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horseandrideruk.com MARCH 2015
Jump ditches and water
All in
the mind
the easy way
Complete guide to
SHIVERS
How mistakes can improve your riding
Top tips for training
young
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Fab Uvex kit an training with d Sam Griffiths
PART TWO In this feature... ➤ Liven up your schooling sessions
The
happy athlete Eventer Lucinda Fredericks has found there are certain types of horsey personality she meets again and again, even if the individual is always unique. In the second part of this series, she works with an inexperienced horse and a strong character
Eventer Lucinda Fredericks has won Burghley, Badminton and Kentucky three-day events, all on her 15.3hh chestnut mare, Headley Britannia, ‘Brit’. Lucinda now competes on Brit’s children, chestnut mare Little Britannia and Sport Horse GB stallion, Britannia’s Mail.
While we know that every horse is an individual, there are definitely types of horsey character I seem to meet on a regular basis. And over the years, I’ve found that by slightly adapting my management and training philosophy to suit that personality, I can make a real difference to the mindset of the individual horse I’m working with. No matter how quirky or complicated a horse seems, the goal is to develop a compliant, happy athlete who can perform at the level you want him to. What differs is how you get to that point! Here’s how I work with some of the different types of horse I meet.
s o u n d li k
CASE STUDy
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Strong char acter An experience d horse can ha ve his own idea s about how to do things! I’ll sh ow you how to get him on si de.
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24 HORSe &RIDER
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Individuals of different types
Young or inexperience d A green hors e needs to bu ild balance and strength. Follo w my programme to boost his confidence.
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As told to Kelly McCarthy-Maine. Photos: Bob Atkins
Our expert
Meet Cos
Cos came to eventing as a seven-year-old from a showjumping background and has had an incredible first season, pinging around double clear at every event. From climbing hills and splashing through puddles on Salisbury Plain, the exercises I’ll show you helped Cos make such a successful transition from showjumper to event horse.
The inexperienced horse
Young or inexperienced horses can become a bit backwards in their way of thinking if you spend too much time in an arena. The best way to help this is to take your training programme out into the big, wide world to help build their confidence. You’ll find that, once you have established the feeling of going forward and built up strength by hacking out, your horse’s flatwork will improve. Here’s how I work with an inexperienced horse, Cos, to train his body and his mind for a successful start in his career as an event horse. The exercises are the same no matter what you want to do with your horse!
In the saddle
➤ Schooling away from home ➤ Develop your horse’s balance and confidence
➤ HORSe &RIDER 25
PART Two In this feature. . . ➤ Schooling over curving lines Our pupils
Words: Alison Bridge. Photos: Louise Siggers Solheim. Thanks to Brook and Kathy Staples for their help with this feature, idealsportshorses.com
James Gearing has been riding for three years – all of those with Brook – and is riding his sevenyear-old gelding, Scooby Solly V. He is competing at BE90. Sarah Gearing is riding her 13-yearold Selle Français, Petal du Chene. Sarah has owned her for two years and has progressed to BE100, qualifying for the Badminton Grassroots Championships. Following a blip across country, she has stepped back to BE90 to regain her confidence. Josi Gressler is riding Nobleman, aka Noble, a nineyear-old from Brook’s yard who has gained a couple of points at Novice level. Josi is from Germany and is spending some time training with Brook.
32 HORSe &RIDER
Cross-countr y preparation
Skinnies, ditches, difficult lines – Olympic eventer Brook Staples helps three riders practise for the eventing season, while in the school and out hacking
In the saddle
➤ Practising corners ➤ Tackling ditches and water out hacking Our trainer Australian Olympic event rider Brook Staples has been placed at Badminton and Burghley, and competed at the Sydney Olympics. A British Eventing Accredited Trainer, he produces and competes event horses to CCI*** level, as well as teaching. In this feature, Brook rides his six-year-old Irish event horse, Shane, who has 16 points at Novice level.
L
ast month, I explained how to create an adjustible canter and help your horse stay balanced on the approach to fences in preparation for going cross-country. This month, I’ll explain how to ride curving lines, related distances, corners, ditches and water – the main challenges you will meet out on the cross-country course.
Riding a line of fences
As you move up the grades, cross-country courses become ever more complex, so it’s important to build your skills. While it’s nice to go cross-country schooling regularly, if you don’t have your own transport, or if the venue is miles away, it’s not always possible. The good news is that you can build your skills in the arena and out hacking.
➤ HORSE &RIDER 33
Pasture
management Start as you mean to go on and make a detailed plan for the forthcoming year. It’ll help you organise your important paddock maintenance at the right time, ensuring you get optimum use from your pasture. We’ve put one together for you to hang in your tack room!
e n o t r Pa
Jan ➤ Check paddocks aren’t overstocked (one horse per acre maximum, depending on whether they live out or in) to avoid poaching and damage to existing grass, and fence off any damaged or waterlogged ground – for example, around gateways. ➤ Roughly plan grazing rotations and management for the year ahead. This allows you to find or let extra land and source contractors to carry out any work needed as soon as the ground conditions allow. ➤ Forward plan – carry out a soil test to establish pH and other nutrient levels (the optimum soil pH for grass growth is 6.5). This will help you choose an appropriate fertiliser for use later in the year.
