Endurance GB March/April 2020

Performance Breeding for endurance

Training Understanding fitness

March/April 2020

Official members' publication for Endurance GB

In this

issue

Endurance GB Office Administration Endurance GB Office, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RP t: 02476 697929 f: 02476 418429

Regulars

Publisher

4 Unit C, Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9QJ t: 01536 527297 e: info@matrixprint.com Designed by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Alex Morris Tolu Akinyemi Production Editor Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Catherine Baldock t: 01536 527 297 e: catherineb@matrixprint.com Advertising Sales Manager Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Deadlines Copy Dates to Editor for future issues of Endurance: May/June by 1st May. If you wish to advertise in the May/June 2020 issue, artwork deadline is 26th May. The views and opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the editor, Matrix Print Consultants Ltd or Endurance GB. Endurance magazine is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without the permission of Endurance GB and/or Matrix Print Consultants Ltd.

Cover Photo Tilford National Ride

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@EnduranceGB

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Endurance GB Chair Phil Nunnerley and sponsorship renewal

News International announcement and the latest news

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Endurance GB News Vision for the sport beyond Coronavirus

SERC Ian Patterson on Endurance Down Under

Blog Bella Fricker shares her experiences

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Futurity British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations

Breeding for Performance Paul Simmons’ guide to breeding

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Feeding for Breeding Senior equine nutritionist, Emma Short

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Veterinary

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Endurance Essentials

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Complementary Therapies

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Endurance 365

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Feed Management

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Rider fitness

EnduranceGB @endurancegbinsta

Future Focus

Features

Photo courtesy of LRG Photography

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Volume 17 – Issue 2

Endurance GB

Case study – osteochondral fragments

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Golden Horseshoe Why it’s on everyone bucket list

Product guide for box rest

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The attraction of magnetic therapy

Endurance riding in Spain

Saracens Horse Feeds offer advice

Ridercise fitness series 1

Training Maggie Pattinson on understanding fitness

38

Male Focus

40

Rider Profile

43

Ride Report

Clued up to crew

Major Shelley Bates in the spotlight

The Cannock Chase Ride

ISSN 2516-2349

contents

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Future

focus

Endurance GB Board of Directors Chairman, Policy & Governance PHIL NUNNERLEY T: 07860 323968 / 01761 221561 E: philnunnerley@endurancegb.co.uk Finance Director CHRIS WRAY T: 07856 500519 / 01600 860938 E: chriswray@endurancegb.co.uk

Phil Nunnerley Chair of Endurance GB

Dear members, At the time of writing, all of our members, and indeed the country and the whole global community, are facing up to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us have been classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’, and are self isolating at least until June. Some are caring for loved ones with the worry that brings. Others are in the front line of the nation’s response to the virus, and I am sure we would all extend our heart felt thanks to each of them.

It is times like this, unprecedented in peace time, that communities come together for support. We in Endurance GB are no different and we all need each other now more than ever before. Be assured together, we will get through this and we will ride again, accepting when that will be is currently difficult to predict.

The Board are monitoring the evolving situation closely.

Protecting our people, and others, is our number one priority.

We are developing plans to resume our activities once the crisis recedes. In the meantime, we will facilitate a level of communication which keeps everyone informed but at the same time sustains interest and, we hope, can generate some income to help us underpin our finances.

It is disappointing for hard working ride organisers to see their rides cancelled, or where possible postponed to later in the year, but they are understanding that we have had no other option.

Let’s hope we will be able to offer some rides later in the year but in the meantime support each other and above all keep safe.

