Q&A

Q: I had a really bad fall recently, and I’ve lost my confidence. Do I just need to get back on and forget about it even though I’m really nervous? Or what must I do?

A: The first thing to note is that you are not alone in feeling this way! Many of us feel very nervous after a fall, particularly if we were hurt.

Our best advice is to see what you can learn from the fall. Was there anything you could have done differently? Would anything have made the situation better? If you can learn something then just use the experience to stop the same thing happening again. Thinking of it this way, as a learning exercise, can be really helpful in moving forwards after a fall.

If, on the other hand, it was one of those accidents that couldn’t have been prevented then it's important to focus on what you can control, such as your safety equipment and fitness. By setting goals to improve fitness and equipment you can focus on something positive rather than the fall itself.

Then finally, focus on what you want to happy when you ride next time, rather than worrying about what you to avoid. If possible, visualise your rider in your head before you get on. Think about your ideal ride, and then get on and enjoy yourself!

Q: My pony got laminitis last spring and the veterinarian said it happened because he ate too much grass. How can what he eats cause problems in the feet?

A: When a horse or pony gets laminitis, the soft tissue (called laminae) that attaches the bone to the wall of the hoof tears and becomes weakened. This is important because if the soft tissue is weakened the bone can slip down in the hoof. If this happens, the horse or pony isn’t likely to recover enough to be ridden.

These events inside the hoof can happen for many reasons. In your pony's case, his digestive system probably wasn't used to the grass he was eating. In the spring, grass is very rich and this means that lots of starch and sugar enters your pony’s gut. When an excessive amount of starch and sugar are ingested it causes an overload in the digestive system with undigested sugar and starch being pushed through to the hindgut. Bacteria break down the undigested material causing acidity in the hindgut, which kills the bacteria that digests fibre. As the bacteria die they release toxins into the gut, which are then passed into the bloodstream through the gut wall. These toxins provoke a response within the horse that is thought to disrupt blood flow, which, in the feet, can cause laminitis.

Although laminitic ponies can be cured, they can easily become laminitic again. From now on, you'll have to be extra careful not to let your pony have rich treats like spring grass because they could do him more harm than good.

Q: Why can horses sleep standing up?

A: Horses can rest standing up but they can't go into a deep sleep without lying down. They are able to rest while standing because they have a special set of supports (tendons and ligaments) in their legs that can be "locked" into a standing position. When a horse has "locked" his legs in place, his muscles don't have to work as hard to keep him upright so he can rest safely.

However, to go into a deep sleep horses do still need to lie down and relax all of their muscles completely.