Equi-Ads February 2013 by Equi-Ads Ltd

EE FR

February 2013

The UK’s No.1 Equine Health, Management and Training Magazine

INSIDE:

the importance of saddle checking

Win

a masta Wardro be for your horse worth £400

legal advice on buying a horse cushing’s evolves – an ethical dilemma?

feeding myths and old wives tales equine gastric ulcer syndrome Cross Country Coaching • Pilates and stretching for horses Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 1

25/01/2013 12:57

Having such a powerful and effective product containing only herbs for supporting the intestines during periods of challenge and that promotes health is a revelation.

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Healthcare • News

contents Healthcare ........1, 6, 18 - 31 News .........................1, 4, 48 Legal Advice ......................2 Directory .............................4 Feeding Myths ...................9 Feeding ........................4 - 19 Breeding/Stud ......... 14 - 16 Cushings Disease ............20 Gastric Ulcers ......... 22 - 26 Horse Behaviour .............24 Worming ...........................25 Training ..............27 - 28, 48 Pilates for Horses .............30 Insurance ............ 6, 31 – 33 Horse Holidays ................32 Saddling Up ......................34 Tack & Turnout ...... 34 - 37 Cross Country .................36 Arenas & Fencing ..38 – 41 Field & Stable ..........38 – 42 News, Tack & Turnout ...44 Horses for Sale .................47 Property for Sale ..............49

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COPY DEADLINE 10th of the preceding month

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Be prepared for the worst!

More horses and ponies are stolen in the Spring and Summer so take freeze marking action now!

istorically there is more horse theft in the Spring and Summer months and this is because they are so much more accessible to the thieves.

The daylight hours are longer and so unwanted intruders can seek out their prey much more easily and often animals are stolen late at night when they are unlikely to be watched over by their owners. Every year the company Freezemark encourage owners to get their horses freeze marked in plenty of time for the marks to show through and act as the brilliant theft deterrent that they provide and now is that time. Mary Awre of Freezemark has advocated its use as a theft deterrent for many years and still cannot understand why people continue to wait until something frightens them into having their horses freeze marked, as she says:“At Freezemark, we still get owners, who have owned their horses and ponies for years, suddenly wanting us to come out as an emergency because a horse has been stolen locally or they have had an attempt on their own animals. Sometimes we are able to come out very quickly but because of the very reasonable rates for freeze marking we cannot arrange to go to an area just to mark one horse and so people have to wait until there are

suﬃcient animals in an area to make up a day’s work. February is a great month to get horses marked as generally owners are not using their animals as much and it gives the freeze mark a chance to form in time for the longer days which will soon be upon us.”

Freezemark is national and is offering a 10% discount on their standard marks until 15 March. For details and bookings, telephone 01295 788226 or visit www.freezemark.biz

February 2013 | 1

25/01/2013 12:57

The Natural Skincare Range from Ruggles & Stopitall

Buying a Horse “I’ve bought a problem horse – what can I do?”

ou’ve just purchased your dream horse, he’s arrived and you begin to plan your future for him. You’ve only had him a short time, before things start to go wrong. For example: • He was sold to you as a talented eventer, but suddenly stops jumping and you find out he has an underlying condition which means he should not be jumping. • The horse you bought was sold as a 5 year old, but turns out to be 15! • You’ve bought your child their first pony, which was described as “bombproof ” and a “perfect confidence giving first lead rein”, but before you know it the pony has started to bolt and buck your child off. The scenarios can be endless. It is therefore essential to know where you stand legally if things do go wrong. It is also necessary to be aware of what you should consider before a purchase is made. Shelley Williams, an equine lawyer at Cobbetts LLP, reviews the factors to be considered when purchasing a horse or pony and sets out your legal rights where disputes arise.

Prior to Purchase:

• When you first go to try the horse make sure that you take someone knowledgeable with you, such as your instructor or trainer. • Always ensure that the owner rides the horse first, before you try the horse yourself. Ask to see the horse ridden at all paces and if applicable, over jumps. If you turn up and the horse is already being lunged or ridden, then alarm bells should start ringing! Ideally, you want to see the horse tacked up, straight from the field or stable. • Ask about the age, history and temperament of the horse and ask to see it in different situations, such as out in traffic, alone or in company. What is the horse like to load, shoe and clip? • Ask to take the horse on trial for a short period. Or, ask to see the horse again in a few days to a week’s time. • Do not put a deposit down until the horse has been vetted by your own, or an independent vet and you have decided to make the purchase. Any deposit, however small, is valuable consideration and essentially makes matters legally binding, where you are obliged to then buy the horse. • Ensure that the vet is made aware of what purpose the horse will be used for. • Ask the seller to confirm in writing that the horse is what he has been described as and ask them to set down what this description is. Keep the written advert and all written bills of sale etc. 2 | February 2013

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uggles & Stopitall Ltd is well known for its natural Ruggle-it shampoo and vegetable oil blend which are ‘must haves’ in the tack room, but the company also carries a small range of extremely gentle yet luxurious skin and hair care products for humans (including babies). So whether your skin is sensitive, weather challenged or just deserves to be nourished naturally, let the fantastic aromas of roses, patchouli, alpine lavender, and honey lift your mood, whilt the sensual shea butters, almond, coconut and apricot oils feed your skin with kindness. “I used your R&S Intensive Nourish & Repair on my face after surgery and the scars are hardly noticeable. Thank you!” said Mrs Tointon from Angus in Scotland The range includes wrinkle, hand, and body nourishments, face and body creams, the painrelieving ginger, juniper and arnica joint cream, the intensive shampoo and conditioner as well as special soaps. For further information, testimonials or to purchase online please visit www.karenruggles.co.uk or call 01823 259952.

• A horse dealer should have no issue with taking a horse back if it turns out to have behavioural or other problems and should either offer an alternative horse or refund the price paid. Do not allow them to sell it on your behalf as you would be responsible for any issues the purchaser encountered. • If there are problems, take advice immediately and make the issues know to the seller in order to retain a strong legal position. It is important to be aware that the legal position differs where the horse is bought from a dealer, as opposed to a private individual. Purchasing from a dealer: Where the seller is a dealer in business, then you will be better protected as The Sale of Goods Act 1979 will apply to the transaction – if issues arise which mean he is unsuitable, then you could be entitled to a refund of all or some of the price paid. This Act implies that there are conditions of sale – these are known as your Statutory Rights. • The horse must be fit for the purpose described by the dealer and for the purpose you have advised it will be used for – for example a horse to be used by a hunt master, who turns out never to have led the field. • The horse must be of satisfactory quality – for example, the earlier described eventer who is unable to jump owing to an underlying lameness condition – unless of course you bought him with knowledge of the problem. • The horse must be as described – for example the 5 year old, who turns out to be 15.

Purchasing from a Private individual:

This is where the position becomes more complex. The position is very much “buyer beware” and it is even more important in this situation to ensure that the horse is vetted. Speak to your vet about the different stages of vetting available. If a dispute arises, you must be able to prove misrepresentation by the seller. This essentially means that you have to prove that the seller was aware or ought to have been aware of the issue and either did not tell you, or made representations and remarks which described the horse inaccurately. You must have relied upon these representations and as a consequence, this has been to your detriment. In these types of situation you would be looking to sue the seller for breach of contract. You may have the right to claim your money back for the cost of the horse, any expenses incurred and possible

additional compensation. These cases can be extremely complex, time consuming and costly. The courts would consider the facts of each case and a decision would be based essentially upon which party’s side of the story was the most credible when looking at the facts. It is therefore essential, whether purchasing from a dealer or private individual, to ensure that you obtain a bill of sale and a full written description of the horse, with the seller confirming that it fits the description and purpose for which it has been sold. Of course, each individual scenario will differ considerably and it is also important to factor in that as horses are such complex animals, behavioural issues which do arise after purchase can also be attributed to new surroundings, a change in rider and routine or a change in the way that the horse is being fed or managed. It is therefore essential firstly to speak to the seller to try and iron out any issues and to take legal advice to find out where you stand. Cobbetts is a leading national law firm with offices in Birmingham, Leeds, London and Manchester. Its equine team is committed to providing commercial, proactive and practical advice on all types of equestrian law, including equestrian property transactions, sale and purchase disputes, health and safety regulatory issues, tenancies, personal injury, professional negligence, equestrian contracts, employment law advice, business, family and matrimonial. Cobbetts is the appointed solicitor to The Pony Club. For more information on the specialist equine law services Cobbetts LLP offers, please contact; Keith Howell on keith.howell@cobbetts.com or 0845 404 2523 www.equiads.net

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Cost saving tips Anne Hayes

n a cold snap, if you have taken the chill off the water and your horse still won’t drink, try adding some apple juice to the water. It never fails. Otherwise, allowing them to bob for apples or carrots will provide them with entertainment as well as encouraging them to drink. Hunting for vegetables in hay is also a good boredom buster.

Put a rubber curry comb inside

an old glove and give your horse a gentle massage. Old socks are very good at putting shine on a coat, and if stuffed with non toxic, non edible material, can make good stable toys. The more adventurous and creative might even think of putting old or disliked jumpers or trousers to similar use, particularly given it can encourage young or nervous horses to be less shy of odd objects. Long, wide, oversized socks with the toes removed to the appropriate diameter are a boon over

gamgee and underneath stable bandages for an extra layer of warmth for older horses. Excess natural beauty products can be put to use in the stable. If your horse is prone to watery eyes, chapped lips and nostrils, or the dreaded mud fever in cold, wintry weather, then any natural barrier creams you have are useful. Products containing calendula will soften any leather that may have hardened over the winter, and anything containing citronella will keep moths away from stored rugs as well as keeping away flies once it gets a little warmer. What to do with the tights that saw you through the party season but have now come off their last pair of legs? They are ideal in the tack room for putting a final sheen on clean tack. The ubiquitous odd sock is ideal for storing tack soap, or for tying the yard soap in to the yard tap, so it doesn’t disintegrate in three uses. Incidentally, the odds and ends of aforementioned soap do have a use themselves, if you want to avoid blisters in your new riding boots or wellies by soaping your socks. The army route march trick of slightly damping a bar of soap and rubbing it all over the inside

of your socks does work. If you use moisturising soap, it will keep your feet in good condition too. If your old gloves are full of holes, make fingerless gloves from the old pair and wear them under the new ones – double the warmth for your hands. Old lead ropes, of course, are very useful for double fastening the gate that someone equine has just learned to open!

Good news in store

he British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) have combined forces to set recognised standards for equine dental treatment. These should make it safer and easier for owners to source the most suitable dental treatment for their horses in every circumstance.

Directory Property Abroad

Feeding

Brittany & Normandy Cardyke Overseas Properties Properties suitable for horses at a fraction of UK prices. Tel: 01775 630 008

The Haylage Co.

Saddlery South East Andrew Reilly Saddlers Spoods Farm, Tinkers Lane, Hadlow Down, East Sussex TN22 4ET Tel: 01825 830484

Worming East Regular worm egg counts can save money! 6-8 weekly spring through autumn £5 each. Church Farm FEC churchfarmfec@hotmail.co.uk or 01728 685 638 4 | February 2013

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A cost effective alternative to hay. Based South Hertfordshire, we deliver to locations nationwide. Telephone: 07831 454 166 Email: guybrook@btinternet.com Website: www.poloforage.com

Wholesale Thinking of starting your own equestrian retail business? Then contact us: Hucklesby Associates Equestrian Wholesalers to the trade Website: www.hucklesbyassociates.co.uk Email: hucklesbys@aol.com for a free trade e-catalogue Tel: 01362 696 309 Fax: 01362 696 582

The organisations are working in association with the RCVS, BVA, BVDA, WWAED and LANTRA to develop National Occupational Standards that will pave the way to allowing equine dental technicians the freedom to work within the Law under an Exemption Order. Currently all equine dental care falls within the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) and, as such, should only be carried out by veterinary surgeons. Equine vets from BEVA and equine dental technicians from the BAEDT have been trying to address this anomaly with government for many years. In 2004 the organisations drew up a list (revised in 2009) of procedures that could be safely carried out by suitably qualified equine dental technicians and a list of those which should only be carried out by qualified veterinary surgeons because they involve sensitive tissues. The envisaged Exemption Order will also provide better protection for horses and their owners by reinforcing the fact that only suitably qualified individuals are allowed to carry out equine dental care and treatments. While unqualified individuals should become easier to identify under the proposed new scheme, those qualified will also be held to account if their performance is not up to scratch. The first step towards the Exemption Order is the drawing up of National Occupational Standards for Equine Dental Technicians. It is hoped that these will be formalised by LANTRA in early 2013. Keith Chandler, BEVA President said “After many years of working closely with the BAEDT on the continuing education and qualification of its members, we are thrilled that progress is finally being made towards an Exemption Order.” BAEDT Chair, Gemma Lilly, continued: “BAEDT and its membership is very happy to be a key part of the team that hopes to put the Exemption Order in place - it will be good news for equine dental technicians, horse owners, and their animals.” Equine Dental Technician and member of the Worldwide Association of Equine Dentists, Martin Brookes, also supports the initiative. He said: “This will be a really important step forward for responsible Equine Dental Technicians. It will further improve the working relationships between EDTs and vets and help to protect the welfare of the horse.” www.equiads.net

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VetVits, PO Box 64, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3BT. Prices featured are valid until 18.02.13 Single use only and not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Directory • Feed • News

P E N

E E E N

A P an 25 pu

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VETErInary dEVElopEd producTS

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Or yO ur m back Oney

VetVits, PO Box 64, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3BT. Prices featured are valid until 18.02.13 Single use only and not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

sale of the year year! In need of stronger, healthier hooves?

Wishing for a naturally calmer horse?

1.5 months’ supply £13.45

1 month’s supply £16.95

delivered

Sale £12.45

Sale £15.95

Looking for the purest MSM?

Want to give them health and vitality?

2 months’ supply £14.95

1 month’s supply £14.95

Don’t forget their joints 2 months’ supply

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Available exclusively online at www.vetvits.co.uk or FREEPHONE 0808 100 40 80 Product Description Size/Price EquiFlex® – joint health care 496g @ £19.95 NEW EquiFlex® Bargain Bulk 1488g @ £56.95 372g @ £12.45 EquiHoof ® – hoof health care EquiMSM™ – joint health care 600g @ £13.95 EquiSenior™ – complete health care 496g @ £13.95 NEW EquiCalm® – natural calmer 434g @ £15.95

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Healthspan UK Limited, Registered in England and Wales, Company Address: ............................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Regisration No. 7485064, VAT No. GB 108880305 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................Email: ................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... Witan Gate House, Post Code: ............................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................Tel. No: ................................................................................................................................................................................. 500-600 Witan Gate West, Milton Keynes, Please debit my: Mastercard Visa Maestro Issue No/Start Date: ...............................................................Expiry Date:..................................................................... Date: ..................................................................... Buckinghamshire, Card No: Security(CV2)Code:2........................... MK19 1SH, United Kingdom.

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All VetVits equine products are sold and delivered by Healthspan UK Ltd. To order by mail, please make cheques payable to ‘Healthspan UK Limited’ and post with this order form to: VetVits, PO Box 64, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3BT. Prices featured are valid until 18.02.13. 1Free postage and packaging applies to UK only. Allow 10 days for delivery. Calls may be recorded for training purposes. Our Customer Charter provides a no-quibble refund on our products and a guarantee that your personal data will not be passed on to any third party. 2Last three digits on the back of your card. *Competitors closest matching product in terms of quality and product strength is provided. Prices valid as at 25.09.12 from www.derbyhouse.co.uk. Equine America Cortaflex 454g x 6 from www.derbyhouse.co.uk £221.94, 12 months supply VetVits EquiFlex 496g x 6 £119.70. All prices are based on single purchase and exclude any price or multiple purchase promotion. If you would prefer not to receive any future product updates please tick this box:

ordEr noW! FREEPHONE 0808 100 40 80 www.vetvits.co.uk VV Eq Sale Ad EQA-WFE.indd 1 Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 5

Quote code

EQA-WFE Offer expires 18.02.13 04/01/2013 25/01/2013 17:40 12:58

Healthcare • Insurance

Link found between tree seed and Seasonal Pasture Myopathy

ew research from the USA and recently published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), has shown that a toxin from the box elder tree is the likely cause of Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of the European disease known as Atypical Myopathy (AM). Preliminary comparisons of these results with cases of AM in Europe suggest that the European condition may be linked to similar trees which could have an important bearing on the future prevention of the disease in Europe.