Phil 4

future focus

Groups, Health & Safety, The Office, Volunteering ROSEMARY HENDERSON T: 07894 477049 E: rosemaryhenderson@endurancegb.co.uk International Director, Development (Including Young & Junior Riders, Coaching, Futurity, Pony Club, Para) ROSEMARY ATTFIELD T: 07810 580880 / 01403 822567 E: rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk SERC Representative & Insurance CONSTANCE NEWBOULD T: 0131 445 2235 M: 07973 726001 Vice Chair, Operations Director, IT and BEF Equality Action Team Representative ESTHER YOUNG T: 07454 929919 E: estheryoung@endurancegb.co.uk Communications Director KERRY DAWSON T: 07818 283144 E: kerrydawson@endurancegb.co.uk Sponsorship Director SHAUN WALSH E: shaunwalsh@endurancegb.co.uk T: 07791 422909 Welfare Director ANTONIA MILNER-MATTHEWS T: 07712 559256 E: antoniamilner-matthews@endurancegb.co.uk Safeguarding Director AMANDA WOOLCOMBE E: amandawoolcombe@endurancegb.co.uk Directors of Endurance GB are volunteers, so please be patient and considerate with any queries. Most Directors work full time elsewhere and are not always available during working hours. No calls before 9am or after 9pm please.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

RiderCise® renews sponsorship for 2020

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iderCise®, provider of online rider fitness programmes designed specifically to improve fitness, performance, recovery and confidence in riders, has signed up in support of Endurance GB’s expanded Championship series for the second year in succession.

The agreement extends the RiderCise® Championship classes across new distances to include a RiderCise® Open, Novice and Grassroots Championship alongside a RiderCise® Advanced Regional Championship.

The distance of each Championship class will vary at each venue with the Advance Championships being CERs of between 80km-100km In addition to the extension of classes RiderCise® has offered a new cash prize structure which will award the winners of each class up to £50.

The events scheduled include the RiderCise® Southern Championships at Three Rivers (6-7 June) and the RiderCise® Northern Championships at The Cumbria Challenge (30 August). The RiderCise® Advanced Welsh Championships is set to take place at Wentwood In Summer (3 July) however, the Open, Novice and Grassroots classes, which were due to take place at Pembury Country Park near Llanelli (25-26 April) have been postponed due to the Coronavirus epidemic and the prize fund will be rolled over to 2021 if the ride cannot be rescheduled for later in the year.

help them to reduce after-riding aches and pains but alsohelp their horses through being truly independent in the saddle and thus improving performance, as a team.

Many endurance riders use my programmes and experience the positive influence rider fitness and balance can contribute to the performance and well being of themselves and their horses

“Ultimately, I believe that riders participate in endurance for the love of the sport and their horses and having spent more time at rides last year, I really see that at all levels. Endurance GB members really support each other and build communities and I love that aspect of the sport especially when equestrianism can be ultra competitive. This inspires me to do all I can to help the endurance community both for the love of the horse and equestrianism.

“Due to the Coronavirus crisis, the ride calendar may change but I am committed to this sponsorship and will roll over prize money at any ride not taking place this year to the 2021 season.

I am looking forward to working with Endurance GB and its members again and will be doing all I can to help riders address their fitness during this enforced ‘closed season’.”

RiderCise® founder Clare Gangadeen explained why she is so keen to work closely with the sport.

“For this reason, I am delighted to be continuing my sponsorship of the Regional Championships and extending them to include classes at all levels and am pleased to be able to offer prize money as I believe they deserve to be appropriately rewarded.

She said: “Endurance riders spend more time in the saddle in both training and competing than any other discipline and have more to gain from learning how rider fitness can not only

“My vision for RiderCise® is ‘to improve the lives of horses and riders and promote equestrian sporting excellence’ and supporting Endurance GB enables RiderCise® to do that/

RiderCise® to sponsor Championship series for another year

Shaun Walsh, who has been recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Endurance GB as Sponsorship Director said: “We are delighted to welcome Clare Gangadeen and RiderCise® back for their second season in support of our Regional Championship series. These competitions were a great success last year and we are pleased that they have been extended to cover all levels of our membership. The addition of prize money enhances the prestige of each class and we are grateful that as part of the sponsorship RiderCise® will also provide rosettes and funding to cover the costs of veterinary support at each venue. We all understand the importance that the health and fitness of our horses in this sport but sometimes rider fitness and training and the difference it can make, is underestimated.”

Endurance GB Communications Director Kerry Dawson said: “Last season we shared some brilliant content from RiderCise® as part of our #FitnessFridays via Endurance GB’s social media channels and we will be working closely with Clare especially through the enforced break to provide all sorts of inspiration to members around their personal fitness.”

future focus

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The latest

news and updates

Passionate about endurance

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ike so many people in the Endurance community, I have been involved with horses all my life, but I might have come to Endurance via a slightly different route from other folk. I have a background in Classical Dressage, and it was when I was teaching Liz Finney, the current Chef d’Equipe of the Senior Team, that I first heard about and became interested in the sport. I went on to crew Liz and was hooked!

