PART TWO Our trainer Steve Wallace has ridden all his life, and competed in showjumping, eventing and dressage at all levels including Regional and National Championships. He trains dressage horses and riders from Novice to Grand Prix, and leisure riders who ride purely for fun and pleasure. “Anyone who enjoys learning,” says Steve.
Our pupil
As told to Jane Gazzard. Photos: David Miller
Philippa Comley rides her 17-yearold, 17.1hh ex-eventer, Grey Fox II (aka Ice). As an eventer, he competed to Intermediate level and now as a dressage horse, competes at Medium, working Advanced at home.
In this feature. . .
➤ The aids for leg-yield ➤ How it
Lateral thinking Leg-yield
There’s more to leg-yield than meets the eye, says dressage trainer Steve Wallace. So include it in your schooling repertoire to reap the benefits, both at home and in competition
H
aving a go at lateral work is not something to be feared, but rather to be faced full on, both for your benefit and your horse’s. You’ll reap the rewards with improved aiding skills, control and co-ordination. Your horse will also benefit from better balance, suppleness and self-carriage. Altogether, this will result in more impulsion developed from a more active hindleg. Lateral work – be it leg-yield, shoulderin, travers or half-pass – will also increase your horse’s awareness of the aids and understanding of what you are asking him to do. Not only that, but he will develop the ability to tackle more than one thing at once, as he learns to travel forwards and sideways at the same time. This may seem like a big ask for horse and rider, but when you realise just how straightforward it really is, it becomes an enjoyable and important part of your training. What’s more, it should be included on a regular basis as part of your schooling programme.
Lateral work develops your horse’s ability to tackle more than one thing at once 38 HORSE &RIDER
In the saddle
benefits your horse ➤ Common mistakes ➤ Putting the ‘wrongs’ right
To ride leg-yield to the right. . . ➤ ride straight then ask for left flexion. ➤ gently half-halt with the right rein and at the same time, open the left rein. ➤ press with your left leg behind the girth for a step while you half-halt with the right rein. ➤ then relax with your left leg and right rein for a step. ➤ repeat. ➤ reverse for leg-yield to the left.
Philippa and Ice tackle leg-yield to the right
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Theofvalue
s e t o n n o less How carefully do you analyse the outcomes of your riding lessons? Taking time after the event to track what you’ve learnt could help boost the outcomes, says Martin Diggle
We did ou r f irst f ly in g ch a n g e t od a y!
G
h F l a s ll e d t ra ve y we ll rea ll
Photos: Bob Atkins
enerally, after a lesson most riders just want to sort out their horses, then collapse in a sweaty heap – which is perfectly understandable. But if you’re serious about progressing, there can be value in keeping notes of what you and your horse learn from lessons and clinics, both as a way of charting progress and as a reference source. Even if you don’t own a horse, but have lessons, such notes can help you compare and contrast results, and improve your riding
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‘vocabulary’. You may find that some things seem to work with pretty much every horse (which will help you to define the true principles of riding) and that certain things work better, or not, with particular horses (which will help you to become more analytical and adaptable). Notes can be valuable regardless of what disciplines you prefer – in fact, they may be extra helpful if you ride and train in a range of disciplines, since notes can help you to realise how aspects of one can help with another.
