Equi-Ads October 2013 by Equi-Ads Ltd

F The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest Equine Health, Management and Training Magazine R EE ÂŽ

October 2013

Nutritional Supplements for the Respiratory System

Can I feed my horse ruminant products?

WIN top prizes from Blue Chip

Should I buy the tack with my new horse? Mud Fever

Bedding and Turnout Rugs

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Xxxxxxxxxx Have Your Say

Main Features Can I feed my horses ruminants?..............9 Speaking the language ....16 New horse trials................20 Health care advice............23 Horses Inside out .............24 Mud Rash what’s that?.........................32 Nutritional support for the respiratory system .................................36 Microchipping what’s the point? ...............38 Bitting concepts ................40 Stable Talk..........................42 Does the tack fit? ..............44 The prevention of horse falls ...........................56

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01159 461146 COPY DEADLINE 10th October

Kiwis conquer Burghley T

he three main trials at Burghley were trying on both rider and horses but the huge crowd bowed to New Zealand who won six of the first ten places in the competition.

• 4th Whatcanyasay, owned and ridden by Robyn Cook from Cumbria.

An event in the main arena on the final day was the Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier sponsored by the insurance company well known to Equi-Ads readers, South Essex Insurance Brokers. Twenty horses were paraded before three judges. The winners were; QUALIFIERS FOR THE FINAL AT HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW • Racehorse to Riding Horse • 1st Double Brandy, owned and ridden by Lousie Marsden from Worcester • 2nd Sister Gee, owned and ridden by Jill Wormall from Leicestershire -Already Qualified • 3rd Purple Moon, owned by Sara Cumani and ridden by Chantal Wooten from Suffolk-Already Qualified

Equi-Ads’ Sarah was at Burghley

THE ULTIMATE JOINT SUPPLEMENT MovefreePlus added to the feed changes the ‘oil’ in your horse’s joints everyday. This means that joint function is maintained in perfect condition and injuries heal up extra fast. This is a unique approach for an equine supplement and enables the best HA flexibility and performance in all situations. Showjumpers jump higher, dressage horses gain extra poise and cross country competitors gain valuable seconds. Non competing horses are able to lead comfortable lives again. For full information read the booklet about MovefreePlus and it’s partners, Movefree Maintenance and Movefree Liquid. Global Herbs: 01243 773363 info@globalherbs.co.uk Booklet available on: www. globalherbs.co.uk/advice-info/free-made-easy-booklets/

Bloodstock market recovers

igns of recovery in the bloodstock market, as turnover at a recent Tattersalls auction more than doubledon last year’s July sale, with the highest turnover on the opening day since 2008, at 2,819,600 guineas.

Qatari led the bidding, helped by Max McNeill, the founder and chairman of the IT business Ultima Business Solutions, who relayed orders down to the phone to his bloodstock agent Anthony Bromley, to buy Duroble Man for 130,000 guineas. The horse will go into training with National Hunt trainer Alan King.

Certificate of distribution This is to certify, that Equi-Ads average distribution in the UK is 49,000 copies every month. Average readership, excluding the website is 120,000.

Robert Griffiths, Publisher ISSN 1461-0590

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News Xxxxxxxxxx • Healthcare

www.conchiesaddlery.co.uk

Big Stocks - Best Prices

Protect your horse’s immune system

any horses are winding down after a heavy competition season, now is the time to ensure your equine’s immune system is up to scratch. A strong immune system gives your horse the defense mechanism it needs to naturally do battle with many winter ailments, including mud fever, skin irritations, coughs and colds and respiratory infection to name but a few. By protecting your equine when they need it most, you can reduce the chance of time off, loss of condition and lack in performance due to a weakened immunity. Animalife, the creators of Vetrofen and Vetroflex, Vetroimmune is a specially formulated performance nutraceutical providing equines with a highly bioavailable proprietary polysaccharide called BAP-8T, with added Vitamin C. Upon ingestion Vetroimmune travels to the small intestine where it interacts with immune cells located in Peyer’s patches in the small intestine. Here Vetroimmune mediates the release of signals to other immunocompetent cells and this results in a systemic immune response to invade and kill foreign bodies and regulate the body’s recovery response. By providing your horse with the correct nutritional ingredients to maintain a strong immune system many winter ailments can be avoided, prevention really is better than cure. Vetroimmune starts at £59.99 for 30 capsules. Animalife are so confident in their products they offer a money-back guarantee!*

For more information about Animalife tel: 0845 365 0050 or visit: www. animalife.co.uk. * subject to terms and conditions, see online for more info.

Shop Open 7 Days

Rowanlea Riding School, Barry Telephone Dundee 01382 532536

MAIL ORDER: ORDER: MASTERCARD MASTERCARD // MAESTRO MAESTRO // VISA VISA ETC ETC MAIL

Dear Sandi, I thought you would be pleased to hear that the response to the new advertisement has been phenomenal. We knew that the product was good and so was the marketing, but without the exposure gained through Equi-Ads, these would have been useless. Thanks again for the excellent coverage Equi-ads provides. Best Regards, John Millar, A.W.Jenkinson There are only two large monthly circulating publications catering for the equine community of which Equi-Ads is one. Join our list of successful advertisers by contacting Aline for EquiAds Scotland 07712 305258 or Stephanie for Equi-Ads England/Wales 01159 461146 Ed.

The Caldene Ladies Winter Breeches are windproof and water repellent, created in breathable fabric that allows moisture to pass away. Available in Beige, in sizes 24”-34” reg and 24”-32” long and priced at around £74.99. See your local stockist.

Riding along the Hogs Back F

ine weather and glorious views over the Surrey countryside accompanied eighty riders and horses on a Pleasure Ride organised by the Worplesdon and District Bridleways Association (WDBA) on Sunday 1st September. Riders aged from eleven to pensioners, and all types and ages of horses, including a pony aged 27, tackled the 11-mile route along bridleways and WDBA permissive horse rides around Broadstreet and Backside Commons. Thanks to the University of Surrey, and the Surrey Wildlife Trust, those taking part were also able to ride the fields and woodland along the Hogs Back, giving far-reaching views across to Ash Ranges. As well as numerous local riders, many travelled from as far afield as Reading, Reigate, Liphook, Windsor and Teddington, such is the popularity of this annual event, held

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by the WDBA to raise funds. Photographer Alessia Mestrone provided those taking part with a lovely record of a memorable day; ACEquines sponsored the rosettes that were given to all riders and the Holistic Horse and Pony Centre sponsored the schedules. Chairperson Lisa Wright, who organised the ride, told Equi-Ads: “We raised around £1,450, which is a tremendous result and it will go towards local projects in the Worplesdon area. We have a number of projects to tackle this winter to keep bridleways and permissive horse rides open to riders, walkers and cyclists and these will cost us around £8,000 to complete. www.equi-ads.com

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News Xxxxxxxxxx • Readers Say

New standing MRI Jonathan Anderson, DipACVS BVM & S MRCVS, was delighted with Rossdales vet Sarah Powell MA VetMB Assoc. (LA) ECVDI MRCVS, presentation at an event marking the opening of the Hallmarq Standing Equine MRI system at Rainbow Equine Hospital, Yorkshire

they made nine short videos. Jonathan told Equi-Ads “As a specialist practice, we receive referral cases from vets all over Yorkshire. We were really excited to introduce our new standing MRI and we also wanted the vets to know a little bit about how it can help their clients. Sarah’s talk really gave an insight into which cases are and aren’t suitable for MRI, what to expect when you refer a horse, how the scans are run, that sort of thing. It’s great to hear from someone who’s such an expert in the field.” .

To find out more, visit www.hallmarq.net.

Pretty in pink! G

old Medallist Paralympic Dressage rider Natasha Baker, MBE has another exciting new ride for the future! Owned by Christian Landolt, who also owns JP, Natasha’s 2012 Paralympic ride, Sooki St James is a stunning five year old, 16.2hh Black Oldenburg Mare, whom she hopes to start competing in the latter part of the year. “I love Hot Pink and so these Golly Galoshes are perfect! Not only do we use them for schooling, lunging and lessons, but also these bright fluorescent ones are great for

hacking out too and will keep Sooki’s new bandages and boots pristine! I am really excited about Sooki, we just click and she is just really special.” Golly Galoshes are waterproof and breathable gaiters, designed to bandages and boots clean, dry and the horse comfortable, whether out hacking or during schooling sessions. They feature a highly reflective vertical strip which helps illuminate the horses stride patterns, making them ideal for training, lessons and lunging and are endorsed by leading gait analysis company Centaur Biomechanics.

Stress Prevention T

here is only so much you can do to manage temperament of your horse or pony, through restricting feed, especially when keeping condition and fitness are an issue. But the influence of diet goes far beyond simple energy consumption. Magnesium is well known as a calming ingredient, but the reason for this has nothing to do with sedation. Magnesium is a basic and vital nutrient which a horse often cannot consume enough of because of modern feeding and stress loads. When stressed, the body literally uses up magnesium, and when a horse is not receiving enough to meet these extra demands the magnesium, calcium balance in the body is disturbed. A number of behavioural changes associated with the ‘flight or fight’ response can result. Typically they will be more easily stressed, more reactive and will take longer to settle once wound up. The role of magnesium in the body means that if you use the right magnesium supplement you can avoid sedative ingredients, and still solve a vast range of behavioural problems, without causing any drowsiness or changing your horses’ character or presence. So what problems might magnesium help with? The answer is anything at all related to stress from obviously sharp or difficult behaviour, to spooking, bad travellers, box walking, schooling and concentration problems, box rest, even headshaking, gastric ulcers and laminitis. www.nupafeed.co.uk

Lucy Salutes her Equine Hero

ehind every aspiring champion there is always an unsung hero! The team at Alltech are on the search for Equine Heroes everywhere and want to shine the spotlight on the person that helps you achieve your equestrian dreams. Here, Lifeforce sponsored dressage rider Lara Dyson acknowledges her Equine Hero as Charlotte Dujardin. She became an inspiration to Lara when she first saw her compete at Hartpury, performing her dressage to music and scoring highly, admiring how focused she was about perfecting every movement in the test, yet made it look effortless, as though she was just sitting there doing nothing. Lara was amazed to hear Charlotte comment on leaving the arena that she could have done a few things better. Cadans, Lara’s KWPN Approved Stallion was five at the time and little did she realise how much he was testing her riding skills. Within minutes Charlotte had him moving like a dream and Lara was in awe of her ability to make a horse so supple and swinging through his back, producing the most fantastic medium trot. Alltech have been the unsung hero behind many of the world’s top feeds and supplements for over 30 years as the leading expert in equine digestive health and as such, want to salute other Equine Heroes. To nominate your own Equine Hero, visit www.EquineHero.com. Alltech is title sponsor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, France. The Lifeforce range is the cornerstone of the Alltech Equine Advantage series, developed to benefit horses at every stage of life, from breeding stock to pleasure and performance animals. For further information please visit www.lifeforcehorse.com or telephone 01780 764512

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Firle Place International Horse Trials

ndrew Crowhurst from Eastbourne entered a competition in the Hastings local paper and won a VIP day out at Firle Place International Horse Trials. The prize included car passes, lunch in the sponsor’s tent and naming rights of Fence 14 on the CIC* cross-country course. Andrew told Equi-Ads; “We have been visiting this brilliant event for the past 15 years, so we are delighted to have won this prize. It was my birthday last week so the news extended the celebrations somewhat! We christened the Hog’s Back jump ‘Crow’s Leap’, which is my nickname. The hospitality tent was located next to the showjumping ring so we enjoyed watching some of the world’s top riders like Sir Mark Todd and Lucinda Fredericks go head to head over the coloured poles. A fantastic day out.” www.equi-ads.com

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The greatest range on earth The “low salt miles” salt lick for all stock

C KIE S

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T E & NA

Rockies are made in Cheshire from salt extracted from the ground only 14 miles away. The salt we use is human food grade PDV salt-exactly the same as that on your table. We then add top quality essential trace elements in exactly the right amounts to suit your horse, and press it into very hard licks. Why burn all that fuel by dragging lumps of Himalayan rock salt, with accidental levels of minerals and impurities, all the way from Pakistan when you can get the real stuff on your doorstep? Rockies are made to do a specific job. That job is to ensure the health of your horse. Don’t settle for anything less.

Rockies. Protect your horse. Protect the planet.

Contact Rockies on: 01606 595022 or info@rockies.co.uk www.rockies.co.uk

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News • Feedimg

Top eventer uses Haygain

ased in Wiltshire, Kitty King is currently setting the eventing world alight with a brilliant season under her belt. Kitty has been brought up with horses, joining the Old Berks Pony Club at a young age and she was the first rider to represent Great Britain at Pony, Junior, Young Riders and Senior level. Her first real break came in 1998, when she won team silver in the British Pony European Three Day Event Team. Her success continued in 2000, when Kitty was fourth individually and secured team silver at the Junior European Championships. Team gold was achieved in 2003 in the Young Rider European Championships, selected after coming second at Bramham and therefore becoming Under 25 British Champion. In 2005 Kitty rode at her first

Badminton, finishing in seventh place and since then she has never looked back, achieving some great triumphs along the way. Kitty told Equi-Ads: “I started to use the HAYGAIN this year after last year’s awful summer the haylage we made was not of its’ usual quality. “It was old dusty grass that got baled as it had been so wet in the spring. The horses weren’t eating it as well as our old stuff and a few started to cough on it or get a dirty nose. “Since using the HAYGAIN this problem has completely cleared up and the horses are finding it a lot more palatable.” Brian Fillery, of HAYGAIN told us: “Top event riders understand the importance of providing good quality forage for their horses.

For further information please contact HAYGAIN hay steamers on 0333 200 5233 or www.haygain.com

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna 2014 UK Tour

he Spanish Riding School of Vienna will be bringing the famous Lipizzaner stallions back to the UK in 2014. The UK tour will kick off with three performances at the Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on October 31st, November 1st and 2nd 2014. This is the first time the majestic, highly trained horses and riders of the 430 year old “High School for Classical Horsemanship” will have performed in the North of England. The tour will then move South for three dates at London’s Wembley Arena on November 14th, 15th and 16th, 2014 The show is an impressive display of classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the haute école. The audience will be mesmerised by the absolute balance and harmony achieved by these beautiful White Lipizzaner stallions and their regal riders. All of their famous in-hand work and movements above the ground such as the Capriole, Levade and Courbette will be performed.

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TV presenter and British Dressage Ambassador, Nicki Chapman will be hosting the event and will be joined by special guests making this 2014 Spanish Riding School of Vienna Tour one of the most unique, exciting and captivating events of the coming year. Incredibly moving, highly sophisticated and full of Viennese glamour the tickets for the 2014 SRS Tour are on sale from Friday 27th September. Make sure your seats are booked well in advance as the last tour in 2012 was a sell out…. The Spanish Riding School of Vienna at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena Friday 31st October 2014 – 7.30pm Saturday 1st November 2014 – 7.30pm Sunday 2nd November 2014 – 3.00pm The Spanish Riding School of Vienna at London’s Wembley Arena Friday 14th November 2014 – 7.30pm Saturday 15th November 2014 – 7.30pm Sunday 15th November 2014 – 3pm. Tickets on sale Friday 27th September 2013 prices from £20 - £65 and available from www.livenation.co.uk

www.equi-ads.com

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Full pag

NEW SEASON Stylish Ayrshire Boots SPECIAL OFFER

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derbyhouse.co.uk *Prices and details correct at time of printing. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Derby House reserve the right to amend or withdraw promotions at any time without notice, should circumstances change.

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Xxxxxxxxxx Feeding • Healthcare

CAN I FEED MY HORSE ON RUMINANT PRODUCTS?