I spent time as the Riding Instructor for both the Young Rider and Senior Squad. This was a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to help riders work together in true partnership with their horses.

Since that time, I have crewed at all sorts of rides at top level, such as Golden Horseshoe and at World Championships. There is still nothing like the thrill of seeing ‘your’ horse pass the final vetting. Throughout this time, I continued to make and repair tack, something which I’ve done for a long time. More and more people came to me to help sort issues which they had with tack and I would make something for them. I soon realised that there was a definite need for my endurance specific tack and a bespoke service. This prompted me to put all

Can you ‘DO YOUR BIT?’

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ver wondered what to do with your old or unwanted horse or pony bits ~ Why not donate them to the Marwari horses of Rajasthan, India via the ‘Friends of Marwari / Kathiawari Horse UK’s BIT DONATION SCHEME? Formed to promote the unique Marwari and Kathiawari horse breeds of India, (commonly referred to as the ones with curly touching ears) these majestic horses were often ridden in severe homemade sharp bits, with spikes on the mouthpiece causing immense suffering and injury. With no ‘soft bits’ available a simple scheme evolved to educate the rural horse

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news

of my knowledge and experience into designing products which were practical and comfortable for horses at all levels of the sport.

I have helped individual riders during this time and also supported Endurance GB, with prizes at rides, with tack for International Teams and last year. When the British Breeding Futurity Championships were announced, I knew that this was something I wanted to be involved in. I am passionate about British breeding and truly believe that we have some of the best horses in the world. You only have to look at the British bred horses at last year’s European

community on an alternative, kinder way of good horsemanship, and of bitting their horses.

With collection points all around the UK, over 3000 donated bits have been sterilised, distributed and fitted, along with equine education leaflets and workshops at the rural horse fairs of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra states of Northern India.

UK Chairman Caroline Moorey said:

Championships to know that this is the case.

I feel that people in this country should be encouraged to breed from their strong, sound competition mares and feel that the Futurity Championship is a perfect opportunity for breeders to exhibit their stock. I hope that this is an event which will continue to grow and that more people will bring youngstock forward. My workshop is full of sewing as people gear up for a fresh year and I hope that everyone enjoys some wonderful time with their horses.

Zoe Lindop

We accept snaffle, kimblewick and Pelham bits (old or new, metal, rubber or happy mouth) of 4½, 4 ¾ & 5 inch width only as these breeds have small mouths. Can you DO YOUR BIT and donate today?”

Readers can learn more about these special breeds, the Bit Donation Scheme, and find out their local collection point, via the website: www.friendsofmarwari.org.uk

“We were careful to research and choose a scheme that, for over 10 years, has proved an enormous success; slowly we have made ‘soft bits’ desirable and, through our bit donation trips and social media, we have been warmly accepted in India and the change to the horses has been fantastic.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

Matrix sustainability ethos

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t present the plastic bags we use are recyclable and we encourage you to recycle it again. The majority of councils in the UK will accept this in their recycling bins but for those councils that do not, please refer to www.recyclenow.com to find your local plastic recycling point.

A recent study has found that brands labelled biodegradable and compostable didn't break down quickly in soil or seas, they remained intact, just like regular plastic.

As a small publisher, we cannot buy in the quantities required, if we did, we would end up having to dispose of 40-50% of the bags.

In addition, these bags do not work on our existing machines and a huge investment is required and the disposal of existing and making of new machinery in a product which still is unproven is not best practice.

Paper bags look and feel nice and can make us feel like we're making an environmentally friendly choice, but there are big question marks over that when you start looking into it. They are also significantly heavier (six to ten times heavier) which means more fuel is burned in transportation. This doesn't seem such a big issue when you have one parcel delivered but looking at the bigger picture this is a big deal. Paper bags consume way more water than poly (the production of plastic bags uses less than 6%v of the water needed to make a paper bag) and emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases in production.