Seasonal Pasture Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada. A similar disorder called Atypical Myopathy is becoming increasingly frequent in the UK and Northern Europe. Outbreaks of both diseases tend to be seasonal, with most cases occurring in the autumn. Horses that develop SPM and AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed. The research1 identified that seeds from box elder trees were consistently present in the autumn pastures of all 12 horses enrolled in the study. These horses were from 11 different farms and had all presented with the clinical signs of SPM, which include muscular weakness and stiffness, dark urine, periods of recumbency, coliclike signs and muscle trembling. The toxic amino acid hypoglycin A, which is known to cause acquired multiple acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) was shown to be present in the box elder seeds and hypoglycin metabolites were identified in the serum or urine of all the horses. All but one of the cases proved fatal. Professor Valberg DVM PhD of the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, who instigated the study, said: “The fact that another acquired form of MADD in rats and humans is caused by hypoglycin A ingestion strengthens our conclusion that hypoglycin A is the likely toxic cause of SPM in horses. We are intending to conduct further studies to determine the factors that affect the highly variable hypoglycin A concentrations in box elder seeds.” Professor Valberg has established collaborative links with groups in Europe in order to investigate if a similar toxin is involved in European Atypical Myopathy. Working with Professor Vince Gerber and Dr Lucia Unger at the University of Bern, Professor Valberg has obtained seeds from a tree related to the Box Elder found on many pastures where Atypical Myopathy has occurred. Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said “This is a really important step forwards. We don’t yet know for sure that the cause of European disease, Atypical Myopathy, is the same as Seasonal Pasture Myopathy in the US. But the clinical signs and MADD aberrations are identical and both conditions have a high fatality rate. It remains to be seen whether this research will help European horses, but there is no doubt that it will allow American horse owners to prevent this devastating condition affecting their horses with immediate effect.” 1 Seasonal Pasture Myopathy/Atypical Myopathy in North America associated with Ingestion of Hypoglycin A within Seeds of the Box Elder Tree Stephanie J Valberg DVM PhD1, Beatrice T Sponseller Dr. med. vet2, Adrian D Hegeman PhD3, Jennifer Earing PhD, Jeffery B. Bender DVM MS1, Krishona L Martinson PhD4, Steven E Patterson PhD5, Lawrence Sweetman PhD1

Cortaflex - for horses C

onstant pounding on artificial, hard or heavy ground is very demanding on all joints; even hacking can cause abnormal wear and tear. By feeding a proven joint supplement, you can help to redress the balance and protect your horse’s joCortaflex was launched in the

USA in 1997 and was an instant success; by 1998 Cortaflex had also taken the UK market by storm, quickly becoming a household name – and the secret of this success is all in the formulation. Cortaflex was formulated around the concept that small molecules are more likely to be absorbed than large ones and is a unique formulation of the small key active isolates of Chondroitin and Glucosamine – Glycine, Proline, Glutamine, Glucuronic Acid and Glutamic Acid. These small molecules are considered to pass easily through the tiny cell walls and reach the joints in high concentration, achieving the speed and effectiveness of Cortaflex in helping to maintain healthy joints. Cortaflex is also fortified with an oral form of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a major component of joint lubricating fluid, which is essential for absorbing concussion and providing cartilage with nutrients and lubrication for movement. Additionally, Cortaflex contains Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables

6 | February 2013

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(ASU), which has been clinically shown to assist equine joint health when used in combination with the key ingredients above. Cortaflex is the only equine joint supplement to have achieved a significant improvement in the symmetry of equine tarsal joint movement following a rigorous double blind clinical trial, conducted by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. This trial, undertaken by one of the leading equine research institutes in the world, used advanced measurement techniques to ensure that the data collected, before and after the supplementation of Cortaflex, was of the highest accuracy. The successful results of this study were then presented by the author, Dr. Hilary Clayton BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, at the conference of the globally respected American Association of Equine Practitioners, and published in the conference proceedings. The eminent U.S.A. independent field testing magazine, Horse Journal, tested Cortaflex and awarded it ‘Product of the Year’, and the ‘Best Nutritional Product for Horses’. Horse Journal concluded “We laughed when Equine America said Cortaflex Solution would work in five days – but the laugh was on us, it worked in 3 days.” www.equiads.net

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LIZ - RO

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22/01/2013 12:58 14:38 25/01/2013

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Feeding

FeeDING MYTHS - and old wives tales Dr Derek Cuddeford, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

t is often difficult to persuade ourselves that what we do may be unnecessary or even bad for our horses. Received “wisdom” and the experiences of others are often used to guide us in the management of our animals. It is frequently the case that the fewer the facts, the stronger is the opinion. Some common misconceptions are as follows:

“If a little is good, a lot is better” This might apply to money but in terms of feeding horses it simply does not follow. Overdosing like overfeeding is a common phenomenon; twice as much does not equate to twice as good! “Horses are herbivores so they should only be fed vegetarian diets” This suggests that horses are able to discriminate precisely in terms of what they eat. Fussy feeders they might be but I have watched many insects disappearing into the mouths of horses and even human flesh altho’ the latter was not swallowed… Animal protein sources are not now allowed in horse diets. The only materials of animal origin likely to be found in commercial horse diets are the gelatine coating that is sometimes used to protect vitamin A and fish oil. However, the quantity of gelatine used is trivial and is probably less than 3 parts per million-there is probably more in one jelly baby! Some supplements use material of marine origin such as fish oils, glucosamine from shrimp waste or chondroitin from shark cartilage. If the choice is between substances of feed origin (say fish oil) or drugs such as cortisone to ameliorate inflammation and thus joint pain, what route would you prefer? “Horses should only be fed natural diets” In practice it is difficult to feed “natural” diets to horses kept unnaturally! With seasonal grass growth being a feature of UK grazing, horses would naturally starve during the winter and it is only by feeding unnatural diets that we are able to sustain them. Horses in hard work eat even less of a “natural” diet because they need concentrated energy sources to sustain the work load. Granted they are of vegetable origin but should owners be concerned more about the nature of the diet rather than about the origins of raw materials?

they will germinate and grow following the addition of water. They retain this ability for more than one year and are thus still viable when fed to horses. The only thing that I know that improves with keeping is wine… “Oats should be processed for horses” No they should not. As indicated above an oat grain is viable/alive and rolling it will render it non-viable/dead. Have you noticed that dead things have a habit of going off ! The polyunsaturated oils in oats are vulnerable to oxidation once the seed is killed and they can become rancid, increasing the need for antioxidants in the horse’s diet. So oats, if rolled, must be fed fresh. But what a waste of effort? Oats are a soft grain (try chewing some if you do not believe me) compared to say barley so the horse finds it really easy to chew oats. Why deprive the horse of the pleasure of chewing and make work for yourself ? People see oat husks in the horse’s faeces and mistakenly think that whole oats have passed through the horsethis will only happen if its teeth have fallen out and you have given it too much to eat at once. “Timothy hay is the best for horses” This has been an opinion that has endured for years. You can always tell Timothy hay by the presence of the characteristic seed head (cat’s tail) but, the fact that you can see this means that the grass was cut when very mature. Mature Timothy hay has a very low feed value that might be OK for a Shetland pony but is useless in the diet of a performance horse where it merely provides indigestible bulk. So, this type of hay might be alright for animals prone to laminitis/obesity and are not working but is no good for other animals that would be better fed ryegrass-based hays. “Barley is a heating feed” So how do we define “heating”? Does the horse’s body get hot or, does it get mentally hot from eating certain feeds? When we feed a horse it has to digest the food and then use or store the end products of digestion. These processes result in the generation of heat and if we rank feeds on their ability to generate heat in this way, fibrous feeds would be highest and fats the lowest. Consider just the muscular effort of chewing these different feeds. In a hot environment, forage should be restricted and fat fed to minimise the impact of feed type on body temperature. Barley generates much less heat than forage so is less “heating” in this context. Fat horses get hotter than thin horses when exercised because they are

“Horses can work off all-forage diets” I wish! No they cannot because an all forage-fed horse has an enlarged, large intestine because the animal depends mostly on the process of fermentation to obtain its energy sources. This adds to the non-functional weight of a horse, effectively handicapping it! Thus, in practical terms, it is unrealistic to expect a horse to be competitive even when fed good quality forage. Muscle glycogen replacement requires glucose and its production from fermentation end products is biochemically inefficient. Starch digested in the small intestine releases glucose that can be absorbed into the blood stream for transport to the muscle for incorporation directly into glycogen; an efficient process. “Horses will select and eat what they need” Rubbish! This suggests that horses are nutritionally wise-even the human race cannot claim this attribute in view of the extent of obesity within the population and the recent emergence of cases of rickets. What they like is not what they need. Horses rely on us to provide the necessary food resources so that they can obtain the nutrients appropriate for their particular life stage. A horse licking soil in its paddock is not seeking and selecting nutrients that are missing from its diet. Occasionally one sees aberrant eating behaviours (pica) in animals that are phosphorus deficient but this is very rare. Thus, horse owners are always best advised to incorporate nutrients into their horse’s diet rather than to provide them on a self help system simply because their animal does not have the innate ability to know how much to consume; salt would be a case in point. When offered ad libitum some horses will eat a lot of salt and some none, even when kept under the same circumstances. In fact horses will eat a variety of toxic plants if they are available so it would seem that one cannot rely on one’s horse to know what is good or, what is bad for it. “Horses should not be fed freshly made hay or freshly harvested oats” I wonder why not? I prefer fresh bread to stale bread. Horses turned into hay aftermaths seem to enjoy eating the dry grass that has escaped the baler. Once hay and oats have been properly dried, enzymes contained within the plant material cease to function and respiration stops; the hay is effectively cured and the material is dead. In contrast, seeds such as oats are still alive and, if they are dried carefully www.equiads.net

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Allen &

Feeding

unfit, handicapped by excess weight and insulated by subcutaneous fat. Overfeeding calories and not the type of feed is the cause of obesity. Many people will “blame” certain dietary ingredients for making their horses mentally hot. A fit horse in peak condition will be hot to handle unless it is singularly laid back. An animal in this condition must be regularly worked so that it is in energy balance. An underworked, overfed horse is a disaster waiting to happen. It is common enough to hear people say that “if I feed more cereal/ compound my horse gets high”. You have to accept that a horse in positive energy balance will feel well and it must be trained to behave so that the energy can be channelled into better performances unless of course you wish to starve it into submission. “High protein feed makes my horse too high spirited” There is no evidence that high protein intake per se affects mental attitude. Think of all the horses all over the World whose main forage resource is alfalfa whose protein content almost always exceeds that of any concentrate-are they all mad? No, of course not. High spirits in a horse reflects overall energy intake and a high level of fitness. People often forget that protein supplies calories as well as amino acids! Alfalfa/ Lucerne is renowned as a quality protein source but it also supplies more energy kilo for kilo than most grass hays so it is easy to see how confusion may arise. Of course, severe confinement can affect behaviour once outside the stable. Keep children locked in a room for some hours and once released they will “blow off steam” as seen every day in the playground during classroom breaks. “Compounded feeds are not as good as simple mixtures of feed ingredients” This suggests to me a degree of mistrust and it is simply not true. Nowadays horse feed manufacturers go to inordinate lengths to make sure that the horse owning public gets the very best products in terms of quality and value for money to feed to their horses. Furthermore, the average horse owner rarely has the requisite knowledge to create a balanced diet from a range of raw materials. “Bran Mashes are good for my horse” This is a popular misconception and is largely based on the premise that they are laxative and will give the horse a good “clear out”! Wheat bran is the primary component but often, all sorts of other ingredients (based on personal taste, metaphorically speaking, and witchcraft) are added to create secret, personalised concoctions. Bran mashes are not laxative. But you say “my doctor tells me to eat bran to keep me “regular” so it should work for my horse”. No, this is not the case. Wheat bran is not a high fibre feed (11%) having the same fibre content as oats and a lot less than Timothy hay (35%). So how is it that wheat bran acts as a laxative for humans and not for horses? The average horse is going to consume at least 3.5kg fibre per day whereas a normal human diet will supply up to 30g daily. It should be clear that

10 | February 2013

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adding bran to a human diet will have a significant effect on the overall fibre supply but would not be noticed by the horse. Bran mashes are a very good vehicle for supplying medications but, because they are so different from the normal diet, one-off usage can upset the gut flora and cause diarrhoea (hence the claimed laxative effect). If you want a laxative effect for your horse forget using bran mashes but if you get that “warm, fuzzy feeling” from preparing a treat, carry on but do it every day to avoid gut dysfunction. If you feed more than half a kilo daily you must feed alfalfa or beet pulp to balance the phosphorus in the bran. At the end of the day, the effort of feeding bran mashes is simply not worth it! “Beet pulp must be soaked before you feed it” SBP swells when water is added leading to the misconception that if fed dry it will absorb saliva, block the oesophagus or, absorb gastric juices and rupture the stomach-no surprise then that owners wish to soak SBP! Oesophageal choke is usually the result of aggressive feeding behaviour combined with feeding pellets that are insufficiently chewed. Choking is not due to feeding SBP per se but rather it is a function of feed particle size and rate of feed consumption; it is not a function of the feed itself. SBP cannot soak up saliva quickly enough to swell (remember it normally takes 3-4 hours in water) and equally, it does not reside long enough in the stomach where there is plenty of capacity (10+ litres). Free access to clean water is however essential but then this applies to all horse feeding situations. Up to 50% of the diet has been fed as dry SBP without any untoward effect. Thousands of tonnes of dry SBP are fed annually in the USA straight out of the bag where it is routinely incorporated into compounded mixes and it is also used in mixes for old horses in the UK

without any problems occurring. If you want to soak and have the time and energy, then soak.........if you have a greedy eater, then soak! “Energy without fat” I guess we could all do with some of this; nothing like being able to eat your head off and not get fat. Dietary energy (calories) whether it be from fat, protein or carbohydrate is available to the horse for firstly maintaining itself and thereafter for productive functions (work, growth, etc). Any excess energy results in fat production. Often people with under exercised, easy-keeping horses are looking for something to make them speed up and go. It is not a lack of energy but rather a lack of fitness that is now very evident in the human population. Apart from amphetamines (speed) the only real solution is less food and more work for that get up and go... “Horses that eat their faeces are missing something in their diet” No-one really knows why this happens although there are some reasonable suppositions. For example, foals are frequently observed to eat their dam’s faeces and this could be a way of inoculating their gut with the appropriate organisms that will allow the transition from a milk diet to a roughage-based diet. Horses whose food intake is severely restricted may be observed to eat their own faeces. This may be as a need to fulfil normal feeding behaviour or, as an effort to maintain energy intake. As far as we know faecal consumption by adult horses has nothing to do with their nutrient needs.

ConClusion

Confucius really sums it up so well: “real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

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Allen & Page AP Horse Ads Full Page_Layout 1 29/11/2012 10:06 Page 3

This

horse shines with Condition

Andrew Bowie and Jenny’s Prince – Winners of the Overall Hunter Championship at the Royal Highland Show, 2011 and 2012

Calm & Condition®– Part of the Barley & Molasses Free Range “We were looking for a feed that gave condition without the fizz – very very happy. The results speak for themselves!” – Mr and Mrs A Bowie and Jenny’s Prince Calm & Condition® is a soaked feed for horses and ponies who need to put on or maintain condition. Also used successfully for competition horses who are working hard, Calm & Condition® is low in starch and sugar*, high in fibre and provides good levels of slow release energy from fibre and oil.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

QUICK SOAK less than

minutes!

Barley and molasses free – low starch, low sugar* For horses and ponies at rest to hard work Ideal for horses and ponies that need to put on or maintain condition Highly digestible with high fibre energy sources Balanced with essential vitamins and minerals – no need to supplement** Contains Ceregest GLC 1, a unique pre and probiotic for good digestive health PLEASE NOTE: To get the best results from Calm & Condition®, please make sure that you do not feed any other products that contain barley or molasses. Many traditional feeds contain barley and/or molasses which can cause excitability in some horses. Even horses that do not become fizzy as a result of these ingredients can benefit from a low starch and sugar feed* such as Calm & Condition®.

For helpful feeding advice, contact our friendly Nutrition Team today on 01362 822 902 email helpline@allenandpage.co.uk or visit www.allenandpage.com When compared to traditional diets with comparative energy levels.

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When fed at recommended levels

25/01/2013 09:58

Feeding • Supplements

Why Wet Fields Make for SPILLeRS® Senior – the Naughty Horses! easy way to keep every W oldie in shape inter usually brings out the worst in even the most honest of horses, but in most cases there is an easy solution. If you are fortunate enough to still have grass in your fields, it is probably still very wet, and you may have noticed the grass taking on a yellow tinge. This happens because the grass cannot absorb magnesium from water logged soil (magnesium is needed for the plants energy production unit, chlorophyll, which makes grass green). To compensate for a lack of grazing, most horses will be receiving more hard feed to maintain their condition. These feeds are high in other ions such as calcium and potassium, which increases any relative lack of magnesium and also makes it harder for magnesium to be absorbed. Then add that your horse is under more stress from cold weather, extra stabling, bangs, blusters and a less consistent routine. Stress burns off magnesium, so most horses need more in winter, but they are receiving less. Combine these factors and it is likely

that your horse is no longer getting all the magnesium his body needs, and this will leave him more sensitive to stress, more reactive and often difficult. Nupafeed’s unique magnesium formula, MAH® has been developed for human medicine and is simply the best magnesium you can buy. MAH® contains absolutely no other ingredients, and works not by suppressing your horse’s ability to react, but by correcting the imbalance that is so often at the root of behavioural problems. For more information or to purchase, please contact us: Tel: 01438 861 900 Email: info@nupafeed.net www.nupafeed.co.uk

hile some senior horses don’t need extra help to maintain their condition, others may struggle. That’s why SPILLeRS® designed their flexible Senior range. A selection of four products, including a specialist fibre, a balancer and two different mixes, enables owners to choose a feed to perfectly suit their senior’s individual needs. SPILLeRS® Senior Conditioning Mix has been formulated for the older horse that struggles to hold weight, while SPILLeRS® Senior Maintenance Mix is designed for our veteran good doers. Both contain small, easy to chew particles and have all the extra vitamins and minerals your older horse or pony needs, including glucosamine, to help him stay in the best of health. Alternatively SPILLeRS® Senior Balancer is suitable for all senior horses and ponies, to be fed alongside compound feeds or forage only diets. It has added glucosamine, magnesium and biotin as well as extra levels of other vitamins and minerals to help support older horses. All three can be partnered with SPILLeRS® Senior Fibre, a unique blend of balanced natural fibres, with mint, garlic, soya oil, glucosamine, live yeast, quality protein and vitamins and minerals. The short chop and soft texture of SPILLeRS® Senior Fibre makes it easier on the mouth for older horses who have worn or fewer teeth and are struggling to chew and grind properly. It can be combined with a mix, cube or balancer or fed as a replacement for compound feed. Clare Barfoot, registered nutritionist and the research and development manager for SPILLeRS® said: “Our older horses and ponies deserve extra love and attention, not least in the way in which they are fed. With our senior range you can be sure that you are providing the extra nutritional support they need to help them stay healthy and age gracefully.” For friendly advice on feeding seniors call the SPILLERS® Care-Line on + 44 (0)1908 226626, email careline@spillers-feeds.com or visit www. spillers-feeds.com. You can also join Team SPILLERS® on Facebook.