Dr Derek Cuddeford, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

oth horses and ruminants are members of the ungulate group of animals which can be subdivided into the order Perissodactyla or odd-toed ungulates and the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. The bodyweight of members of the latter is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes and includes pigs, hippos, camels, deer, giraffes and of course sheep, goats and cattle. The sub-order amongst the Artiodactyla is the Ruminantia characterized by animals that chew their food, swallow it and then later regurgitate it for further chewing as in “chewing the cud” (this is no reference to yours truly!). The bodyweight of the Perissodactyla is almost all borne by the third toe and these animals have relatively simple stomachs relying on fermentation in the large intestine to degrade plant material rather than the complex fourchambered stomach possessed by ruminants. We are familiar with members of this group which includes rhinos and of course horses, donkeys, and zebras; the latter three belonging to the family Equidae. When answering the question posed one must consider firstly the basics of the digestive process in both species. Ruminants spend half the time chewing when they eat compared to horses (8h vs 16h) but, whilst ruminating and chewing the “cud” they spend the same amount of time (8h) as when eating. Thus, in total horses and ruminates chew their food for about the same overall length of time. The swallowed succeeds where bolusBotanica is exposed to random fermentation in a all ruminant’s stomach (via enzymes produced by

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the microorganisms present) over quite a long period of time (akin to being in a waiting room) before being made available to the enzymes of the host animal in the small intestine. This means that food is effectively predigested and substrates such as starch may be fully degraded prior to others entering the small intestine. In marked contrast horses thoroughly process their food (grinding)

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before swallowing it. Residence time in the stomach is short and thus it merely acts as a sort of transit lounge although there is a very small amount of fermentation. Food entering the small intestine of the horse is only predigested to a very small extent so that a substrate such as starch is very similar to the form in which it was ingested. (continued on page 12)

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Xxxxxxxxxx Feeding

Can I feed My Horse On Ruminant Products? By Lizzie Drury, Saracen Feeds

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he safest answer to this question is “no, you should not feed your horse ruminant feed.” Many people would probably argue that they have fed sheep or cattle feed to their horses for years and never had a problem. They are likely telling the truth but this still does not make it appropriate. If you are a person that carefully reads the feed labels you will note that there are very few differences between many ruminant feeds and horse feeds, with regards to some of the raw materials that are used e.g. oats, maize, fibre pellets etc. From a purely nutrient quantity stand point, the feeds may be very similar. However, it is important to take into careful consideration the manufacturing or milling process when comparing horse feeds to cattle feeds. Some ruminant feeds may contain medicated ingredients or other undesirable ingredients for horses and unless you read your feed labels you may never notice. There are guidelines established by the Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS) and these guidelines are established to protect animal owners from feeding a feed that would be dangerous for their animal whether it be a horse feed containing a cattle feed component such as antibiotics or a sheep feed containing too much copper. Some medications for ruminant animals could be potentially fatal to horses if consumed in a large enough quantity in exactly the same way as excess copper intake to sheep could be fatal if you were to feed sheep a feed formulated for horses. Feed mills that manufacture cattle feeds and horse feeds in the same mill must take the mill through a cleansing process after they have milled to ensure that the mill equipment is clean of any undesirable substances to, such as medication to reduce any undesirable substance carry over before they can mill horse feed. The majority of mills these days will run horse feed and ruminant feeds through on totally separate lines or even manufacture at different milling sites to ensure there is no contamination of the horse feed. The UFAS guidelines, however, do not protect those horse owners that choose to feed their horses cattle feed or sheep owners that choose to feed their sheep horse feed. So you could be gambling with your horse’s health and welfare. When you decide to feed your horse cattle feed, you forfeit the protection offered to you when feeding feeds that are strictly labeled for use in horses. Knowing how deadly the consequences can be, it is recommended that horses be fed feeds that are manufactured for horses and leave the ruminant feed for ruminants!

High Fibre, High Oil Diet C ontaining a blend of fibre, oils and vital nutrients Solution Mash is ideal for helping to promote weight gain and condition in horses that require a slow release energy diet. With no cereals and a very low starch and sugar content it is suitable feeding to horses that suffer from Laminitis, Cushings, Insulin Resistance and EPSM as well as horses prone to excitable and unpredictable behaviour. With 150gm of oil in every 1kg this helps encourage excellent overall condition and weight gain supporting muscle tone. Super high levels of Vitamin E are included helping support the immune system and maintain healthy antioxidant levels

as well as additional Lysine and Methionine for optimal protein balance and protected Bioplex Selenium, Zinc and Copper for improved availability. With a high fibre content Solution Mash helps to encourage better digestion within the hind gut, being particularly valuable for horses that require a diet that is sympathetic on the digestive system. Yeasacc 2016 is also added for improved fibre and mineral digestion and gut health. Natural herbs spearmint, garlic and fenugreek are also included along with optimum vitamins and minerals to help support overall health and vitality. For more information contact Rowen Barbary Horse Feeds on 01948 880598 or visit www.rowenbarbary.co.uk www.equi-ads.com

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Feeding (continued from page 10) It is clear from the foregoing that the digestive strategies of the horse and ruminant animal are very different. However, what is so interesting is that they are both herbivores and thus adapted to survive on forage. It should be remembered that certain members of the Ruminantia have a specialized mouth shape that enable them to browse. A good example is the narrow incisor arcade of the giraffe that allows it to gather leaves of the thorny Acacia tree without damaging its face; it can be very selective helped by the fact that its tongue is 18 inches (45cm) long. The wide flattened incisor arcade of the horse is designed for grazing but, given the chance, they will browse your neighbour’s beech hedge to extinction. Whilst they may not be as selective as a giraffe they are very selective compared to a cow. The top lip of a cow is fairly immobile whereas as that of a horse is incredibly flexible allowing the horse to pick and choose what it eats. When cows graze they just put their heads down and hoover up everything that is available including odd nails and even bits of barbed wire. Of our domestic ruminants it is only really the goat which will browse, eating anything from knickers on the washing line to any hedge or plant that it can get its teeth into; nothing is sacred when it comes to goats! Forages that are fed to ruminants include grass and all grass products in the form of silages (big bale, clamp and tower silages), hays (field-cured, barn dried) as well as legumes such as clovers, sainfoin and alfalfa. The other major forage type is whole-crop maize silage. In addition to these traditional forages ruminants are also fed potatoes, swedes, turnips and other root crops as well as industrial byproducts such as sugar beet

pulp, distillery and brewery grains. All of the foregoing are safe to feed to horses provided of course that care is taken over the feeding routine (meal frequency and size) and that appropriate adaptation is allowed as well as regulating the quantity fed. For example ad libitum hay/silage would be alright but ad libitum potatoes would not be a good idea. Some of the above feeds can play a part in the daily ration of a horse whereas other materials can constitute the whole ration. All the cereal types routinely fed to ruminants can be fed to horses although they should be cooked (micronized, steam-flaked, extruded) with the exception of oats which are best fed raw. Again, these materials can only form part of the horse’s daily ration. Compound feeds produced for ruminants contain, in most cases, the same raw materials as used to produce horse compound feeds and thus in theory ruminant compounds could be fed to horses. However, any medicated feed (those produced under a veterinary written direction) produced for a specific medicinal purpose should not be fed to any horse or pony. Of course, ruminant animals are produced for their milk or meat so substances such as dioxin which can get into the food chain can be a serious worry; never more so than after the serious flooding in Germany during summer 2013 when grazing areas were polluted. Feed produced in farm animal feed mills is often contaminated with substances that are prohibited in the competitive horse industry and since cows do not feature in the Derby very often this is not a problem in the Agricultural Industry. Simple examples would be caffeine and theobromine residues whose presence in a horse feed and thus in the horse would lead to disqualification in a competition

if the horse was blood-tested. Another major worry in a farm animal feed mill would be the risk of cross-contamination resulting from the production of pig, poultry and ruminant products through the same equipment. For example coccidiostats are commonly used in poultry diets and can be fatal for horses whilst farm animals are not considered to be at risk from such substances. Thus, if your horse is not involved in competitions and in the light of the provisos mentioned above it would be alright to feed ruminant products but you would have to be very clear about the provenance of the product used. Check the label

One could of course turn the question on its head and ask “Is it safe to feed horse compounds to ruminants”? The answer is perhaps rather surprising. Feeding competitive horse and stud/ breeding diets to sheep and goats would almost certainly kill them! This is because some horse owners seem to want to ignore current scientific knowledge and insist that ridiculously high levels of copper are included in such diets. There is a belief that high levels of copper will prevent/ cure bone lesions in growing horses and that performance horses will benefit as well. Thus, most feed manufacturers include levels of copper that will supply well in excess of established need. No-one dares take a stand on this for fear of losing market share in a very competitive industry and so all feed manufacturers oversupply copper in certain of their products. Finally, most ruminant feeds can be fed to horses whilst some horse feeds cannot be fed to certain ruminants. Take a look at some bag labels on horse feed and see what it says...

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Xxxxxxxxxx Feeding

Feeding for Respiratory Health this Winter by Dr Tom Shurlock of British Horse Feeds

t’s winter and our horses are snug in their stables, windows closed, a nice deep pile of straw for bedding, and a hay net full of what is probably second cut hay. There is a suspicion of a cough and you remember something similar last year. Of course it’s cold and wet outside and you’ve got the snuffles, so your horse probably has too, right? Probably, but… is your horse heading towards middle age? Maybe he’s a Warmblood? Has he had a respiratory disease in the past? Did he have a cough during the driest part of the summer when he was outside? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, then he may have Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) – also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heaves, chronic bronchiolitis or bronchitis – or possibly summer pasture obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD). It sounds alarming and, according to various sources, may be present in up to 50% of all horses worldwide. It is also, thankfully, generally reversible and, once the causative factors are recognised and removed, fairly easy to eradicate. However if not addressed and in extreme cases can lead to: • Septic bronchitis • Pneumonia • Chronic interstitial diseases • Neoplastic disease, including primary tumours of the respiratory tract or, more commonly, distant metastases But let’s not dwell on the negatives, as we can do something – and it is maybe well to think about, even if our horse has no symptoms, as the cause is so common the potential is always there. And the cause?

Dust. And spores. And fungi. More precisely, small diameter organic and breathable dust and its potential to carry pollen, microbial spores and fungal toxins. These invasive particles irritate the linings of the airways causing inflammation and an influx of white blood cells; neutrophils, which invoke an immune response. The dust is associated with bedding and hay, although any dust in the stable can carry irritants. Because this is a well-known route for potential airway problems in the horse, there has been plenty of advice on how best to reduce the problem. Most obvious is the need to clean down the stable when it is empty and to damp down any dust; a change of bedding is also 14 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 14

recommended, where possible – wood shavings instead of straw for example. And the final piece of advice is to soak or even steam (to reduce mineral loss) the hay, or to provide alternative feeding. Having said that, all hay is not bad. Dust potential of hay can vary considerably and increase from early to late cut, barn drying, cutting at 75% dry matter, big baling or hay getting wet between cutting and drying. The effect can be on breathable dust as well as viable spores. In the case of viable spores high density baling and late tossing, as well as rain after cutting, can all cause increases. The source of the hay has an effect as well. Single species hays have different proportions of various dust types to each other and these are different from other forage types such as haylage and alfalfa pellets. And finally the length of cut can have an influence. Short cut hay can have a high proportion if soil contamination, whilst long cut tends to be drier and therefore more brittle – generating more dust. A medium cut hay, at greater than 75% dry matter and gathered before being rained upon will present a low dust/low spore product and should not exacerbate RAO. Haylage would seem to be an obvious alternative to hay as it has extremely low dust and mycotoxin, due to its processing. However it does tend to have high pollen and moderate spores. Ideally then, if you have access to grazing, then a winter outdoors will avoid all this dust. However, cold weather can cause cell inflammation and mucus production in the airways and so this can be as much a problem as being indoors! So, with the dust potential for hay being totally confusing,

how best to feed the horse in winter? As always, it’s mainly a matter of common sense. Those parameters that add to the problems of dust – spores, fungal toxins – are also not what we want from a nutritional point of view. Therefore hay that seems a bit musty, smells a bit off or has some bloom on it is not good for gut or throat. Beyond that we need to be a bit more choosy. Where possible use hay from the less mature grass - early cuts, hay that is medium cut, from rectangular rather than round bales. Think about the weather around cutting time. Was the cut grass able to dry quickly, or did it get wet? What dry matter is it? Basically then a good quality hay, soaked to reduce dust, will provide a nutritionally sound forage base and a low irritant factor for the airways. However soaking for more than 30 minutes can significantly reduce sodium, potassium and phosphorus content. Conversely haylage with its inherently low dust levels should work as well although the high levels and range of pollens may increase the allergenic potential for some horses. Beyond this we should be providing products that can partially replace these main forage sources, and so further reduce the irritants. Products such as beet pulp will naturally have low levels of pollen and fungal toxins, and the excessive washing during sugar extraction will further reduce contaminants. With Speedi-Beet the micronization part of the process will also knock out microbial spores making a clean product which, when fed soaked will be totally dust free. Pelleted alfalfa has been shown to have significantly less dust than hay, and when incorporated into a product such as Fibre-Beet that has a similar digestive profile to grass will certainly help . So a soaked (30 minute) hay or haylage will give you a low dust product, and partial replacement with Speedi-Beet or Fibre-Beet will further reduce potential irritants, such as fungal toxins, spores and pollen, whilst maintaining a good level of nutrition over winter. For more information please contact British Horse Feeds on 01765 680300 or visit www. britishhorsefeeds.com.

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HORSE BEHAVIOUR - Speaking the language part 16

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.) BIT: ‘An apparatus usually consisting of metal or other hard substances or a combination of both. It is positioned in the diastema of the horse’s mouth and connected to the reins. As a result of tension in the reins, this apparatus places pressure on the lips, tongue and bars of the horse’s mouth and results in the horse learning to stop/slow/ step-back and turn, through the processes of negative reinforcement and classical conditioning.’

that the horse will learn how to respond to the bit by means of them will only be true if they are carried out correctly. Even today, most conventionally trained instructors do not understand them because they are not systematically taught about them, so it is no surprise that many horses and ponies have ‘mouth problems’, a good many of which are, in practice, problems of confusion and pain due to poor training. Thousands of words have been written on the subject of bits and bitting. It seems to be one of the most popular subjects in the horse world, probably because it is generally believed that if you find the right bit for your horse all your riding problems will vanish into thin air and your horse will be transformed. In practice, of course, this doesn’t quite pan out but it is true that the horse must be comfortable in his mouth if he is to go kindly and well, and that a bit that suits one horse may well not suit his very similar neighbour and vice versa. It is also true that he must understand thoroughly the meaning of bit aids (pressures) and that his rider must give them consistently correctly if the horse is to respond accurately, reliably and confidently.

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manufacturer’s agent has advised it for their horse or, worst of all, because their favourite celebrity rider uses it. GOING BITLESS

At this point it is worth mentioning bitless bridles. One very popular design is the crossover bitless bridle designed by Professor Robert Cook, FRCVS. Others are plain sidepull bridles, the Scawbrig, the Blair or English hackamore, the American bosal or hackamore and others. I BITTING: ‘Accustoming a horse have tried various bitless bridles halting or turning in response to to having a bit in its mouth or the on all sorts of horses over a period pressure from the bit] are elicited selection of the most appropriate bit from more subtle versions of the of about 50 years and have usually for a horse.’ found that horses are much better same signal or to entirely new signals Negative reinforcement is described [such as seat aids].’ balanced and lighter in hand with a in the glossary as ‘The subtraction simple, comfortable bit than in any THE descriptions above don’t [removal] of something aversive kind of bitless bridle. The exceptions need much explanation. The (such as pressure) to reward the are horses correctly schooled to High diastema is the space in the horse’s desired response and thus lower the School standard who go in selfmouth between the front teeth and motivational drive (Skinner 1953).’ carriage and work from body aids the cheek or back teeth where there Classical conditioning is and so need very slight bit pressure, are no teeth, known as the bars, and described as ‘The process whereby and those with some mouth injury is very convenient for us horsemen the unconditioned or conditioned or abnormality in the conformation and women, if not for horses, as it response becomes elicited from a of jaw and/or teeth. provides an ideal place for a bit. The conditioned stimulus (Pavlov, 1927). mention of negative reinforcement Proponents of bitless bridles In equitation it is the process where can be very vociferous in their and classical conditioning will be learned responses [such as slowing, support of them and blame bits explained below but the statement for most of a horse’s behavioural problems under saddle, claiming that they cause pain without riders actually realising it, prevent horses swallowing their saliva, create fear FACTS AND FANTASIES There are various old and true sayings and many other difficulties. In practice, of course, the behavioural about bits, such as: ‘There is a key to ti dnuof syawla evah dna snoisacco larevery evehorse’s s nmouth’, o en‘Most il ec ivareda ru oy dascribed esu e ahareInot “ the problems tov bits bits fault of the bit itself: they are the seinop gnitaeb sessalc gninniw llits si made dnafordmen’s lo-heads, sranot eyhorses’ -62 si t reB .lufpleh y rev mouths’ and ‘The bit is less important fault of the rider who has chosen, hands dralliG hpetS ”!regnthan uothe ys raeonythe0other 2 oend t pu fitted and is using the bit. Unfortunately today it is the of the reins’. Conversely, there are firmly ingrained and widespread other traditional beliefs about bits practice to ride horses on much too and bitting, taught as standard facts, ylrwhich edlehave )gbeen k05proved 4( hh .41 a roffirm em iger dIteisealso f lathe cipractice pyT a contact. by2rigorous as and reliable modern scientific research for riders not to be trained -:ynfully op or completely as was usually the to be fallacies. decades ago and to think about One of the main problems with .egalyah ro yah ytilaucase q do og bil da sulp gnizarG the effects on the horse of what they supplying and fitting a bit to any believe, horse or pony is that :gnwe inicannot atnoc hcaeare - ydoing, ad repartly, p sdeI e f owtbecause sulP stfienourselves eb eht feel senwhat ibmthe oc(horse recnisalaB deeofFthe roiclosure neS cof epmany SpoTof gour 52better 2 • our modern feeling with it in his mouth. We )tnemelppus tnioj ariding htiwschools recnabut labalso dee f a fo desire to want everything quickly can only imagine how it must hc sand sarthis g tfleads os eto lbathe talap yreand v( stosa pohCptooTwork g00for 3 • berG unwilling feel ptoohim ) s e s s a l o m d e d d a o n h t i w what we want and treat equitation development of human-devised, sometimes seimaginative irolac ’gniand taeH -noN‘( sebuC noias tidan noacademic ClooC subject fo gk1involving ot pU • sentient inaccurate gnidtheories rocca to deexplain tsujda ytitnauanother q ,nieto rp htiicreature. w decnalab If a horse is trained properly over things. True, we can tell to some )noitidnoc ot time by a competent trainer to go extent whether it ‘works’ or is on a light contact in self-balance in comfortable by how the horse all gaits, a bit of any material in his goes in it but unfortunately and ® mouth via which the trainer gives amazingly many people clearly him aids will not cause pain if the do not even think about it. Very mouth is healthy and the bit fitted often, they use a certain type of ESIMORP MOC TU OHTifIW ETAuses ERC correctly. Only theDrider it bit because they have read some stsinoiwith tirtuntoo enifirm uqe daepressure, cneirepxeinyab harsh marketing material about it, because way such as the sawing movement their friend’s horse goes well in commonly seen, with unrelenting it, because ‘everyone on the yard’ rof renniW drauses wA elpittheir luM strong contact, or to help him or it, because instructor has told them to use it, because the (continued on page 18)

