In this feature. . .
➤ Create
a foolproof schooling plan
GARETH HUGHES’
As told to Rachel Dyke. Photos: Jon Stroud. With thanks to Baileys for their help with this feature, baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
Our trainer
Gareth Hughes has amassed more than 30 national and international titles, including a team bronze medal at the FEI European Dressage Championships in 2013. He’s technical advisor to the Swiss dressage team and trains the Australian eventing team.
Our models
Sintano Van Hof Olympia is an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding who’s owned by Judy Firmstone Williams and Gareth Hughes. He’s by Sandro Hit out of a Silvano mare.
KK Dominant is a ten-yearold German Warmblood stallion who’s owned by the Kroll family. He’s by Diamond Hit out of a Rubin Royale mare. In 2018, he won the Prix St Georges at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage and the Inter I at the Wellington Premier League. 20 HORSE&RIDER
six steps to
schooling success Is planning an effective schooling session sometimes a bit of a struggle? Gareth Hughes’ step-by-step plan will have you test-ready in no time
W
hen you’re short on time, planning and executing an effective schooling session can sometimes feel a bit daunting. It’s easy to find yourself wandering around the arena without a clear plan of what you’ll work on that day. When I school any of my horses, even the ones working at the top level, I use the same basic framework during our session. Because the movements you ride during each phase of your session can be tailored towards your horse’s ability and the level you’re working at, using a consistent framework in your schooling can have many benefits. Not only does it give you, and also your horse, confidence in what you’re doing, it’s also easier to track your progress and notice any improvements.
The six steps 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Walking on a long rein to get your horse’s brain in gear. Developing balance and rhythm to warm your horse up and encourage him to stretch. Control of paces to build impulsion and get him moving forwards. Basic lateral work to improve his suppleness and your ability to position his body. Test movements, which bring all the different elements together and further improve engagement. A cool-down to let your horse stretch his muscles and relax.
➤
In the saddle
➤
Develop a balanced warm-up ➤ Prepare for your next dressage test
HORSE&RIDER 21
As told to Rebecca Philpot. Photos: Jon Stroud. With thanks to Horsehage for their help with this feature, horsehage.co.uk
In this feature. . .
26 HORSE&RIDER
➤ Solve
your jumping position problems xxxxxxx
xxxx
In the saddle
➤
Produce the perfect approach ➤ Help him stay straight
One grid to solve all your
jumping problems
Devoting more time to building grids than riding through them? Make the most of your time in the saddle with eventer Emily King’s single set-up to fix all your jumping hitches Our expert
Emily King finished fourth in her four-star debut at Pau in 2015 and was recently crowned CCI*** under-25 national champion. Eventing’s in her blood, as she’s the daughter of Mary King.
Our model
Kings Ginger, known as Joey, is a homebred gelding by Chilli Morning out of Kings Temptress, both of whom were winners at four-star events. He’s currently competing at Intermediate level.
E
very second is crucial when jumping, whether crosscountry or showjumping, so it’s important you don’t waste any vital moments arguing with your horse. Your approach to the fence is one area you can improve to shave off some seconds, so whether your horse struggles with maintaining his pace, staying straight, or maybe you have position problems to address – these are all lessons that can be tackled at home. Grids provide a safe workspace for troubleshooting because they’re so simple to work through. With this one-grid-fitsall solution, you can use poles to iron out the creases and encourage your horse to think for himself.
➤
HORSE&RIDER 27
Our expert
With thanks to World Horse Welfare for their help with this feature, worldhorsewelfare.org
Roly Owers MRCVS is Chief Executive at World Horse Welfare. He qualified as a vet in 1992 at Cambridge University and was Veterinary Officer at the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London before joining World Horse Welfare in 2003. Roly became the charity’s Chief Executive in 2008.
62 HORSE&RIDER
Damage limitation Parasitic worms can wreak havoc inside your horse’s body if left unchecked, sometimes with devastating consequences. Vet Roly Owers from World Horse Welfare explains how to best protect your horse
N
o horse is ever entirely worm-free, and your horse will come into contact with a variety of parasitic worms throughout his life. Small numbers of worms won’t affect your horse’s health and he can live alongside them quite happily without the need for treatment. However, larger parasite burdens can cause considerable damage to your horse’s insides, and if they’re left untreated they can lead to serious health problems or even death. These days, protecting your horse isn’t as simple as administering a wormer every few
months. Increasing resistance to wormers means that worms are becoming more difficult to control with drugs and, unless we take a different approach to the way we tackle worming, we could soon be left in a situation where we’re unable to control the large worm burdens that cause serious harm to our horses. As scary as this sounds, though, it’s possible to keep equine worms under control and your horse healthy, while preserving the effectiveness of the drugs so they can be used to help your horse and others in the future, should they need it.
Ask a vet
Worm watch
There are four main parasitic worm types in the UK that you need to worry about. These are…
SMALL REDWORMS What... They’re the most common and most dangerous parasite because they reproduce very quickly and have serious consequences for your horse’s health. Also known as... Cyathostomins or small strongyles.
DID YOU KNOW?
Small redworms are one of the most common causes of spasmodic colic, particularly in young horses.
DID YOU KNOW?
Horses less than six years old are most likely to be affected by small red worms.
Potential damage... Adult small redworms feed on intestinal tissue, with large numbers causing harm to the gut wall. If an infestation is left untreated, the intestinal wall can become severely damaged, which will reduce your horse’s ability to absorb nutrients and he’ll struggle to put on or maintain weight. Small redworm larvae tunnel into the gut wall and become encysted in a fibrous capsule, where they mature before emerging five to six weeks later to develop into adult worms. When the larvae encyst later in the year, they lay dormant over autumn and winter and emerge in late winter or spring, when the weather is much better for reproducing, although some can remain dormant for years. However, when large numbers emerge en masse, they can damage or inflame the gut wall, causing a condition known as cyathastominosis, which less than 50% of horses survive. Diagnosis... While a faecal worm egg count (FWEC) will show up an adult small redworm burden, it won’t detect encysted worm larvae because the larvae don’t lay eggs. As yet, there isn’t a test for encysted small redworm and it can be tricky to detect as many horses appear healthy even with a heavy burden, but a test is in development. Treatment... A suitable wormer should be given once a year in winter. Your vet or a suitably qualified person (SQP) will be able to advise you on the best one, but it’ll likely be either moxidectin or a five-day course of fenbendazole. Giving a wormer for adult redworm can trigger cyathastominosis, so your vet may recommend that your horse is given additional supportive medication before the wormer is given to reduce any gut inflammation and aid recovery. Small redworms can live on grazing and inside your horse for extended periods of time. Horses don’t build up immunity to small redworm and the parasites are becoming more resistant to wormers, which makes controlling them through an appropriate worming and pasture management programme even more important.
➤
HORSE&RIDER 63