Calm down…use Magnacalm!

tress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your horse’s performance, your own performance, and can change your perception of riding, making what should be an enjoyable task a stomach churning chore. The rider’s anxiety can feed the horse’s stress levels and vice versa, and it can be difficult to break the cycle, but a calming supplement like Magnacalm could really help. This supplement is provided as a solid block, making it ideal for those who live out (as it fits in a conventional salt lick holder), those who don’t receive a bucket feed, and those on a more conventional regime too. The lick contains a mixture of bioavailable magnesium, salt and cerelose dextrose to ensure intake…all in a hard pressed block to ensure durability throughout the changing seasons. Magnesium is used in hundreds of body processes, and a deficiency can cause hyperactive behaviour and excitability. Using Magnacalm is an easy way to help address any deficiency and, as it should be offered in a free access manner, the horse helps himself to what he needs, when he needs it. Magnacalm is available in 1.8kg blocks, and has a RRP of £5.85. For more information, see www.rockies.co.uk, email info@rockies.co.uk or call 01606 595025.

HAPPY TUMMY® CHARCOAL

Improves health, behaviour & performance. Adsorbs toxins, guards against colic, ulcers and lameness.

www.finefettlefeed.com or call 01600 712496 12 | February 2013

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Cubes 2

The original and best. SPILLERS® introduced Horse and Pony Cubes, the first ever compound feed, in the 1950’s. The original ‘non-heating’* low starch cube with its balanced formulation, which includes magnesium known for its calming properties, is still the feed of choice today. With excellent all-round nutrition to help support long term health and calm behaviour, choose SPILLERS® Horse and Pony Cubes, the original and still the best.

Feed from our experience.

For more information contact SPILLERS® Care-Line on 01908 226626 or visit www.spillers-feeds.com ® MARS and SPILLERS are Registered Trademarks. ©MARS Horsecare UK Ltd. 2013. *A non-heating feed is one that is less likely to produce excitable behaviour in some horses and ponies when fed at the recommended rate.

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23/12/2012 25/01/2013 10:08 09:58

Feeding • Supplements • Stud

This year we are standing 6 stallions at Stud: • Craigmancie Gold • Spartan Heights • • Western Armada • Craigmancie General • • Craigmancie X-Factor • Imbir • Al Available For more information see www.craigmanchie.co/.uk or Tel: 01464 831 372 Mobile: 07909 617 623

Feeding for breeding COVERING MIX - optimum fertility in mares Covering Mix is a widely used powder in sachet form useful for the management of optimum fertility in mares RRP: 10g - £8.25 STALLION MIX - Support for normal libido and fertility in stallions. A specially formulated herbal blend traditionally used for supporting the normal function of male reproductive organs. Breeders are amazed at the results we get with this product RRP: 1kg - £30.30; 5kg - £136.40 FERTILITY MIX - A zinc, manganese, copper & vitamin mix to help all horses Helps the coat, hooves and joints and gives more sparkle. Horses really do well on it. RRP: 2kg - £27.80

DiReCtions foR use

Feed for 3 months before mating and for 3 months afterwards. For more information please visit www.globalherbs.co.uk or call the free advice line on 0800 1694709.

Give your foal the best start in life

iving your foal the best start in life is essential to ensure correct development and to reduce the risk of abnormal growth spurts. This starts by ensuring the mare is fed correctly throughout her pregnancy. Blue Chip Original is the perfect feed balancer for mares to provide the enhanced nutritional uptake required throughout the gestation period. This is used and trusted by leading studs who noticed that mares cycle early and maintain condition throughout pregnancy and lactation. Blue Chip Original has been scientifically proven in a series of trials at Hartpury College. The trials showed that by feeding Blue Chip Original feed balancer alongside a fibre diet the horse can double their ability to digest fibre, meaning they can get twice as many nutrients out of the fibre in their diet. This is vital during the last few weeks of pregnancy, when due to the increasing size of the foetus the mare is unable to eat as much fibre. The specially designed small pellets in Blue Chip Original are the ideal introduction to hard feed for the foal and can be safely fed from 3 weeks of age. Foals will develop good muscle tone, dense bone and strong, pliable hooves. Used and recommended by Johanna vardon from the National Foaling Bank who says “I have never had my mares cycling and covered so early. Youngstock grow at steady, even rates with good dense bone. Blue Chip Original is invaluable.” Blue Chip Karma the natural, liquid calmer is made with 100% natural ingredients and guaranteed free from prohibited substances. Weaning can be a stressful time for both mares and foals, give Karma to both for two weeks prior to weaning and continue until both have settled. For advice on feeding the broodmare and foal visit www.bluechipfeed.com or call 0114 266 6200

Settling the Stabled Horse

any people reduce turnout during the winter months meaning that horses are confined to their stable for longer periods of time and while some horses can cope quite well with this it may lead to irritable or excitable behaviour in others. Calm ‘n’ easy is a low energy feed ideal for those horses and ponies prone to excitable and unpredictable behaviour. With low energy levels obtained through a balance of digestible fibre sources and cooked flaked cereals it is ideal for horses and ponies requiring a low energy diet. Feeds containing high levels of starch that are digested relatively quickly by the horse produce fast release energy, which is the type of energy that can cause some horses to become over excitable. By providing controlled levels of starch alongside a high fibre content Calm ‘n’ easy produces an excellent form of slow release energy that will help prevent this over excitable behaviour occurring. With a high fibre content this will help ensure slow rates of digestion throughout the hindgut and help to maintain gut health. Calm ‘n’ easy is highly palatable and contains all the essential nutrients required to ensure your horse is receiving a fully balanced diet. For more information on Calm ‘n’ Easy from Rowen Barbary Horse Feeds please call 01948 880598 or visit www.rowenbarbary.co.uk

14 | February 2013

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BCcond

The key to condition BEFORE

“Nemo came to the ISPCA National Animal Centre following a complaint by a member of public about a number of horses in poor condition. An ISPCA inspector, with the help of the authorities, succeeded in removing Nemo and a second horse to safety. On arrival Nemo was severely emaciated, anaemic as a result of a massive lice burden and had numerous lacerations to his legs. After a month of vet treatment, a special diet and lots of TLC Nemo improved but still was not thriving as we would have expected. At only 3 years old Nemo should have gained condition and strength but something just was not right. As we have had such great results with Blue Chip Lamilight for our laminitic ponies I decided to contact Blue Chip for advice.

loyalty card Equi_Ads_National.indd 15 BCcondtion_297x210-ISPCA.indd 1

AFTER 2 week s on Blue Chip Origi nal

AFTER 4 week s on Blue Chip Origi nal

They recommended we try Nemo on Blue Chip Original and, well, the results speak for themselves! After only 2 weeks Nemo was a different horse, he coated out, gained weight and condition and suddenly had a twinkle in his eye that wasn’t there before. 4 weeks on Blue Chip and you would be forgiven for thinking we had swapped him for another horse! Yet again Blue Chip has come up trumps for ISPCA rescue equines and I cannot thank you enough. It is wonderful to see Nemo looking and feeling so good in himself; I cannot recommend Blue Chip highly enough!” Cathy Griffin, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

have you got your loyalty card? Collect 8 Blue Chip Loyalty points and get your 9th Blue Chip product absolutely free. Loyalty points are available on all Blue Chip sacks (Original, Pro, Lamilight and Dynamic) and all Blue Chip liquid supplements (Joint RLF, Karma and Garliq). For more info see www.bluechipfeed.com/loyalty

0114 266 6200 info@bluechipfeed.com www.bluechipfeed.com facebook.com/bluechipfeed twitter.com/bluechipfeed

25/01/2013 15:05 09:58 29/11/2012

Feeding • Supplements

Breeding nutrition H

orslyx provides all breeding stock, including broodmares, foals and stallions, with optimum levels of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to balance the deficiencies in forage and grazing, whilst also including biotin, chelated zinc and methionine to encourage healthy hoof growth for the years ahead. Foals and youngstock need the correct levels of protein to build up muscle mass, ensure a healthy immune system and support their growth. Horslyx provides the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus and contains amino acids - the building blocks of protein - which when combined with the fat from the mare’s milk, or, when they are older, high quality forage, provides the perfect foundation for healthy development. Modern day forage and grazing does not always contain the ideal levels of vitamins and minerals, so supplementing a high fibre diet with free access to Horslyx helps ensure optimum amounts of magnesium, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium and vitamin e are incorporated. Horslyx includes copper and zinc in a chelated form – as they would be found in nature – making them more efficiently digested and the nutrient rich lick is weatherproof enabling it to be used all year round at grass or in the stable. Offering inquisitive youngsters a palatable, easy to digest product such as Horslyx will help promote the natural trickle feeding pattern – encouraging a healthy digestive system and keeping them out of trouble for longer periods of time! The high oil content ensures a healthy, glossy coat leaving them blooming with condition and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. The cost effective, no fuss and weatherproof licks are available in four formulations, Original, Garlic, Respiratory and Mobility. Feeding Horslyx costs from just 28p per day when feeding 80kg Original Horslyx at the recommended intakes for an average 500kg horse*. That works out at just over £100 for the whole year, and just over £8.50 per month, making Horslyx extremely cost effective. Horslyx is available in 5kg, 15kg and 80kg tubs and prices start at £9.95. For further information tel, (01697) 332 592 or visit www.horslyx.com. *Prices correct at time of printing.

TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer S pecifically designed for broodmares, youngstock and stallions, TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer will promote superb muscle and skeletal development without providing excess calories resulting in overtopping. The feed balancer improves the amount of nutrients a horse can extract from his total diet meaning that breeding stock can receive optimum nutrition from reduced levels of hard feed, with many resulting benefits. TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer greatly improves hoof, skin and coat quality, whilst helping to maintain appetite, moderating the effects of stress on horses and helping to maintain a healthy immune system.

toPsPeC stuD feeD BalanCeR Contains the following featuRes:-

• Optimum amounts of all the micronutrients needed to complement feed intake and allow broodmares and youngstock to reach their maximum potential. • excellent quality protein and intracellular soya oil. • Concentrated levels of added micronutrients, including chelated minerals for improved availability. • Powerful levels of vitamin e and selenium, vital antioxidants, important for fertility and muscle function. • effective levels of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements to develop and maintain strong bone and superb muscle. • The scientifically proven levels of Biotin (15mg/500kg horse/day), and associated nutrients, to improve hoof and coat quality and skin conditions. • Two advanced yeast products to help optimise fibre digestion in the hindgut and remove gut pathogens. For further information contact the Multiple Award-Winning Helpline on 01845 565030 or visit www.topspec.com 16 | February 2013

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Photograph by Peter Page Photography

Cuddy Supreme Champion at the Scottish Horse Show, Rendene Royal Charm, owned by Mr & Mrs C Elenor.

Outstanding Results “Feeding TopSpec has transformed both our yard’s feeding regime and the way our youngsters look and perform. Even the fussiest of eaters put on condition and depth. It is the perfect feed for allowing youngsters to mature in their own time and stallions to maintain condition whilst at stud; our results speak for themselves.” Craig and Karen Elenor, In Hand Show Producers ®

CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE by experienced equine nutritionists

Tel: 01845 565 030 www.topspec.com

Multiple Award Winner for ‘Excellence in Nutritional Advice and Customer Service’ 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012

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Health Care

Ground-breaking solution for skin under attack

romaheel is a best-selling anti-bacterial ointment for combatting the harmful effects of mud and wet on the horse’s skin- which result in painful sores, stubborn scabs and weeping. Its unique formulation uses 100% natural pure essential oils including teatree oil, and various herbal extracts - all chosen for their natural antibacterial properties. The oils are contained within an effective waterproof barrier base which provides superior protection and conditioning on the exterior, whilst eliminating bacteria to allow repair and regeneration to take place at the surface of the skin. The unique action of Aromaheel softens & penetrates the crusts and scabs, eliminating the need to painfully pick them off - causing discomfort and extreme pain to the horse. This allows the antibacterial properties to reach the skin & bacteria under the scab AS it is lifting, so that when the scab DOeS lift and wipe away - healthy new skin is revealed as opposed to exposing open and painful sores which are prone to reinfection. The beauty of the product is that it is NOT essential to wash the legs at each application, making the product easy to use and a pleasant experience for the horse and ultimately the owner! even horses who have previously objected to their heels being treated with other products, soon appreciate the soothing properties of Aromaheel. The Secret – Aromaheel’s unique formulation allows the extraordinary natural antibacterial properties of essential oils to safely and effectively destroy the harmful bacteria, promoting natural

18 | February 2013

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regeneration of both healthy tissue AND hair regrowth. Formulated using only premium quality ingredients, this product is 100% natural, and contains NO steroids or antibiotics ensuring that Aromaheel has none of the relative contra-indications and long-term effects of these pharmaceutical medicines. Aromaheel allows repeated application without the need for constant washing of the skin – which when performed provides an optimum environment for the bacteria to thrive and multiply. Aromaheel keeps the skin supple & conditioned, promoting recovery & providing barrier protection at the same time. Aromaheel has been formulated for use without the need for bandaging. The ever-challenging climate of our British weather is bringing longer, more prolonged periods of wet weather, even in the summer months. These conditions provide optimum opportunity for bacteria to proliferate and penetrate the vulnerable skin of the lower legs and also the backs of un-rugged horses. These conditions weaken the skin’s own natural defences with their relentless presence and attack. The welfare benefits of regular turnout for our horses are undisputed, and horseowners are now looking for products which allow them to maintain turnout, yet protect and

nurture their horses against this ever-challenging environment all year round. Horses can continue to be turned out when using Aromaheel, even in muddy conditions. Aromesse is a family-based UK company, just entering its 10th anniversary year and is currently undergoing rapid expansion. Aromaheel was their flagship product, and to date is still their best-selling equine product, with customers returning year upon year. All products are formulated and manufactured in the UK and the Company pride themselves in providing excellent customer service, with animal welfare being first and foremost in their product development. Price £16.95 (Discounts applied to orders of more than 3 tubs – see www.equinat.com for details) Size: 200g Stockists: Available by mail order from www.equinat.com or telephone 01427 811765

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Advertorial

What’s so special about fibre? A

Photo: Hannah Briars

dding a double handful of chopped fibre to bulk out our horse’s feed is standard practice for most of us but SPILLERS® complementary fibres do much more than the average chaﬀ. They provide a high quality, reliable source of fibre that has been specifically formulated with vitamins and minerals to make your feed work harder for your horse’s health. In fact 8 out of 10* horse owners preferred the SPILLERS® fibre products over the leading competitor brand.

The perfect complement from SPILLERS® SPILLERS® Fibres are truly versatile. SPILLERS® Cool Fibre with magnesium is the perfect complement for low energy feeds, SPILLERS® Conditioning Fibre with soya oil is the optimum partner for conditioning feeds and SPILLERS® Senior Fibre with glucosamine has been specially developed to add additional support to senior feeds. All three can also be fed as the sole bucket feed, at the recommended quantities as they are balanced with vitamins and minerals.

Help us help you and we’ll reward you handsomely If you can’t find the SPILLERS® Fibres at your local feed outlet then email SPILLERS® at stockists@spillers-feeds.com and let us know. We’ll do our best to get you what you need and if this leads to the products being stocked in your store we’ll reward you with £30.00 worth of SPILLERS® Vouchers! Terms and Conditions apply.

Five fibre facts from Clare Barfoot, registered nutritionist at SPILLERS® • Fibre is what horses have evolved to eat. Providing plenty of it ensures that the digestive system is kept healthy. • When fibre is broken down it produces both energy and heat, acting as the horse’s own central heating system in the cold winter months. • Adding chopped fibre to a horse’s feed is a great way to extend eating time and can help reduce boredom if the horse is stabled during the winter. Some of the premium quality chopped fibre feeds oﬀer excellent flexibility with the addition of vitamins and minerals to give mixes, cubes or balancers a handy boost or give you the option to feed chopped fibre as the sole feed. • Saliva is only produced when horses are chewing. Making sure your horse has enough fibre in his diet increases chewing time and saliva production helping to neutralise potentially harmful stomach acid that may increase the risk of gastric ulcers. • Ideally, any horse that is not on a weight loss programme should have access to fibre at all times when stabled. If this is not possible then, for a horse in light to medium work, fibre should make up 70% of the diet, so for a typical 500kg horse this means feeding at least 7kg of fibre per day. • If you are feeding haylage, it is important to remember it has a higher water content and lower fibre content than hay. This means that a horse should be given up to one and a half times more haylage than hay (by weight), to compensate for this lower fibre content. *Source: MARS Horsecare UK Ltd consumer marketing trials based on appearance, aroma and texture June 2007

£2.00 off the SPILLERS® Complementary £2.00 OF F! Fibres range for Equi-Ads readers! Name Address

Post code Terms & conditions

To the customer: Only one voucher per 20kg purchase. This voucher will be accepted in part payment against any 20kg bag of SPILLERS® Complementary Fibres not including SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF®, with the address panel completed. This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other SPILLERS® promotional oﬀer. One voucher per household. Valid Until: 31/3/2013 To the retailer and wholesaler: Voucher must be completed and may only be accepted in part payment for a 20kg of SPILLERS® Complementary Fibres excluding SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF®. This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other SPILLERS® promotional oﬀer. Valid Until: 31/5/2013 Please submit to SPILLERS®, 29, Old Wolverton Rd, Milton Keynes. MK12 5PZ.

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February 2013 | 19

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Health Care

CUSHING’S evOLveS – An Ethical Dilemma? Ben Sturgeon, BSc, BVM&S, Cert EP, MRCVS

ith advances in veterinary medicine, we have an increased understanding of diseases that afflict our horses. Equine Cushing’s disease has been recognized for more than 80 years, but has often been misunderstood. Today, however, with our improved diagnostic and treatment options, Cushing’s horses are living longer and enjoying a far better quality of life. Most importantly it hasn’t ended there. These diagnostic protocols have opened our eyes to something very very important. Cushings disease should not be considered a disease of only the older horse. My own diagnostics have highlighted several cases as young as 4 years old!