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Xxxxxxxxxx Tack & Bitting (continued from page 16) her keep in balance or even in the saddle, will the horse be caused pain and injury. I do not doubt that horses may well not like wearing a bit just as many humans do not like wearing dentures, but pain does not have to be part of the scenario. Similarly, if the horse is trained, and allowed, to go lightly and in selfbalance with his head in such a posture that his throat area is not cramped and constricted or his tongue pressed down hard in his mouth so that he cannot move it (necessary to the swallowing action), he will have no problem being able to swallow his saliva. The sight of horses, usually dressage horses, splashed with their own frothy saliva which they cannot swallow is a fairly new one; this was not seen until a couple of decades ago when the inhumane fashions for numbing bit contact, hoisted-up bits and crushingly tight nosebands became viewed as necessary and correct. If a rider needs or wants to hang on to a horse’s head and does not have the skill or desire to use a bit sensitively, I agree that a bitless bridle is best for the horse although the consequent pressure on the noseband and elsewhere cannot be very pleasant for him or make clear aids possible. A lot of valuable research has been going on regarding bits and bitting for the last couple of decades, not least by Dr Hilary Clayton who, after all her efforts, says, I understand, that ‘finding the right bit is more a matter of trial and error than a scientific process’. If you Google Dr Clayton, you will find screens of information about her work, which despite her comment is enlightening and invaluable to those who don’t want fantasy-type theories about bits and bitting. Then, if you Google Professor Robert Cook you will find his pro-bitless views expressed clearly and in no uncertain terms, with hard-hitting photos of the horrific injuries suffered by horses via bits used by what my classical trainer of the 80s, Dési Lorent, used to call ‘devils on horseback’. You might be interested to know that during a scientific study of hyperflexion (which was confirmed to cause horses acute stress even to those accustomed to being ridden this way), it was found that experienced riders involved in a rein tension/bit contact experiment were unwilling to ride with long reins as they felt they could neither balance nor control their horses when they did so, and that the rein contact on horses being ridden either in a competition outline or in hyperflexion was above the maximum 5 kg detection limit on the rein tension meter for a lot of the time. Both observations are evidence of competitive dressage horses being held in an

outline rather than trained to be in self-carriage. Disgraceful. I understand the experimental horses were wearing snaffle bits. When we consider the considerable leverage force applied to the mouth by curb bits and chains, the pain suffered by the horses of such riders must be truly excruciating. NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

To explain this expression, ‘negative’ is used in the scientific sense, so means ‘subtraction’ or ‘removal’. When giving any aid we apply pressure to some

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Tack & Bitting

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part of the horse – pressure from both sides of the bit asks the horse to slow down, stop or rein back, and from one side of the bit, basically, it asks the horse to turn that way. When we squeeze or tap with our legs, we ask the horse to move forward or, with one leg, to move away from that leg. The best equitation is simple because that’s how horses understand and learn best. Therefore, when we give an aid and the horse responds correctly, we must stop giving the aid the instant we get our response or the horse will not understand that he has done the right thing and will become confused. So, if we ask the horse with the bit to slow down and he does so, we must stop the aid/remove the pressure, so th at the horse learns that he has done the right thing. Similarly with the legs – squeeze or tap, the horse goes forward, stop squeezing or tapping. We have all heard ad nauseam that we should ‘drive the horse up to the bit’ or ‘into your hand’ which is giving the horse a ‘go’ and a ‘slow/stop’ request at the same moment. Reputable scientific research has confirmed that horses cannot cope with that (and neither can humans!), so become confused, insensitive and difficult or disappointing to ride. Use ‘hands without legs and legs without hands’, a saying founded in classicism and proven and adopted by equitation science. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

This is simply the term for horses becoming ‘used’ to particular aids and therefore responding to them quicker and lighter – provided they understand them, of course. The aids can be gradually changed, such as by seat aids taking over from the bit for halting and slowing down. For example, if your horse has learned to slow down from a light bit pressure (with no accompanying, conflicting leg aids driving him on, of course), you can accompany the bit aid with a seat aid, such as sitting still rather than moving your seat with his back, for instance. Pretty soon, you will only need the seat aid to slow down or stop. FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Classical Riding Club (www.classicalriding.co.uk), the International Society for Equitation Science (www.equitationscience.com), EquiSci for the UK (www.equitationscience.co.uk), the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre (www. aebc.org.au) and the Equine Behaviour Forum (www.equinebehaviourforum. org.uk). Also, follow up the links and publications on each site. (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, co-founder of the Equine Behaviour Forum and a Practitioner Member of the International Society for Equitation Science. Author of 44 books, she is a co-publisher of ‘Tracking-up’ (see advert this issue). For lessons in and near Lancashire, ring 01254 705487 or email horses@susanmcbane.com. www.equi-ads.com

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Available in the colours Black and Brown, in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL. For further information please contact Parelli Natural Horsemanship on 02476 692 888 or visit www.parelli.com

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ew feed trials have shown that eight out of ten horse owners saw SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes and SPILLERS® Conditioning Mix improve condition in their horses in two weeks without causing excitability. The original recipe of SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes was first launched in 1968 and the product has been continually developed and improved ever since. Always keen to ensure their products live up to the highest expectations of quality and performance, the trusted feed manufacturer conducted the trial earlier this year, for their current popular duo of conditioning feeds. The rigorous trial involved 65 horse owners each feeding either SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes or SPILLERS® Conditioning Mix to their horses over six weeks. Every owner had to complete a detailed survey at the beginning, middle and end of the trial and to supply before and after pictures of their horse. The results revealed that eight of ten trial participants firmly believe SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes and SPILLERS® Conditioning Mix can improve condition in two weeks without causing excitability. “Naz has had ongoing weight issues,” said Sharon Smith of her 15.2hh Arab x Welsh gelding. “Within three weeks there was a massive improvement in his condition and people on the yard just couldn’t believe he was the same horse. I could not recommend this feed highly enough, although it was not the sort of feed I would have ever entertained with his excitability it has made no difference to his temperament. I would definitely put him on it during the winter.” SPILLERS® launched the first equine compound feed in the form of SPILLERS® Horse & Pony Cubes in 1958. Since then SPILLERS® has been committed to ensuring they provide the very best possible products for the nation’s horses and ponies and that every product stands up to the claims made on the pack. Many riders worry about the fizz-factor that some higher starch feeds may contribute to but with SPILLERS® Conditioning Cubes and SPILLERS® Conditioning Mix there’s no need for worry. They provide extra non-heating calories and extra shine thanks to the inclusion of rapeseed oil, while a perfect balance of vitamins and minerals supports long-term health and wellbeing. For friendly feeding advice please telephone the SPILLERS CareLine on + 44 (0)1908 226626 or visit the SPILLERS® website at www.spillers-feeds.com.

Stable Fresh is a dry disinfectant that can be used around the stable and yard and in horseboxes, and trailers. The powder freshens floors, eats odours, removes ammonia smells and is also anti-viral, antifungal and antibacterial. It works on concrete and matting and can be used as often as required. As this is a dry product, it also has the advantage of not requiring any drying time, so it’s ideal for busy horse owners. Stable Fresh is available in 2.5 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg bags with prices starting from £14.99. Microlat Disinfectant

Microlat Stable Disinfectant is supplied in

a concentrated form with one litre making 260 litres of ready to use product. Made from essential oils, Microlat is extremely safe to use and very effective when it comes to providing a hygienic stable environment. It’s fungicidal, bactericidal and virucidal and can be used on flooring, in cases of ringworm and for other skin conditions when diluted correctly. In addition, Microlat can be sprayed into the air space where it acts on dust bearing bacteria. Microlat Stable Disinfectant is available in 250 ml, 1 L and 5 L bottles and prices start from £8.35. For more information see www.equimins. com, email sales@equimins.com or call 01548 531770. www.equi-ads.com

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AdvAnce complete poWdeR 1.2kg £13.55 · 2kg £22.65 4kg £42.40 · 10kg £101.50 AdvAnce complete pellets 2kg £23.25 · 4kg £43.25 · 10kg £104.30 2KG UP TO 33 DAYS SUPPLY / 4 KG UP TO 66 DAYS SUPPLY / 10KG UP TO 166 DAYS SUPPLY

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The average horse will require 60 grams per day which means that a 4kg tub will last 66 days and cost just 64p per day. Available in powder and pellets. Look at our spec on the website, nothing else comes even close to Advance!

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.

cooked linseed 3kg bag £9.75 – UP TO 42 DAYS SUPPLY 5kg bag £14.75 – UP TO 71 DAYS SUPPLY 10kg bag £25.95 – UP TO 142 DAYS SUPPLY

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For a FREE fact sheet on laminitis, or to find out how Fast Fibre® could benefit your horse or pony, contact our friendly, award-winning, nutrition helpline today on 01362 822 902, email helpline@allenandpage.co.uk or visit www.allenandpage.com Recent guidelines have suggested that horses and ponies suffering from laminitis, or those prone to, or susceptible to laminitis, must be fed a balanced diet that contains less than 1g starch/kg BW/meal. Therefore, to ensure that your horse’s diet is low starch, you should not feed more than 1g starch/kg BW/meal. To get the full benefit from this feed it must be fed according to recommended guidelines.

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25/09/2013 12:12

Healthcare Clipping fever

FIRST

AID FOR YOUR HORSE

Health care advice by Nicky Moffat Clipping clever

Need some help deciding which clip to go for? Here are some important considerations to make. Bib clip (hair removed from the chest area): Perfect for horses who live out and who will only be in light work. Trace clip (hair removed along the bottom lengths of the body, from the quarters to the jaw: Ideal if your horse lives out and will be doing light to moderate work. Blanket clip (Like a trace clip, but the whole of the neck hair is also removed): Great for horses in moderate work. If your horse lives out you will need to invest in good rugs. Chaser clip (Hair removed from the stifle to the poll in a diagonal line): An alternative to a blanket clip and ideal for horses in moderate work. Hunter clip (everything but a saddle patch and the legs are removed): Ideal for horses who live in at night and are in hard work, such as eventers or hunters. Full clip (all the hair is removed): For those in hard work as above. Removing hair from the legs can look smarter and prevents mud clogging up in the hair. Feet first

Changing weather can take its toll on our horses’ hooves. Here are some top tips to help them stay healthy as winter approaches. Pick feet out regularly and check for any objects which may have become wedged, such as stones. Keep an eye out for nasty smelling feet, which could be a sign of thrush. Make sure your horse’s feet are regularly attended to by a farrier. Hooves need shoeing or trimming every four to six weeks. Ensure your horse has access to a dry area to stand in, such as a field shelter, yard or stable. Try to avoid sudden changes from very wet to very dry conditions as this can cause the onset of cracks. Avoid riding too fast on hard or boggy ground and stick to good going where possible. Invest in a good hoof supplement or dressing if necessary. Your farrier will be the best person to advise you on which products are best. Feel regularly for any signs of heat in the hooves and get to know what’s normal for your horse’s feet temperature. Keep stable bedding dry and fresh to avoid the risk of thrush.

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Dietary matters

As the end of the summer competition season arrives, you may need to review your horse’s dietary needs. Here are some points to consider. If you’re changing to a less heating feed because you will be cutting down on your horse’s workload, ensure you make any changes gradually to avoid upsetting the horse’s gut. Reduce energy in the feed before you reduce exercise, otherwise you could end up with a very fresh horse or one who’s at risk of developing azoturia (tying up). (continued on page 24) www.equi-ads.com

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WOUND CARE

25/09/2013 12:12

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HORSES INSIDE OUT - The Anatomy of Muscles by Gillian Higgins. Part 3.

Stress free horse

Dietary matters

(continued from page 23) Always choose good quality hay or haylage and soak or steam hay where necessary to avoid the horse ingesting dust. Little and often is always the best way to feed your horse, so try to give him smaller feeds at least twice a day, rather than one big feed. If he’s stabled more, then pay careful attention to the amount of energy he is getting and consider changing to a less heating feed. Balancers are a good way of ensuring your horse gets all the nutrients he needs without the extra calories or energy. Talk to one of the feed companies’ nutritionists for more advice. Stress-free horses

Are you doing everything you can to keep your horse happy and healthy? Horses don’t want much out of life. They simply thrive on feeling safe, with survival being top of their list. First and foremost it is essential that you provide your horse with all the essentials he needs in order to survive. These are: Water. Shelter. Food. Friends. Horses feel much safer in groups and would never live on their own in the wild. In the wild horses will roam several miles in a day and graze along the way. Try to mimic this natural lifestyle as much as possible by providing large turnout areas and feeding him little and often. Spreading hay piles around the field will encourage him to move around more. It’s also important to ensure that your horse isn’t being bullied by anyone in the field and that he’s happy in his herd and knows his place in the pecking order. A stressed horse can develop behavioural problems, such as fence walking or crib biting, or even physical disorders, such as stomach ulcers, so it’s really important to give him a happy stress-free lifestyle where possible.

Feet first

HOW IT ALL BEGAN ‘CLASSICAL ORIGINS’, comprising The Baroque Breeds by Liz McCurley and Masters of Equitation by Robert Smith QC These two major and popular series from Tracking-up are now available in this 32-page, A4 booklet. Together they cover the origins of classical riding, its evolution and purposes, the breeds of horse and the people who developed it, and its increasing importance in the horse world of today. For your copy, clearly print your name, address and ‘CO’ on the back of a cheque for £6.17, payable to ‘Tracking-up’, and post it to Anne Wilson, Park End House, Robins Folly, Thurleigh, Beds., MK44 2EQ 24 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 24

This is the last in a three-part series about the horse’s muscular system, where in her usual applied and practical style, Gillian introduces us to this fascinating subject using her unique painted horse photographs. Gillian spends hours painting horses with different anatomical structures and systems, often colour co-ordinating muscles per their action, to help bring anatomy and biomechanics to life in a way we can all easily relate to. In this last part Gillian will look at how we can apply the anatomical information about the muscular system to training for the good of our horse’s comfort and performance. Gillian is an equine sports and remedial therapist specialising in muscles. With a background in human therapy her ethos is strongly based around muscle function and balance. “To enable good performance, expression of movement, suppleness, flexibility and range of movement muscles need to be working together in balance. Muscles need to be appropriately strong and supple for ideal movement and way of going.” Says Gillian. “To help balance the muscular system we need to have a good understanding of the muscles, their anatomy, function and biomechanics. Muscles that have a tendency to become tight and sore require regular stretching and muscles that have a tendency to be ineffective, slow to support, long or weak benefit from regular strengthening exercises. Knowing what to strengthen and what to stretch comes from study of the musculoskeletal system, movement and experience.” The Benefits of a Well Conditioned Muscular System

Caption: Strong, healthy and well defined muscles enable the horse look good, feel good and perform with ease, accuracy and flair. This improves posture, power, balance and precision, makes the horse gallop faster, jump higher and sustain pace for longer all with a reduced risk of injury. How Muscles Adapt to Training

Muscle is the most adaptive tissue in the body. It adapts to training and contractions become more efficient by: • increasing the number, size and type of muscle fibres • increasing the number of capillaries within the muscles which increase blood flow and nutrients • increasing the storage capacity of oxygen and efficient removal of waste • increasing the number of mitochondria within the cells which provide the power for the muscle fibres to contract • increasing the number and activity of muscle enzymes required for respiration • increasing the ability to store glycogen. • improving aerobic and anaerobic respiration capacity which allows the horse to work longer and faster www.equi-ads.com

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Healthcare • engaging in exercise which incorporates isometric, concentric, and eccentric muscle contractions. This will lead to improved muscle coordination, strength, speed and endurance. Muscles Develop Slowly

A strong muscular system goes hand in hand with a well conditioned cardiovascular system. One cannot be improved with out the other. Conditioning muscles relies on a consistent progressive planned programme. Muscle changes occur slowly, taking 4- 12 weeks depending upon age, breed, fitness and condition. Asking too much too soon in the form of speed, distance and carrying weight for long periods, results in fatigued, sore or damaged muscles which delays the conditioning programme and is counterproductive. Once established muscle condition usually last for several weeks. Missing 1 or 2 weeks training due to minor injury does not affect overall muscular fitness in the same way as it does with human athletes.

