

serc

29

Building core strength

Training the young endurance horse

T

he core muscles include the thoracic sling, abdominal muscles, pelvic stabilisers and deep vertebral muscles. These muscles provide the strength and co-ordination for balance, control, posture and weight carrying.

A good level of core stability can improve self carriage, enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Building core strength is an important conditioning process for a young horse. It should be introduced early in training, as a basis of education, to help them physically manage the changes ahead, especially the carrying of the saddle and then the rider. The better the physical is being managed the more the mental and emotional will stay in balance.

Every horse needs basic schooling so they can use their core to keep their back strong and to keep them working effectively. Some horses have a more natural carriage and will

30

training

A massive thanks to our amazing contributors who provided the expertise for this feature.

Jenny Lee is an equine bodywork practitioner and a member of the South East branch with her Arab gelding Blue. She has competed for Team GB at canicross (cross country running with dogs).

South East Horsemanship, was started by Sara de Vries and Terri Martinus. Their style of training is about learning certain ground skills that you then take to ridden. Full details can be found at www.southeasthorsemanship.com.

Maggie Pattinson is former Chef d’Equipe of the England Home International Endurance Squad and official coach and trainer for the Mongol Derby.

Contact Maggie via www.onthehoofdt.co.uk or via her Facebook page.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

"Poles, poles and more poles!"

lift and carry themselves so just need a little refinement. Others may be a little lazy and have poorer posture so need more support through schooling work.

The core strength training process

Carrot stretches – stretch an even amount either side and always make sure the horse is doing the stretch correctly and not cheating!

The first stretch takes the head down and back between the front legs, which should be straight and the head should be in alignment and not bent around. You will notice that the back comes up as they recruit their abdominal muscles.

The second stretch brings the head and neck wide out to the side. This exercise produces a nice stretch through the neck and especially through the ribs, as they spread apart on the outside of the bend and close together on the inside.

2. Poles, poles and more poles – start on straight lines in walk then trot. Progress to

poles in the shape of a triangle and square asking the horse to walk then trot over these at different angles. Raising the poles at either one end or both ends to encourage more ‘lift’.

Encouraging the head and neck to be soft and low will help the core to lift and increase better use of the limbs.

3. Back up - ask your horse to go backwards on a straight line, to get the hind legs to come beneath and the core muscles to engage.

Encourage the head and neck to be soft, long and low (not below the knee) to help them to work their back and hind quarters. If their head is in the air they will be hollowing in the back and using their chest.

Top three ridden core strength workouts

1. Walking poles – having got your horse familiar with poles in the unridden work you can now introduce them as a mounted exercise. Use a variety of shapes and patterns and to add a degree of challenge - scatter the poles. Allow a relaxed rein so the horse can look down and start learning how to navigate.

If they knock a few it doesn’t matter, just keep going and let them learn for themselves.

2. Rooty path – this is a wonderful way to use the natural environment to teach your horse balance and how to carry themselves. Ride with purpose, using voice and leg, to achieve a steady rhythm. Have a gentle enough contact so they can look down and pick their way through. As the rider you can focus on activating your core to control your balance, so you do not impede your horse.

3. Trot work – it is important when riding your horse out that you regularly change your diagonal. It is important to ensure that the hind legs take an equal workload so that the horse’s muscles develop symmetrically. A useful exercise is to change the diagonal every 5 strides and then every 10 strides, then back to 5 strides again.

Work in trot can also be made more effective by using lateral work such as leg yielding. Lateral movements can help correct the horse’s natural asymmetry and help them become equally strong and supple on both sides. These exercises can also help your horse learn to engage his hind legs by taking them further underneath his body.

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31

walking and then add in some running.

This work will keep a young horse busy but without asking too much and is a lovely way to build confidence in a more anxious horse. Use a mix of terrain and surfaces for your hacking, including roadwork.

Getting out hacking

Hacking is great for keeping a young horse interested and helps them become brave as they see so many things. You can start working in-hand and mix it in with ridden sessions to provide less physically demanding training that still offers mental challenges. Keep them next to you, working in partnership, starting with

Hacking offers a great opportunity to keep schooling interesting. For example you can mix in some lateral work as you navigate puddles or undergrowth or turn on the forehand as you ride through a gate. You can also work on transitions and half halts as you progress along a track. Hills are a great way to encourage a horse to use their hindquarters and stay off the forehand.