Here’s what we currently know about this disease: What is equine Cushing’s Disease? Over the years, the disease has had a few name changes, with equine Cushing’s disease the most commonly used. But labels such as “equine pituitary pars intermedia adenoma,” and the most currently accepted name in veterinary medicine, “equine pars intermedia dysfunction,” have all been used. equine Cushing’s disease is a dysfunction of the pituitary gland. This gland is like a dispatch centre, where hormones and other chemical mediators called “proopiomelanocortin peptides” (POMC) are produced and released to control various body functions. Horses with Cushing’s disease produce POMC at abnormally high levels. The overactive pituitary gland of a Cushing’s horse hypertrophies (enlargens) and even develops benign pre-tumour and tumour cells that may compress the brain. In advanced stages, this compression can be severe and cause neurological problems. Stimulated by increased POMC production, the adrenal glands overproduce cortisol, which contributes to a host of health problems. Increased cortisol levels have been the traditional marker for detecting and diagnosing equine Cushing’s disease.

Clinical Signs The classic Cushing’s case is an old, pot-bellied, hairy horse that grows a long, wavy hair coat year-round. Many simply believe that their horses are just getting older. In reality these horses are often sick. Along with being very hairy, Cushing’s horses are generally lethargic, sweat easily, tend to run high temperatures, drink and urinate excessively, and have fertility problems. Horses with this disease are also at increased risk of developing laminitis. The high cortisol levels in the body lower the immune system, making the horse more susceptible to infections, such as delayed healing, re-occurring hoof or tooth abscesses, sinus infections and chronic fungal, bacterial or parasite infections. As Cushing’s disease progresses, more changes occur, and symptoms become more obvious. The horses metabolize protein at a higher rate causing muscle breakdown very noticeable along the topline. Weakened abdominal muscles stretch from intestinal weight, creating a “pot belly” appearance. In the advanced stages of the disease, severe neurological problems can occur if the pituitary gland causes compression, and some horses even develop overt diabetes including hypoglycaemic fits.

Disease Diagnosis

There are several ways to diagnose equine Cushing’s disease. The classic method is to measure body cortisol levels in response to an outside stimulus (the dexamethasone suppression test). Dexamethasone, when administered to a healthy horse will down-regulate the pituitary gland. Horses with Cushing’s disease don’t respond, continuing to produce POMC, and their adrenal glands then

produce high levels of cortisol. There are two types of “dex” suppression tests: high-dose suppression and low-dose suppression. The high dose is more accurate and a good test, but is not without complications, most notably an increased risk of developing laminitis. One alternative is the low-dose suppression test. This test was the standard and is theoretically safer, due to the lower dose of dexamethasone, especially for the horse that has already had an episode of laminitis. But due to seasonal normal variations in Cortisol the test is not always accurate with false-positives possible. This led recently to a simple “one-off ” blood sample test effectively measuring Cortisol or its precursor ACTH. This has led to a massive increase in the number of tests and the number of positive diagnoses. However, I must urge some caution here and some thought. My diagnoses have been based on the premise that a clinical condition was present, most commonly laminitis (where we know over 90% of all causes are “hormonally” based) and the finding of Cushings allowed the implementation of an appropriate treatment directed at the underlying cause and its secondary consequences. It is becoming increasingly common that making a diagnosis is being based on the result of a blood test and not on the basis of a clinical presentation. This I feel is dangerous territory, an Americanisation of our medicine, and leaves and owner in a very difficult position, morally and financially. To treat a potentially healthy animal who has a positive blood result but nothing else or not to treat? Prevention we all know is better than cure and the result must be interpreted along with management, feeding, exercise and clinical signs, even mild ones such as lethargy – everything in fact and not, I implore you, on a sales pitch to purchase a medicine.

tReating the Cushing’s hoRse A number of drugs are used for treating equine Cushing’s disease.. Today, the most commonly used drug is pergolide. This drug, also used to treat Parkinson’s disease in humans, stimulates dopamine release, which down-regulates the pituitary gland. Cyproheptadine was the original drug of choice in treatment, but many studies question its effectiveness compared to pergolide. Some reports indicate that cyproheptadine used with pergolide can be more effective, however. 20 | February 2013

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A human drug “trilostane” offers promise for treatment. This drug works at the level of the adrenal gland reducing cortisol production. Current research has shown that this drug has reversed several of the symptoms of Cushing’s. Diet is gaining significance in the management of Cushing’s. Antioxidants, such as vitamins e and C, could play a role in helping to support Cushingoid horses. Chasteberry is emerging as an organic source of dopamine stimulation; while it hasn’t completely stood up to the rigors of scientific testing, many researchers are still looking into it as a source of treatment for equine Cushing’s disease. Feeding a Cushing’s horse can be very challenging, and unfortunately there are no set rules. However, it is safe to say that horses with Cushing’s disease do well on the same type of low-sugar, low-starch diet that horses prone to laminitis do.

insulin ResistanCe

One real misconception about Cushing’s disease is that affected horses are hypothyroid and fat. Whilst we don’t know enough about the thyroid gland currently it’s believed that the thyroid plays no role in the disease. Historically, many older horses that were “easy keepers” were diagnosed with Cushing’s disease and put on thyroid medication. Thyroid supplementation hasn’t been proven to help horses with Cushing’s disease. It is the horse with insulin resistance that is fat. The pituitary gland has nothing to do with this disease. Instead, as its name suggests, cells become resistant to insulin. When this happens, sugar (carbohydrates) circulating in the bloodstream is no longer drawn into the cells by insulin. This leaves excess sugar in the blood that gets converted to fat. In horses this often causes a cresty neck and large fat pads in abnormal places. The trouble with modern horse husbandry is that we provide plenty of food all the time for our beloved equines, so they just keep making fat stores — some better than others. Insulin resistance can create dire health problems, especially laminitis and has to be considered along with Cushing’s in any case of laminitis and tested for appropriately.

ConClusion

Cushing’s is an easily recognized and treatable disease, but unfortunately it can’t be cured yet. It is a slowprogressing disease that often goes unrecognized in the early stages. Sadly, Cushing’s disease usually gets diagnosed once the clinical signs are more advanced. When caught early, treatment is very successful in reducing clinical signs and allowing affected horses to live largely normal lives. For those horses in advanced stages of the disease, treatment still offers improved quality of life and longevity. www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

Help them dream

orses under the age of three have much higher mineral and protein demands than mature horses, the mineral requirements of young horses are only matched by lactating broodmares and horses in hard work. From birth to age two, a young horse can achieve 90% or more of its full adult size. Ensuring their diet contains adequate minerals, vitamins and protein is critical. A diet deﬁcient in one or more of these key nutrients will mean a horse won’t reach its potential, this is something that cannot be made up for later in life. LexveT Supplements are designed to

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Equi_Ads_National.indd 21

25/01/2013 09:59

eQUINe GASTRIC ULCeR SYNDROMe

tomach ulcers in horses have, relatively recently, been recognised as a significant cause of loss of performance, ill thrift and behaviour changes. The ability to diagnose these has been improved with the manufacture of equine specific 3metre long endoscopes that can reach the stomach and better understanding of treatment and management is developing all the time. The condition, equine gastric ulcer syndrome (eGUS), is so named due to the wide variety of clinical signs that can be associated with it. These signs are often insidious in onset and sneak up on you without you noticing much change and indeed a lot of owners of horses showing signs of eGUS feel that the abnormal signs are actually normal for their horse! The horses’ stomach has two distinct areas – the glandular and none-glandular areas separated by a line of tissue known as the margo plicatus. The glandular area is the lowest point in the stomach which has the exit into the small intestine and this is the part that produces all of the acidic juices that start digestion of the meal. The larger none glandular area is the top part of the stomach and is only providing space for food. The horses stomach is approximately 10litres in total so is relatively small for the size of the animal. Because the horses’ diet is predominantly fibre based this usually forms a protective mat that prevents splashing of acid from the lower part of the stomach to the unprotected none glandular area. There is much discussion still about the actual process of ulceration in the horse stomach, as it appears that horses that lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat a high fibre diet still get ulcers where it was previously thought that horses with high grain diets and leading a more stressful type of lifestyle were at greater risk. Ulcers are graded by the depth of tissue affected and then described by location and size. Unusually they can also occur in the glandular region of the stomach too and typically form in a ring around the 22 | February 2013

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Peter Fenton BVM&S, MRCVS

pylorus ( the exit into the small intestine ) and these ulcers are often affecting the horse more obviously than ulcers in the none glandular stomach. This may be because they are constantly exposed to the acidic solution in that area. Ulcers in the none glandular area often form lines of small lesions giving the appearance of having been a splash type problem and this is why exercise and the absence of a mat of fibre in the stomach have been suggested as risk factors for ulcers. There appears to be a lack of correlation between endoscopic findings and clinical signs in research work that has been done so horses that appear clinically normal have been found to have evidence of ulcers, this is not true in practice where only horses showing suspicious signs are examined anyway – therefore we can be more confident that if we find ulcers they are significant. As mentioned above the signs your horse can show that might indicate a eGUS problem are varied to say the least and range from recurrent colic episodes, through poor performance to just a dull coat and poor appetite. Obviously there are a wide variety of diseases that can show these types of signs and investigation of these horses can involve several tests including blood tests and even lameness examinations before you get to looking for ulcers so this can be a fairly lengthy and possibly expensive investigation.

PossiBle CliniCal signs:

disease and will more readily show signs of pain. Foals will sometimes show more severe colic signs and will grate their teeth as a sign of pain, fail to eat and have more obvious depression, they are also at much greater risk of stomach rupture with severe ulcers and this will usually result in death. If you suspect that your horse may have stomach ulcers then you should discuss this with your vet and if there is a good index of suspicion that eGUS is the problem then this can be investigated – as mentioned above this will usually be part of a series of tests for clinical presentations that are not specific to ulcers. At our practice we use a mobile video gastroscope so we can examine the horses on their own stable yard. The horse is usually completely starved from 6.00PM the evening before the exam and then sedated at the time so that the stomach is empty and it stands still during the procedure. The images are seen on a computer monitor attached to the gastroscope so as it passes down the oesophagus and into the stomach you can see and assess the lining and shape of the entire upper gastro-intestinal tract. Once in the stomach the end of the gastroscope can be controlled by a set of levers and buttons handled by the vet so that you can turn around the corners of the stomach and also instill water or air through a channel up the centre. There is also an extra port that you can insert instruments down to take biopsies or administer medication at the end of the scope. As you enter the stomach it is folded and contracting so you could miss some lesions. To avoid this the stomach is inflated with air a bit like a football to smooth out the surfaces and enable a complete examination. When I perform these examinations I examine the none glandular region first, then the margo plicatus and finally the glandular region and pylorus into the first part of the small intestine. If any ulcers are seen the images are stored and they are graded with a view to treatment. If they look unusual or potentially infected they can be biopsied in order to culture the type of bacteria involved or examine the tissue if there is a possibility that the lesions are not ulcers and could possibly be cancerous instead. There is one treatment licensed for use in horses that is commonly used and it reduces acid production in the stomach to allow healing to take place without ongoing insult. It is called Gastrogard and is manufactured by the drug company Merial who have a good website with further information about ulcers on it, www.equinegastriculcers.co.uk . In summary eGUS is more common than previously thought and improved recognition and diagnostic equipment means that these horses need not suffer ongoing disease. It is always worth considering in any of the presentations mentioned above and should be, especially if other testing and treatment is unsuccessful. Anatomy of a normal stomach

Pyloric ulcers in glandular region of stomach

• • • • • • •

Recurrent colic Reduced appetite Depression Poor coat Poor performance Weight loss Behavioural changes Adult horses and foals can be a bit different in their presentation as foals can suffer more serious www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

Health Care • Ulcers

What is eGUS and should it concern you?... I

n recent years there has been an explosion of interest in equine stomach ulcers, also known as eGUS (equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome). This has been driven, at least in part, by the development of longer scopes which physically allow vets to reach the equine stomach and see what is going on. What they’ve found is that ulcers are a larger problem than any of us ever thought. There is now a body of scientific evidence behind them, with some papers finding ulcers present in over 90% of horses tested. What causes horses to have stomach ulcers? essentially they’re a by-product of the modern equine lifestyle. Horses evolved to trickle graze and so always have something fibrous in their stomach. This constant supply of fibre would sit like a mat on top of the natural stomach acid, so preventing it sloshing around! Without the protective layer of fibre, the harder the horse works the more the stomach acid will splash around and can splash onto the upper section of the stomach, which doesn’t have the natural protection found at the lower level. It is in this unprotected area of the stomach where we typically see ‘splash ulcers’ forming. Competition horses are those most at risk due to their relatively high concentrate and low fibre diet, their hard work regime, and traditionally a limited access to turnout and grazing. So those of us with working and competition horses should be particularly vigilant for the signs. What are the signs to look for? The signs of gastric ulcers vary, but often include those that historically

unlikely to be as effective as especially formulated products. These will combine antacids with antioxidants to flush toxins out from the system and key herbal support for stomach health.

we may have put down to a generally moody temperament that we just have to deal with! Signs of a horse suffering with ulcers include difficulty retaining weight and condition, stereotypic behaviour such as crib biting, box walking or weaving, an untidy messy stable bed. When being ridden signs may be a reluctance to work, an objection to the girth being tightened or hyper reactive behaviour. What measures should you take to avoid the occurrence of ulcers? Importantly adjust your horse’s diet and management routine accordingly -feed a high fibre, low concentrate diet, splitting the concentrate element into as many meals as practical. Turn out as much as possible, as grazing stimulates a continuous flow of saliva and food which buffers the acidic nature of the stomach. Try to ensure that your horse always has something in his stomach when working. This is an interesting measure, but while we would obviously not recommend a large feed is given before work, it is a good idea to give a handful of chaff to help provide the mat of fibre required in the stomach. Targeted nutritional support is also recommended. Natural antacids can help to soothe the stomach, and maintain the balance of pH within the gut. However, antacids alone are

Hay Bar Trickle Feeds as nature intended

he slogan “Feed As Nature Intended” has been used by Park Feeders to promote their forage feeder Hay Bar since it was first introduced in 2003, and for good reason. A huge amount of time and money has been spent in all disciplines but especially in the racing industry trying to improve performance, by fine-tuning diet and supplements. Sometimes we miss the obvious. We are all creatures of habit and once in a routine we are very loathed to alter our ways. Do we even stop to consider not only what we feed but also how we feed it? It is important to try and emulate a natural way of feeding for the stabled horse, whether it is being box rested or in work. This is where Hay Bar proves its worth. Trickle feeding is priority for all sorts of reasons but research into eGUS has clearly proven that it is essential that we feed in a natural position and that fibre is available to the stabled horse at all times. The feeding position has a huge impact on a horse’s welfare. Feeding forage from the floor can be a very wasteful and costly exercise and we can also lose touch with how much forage is actually being taken and with how much is being wasted. This is where Hay Bar proves it’s worth helping to stop crosscontamination, it also saves waste not only on hay/haylage but also on bedding and time taken mucking out. The Hay Bar system is truly the way forward or rather - the way back – to what NATURe INTeNDeD. www.haybar.co.uk 01723 882434

www.equiads.net

Equi_Ads_National.indd 23

What do you do if you suspect your horse already has ulcers? If you believe your horse might already be troubled by gastric stress consult your vet. If ulcers are subsequently found to be present follow your vet’s advice. Following veterinary treatment,

to support the aftercare prescribed by the vet, look out for a clinically proven nutritional formula that has been proven to offer invaluable help to horses with ulcers. So to conclude, give your competition or working horse the best chance of an ulcer free life as you can by following the advice given and devising a feed and management system that is as ‘natural’ as possible. However, if you believe it is too late for this, the good news is that there are now a number of products available to help your horse. For further information or advice please call our Freephone Advice Line on 0800 373106 or email info@naf-uk.com

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE Peter Fenton Equine Veterinary Practice Ltd

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February 2013 | 23

25/01/2013 09:59

Horse Behaviour • Ulcers

HORSe BeHAvIOUR - Speaking the language part 9

A series by SUSAN McBANE explaining equestrian and scientific terminology in relation to equine behaviour and psychology, and its effects on horses and training

(THIS series is based on a glossary of equestrian

and scientific terms presented at the First International Equitation Science Symposium, 2005. The glossary description is given in quotation marks, followed by Susan’s discussion.)

assoCiatiVe leaRning:

‘This involves the relationship between at least two events that are paired. There are two types of associative learning: classical and operant. Classical conditioning is the process whereby a response, either conditioned or unconditioned, becomes elicited from a conditioned stimulus.’ Classical conditioning is defined as: ‘The process whereby the unconditioned or conditioned response becomes elicited from a conditioned stimulus. In equitation it is the process where learned responses are elicited from more subtle versions of the same signal or to entirely new signals.’ The glossary leaves us hanging in the air by not describing, in the first definition, operant learning, but does give two definitions later, which read: Operant conditioning: ‘Training the horse to respond consistently to signals through positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.’ Operant contingency: ‘The three part series of events in response learning. It involves a cue, a response and a reinforcement.’ YOU may remember from earlier articles that ‘signal’ and ‘cue’ are the terms preferred by behavioural and equitation scientists to the equestrian term ‘aid’. ‘Reinforcement’ means the ‘strengthening’ of a response (which lay/non-scientific readers might think of a little less precisely as ‘reward’ or

Gastrivet set to clean up the gastric environment

ew Gastrivet from NAF is launched with the support of published clinical trials. Its launch is timely as it comes to market at a time when research is repeatedly telling us that ulcers in horses are an increasingly common problem. Consequently the amount of gastroscopic examinations being carried out by vets is on the increase. Until now the only choice available to horse owners, following a positive gastroscope result has been that of veterinary prescribed medicine. This is not always a popular option, especially when the horse is a competition horse or when the owner has a reluctance to use to chemically based synthetic treatments. However, as of now there is no need to stress. There is another answer… Gastrivet. A totally natural, nutritional formula developed by world leading veterinarians and nutritionists, and, recommended by vets. Gastrivet has been formulated to support the natural anti-inflammatory processes of the gut, soothe and protect the stomach walls from splashing acid, and to balance the pH levels in the gut. Sizes and RRP’s: 2kg (30 day supply) - £75.00 4kg (60 day supply- £135.00 Costs per day to feed: £2.25/day based on 4kg tub. Available from NAF stockists nationwide. For more details about GastriVet and GastriAid and to find out details of your nearest stockist please call the NAF Freephone Advice Line: 0800 373106. www.naf-equine.eu/uk