To use some technical terms, the production of paper bags causes high levels of atmospheric acidification (causing acid rain) and eutrophication of water (which makes algae grow and reduces oxygen in the water so that it can't support life).

Please be assured for us it’s not just about the bags, we look at the whole process and have recently changed to a perfecting printing press which halves the printing production, which is half the energy.

We use specific sustainable papers utilizing the best practices in all the key processing procedures. We are constantly looking for ways to improve/ reduce our carbon footprint, please be assured we are and will remain constantly vigilant.

Gary Elliott

Let's keep talking

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taying strong together over the coming months means it is more important than ever to continue the lively conversation we have in our sport and also to communicate its benefits to the wider world. This means sharing ideas, news, tips, chat and banter through our social channels but also bringing the world of endurance to life in our magazine and via other equestrian news media. We also want to take this downtime in the sport to celebrate all that is brilliant about endurance and to tell the wider world, get more people enthused with the benefits to health and well being and the thrill of progressing through the distances. For this reason we are asking you all to contribute ideas, experiences and

inspiration via our communications team below. Thank you in advance and we look forward to hearing from you...either by email or even just pick up the phone for a chat...

Kerry Dawson, Director of Communications kerrydawson@endurancegb.co.uk 07818283144 Catherine Baldock, Editorial catherineb@matrixprint.com 07702558747 Elizabeth Peplow, Endurance GB Press Officer elizabethpeplow@endurancegb.co.uk 07825082595

International announcement

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ndurance GB will still aim to send a team to compete at the Longines FEI Endurance World Championship currently scheduled to take place at San Rossare, Pisa in Italy (3-6 September 2020).

Rosemary Attfield, Director of International for Endurance GB said: “We will obviously be monitoring the situation closely in view of the terrible situation presently unfolding in Italy as well as the lockdown and spread of the virus in the UK, however, as the FEI have announced that the competition is scheduled to take place in Pisa following changes to the organising committee, we are currently planning to send a team of five.”

However, should COVID-19 put plans for the World Championships on hold, all roads will lead to Ermelo in The Netherlands in 2021 which will be hosting the FEI European Championships as well as the World Young Rider Championships.

Rosemary explained: “My aim over the coming weeks will be to share thoughts and plans to build a much larger base of riders who are qualified and moving forward to international teams. This will include looking at reviving the Development Squad and increasing the support we give to our Young Riders.

“I also want to find the money through sponsorship of our international teams so that participation is for everyone. Currently, to travel to the World Championships in Italy looks like costing each rider taking part around £3000.

“As Director of International, I want to make the process towards assessment and selection open and transparent and I will personally be here to offer any help and advice to get horses and riders on track to compete at FEI level. Communication is very important and I will always respond to emails and messages within 24 hours. It is important for members to realise that team assessments are open to anyone who has aspirations to compete internationally, maybe not immediately but in the future and being part of this process as early as possible is open to them.

“We have a fantastic pool of talent in this country and I have arranged once the season resumes that spotters will be out looking for potential combinations to encourage them to go forward for squad assessment via our selection pathway. We have to plan for the future and work particularly with young horses and young riders to ensure we have the combinations who are qualified but also the horses prepared well and built to last.”

The final selection ride is currently scheduled for King’s Forest Summer on 28th June.

To find out more about the training and development available as well as squad assessments, please contact Rosemary Attfield, rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk

news

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New Endurance GB Chair, former Lloyds Bank Director, Phil Nunnerley talks to Elizabeth Peplow about his vision for the sport beyond Coronavirus

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hen we first talked a few weeks ago, Phil Nunnerley, back in late January from a long-planned month spent touring in New Zealand with his partner and fellow Board member, Rosemary Henderson, was viewing his new role at the helm of Endurance GB with the clarity you would expect from a former Director of Lloyds Bank.

Although refreshed from his trip, he had already had to step in from the other side of the world to deal with issues that had dropped into the sport’s lap between Christmas and New Year. This included supporting Esther Young as Vice Chair and Antonia Milner-Matthews as Welfare Director in making strong representation via the British Equestrian Federation over the downgrading of FEI rides to national events in the Middle East and the fatalities at a national ride in Dubai.