Hills are hard work so make it easier for a young horse by ‘slaloming’ across a hill until they are feeling confident. You can also break

Success Story - Rio, 16h, 6 year old Irish Sports horse – client of Sara De Vries Rio’s owner was feeling frustrated, confused and helpless. Her horse was dull, shutdown and lacked forward movement. Rio braced against everything she asked him to do and just did not want to comply in any way, he seemed unhappy and would regularly explode if asked to go into trot or canter, or even sometimes from a stand still. He would try and squash her in the stable, wouldn’t pick his feet out easily and would lash out when having them picked out. When he was asked to do any simple task he would have a bad expression and on the circle he was particularly difficult due to his lack of balance which in turn affected his confidence, which made him unpredictable.

‘We needed to work on Rio’s core strength training and stamina to improve his overall posture. Being stronger in his body helps his

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training

a hill into three segments so walk a third and halt, walk a third and halt finally walk the last third. Add in a trot in the middle section once your horse is tackling the hill confidently. Leg yielding across a hill is also a great way to add in some lateral work.

As your horse embraces the physical and mental challenges faced in their core training you can progress to include canter work.

Canter is a great gait for working your horse symmetrically. Canter helps with building abdominal strength, working on the lungs to oxygenate their muscles and ‘swinging’ through their back, hips and hind limbs. They need to be able to use their body correctly to obtain the benefits of canter, if they are tense, tight or stiff and do not use their core and top line it will affect their breathing, which prevents them from finding rhythm and relaxation.

Keeping a record of your activities is very important. Learning will not be an uphill trajectory and you will inevitably hit ‘bumps along the way’. It is the ‘bumps’ that make you stop and assess and will give you a better understanding of each other. There is no harm in going back a step or reintroducing some groundwork sessions. Every horse and rider is different and some combinations do need more time before moving to the next level. Only increase the level of challenge when you are fully ready.

balance and in turn his confidence. Rio wasn’t saying I won’t comply, but I can’t comply.

We first worked on him yielding to pressure so we could obtain a turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand and sideways in preparation for understanding the rider’s leg and for in hand lateral work. We then included poles patterns and figures of eight, to strengthen his core and help his bends in hand.

We taught him to move forward in an active walk, then trot and eventually canter. Adding in transitions, poles and raised poles. First on the ground then ridden. Stretches were used after each session.

His owner now describes him as calmer, happier, brighter, more connected and more confident, showing his true personality and therefore easier to read. He has a ‘good’ energy and is forward, being much better balanced with all the correct muscle tone with a strong back and good top line’.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

“Extra water to help keep them hydrated on long rides!”

It is essential that endurance horses are well hydrated and have plenty of energy to ride long distances.

Allen & Page feeds provide my horses with all the energy and power they need to perform without making them fizzy.

The soaked feeds also provide extra water to help keep them hydrated on long rides!

– Carol Chapman on Silver Prince Sadik (Prince)

QUICK SOAK

60

seconds!

The Quick Soak Fibre Provider Low starch and low sugar (7.5% combined) suitable for laminitics

High in fibre can be fed as a partial hay replacement

Low calorie / energy level ideal for good doers

Fully balanced with vitamins and minerals

Contact our award-winning helpline for more information and nutritional advice 01362 822 90 902 | helpline@allenandpage.co.uk

www.allenandpage.com

–––

33

What’s the alternative?

Think Fibre

First

A

longside water, fibre is the most important component of every horse’s diet, regardless of their age, type, or workload.

Joanna Palmer, nutritionist for Allen & Page Quality Horse Feeds looks at why fibre is so important for endurance horses and how we can ensure intakes are maintained with alternative fibre sources when necessary.

Why is fibre important?

Horses have evolved to eat a diet that is predominately fibrous forage, and in the wild they would graze for 18 to 20 hours a day. To mimic this need to ‘trickle feed‘, our domesticated horses should ideally have fibre in the form of grass, hay or haylage available at all times. This almost continuous passage of fibre through the horse’s gut is vital for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Having a large quantity of fibre in the hind gut acts as a reservoir for water and electrolytes, helping to keep the horse hydrated. Fibre digestion also provides a good source of calories and body heat as it is fermented in the gut. This means that the horse

34

horse health

has to use fewer calories to keep warm and is more likely to maintain condition. If a horse is not getting enough fibre in his diet, he will lose weight, despite how much high calorie bucket feed he may also be given.

