Horse&Rider Magazine – January 2017

TOP TRAINERS! PIPPA FUNNELL  SAM GRIFFITHS  KELLY MARKS  CORAL KEEN The UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly

MINUTE FLATWORK PLANS

ic, GM – does it matter?

JUMP CLEAR

SIX TO TRY THIS WINTER

3 EASY STEPS

SOLVE SEPARATION ANXIETY

How to manage your

PILATES EXERCISES

ARTHRITIC HORSE

to improve your riding

REVEALED!

Equine

rehab

secrets

Behind-the-scenes at Hartpury Therapy Centre

C o m p let e

Christmas

gift guide £3.99

Issue number 561 January 2017 n 30-minute flatwork plans n Solve separation anxiety n Pilates exercises to improve your riding n Manage your arthritic horse n Jump clear n Equine rehab secrets

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HORSE FEED: organ

January 2017

PART ONE In this feature. . .

➤ Improve your horse’s canter

better jumping

Photos: Bob Atkins. With thanks to Uvex for their help with this feature, uvex-sports.com/equestrian

Building blocks to

In the first part of our new series, top eventer Sam Griffiths explains how to develop balance and straightness when jumping

Our trainer

Sam Griffiths is one of Australia’s top eventers and is based in Dorset. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he finished in fourth place individually and won a team bronze medal. In 2014, he won Badminton Horse Trials with Paulank Brockagh.

Our model

Rachel Miller rides her eight-year-old Thoroughbred-cross, Tallulah. The pair have been eventing at BE80 and are aiming to move up to BE90. Rachel has been struggling to stay with Tallulah over a fence and usually ends up being pulled forward.

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In the saddle

➤ Teach him to jump straight ➤ Develop your balance over a fence

T

he quality of your horse’s canter and your ability to stay in balance with him are crucial to achieving that all-important clear round. When you watch top riders jump, you’ll see many different styles. From the forward American seat, where the rider remains out of the saddle between fences, to the more upright and military German style, which encourages a deeper seat until the horse takes off, and the multitude of variants in-between, it’s

hard to know what’s the best option for you, but it’s important to keep in mind that the basics must remain consistent. Whatever position a top rider adopts, the common theme is that they don’t change their balance in front of a fence. This, more than anything else, is what you need to focus on. Your balance is intrinsically tied into your horse’s balance, but it can be tempting to ignore this and focus on adjusting his canter, when actually it’s quite probably your position that’s affecting his way of going.

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Winter

work-outs Sometimes planning and executing an effective schooling session can feel like a mission. To help you out, H&R has six great 30-minute schooling plans to suit any horse

I

t’s dark and cold, you’ve had a difficult day at work, and all you can think about is going home to a hot bath and a glass of wine. But before all that, you’ve got your horse to school. Without a friend or instructor there to spur you on, it’s all too easy to find yourself aimlessly wandering around the arena, unsure of how to get the most out of your flatwork session.

But fear not! Our quick and easy sessions are intended to take just 30 minutes, including a warm-up and cool-down, and we’ve even

allocated a spare five minutes to allow you to concentrate on one exercise in particular. You’ll have that glass of wine in your hand before you know it!

5 minutes – warm-up 5 minutes – exercise A 5 minutes – exercise B 5 minutes – exercise C 5 minutes – spare time 5 minutes – cool-down

Words: Rachel Dyke. Photos: Bob Atkins

Warm-up Build up through walk, trot and canter on a long, but not loose, rein to encourage your horse to stretch forwards and down, engaging his topline. You should still be able to influence where he goes and what he does, but the contact will be softer than during the main part of your session.

Carrying your hands slightly lower and further apart than normal will 42 HORSE&RIDER

encourage him to stretch down.

Ride lots of transitions, both between and within the paces, to get him in front of your leg and promote engagement. Working on a 20-metre circle will help him relax and increase flexibility and suppleness, but vary where you ride your circle every few circuits and change the rein frequently so he warms up evenly.

In the saddle

Cool-down End your session with a few minutes of stretching work in walk and trot to allow your horse’s muscles to cool down properly and aid recovery. The cool-down is still part of your training session, so don’t just let him amble along – keep his topline engaged and encourage him to carry himself long and low. Finish up by walking him for a few laps of the school on a loose rein until he’s stopped blowing.

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Our expert

Photos: Bob Atkins. Find out more about Anna, equinebehavioursolutions.co.uk

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.

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Mind matters

All by myself What is separation anxiety and how can you deal with a horse who suffers from it? Anna Saillet explores this stressful emotion

S

eparation anxiety is nothing new in the horse world, although it’s a phrase you’ve probably heard a lot more of in recent years. This is a good thing, however, because it shows that as a whole horse owners are becoming more aware of some of the experiences their horses are having. This is the first step in mitigating the circumstances that cause our horses to feel anxious or stressed.

What is separation anxiety?

When working through your programme, you should gradually build up to taking your horse’s companion away, but always while your horse remains calm at each stage

This term refers to horses who become distressed when they’re separated from their companions or isolated without any company.

Very often, a horse suffering from separation anxiety will display behaviours such as repeated calling, defecation (often with a very loose consistency), walking or running up and down a fence line if he’s turned out, or box walking if he’s stabled. In extreme cases, the horse may become so distressed that he attempts to escape from the field or stable, which may result in serious injury and can be extremely dangerous.

Horses demonstrating this type of behaviour are likely to be extremely difficult to handle and can pose a serious risk to their handlers and riders, as well as themselves. They’re unlikely to eat or drink while in this distressed state and may not start to calm down until either their companion returns or they become exhausted.

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