RELIEVE

THE FATIGUE

Muscles must be trained for:

Endurance Long slow distance work (LSD) using aerobic respiration develops muscular endurance which enables muscles to sustain performance at sub maximal levels. This is essential for all horses in all disciplines especially for eventing and endurance horses. Time and distance must be extended gradually, moving on to the next stage only when current targets are met. This ensures progressive muscle loading without overtaxing a muscle. For a horse coming back into work, 15 minutes a day walking is a good starting point. Add 10 minutes a day gradually introducing trot and some canter work. The aim is to achieve 45 minutes of mixed gait work easily. It is important at this stage to condition all muscles equally to avoid putting strain on any particular part. LSD can take place out hacking or in an arena. Correct nutrition in the form of a balanced high energy diet is essential in supporting the muscles and the prevention of muscle disorders. Strength Muscular strength is important for stability, balance, posture, weight carrying capacity, control, accuracy of movement and performance. Strengthening exercises result in joint stability, improved muscle tone and an increase in number of muscle fibres which increases muscle bulk, power and strength. Strength training should be part of a structured conditioning programme. In order to avoid fatigue and allow muscles time to recover it is important not to perform strength training sessions more than 2 or 3 times per week. General muscle strengthening is accomplished with short bursts of a varied high-intensity exercises such as:• Hill work, including transitions, lateral work and rein back both up and down hill • Raised pole work progressively increasing height at walk and trot. • Performing half steps, piaffe and passage. • Gymnastic jumping including grids, related distances and progressively widening and heightening the obstacles. • Working on a loose deep surface. This must be approached gradually to reduce the risk of injury to muscles, tendons and ligaments. • Riding through water or long grass which encourages the horse to lift the legs clear and make the muscles work harder through the effect of drag Following a general muscular fitness programme, discipline specific movements are the most effective form of muscle strength training.

FORMULATED TO REPLACE VITAL SALTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR The Nettex Electrolyte range has been formulated to replace vital salts that are lost through any form of sweating brought on from strenuous exercise such as hunting, travelling or stress related conditions. Not just for summer, electrolytes can be used throughout the year to reduce the build-up of lactic acid that can lead to muscle fatigue, muscle cramps and tying up. For performance at an affordable price, trust Nettex.

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Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 25

E L E C T R O LY T E S

25/09/2013 12:12

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Co-ordination

Well coordinated muscles work consistently, efficiently and accurately, improve posture and physical performance and reduce the risk of soreness and injury; dressage movements become well orchestrated and jumping more accurate. Muscle coordination and recruitment patterns are improved by repetition. This forges neural pathways which then improve muscle coordination and efficiency in an upward spiral. It is more productive to practise a new movement for 10 minutes every other day rather than for an hour once a week. Co ordination can be improved by practising cross country jumps such as a series of steps, sunken roads, banks, offset rails and ditch rail ditch on a regular basis. Suppleness

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A supple horse like a supple person can move with ease, enjoy flexibility and a wide range of movement and be less prone to strain. This feel good factor contributes to concentration, cooperation, trainability and ‘joie de vivre’. A combination of strength, coordination and suppleness results in the horse moving with relaxation, rhythm, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection, balance and flexion. This enables him to demonstrate submission, cadence and throughness necessary for well executed dressage movements, accurate and flowing jumping and symmetrical muscle development. Suppleness exercises which increase range of movement, athletic ability and technical skills can be enhanced by: • Taking the joints and muscles through a full range of movement on a regular basis. • Spending 5 -10 minutes performing suppling exercises for warm up and cool down. This is particularly important if focussing on strength training interspersing strength and fast work with flexibility sessions. • Performing ridden active stretches. • Varying head and neck positions using a forwards and down outline and lateral flexion. • •Lateral suppling work such as leg yield, shoulder in and travers incorporating varying degrees of angle and bend. • Stretch work and flexibility exercises on the lunge. • Agility work both ridden and in hand such as bending exercises and stepping over raised poles. • Turning the horse out where he can constantly move, roll, bite flies, scratch and stretch will enhance suppleness. Stabled horses have less opportunities to move and can be more prone to stiffness

Performing a wide range of passive and active stretches will enhance suppleness

26 | October 2013

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www.equi-ads.com

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Xxxxxxxxxx Healthcare Speed

Fast work increases the rate of muscular contractions as well as coordination and mental reactions. Once a horse can trot or canter easily for about an hour, this includes hill work, he is ready to start fast work. Once every 4 days is ideal. This allows the stores of glycogen used in anaerobic exercise to be replenished. It also speeds up the rate of muscular contractions and increases the number of fast twitch fibre types. Begin by galloping for about 100 yards then gradually increase the distance returning to walk through canter and trot. This also allows the lactic acid produced as a by product of anaerobic respiration to disperse. During fast work about 20% of energy from food is converted into heat which improves muscle contractions. The rest is dissipated. If the muscles overheat due to environmental conditions or the inability of the body to cool through evaporation, or convection this will expose the muscles to fatigue, exhaustion and risk of injury. Practical Application

• Maintain a good posture to encourage balance between the antagonistic muscle chains. • Train for strength, endurance, suppleness, skill, speed.

• Plan a structured programme. • Vary work and include cross training to add variety and ensure all round suppleness, balance, rhythm and muscle development. This will avoid overuse of particular muscle groups and prevent repetitive strain type injuries. • Include athletic event specific training. • Warm-up thoroughly to allow the muscles to be at the optimum temperature for performance. • Cool Down slowly to reduce the risk of delayed onset of muscle soreness. • To promote the use of fast twitch fibres make sure all work is active and steps marching even just walking in from the field. • Include ridden, passive and active stretches. • Regular Massage is an excellent way to monitor and maintain healthy muscles as well as helping the muscles relax and reduce tension. • Allow plenty of time for rehabilitation, recovery and retraining following muscle injury. • Feed enough protein for essential amino acids important for muscle development and function. • Keep tired muscles warm • Regular turnout reduces the risk of muscle

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stiffness • Daily walk work is particularly important for stabled horses. This is an extract from Horse Anatomy for Performance by Gillian Higgins and Stephanie Martin. For this and other Horses Inside Out Books and Videos please visit www.HorsesInsideOut.com . Look out for part four of Horses Inside Out – The Anatomy of Muscles next month. Would you like to hear about Horses Inside Out events in your area? If so email Gillian@ horsesinsideout.com with your name and county and reference EquiAds.

FORTHCOMING HORSES INSIDE OUT EVENTS

5th/6th October 2013 – 2 Day Applied Anatomy and Biomechanics Course – Moulton College, Northamptonshire 13th November 3013 – Evening Video Talk Riding from the Anatomical Perspective – Bunny, Nottingham 14th November 2013 – Evening Video Talk Riding from the Anatomical Perspective – RAU, Cirencester 16th November 2013 – Head and Neck Dissection – Hartpury College, Gloucestershire 7th December 2013 – Spine Dissection – Hartpury College, Gloucestershire 22nd/23rd February 2014 – The Back and Beyond, Annual Conference – RAU, Gloucestershire Details for these events and more can be found at www.HorsesInsideOut.com

My arab gelding has particularly sensitive skin during the winter. How does your Think Mud work and should I feed it all year round?

Aimee says... “Our Think Mud is a daily supplement designed to help maintain skin integrity during wet and muddy conditions. It contains a unique combination of nutrients and natural ingredients that work from the inside to support the immune system and maintain condition of the skin and hair. Think Mud can be fed just through the winter months when conditions are more challenging or you can also feed all year round as a nutritional support for healthy skin and hair.” For more health and nutrition advice contact the EquiClinic on

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October 2013 | 27

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Reader competition

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1 winner will win • A Blue Chip balancer of choice • A Blue Chip Supplement of choice • A Blue Chip Fleece rug 2nd place to receive:

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30x runners up to each receive: • A £10 money off voucher • A baseball cap

To Enter simply answer the following question: Which Blue Chip balancer is perfect for horses and ponies in light to medium work? To have the chance of winning these great prizes, please email your answer to the above question to stephanie@equiads.net or post it with your name, address and telephone number to Blue Chip Competition, Equi-Ads Ltd.,126 Derby Road, Long Eaton, Notts. NG10 4LS.

For more information on Blue Chip call 0114 2666200 or visit www.bluechipfeed.com or facebook.com/bluechipfeed

Blue Chip Original – The perfect feed balancer for horses and ponies in light to medium work. Blue Chip Pro – The performance feed balancer for competition horses and veterans. Blue Chip Lami-light – The low calorie, low sugar, low starch feed balancer ideal for laminitis prone horses and ponies, good do-ers or those who are over-weight. All the Blue Chip balancers are whole-cereal and molasses free making them very low in sugar and starch and all include a complete hoof and respiratory formula, a natural, fruit-derived form of Vitamin E and the revolutionary ingredient Nucleotides. Blue Chip Dynamic – Pelleted joint and bone supplement ideal for elderly horses and youngstock to help produce strong, dense bone. Blue Chip Joint RLF – Liquid joint supplement that includes the powerful rosehip extract Rosa canina which helps reduce inﬂammation. Blue Chip Garliq – Concentrated, pure liquid garlic. Blue Chip Karma – 100% natural liquid calmer, perfect for daily use. Blue Chip AppleCalm and CarrotCalm syringes – The same ingredients that are in Blue Chip Karma, in a concentrated syringe, ideal for one-off use such as at a competing, travelling, clipping etc. This Competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 and resident in the UK . The winner will be picked from all correct entries. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into with regard to entries or the selection of the winner. Equi-Ads cannot be held responsible for any entries that for any reason fail to reach us before the closing date. Entries close on Thursday 31st October 2013. The winner will be drawn on Thursday 7th November 2013 and contacted after the closing date. Prizes can only be delivered to UK mainland. No cash alternative will be offered.

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Telephone: 01909 735000 or www.robinsonhealthcare.com October 2013 | 31

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Xxxxxxxxxx Healthcare

Mud rash – what is that again? Richard Knight BVetMed MRCVS on behalf of Peter Fenton Equine Vets

ou could be forgiven for forgetting all about Dermatophilus infection ( mud rash and rain scald ) given the sunny, warm summer that we have all experienced this year, however unusual it is. Unfortunately this will, all too soon, be the dark and miserable British winter time, an unenviable mix of wet and cold. For horse owners this will bring the inevitable, repetitive battle with our winter time woes, one of which is dermatophilosis or infection of the skin with the bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis, commonly referred to as mud rash, mud fever, rain scald and a few other terms. This is a frustrating and, sometimes, seemingly unavoidable infection that affects a large number of horses and ponies whenever the weather is wet and the ground muddy, which can be a large proportion of the year in the UK. This means that it is our responsibility as owners to understand the disease and manage our horses better in order that we do our best to avoid this infection that causes skin damage, swelling of limbs, pain, time out of work and scarring in severe cases. So, we have already mentioned that this is a bacterial skin infection that is seen commonly in the wetter periods of the year. It predominantly

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affects the skin of the distal limbs around the pasterns or over the top of the back, especially towards the rump. It is recognised by repeated scabbing of the area that removes a patch of hair when picked off, often referred to as “paint brush” lesions due to the appearance of a group of hairs held together by scab resembling the head of a paint brush. The infection occurs in the wetter weather when water and mud are in constant contact with the skin and this is because it can only survive in an environment that has reduced oxygen, i.e. when the skin is wet then no air can get to the skin surface and the bacteria will reproduce and create an area of infection. This infection then creates the scab which takes over the job of excluding the oxygen from the skin surface and perpetuates the infection. There are some horses that seem to be affected more easily than others and these commonly include horses with pink skin, reduced protection due to frequent bathing, underlying disease like PPID ( Cushings disease ) or animals that are simply left out continuously in bad weather conditions will inevitably succumb at some point. Obviously some of these things are out of our control like the colour of a horses skin! However, the amount of turnout a horse has is in the direct control of the owner and no one else so can be limited as is necessary; and underlying diseases can be recognised and treated successfully

Ulcers

which would greatly improve the overall health of the horse and not just reduce the risk of dermatophilosis. The two most common reasons I see for this infection are inappropriate amounts of turnout in bad weather and horses with PPID that get all kinds of infection much more easily until they are treated. There has to be a recognition by owners that it is turning horses out in bad weather that causes this problem that can be painful, costly and time consuming to treat. There are also some other diseases that can appear similar to the untrained eye and need very different treatment, commonly these include self trauma caused by itching of horses with mite infestation in the skin of their legs and a less common disease called leucocytoclastic vasculitis which is an immune mediated inflammatory disease of the skin usually initiated

Does your horse have a decreased performance? or an attitude change (reluctance to work)? or poor body condition? He could have an ulcer and alkalising the body and healing the gut is the solution. The Ulca care pack has been specifically formulated for all horses including those with a predisposition to ulcers. It’s a three stage process, OrganicGut Powder-Soothes, settles and supports the gut and helps guard against gastric upset;

by u/v light on bright days and exclusively affecting white skin. These need to be considered in appropriate cases and in suspected mud rash cases that do not improve. I have tried to discuss the importance of prevention and disease awareness up to now and not mentioned treatment for two reasons, one is that this is a management problem mostly and therefore preventable by changing your routine, it is understandable that people do not want horses stood in but unfortunately our climate is restrictive in that way and if the horse spends a period of time every day when its legs are dry then you greatly reduce the risk. There is always the option to ride or some people may have the luxury of a horse walker. Secondly there are so many different ways that vets will advise you to treat this disease that are all effective that I could go on for a long time discussing them all. My experience of treating these cases successfully can be split into 2 types of case, mild and advanced. The mild cases are the majority and should be treated quite easily and in a relatively short time. If we consider how this bacteria survives we get the key ways in which we can treat it. It requires the wet conditions and scabs to reduce the oxygen level at the skin surface therefore if we keep the horse dry (stabled) and remove the scabs (with a medium stiffness brush) then the problem will resolve. Some of these cases may require some

Alka Ulca- Comprehensive alkalising herbal supplement -neutralises and absorbs excess acids Green Clay-To feed pre/post exercise to form a band aid over the ulcer, whilst the gut repairs. “Boysie had grade four gastric ulcers, since being fed Gut powder and alka Ulca, he has had no reoccurences of any gut problems and he is feeling very well. Such a relief, thank you” T. Tillbrooke.

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Healthcare medicated cream to apply when the scabs have been removed only but certainly, in my experience, do NOT require daily scrubbing with cleaning agents like chlorhexidine or iodine that is actually irritant to open wounds and plastering in any thick creams with wild claims of successful treatment. They can still be exercised by ridden or in hand work but not turned out until the skin has totally healed. The advanced cases can be more difficult to treat and manage, these are likely to have been left too long before being treated or have been unsuccessfully treated by the horses owner. They can require long courses of medication

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to manage the infection and pain and can develop complications including lymphangitis and more complicated infections, these cases are commonly left with permanent changes in the limbs with recurrent swelling and scarring common. The key is that good observation and timely changes in management routine can mean that your horse never gets this disease that is caused by a specific set of conditions on the skin surface that is in the owner’s hands to prevent. This is one of a number of diseases that we can successfully and significantly reduce the number of cases that happen by applying good management and getting early advice from a vet if worried about it.

AIRWAY PLUS W

hen your horse is not breathing quite right it is often difficult to know exactly why and the situation can sometimes drag on and on for months. If you want to get the best possible action in the quickest time possible and cover all the areas that might be of concern then use AirwayPlus liquid. AirwayPlus Liquid helps keep the airways open while at the same time helping to support the right balance of microorganisms in the throat and chest. • For Instant action at any time • To help keep airways open and clear on an ongoing basis • For extra soothing action with uncomfortable throats and windpipes • To provide nutritional support for the work of your vet RRP 1kg - £19.25; 1ltr - £28.25; 5kg - £82.00; 5ltr - £127.00 For more information please visit www.globalherbs.co.uk or call the free advice line on 01243 773363.