Fibre is digested in the hind gut, where billions of bacteria ferment it into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) which are used by the horse’s body as a source of energy in the presence of oxygen. This aerobic metabolism is how endurance horses gain most of their energy, unlike racehorses who predominately work at a higher intensity and need to rely on anaerobic metabolism of glycogen to meet their energy needs. The slow process of fibre digestion means that VFAs continue to be absorbed long after fibre is eaten; this resulting energy is then available to the horse for an extended period of time during exercise - perfect for fueling the long-distance endurance horse who needs to sustain many hours of exercise without continuously eating.

Horses that do not eat enough fibre are more likely to develop serious problems, including

features | endurancegb.co.uk

"Aerobic metabolism is how endurance horses gain most of their energy" gastric ulcers, colic and hyperlipaemia, as well as behavioural issues such as aggression, grumpiness and crib biting due to their inability to fulfil their natural feeding and chewing behaviours. All these problems are likely to have a negative effect on an endurance horse’s performance in both training and competition, which makes it crucial to ensure fibre intakes are maximised and maintained.

Veteran horses

For most horses and ponies, their fibre needs are easily met through grazing and supplementary forages such as hay and haylage. There is however, a growing need for alternative sources of fibre,

most notably for the increasing population of veteran horses and ponies who can have difficulty chewing long stem fibre, due to poor teeth.

specially developed, soaked feeds such as Fast Fibre, which combines all the necessary ingredients and vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet.

Continued advances in veterinary medicine, together with an increase in our own understanding and management of our horses and ponies have led to a significant increase in their lifespans, with many horses now healthy and active well into their twenties and thirties. Unfortunately, even with the best possible care and regular attention from a qualified equine dental technician, there is little we can do to prevent the deterioration in dental condition that occurs naturally with age. Loose, worn or missing teeth and pain from sore gums will all affect a horse’s ability to chew efficiently. Balls of partially chewed food form in the horse’s mouth and are then dropped on the floor. This is known as quidding and is a tell-tale sign that a horse is suffering from problems with its teeth and would benefit from alternative sources of fibre, often referred to as hay replacers.

To be safely fed as a hay replacer, suitable feeds must have similar nutritional content to hay, meaning they must be very high in fibre and low in starch. Although bear in mind that not all hay replacer diets are suitable for all horses; for instance, any horse or pony prone to or at risk of laminitis will also require the feed to be low in sugar, which means most grass chaffs and grass nuts would not be suitable for them.

Grass to make these feeds is harvested when it is at most nutritious and then rapidly dried to preserve the nutrient levels, this means the naturally occurring sugar level will be too high for susceptible animals. Only feeds with a combined starch and sugar levels of below 10%, such as Fast Fibre, should be deemed suitable for any horse or pony at risk of laminitis.

Hay replacers

The choice and availability of hay replacer feeds has grown significantly over the last few years and includes short-chopped chaffs, sugar beet, grass nuts, alfalfa pellets and

A combination of hay replacers can be fed to replace all or part of the horse’s normal daily fibre intake, depending on their individual needs. Just as we readily provide our horses with large amounts of hay or haylage as fibre sources, hay replacers can also be fed in large quantities, providing they are introduced slowly into the horse’s diet. Always check that the

Veteran horses and ponies can have difficulty chewing long stem fibre, due to poor teeth.

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35

feed is recommended as suitable for use as a hay replacer and if necessary, speak to the manufacturer. All horse feed companies have a dedicated nutrition helpline and advisors who will be more than happy to discuss your horse’s individual requirements and recommend a suitable feeding plan.