24 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 24

‘confirmation’) and ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ mean, respectively, ‘removal/subtraction’ and ‘addition’, their being used in the mathematical sense rather than meaning ‘bad’ or ‘good’. It has been taught in equestrian circles for decades that horses (and other creatures including humans) learn by ‘association of ideas’. A perfect example is the sounds we make when preparing feeds: horses soon learn to associate the clattering of buckets, bin lids, scoops and mixing tools with the imminent arrival of food. Their other senses also enable them to learn by association: the sight of someone walking towards a horse with a bucket can mean food, or water if they walk in a different way with a full bucket. If a horse is tied up, say in the yard, and someone approaches with a bucket of water, he probably learns that he is going to be bathed rather than given a drink. The smell of first aid equipment or a vet means that a sore place is going to be tinkered with or something stressful is going to happen, and the feel of a person’s hand on a horse’s side is soon associated with his being expected to move ‘over’ away from it. The various scientific definitions into which behavioural scientists have divided the association of ideas or associative learning are more precise and enable us to understand more fully how horses think and assess their environment, and how and why they respond to it and to their experiences. It’s a huge subject and I have one article in which to explain the basics but it’s a subject of great importance well worth further study. I recommend the books ‘The Truth About Horses’ by Andrew McLean, ‘equine Behavior’ by Paul McGreevy and ‘equitation Science’ by Paul McGreevy and Andrew McLean. One point which should be stressed is that, contrary to what many people claim, horses are not stupid. They have a good level of intelligence that fits them for their natural environment in which they have to survive as prey animals. They are extremely quick learners when they understand their situation because feral and wild horses, asses and zebras can be faced with life or death circumstances every day. People who remark that they are stupid are betraying a lack of knowledge about the differences in equine and human intelligence, understanding and learning. Also, it is crucial that (a) we make ourselves clearly understood in a non-frightening, painless way so that the horse has every chance of learning what we want him to learn and (b) we are meticulously consistent in our actions so that the horse knows where he stands and does not become confused and anxious.

oPeRant ConDitioning

The most important type of equestrian training is operant conditioning or trial-and-error learning. The apt scientific term for early training is Foundation Training: here, a horse learns that when he does a certain thing (behaves or ‘operates’ in a certain way), there will be a specific consequence. either he will receive a pleasant experience (food, strokes, verbal praise in a kindly tone) or something possibly unpleasant or irritating will be removed (pressure on his sides from the rider’s leg or hand, or in his mouth from the bit, or from the whip or hand used to tap particular parts of his body to move them in the direction away from the taps). A green horse will try different responses (trial and error) until he happens to perform the one that results in what he recognises as a pleasant consequence – that is IF the trainer/rider/handler is on the ball and instantly uses either positive

reinforcement by adding/giving a pleasant experience, or negative reinforcement by taking away/ removing the pressure by stopping the aid. The trainer’s ‘reply’ to or reinforcement of the horse’s response should be pretty well instant, at least within a second or two, for the horse’s brain to be able to associate what he has just done with the consequence. He will always associate the consequence with whatever he was doing immediately before it occurred – a salutary thought. This is where many people have problems: they do not think and act quickly enough to make their training understandable to the horse, who thinks like lightning. Delaying our response to the horse’s actions can only confuse him because he is unable to connect the two if our response comes more than three seconds after his action. Because of the way his brain works, he has no chance then of associating our response with his action. If a horse bucks a rider off for what are to him excellent reasons, and the rider remounts and beats the horse up (many seconds after the ‘crime’), the horse has even more reason to buck him or her off. Wouldn’t you? The horse is completely unable to connect the flogging with his removal of the rider. A less extreme example is the common one of a horse who ‘won’t’ stand still and straight after being asked to halt. There is a widespread instruction today to ‘drive your horse up to the bit’ or ‘ride forward into halt’. This, again, is contrary to how horses think. The rider, doing as she is told, uses her legs to send the horse up to the bit but also puts pressure on it to ask the horse to stop. In early or foundation training, the horse learns that pressure on both of his sides means ‘move forward’ and that pressure on both sides of his mouth means ‘slow down’ or ‘stop’. When driving a horse up to the bit or riding forward into halt, the rider is clearly giving slow/stop and go aids at exactly the same time. even very experienced horses have problems responding to this mish-mash of confusing aids. In the London Olympics, dressage (and event horses in the dressage phase) were often seen to jolt stiffly to a halt and swing from side to side as they apparently tried to work out whether to keep going or stand still. Horses who squirm, swing and fidget when supposed to be standing still are responding to their riders applying pressure from legs and bit simultaneously in an effort to halt and keep them still. (Problems with halt are also caused by the very firm contact often used today. Any further pressure applied to the bit as an aid to halt causes more pain.) The simple, horse-friendly way to halt is to (1) not use your legs (which mean ‘go’) because you do not want the horse to go; you want him to halt: (2) stop moving your seat with the horse’s back movements; just hold it quite still which makes it more comfortable, and therefore encouraging, for the horse to halt: (3) starting from a light contact, apply increasing pressure to both sides of the bit, but if he does not respond within two seconds vibrate your contact rather than increase the pressure more. This bit aid plus the still seat make sense to the horse, but you must keep aiding in this way until he halts because if there is a break in your aids you will have reinforced his not halting and he will become confused and less responsive. Keep applying the aids till he halts, then instantly stop them so that he associates those aids with halting: loosen the reins and keep your seat and legs soft and still. You will have used negative reinforcement by taking away your aids. Your ‘operant contingency’ Continued on P26 www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

Health Care • Ulcers • Worming

Why Speedi-Beet and FibreBeet help prevent ulcers Health Care - First Aid - Worming

C Basic

First Aid

Classics Never Age...

soak up large amounts of acid they linical trials have shown that can help reduce the conditions where pectin (contained in Speedi-Beet 1985 ulceration occurs, especially if reducing and Fibre-Beet), at high levels of the amount of hard feed being fed. acidity, forms a gel that strengthens 1995 moreininformation British and thickens the stomach mucin. We have all been faced with a aFor horse severe pain,contact bleeding stem the blood ﬂow using a CLEAN • Be prepared for the arrival of the vet – Horse Feeds on 01765 680300 or visit Speedi-Beet and Fibre-Beet are rich situation when our four legged friend heavily, needing stitches, has a wound towel/jumper etc. If possible also make sure there is somewhere to park, www.britishhorsefeeds.com in pectins as sugar beet fibre contains requires veterinary over a joint, has trauma to an eye, apply pressure above the wound to enough light for the vet to work in and approximately 30%. treatment, but it’s good to know some basic rst aid to and is struggling to foal, is non-weight help slow down the blood flow. have a bucket of warm water and a Feedstuff s have diff eringfiability what up to do waiting for the as vet bearing/has a suspected fracture, has clean towel ready. soak thewhilst stomach acid known to arrive. colic, or has collapsed*. In these the Acid Binding Capacity. This is situations you should call your vet • If you have been involved in a road measured as the amount of acid held within the feed at diff erent levels of Loch Leven Equine Practice explains immediately, no matter what time of traffic incident and your horse is stuck stomach acidity. the valueis The number one Th rulee higher in any situation day or night. in your trailer or horse box then do not the greater theA ABC. Cereals or starchy to stay calm. panicking owner is not try and get them out unless it is safe feeds a relativelyclearly low ABC; hard able tohave communicate and will to do so. - Do not open the jockey/ (concentrate) feed does not up also be of no reassurance tosoak the horse. grooms door as some horses will acid effectively due to the uncooked Your safety is paramount, never put panic and try to get out of the open starch which is impervious to the water yourself in danger and in the way of a space. Instead try to keep the horse as borne acid. fractious horse. • The original hoof supplementcalm as possible while waiting for the However, feeds that are relatively vet and fire service to arrive. high in protein (legumes) or soluble • The There are a number situations fi bre (sugar beet) doofhave much higher EQUJun09-N.qxd 20/5/09 16:32 Page 29 only product of its kind subjected to independent scientific research and published in a refereed journal wherevalues. knowing some basic first aid ABC Speedi-Beet and Fibre(Genuine emergency) Beet areuseful. a greatFirstly way ofit soaking up the will be is important • Vacuum packed and nitrogen flushed to remain ‘fresh’ excess stomach particularly to ascertain the acid, full severity of thewhen • If faced with a horse with colic it three years from manufacture date fed as all or part of loosely the firstbe feed in the situation. This can grouped is important to assess the situation morning. • GM into three categories, a horse requiring free the and Vegetarian before entering stable. If it is safeSociety approved (Staple in horses eye) In summary Speedi-Beet and Fibreemergency treatment, horse requiring to go into the stable, remove any food Beet contain high levels of pectins immediate care and those that do not What to do whilst waiting for the vet and water and makeInc. sure he is not too Life Data Labs, which help to thicken the protective EU Sales Representative requirecoating medicalofattention. in an emergency? hot (if wearing Depending on 12290 Hwy rugs). 72 Karen Zetsche mucin the horses’s stomach Cherokee, 35616 Your vet will advise you what to do, the severity ofAlabama the colic your vet may Mobile: +44 (0) 7535151022 wall. Coupled with their potential to Freephone 0800 5831361 Fax: 01829 261181 http://fb.me/lifedatalabs kzetsche@lifeatalabs.de If you are unsure you should call your depending on each individual situation, advise you to gently walk the horse Life Data® www.LifeDataLabs.co.uk Email: L A B sales@wormers.co.uk S, I N C. Product of the USA vet – even if it is for advice. They will but here are some general guidelines. in-hand if it is safe to do so.

They Only Improve With Time!

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Healt

Horse Behaviour will have been cue (still seat, bit pressure/vibration), response (horse halts), reinforcement (you stop the aids, and can also praise him verbally and/or by rubbing his withers). You can relax in the saddle, and your horse can relax under you because he will understand what to do.

ClassiCal ConDitioning

In good and ethical equitation, our aim is to create a horse who responds reliably to lighter and lighter aids, signals or cues. The horse becomes ‘habituated’ or ‘gets used to’ the aids, and responds quicker and to lighter versions of the same aids almost out of habit. Whereas with a green horse we may need to use a little more pressure than we should like, and to exaggerate aids, also having to wait a few moments for the horse to respond, with a more experienced horse we can become more and more subtle in our aiding and expect a quicker, lighter response from our horse. As we know, this is a gradual process and, for the horse, it could be likened to our learning to drive a car, type or play a musical instrument. At first we have to think about every movement but as we progress we can perform all the necessary operations almost without thinking. When learning a language, too, once we actually begin to think in that language, we become habituated to its nuances and start to speak more effortlessly and naturally. Habituation is learned naturally by horses in all aspects of their lives and is an evolutionary trait to prevent repeated and pointless reactions to every little stimulus in the environment. A foal, for instance, may jump in fear at a pile of leaves rustling and fluttering in the wind but soon learns that they are harmless. If this trait were not inherent in horses we should find it impossible to habituate them to anything and they would be useless to us as working animals or, in the wild, as successful breeding animals able to continue propagating their species. We can also gradually habituate a horse to different aids and different ways of going, such as when retraining an ex-racehorse for a different discipline. If a youngster has been well handled from the ground and obeys verbal instructions such as ‘back’, ‘stand’ and ‘over’, we can train him to obey those same words from the saddle and so help our training. If, for instance, we want him to go back under saddle, we should say ‘ba-ack’ just before and overlapping the rein aid, not after it as the horse cannot then connect the command with the rein aid and learn what it means. Classical conditioning is also used to further the training of a horse under saddle so that seat, weight and voice aids can be introduced to make our riding

GastriAid for a ‘smiley tummy’ L atest research is repeatedly highlighting the prevalence of Ulcers in horses, and, that’s not just in racehorses but in your horses. NAF have responded in true market leading fashion with the research and development of GastriAid, a leading edge supplement to maintain your horse’s stomach in healthy, happy condition and support an ulcer free environment. Without a gastroscope it is difficult to detect ulcers in the stomach. However, there are ways of assessing that your horse might be prone, or showing signs of ulcer formation in his stomach. Horses who are kept stabled for long hours, eat a high grain diet, work hard and regularly travel are fairly high risk, especially if they are of a stressy, highly strung nature. There are also characteristic behaviour patterns that may indicate the possibility of a stomach ulcer. These habits include: box walking, wind sucking, crib biting, a ‘cold back’ or displaying irritability when being girthed up, a poor attitude or unwillingness to work, whilst a dull coat or loose droppings can also be tell tail signs. New GastriAid is designed to naturally support the absence of ulcers in the stomach by defending the stomach wall from acid build up and help maintain the pH balance in the gut, and thereby, providing daily protection from stress related gastric problems including ulceration. This advanced formulation has been created by world leading veterinary nutritionists. It contains antacids, pre and pro biotics, together with herbal support to provide daily protection and maintenance of the gut, at an affordable cost per day, and give your horse the stomach lining he deserves to be able to work and perform in comfort and to the best of his ability. So, don’t let your horse have a ‘Grumpy Tummy, feed him GastriAid, just what he needs for a ‘Smiley Tummy’.

increasingly subtle and light. As ever, they must be without fail delivered in a consistently identical way for the horse to recognise them and respond to them correctly. However, because these aids have little or no physical power to control a horse in any kind of emergency situation, they should not be solely relied upon. Riding can be a dangerous sport, and it is necessary to ensure that a horse remains ‘tuned in’ to the pressure aids of bit and leg by continuing to use them and keeping the horse responsive to their light versions. Whether in the field, the ‘wild’, in hand, in harness or under saddle, operant and classical conditioning work together to enable animals to learn how to respond to their life experiences. Websites for more information: Classical riding www.classicalriding.co.uk. equitation science: www.equitationscience.com, www.equitationscience.co.uk, www.aebc.com.au (The equine Behaviour Forum published the full glossary in its magazine ‘equine Behaviour’. For your copy, send a cheque for £3.50 payable to ‘equine Behaviour Forum’ to the editor, Dr Alison Averis, 6 Stonelaws Cottages, east Linton, east Lothian, eH40 3DX.) SUSAN McBANE has an HNC in Equine Science and Management, is a Classical Riding Club listed trainer and Gold Award holder and a Practitioner Member of the International Society for Equitation Science. Author of 44 books, she co-publishes ‘Tracking-up’ with Anne Wilson and Lesley Skipper (see advert this issue). For lessons and clinics in and near Lancashire, ring 01254 705487 or email horses@ susanmcbane.com.

Sizes and RRP’s 1.8kg (30 day supply)- £29.95 3.6kg (60 day supply)- £53.95 Costs per day to feed: £0.90/day based on a 3.6kg tub GastriAid is available at your nearest NAF stockist. Please ask for details or call the NAF Freephone Advice Line 0800 373 106 for more information to find out stockist details. www.naf-equine.eu/uk 26 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 26

www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

Training

MSc/Dip/Cert equine Science Online

he equine Science programme at the Royal (Dick) School of veterinary Studies is the first and only to be mounted within an international centre of veterinary excellence. The R(D)SvS recognises that not everyone is in a position to undertake a full-time residential MSc programme and consequently this distance learning programme has been developed for high calibre candidates interested in flexible career enhancing education. Online and part-time over a period of 3-6 years, the programme is ideal for people who wish to gain a world-class award while maintaining busy professional and personal commitments. The programme is delivered by recognised experts in the various subject areas and will draw upon the extensive staff expertise at the University of edinburgh, and at other Institutions internationally. Consequently, you will become part of an online community that will bring together students and tutors from all over the world.

new foR 2012 - PostgRaDuate PRofessional DeVeloPment

We now offer Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) which are short (10 weeks), focused credit-bearing courses which provide very specific training on particular subjects and lead to a University of edinburgh Postgraduate Award. The courses are offered through an interactive online distance learning medium. You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses through our Postgraduate Professional Development scheme. These credits will be recognised in their own right as a postgraduate-level award, or may be put towards gaining a higher award, such as a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc. The equine Science courses currently offered in this way are equine Digestion and Nutrition (starting 14th April 2013) and equine Behaviour and Welfare (next course starts January 2014). Get your application in soon for the April PPD course as there are only a few places left! To apply or obtain further information please visit our website: www.ed.ac.uk/vet/equine-science

Subscribe to

Get your copy of Equi-Ads delivered to you, hot off the press, every month and never miss another issue! Equi-Ads, now in its 17th year of publication, is well known for its in-depth articles on health, management and training issues. Each month, topical articles on feeding and healthcare are provided by experts in the various fields, together with behavioural and training topics, all designed to provide the reader with practical advice on building a better relationship with their horse and ensuring his well being. Cut out the coupon below and post it to Equi-Ads Ltd., Office 1, Tayview Estate, Friarton Road, Perth PH2 8DG, with a cheque made payable to Equi-Ads Ltd NAME: ADDRESS:

POSTCODE: Please send *6 issues for £10 / *12 issues for £15 (please delete) Please send *England & Wales edition / *Scottish edition (please delete)

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Equine Science

at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies MSc/Diploma/Certificate/PPD by online distance learning. Join us at one of the leading teaching and research institutions in the world.

DELIVERY

The programme is delivered using a blend of online learning methods such as discussion forums, podcasts and live tutorials to create a dynamic and collaborative learning experience supported by the University’s award-winning online learning environments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Online and part-time over a period of two to six years for the Masters, this programme is ideal for people who wish to gain a world-class award while maintaining busy professional and personal commitments.

RECRUITING NOW

We are currently taking applications for the Masters programme, which will commence in September 2013. Applications are also being accepted now for

At the R(D)SVS we aim to provide a truly dynamic learning experience in the first and only online distance learning programme in Equine Science to be mounted within an international centre of veterinary excellence. the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) 10 week course, Equine Digestion and Nutrition which will commence on 15th April 2013.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Open to students with a biological background; for example a degree in: veterinary science, biological sciences, zoology, animal/equine science, and pharmacology/pharmacy. Candidates with a relevant background and alternative qualifications should contact us for further details.