FEB ➤ Ensure grass is kept at a minimum length of 2cm to protect the ground, and help prevent soil compaction, poaching and damage to grass roots. ➤ There is little chance of grass growth at this time of year, so you may consider feeding hay in the field. Depending on the number of horses and type of grazing, think about the best way to feed hay to avoid wastage. ➤ Assess the field to decide if it needs reseeding or overseeding. If in doubt, contact an expert for advice. When there’ s less grass, feed hay
APR ➤ Apply fertiliser when the grass begins to grow. Monitor the weather forecast (don’t fertilise when heavy rain is due, as it will wash away the fertiliser) and seek expert advice. Consider using slow-releasing fertiliser to avoid causing a big flush of rich grass. Always follow advice on the fertiliser to determine how long the land needs to be left fallow before it can be grazed again. ➤ If you have space, consider whether you can set aside some land to grow your own hay. If in doubt, call in a specialist contractor for advice. ➤ Look out for and control weeds before they establish – spot-treat, or use a more broad application of herbicide where pulling or cutting methods are not possible.
90 HORSe &RIDER
Tighten leaky taps
MAY
ld d manage fie s carefully an te ra th ow gr ass eds. ➤ Observe gr your horse’s ne to g in rd co ac . time imum of 5cm ngth to a min le s as ter fence gr p ee ➤K iled post-win ta de t ou y rr time to ca time to begin ➤ S et aside ing is the best pr S . ks ec ch and field ce. any maintenan
Management know-how
Poisonous plants Every horse owner wants to ensure their horse is happy and healthy, and turnout is a big part of this. But poor pasture management can allow unwanted plants to get a hold. Horses graze selectively, but if there is little grass and they are hungry, the risk of them eating things they would usually naturally avoid increases. This is the best argument that we can think of for not overgrazing your land! Here’s how to spot the nasties and what to do about them.
Bracken is sometimes hard to control, and
Did you know?
In a typical year, grass grows five times faster in May than it does in September!
MAR ➤ Prepare the ground following the recommendations from the soil analysis and, if there is a severe weed problem, consider spraying. ➤ Cut or graze the land before sowing grass seed – it will struggle to root through long grass. ➤ Begin over-seeding. ➤ Harrow and roll as soon as conditions allow – don’t leave it until late spring or early summer, as new grass may be damaged and hard ground will limit the value of rolling. ➤ Monitor grass growth rate and be prepared to adapt your horse’s management routine according to his needs.
june ➤ Target invasive weeds such as docks and ragwort. Leave nettles where possible, as they’re a great habitat for wildlife, but where they become problematic – for example, around gateways – cut them back regularly. ➤ Minimise flies by eliminating any standing water, fixing leaking taps or troughs and keeping a tidy muck heap. ➤ Continue to monitor and react to grass growth according to your individual requirements. ➤ Scrub water troughs and allow to dry before refilling. ➤ When the weather is mild and the ground unsaturated, address any issues with gateways that are boggy in the winter by considering long-term drainage and resurfacing options to reduce poaching.
is most dangerous when mixed with hay because it’s harder for the horse to spot and avoid. It’s highly toxic when fresh as well as when dried. Chemical control may be necessary on large areas, although on smaller patches a continual mowing regime can keep it at bay and eventually eliminate it.
Buttercups contain a compound that causes skin irritation and ulceration of the mouth. They can also cause colic when eaten fresh, but are not dangerous in hay. It is hard to reduce the number of buttercups in fields without applying herbicide, because they grow close to the ground and aren’t killed by repeated mowing. Oak and acorns contain tannins that can lead to colic and even death. The best prevention is to fence off the whole canopy of oak trees to prevent horses grazing where the acorns might fall, as well as checking the surrounding area, collecting the acorns and disposing of them safely. Ragwort causes more fatalities than any other plant, and must be carefully removed and disposed of. It’s easy to spot the tall stems when the plant is approaching flowering, but be on the lookout for the flat rosettes of leaves that the plant produces in its first year. On small sites, the quickest and cheapest way to get rid of it is to use a specialist fork to hand-pull the plant – never just cut it down to the ground because it will quickly regrow next year. The leaves can cause an allergic reaction, so wear gloves and long sleeves. It’s important to remove all the roots to stop the plant regrowing. On a large area, this might not be a practical solution, in which case look out for specialist herbicide products. Ragwort remains toxic when treated, wilted, cut or pulled, but becomes more palatable, so horses must not have any access to ragwort whatsoever. yew needles and seeds are extremely
poisonous to horses, even in small amounts. What’s more, they’re a common hedging plant in gardens, so check adjoining land to your fields. Yew, fresh and dried, is toxic year round.
Unfortunately, some plants become more palatable when they have been treated with herbicides, so always ensure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as to how long to keep your horse (and other animals) off the pasture after treatment. Where herbicide is the best or only solution, try to spot-treat problem areas to protect other wildlife and plant species. Good fencing, and fencing out trees and hedges, is a useful way of ensuring your horse or pony is safe from accidental poisoning.
HORSe &RIDER 91
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