•

•

Fussy feeders and those with small appetites who may require a variety of different fibre sources to maintain their interest and ensure they eat enough to meet their nutritional needs

•

A horse or pony that has sustained an injury or undergone an operation on their mouth or jaw - a soaked fibre feed that is easy to eat can be particularly beneficial during recovery

•

Horses and ponies who are prone to colic or recovering from abdominal surgery again the provision of a soaked fibre feed ensures the horse receives the fibre they need for digestive health and the additional water content helps to keep the gut hydrated and able to function efficiently

Not just for veterans

As well as veteran horses and ponies, other equines that may benefit from a hay replacer include:

"Suitable feeds must have similar nutritional content to hay"

36

horse health

Younger animals with dental conditions, such as diastemas (abnormal gaps between the teeth) that require soaked feeds or very short fibre to help avoid impactions of food between the teeth

•

Those with access to only poor quality grass, hay and haylage

•

Individuals with a history of gastric ulcers, where providing an additional source of fibre together with their normal hay/ haylage helps to maximise fibre intake and promote chewing, which in turn stimulates saliva production to neutralise normal stomach acid

When the reason for needing to feed a hay replacer is due to a horse’s poor dental condition or any other difficulty in eating, the most important quality of the feed is that it is easy to eat. Horses that have reduced chewing efficiency are more at risk of choke as long fibre that is incompletely chewed can become lodged in the oesophagus. The risk of colic is also increased for the same reason as blockages can occur at any point along the horse’s extensive digestive tract. A high fibre feed such as Fast Fibre, which soaks with water to form a palatable, easy to eat mash, is highly appropriate for any horse or pony struggling to chew hay or grass. The added benefit of

features | endurancegb.co.uk

The added benefit of the additional water aids the passage of food along the digestive tract

It is important to try to maximise the amount of time a horse spends eating

the additional water aids the passage of food along the digestive tract. It also increases a horse’s water consumption, which helps to keep them hydrated – something that is of utmost importance to hard-working endurance horses’ health and performance.

The benefits of feeding soaking feeds and their importance in the diets of endurance horses will be discussed in more detail in a future edition of Endurance Magazine.

Extending feeding time

As any hay replacer is likely to take considerably less effort and time to eat than the equivalent amount of hay, it is important to try to maximise the amount of time a horse spends eating to avoid long periods when no fibre is passing through the gut.

A horse’s feeding time can be extended by dividing their daily feed amount into as many meals as possible, spread throughout the

day. Each meal can then be sub-divided into several different containers and distributed around the stable or field to encourage natural foraging behaviour. Feeding from a trough or wide bottomed bucket will spread the feed out and prevent the horse from taking large mouthfuls, as will placing some obstacles such as large, flat stones into the feed as this will mean the horse has to eat around them.

Mixing in a chaff to a soaked hay replacer will also increase the time it takes the horse to eat, but this is only appropriate if they are able to chew the longer fibre of a chaff.

Hay replacers have a wide and varied role to

play in equine nutrition and can be beneficial for many horses and ponies, not just veterans with poor teeth. Whether they are required to provide full fibre replacement or just as a fibre top up, the inclusion of hay replacers in the diets of many endurance horses can be invaluable in helping to maintain digestive function and providing the essential nutrition necessary to fuel good health, performance and success.

For more information on feeding the endurance horse visit www.allenandpage. co.uk or call the friendly nutrition helpline on 01362 822902

horse health

37

We believe in Equality

Opening up

access for all

38

diversity

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

B

ritish Equestrian (BEF) recently revealed its 2020-24 strategy, outlining five values described as the bedrock of the Federation and shared by all its members.

Supporting ‘Fairness and Transparency’ value, the BEF Equality Engagement Group (EEG) was established in 2019, with the aim of providing equal opportunity and access for all who wish to take part in equestrian sport.

The EEG has been formed with a group with members from the equestrian world who are representative of or delivering to diverse communities. The group's aim is to improve equality and accessibility within equestrian sport, meaning that anybody who wishes to participate has the ability to do so.

Ideas for increasing black and minority ethnic representation raised at the most recent meeting included changes to governing bodies social media policies that would ensure members making discriminatory remarks would be held accountable, providing positive role models for use by governing bodies, and encouraging the roll out of unconscious bias training within all BEF member organisations.

To push forward new initiatives to increase diversity, including those developed by the EEG, the British Equestrian has appointed Mandana Mehranpour as its new Head of Participation.

participation in our industry and sports.