In a former life as a Regional Director of Lloyds, Phil is on record as having been brave and resolute enough to go out onto the streets personally to meet customers worried over bank closures. It is clear that as a Chair, he encourages all views and seeks consensus in Board meetings. But it is also clear that he will be pushing forward with a steely drive and that, in this most difficult of times, along with a talented and hard-working Board around him, the sport is in the safest possible hands. Failure, he says, is not a word in his vocabulary.

Given the step-change to the sport following the mutually agreed cessation of the sponsorship agreement with Meydan and HPower last year, it is of little surprise that even pre-COVID-19, Phil’s focus was on making the future of the sport not just financially secure but viable.

“After 50 years in the banking sector, a strength of mine is financial discipline and that means focusing on and securing our financial management.

“The issue is that over the past 3 years the sport has been protected financially. In the absence of continuing sponsorship via HPower, organisers of Royal Windsor Endurance as

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endurance news

Man for

the moment

well as Euston Park, who themselves asked to be excused from any further extension of the relationship, we have to adjust the balance sheet back to something approaching where we used to be. This will involve taking a long hard look at the cost base and what is needed to continue as a sports organisation in our current form.

“The focus is getting us to a sustainable financial position. We are slightly unique as the sport is funded puely by both membership subscriptions and ride income including from pleasure and social rides and we are dependent on groups remitting monies to us to meet the costs of running the organisation which includes our IT platform, office costs, insurances and so on.

“There will inevitably be some hard choices to make in the short term and we do recognise that as a Board we are going to need to communicate very regularly and with a high degree of transparency so that members understand the financial position. I have come to this role with a fair degree of impartiality. I have my own views as a Chair but I am very careful not to push my opinion but to represent the Board’s view. I am always open to questions and feedback and will be out and about, once the season resumes seeking views and listening to people’s ideas. If any member has an issue, I always respond to every email and will pick up the phone and speak to people. There was a cross-section of views about the sponsorship arrangements previously in place, now is the time for the sport to come together.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

“Going forward, we will be working with ride organisers to help them secure sponsorship arrangements and looking at how the sport can add value to that sponsorship through our members and communication channels but it is also about understanding and placing the right value on the sport as we talk to sponsors and I will be working with Shaun Walsh the new Director of Sponsorship and Chris Wray, Finance Director to ensure the protocols and guidance are in place.

“Pleasure and social riders coming through the ranks are important to the sport and we all need to work hard to grow our base, including those who join in as volunteers. But the top level of the sport also needs to be carefully looked after. While FEI rides may be costly to put on in terms of the infrastructure required, there is a danger if we do not stage sufficient international rides in this country our riders will have to go abroad to achieve their international qualifications.”

Phil is adamant that, as with the country at large at present, for the sport to thrive and prosper everyone must play their part.

"We can all do our bit to encourage new people to come to the sport" “As riders, if you are not riding at an event, its about finding ways to help out and give something back, perhaps as a mentor or to help promote specific rides or the sport in general to appeal to new members. The sport depends on a huge army of volunteers from ride organisers and secretaries to technical stewards and time keepers as well as those out on course at check points and road crossings. Above all, we can all do our bit to encourage new people to come to the sport and give it a try and I will be doing all I can to encourage everyone to do that – one of my few irritations is those who take from a sport or situation but don’t put anything back.”

As a rugby club member, Phil was never shy in doing time behind the bar or cleaning and painting the club house and in endurance he has also pitched in when not supporting his partner Rosemary as a crew. Based in Somerset, they are both members of the

Wessex Group (read about Phil in Men In The Sport, page 38).

COVID-19 joint statement by Endurance GB and SERC

Given the focus on international issues that has dominated much of the coverage of endurance in recent years Phil welcomes the arrival on the Board of veterinary surgeon Antonia MilnerMatthews as Welfare Director.

“It was with great regret that on the unanimous agreement of both of the Boards of Endurance GB and the SERC Club Management Committee we acted swiftly to bring our respective ride calendars to a halt. We would like to thank all our members, ride organisers, and secretaries, those in the office and fellow Board and management committee members for undertaking the task of steering us through this.