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‘THE WHOLE THING’S FASCINATING’ wrote a reader of ‘TRACKING-UP’ published by In our current issue: THE DANGERS OF LATERAL FLEXIONS, Anne Wilson: ‘GROUND-TYING’ YOUR HORSE, Lynda C. Thompson: SAFETY AND BEHAVIOUR IN THE RIDDEN HORSE: Staying On, Alison Averis: INTRODUCING CANTER, Anne Wilson: THE CONQUERING YEARS, Stuart Hastie, MRCVS: WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?, Lesley Skipper: ATTITUDES AND ETHICS, Margaret Aspinall: STRETCHING TO FLEX: Starting the Work, Charles de Kunffy: WHEN LIGHTNESS IS A HOLLOW WORD pt 2, Lisa Scaglione, also losing weight, preventing heat exhaustion and dehydration, lameness, Shire Horse flat race plus book extracts and reviews. ‘Tracking-up’ is available quarterly for £5.17 per issue or £18.70 for a 4-issue subscription. Clearly print your name, address and ‘TUA20’ on the back of your cheque payable to ‘Tracking-up’ and post it to Anne Wilson, Park End House, Robins Folly, Thurleigh, Beds., MK44 2EQ.

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Insurance • Healthcare • Supplements Le t yo us u qu ca o in n s te t te p o re re da st ad y fr th & d ee e o cr co n’t ed st fo it! w rg ith e t

Think Mud M

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ud fever is probably one of the most frustrating winter ailments and a condition which looks fairly harmless to start with but can rapidly become inflamed and painful, requiring stable rest and expensive veterinary treatment. One of the ways in which you can help is by supporting your horse nutritionally by feeding Think Mud. This unique supplement cuts out the hassle of having to apply daily barrier creams and can even provide support in cases where mud fever has already taken hold, helping to reduce the cost of expensive treatment. Think Mud is a daily supplement designed to help maintain skin integrity during wet and muddy conditions. It helps to support condition from within and maintain the horse’s natural defences giving the best chance of effectively fighting off the bacteria present in mud. The complex natural ingredients maintain a healthy immune system, support blood circulation and skin integrity. Available in 1.5kg & 4kg tubs priced RRP £30.95 and RRP £65.95 respectively. A 1.5kg tub will last a horse for up to 50 days and a 4kg will supply one horse for most of the winter providing over four months of support. For further information please contact Brinicombe Equine on 08700 606206 or visit www.brinicombe-equine.co.uk

TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer

opSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer is a very flexible nutrient-rich feed designed to balance the rations of most horses and ponies simply by adjusting the rate at which it is fed and the products it is fed with. It is a very palatable ‘Non-Heating’ pelleted feed that is formulated without cereal grains and contains only low levels of sugar and starch. TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer contains many supplements combined with good quality protein to promote muscle development and topline. The supplements include a topspecification broad-spectrum supplement and specialised supplements including a superb hoof supplement, generous levels of anti-oxidants and sophisticated digestive aids. TopSpec Comprehensive Feed Balancer contains: • A fully comprehensive range of the micronutrients needed to balance feed and improve its utilisation, even in the most demanding or stressful situations. • Powerful levels of Vitamin E and selenium, vital anti-oxidants, to neutralise the presence of excess free-radicals and, together with high quality protein, to optimise muscle development and function. Important for broodmares, horses on high oil diets, and horses recovering from ‘tying-up’. • The level of Biotin (15mg/500kg horse/day) that is scientifically proven to improve hoof quality, plus the levels of methionine, cysteine, lysine, calcium, zinc, copper, iodine, vitamin A and oil known to improve the efficiency of biotin alone. Many of these nutrients also promote supple skin and a shiny coat. • Effective levels of protein, vitamins calcium, phosphorous, copper, zinc and manganese to develop and maintain strong bone. • Constructive levels of amino acids, complex carbohydrates, antioxidants plus MSM to help maintain healthy joints. • Raised levels of copper, zinc, B vitamins and associated nutrients to optimize haemoglobin levels in blood. • Generous levels of B vitamins for efficient energy metabolism, vital for horses with compromised hindgut function. • wo advanced probiotic substances to create a healthy gut environment, optimise fibre digestibility and maintain a healthy immune system. • Organic chelated minerals for improved availability. For further information please contact the Multiple AwardWinning Helpline on 01845 565030 or visitwww.topspec.com www.equi-ads.com

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Insurance • Healthcare

Mud fever W

inter can herald the onset of muddy gateways and boggy fields. Horses that are turned out during winter can all be predisposed to the potentially chronic condition; mud fever. Mud fever occurs when the skin’s protective barrier becomes compromised through periods of exposure to mud and wet conditions. Micro-organisms enter the skin and cause bacterial infections which, if left untreated can cause swelling, pain and lameness. We all know that prevention is better that the cure, so the best way to prevent mud fever is to be proactive at the first signs of muddy conditions. Apply Horse and Pony Direct’s Mud Fever/Cut Cream to the back of heels, fetlocks and pasterns, these are the most common areas for mud fever to take hold, but be vigilant for other areas becoming affected. Horse and Pony Direct’s Mud Fever/Cut Cream contains a silver/chitosan complex, a real innovation in wound management. This unique complex has been scientifically proven to kill the bacteria responsible for mud fever. The antibacterial formula acts as a barrier against harmful bacteria and also aids recovery of affected areas. Horse and Pony Direct’s Mud Fever/Cut Cream is available in a 200 gram pot priced at £12.99. Exclusively available through the website www.horseandponydirect.com or on the 24 hour order line; feed balancers, supplements, creams, sprays and grooming products can be ordered at much lower costs than through tack shops and delivered direct to your door (or yard) within 48 hours. You will not find them in any shops. All products are made in the UK under the Horse and Pony Direct brand so you can rest assured that you always get the highest quality products at the best possible prices. Horse and Pony Direct was launched last year and is already picking up awards for its products. The super value fly repellent ‘Insect Away’ won Horse magazine’s ‘best value’ award. For more information on how you can buy these high quality products direct for less visit www.horseandponydirect.com or call our order line on 0844 2472144.

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Another happy ending... This is Chester, one year after his surgery and the first time he was allowed a little freedom outside the confinement of his stable. He genuinely looks happy to be alive and thanks to SEIB and the advances in Surgical techniques he is well on the road to recovery. L. Errington & Chester All horse insurance is not the same! Buying the correct insurance policy that will keep you and your horse protected must be a priority. Take the time to speak to the team at SEIB and they will guide you through the range of insurance on offer and will explain the options of cover available and the costs involved.

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Tack & Turnout Xxxxxxxxxx • Healthcare

Nutritional Support for the Respiratory System H

orses evolved to thrive on wide open plains, where, as creatures of flight, their response reactions had to be very quick. This applies to that of their respiratory tract which is designed for exerting maximum performance when fleeing predators. Since domestication our expectations of our horses are quite the opposite, as they are often living and working in comparatively enclosed environments. These can create pressures for the modern horse, which is frequently evident in the health and integrity of the respiratory system.

Avoid stressing the lungs

Throughout the year respiratory issues can be caused by many influences. For instance, throughout those long awaited warmer months when flowers are in full bloom causing the pollen count to increase - pollen spores can cause allergies in our horses as easy as those that occur amongst ourselves. While, during the winter months, due to weather conditions and shorter days, our horses tend to spend longer stabled and working indoors. This means it can be difficult to avoid exposing the horses to heavy dust burdens such as hay, straw, or arena dust when worked and other factors which can stress the lungs. Stabling and turnout

Management plays an important role in helping our horses to cope with these stresses placed on the respiratory system. Turning the susceptible horse out in the field as much as possible will help to reduce exposure to the dust environments, in fact, sometimes it is even worth checking to see it is viable to keep your horse permanently at grass to help combat this issue. When this is not possible a compromise between stabling and turnout ideally needs to be established.

Good stable hygiene G

ood stable hygiene can go a long way to reducing many equine illnesses and conditions such as respiratory issues, immune problems or dermatological difficulties. In addition, ammonia, found in urine, can often compromise the horses’ respiratory and immune system, not to mention weakening their hooves. A regular clear out and wash down of our your stable is important but expensive antibacterial powders, sprays, lotions and potions are simply not required when Nedz bedding is incorporated into your horse’s routine. The manufacturer uses an exclusive Natural Nedz formula in both Nedz Pro and Nedz Original to help save their customers money, time and stress! Natural Nedz was formulated specifically for Nedz so owners can rest assured they are stabling their horses on the most natural product, which offers multiple benefits to provide a soothing and healing bedding, while also maintaining a non-toxic environment. Created using Manuka, Aloe Vera and Cade oil, Natural Nedz offers anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties, whilst the unique aroma helps to eliminate odours, which in turn assists in discouraging insects and bugs. The use of Natural Nedz helps reduce bed eating so your stabled horse, or pony, won’t be tucking into his bed for an extra snack, saving you pennies and protecting his digestive system! Both products are both extremely absorbent products, which help reduce the levels of ammonia in your horse’s stable, and every bale of Nedz goes through a rigorous dust extraction process making them one of the most dustfree bedding products on the market. Well priced between £6.50 £8 per 20kg bale, Nedz makes keeping your equine’s bed clean, fresh and hygienic. To find out more information website: www. nedz.co.uk or call: 01254 677 762 to find your local stockist.

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Xxxxxxxxxx Healthcare Choose low dust bedding

When stabled, try to ensure your horse has plenty of adequate ventilation to provide him with fresh air at all times. Choosing low dust bedding options and considering changing hay to haylage can be beneficial because changing from this helps to provide a lower dust burden than dry hay alone. Additionally, soaking or steaming hay may also be advised as this swells the dust spores meaning they are swallowed rather than inhaled. If taking this option it is important not to soak for too long as this can leach nutrients,

around 20 minutes is adequate. When the hay is fed while still wet it will prove more valuable than if allowed to dry as the benefit may be lost. Most horses will also find feeding from the floor, rather than from a haynet, will help any mucus drain out naturally, as this imitates the horses natural feeding/grazing position. Competition horses suffer

A study at Bristol University Veterinary School found that sub-clinical respiratory stress was present in the majority (up to 80%) of competition horses. This should come as no

great surprise given the respiratory challenges of stabling, regular travel, often meeting new horses and working in schools that apply to our equine athletes. This leads onto an important factor, as horse owners can we provide our horses with something they may already be lacking? We can by simply offering the right, targeted, nutritional support which can play a significant role in helping to meet your horse’s respiratory requirements. By offering day to day dietary care will help to offer vital ingredients the horse may not presently be able to access as they would have done previously in the wild. Toxins

One of the title ingredients to look out for are naturally sourced, scientifically verified antioxidants. Not only can these help support the lungs by harmlessly flushing the toxins from areas that may be affected. Combining these antioxidants with key herbal extracts for immune support, such as echinacea, and the natural essential oils of clove and eucalyptus your horse can be offered five star support through a supplement. Therefore, it can be seen that by combining good daily management with correct nutritional support will help clear the way for optimum lung function. NAF recommend Five Star Respirator Boost which provides valuable nutritional support to the respiratory mucosal immune system and the delicate capillary blood vessels that surround the lungs. For further information or advice please call one of NAF’s friendly, qualified nutritionists on the NAF Freephone Advice Line: 0800 373106, e-mail info@naf-uk.com or go to www.naf-equine.eu/uk

TEN TOP TIPS FOR PREVENTING MUD FEVER • Management – most winter skin conditions result from a dirty coat which provides the ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive. Keep coats as clean and as dry as possible with suitable rugs or shelter and regular grooming. • Hygiene - rugs, tack, grooming and stable equipment can spread contagious skin conditions or repeatedly re-infect the same horse unless you eliminate infectious agents by disinfection and cleaning (veterinary surgeons can advise on suitable products that will not harm your horse). • Correct Nutrition – poor diets, especially those lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, can have dire effects on the skin health. Consult an equine nutritionist if you suspect current dietary intake is not aiding a healthy skin and coat. • Vigilance – check horses daily for signs that a skin condition may be imminent. Thick winter coats can easily mask problems such as mud fever, rain scald, ringworm and lice. • Prevention – if it is known that an individual horse is prone to certain winter skin conditions then preventative www.equi-ads.com

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measure should be taken. For example, horses prone to mud fever may benefit from a barrier cream or regular treatments with an antibacterial cleansing wash such as Activ Wash. • Clipping and Trimming – it may help to trim or clip horses coats during winter to make them easier to keep clean and dry. Skin problems will often be more evident when coats are clipped and horses in work will be more comfortable as they will sweat less and dry off quicker. • Treatment – a skin condition must be correctly identified in order for treatment to be as effective as possible. If you are in any doubt or if the condition has appeared for the first time always seek advice from your veterinary surgeon. • Washing – continually washing and bathing horses can weaken the skin structure removing essential oils. This can lead to the skin becoming chapped and sore and irritated by particles of soil, leaving it more susceptible to infection. Avoid excessive bathing during winter; grooming will remove dirt and scurf without stripping the coat

of its natural oils. • Products - anti-bacterial washes can be used prophylactically on susceptible animals or to treat existing skin conditions caused by bacterium. They will help to remove any encrusted debris such as scabs. • Healing - removing scabs carefully using an anti-bacterial cleansing wash (if bacterium is the causative organism) will remove any existing bacteria and dirt held in the scabs allowing new clean scabs to form and heal. It is very important that any sponges that are used in the washing process are clean and that the area washed is rinsed well with clean water and then dried thoroughly. For more information contact Robinson Animal Healthcare on 01909 735000 or visit www.robinsonhealthcare.com October 2013 | 37

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Healthcare Xxxxxxxxxx • Security

MICROCHIPPING - What’s the point?

Ben Sturgoen, BSc, BVM&S, Cert EP, MRCVS

t will come as little surprise that I have chipped quite a few foals recently. After a few months out in fields they are now being brought in and the identification process is in full swing. Many people are very

happy with the requirements but I have a few clients who simply ask “is it safe?” Or “What’s the point of this?” The answer can be quite long winded. Firstly the answer according to

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the “party line”. Following the introduction of compulsory passports for all horses in 2005, new European Union regulations, which came into effect on 1st July 2009, meant that all foals born must be microchipped before an owner can apply for an equine passport. The new rules do not apply to older horses with an existing passport which were born before 1st July 2009, but any foal (horses, ponies, donkeys or mules) born after this date must be microchipped within six months of birth, or by December 31st of the year of birth, whichever is later. Horses born before 1st July 2009 which do not have an existing passport, must also be microchipped when the passport is issued. Failure to correctly identify animals under the new rules could lead to a fine. Even if your horse is not affected by these regulations, microchipping is increasingly being seen as the best way of identifying an individual horse and it has advantages over the other methods of identification. There are three main methods then to identify your horse or pony: Microchipping

Provides a supposed guarantee of identity. Microchip implantation is not completely pain free (utilizing a relatively large needle), but does appear to inflict less pain and suffering than other identification methods such as hot branding or freeze marking. Freeze marking

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100% success rate against mud fever and Pastern Dermatitis

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Treat and prevent Bacterial skin conditions

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Treats minor wounds

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Recommended by vets

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Can be washed and reused

Involves a cold branding iron being held on the skin for 7-10 seconds in dark horses to make a white mark, or 12-15 in lighter horses to destroy the hair growth follicles and make a bald mark. Freeze marking may deter the theft of horses and ponies, which can lead to neglect, poor welfare and slaughter, but the process itself can cause significant suffering. Hot branding

Enhance wound healing rates

Indoor use only

Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 38

Involves the application of a very hot iron to the skin for several seconds or until the hide turns a light tan colour. This causes significant pain and suffering – significantly more than freeze marking or microchipping. The RSPCA believe that this pain and suffering is unnecessary because there are the effective alternative means of identification available which cause less suffering. A microchip is a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice covered with an anti-migration

sheath, which contains a unique serial code. It is inserted, via injection, into the nuchal ligament on the left side of the horse’s neck. This procedure must only be carried out by a veterinary surgeon. The horse owner’s details and a unique serial code are stored on a computerised database, which links the owner to the horse. It is therefore important that the owner’s details on the database are kept up to date. Once the microchip has been implanted, it can be read easily by an electronic microchip reader. The microchip cannot move or be seen – therefore, it is tamper-proof and permanent, unlike other more traditional methods of identification, such as branding. Although microchipping is considered to be very safe, there is a very small risk of bruising and abscess formation at the site of implantation, and on very rare occasions, possible migration of the microchip. The introduction of horse passports and microchipping has been widely welcomed. The EU legislation ensures that horses, which have been treated with veterinary medicines not authorised for use in food producing animals, cannot be slaughtered for human consumption in Europe. This has obviously become more important following the recent findings of horse meat in our national diet. If horse owners in the UK do not comply, there is a significant risk that we would lose up to 70% of horse medicines, including common medications such as ‘bute’, which would have grave consequences for equine welfare. It is intended then that microchipping will make the horse identification and passport system more robust. This reliable, sophisticated and cost-effective technology will also help to reunite owners with their horses in the event of theft or escape, aid disease surveillance and help animal welfare organisations with prosecutions in cases of neglect. All well and good? So what’s the problem or why the concerns? So secondly the “scaremongers”. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration www.equi-ads.com