FURTHER INFORMATION Web: Email: Twitter: Facebook: Tel:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/equine-science Equine.Science@ed.ac.uk http://twitter.com/eqscied http://www.facebook.com/EdinburghEquine +44 (0)131 650 8783

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Equi_Ads_National.indd 27

February 2013 | 27

25/01/2013 09:59

Health Care • Training

Advance with a money back guarantee!

here are a lot of supplements and balancers available to buy, but how do you know which one to choose? When money matters more than ever, a money back guarantee can offer that welcome reassurance, and equimins’ Advance Complete comes with just that! This high specification feed balancer has been designed to help support a forage diet and, as it’s concentrated, it’s much easier to store and use as most horses require around 80g per day. Advance contains a superb combination of vitamins, trace elements, minerals bound to a yeast cream to make them highly digestible, probiotics, prebiotics and Saccharomyces cerivisae yeast. This product represents a real breakthrough in equine nutrition, and produces really exceptional results. Advance is designed to support a forage based diet, helping the horse to flourish when fed in the way that nature intended. To feed, just add the recommended dose to your horse’s normal feeding regime, and that’s it. If you don’t notice an improvement in your horse’s overall condition after feeding this product for a two month period, equimins will refund the money you’ve spent, subject to terms and conditions. Advance Complete is available in 1.2kg, 2kg, 4kg and 10kg quantities, and prices start from £13.55. For more information see www.equimins.com, email sales@equimins.com or call 01548 531770.

28 | February 2013

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When used in conjunction with Equimins Cooked Linseed, little or no other bagged feed will be required. Be amazed at the condition of your horse, it will be much healthier without lots of extra hard feed and will utilise its forage to the best advantage. A full money back warranty comes with Advance if you are not delighted with the results.

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25/01/2013 09:59

Pilates and Stretching for Horses

Pilates and Stretching FOR HORSeS This is another extract from Gillian’s Book, Pilates and Stretching for Horses available from www.HorsesInsideOut.com. It explains the importance of stretching correctly. stRetChing eXeRCises foR hoRses

from the horse to move the body parts and create the stretch himself. Active stretches can be performed during ridden or groundwork exercises, and also with the use of carrots (Left).

The main objective of successful training, whether for horses or humans, is to achieve the best possible performance, improve athletic ability and keep the horse injury free. Trainers, vets and therapists are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of stretching as part of a training programme and many sports therapists perform stretching as part of their treatment. Maintaining a healthy musculature, flexibility and suppleness is an important factor in reducing the risk of muscle or tendon damage. As longer muscles are automatically more supple, stretching is an important aspect of elongating the muscle fibres and can help reduce injury by lessening

Cold connective tissues which have low blood saturation can be more susceptible to injury therefore it is absolutely vital that the horse is warm. Never attempt to stretch cold muscles.

how to stRetCh:

the tension on joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments. Tendons are less elastic than muscles and therefore are dependant on the elasticity of the body of the muscle itself - another good reason for keeping muscles in tip top condition! Proprioception (body spatial awareness), co-ordination and balance are all vital to good performance. If improvements are made to elasticity, flexibility, range of movement and reflex response time, then the reaction speed of movement is increased, resulting in better co-ordination. Stretching also improves the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids allowing more oxygen and nutrients to enrich the muscles and for the toxic by-products of metabolism to be removed more efficiently – an important factor in preventing fatigue and reducing recovery time.

tYPes of stRetChing

There are two main types of stretching: Passive stretches are performed by a handler. The horse needs to be relaxed and confident to achieve these stretches. (See picture left). Active Stretches require active muscle contraction 30 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 30

• Begin slowly. Unless otherwise stated, once the maximum stretch is reached, hold it there for 5-15 seconds to allow the ﬁbres to relax before taking the stretch a little further. • Work a manageable programme into your daily routine • Be patient. You will only see the beneﬁts of stretching if you perform the stretches regularly and consistently.

stRetChing Can: • Increase stride length, range of movement, engagement, flexibility, athleticism and suppleness. • Reduce muscular soreness, tension and stiffness. • Reduce the risk of injury to joints, muscles and tendons. • Improve co-ordination. • Maintain the current level of flexibility. • Increase mental and physical relaxation. • Increase circulation. • Enhance body awareness.

If in doubt seek assurance from your vet and take advice from a therapist. He will assess your horse’s musculature and plan a suitable programme of stretches. He will also show you how to perform them safely without risk to either yourself or your horse. www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

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muscles through the neck, wither and back are stretched

flexion of the thoracolumbar spine region

flexion at the base of the neck and through the cervicothoracic junction

Pelvis tilts as iliopsoas muscles are recruited abdominal muscles contract to lift the back

thoracic sling muscles contract to lift chest and ﬂex the cervicalthoracic junction

If you are interested in learning more about Stretching for both yourself and your horse, have a look at the Pilates and Stretching DVD. Available from www.HorsesInsideOut.com. some horses may try to cheat by bending a front leg to reach the carrot, however, as long he still contracts his abdominal muscles and lifts his back this is not a problem.

CaRRot Between fRont legs Aim: • To lift and flex the withers, neck and back. • To increase core stability, the musculature of the top line, abdominal strength and back flexibility. This exercise is equivalent to our sit ups! How to do it: • Using a carrot, encourage the horse to bring his head down then back between his front legs. • Keep the carrot close to the lips to discourage ‘bounce’. • Hold the stretch for 5 seconds, or as long as you can, before allowing the horse to take the carrot. www.equiads.net

Equi_Ads_National.indd 31

• Repeat 2-3 times per session gradually increasing the stretch by taking the head further back. Tip: Perform this exercise in the stable. In the smaller space he will soon learn to reach for the carrot rather than stepping back. Perform this exercise at the same time of day within his routine so he does not continually expect carrots. Good For: • Flexing the base of the neck and lifting the back by stimulating the abdominal muscles. • Promoting correct posture and support for the back. February 2013 | 31

25/01/2013 09:59

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Horse Holidays

You click and Petplan equine will feed Redwings’ horses

RIDING HOLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE! We have the ranch experience to suit you, whether an experienced or novice rider, even non-riders. Ideal holidays for families, couples and singles.

RANCH HOLIDAYS IN NORTH AMERICA, ARGENTINA, SOUTH AFRICA & BOTSWANA

etplan equine, the UK’s leading specialist equine insurance provider has teamed up with Redwings Horse Sanctuary to help ease the burden of feeding some 1200 horses in their care this winter. Petplan equine will donate feed to the charity when you ‘Click’ and ‘Donate’ on Facebook. For everyone that clicks ‘Donate’ at the top of the Petplan equine Facebook page the insurer will donate one scoop of horse feed to Redwings.

To put this into context for every 20 clicks Redwings will receive a whole bag of feed. Since this initiative was launched prior to Christmas, already some 6000 scoops or 300 bags of feed have been donated to the charity. So visit the Petplan Equine Facebook page today as every click counts and it costs you nothing to support this worthwhile cause. www.facebook.com/ PetplanEquineUK

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Idyllic holiday with Cumbria Heavy Horses

hanks to a friend recommending Cumbrian Heavy Horses for a UK based Riding Holiday we found ourselves booked onto one of their 6 day “Cumbrian Classic” rides in June 2011 where, cantering along miles of beach, wading through river estuaries, through the National Park and up over Fells with breath taking scenery and views only encouraged us to return for more, with our latest adventure being the trial run of their Central Lakes 3-day rides in October 2012 to enable the 2013 schedule to work! Having been on various riding holidays we’d describe ourselves as intermediate riders, Dan at 6’4”, tall though not heavy, finds that most Riding Centres end up bringing out the faithful Cob. Knowing his height and weight were not an issue for the heavy horses finding CHH was, for us, a dream come true. A riding centre consisting of an array of Clydesdales and Shires located in one of the most outstanding areas of natural beauty in the UK. The first day’s ride took us through Grizedale Forest with great views, the sure footed Clydesdales and Shires are so good at this... Our stop for this night was Holmeshead Farm at Skelwith Fold, where CHH are basing the Central Lakes Ride this year, a lovely location, with comfortable accommodation. The following day we rode towards Lake Windermere via Wray Castle which is run by the National Trust. The bridleway runs right alongside Windermere for miles. A great place for a long canter - so we thought, but then, maybe not, tourists fleeing into the lake as we thundered through would not go down too well, so a chance for the horses to be admired and show off to the walkers! Although Sunday was the final day of the ride it felt like we had been away for a lot longer. The Langdales just have to be one of the most scenic places in the UK, fabulous. There are so many different trail routes to take for these 3 day rides around Coniston, Grizedale, The Langdales and Windermere that if we were to go back for any of the six rides for 2013 each one would be a different experience. To be able to run away from the real world and spend three days just immersing yourself in wonderful scenery, in the company of these extraordinary horses, and making firm friends...we can’t wait to do it again. Check out the Cumbrian Heavy Horses Facebook page for lots of photos! Ange & Dan Jenvey

32 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 32

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25/01/2013 09:59

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25/01/2013 09:59

The Importance of SADDLe CHeCKING In the second part of our new series with The Society of Master Saddlers we gain an insight into the importance of getting your saddle checked.

nly a few years ago ‘saddle fitting’ was something in which the vast majority of horse owners displayed little interest. It was only when something went wrong that they called in the services of a saddle fitter – and even then, it could be somewhat reluctantly. Things have changed – and for the better. Today the riding public has far greater awareness of the important part the saddle plays in terms of welfare, comfort and success. A well-designed, well-made and well fitting saddle is an excellent tool. A saddle that is poorly designed - or one that has inherent manufacturing defects - or one that doesn’t fit well is at best a hindrance, at worst, a disaster in the making.

saDDle fitting – essential KnowleDge

1. Your saddle, new or second-hand, should be fitted by a Member of the Society of Master Saddlers. Their first consideration will always be the horse. This may mean that you need to adjust any preconceived ideas you may have about your own preferences in relation to make and design. 2. If you must use a numnah or gel pad the saddle fitter must be informed at the time of the original enquiry - and always before the saddle is fitted. Adding a numnah under a saddle which fits well without it is akin to putting thick insoles into shoes that fit perfectly without them. 34 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 34

3. It may be possible to adjust your existing saddle to fit your new horse - but the advice of a qualified saddle fitter should always be sought. 4. Your horse changes shape regularly. The frequency of these changes will relate to his age, training, management and so on. Try to develop an eye to recognise these changes. viewed on a daily basis, the changes may seem inconsequential but over a period of just a week or so they can be surprisingly substantial. Have your saddle checked - and any necessary adjustments made - regularly. 5. The young horse must be fitted especially carefully. His - or her - back is ‘virgin territory’ and very precious. Great care must be taken to avoid any damage that may cause problems later in life. 6. The standard general purpose saddle is a compromise and can never fulfil the needs of individual disciplines as well as saddles designed specifically. 7. Mounting from a mounting block should not be restricted to the less-than-athletic! It is infinitely better for the horse’s back and guards against the saddle tree becoming twisted - quite easy to happen if the saddle is regularly used as a lever.

8. Great attention must always be paid to the condition of the saddle flocking. Irregular/uneven/ lumpy flocking can cause pressure points that may seriously damage the horse’s back. Severe irregularity in the flocking can cause the saddle to sit to one side. Correct flocking provides a cushioning effect that helps to reduce trauma. Over stuffed, the saddle will be hard, will not adapt to the horse’s back and may cause pressure sores or sensitivity. 9. The saddle must always be level when viewed from the side. Anything else compromises the horse’s comfort and welfare. ‘Up-hill’ the rider will sit too far back. ‘Down-hill the rider will be encouraged onto the fork. 10. When viewed from the front and rear the saddle gullet must always provide adequate clearance both before and after the horse is exercised. 11. It is important to ask the saddler to check any saddle in use when a horse falls. ‘Hidden’ damage may be substantial - broken/cracked trees can be difficult to detect. Likewise, if the saddle falls from the saddle rack or is dropped it should be checked over by a qualified saddler. 12. Weak or defective stitching on any part of the saddle should be repaired instantly. Saddles should be checked every time they are used; equal attention should be paid to girths and leathers. To find out more information on The Society of Master Saddlers and to find your nearest Registered Qualified Saddle Fitter visit www.mastersaddlers. co.uk or contact on 01449 711642. www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 09:59

Saddlery

Let Mindbuzzler get the right saddle for you and your horse C

hoosing a saddle should be a lifetime investment. Therefore at Mindbuzzler they aim to offer saddles with adjustable trees and those with quality craftsmanship. For this reason they opted to retail Passier saddles as the best and most innovative saddle maker on the market. They have currently two new exciting Passier dressage saddles, Sirius and Optimum II in stock and can offer a selection of second-hand Passier, Kieffer and Stubben saddles. Mindbuzzler can also cater for cob-type horses with their Massimo range and within this range there is a high quality but affordable RDA saddle, the Massimo Smile. Clients who wish to opt for a new saddle but do not want to spend above £1,500 can opt for the Pfiff range which offers a five year guarantee on the tree and provides well fitting comfortable saddles of solid quality. Give Kirstin a call if you wish to book a saddle fitting session 07446 112672, visit the shop or online : http://shop.mindbuzzler.com/content/6-saddlefitting-guideline or on FB: www.facebook.com/MindBUZZlerLtd?ref=hl http://shop.mindbuzzler.com The Stables Aytounhill Estate By Newburgh KY14 6JH

Saddle check & ﬁtting New & second hand saddles German makes Call Kirstin on 07446 112 672

New Sirius Dressage Saddle with frt System £3269

The New Sirius Freedom which Truly Inspires T

he Passier Sirius Dressage Saddle is the first saddle with frtSystem® (free rotation tree system). This system ensures that there is no longer disturbance in the horse’s freedom of movement. A benefit which can clearly be felt.

the fRt-sYstem®

Scientific studies have produced evidence that, when the horse’s foreleg touches the ground, the shoulder blade cartilage protrudes further outwards due to the contraction of the muscles behind it, which means more space is required. This is where the frt-System® proves its worth: The shape of the gullet plate, with an anatomically formed gullet plate bar, prevents contact with the shoulder blade cartilage during movement. The horse’s shoulder can move completely freely. As the first saddle with the frt-System®, the Sirius guarantees that the horse’s shoulder is able to rotate completely freely. The benefits of this are manifested in a variety of different ways: Horses ridden in the Sirius saddle are more relaxed and content, and riders also report a particularly calm and harmonious sitting sensation. The Sirius Dressage Saddle comes with a comfortable, deep seat, elegant patent leather trim, a variable selection of velcro supports, freedom panels and W-girth arrangement. www.passier.com success in the dressage arena!

Sirius Dressage Saddle As the first saddle with the frt-System®, the Sirius guarantees that the horse’s shoulder is able to rotate completely freely. Distributed in UK by Rimar Marketing 01604 870786

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Equi_Ads_National.indd 35

February 2013 | 35

25/01/2013 09:59

CROSS COUNTRY - positional pointers T he body position of the rider taking a horse Cross Country varies considerably from other disciplines. Because you are riding in open country, the horse has ample space to cover the ground and most courses are designed to be ridden

Jenny Richardson BHSAI

in a forward manner, encouraging boldness of horse and rider, who must take obstacles in their stride in undulating terrain.

The time set is usually aimed at producing a strong rhythmical canter around the whole course and will become faster as you progress up the levels. The ideal cross country riding position, in an established canter, is up and out of the saddle, heels down, with a bend in the knee, perfectly balanced with your weight carried on the ball of your foot in your stirrups. Depending on your normal riding style, you may have to adjust your stirrups up a hole or two. Hands may rest lightly on the neck of the horse in between fences, and you should be looking through your horse’s ears in the direction you are going, never dropping your head down, as this will alter your whole body position.

a weightY issue

Image: www.davecameronphotography.com

The weight distribution of the rider in the correct position can help the horse in his task of completing the course neatly, quickly and without error; as you will be in perfect balance with his forward movement, he will be unhindered. Your upper body will help determine pace – the lower and more forward you are positioned, generally encourages more speed, conversely, the more upright you are, the steadier your pace should become. It is important to keep most of your weight down into your heels, which will be the lowest point of your body, causing an anchor like effect and keeping your lower leg firmly in place. Your riding position will alter as you approach the various obstacles around the course, steadying a little before each fence, becoming more upright and setting your horse up correctly for his jump. On completion, regain your original cross country position and ride on.

in ContRol

Total control in open country is paramount, and preparation and practise are essential to produce a happy and comfortable combination. If you have never ridden in the cross country position before, practise at home in canter, either in an arena or out on a hack, ideally having someone experienced with you to help and give advice. Many horses can become keen and strong in open spaces and should you wish to come back to trot at any time, your horse must be obedient and responsive.

Left: The forward seat, seen here on a mechanical horse, with a bend in the knee, helps the rider take their weight from the horse’s back when cantering

STOP SHOE LOSS 36 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_National.indd 36

EASY FIT: FOR A RANGE OF SIZES & REMEDIAL SHOES “ShoeSecures paid for themselves in 3 weeks!” “Shoes are staying on, even in the torrential rain and hock deep mud!” “Best thing I have bought!” “Shoesecure has saved me so much time, expense, and most of all worry.” “A wonderful piece of kit!”