Mind matters
Get started
If you can see the value of keeping notes, choose a large format book that will give you the space to divide each page into the separate headings. Try using the following... ➤ Date Comparing your notes from one date to another may help you check speed of progress, or perhaps remind you of how much influence a particular lesson had on, say, a competition a couple of weeks later. ➤ Lesson type This is particularly useful if you train in different disciplines. But it might also be useful to note things such as ‘private lunge lesson’, ‘cross-country clinic’, ‘group lesson on lateral work’, etc. ➤ Venue/surface Remind yourself of the conditions where the lesson took place. This may be significant in a number of ways. There might have been distractions for your horse – a lot of noise in the area of the lesson or new features, such as mirrors, in the school. The school surface/ground conditions might have had an impact – for example, a good, artificial surface will usually help your flatwork, while deep sand will not. Hard or deep ground will affect what you can do and how your horse goes in a jumping lesson or cross-country clinic. ➤ Whether you needed to travel This might be influential with a young horse or bad traveller. How your horse journeyed to the lesson could have had an influence on his subsequent work. ➤ Instructor Was it your usual instructor or someone new – maybe a famous name – giving a clinic? If it wasn’t your normal instructor, how did their teaching methods compare to what you are used to? Was there something said that appeared unusual, contradictory or inspiring? Were they happy to explain anything you didn’t quite ‘get’ the first time? ➤ Main aims of lesson It’s always important to have one or two! If you aren’t sure of the goals of the lesson, the question arises as to whether it has a point! Sometimes, there may be good reasons
Jimm y was less spook y today
M ore co nt a ct ne ed ed! ss – W e ne ed to wo rk on straig htinnedo wn rat he r th a n be in g qu arte rs th e ce nt re lin e! why the initial intentions have to be changed, but they should always be there at the beginning. ➤ New things learnt Sometimes, the aim of a lesson may be to consolidate something that you, or your horse, already have a basic understanding of, but with a good instructor, there should usually be some novel hint or tip to add to your memory bank. Or there may be something that you suddenly get your own head around (‘Oh, that’s the feeling when there’s a bit more elevation to the trot’). Bear in mind that new learning – for either you or your horse – lies at the heart of your reasons for having lessons. ➤ Key thoughts There may be a particularly useful image your instructor has given to you – or some note on technique that you want to record for future reference – it’s always a good idea to have such information readily available, so that the night before a competition you’re not thinking, ‘I wish I could remember what my instructor said about...’ or ‘How did I set my horse up best for...?’
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Atypical myopathy S T C A F L A I ESSENT
During the autumn, vets see a significant rise in this often fatal disease. Equine internal medicine specialist Victoria South, from the Liphook Equine Hospital, takes us through the latest research and explains how to reduce the risk
Photos: Liphook Equine Hospital
ak to Rustler was too we travel stand, so he had to down to the hospital lying
Case study Six-year-old American Paint Horse, Rustler, was struck down with atypical myopathy and was too weak to stand. He was carried into the lorry and taken to Liphook Equine Hospital, where he was given strong painkillers, antioxidant medication, intravenous nutrition and fluid therapy. After only three days, he’d made a fantastic recovery and is now back in the show ring. 80 HORSE &RIDER
A
frequently fatal muscle disease, atypical myopathy affects horses in the UK and northern Europe. This unpleasant disease results in destruction of respiratory, cardiac and postural muscles. Affected horses show signs of weakness, muscle trembling and pain, and may be recumbent (lying down). Even with intensive veterinary treatment, severely affected horses may die. Several horses from one location can be affected and outbreaks most commonly occur in the autumn.
Clinical signs
Atypical myopathy is a degenerative disease of muscle that is associated with grazing. Although recognised 90 years ago, cases have become more common. Affected horses cannot metabolise fatty acids (the major energy source of muscle), so there is widespread destruction of muscle cells. Predominantly, the postural muscles are affected, so horses show signs of muscle soreness, stiffness and lethargy, which progress to muscle tremors, profound weakness and increased recumbency. Some horses will be reluctant to move but will whinny and toss their heads, which may be a sign of distress. A few affected horses will show signs of choke (oesophageal obstruction), leading to dropping saliva and food material from the nostrils. Opposite are the main signs of atypical myopathy. If you suspect your horse may have this disease, contact your vet as a matter of urgency.
Ask a vet
THE MAIN SIGNS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Muscle soreness Stiffness Muscle tremors Weakness Lethargy Choke Increased vocalisation Head tossing Increased recumbency Tachycardia (fast heart rate) Arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) Respiratory distress (difficulty breathing) Red-brown urine Sudden death
Respiratory distress is a poor prognostic sign and reflects damage to the respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm. The majority of cases will have a fast heart rate and some will have an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), caused by damage to the cardiac muscle. Rapid progression to death occurs in the majority of cases over a period of six to 72 hours, but some cases may be found dead with no previously observed abnormal signs. Reported mortality rates range from 40% to 100% and vary from year to year. Most affected horses who are still alive after five days are likely to recover. Initially recovery is slow, but most affected horses are healthy in the long term and will return to their pre-illness level of work.