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Xxxxxxxxxx Healthcare • Security • Bedding

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‘Think twice before using wormers’ * * BVA advice

WESTGATE LABORATORIES

in two animals that were affected, they had been chipped recently and there had not been time for the injection site to heal. Of more concern is the reporting of Fibrosarcoma (a skin tumour) in a cat, and in Rodents under experimental conditions, and have been suggested to be associated with the anti-migrational sheath. No cases have been reported in horses at all and we should be wary of extrapolating results from other species. However, despite again the extremely low incidence, and given the number of animals microchipped, we should not ignore any changes at the microchipping site. Movement or migration of the chip has always been of concern to owners and migration has been documented again in small animals. This appears not to be the case in horses primarily because of the fact that we place the chip into a ligament rather than under the skin as with small animals. Research has again found that “migration” within horses is not due to microchip movement but because of muscle development around the chip. Given that most horses are chipped as a foal and that growth is obviously ongoing it is perhaps unsurprising that the chip becomes “deeper” within tissues as the animal ages. Reliability of the chip is perhaps the last area of concern. Companies that provide the chips claim that they will last the lifespan of the animal and as yet absolute failure of the chips is again in negligible numbers. Many cases however, are recorded where the chip is simply not found, but this is largely due to the scanner being of insufficient quality to detect them. Basic scanners usually have a capacity to detect chips at a distance of up to 7 centimeters. Considering that chips are usually embedded at approximately 2 to 3 centimeters below the skin (continued on page 40)

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(FDA); The potential risks to health associated with the device [microchip implant] are: adverse tissue reaction, migration of implanted transponder; compromised information security; failure of implanted transponder; failure of inserter; failure of electronic scanner; electromagnetic interference; electrical hazards; magnetic resonance imaging incompatibility; and needle stick injury. And there are also reports of nerve damage and tumour development and even computer viruses! The first rule of any medicine is prima non cere, or do no harm. So are any of these concerns real or is there a sensible alternative argument? Abscesses, lumps and infections have occurred in horses because of microchip implants but have also occurred with and can occur with any vaccine or injection and currently there is no evidence to suggest that they are more likely to cause a higher percentage of infections. In my experience I have had one horse developing a post implantation reaction, but several (approximately 4) from vaccination reactions. Nerve damage was reported by one vet (from Holland) in 2005 subsequent to microchipping but is also reported with other injections. The incidence given the multiplicity of microchip insertions appears to be negligible. Adverse tissue reactions, muscle changes and even cancer are perhaps the most concerning. It is unsurprising that muscular changes do occur at the site of implant. In one study of 16 horses that had been submitted for post mortem examinations (for reasons other than chipping) the chips had caused absolutely no ill effects (microchips were covered by a thin capsule of fibrous tissue, sometimes with a minimal amount of inflammation),

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Saddlery Xxxxxxxxxx (continued from page 39) surface, basic scanners are frequently sufficient. However, as muscle growth can cause the chip to end up deeper below the skin surface, this can cause readability issues. In a recent study using 428 microchipped horses, a basic scanner only detected 90% of the microchips. However, with a more advanced model capable of scanning at a distance of 12 centimeters, all 428 microchips were detected. It has also been suggested that some duplication of microchip numbers has occurred and with microchip kits being sold via the Internet it may be difficult to know if a microchip identification number is unique. I have yet to find any record of this occurring but greater control or standardization of chip numbers is perhaps needed on this point. Finally, on this point and with trepidation it has been demonstrated that a computer virus can be transmitted to microchips affecting their status. Whilst I know not of a reason for this, I generally don’t understand some people and can only hope that appropriate “safety” is employed by the various databases. So what do we make of all this? Aside from fulfilling the legal requirements we as vets must be happy that what we are doing is to the benefit of the individual animal and to the general population (people included). In my opinion the microchip is safer, less injurious and painful, and less manipulative than other methods of identification and affords the owner with peace of mind, the vet of clinical safety and the general public of medical standards being upheld. But we should always ask.

Hay Replacers By Joanna Palmer BSc (Hons) Allen & Page

side from water, fibre is the most important component of every horse’s diet and for the majority, their fibre needs are easily met through grazing and supplementary forages such as hay and haylage. There is though, a growing need for alternative sources of fibre, most notably for the increasing population of veteran horses and ponies who can have difficulty chewing long stem fibre, due to poor teeth. Why is fibre important?

Horses have evolved to eat a diet that is predominately fibrous forage and in the wild they would graze for 18 to 20 hours a day. To mimic their need to ‘trickle feed‘, our domesticated horses should ideally have fibre in the form of grass, hay or haylage available at all times. Fibre is not only essential for good digestive health, its digestion also provides a good source of calories and body heat as it is fermented in the gut. This means that the horse has to use fewer calories to keep warm and more likely to maintain condition. If a horse is not getting enough fibre in his diet, he will lose weight, almost in spite of how much high calorie

Bitting concepts and how bitting horses has changed We talk to Abbey Bits and Hilary Vernon about the changes in bits and new innovations over the years.

istorically horses were a mode of transport and a necessity, and consequently you could say were worked and fed more naturally. Hours of work each day in most cases so that the horse was naturally fit and utilised its energy. Proper holidays where horses were turned out for the season when they beware not working, and allowed time off mentally and physically to rest and recover and then brought back into work fit and well for the work to be done. Positive changes that have happened in modern bitting are that we now know more about the conformation of the horse and in particular the mouth and we realise that using well balanced and well made bits is very sensible. We know that spending £1000 or more on a saddle and £20 on a bit is not realistic. The negative side to modernisation is there are some very poorly made bits on the market, both in the cheap and the more expensive categories with no balance or particular theory behind how they work or how to use them. There are more choices of competition and environment now whereas historically the single jointed Snaffle, the Double Bridle and the Pelham were your adequate choices (unless yours was a carriage horse), for all that was required of the horse. Realistically you should still keep

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traditional values - always buy a bit that looks well made and looks equal and symmetrical to the eye. The bit should feel comfortable to handle, it is after all to go in your horse’s mouth so if you don’t like the action neither will he. And lastly have a good idea of how your choice of bit works so you can access if it is going to be comfortable for your horse and give you the right signals to do the job you need it for. Abbey Bits enjoy an unrivalled reputation for the supply of quality made bits in the UK and overseas, including the Hilary Vernon range. The Hilary Vernon bit range – Informed Designs is made up of English bits designed and carefully constructed to complement the conformation of the horse’s mouth to improve comfort and communication to promote effective and humane control. The range is inspired by the theory that a comfortable horse will be a more relaxed horse and therefore a less resistant horse. The range includes: Snaffles, Pelhams, Doubles, Daleheads, Liverpools and Butterflys. A variety of mouthpieces on these cheeks ensure you have a choice to ensure effective bitting for individual horses and ponies. Abbey Bits are made in the UK and with no minimum order, they are the favoured brand name with leading professional and amateur riders alike, looking for quality

and innovation from a supplier specialising in traditional and unusual bits. With over 200 different bit patterns in stock and the ability to meet demand, Abbey are also able to capture and follow bit trends, supplying specialist bits in a wide variety of sizes. The vast range includes Snaffles, Gags, Pelhams, Double Bridles,

Driving Bits, and Hackamores. Bits are available in various materials including copper, stainless steel, sweet iron, rubber and vulcanite. Abbey made to measure bits can easily be customised from existing parts and they offer superb comfort and quality. For more information contact Abbey Saddlery on 01565 650343 or visit www.ridingbitz. com or www.informedbitting.co.uk

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Xxxxxxxxxx Saddlery ‘bucket’ feed he may also be given. Horses that do not eat enough fibre are more likely to develop serious problems, including gastric ulcers, colic and hyperlipaemia, as well as behavioural issues such as aggression, grumpiness and crib biting due to their inability to fulfil their natural feeding and chewing behaviours. Hay replacers for veteran horses

Continued advances in veterinary medicine, together with an increase in our own understanding and management of our horses and ponies have led to a significant increase in their lifespans, with many horses now healthy and active well into their twenties and thirties. Unfortunately, even with the best possible care and regular attention from a qualified equine dental technician, there is little we can do to prevent the deterioration in tooth condition that occurs naturally with age. Loose, worn or missing teeth and pain from sore gums will all affect a horse’s ability to chew efficiently. Balls of partially chewed food form in the horse’s mouth and are then dropped on the floor. This is known as quidding and is a tell-tale sign that a horse is suffering from problems with their teeth and would benefit from a hay replacer. The choice and availability of these hay replacers has grown significantly over the last few years and includes short-chopped chaffs, sugar beet, grass nuts, alfalfa pellets and specially prepared, fast soaking fibre feeds that combine all the necessary ingredients and vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet. It is important to be aware that products such as sugar beet and some of the grass and alfalfa chaffs are high in calories and so not suitable to be fed in large quantities to good doers already at ideal bodyweight. A hay replacer should provide similar nutrition to that of good quality hay. If necessary, additional higher energy fibre sources or a conditioning feed can then be added to the horse’s diet, to provide a calorie boost. A hay replacer can be fed to replace all or part of the horse’s normal daily fibre intake, depending on their individual needs. As well as veteran horses and ponies, other equines that may benefit from a hay replacer include: • Fussy feeders who simply do not eat sufficient fibre to meet their nutritional needs; • A horse or pony that has sustained an injury or undergone an operation that affects their ability to chew - a soaked fibre feed that is easy to eat can be particularly beneficial during recovery;

Dressage

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Endurance

• Horses and ponies who are prone to colic or recovering from abdominal surgery - again the provision of a soaked fibre feed ensures the horse receives the fibre they need for digestive health and the additional water content helps to keep the gut hydrated and able to function efficiently; • Those with access to only poor quality grass, hay and haylage; • Horses with a history of gastric ulcers, where providing an additional source of fibre together with their normal hay/haylage helps to maximise fibre intake and promote chewing, which in turn stimulates saliva production to neutralise the ulcer causing acid. Feeding a soaked hay replacer

Many people enjoy the convenience and peace of mind of feeding a specially made product with known nutritional content. One of the most important qualities of a hay replacer is that it is easy to eat, particularly as the main reason for a horse needing an alternative fibre source is poor dental condition. An affected horse is more at risk of choke, simply because he is not able to chew properly. For this reason a fast soaking fibre feed is popular with horses and their owners alike, not only for ease of eating and preparation, but with the added benefit of increasing water consumption. Veteran horses can be reluctant to drink enough water, particularly in the winter and by feeding a soaked hay replacer their water intake can be significantly increased. As a soaked fibre feed takes considerably less effort and time to eat than the equivalent amount of hay, it is important to try to maximise the amount of time a horse spends eating to avoid long periods when no fibre is passing through the gut. A horse’s feeding time can be extended by: • Dividing the horse’s daily feed into as many meals as possible; • Feeding from a long trough or straight on the floor to spread the feed out and prevent the horse from taking large mouthfuls; • Placing obstacles such as large, flat stones in the trough so the horse has to eat around them; • Splitting each meal into several containers around the stable or field to encourage foraging behaviour; • Mixing in a chaff if the horse is capable of chewing one. For further information, contact our friendly, award winning nutrition team on 01362 822 902, email us at helpline@allenandpage.co.uk or visit our website www.allenandpage.com

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Xxxxxxxxxx Feeding

StableTalk with Laura Tomlinson

ver wondered how an Olympian’s yard is run? In this issue Equi-Ads and HAYGAIN take a closer look at Laura Tomlinson’s stable management routine and the attention to detail the team go to in order to maximise performance. HARDWORK, determination, a drive to succeed and a desire for the very best are attributes that count when you want to win Olympic medals. Dressage star Laura Tomlinson is well known for wanting to get the most out of her horses. She understands that in order for her horses to compete at the highest level their health and happiness is a top priority. As you enter her yard in a pretty Gloucestershire village there is an overwhelming feeling of calm and tranquillity.The yard is ultra smart but it is also set out with practicality in mind. Designed by her father, Dr Bechtolsheimer the aim was to create maximum ventilation for the horses when stabled. Laura commented: “The most important factor is keeping the horses happy. We have a devoted team of grooms, who take their time and enjoy the horses, rather than rushing.” It is evident that the horses respond to the extra time and care as their ears prick up at the sound of Laura’s voice. Laura is very hands on around the yard, riding up to five horses a day and teaching during lunchtime so that the yard routine isn’t disrupted. Currently there are eight horses in work and around 30 horses on the site if you include the youngsters, stud and older horses. With nine members of the team, Laura recognises she has excellent support from people who are very dedicated. Amy Richardson has worked for Laura for more than two years: “My whole life is working for Laura and I enjoy every moment. I ensure the yard maintains high standards at all times and make sure the environment is very clean. This works through an organised, efficient routine. It all just becomes second nature.” Correct stable management is vital to ensure the yard works efficiently with the mind-set focused on the horses and making sure their stables are clean and as dust free as possible all the time. The grooms are allocated horses so that they build up a rapport with them and know immediately if there is something wrong whether it is swollen legs, they are off their food or their temperament is different to the norm. “The grooms all have individual roles, but then have to work as a team. As the grooms have their

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own jobs they get more efficient at them and it makes the yard run smoothly with everyone knowing what they are doing,” said Laura. “The yard is clean and disinfected at all times. With the horses away at competitions so much and recent virus outbreaks, we can’t take any risks. “The stable walls and doors are cleaned and sterilized daily using Protek Envirocair Veterinary disinfectant on every surface on the yard and in the horsebox and the drain is then cleaned out regularly. “The horses all usually have a holiday in October after the Nationals. During this period all the horses are turned out and the stables get fully pressure washed and repainted. “If I travel to a show, clinic or demonstration, it is my responsibility to ensure the stables are clean. We use the Protek Envirocair Veterinary disinfectant spray on the stable and then have the peace of mind that when the horse goes in we don’t have to worry. “If any horse enters the yard, we spray the facilities afterward. Mark (Laura’s husband) occasionally brings his polo ponies in to use the water spa so it just safe guards from any possible diseases entering the yard. “The Protek shampoo allows horses to be cleaned and disinfected, and leaves the horses really soft. You can use it on sensitive skin and not feel like you are removing any of the goodness.” All these measures help make the yard a cleaner, nicer and disease free place for the horses. The horses’ respiratory health is a major priority on the yard and to ensure dust is kept to a minimum the yard is swept with a sweeper three times a day so the dust is removed for the surface and not spread into the air. Ventilation is also

important and high on the priority list. The stables have big windows at the back so air can circulate through the stable and the side walls also have a grill window so the horses can see each other. The ceilings are high, with the walkway of the stable block open at each end which all contributes to plenty of air flow and ensuring the horses are exposed to lots of fresh air. The bedding is low dust and the hay is steamed in a HAYGAIN. All the hay is stacked up in the barn, placed in hay bags and shaken to remove dust, then steamed in the HAYGAIN hay steamer. The steamer is used twice a day and cleaned out after use. When travelling all the horses are fed steamed hay nets, so there is no extra dust, especially as the horse box has limited ventilation. The horses eat from the ground; this is great especially when travelling long distances abroad. Laura is well aware of the importance of feeding high quality forage to help achieve her horse’s best performance. “We know every horse is different so each horse has a tailor made hard feed, to suit the individual. This comprises of the protein, vitamins and minerals they need to maintain the best health for the work they are doing. The horses are fed four times a day, along with forage and grass,” added Laura. Daily Routine:

6:30am The grooms are on the yard. The horses all have an initial check, and are then given hay and hard feed. Once finished, the grooms check all the food has been eaten. 8:00am Lara and Laura start riding at 8 and each horse is groomed before and have magnetic rug every other day.They are washed down and groomed properly including strapping, after work. The horses are exercised for around 50mins. Exercise can be anything from lunging, schooling, the water treadmill, going on the all weather canter track or hacking around the village. Hacking around fields and country lanes, www.equi-ads.com

25/09/2013 12:13

Xxxxxxxxxx Healthcare • Stabling allows the horses to see different things. It’s good education for the horses to do something else. Whilst the horses are being exercised the stables are mucked out, cleaned and the yard is swept. After exercise the horses are washed down thoroughly and put in the paddocks. 12am The horses are brought back in the stables and groomed. The horses are given hay and hard fed. The yard is swept. The horse’s are skipped out, hayed and then fed just before 1. 1-2:30pm The whole yard goes on lunch, so the horses can enjoy a rest. 2:30pm a light exercise, ie if schooled in the morning then they are hacked/ treadmilled in the afternoon. Then washed if necessary. And then go in the paddock weather permitting. 5pm The horses get hay are skipped out and the yard is swept up. 5.30pm The horses get hard feed and yard closes up. 9pm Is the last check. Mash is fed, the girls don’t work till 9, its a rota of who does late check!