Jenny Richardson BHSAI is Equestrian Centre Business Manager at Ireland’s Castle Leslie Estate, a venue that oﬀers luxurious equestrian riding holidays and training breaks in the heart of Ireland. The team welcomes riders of all abilities and age groups and oﬀers expert tuition, gentle hacks and exhilarating crosscountry rides over an extensive XC course. Visit www.castleleslie.com

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25/01/2013 09:59

Tack & Turnout

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New equestrian site launched

A brand new and exciting website has just been launched at www. equestriansales. co.uk supplying everything equestrian. Whether you are buying or selling, they list everything from horses and trailers to property and equipment throughout the UK. The owner has had horses for over 30 years and competed at a high level, however due to injury she is no longer able to compete. Therefore to keep involved in a world which she feels extremely passionate about, she started this specialised website. You can also keep up with all their updates, listings and equestrian news on their Facebook page. For aﬀordable advertising for the enthusiastic equestrian see www. equestriansales.co.uk

Treat and prevent Bacterial skin conditions and treat minor wounds Contains activated carbon with silver 100 % success rate against Mud Fever and Pastern Dermatitis Treat and prevent Bacterial skin Recommeneded by Vets conditions and treat minor wounds Enhance woundrate healing rates 100 % success against Mud Fever and Pastern Dermatitis Can be washed and reused Recommeneded by Vets Indoor use only Enhance wound healing rates

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New bit range launches

he new Bomber Blue range from Bombers Bits has gone through extensive research and development, resulting in a NeW type of mouthpiece that is completely unique, offering a brand new alternative to vulcanite bits. The outer material used in Bomber Blue bits was discovered while searching for an alternative to vulcanite bits; it promotes salivation and as a result gives the horse a softer mouth. The material is made from a strong, rubber-nylon compound. The Bomber Blue material is moulded around a stainless steel core, which serves a number of purposes. It increases the strength of the mouthpiece and removes the possible weak points created where the cheek pieces attach. extensive laboratory testing reveals the superior longevity and strength of this mouthpiece. For horses with a sensitive mouth, this bit has exceeded all expectations. It is now frequently used (often with

www.equiads.net

Equi_Ads_National.indd 37

discipline-specific cheek pieces) in show jumping, endurance, polo, polocrosse and racing, and is ideal for horses with sensitive tongues, those that are prone to headshaking, or horses that are sensitive to metal bits. Winner of the Junior Australian Showjumping Championships, Jake Hunter, says: “The difference the Bomber Blue bit has made on my horse is amazing.” The shape of the mouthpiece is based on the Bombers Bits popular Happy Tongue bit – the range of bits is ported for tongue relief, and is available with your choice of cheek piece. Prices from £78.95 for a loose ring. Call 01825 840002 for regional stockists or visit http://bombersbits.co.uk to order. February 2013 | 37

25/01/2013 09:59

Horse goes through outside shoulder on turns and circles: dilemma is Cowboy Magic Detangler ing a rich, lustrous, manageable run workshops here with my ‘EquiHeather Moffett The keys –tothe success & Shine ultimate summer ac- sheen on all types of human hair. simulator’ horse movement simulator

cessory! start at £13.85 for 118ml. machines, for the last fourteen years, Don’t rush. calm and confident. Have you everStay been instructed‘turn hisPrices outside shoulder permanently what he taught! Using only theyou purest conditioning and every month, I ask participants in Aim never trigger the slightest fear forwards? 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This surface insulating layer, allowing the arena away the839302. pressure, rather than the hands no longer shoot up and SCAVENGER - Truck / T of the Oliveira slight pointing of the hipbone in the ATVs • Field & Stable • Transport isuse ideal as areins. top upDid forNuno existing arenas down with the tempo of the raise and round it, which permits him Revolutionise your riding withtrot. 2 day teach Absolutely He taught direction of the movement, much as or as athis? complete surface.not! equestrian workshops in Devon The biggest problem is that most sadthenwould to engage his walking hindlegon and move Equisimulator the turning body, the ‘parallel when the walk, when inthe fact, itthis does thesurface very op- one venting from carrying out the Direct PRODUCT FOR STRENGTH, DURABILITY, MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY have of supplied arena Labour do Saving StableRANGE Flooring The him only online shop with have Heather. dles the stirrup bars too far forforwards. Invariably the lower leg will MULTI-PURPOSE VACUUM SYSTEMS POWERED BY HONDA ENGINES with the horsescentres shoulders’ but ground. walking,Comfortable the hipbone competition suchidea, as Solihull posite. rider’s wishes! tools and tack! to Safe When Warm for tubs, ward, meaning that the rider has to also ping off the sides, and the hands Riding Centre, as well as Lucinda did he do it himself? Also, absolutely wouldn’t stay pointing forwards, or we MAXI TIPPA Seat Operated Wander Hose ories and When the rider pushes with both So often, you will go to a riding For more information / dates visit www.theblackmat.co.uk Green and Matt Ryan. phs physically hold the leather go up and down with the rise and sit, back at a 45 not, at least, not in the several hours of would not move!but advances and together, school and see ponies or horses plod- seatbones instead of allowwww.enlightenedequitation.com or “Since having Flexiride™ in March Tel: 01536 513 step, 456 email: sales@theblackmat.co.uk video I have of him! 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You will see the rider vigor- usable the horses back, thefrost seatin muscles orthodox manner, simply because they /ÕLÌÀÕ}ÃÁ U À > /ÕLÃÁ winter.” Mark Godwin, Wiltshire. asking them to place their hand under sufficient hours in the saddle to ER achieve E: BE TT ously shunting theUseatbones, from the have tighten and tothe horse responds not had think about their own by /ÞÀi ,ÕLLiÀ µÕ i >Ài For more information please call Forback more information, pleasesaddle contact the poise and tone required BY to be of the saddle between the DE SI GNable provisional back of the saddle to front at each Equestrian stopping at best, slowing. Wehiswill riding. DesiorLorent’s strength Direct on 01564was 794 Tel/Fax: 01284 755525 Web: www.pro-vac.co.uk 3 Year Warranty to compensate. Instead of achieving and simulator, and then I ride the mafice). stride, in the vain hope that this will in- 020 analytical mind, observed Email: enquiries@pro-vac.co.uk or visit ourwhich website www. and incorrectly, when the original aim of making long peritest. evaluated what the Maestro did, and not crease the energy and lengthen the equestriandirectltd.co.uk Continued on page 56 chine in rising trot, Nothing Beats Equimat the R-Reg 7 the student’s hand is squashed (even ods of trot easier for the rider, and less d can be Original interlocking P d courses. EQUJun09-N.qxd 16:39 tiring53 forStable the back Mat of the horse, it actuthough I do my20/5/09 best not to land in the Page Hydrauli ng area and and recommended by Timit Stockdale worse!! If you are aware saddle as heavily Used as most riders will), ally makes test. The then I ride it correctly, and my eleven of this fact, you can learn to compenrequired at Tel: 01536 513456 C these mats sate for the swing of the leather, but if stones can hardly “beI really felt in rate the saddle Email: sales@equimat.co.uk Web: www.equimat.co.uk atSCAVENGER all. - Truck / Trailer Loader only saddlers would place the bars so s, medicals Miles of sandy beaches on the 33100 and The whole scenario is further com- that the leather hangs perpendicularly o.uk Irish Atlantic Coast pounded when the rider kicks the under the rider’s leg. It makes rising Labour DVD Savingavailable Stable Flooring Quality, low cost Ba horse’s ribcage to try to get him to trot a doddle!!! hgate, horsemanship equipment Safe Warm Comfortable email: hhf@eircom.net MAXI TIPPA - Seat move. Already the horse is inwardly Revolutionise your riding ‘with 2 day 204694 Mos www.horse-holiday-farm.com www.theblackmat.co.uk Rope halters from £9.95 screaming ‘I can’t move, you are stop- Equisimulator workshops in Devon All p Stick & string £19.95 Tel: 01536 5133537 456 email: Tel: 00 1916sales@theblackmat.co.uk 6152 ping me’! Then, to add insult to injury, with Heather. othe 12' training rope £24.95 TR AC TO R S (on , Mmany A C H I N E R Y & A T V S A L E S Imp his ribs are kicked 22' training rope £29.95 Tel: 01360 661001 Tel/Fax: Mobile: videos/DVD’s from students who ride 01360 For more 660395 information/dates visit 07801 052 007 Complete Basic Kit under £50. at riding schools, the thumps are audi- www.enlightenedequitation.com or For sales visit www.xoaam.com For more in Equine & Estate Woodsealer ble on camera, even when being filmed telephone Debbie on 07877 202950.

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John Deere 6100 Turbo,4WD, K reg, c/w front linkage and front fenders, Full spec tractor, an excellent example, £12,995

Case 4230 4WD c/w Quicke Power-loader & bucket, P reg, Excellent tyres all round, Tidy example, Good spec, £12495

Case 4230 4WD c/w Tanco Power-loader & bucket, M reg, Sold due to farmer retiring, very clean all round, Good spec, £12,250

Manitou Mani-reach 626, L reg, c/w pallet forks, 6M reach/ 3 tonne lift, 90hp, 24” Industrial tyres, ex council, very good machine, £11,495

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HONDA FOURTRAX 350cc 4x4 ES 2005, Full road kit with MOT Certificate and V5 document, ex Royal Mail, 4 new tyres etc £2,895

HONDA FOREMAN 500cc 4x4 2006 Manual shift, Selectable 2wd & 4wd , Enclosed footwells, fitted with 4 new tyres £3,495

38 | February 2013

FORD 1520 Compact 4WD Only 600 hours, c/w Lewis loader & 4 in 1 Bucket also Lewis Backhoe c/w bucket, Turf tyres, Full spec tractor, excellent package £10,995

KAWASAKI KLF 300cc 4x4 2007, Manual with Hi/low box, Good genuine bike, excellent value @ £2795

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25/01/2013 10:00

Arenas • Field & Stable Books - Field & Stable

Pilates for equestrians Is your sand surface a bit Pilates for Equestrians by Liza Randall

Achieve the winning edge with increased core stability by Liza Randall

“The rider’s position is an integral part

ofisaanrough diamond…? indispensable guide that tackles of getting the best out of the horse. individual rider problem areas to help

How to care for your arena surface in frosty/snowy weather can pick and choose what exercises to do as they are all colour-flagged in five stages, with orange your beginner ou must keep to anpink, eye on the exercises, through yellow, weather forecast in winter! If green and red”.

snow/frost is forecast, your arena surface will require slightly writer different Liza Randall is an equestrian maintenance. In particular, if a and former editor of British Eventing surface is slightly magazine. She is aover-compacted, qualified and any surplusBody moisture not drain registered Controlwill Pilates through as of easily. This Instructorthe andmaterial a member the Register causes a ‘backlog’ of moisture in the of Exercise Professionals. Following surface, which can then freeze. This will a riding accident which resulted in apply to wax coated surfaces as well as her bursting several vertebrae in unwaxed. her lumbar spine, Liza had to learn Ideally, you should groom your how to sit up,the stand andofwalk surface with tines youragain all in a pioneering metalsetbody maintenance machine ¼-½cage. Hydrotherapy, physiotherapy inch deeper than usual. Thisand willthen Pilates her to get help anyfollowed excess enabling water disperse. It isback on thebenefi road tocial fullifhealth and led to her more this additional qualifying as acan Pilates Instructor. maintenance be carried outShe at the now coaches variety of riders in Pilates time before aafrost catches. to Th helpe following them go onmorning, to achievecheck their your goals, whether is a be pain-free hack surface. It mayitwell ready for a or riding round international event. gentle groomanusing your maintenance

The rider needs balance, coordination and good reactions. To achieve this the rider needs basic core stability, and Pilates has proven to be important helps to strengthen the core in developing the right core stability • which The original and best high performance fibre muscles used in riding and restores for riding.” Yogi Breisner, World Class • the Improves stability body’s balance. Performance Manager for the British • Aids moisture retention – may help to reduce watering Eventing Team essential workbook covers the • This Increases energy return origins and principles of Pilates; Pilates for Equestrians will help • common Can be used to enhance sand or sand-mix surfaces rider issues and exercises to dressage riders achieve better harmony • overcome Excellent value for money them; stretches and daily with their horse and eventers and workouts, plus a section on movements showjumpers can, after a few short to run through whilst on horseback. weeks, improve their balance over a Each exercise is clearly explained fence, becoming more effective in their with photographs of each step, with seat and will be at an advantage and the ‘Equestrian Advantage’ helpfully more tuned-in to their horse should it Worldwide leaders in the highlighted. decide not to go where intended! Or for riders whose goal is to experience an manufacture of synthetic riding surfaces The book will be invaluable for all enjoyable hack, safe in the knowledge Sites in UK and contact: horsemen andIreland, women please - whether leisure that they are better balanced with their 01488 71100 (South) • 0161 928 4096and (North) mount, Pilates is an essential tool for riders or professional equestrians Equestrian eccentrics from Horse & By Appointment to 00353 8625 13961 (Ireland)and step-byHer Majesty The Queen is packed with colourful improved, more effective and ultimately Hound. Manufacturers of Synthetic Riding Surfaces Martin Collins Enterprises Limited Berkshire step photographs. It lists common rider safer riding. www.martincollins.com injuries and niggles and includes a On reading a collection of stories such series of core strengthening exercises As Liza says “The best thing about as this I am inclined to the view that we to help maintain a more flexible, leaner, Pilates is that it is for everyone should all send a copy to at least one fitter body for life. regardless of your age, physical ability person who fits at least one character H&H CLOPF quarter Jul 2012 ad.indd 1 10/07/2012 12:06 or size. Using this programme, you to a ‘T’. The gift should be on condition that the recipient acknowledges the story with which he or she identifies. It doesn’t of course have to be the story which you identify but the result would be amusing. You might lose a friend of course, but if you cannot laugh at

Turn itachieve into athegem with them winning edgethe by the use of Pilates - an invigorating and ® addition of CLOPF proven body conditioning method,

Pilates for Equestrians by Liza Randall (Kenilworth Press) RRP £19.95 is available from all good tack shops or machine. This will ease anyLtd ice on direct from Quiller Publishing crystals that may be in the surface. 01939 261616. Ideally, any snow present on www.kenilworthpress.co.uk

your arena should be allowed to melt. However, if you must use your arena in snowy conditions, common sense should prevail. If it is a light ‘dusting’ work very carefully, taking care not to use your maintenance machine, thereby working the snow deeper into the surface. If there is a heavy cover of snow, remove as much as possible carefully with a shovel. Never use a maintenance machine, power harrow or rotovator to break up any snow or ice in/on your surface. This will cause it to become uneven in depth and compaction, and may also be detrimental to the components in the surface. www.martincollins.com

Equi-Ads/CLOPF

Stable Stereotypes yourself you are the poorer for it. A delightful read and ‘Oh so true’. Available from Kenilworth Press Tel: 01939 261616 email: info@ quillerbooks.com www. kenilworthpress. co.uk

Conditions of Publication All material submitted to Equi-Ads will be subject to the following conditions. The placing of an advertisement or editorial copy will be deemed to be an acceptance of these conditions. 1. Typewritten contributions accompanied by a tamped addressed envelope for return are invited, however, no responsibility will be taken for photographs, transparencies, illustrations or literary contributions. 2. The publishers cannot accept liability for any loss suffered directly or indirectly by any readers as a result of any advertisement or notice published in this magazine. Nor do they accept liability for loss arising from the non-inclusion or late publication of any advertisement. 3. All advertisements are accepted subject to our standard conditions of trading (a full copy of which is available by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the editorial offices.) 4. The publishers reserve the right to refuse, amend or withdraw any advertisement without explanation. 5. Cancellation must be received in writing 14 days prior to the publication date.

46 - Equi-Ads - December 2010 40 | February 2013 national dec.indd 46 Equi_Ads_National.indd 40

6. All copyright reserved by Equi-Ads. No part of this publication may be recorded, or reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. Equi-Ads is a registered Trade Mark, which is the property of Stable Productions. 7. The opinions expressed in literary contributions are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. 8. The publishers reserve the right to revise advertisement copy to conform to the standards of Equi-Ads’ house style. 9. Advertisers should notify the publishers of any errors immediately after the appearance of the first insertion to allow subsequent insertions to be corrected. The publishers will not accept responsibility to correct all insertions ordered if the error is not reported immediately after the advertisements comply in all respects with obligations and duties to 3rd parties e.g. rights relating to Copyrights, Intellectual Property, Trade Marks and this list is not exhaustive. 10. The advertiser warrants that his advertisements comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice and do not contravene the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.

www.equiads.net 23/11/2010 14:17 25/01/2013 10:00

Arenas & Fencing

Performance fencing

uralock Performance Fencing is a market leader in equestrian fencing. Our worldwide clientèle includes equestrian centres, training gallops, racecourses, studs and paddocks.

Duralock’s PVC post & rail fencing systems use the latest technology for UV-resistant PVCu and incorporate impact modifiers to ensure that the rails will bend and give, rather than break or shatter. Our post & rail fencing has a unique installation using a 2-chamber post separating the ground-fixing and concrete from the rails. Duralock is very proud to have supplied the PVCu gallop racerail fencing and post & rail arena fencing for the London 2012 equestrian venue at Greenwich Park. Duralock is currently promoting three new products relating to jumps: Untitled-1 1

7/9/09 13:13:12

• Take-off Bar • Top Bar Jump Protector

Improved Mounting for Duralock Birch Jumps For more information please go to www.duralock.com

MONTH MONTH

AR NA T R NT A A E

MONTH

M AT I O M AT I T

MONTH

AR NA T R NT A A

YEARS YEARS GU

I CE LI V I CE LI R

MONTH

AR NA T R NT A A

YEARS YEARS

AT ME N E AT ME N R

From perimeter fencing to stables and field shelters, all of our great British products are designed M A to MA I CE LI V I CE LI AT ME N E AT ME N TO T I TO T I R RV R RE your specification, and installed by YEARS YEARS advice from A A R specialists. AR NA A Our T T T TR N T T Rexpert R A NA A AN RAN A AN start to finish ensures the highest M AT I O M AT I I CE LI V I CE LI AT ME N E AT ME N T TO guarantee And our 25 year R RV R R E security. means that all of our products will YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS AR NA AR NA T R NT T R NT A A A stand the test ofA time. A R A N AT R A N T GU

YOUR VISION OUR GUARANTEE

We know that caring for your horse is not a simple matter. That’s why, since 1947 we’ve combined first class form with unbeatable style to match that of even the highest quality thoroughbred.

To view our full range visit www.jacksons-equestrian.co.uk or call 01233 750393 for a brochure. Head Office: 653 Stowting Common, Ashford TN25 6BN. Also at Bath and Chester.

www.equiads.net

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 41

February 2013 | 41

25/01/2013 12:58

Field & Stable

Sweet dreams... W

orrying about the quality, supply and cost when it comes to your choice of horse bedding is enough to give you nightmares! Fortunately, Verdo Horse Bedding offers the perfect solution for you and your horse.