“I was very fortunate to have sport in my life from a young age and my parents were great role models for me. Sport brought me happiness, confidence, friendship, and taught me the biggest lessons of my life. I like to live in a world where every child has the opportunity to benefit from sport in some way, and this role will help me bring riding and horses to a new generation of participants.”

"I like to live in a world where every child has the opportunity to benefit from sport in some way, and this role will help me bring riding and horses to a new generation of participants"

Mandana brings a wealth of experience in the management of sport, having been Participation Manager for the Lawn Tennis Association for over four years.

Previously, Mandana worked for London Sport, where she gained valuable knowledge of working with a range of sporting National Governing Bodies, local authorities and a wide range of community sport organisations. She’s also a Board of Trustee member for Access Sport, a charity which strives to give more children, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, access to a wide range of quality local sport.

Mandana (pictured right) said; “I believe a key focus for all of us should be to support each other in recovering from COVID-19, and to come out even stronger.

By collaborating with member bodies, and effectively developing and utilising data and insight, I am hoping that we will maximise existing opportunities and develop innovative approaches to increase

British Equestrian’s Chief Executive, Jim Eyre, added; “Having someone of Mandana’s calibre to head up our participation function is very exciting, and her knowledge of sport will certainly be valuable in our efforts to expand, diversify and inspire at a critical time. Participation covers more than just riding – our venues, coaching and volunteer network are key, and we look forward working across the industry to capitalise on the opportunity of an Olympic and Paralympic year to help more people discover ponies and horses, including the health and wellbeing benefits time spent with them brings, and all we have to offer as an industry.”

Establishing a level playing field Sandra Murphy, Chair of the BAME Equine and Rural Activities Focus Group (BERF) calls for positive engagement as she gives her

perspective on competing as a black rider in the sport and explains why she formed the organisation…

The BAME Equine and Rural Activities Focus Group (BERF) was founded to drive forward positive ideas and solutions to support members of the BAME community across a range of disciplines at all levels.

We launched in July 2020 after posting a very straight forward question. How do we increase Diversity and Equality in the Equine Industry?

The group, which now has 200 members, was formed for several reasons, to encourage, inspire, educate and progress members of the BAME community in all disciplines, in all areas of the equine Industry and in all rural activities.

It was set up by like-minded people who want to see a more 'level playing field' for BAME members of our society to enable their natural skills and talents to flourish within a safe, equal and diverse environment and most importantly without prejudice and discrimination, so that they may feel comfortable, confident and supported in whatever field they decide to explore.

We welcome all positive suggestions, ideas, strategies and initiatives that may help to engage, enthuse, promote and support our BAME members to participate in a wide range of activities. We can now draw on many BAME riders, young people aspiring to join equine, coaches, trainers, equine

diversity

39

professionals and business owners, many have experienced racism on an individual level and on a systemic level, myself included.

Unfortunately, we don't have figures of BAME represented in Endurance GB. In my two years and numerous rides as a competitor and from attending big rides like Lindum and Red Dragon, Royalties and Concrete Cows with my company sponsoring these events, I can honestly say that I have only seen one other mixed race female and one mixed race male competing at Endurance GB. Having also attended several Endurance GB AGM's and subsequent evening receptions in the past, I can also say that I have always been the only black face in a whole room of white competitors, crew, stewards, officials and guests.

Sandra Murphy at the Willow Banks ride

I really enjoyed Endurance as a discipline, however I sadly left Endurance GB as I did not feel welcome and even though I had invested time, money and energy into sponsoring and supporting Endurance GB, I was never made to feel a part of the group and felt that I was 'on my own' most of the time. So if I feel like that and I have been in the equine industry for over 40 years, then it must be a very daunting prospect for others to want to join this discipline too.

We are therefore hoping to change this by working with the Governing bodies of all disciplines to come up with strategies that can bridge the gap and to make all disciplines more inclusive and this is why we are also involved with the BEF Equality Engagement Group to help make lasting changes that will help to make Equine more attractive and inclusive to this whole sector of potential members.