“Our immediate priority is the health and well-being of our membership across Endurance GB and SERC. This is a fast-moving situation but at present we will be working to support ride organisers with the hope of getting the ride season restored over the summer. Inevitably there will be pressure on our finances so some difficult decisions may be required to ensure we can get our organisations ready for to resume post Coronavirus.

“We also want to keep our memberships engaged and interested through these next weeks and want to encourage ideas from members as to how to do this.

“Once the ride calendar resumes, we will once again be working hard to reach out to riders to come and join us. And we will be asking you as members to share all that is good about our sport. Across England, Wales and Scotland, we are able to offer rides that are suitable for all; for who want a gentle ride across the countryside and those who are competitive.

Above all else, the mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits of our sport have never been more precious or important to shout about.” #wewillrideagain

“At the end of the day, you do not have a sport if you do not have the horses and the welfare of horses competing at Endurance GB rides is absolutely paramount and it is important that Endurance GB continues to show leadership on this internationally, being mindful that we work to maintain the highest standards closer to home. Having Antonia leading for us in this area is a great boost and the new Board is united in the view that the sport internationally has to do more to ensure that in every country the welfare of horses competing in endurance is at the forefront and we have welcomed the tighter rules introduced this season by the FEI.” “We have a strong and balanced Board with the range of skills needed and expertise for some of the very specific roles. Among the new faces, as well as Antonia, we have Amanda Woolcombe a primary school head teacher with many years' experience in safeguarding; Shaun Walsh a commercial manager and well versed in the kind of sponsorship arrangements that we will need to make; with Chris Wray as finance director we have someone both with years of experience in endurance but also a background in financial management; with Rosemary Attfield as International Director, also looking after Para-endurance and the Pony Club, we have someone with years of experience as a coach, trainer and mentor. And, though not a member of the Board, in Jan Hebblethwaite, a retired solicitor, we have a chair of the Disciplinary Committee with a judicial background.

“I am also fortunate alongside my other directors to have Esther Young supporting me as Vice Chair – she is an outstanding Operations Director and knows the sport inside out.

“So we may be at something of a crossroads with some potentially hard choices to make about where we see the future of our sport going, but I am optimistic that we can still structure the organisation to build a base for it to grow and prosper, ‘failure’ is not a word in my vocabulary.”

endurance news

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#Wewillrideagain

The song first made famous

by Elvis Presley conjures up the love affair we all have with The Golden Horseshoe Ride.

Elizabeth Peplow looks at why it’s on everyone’s bucket list and why when we can again, we must all ‘take the time’ to show this great event even more love.

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It’s simply the BIG one, our Badminton, with Red Dragon as the Burghley, both book-ending the season perhaps without the outward glitz of the faster, flatter and more predictable ‘bowl-along’ mid-season tracks but arguably glamour (on ride days at least) has never been high on the list as a sport.

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While it would lose on any measure of highend tentage, the beating heart of the sport doesn’t need such paraphernalia and being tucked into the packed prize giving marquee, dripping with condensation, the warmth of genuine applause, and accompanying (often rude but always affectionate) banter, will stay long in the memory and sums up why this sport has soul.

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It’s got history and a back story adds up to mystique – the first Golden Horseshoe Ride was run by the British Horse Society in 1965, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph and promoted by author Ronald Duncan and the great horseman Colonel Mike Ansell. The idea was so popular that they had to halt entries a month before the ride. A total of 110 set out to cover 50 miles in a day at that first event and afterwards it was (rightly) judged by organisers to have been a true test of the horse’s fitness and the rider’s horsemanship.

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It’s got a pioneering spirit – that first ride had it in spades with no markers and riders navigating the Chains with the help of locals on Exmoor ponies. Things may be altogether different today but the sense of anticipation and adventure in the build-up echoes down the years.

It’s got views – when the weather gods are kind enough to let you see them, but while the backdrop is dramatic and nothing beats the thrill of riding out across the open moor or navigating some of the steeper climbs or descents and coming out the other side, this is no sight-seeing tour (unlike at the first ride when with no minimum speed some riders had chauffeurs set up sumptuous picnic stops along the route).