Multiple cases
The number of horses affected in an outbreak has been variable. Single cases are reported, although it is more common to see several animals affected on the same premises. When a single case is identified, it is sensible to blood test all other horses on the same premises, as many others may be affected to a lesser extent without showing clinical signs (known as subclinical disease).
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Our expert
Photos: Dodson & Horrell, Bob Atkins. Thanks to Dodson & Horrell for their help with this feature dodsonandhorrell.com
Chloe Bristow is Company Vet at Dodson & Horrell. She qualified as a Vet MB MRCVS from the University of Cambridge and also holds an MA (Cantab) in Zoology and Parasitology. Chloe trained at several large veterinary hospitals, including Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire, and is involved in offering specialist feed advice to Equestrian Team GBR.
Preparing for
winter... Whether your horse is tubby, slim or just right, it’s important to plan his winter feeding regime well in advance to ensure he stays healthy, says Dodson & Horrell vet Chloe Bristow
I
n the wild, horses have adapted to cope with the changing seasons. They store fat over the summer and lose it in the winter, roaming large distances to forage for food. Modern riding horses often live very different lives – being asked to perform all year round but also being protected from the elements. This means we need to think carefully about how best to support our horses through the colder months. Correct nutrition is an essential part of keeping your horse happy and healthy in winter, so finding the right winter diet for him should start in autumn with a careful assessment of his needs.
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Management know-how
A weighty issue A mild winter and warm summer – like this year – results in a bumper crop of grass that is rich in sugars. This might mean that you have struggled to control your horse’s weight, but winter is the ideal time to help him shed the excess pounds. Fat scoring is an accurate, hands-on method of assessing how much fat your horse is carrying in key areas, including his neck, ribs and on top of his rump. Each area is scored out of five and ideally a horse should score two-and-a-half or three overall. Speak to your vet or equine nutritionist to learn how to fat score your horse. It’s a good idea to fat score your horse every fortnight and use a weigh tape to monitor changes in his weight. Remember that thick rugs and winter coats can hide weight loss and injuries, so it’s important to remove rugs and check your horse thoroughly once a day if he lives in and a minimum of once a week if he lives out.
Plan ahead
Once you have assessed your horse’s weight and given him a fat score, you can plan his winter diet accordingly. It’s important to have a plan in place before the cold weather hits, because changing his diet after you notice a problem means you are already on the back foot. Conditions such as dental disease, osteoarthritis or Cushing’s disease can make your horse particularly vulnerable during the winter and require careful nutritional management. Your vet will be more than happy to discuss your horse’s needs with you, and it is worth working with an equine nutritionist to develop a diet plan tailored to your horse’s requirements.
Weight management
If your horse gains weight easily, or is entering the winter overweight, then the good news is that the lower nutritional value of winter grass can make shedding extra pounds easier. Don’t be tempted to feed your horse concentrates for the sake of it. Instead, ensure your horse has plenty of hay or haylage – these will often provide enough calories for good-doers. However, don’t forget that winter grass contains fewer vitamins than its summer equivalent and hay or haylage alone will not provide your horse with all the micronutrients he needs. Consider feeding a balancer or a lowcalorie vitamin and mineral treat if your horse does not need concentrates over winter.
Central heating for horses
Many people believe that hard feed will help to keep their horse warm, but this is not necessarily true. Fibre from hay or haylage produces more heat per kilogramme than concentrate feeds, such as cereal grains. This is because fibre is fermented by microbes in the hindgut, giving your horse his very own central heating system. If your horse is overweight, or inclined to hold too much condition, another temptation to avoid is over-rugging. Many native breeds are adapted to colder climates and will use up excess fat to keep warm. Fit, healthy good-doers with access to shelter can often manage through the winter without a heavy rug. However, horses who are prone to losing condition need different management. In periods of very cold weather, up to 80% of a horse’s calorie intake is used for keeping warm.
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