Endurance GB Equality Lead Esther Young writes:

“We have spoken at length to Sandra about her experiences in endurance outside of this article to gain a greater understanding. Her comments about feelings of isolation in her time as a competitor, raise issues in terms of how we see ourselves and respond to others and underline that you never truly know how someone else is feeling. We are proud of a welcoming and friendly culture in endurance and I am sure any one of us reading about how Sandra felt, would find her feedback distressing. We would encourage anyone else who wants to share their experiences and ideas, either positive or negative, to speak to us directly so that we can learn from them.

“Race really is the elephant in the room as far as equestrianism in the UK is concerned and it takes courage to stand up and be

40

diversity

Meera, who has ridden since the age of three, is a Newmarket based equestrian and veterinary surgeon.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

counted. I have a colleague at work who grew up in Ethiopia to very wealthy parents. He rode horses all through his childhood and adolescence and his stories about riding across the Ethiopian plains evoke those feelings of space and freedom that we Endurance riders know so well. He has worked all over the world in volatile situations, and he is self assured and so easy to get along with. But he said that when he went riding in the UK, he felt more awkward and out of place than at any other time in his life. 'Esther', he said, 'the yard was full of white women who were terrified of their horses and who only rode in circles in the school and they really didn't want me there'. And that got me thinking - if the equestrian scene in the UK is too off-putting for my colleague, who is confident and capable and who has horses sewn into his DNA, how do we make this better for those who aren't as confident? We can do better.

We must do better."

‘Making my way in the ‘whitest’ of sports and professions’ “As a person of colour, I have chosen to get involved in one of the whitest hobbies and whitest professions in the western world, laughs Newmarket-based equestrian and veterinary surgeon Meera Mahadevan.

She says humour can be a useful protection against overt racism, such as when a dog owner brought his pet in to her consult room and said very bluntly, ‘My dog doesn’t like coloured people’ or the time at her first livery yard at the age of twelve when a fellow horse owner complained to the yard owner, ‘you are not going to let people like that come here, are you?’ and back came the yard owner’s reply ‘their money is the same colour as everyone else’s’.

Born and raised in the north of England, Meera, who has ridden since the age of three, says her experience has been more of ‘covert’ racism and micro-aggressions than ‘overt’ racism.

“People ask me where I’m from, and when I say Rotherham, they’ll say ‘No, I meant before that’, so I’ll say, “Oh, before that, it was Darlington,” and still they persist, to which I’ll respond “do you mean my mother’s uterus?”

What they really want to know is ‘what is your heritage’ with the implication that ‘you’re obviously not white, so you can’t be British.

There have also been instances of the use of the ‘P’ word, with people then saying, “Oh, I don’t mean you; you are one of us, not one of them” but the truth is, to me there is no ‘them and us.’

On a different, unfamiliar yard, I am someone

To find out more…

British Equestrian www.britishequestrian.org.uk/getInvolved/ equality-diversity Equestrian For All

A Facebook group for discussions on the problems and barriers facing members of the BAME community in equestrianism, further reading recommendations and chat on how to make the horse world welcoming for everyone. #rideoutracism Follow the honest and open discussions as part of the #rideoutracism campaign through posts and comments on its Instagram page. Covering what the barriers are, where some others could be, and ideas as to how to remove those.

else’s ‘P’ word. Other times, I’ll feel caught between a rock and a hard place, because I am told “if your people made more of an effort to fit it, we’d all get along better” yet in the next breath, I’m also told “but you’ll never be one of us.” It can be confusing and frustrating to say the least.”

Meera is a member of the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society, which she says until the murder of George Floyd, had just a handful of members, but is steadily growing.

She says that there are colleagues within the veterinary industry who seem to have ‘rather archaic views’ towards people of colour, and highlights what she says were ‘shocking’ comments from other members of the profession, which were posted on a social media thread following the removal of the statue of Colston, as the Black Lives Matter movement gathered pace. “As a rider, I would say I experienced some racism when I was growing up. A leading show jumper once commented on my tan, saying I looked like I’d been

out in the sun for a long time, and my experiences at Pony Club level were a bit of an eye-opener at times, but when I was competing as an adult in in British Eventing it was markedly different. The vast majority of people were really friendly and I had a great time in the sport. I never felt out of place, and the person who first encouraged me to get involved really went out of their way to teach and support me and introduce me to other trainers when I was getting started. I’m very grateful to have been taken under their wing.”