WIN A SADDLE!

Celebrating their 25th anniversary, Petplan Equine is giving one lucky Facebook follower the chance to win an Ideal saddle of their choice (dressage, jumping or general purpose) to the value of around £1,500 from the British saddle manufacturer’s Lynx Pro range. To make sure the saddle is absolutely right for you and your horse, they will also cover the cost of a local saddler to visit the winner and fit the saddle. https://www. facebook.com/PetplanEquineUK Tell them you saw it in Equi-Ads.

Stable Management Advice

1. Do small jobs regularly. If you leave it, it will become a bigger task. Jobs like the cleaning the manger, stables, walkway and the school. 2. We sweep up three times a day, after we have mucked out, before lunch and last thing. To eradicate the dust. 3. Allocate jobs, so everyone knows what their roles and responsibilities are. This makes it fair, it balances jobs out and people become quick at their jobs. 4. Steam hay to eliminate the dust and use low dust bedding. 5. Have big windows and airy stables, preferably with high ceilings to create good ventilation. HAYGAIN is currently available in three models: the HG-1000, HG-600 and HG-GO. Complete nutritional value and goodness are maintained with improved palatability. For further information please contact HAYGAIN hay steamers on 0333 200 5233 or www.haygain.com

A STABLE ESSENTIAL W

hat determines your choice of horse bedding? Is it price, consistency, quality of supply or performance which makes your decision? If you thought you’d never find a bedding product on the marketplace, which ticks all those boxes, then Verdo Horse Bedding is an exciting new direction in bedding, which might surprise you. This clever heat-treated wood pellet product, created for equine use is activated using a small amount of water and within approximately 20 minutes, you are ready to empty the open bags out onto the stable floor and create a soft fluffy and dry bed ready for your equine friend! Because the pellets are manufactured 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 absorb up to 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) Verdo Horse Bedding: Ask the question and our product delivers! www.verdohorsebedding.co.uk For stockist enquiries: 01264 342 009 RRP: £5.00 - £5.65 Per Bag

Hoof Care T

he Radius Rasp is designed for barefoot horses, but can also be used on those horses that have lost a shoe, to tidy up the hoof wall. The handy tool can be used safely by horse owners in order to bevel or ‘roll’ the edge of the bare hoof, known as the mustang roll. It can also help control ‘flare’ of the hoof. Regular rasping of the feet between professional trims, maintain correct hoof shape, keep the hoof in balance and maintain a correct break-over; this is the process of the heel leaving the ground and rotating the toe. The Radius Rasp, available at The Saddlery Shop, is the ideal hoof wall

maintenance tool and is the perfect kit for preventing chips or splits and promoting perfect hoof condition all year round. www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk

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Tack & Xxxxxxxxxx Turnout • News

Does The Tack Really Fit?

n this issue we talk to the Society of Master Saddlers to gain advice on whether to purchase the saddle and bridle when buying a new horse. Although at first glance it can appear like a ‘bargain’ to buy a horse with tack it may not always be a positive. Obviously the most important aspect to find out is, if you like the horse enough to want to buy it, does the tack really fit as well as it should. Don’t automatically assume that the saddle fits - although there is no excuse today for using illfitting tack, the seller may not have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to correct saddle fitting and they could simply be using a saddle they already had when they bought the horse in the first place. Unfortunately a buyer caught in this type of situation often tends to be fairly novice and may simply assume

Lost shoes, problem solved! E

venter Muriel Colquhoun has invented an odd looking product she has named ShoeSecure. It's a removable thermoplastic shield which the farrier can prepares for the owner, the shield can be attached or removed as needed, on a daily basis. The ShoeSecures were primarily designed for turnout only, however it is simple to modify them for riding. both protects the heel bulbs of the front feet and forms an unbroken protection zone over the heels of the shoe. A horse can still reach forward with a hind foot, but it can’t damage the back of the pastern and bulbs and it can’t catch the heels of the shoe. Geography has a lot to do with both why riders are looking for a product like ShoeSecure and how it came to be. The rolling countryside along the banks of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire, Scotland is a great place to condition event horses, but the thick and often boggy earth puts all horses at risk for stepping on (and pulling off ) the fully-fit horseshoes that their farriers fit for them. Yes, even if your horse is shod by 2013 world champion farrier David Varini, you can still lose shoes. Or, in the case of Muriel’s horse, you could still lose shoes on a regular basis. “David was making far too many return trips,” Muriel recalls. "He and his partner Paul Robinson (both World Champions) have helped with ShoeSecure; they were basically fed up coming back into my yard to put lost front shoes back on my horse, Banjo Paterson. I was also using lots of fuel and time going down to their smithy in Ayrshire to get shoes replaced. David doesn't believe in cutting the heels short so I came up with ShoeSecure." Days lost from training are just what horses on a conditioning schedule don’t need. Muriel wouldn’t stand for the inconvenience and potential injury to her horse’s hooves and bulbs; she challenged Varini to help her solve the problem.

the deal they are getting is a good one! There may be situations where the seller blatantly takes advantage of a first-time buyer and in these cases The Society of Master Saddlers would encourage those new to horse ownership to take a more experienced person with them. As well as making sure the saddle and bridle fit correctly, also take the time to make sure the tack is in good condition. Over the years there have been many instances where a Society of Master Saddlers’ Qualified Saddle Fitter has been to check the saddle for owners of a new horse or pony and come away very disillusioned. It can often be the case that the new owner was thrilled to bits when the seller informed them they were providing the tack as well to help them out. But in many instances the tack can be scratched and very well worn, with even some of the stitching loose and the girth being used too long. Similar instances include stirrup leathers not being a pair and saddle flocking that has become flat, hard and lumpy.

YARD BEDDING

or a bargain priced bedding that really performs, look no further than Yard Bedding wood pellets.The wood pellets are made using premium quality pine from Scandinavia and are supplied in easy to handle 12.5kg bags. The pellets are absorbent, easy to use and reduce the amount of waste removed from the stable, the amount of bedding on the muck heap and time mucking out. Not only is Yard Bedding great for stables, it can also be used in kennels, catteries, poultry housing and around the farm. Yard Bedding is available in full and half pallet loads. When bought as a full pallet, prices start at £4.25 per bag. To find out more or to order, see www.yardbedding.co.uk or call 01285 648240.

SMS ‘Fit for Purpose’ Awareness Day A

RE you fit? Is your horse fit? Does your saddle fit? How often do you hear riders say – “I must lose weight and get fitter,” “My horse is just not fit enough,” or “My saddle seems to move.” An informative awareness day has been developed by the Society of Master Saddlers to educate riders, owners, student vets and trainers about the importance of saddle fit and fitness of the horse and rider on Saturday, October 19 at The Unicorn Equestrian Centre, Netherswell, Stow-on-the-Wold. This fascinating day is all about properly preparing you, your horse and your saddle for any and all occasions so that you can achieve the best possible results together. Looking at your horse’s fitness, the SMS will help you understand the difference between conformation and condition. Meanwhile focussing on the saddle, experts will look at how to assess your horse’s back in preparation for saddle fitting. Well known saddler expert Ian Hastilow will

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!” 44 | October 2013

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Such cases definitely put a different perspective to the saying ’never look a gift horse in the mouth’! The stories often involve dishonesty and a certain stretching of the truth but problems can also occur even when a seller’s intentions are totally honest. In an ideal situation it is sensible to have all tack, and the fitting, checked by a Society of Master Saddlers’ qualified fitter – but they will obviously expect to charge a fee. What happens if the saddle and/or the bridle don’t fit – or need substantial repairs? These are extra costs that won’t have been expected, and therefore considered, at the time of the purchase! Buying a horse or pony ‘complete with tack’ often represents good value and can be hasslefree – but it is a purchase that should never be entered into on the assumption that everything will be alright. To find your local saddle fitter and for more information visit www.mastersaddlers.co.uk or contact The Society of Master Saddlers on 01449 711642.

be chairing this exciting day which has just 100 places available – book your ticket today! Speakers include Dodson & Horrell Nutritionist, Louise Jones BSc, MSc, R. Nutrition; ‘Ride with Your Mind’ Instructor/ Coach, Dorothy Marks; Vet, Jane Nixon MA VetMB BSc MRCVS; SMS Veterinary Consultant, Stewart Hastie BVMS MRCVS; Winston Williams, BSc (Hons) MMCA IVCA MRCC and Emma Phillips, BSc (Hons) MMCA IVCA MRCC who will look at chiropractics for the horse and human. There will also be a range of Saddle Work Stations to provide advice, practical knowledge and experience. These include help on saddle panels and construction; recognising the difference between quality and inferior saddles; types of tree and broken trees; and saddle safety. Tickets are £60 and include refreshments, lunch and a goody bag. To book your place contact Hazel Morley on 01449 711642 or email enquiries@ mastersaddlers.co.uk

HORSESHOE SHIELD HORSE SHOE LOSS PREVENTION HEEL PROTECTION

Call +44 (0)7836 740 557 or buy online at shoesecure.com www.equi-ads.com

25/09/2013 12:13

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" Unbelievable product! Do not waste your time with other mud products or routines. Five stars, a tack room essential! "

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130913 Mud-Free Ponies A4.indd 1 Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 45

IVHORSE

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horseplay redef ined.

15/09/2013 19:47:38 25/09/2013 12:13

Equiads

Xxxxxxxxxx

Poor horn quality? Horn infections?

The Laminitis Clinic has dealt with hundreds of horses and ponies with “bad feet”; without the correct products they can be a real pain to sort out! The data we collected from these cases 4 4 enabled us to develop Formula Feet and Solution Feet. They proved so successful that they are now regarded as the “Gold Standards” against which other hoof care products are measured. Formula4 Feet is the market leader. It is highly palatable, produces excellent improvement to horn and coat in as little as six weeks by providing over 65 essential micronutrients. 4

Solution Feet is the most efficient way of preventing and the most effective way of dealing with horn inf infections such as white line disease and seedy toe. Solution4 Feet dangerous chemicals and, being isotonic, it can even be used contains no dang 4 painlessly on w wounds. Farriers use Solution Feett Matrix where prologned horn disinfection pr ection is needed e.g. under pads or in white line defects or hoof cracks. whit

Equi Life Ltd Tel; 01249-890784 www.equilife.co.uk (secure online ordering available)

Seven sets of 15kg Holder and 15kg Original Horslyx up for grabs Original Horslyx is a palatable, nutrient rich lick containing optimum levels of the vitamins, minerals and trace elements required to maintain peak health and condition for all horses and ponies. Anti-oxidants, a healthy hooves package and high oil content along with the vitamin, mineral and trace elements package all combine to provide a balanced lick, which balances the deficiencies found in forage and grazing. Some horses love Horslyx so much that they can become very enthusiastic when enjoying their lick, occasionally leading to damaged tubs. Horslyx now have a solution, the new 15kg Lick Holder gives horse owners a simple and safe way of protecting their Horslyx from wayward hooves both in the field and the stable. Having been trialled against kicks and knocks, the re-usable 15kg Lick Holder offers a totally weatherproof and cost effective feeding method. The new addition also complements the existing 5kg Lick Holder, which is designed for use in the stable, meaning that horse owners now have a holder for all situations. TO ENTER simply answer the following question: What is the weight of the new Lick Holder?

Send your answer along with your name and address and contact telephone number to Horslyx Competition, Equi-Ads Ltd.,126, Derby Road, Long Eaton, Notts. NG10 4LS or email your answer to stephanie@equiads.net The first seven correct entries drawn will be deemed the winners. Entries close on the 25th October. Winners will be announced in the following issue.

For further information visit www.horslyx.com or tel: (01697) 332 592 46 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_National_Rev2.indd 46

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25/09/2013 12:13

EquiadsClassifiedandsubs_Layout 1 25/09/2013 10:57 Page 1

SOMETHING TO SELL?

email your ad to stephanie@equiads.net or call it in: 0115 946 1146 What you get!

ONLY £30 inc VAT, ONLINE! (PRIVATE SALES ONLY) Photograph you supply

To show readers what you have to sell, simply send your photo and description Maximum of 32 words) with this form to Equi-Ads Ltd. Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UP to 32 words

Advert size:

EXPERIENCED ALLROUNDER 44mm x very prettymare, 15 years. Molly 64mm has competed all PC activities & loves jumping. She hacks out well on her own. Very good in traffic, box, etc. £2,500 to good home 07077 1010 (Surrey)

Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...................................................................... Cheques/postal orders made payable to: Equi-Ads Ltd, 126 Derby Road, Long Eaton, Notts NG10 4LS.

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Selling a horse, equipment or service through Equi-Ads' classified advertisement section couldn't be easier. Just call us on 0115 946 1146 or if you don't want to phone fill out the form below and post it off to us now. Enclose your credit card number or cheque/cash/postal order.

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WANTED Standing At Stud Ponies for Sale Horses for Sale

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Horseboxes for sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I enclose cheque/cash/P.O. for £........... made General Items For No. of Insertions . . . . . . . . . . . . . payable to EQUI-ADS LTD prices inc. VAT. Sale I authorise you to debit my credit card. Fun Rides

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Have Xxxxxxxxxx Your Say

Ten Top Tips for Preventing Mud Fever • Management – most winter skin conditions result from a dirty coat which provides the ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive. Keep coats as clean and as dry as possible with suitable rugs or shelter and regular grooming. • Hygiene - rugs, tack, grooming and stable equipment can spread contagious skin conditions or repeatedly re-infect the same horse unless you eliminate infectious agents by disinfection and cleaning (veterinary surgeons can advise on suitable products that will not harm your horse). • Correct Nutrition – poor diets, especially those lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, can have dire effects on the skin health. Consult an equine nutritionist if you suspect current dietary intake is not aiding a healthy skin and coat. • Vigilance – check horses daily for signs that a skin condition may be imminent. Thick winter coats can easily mask problems such as mud fever, rain scald, ringworm and lice. • Prevention – if it is known that an individual horse is prone to certain winter skin conditions then preventative measure should be taken. For example, horses prone to mud fever may benefit from a barrier cream or regular

•

treatments with an anti-bacterial cleansing wash such as Activ Wash. Clipping and Trimming – it may help to trim or clip horses coats during winter to make them easier to keep clean and dry. Skin problems will often be more evident when coats are clipped and horses in work will be more comfortable as they will sweat less and dry off quicker. Treatment – a skin condition must be correctly identified in order for treatment to be as effective as possible. If you are in any doubt or if the condition has appeared for the first time always seek advice from your veterinary surgeon. Washing – continually washing and bathing horses can weaken the skin structure removing essential oils. This can lead to the skin becoming chapped and sore and irritated by particles of soil, leaving it more susceptible to infection. Avoid excessive bathing during winter; grooming will remove dirt and scurf without stripping the coat of its natural oils. Products - anti-bacterial washes can be used prophylactically on

susceptible animals or to treat existing skin conditions caused by bacterium. They will help to remove any encrusted debris such as scabs. • Healing - removing scabs carefully using an anti-bacterial cleansing wash (if bacterium is the causative organism) will remove any existing bacteria and dirt held in the scabs allowing new clean scabs to form and heal. It is very important that any sponges that are used in the washing process are clean and that the area washed is rinsed well with clean water and then dried thoroughly. For more information contact Robinson Animal Healthcare on 01909 735000 or visit www. robinsonhealthcare.com

Rising dressage star E

Quarter horses! T

he Thermatex Quarter Sheet from online retailer Dressage Deluxe is styled in an advanced high performance quilted wicking fabric, this sheet combines a unique wool and acrylic blend with a polypropylene insulating layer. Designed to help keep your horse’s quarters warm without interfering with your leg aids or adding unnecessary bulk, it also features sturdy Velcro fixings for easy attachment/detachment to saddle.

WANTED Land to buy not to rent djk03@hotmail.co.uk

07554 144 496

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Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 49

Machine washable, this sheet is a great addition to your horse’s winter wardrobe. Sizes: 4ft 6 & 4ft 9 RRP: £75.00 Dressage Deluxe Free Phone: 0800 321 3001

spayo Equestrian are sponsoring up and coming dressage rider, Phoebe Peters (14) from Worcestershire. Having recently returned from the Pony European Championships in Arezzo, where she made history by becoming the first British U21 rider to win Gold medals in the Individual and Kur Championships, Phoebe and her 148cm German Riding Pony SL Lucci also broke the world record in the Kur with a massive 84%. Phoebe and Lucci also topped the Team Test and helped her Team win a Bronze medal putting the British team back on the podium for the first time in seven years. Having committed herself to pure dressage from the age of eight years old Phoebe is aiming for a career in the equestrian world. Aspiring to be on Junior, Young Rider and Senior teams to represent Great Britain, her current form suggests she is on route to more success.

