Horse&Rider Magazine – February 2017

TOP TRAINERS! PIPPA FUNNELL  PIGGY FRENCH  SAM GRIFFITHS  DAN GREENWOOD The UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly Issue number 562 February 2017 n Position tips from Dan Greenwood n What your body language says to your horse n Improve your horse’s jump n Trace your horse’s family tree n 39 travelling essentials

GET THE

PERFECT POSITION Simple exercises to try at home

What your body language is telling your horse AVOID MUD FEVER! Complete product guide

horse’s Improve your

jump

4X4s

FOR TOWIN G

£3.99

Feb 2017

How treadmills can help your horse

Ringworm: Vet’s guide TRACE YOUR HORSE’S FAMILY TREE

39

TRAVELLING ESSENTIALS

PART ONE In this feature. . .

➤ Achieve a correct, effective position

Photos: Bob Atkins. As told to Tilly Berendt. Find out more about Dan, dangreenwooddressage.com

Back to Riding through the coldest months doesn’t need to be a chore.

In our new series, Dan Greenwood explains how to make the most of winter training to prepare yourself and your horse for the competition season ahead

W

hether you’ve had a jam-packed summer, or are getting to know a new or young horse, it’s common to feel as though you’ve hit a wall in your training through the winter. Shows are fewer and further between, the bad weather seems interminable and you may feel that you’re not progressing as you were throughout the summer, when you had specific goals to work towards.

Our trainer

38 HORSE&RIDER

Dan Greenwood is a dressage rider and trainer. He has won many national Championships and ridden for GB at Small Tour, as well as coaching up to Grand Prix.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The winter months should be used as a refresher, giving you time to iron out the wrinkles in your basic training in order to start your competition season at your best. In this series, I’ll show you exercises to put you and your horse through winter bootcamp, resulting in a better partnership and better scores. This month, we look at tweaking your position for maximum effectiveness, and getting your horse forward, straight and in front of your leg.

➤

Our models

Ashley Jenkins rides his own seven-year-old Salsa Hit, by Samba Hit III. Together they were crowned Medium Silver Champions at the 2016 National Championships.

In the saddle

➤ Improve your horse’s reaction to your leg ➤ The importance of straightness

HORSE&RIDER 39

Our expert

Photos: Bob Atkins

Anna Saillet is an Equine Behaviour Consultant.

She gained a BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour from Liverpool University, and an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare from Newcastle University, in which she specialised in equine behaviour. She has competed in dressage, showjumping and eventing.

50 HORSE&RIDER

Mind matters

Quiet

COMMUNICATION The conversation between you and your horse is constant – whether it’s body language, words or actions – and can have a big effect on him.

Anna Saillet explains how

Horses are naturally quite inquisitive, so if you crouch in your horse’s field, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to resist coming to find out what you’re up to for long.

H

ere’s a thought to mull over for a moment – every minute you spend with your horse you’re training him, whether or not you intend to. From groundwork and handling to riding, your behaviour can have a huge impact on the horses you spend time with. It seems obvious, then, that it’s important to be mindful when interacting with any horse. Your horse uses every one of your actions to learn about you, which in turn shapes the way he responds. If you lack awareness of your own actions, it’s easy to accidentally reinforce behaviours without realising it. Unfortunately, these are often the ones we don’t want our horses to do.

➤

HORSE&RIDER 51

Wellbeing:

Trouble-free travels Travelling your horse can open up a whole world of opportunities. H&R explains how to do it safely and without stress

94 HORSE&RIDER

H

aving transport or being able to hire it gives you and your horse access to a wide range of activities you might not otherwise be able to enjoy, from new hacking routes and competitions to beach rides. However, it’s easy to take this for granted, and forget how unnatural travelling is for your horse and the potential risks for all involved.

Luckily, with a few simple checks and a bit of forward-planning travelling can be a breeze.

Management know-how

Travel wardrobe

Give him time to get used to new kit

TOP TIP

Travelling can make even the most placid horse unpredictable, so always wear sturdy boots, gloves and a correctly fitting hat when loading or unloading your horse.

Welcome aboard

Loading can be tricky, particularly if your horse isn’t too keen on the concept. It’s best to be patient and allocate plenty of time, even if he’s normally a good loader – everybody can have an off day. To help him get used to the trailer or lorry, practise loading him, then feeding him in the lorry before unloading him. This helps to reassure him that it’s a safe place to be.

• If you can, park downhill so the ramp isn’t as steep. Check it’s stable and not slippery, so he feels confident stepping onto it.

• Open up all the windows, partitions and doors to make it feel as light and airy as possible. Fix them back securely so they

It’s tricky for horses to balance while travelling, and this increases the risk of bumps and scrapes.

Therefore, it’s important that your horse wears wellfitting clothing to protect him.

Travel boots or bandages will protect and support his legs. If you choose bandages, it’s important that they’re put on by an experienced person – too loose and they can be a hazard, but too tight and they can damage your horse’s legs. By comparison, boots are much quicker and easier to put on, but can slip if they don’t fit properly. For youngsters or horses who don’t like wearing travel boots, consider overreach and brushing boots to protect his legs. Hock and knee boots can also provide extra protection.

A field-safe or leather headcollar is much safer than a regular synthetic one because they’re easier to break or cut through in an emergency. You can also buy travel headcollars with padded sections at the nose and poll for extra comfort.

To protect your horse’s tail and stop him rubbing it, fit him with a tail bandage and guard. On longer journeys bandages may interfere with circulation, so just fit him with a tail guard. If you’re off to a show and need to keep his tail clean, consider a tail bag – many tail guards come with either a fixed or detachable one to help keep pesky poo stains at bay.

Some horses may need to wear a cooler rug or sheet to stop them getting chilly. Don’t rug unnecessarily, though, as this will make your horse hot and uncomfortable. Horses generate a lot of heat when they’re travelling and it can get very warm inside your trailer or lorry.

Consider using a poll guard to protect his head, particularly if he’s a nervous traveller or can panic in enclosed spaces.

In order to ensure your horse is as comfortable as possible in all this kit, try it out at home before your trip. Travel boots in particular often take some time to get used to, so have several trial runs and let him walk around the yard in them so he can adjust.

don’t become a hazard.

• Lead your horse calmly and confidently straight towards the ramp. If he’s resistant, don’t pull him, but keep a firm pressure on his headcollar until he steps forwards, then reward him.

• Once he’s in, tie him up then carefully close the partitions and check they’re securely fastened.

• Close the ramp slowly and gently, as your horse might become startled if it suddenly gets darker or if there’s a loud bang.

• When it comes to unloading, open all the doors and partitions, and secure them out of the way before untying his leadrope and walking him out.

➤

HORSE&RIDER 95