“I have no experience of endurance but I cannot think it would be hugely dissimilar to eventing in how it receives new faces, and all I would say to organisers and fellow riders is just to be as welcoming and accessible as you can be. If you see someone standing around on their own, go and say hello and strike up a conversation. They might not want to talk but at least you have tried. It might make all the difference and be the start of a new friendship.”

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Ride day

• • •

Heart rate monitor/stethoscope Shims for correcting changing saddle fit Rugs

Stable

Preparation

is Key

It’s important to remember that permanent and temporary stabling have had other horses in there before you. You cannot guarantee what those horses have been exposed to. Ensure that you clean the stable thoroughly before putting your horse in any new-to-you stable.

• •

• • •

A

s a bit of a control freak, I am somewhat partial to a list or two.

I like to start packing for a ride a couple of days before. This doesn’t necessarily mean actually putting things in the car but starting to get kit boxes organised and pulling everything together in little piles – split out by destinations e.g. crew car, vet gate, stable, coral etc.

I find starting to get the kit together a few days in advance gives you time to make any last minute purchases you may find that you need, rather than the night before when it’s too late!

Of course, packing for a one day ride takes significantly less kit but here’s everything that I take:

Crew car

If you don’t have any crew with you then you don’t need to worry about this. However, as you start upping the distances, or even if you are competing in a shorter class but it’s a particularly hot day, it’s worth considering having a helping hand to help you and your horse around the course.

• • •

• • • • •

42

12 slosh bottles (in an 80l cool box with ice around them on a hot day) 20l water container x2 1x lidded bucket with flavoured water (molasses, apple juice, applyte, cherrylyte, sugarbeet) 1x bucket for plain water First aid kit (normal essentials + hoof pick + bandages + foil blanket) Spares kit (stirrups & leathers, complete bridle + bit, rug, leadrope) Rider spares (complete change of clothes, or two if a wet day!)

Rug (in case you have to pull up on course

blog

• • • •

and wait for transport on a cold day) Food & water for rider/crew Ride info & maps Trailer keys Breakdown cover information

Venue

I’ve split out the venue and vet-gate as two separate entities. At some GERs you can crew a vet gate back at your trailer/lorry but often they are in two separate areas so it’s worth accounting for this when packing. This list is specifically in reference to the start/finish rather than the half-way point. Forage & feed • • • • • • • • •

Water containers (home water) Rugs Tack – saddle, bridle, boots if applicable Mounting block/step Buckets, sponges, sweat scraper Passport, logbook, MasterCard Massage pad (if you own one) Heart rate monitor/stethoscope Bandages

Vet-gate

Of course, 50km GERs and below do not include vetgates so you can skip past this section if you won’t be partaking in vet gates • • • • • • • • •

Mounting block/step Saddle stand?

Camping chairs Food & water for rider/crew Ice box (ice!) – ice boots?

Carbohydrate and/or electroylte syringes if applicable Talc just in case Change of rider clothes Fresh saddle cloth, girths etc – clean and dry for each loop

•

Disinfectant Thermometer – keep a check on your horse’s temp before travel, on arrival, the evening and morning of the ride as well as when you return home to check health status Emergency contact sign Water buckets x3 (home water, flavoured water, isotonic water) Bedding – check if the stable fee inc. bedding before travelling as you may need to bring some with you Mucking out equipment

Corral

In an ideal world, you would transition your horse onto any new forage in a 21 day period. Try to choose a corral with minimal grass coverage to limit dietary changes. Pack plenty of hay/haylage from home to maintain consistency. As a guide, account for a minimum of 6kg per night for a 500kg horse.

• • • • •

Forage Energizer, posts, tape Emergency contact sign + emergency contact tag on headcollar Water buckets x3 (home water, flavoured water, isotonic water) Poo picking equipment

Random extras • • • • • •

Tail ribbon – if applicable Stallion disk if applicable Garmin or similar device Map case/bum bag Gloves Bin bags for dirty kit

You’ll also need to think about the travelling element and what your horse will wear to travel both on the way and on the way home. Also plan for enough forage for travelling and prepare any cargo nets/bungees to strap kit down if it is travelling in the horse area.

Hopefully this list can help provide a bit of a checklist for what you need to take to a ride!

Bella x

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

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