Phoebe Peters European by Camille Peters

Have you got an Equestrian property for sale? Advertise a property for sale advert in Equi-Ads and get a free advert on the newly launched Equi-Homes website.

Telephone 01159 461146 for more information October 2013 | 49

25/09/2013 12:19

STNEMELPPUS MUIMERP News • Healthcare Xxxxxxxxxx • Insurance

NB 50-30

!!SECIRP WOL For all horses

It is scientifically designed to keep all horses healthy. It will assist breathing even when in serious training.

Terry Johns

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ttcceerriidd rreeddrrO O INSURANCE HORSE AND RIDER HORSE AND RIDER INSURANCE HORSE AND RIDERTO INSURANCE COVER TAILORED SUIT COVER TAILORED TO SUIT COVER TAILORED TO SUIT YOUR HORSE e h t m o r f YOUR HORSE YOUR HORSE eht morf

King’s Troop horse - Penny retires

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Because in our experience no two horses are alike. Because in our experience no two horses are alike. Because in our experience no two horses are alike. Call 01296 436142 to speak to Rachel Call 01296 Rachel or Ryan for436142 a quoteto orspeak pop into Call 01296 436142 to speak to Rachel or Ryan for a quote or pop in NFU Mutual House Office Park, or Ryan for aOffice, quote 1orAlton pop in NFU Mutual Office, 1 Alton Bucks. House Office8XU Park, Gatehouse Way, Aylesbury, NFU Mutual Office, 1 Alton HouseHP19 Office Park, Gatehouse Way, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP19 8XU Gatehouse Way, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP19 8XU

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Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Blackpool. “Hallmark, as she is known in the Troop has been a real asset to the regiment, however, it is now time for her to enjoy life at a more sedate pace,” says Captain Owen BeynonBrown, King’s Troop Press find about Penny’s story visit World Horse Welfare’s YL NO )yOffi lppucer.To s syad 04(out more AMLAC )ywebsite lppus shere: yad 0www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Article/World-Horse-Welfares4( !!Y 9L9N .9O2£ AMLAC horse-to-retire-from-world-famous-Kings-Troop !!99.92£

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Directory Worming East Regular worm egg counts can save money! 6-8 weekly spring through autumn £5 each. Church Farm FEC Tel: 01728 685 638 Email: churchfarmfec@hotmail.co.uk

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South East Andrew Reilly Saddlers Spoods Farm, Tinkers Lane, Hadlow Down, East Sussex TN22 4ET Tel: 01825 830484 50 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 50

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Calma is our latest product and takes equine calming products to the next Calma is our latest product and takes equineformulation calming products to the next level. Equine Answers Calma uses a unique of neutraceuticals level. Equine Answers Calma uses a unique formulation of neutraceuticals and special calming herbs to provide an amazingly effective calming product. and special calming herbs provide an the amazingly effective calming product. In formulating Calma we tohave used very best forms of absorbable In formulating Calma we have used the very best forms of absorbable magnesium in Magnesium Aspartate and Magnesium AAC. We found that magnesium in Magnesium Aspartate andofMagnesium We found that combining these two high quality forms magnesiumAAC. with secret calming combining these two high quality forms of magnesium with secret calming herbs gave us the best possible calming formulation. herbs gave us the best possible calming formulation. “Would just like to thank you for creating this supplement...it has made an “Would like to thank fortocreating excitablejust ex-racehorse an you angel own" this supplement...it has made an excitable ex-racehorse an angel to own" Faye Griffiths Faye Griffiths

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www.equineanswers.co.uk www.equineanswers.co.uk Tel: Tel: 0845 0845 5214840 5214840

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18/07/2013 25/09/2013 16:10 12:19

News Xxxxxxxxxx

Jan Tops buys Palloubet D’Halong for a record US $15 Million! G

reat news from Switzerland. Alban Poudret of Cavalier Romand has just received confirmation about the sale of Palloubet d’Halong to Jan Tops. He bought the chestnut gelding for his wife Edwina Tops-Alexander. In the interview Hansueli Sprunger has spoken about an amount of 11,000,000 euros ($15,000,000 USD), an absolute record. With his daughter Janika Sprunger Palloubet d’Halong was the best horse in the Furusiyya Nations Cups this year. He always jumped double clear. In Aachen he was second in the Grand Prix and at the European Championships in Herning the pair was seventh. To studforlife.com Sprunger says that Palloubet is still in her stable, but that he is expected to leave. The ten year old gelding by Baloubet du Rouet x Muguet du Manoir has been with the Swiss rider since he was six, and has developed into one of the world’s best horses.

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Pictured are the Mole Avon Town & Country Stores branches (L-R) Okehampton, Axminster & Crediton.

Pet & Equine Days

Equine Day

Saturday 12th October • 10% off all pet food and

Saturday 26th October • 10% off all equestrian

Axminster & Crediton

• • • •

Okehampton

products accessories. • Manufacturers on hand 10% off all equestrian products. for advice. Manufacturers on hand for advice. • Competitions & prizes. Competitions, prizes & attractions - a fun day for all the family! Plus fundraising for Refreshments available Hospiscare at all events

FREE EQUIGLO TREATS 1KG WITH THIS VOUCHER

Valid only on 12th October at Axminster & Crediton and 26th October 2013 at Okehampton Mole Avon Town & Country Stores.

Only one voucher per customer per transaction.

FREE PET TOY WITH THIS VOUCHER Valid only on 12th October 2013 at Axminster & Crediton Mole Avon Town & Country Stores.

EADS

Only one voucher per customer per transaction.

EADS

Axminster 01297 32441 Crediton 01363 774786 OkehamptO Okehampt On 01837 53886

52 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 52

MOLE AVON TOWN & COUNTRY STORES PET & EQUINE EVENTS M

ole Avon Town & Country Stores will be holding Equine Event Days at its three retail branches in Devon this October. There will be Pet & Equine Days on Saturday 12th October at the stores in Station Yard, Axminster and Mill Street, Crediton which will feature one day only special offers including 10% off all equestrian products and 10% off all pet food and accessories. Specialists from equine and pet manufacturers will be in store offering help and advice, plus there will be, draws, prizes and attractions, and local equestrian businesses on hand for all your equine queries. A fun day out to be had by all the family! The Mole Avon Town & Country Stores in Exeter Road, Okehampton will be holding an Equine Day on Saturday 26th October. The day will offer 10% off all equestrian products, equine manufacturers will be on hand for advice, plus there will be extra discounts available on products for both horse and rider for one day only. At all events there will be a prize draw and fundraising for local charity Hospiscare, Mole Avon’s chosen charity for its 40th anniversary year. Mole Avon’s staff look forward to welcoming both new and existing customers to all event days.

For further information about these events or for any other query please contact your local store – Axminster 01297 32441, Crediton 01363 774786 or Okehampton 01837 53886.

www.equi-ads.com

25/09/2013 12:19

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25/09/2013 04/09/2013 12:19 11:07

Tack Xxxxxxxxxx & Turnout

Greenway Horse Trails Launched

Gersemi’s stylish top is made from a technical mix of Polyester and Spandex, the Functional Top and matching Long Johns are the height of luxury with a soft fleece next to the skin and a smooth easy glide outer. Colours: Black, White, Graphite, Blue Stone; Sizes XS – XL £42.00; Long Johns £34.00

he Forest of Dean Greenways, an impressive new network of horse riding trails across the Forest of Dean is now open. These routes link up new bridleways, existing Public Rights of Way, Forestry Commission tracks and quiet country lanes to form a series of inter-connected circuits for horse riders, leisure cyclists and walkers and, where possible, carriage drivers. Four linked Greenway circuits have been created, extending from Dymock in the north of the district to Blakeney and Yorkley in the south, and they connect up with many local towns, villages and rural businesses as well as with accommodation providers, tourist attractions and equestrian centres in order to maximise the project’s benefit to the local economy. The four Greenway routes comprise: • The Dymock Forest Greenway • The Huntley Woods Greenway • The Hope Wood Greenway • The Blakeney Greenway and Carriage Driving Circuit The most southerly, and the longest section of this network, the Blakeney

Totally Tweed G

Greenway and Carriage Driving Circuit, is a spectacular twelve and a half mile long figure of eight horse riding and carriage driving route which is almost entirely off-road and is also suitable for para-carriage drivers. This project has been undertaken by the Forest of Dean and District Horse Riders’ and Carriage Drivers’ Association (FODADHRACDA), a group of local people who set out as far back as 2005 to improve the fragmented Higher Rights of Way network in the Forest of Dean district and to secure greater access to the Gloucestershire countryside. It is the only project of its kind in the UK to have been delivered by a voluntary organisation. www.fodgreenways.co.uk – to find out more about these routes and then experience them for themselves.” The project was officially launched at the start of the Blakeney Greenway and Carriage Driving Circuit by Heather Clatworthy, Senior Executive, Access and Rights of Way Department at the British Horse Society.

ersemi have introduced a stylish slant for their winter 2013 equestrian wardrobe. Taking a play on traditional tweeds they have mixed this country heritage with Scandinavian design to give a unique high fashion equestrienne feel. Using tweeds from some of the most sought after mills in Scotland they have mixed them with modern sports styling to give a perfect fit for today’s rider. The cute PYRI vest is a padded, close fitting, two way zip style that Gersemi PYRISizes: XS – XL Colours: Blue Stone, Moss, Graphite features a high fur trimmed collar. – Plaid (check) tweed. Mocha – Plain tweed RRP £126. It has leather trims on the pockets, shoulder epaulettes and half belt This neat piece can be worn when alternative to a jacket for the cool together with a leather, back waist riding or as a fashion look for a more autumn days. panel complete with embroidered relaxed country occasion. With its It comes in a choice of Tweed logo. light padding it can be used as an fabrics that have a small plaid design.

54 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 54

HorseWorld seeks old hay to help feed pony

n the care of Horseworld, pony Jessica is currently suffering with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (a severe hormonal disorder causing insulin resistance), therefore she requires older hay which has depleted sugar content to keep her condition under control. She is currently pain-free and doing well on the old hay but Horseworld are rapidly running out.

If you live local to Bristol we would be willing to collect any donated old hay, or if needed, we are willing to buy it.” Contact Amy Williams 01275 893034.

www.equi-ads.com

25/09/2013 12:19

SARCOIDS? ALKALISING THE SKIN CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM POWER AGAINST SAR-X #1 ORGANIC SUPPLEMENT “It has now completely gone!”

“My 7 year old gelding developed a medium sized lump on his belly. I did not want to go down the route of treatment advised by my vet. I started to feed him the powder 10 weeks ago and it has completely gone. His hair has grown back and you would never know it had been there. I am so pleased; I cannot praise the powder enough!” Ruth Mitchell

POWER AGAINST SAR-X IS 100% SAFE FOR HORSES WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS. PLUS ALL INGREDIENTS WILL NOT VIOLATE COMPETITION RULES.

POWER AGAINST SAR-X 6 week supply £35 3 month supply £65 SARCOID CARE PACK £80 For a free consultation ring now: 0800 970 9421 Free calls from a mobile: 0330 100 5266 Email: help@horsesarcoids.com

www.horsesarcoids.com Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 55

25/09/2013 12:19

Xxxxxxxxxx

The Prevention of Horse Falls By Jenny Richardson BHSAI

lthough uncommon, horses can fall on cross country courses and it is important as riders that we prevent this as far as possible, for both animal and human welfare. Most can be avoided by correct and quick reactions, as well as the proper preparation and fitness for the discipline in hand. PREPARATION

Horses must never be over-faced in a competition, or be asked to tackle a type of fence that they have not encountered, so homework and practise at several venues are essential. Different types of terrain, hill work and working over ditches and in water must all be tackled. You must be accustomed to jumping up and down hills, and in and out of shade. Combination fences and angled jumps should be mastered – everything at a lower level and increased when confident. This will prevent mis-understandings between horse and rider and give your horse the skills he requires to adjust himself to maintain balance. As a cross country course is both testing and tiring with undulating territory, twenty or more obstacles to jump and perhaps up to two or three miles of solid canter work, fitness of both horse and rider is essential. A structured training programme beginning weeks before the first event covering both plenty of slow road work to strengthen the horse’s legs and prolonged canter work to ensure correct breathing, heart rate, etc, is key. A horse is more likely to tire towards the end of the course, causing possible mistakes, so a plan will help. Interval training, with trot and canter work monitored and slowly increased, is a good basic

fitness programme and used by professionals. GROUND CONDITIONS

Assess the going when you walk the course, probably the day before, and decide if you need to use studs, and if so, which variety. Generally the deeper the going, the larger studs you will need, so with good going, select your smaller, pointy ones. It is recommended that you use two studs in each shoe for safety and balance. You will also have to take decisions on how to ride the course according to the going and your routes through the different options. Very wet conditions are the most dangerous

and should be ridden more cautiously and collected. Speed helps no one, if you are not clear! RIDER INTERFERENCE

It is important you are able to give the right signals and judge a safe take off point, and that you have a good degree of trust between you and your horse. If you can consistently give him the correct balance and the right take off point for each jump, as required, nothing should go wrong. However, if your signals are unclear or mis-judged, you will then interfere with his natural ability and could cause many problems, possible falls and eventually refusals. A trainer will monitor and correct mistakes, and is money well spent. RIDER IMBALANCE

This would usually occur when you are in a tricky situation and your horse has had to make an awkward jump. If there were no rider involved,

the horse would very rarely fall, so you must be able to allow him as much freedom of movement as possible in this situation and have the ability to slip your reins and either remain upright, or lean slightly behind the momentum. Tipping forward could shift the balance, causing a fall rather than preventing one. Of course, you are unable to ‘practise’ for this situation, but you can ensure you are fit and ready to ride with strong leg muscles from work on the lunge. Instinct for selfpreservation should kick in and help with automatic decisions which have to be made on the spot. Prevention of falls and problems must be foremost in your preparations for a good cross country season. Once you and your horse are fit, prepared and experienced at the level at which you want to compete, clear rounds should come easily and with success comes fun and glory and stepping stones to a bright future for you both.

If you need XC practice, consider a training break at a leading venue. 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 cross-country rides over an extensive XC course. Visit www. castleleslie.com 56 | October 2013

Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 56

www.equi-ads.com

25/09/2013 12:19

VetVits, PO Box 64, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3BT. Prices featured are valid until 31.10.13. Single use only and not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

FITNESS

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Developed by leading veterinary experts 40% more glucosamine per scoop than standard glucosamine Clinically tested glucosamine HCl and chondroitin

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Name (Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss): ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................Email: ................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................... Post Code: ........................................................................................................................................................................Tel. No: .................................................................................................................................................................................

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Total order value £ All products are sold by Healthspan UK Ltd. To order by mail, please make cheques payable to ‘Healthspan Ltd’ who are the collection agents for Healthspan UK Ltd and post with this order form to VetVits, PO Box 64, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 3BT. Prices featured are valid until 31.10.13. Please allow up to 10 days for delivery. All product prices shown include VAT at applicable rate. **Free postage & packaging applies to UK only. 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. Offer valid on VetVits products only. ††Last three digits on the back of your card. If you would prefer not to receive any future product updates please tick this box

Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 1

Healthspan UK Limited, Registered in England and Wales, Company Regisration No. 7485064, VAT No. GB 108880305 Witan Gate House, 500-600 Witan Gate West, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK19 1SH, United Kingdom.

*Prices valid as at 09/08/2013 from www.equineproductsdirect.co.uk Equine America CortaFlex 454g x 6 £221.94. 12 month supply VetVits EquiFlex 496g x 6 £119.70. All prices are based on single purchase and exclude any price or multiple purchase promotions.

Expiry 31.10.13

EQA-WSE 25/09/2013 12:19

optimum-A4-ad-13-1_0 14/08/2013 09:07 Page 1

Every horse deserves the Optimum life

Launch Offer

The five star feed balancer for your five star horse • restores and maintains five star condition, topline and health • maximises the nutritional value of the daily feed ration • optimises the health and efficiency of the digestive system • easy to feed, palatable, pellet with great sugar free flavour • provides the best supplement specification Feed Optimum to put the balance back into the diet and to optimise your horse’s health. OPTIMUM will restore and maintain five star condition, topline and health, maximise the nutritional value of the daily feed ration, and optimise the health and efficiency of the digestive system. OPTIMUM comes in a concentrated pellet, each one is of the highest supplement specification available, with a great sugar free flavour. OPTIMUM is formulated to complement either a high fibre low concentrate, or a performance diet. When a daily feed is not necessary, OPTIMUM can simply be fed on its own directly from your hand. OPTIMUM is the perfect choice for every horse, from family pony to performance athlete, it is the optimum choice for all. 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

www.naf-equine.eu/uk Equi_Ads_Oct_EngWales_Rev.indd 2

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