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golden horseshoe

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

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It takes courage and skill as a rider – you know it is going to hurt and to ride the moor over many hours in whatever conditions Exmoor throws at you takes high levels of dogged determination, concentration and technical expertise.

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It takes teamwork, between rider and horse but also more importantly than many rides, a great crew able to adapt and manage their charges both equine and human in conditions that can go from a heatwave to driving rain to a blasting gale in one day.

It’s a high welfare event – it goes without saying that since that first ride when welfare campaigner Glenda Spooner and jockey John Oaksey were there at the finish to check on the condition of the horses, things soon got a lot more stringent and you have comfort in knowing that a world class team of vets – of which we are lucky to have more than our fair share in this country – makes sure horses are fit to continue during the ride and at the finish.

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Photos courtesy of David Saunders Photography

It’s got prizes (see point 2) lots of them – at the first ride, all completions were handed gold painted horseshoes - and if you are lucky enough to be on the roll call on the Sunday night, the appreciative praise of your fellow riders will never leave you because it's meant – a completion on Exmoor whether Gold, Silver or Bronze with associated awards is treated with awe and respect. In particular those completing the 160km class are saluted as heroes. Among the most coveted prizes is the Fleur Award for the horse best thought to be able to go a further 25 miles – really summing up what the sport is all about.

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changes each year. The extremes of weather and going will give some years a particularly epic quality, adding further to the folklore.

It’s often not the years with a glut of golds that stick in the memory.

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It’s got heroes – given its 55 year history, the roll call of Exmoor greats grows more impressive each year but Jill Thomas’s Egyptian Khalifa (Kelly) will be hard to beat. He crossed the finish line 11 times in the 100 mile class, picking up five Golds, three Silver and one bronze award and just two eliminations.

It’s got great pubs and places to stay. Everyone has a favourite but the packed bar full of familiar endurance faces who have taken part but also come to spectate, at the White Horse in the centre of Exford takes a lot of beating. There are all levels and price points of accommodation for riders and crews and ample stabling around the area for horses.

It’s got something for everyone.

Although initially by default the preserve of the upper echelons of the sport, the first Novice class (50 miles in one day) was introduced in 1999 when current organiser Jo Chisholm was among the completions and over the past decade organisers have broadened the appeal with the introduction of a sell-out non-competitive pleasure ride plus the Exmoor Experience twoday event which gives riders at lower levels the chance to cross “Horseshoe country”.

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It’s not just for Arab horses (although see point 14) – the incredible achievements of a variety of horses (and ponies) from natives to part-Thoroughbreds and even a part-bred Morgan (Belinda Stewart’s Marches Trianda) are legion in this ride.

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It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

No edition of the Golden Horseshoe is ever the same and not just because the course

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It’s family. Everyone involved becomes a friend and you can be sure they will all welcome each and everyone back next time with arms even wider than usual. For the organising team, led by Andrew and Jo Chisholm, to the sponsors, tradestand holders at the venue, the vets, farriers, stewards, timekeepers, the checkpoint and road-crossing teams, to the Raynet, St John Ambulance and host of volunteers to the local businesses, the pubs, hotels, cafes, feed merchants and even garages for whom the ride is a vital boost to the economy, we will be back!

See you there!

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A date for your diary…

When the Golden Horseshoe Ride 2020 (22-24 May) was postponed until further notice due to the Coronavirus pandemic organisers Andrew and Jo Chisholm pledged to do their utmost to look into the possibility of rescheduling later on in the year if the situation changes favourably. Check out goldenhorseshoeride.com or follow the ride on Facebook @GoldenHorseshoeRide

golden horseshoe

11

Futurity evaluations

British Breeding

Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations

B

ritish Breeding is delighted to announce the dates and plans for its 2020 British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations. This highly regarded series for foals and young stock aims to identify talented horses that will go on to compete successfully in the future. With many Futurity graduates already competing at top level in Dressage, Endurance, Eventing and Showjumping the series offers the ideal opportunity for breeders to showcase their potential stars.

The 2020 British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity sees several developments designed to build on their world-leading evaluation system, delivering an independent and objective detailed assessment of performance potential and opening opportunities for British bred foals and youngsters from all studbooks.