Verdo Horse Bedding is a clever heat-treated wood pellet product, created for equine use. When a small amount of water is added to the bag a regeneration process is activated and within 20 minutes, you are ready to empty the open bags out into the stable floor and create a soft fluff y and dry bed ready for your equine friend! Because the pellets are sourced from 100% virgin soft wood and heat treated to eliminate pests and bacteria, you can rest assured that your horse is sleeping on only the best and it’s good to know that it also contains less than 1% dust, making it the ideal choice for those horses stabled for long periods of time during the winter months. When it comes to your pocket, compared to other products on the market, Verdo Horse Bedding can save you as much as 40% on your

yearly bill and because the bedding comes in pellet form, this also means less storage is needed, allowing more room for stocking up on those other essentials such as hay and feed in case bad weather interrupts delivery. Other key factors include less waste (the beds are quicker and easier to muck out and the muck heap breaks down quicker), pellets which absorb 3 times their own weight in liquid (reducing ammonia and helping to keep your horses’ stable fresh and hooves dry) and their own established UK production plant which is open 364 days a year (no more worry about consistent quality or supply issues). So, take the worry out of stabling your horse this winter by using Verdo Horse Bedding, not only designed to give your horse sweet dreams but you can sleep easy in the knowledge that your horse is sleeping on the very best! www.verdohorsebedding.co.uk For stockist enquiries: 01264 342 009 RRP: £5.00 - £5.65 for a Kilo bag.

Cut the cost, keep the quality

ompetition riders have many things to finance; transport, show entries, competition gear, to name but a few, which is why it will come as a welcome relief to find opportunities to save on basic essentials such as bedding. As Belvoir Bed operates through direct orders only it allows horse owners to cut costs without cutting quality, perfect if you have a hectic and expensive competition season approaching.

Belvoir Bed is produced from a carefully selected combination of wheat and rape straw which is chopped, dust extracted and treated to offer your horse a hygienic, economic and super soft alternative to conventional shavings or straw bedding. Belvoir Bed includes a unique formulation of Lemongrass and Cade Oil, which helps reduce the chance of moulds and bacteria developing and subsequently being inhaled. As Belvoir Bed is incredibly absorbent you only have to remove small amounts of bedding each time you muck out. This minimises wastage and your muckheap size, and more crucially, reduces the ammonia levels in the stable - enhancing the aroma and improving the overall hygiene of your horse’s surroundings. Belvoir Bed is perfect for the busy rider and large yards as it is only available to buy direct delivered to your yard, negating the need for trips to your local supplier. Priced from £4.90 + VAT per 20kg bale. To find out more information about Belvoir Bed tel: 01254 677 786 or visit: www.belvoirbed.co.uk

42 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 42

www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 12:58

SARCOIDS 00 with nt over £7 e p s g n vi a “H ids ha ve sarco the vet to lly, we nsuccessfu removed u oids gainst Sarc A r e w o P fed a longer ha ve an d w e no cle t is a mira problem! I e vet, th eaper than powder, ch during n still work a c e rs o h the rtantly most impo d n a t n e treatm it works!”

igh Mary Jane Ha

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for exclusive competitions and special offers

25/01/2013 12:58

News • Tack & Turnout

Is It Fear, Stubbornness or Lack of Confidence?

ow do you tell the difference between a fearful horse and one that is just plain old stubborn?

Many times, what we may perceive as fearful or stubborn is actually a lack of confidence. Here Pat Parelli gives an insight into how and why our horses behave as they do. “I think most people recognize some obvious factors that indicate fear, like

the whites of the horse’s eyes showing. When some horses are really afraid, they’ll move their feet in a nervous and unconfident manner, and may form foamy sweat on their bodies. But other horses, who maybe don’t have as much fire in their feet, may not exhibit their fear or lack of confidence that way. Often those horses don’t want to go forward at all and they’ll plant their feet. In assessing a fearful or stubborn horse, I try to determine how a lack of confidence will exhibit itself, flight from fear or a more passive resistance? Horses, even fearful or stubborn ones, are looking for leadership. I find that when a horse is confident in a person’s leadership ability, the horse will be a natural follower. We need to build a horse’s confidence a little bit at a time, whether going forward confidently or going further away from the stables or crossing something he wouldn’t cross on his own. A lot of the time these horses are just not confident in the person’s leadership. They’ve learned how to use opposition reflexes like stopping, not going forward, sashaying to the side, even rearing up a little bit. Learning about opposition reflex is critical to learning how to read a horse, as well as understanding why he is reacting. It

may involve a lack of respect, but this is due to a lack of trust and esteem for the human as a leader. If we can get a horse to be confident in himself, his environment, and in our leadership, these fearful or stubborn behaviours will often go away.

Your role

Your attitude applies directly to your relationship with your horse. If you are confident, the horse gains confidence. If you are nervous, your horse will feel

unsafe and lose confidence in you as his leader. If you are over aggressive or inconsiderate, the horse may become fearful or fight back. In so many ways, your horse is your mirror. Lots of people blame the horse for his attitude and not realise the part their attitude plays in this two-way relationship. Your attitude and behaviour determine the amount of respect you’ll get from your horse. You’ll be amazed at what your horse will do for you once he trusts you as his leader. Visit ParelliConnect.com for more educational articles and videos designed to inspire, empower and educate horse owners of all levels. For more information visit www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com

Para-equestrian dressage rider selected for LEAP 2

013 promises to be a truly exciting year for HorseHagesponsored international ParaEquestrian Dressage rider, Bert Sheffield. The Lincolnshire-based rider has been selected onto the Lincolnshire Elite Athlete Programme (LEAP) for 2013 which provides funding for equipment and training. The scheme is designed to co-ordinate support for talented sports people from Lincolnshire and provide a legacy supporting athletes for potential selection for future Games.

debut on her younger horse, Double Agent, in British Dressage and ParaDressage competitions next year. For further information on Bert’s sponsor – HorseHage – please call 01803 527257 or visit www.horsehage.co.uk

The current UK sports system provides funding for top-end elite performers through Lottery funding, but the tier below that has what could be best described as ‘patchwork’ support. LEAP offers a better, more consistent level of support to that level of performer in Lincolnshire. Bert will also be making her

d Quest-eeze makes online f t

L 44 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 44

shopping a breeze! E

questrian, farming and pet supplies specialist Quest-eeze is the one-stop online store for all your horse and country clothing products, feeds and supplements.

Offering top brands at great prices, Quest-eeze carries a broad selection of everything needed to make life better, easier and more affordable for you and your animals. Quest-eeze provides internet shopping facilities and a fast mail-order service to send your products anywhere in the UK, along with a well-stocked retail outlet and Lincolnshire warehouse. All your equestrian, pet and farming requirements are catered for – from essential provisions to those little luxuries for your leisure pursuits. Quest-eeze specialises in equestrian goods, feeds and supplements from market-leading manufacturers. The shelves are stacked with riding hats, bridles, girths, jodhpurs, rugs and riding boots, along with country clothing, stock fencing, wooden stakes, gates and electric fencing. With over 15 years’ experience in the equestrian industry, Quest-eeze’s staff give unbeatable product knowledge, which they’re happy to pass on to customers. What’s more, goods are sourced from large numbers of suppliers, meaning anything you need – wherever you are in the UK – is a phone call away. To benefit from Quest-eeze’s discounted prices, unbeatable service and honest advice, visit www.quest-eeze.co.uk or phone 01427 667163. www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 12:58

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Waterproof and breathable 600 Denier combo turnout with 300 gram fill and polyester lining. Gold finish buckles make this rug stand out from the crowd. Features include; double buckle neck fastening with additional storm flap at base of neck for extra protection from the elements, double clip and buckle chest fastening to make adjustment and fitting easier. Shoulder gusset for freedom of movement, low cross surcingles, adjustable leg straps and tail flap. Black and Navy available and choice of sizes.

Buy Online: www.derbyhouse.co.uk Freephone Orderline: 0800 048 0114

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25/01/2013 12:58

Competition

COMPETITION

Quiltmasta Light Check

Avante Light turnout

WIN WITH MASTA

wo lucky winners will receive the Avante 170 Fixed Neck turnout, Avante Light turnout, Quiltmasta 300 and the Quiltmasta Light Check ensuring your horse is fully protected. The Avante 170 Fixed Neck Turnout, is a medium weight turnout with a fixed neck. Made from a 600 denier Oxford polyester outer fabric which is fully waterproof and breathable Available in sizes 4ft6-7ft3, in the colour Navy and Grey/Navy and priced at around £68.50. The Avante Light Turnout. This rug is ideal for spring weather and is available in Blue and Navy, offered in sizes 4’6” to 7’3” priced at around £48.99. The new and improved Quiltmasta 300 rug. Any horse will stay warm and comfortable with the 300g of filling and 210 denier polyester lining. Priced at around £49.99, the Quiltmasta 300 is available in Navy in sizes 4’6 to 7’3.

Quiltmasta 300 46 | February 2013

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 46

Question What colour is the Masta Quiltmasta Light Check?

The Masta Quiltmasta Light Check Stable Rug is ideal to keep the horse warm in the stable during the spring months, made of channel quilted 210 denier lightweight polyester. Available in Navy/Lagoon Check, the rug is priced around £47.50 in sizes 4’6 to 7’3. To be in with your chance of winning these fantastic Masta prizes, answer the following question.

Send your entry with your answer to Masta Competition, Eqiu-Ads Ltd, Oﬃce 1, Tayview Estate, Friarton Road, Perth, PH2 8DG or email your answer along with your name, address, contact number and rug size to sarah@equiads.net - entries close 28th February 2013. If the product is not available a suitable alternative will be provided. For further information please contact Masta on 01274 711101 or visit www.masta.co.uk

Avante 170 Fixed Neck Turnout www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 12:58

and events by following us on Copy DeaDline

Tayside Police are investigating a breakin at the Mountains Animal Sanctuary, near Forfar. They believe the incident took place sometime between 21:30 on Sunday, 9 December and Monday, 10 Horses forDecember. Sale

facebook. 10th of the preceding month http://www.facebook.

com/pages/equi-adsAvailable on the 1st of the ltd/114650251907111 month. equi-Ads is published monthly by:

equi-ads limited Sell Your Horse with

Officers say a quantity of money, along

with goods and merchandise Featured Adverts £35 from the centre, wasphoto) stolen. (withvisitors or without

office 1, tay View estate, friarton road, perth ph2 8dg. EQU_DEC12-FINAL.indd to advertise,1please call

Police are keen to hear from anyone

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22/11/2012 19:35

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IVECO 5 Horse Full Living Keep in Touch! Coachbuilt by Selby six years don’t miss out - keep up to ago. Hot and cold water, toilet/ date with all the latest news shower, cooker, and events by followingglass us on top hob, glass top sink, fridge, flat screen Facebook.

TV/DVD. Call for more info and http://www.facebook. a good deal today com/pages/equi-adsLtd/114650251907111 Tel: 07801 802260

Highland Colt Foal

Quality Sports Pony

Central Scotland

EQU_Jan13-S2.indd 1 By Mossside Quercus Rubra,

out of overheight SHBGB Graded Highland Mare. Likely to make over 15 hands. Excellent conformation and correct athletic paces. Graded SSH 1st Premium, easily handled, superb temperament, can be gelded. Price negotiable.

Homebred 2 year old Dartmoor XTB Gelding. Saddlers Wells and Cusop bloodlines. Futurity 1st premium as foal. Successfully shown as SHP to make 14.2-3 HH. All-round potential for showing, jumping, eventing or pony racing. Sensibly priced to competition home.

Tel: 01259 750113

MISS CARAMAC

AsrAr

Stunning bay TB mare by Kings Theatre.

11 year old approx 16.1hh

Just brought back under saddle after breeding a foal. Very well schooled and an ideal dressage prospect. Lovely mare who’s easy to do in all ways Tel: 07746 186465

Push button, controlled pretty 20 year old 12.1hh19/12/2012 bay 16:27 mare. Mothers dream and a real confidence builder. 2nd pony. Very easy to do in every way, load, shoe, travel, clip, vet & traffic. Super allrounder, been PC pony whole life. Full wardrobe, bargain price. £1,500

07974 409326

www.fairoaksstud.com

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X/ Race hoRse

16.2hh 10 years. Got nice pop. Good to hack shoe catch load, Won and placed every time out dressage. For sale as he can put in a buck in transition to canter and owner had op on spine hence price £850 Call 07929 001996 or 01505 850608

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Horse/pony sales, schooling and tuition www.macintyrehorses.co.uk 07766832061 01292 570203 17hh gelding, 2006, will succeed in any discipline; best Irish blood lines; very athletic scopey jumper

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Event/Show jump/Dressage New arrivals available for sale Also selection of sensible all rounders

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February 2013 | 47

25/01/2013 12:58

News • Training

How Elvis became King

Images: John Britter, Bramham ESphotograpghy

Ele Milwright

ny rider would be thrilled to ride a champion, but when Simon Charlesworth rode Pearly King to take the Horse of the Year Show Supreme Championship, he was proud to tip his hat to a Californian horseman sitting in the audience...

Catching up with Olivia Wilmot

ere’s hoping we don’t get too much more snow to spoil the preparations for the season!

Last week my horses had their first outing of 2013 – we went to Greenfields for a mini demo and it seemed to go well! No bucking or naughty behaviour so I was happy! I thought this month I’d talk about flat work and grid jumping. After warming your horse up with a walk trot canter on each rein and a couple of trot serpentines an exercise that I like to use is ‘spiralling circles’. Start in trot on a 10m circle, make sure your horse is bending around your inside leg. You can then gently open your inside rein towards the middle of the circle and use your inside leg on-off to get the horse to leg yield out to a larger circle. It is important you keep the outside rein contact so the horse doesn’t fall through the outside shoulder. This is a great exercise for young horses to learn to move away from the leg, I often do this with 4 year olds, so they learn from a young age and stage to bend around your inside leg and that the leg doesn’t just mean move forward but that they can move away from it as well. Once they have got the hang of this on both reins and they are on to the larger circle I start to change the bend to the outside and leg yield back into the smaller circle. This is good for making the horse more

WANTED Land to buy not to rent (freephone) 0800 2927770 07505 711115

48 | February 2013

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supple and more attentive to the leg. I like doing this exercise whilst warming up for jumping so the horse is really listening. For the grid I have 3 trot poles (5’ distance). I trot over the poles a couple of times and then add a cross pole, 9’ (3 yards) after the last pole. Once I have popped this a couple of times I build a second cross pole (11’ approx. 3.5 yards). If the horse hasn’t done a grid before then I normally have this as a pole on the ground until the horse has been over it at least once from each rein. After I have built it up then I add another cross pole, again start with a pole for an inexperienced horse. The reason I like using cross poles is to encourage straightness and it also encourages the horse to ‘snap up’ with its front legs and push more evenly from the hindlegs. I use this a lot even with my advanced horses. After a couple of bounces I often make it 1 stride to a vertical or parallel and you should feel the benefit of the bounces, as your horse is more likely to ‘ping’ over the last fence. I normally make

Pearly King, known as Elvis at home, is owned by Sarah Carey and ridden by Simon. Alongside superior quality and movement, a Show Hack should be the epitome of elegance and perfect manners. Elvis’ problem was that he would fidget and not stand still during the line up, and things came to a head when he had to leave the ring during the judging at the Royal International Horse Show. Sarah knew that they needed to explore all avenues to find a solution, as conventional training methods were not working. “My mum suggested that I contact Kelly Marks of Intelligent Horsemanship.” When Kelly took the call from Sarah, she arranged to visit along with her mentor, the world famous horse trainer Monty Roberts. “Both Kelly and Monty came to Simon’s yard in Newmarket on a bitterly cold February morning and quietly showed Simon how to ask Elvis to stay relaxed and focused on the job in hand - just standing still! It was amazing to watch the three of them working together.” At long last in October, the hard work paid off, and at the Horse of the Year Show, Elvis was awarded Hack of the Year. They were then called forward to the Supreme, competing for the ultimate showing accolade. Sarah recalled, “At the final judging Simon and Elvis performed an immaculate show. I saw Simon take his top hat off to someone in the Sponsor’s Section and only later realised it was Monty and Kelly. When his name was read out as HOYS Supreme 2012 I could hardly contain myself, it is what dreams are made of.” A thrilled Sarah said “There are many people behind the scenes that have worked so hard to make this dream come true, but I truly feel that Monty and Kelly put the foundations in for us to build upon with Elvis.” Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks will be touring the UK in February 2013, demonstrating their effective and insightful methods. For your chance to see them live, or to get help for your own horse, go to www. intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk or call 01488 71300.

that distance 21 feet (7 yards). Often when I’ve landed after the grid I keep the canter around the school then pop the last fence on the angle by itself. This is really good for getting the horse to listen to you and also helps to keep its focus. Sometimes I find when trotting into the grid the horse might anticipate and fall in around the corner or try

to canter, the flatwork exercise I mentioned at the start is good for helping with that. To finish off I encourage the horse to stretch in canter and then trot so they have a proper warm down especially in this chilly weather as you don’t want their muscles getting tight. There are short videos of exercises available on haddoweventing.com www.equiads.net

25/01/2013 12:58

www.equiads.net

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 49

February 2013 | 49

25/01/2013 12:58

gastriAid_A4-12:0

16/10/12

16:25

Page 1

No one can perform on an upset stomach

If your horse shows signs of gastric stress, Box walking Wind sucking Crib biting

Loose droppings Dull coat Cold backed

Unwilling to work Poor attitude Irritable when girthed up

feed GastriAid to support the absence of ulcers Daily protection from stress related gastric problems Defends stomach wall from acid attack Helps the balance of pH levels in the gut

and give him the stomach to perform.

For more details please go to your local NAF stockist or call our Freephone Advice Line: 0800 373 106 or email info@naf-uk.com

Equi_Ads_February_EngWales.indd 50

www.naf-equine.eu/uk

25/01/2013 12:58