The Futurity takes place at venues throughout the country during August. There are specific days depending on the age of your youngster, with dates for foals to 2 year olds and 3 to 5 year olds. See list of venues for more details.

The new grading system introduced last year has proved popular and will be continued in 2020, with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards replacing the old third, second and first premiums. This reflects the Futurity’s recognition of the quality of a wide range of riding horses and ponies, from those suitable for the ambitious amateur to the next generation of international competition horses.

British Breeding’s Futurity Evaluations have developed several unique benefits to breeders.

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performance

Each entry undergoes a thorough veterinary assessment of soundness and conformation and receives expert nutritional advice. A detailed evaluation from a panel of renowned international industry experts gives a comprehensive linear profile and detailed feedback for each horse or pony, recorded in a state-of-the-art database for future reference.

Professional videography and photography ensure that every entrant has a comprehensive record of their day.

What is the Futurity?

Firstly, the Futurity is an evaluation, rather than a show class. At a show your horse will be ranked in order of preference by a judge or judges.

At an evaluation your horse will be marked using a set of criteria appropriate for that horse’s age and intended discipline. Score sheets have been developed specifically for those horses that are to be evaluated for endurance, and the feedback you will receive will be more thorough than you would normally get at a show.

Because this is an evaluation for performance potential, horses should not be in “show” condition. The evaluation includes a veterinary examination to

assess soundness and condition scoring by a nutritionist designed to give useful feedback that may help to enable the horse to reach his full potential.

The Futurity is principally run to identify talented young sport horses and ponies, for collecting data on British breeding so that British breeders can make use of that information for future breeding decisions and for providing feedback

2020 Dates and Venues Tues 11 August Wed 12 August Thur 13 August Fri 14 August Sat 15 August Sun 16 August Mon 17 August Wed 26 August Thur 27 August Fri 28 August Sat 29 August Sun 30 August Mon 31 August

Writtle Catherston foals 2yo Catherston 3-5yo The Grange Usk College Stourport EC Addington Vale View foals 2yo Vale View 3-5yo Copper Beeches Meyerscough foals 2yo Meyerscough 3-5yo Richmond EC

features | endurancegb.co.uk

to participants on the suitability of the horse they have bred for its intended discipline and the market for which it has been bred. This is important to remember because not every horse will be an “elite” horse. The biggest sector of the market is the amateur affiliated sector and this market typically requires horses with slightly different attributes to elite horses.

Futurity is for ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ owners/ breeders alike, and high scores have come in equal measure from established studs and people with a small mare herd, so don’t think that the Futurity isn’t for you because you are a ‘small breeder’. If you have a passion for sport horse or pony breeding, you have critically assessed your mare(s) and have picked the very best stallion to complement her attributes and bred your young horse with a specific competition purpose in mind – then the Futurity is for you!

Foals to two year olds are assessed in hand on a triangle and loose in an indoor school that provides a safe environment. Three-year-old horses and ponies are assessed at separate venues to offer them a more tailor-made experience.

Eligibility

Horses need to be British bred, which means that they must have been foaled in Britain, or be born to a mare that normally resides in Britain but has been temporarily exported for the purposes of breeding only. The rules do not currently require the sire of a horse entered in the endurance

section to be licenced, but entries in sections for dressage, show jumping and eventing must be sired by a licenced, graded or approved stallion with a recognised studbook. In order to enter, horses must be British bred and have (or in the case of a foal is eligible for) original pedigree papers and passport including a verified pedigree.

It is the entrant's responsibility to ensure that the horse fulfils the entry requirements. The organisers are not responsible for verifying your entry prior to the event.

We are in unprecedented times and as the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, none of know when or how like will return to anything like normal. However we must do everything we can to keep people safe. British Breeding are continuing with preparations for the Futurity series this year, always with the proviso that things may change. We will keep everyone updated via social media and announcements on our website, www.britishBreeding.com. Let’s hope we can welcome everyone to the series in August..

Racheal Holdsworth

Samba B 15hh Arab Stallion standing at stud in Northumberland 2012 / Bay / SCID, CA, LFS, OAAM clear Licensed stallion with proven fertility. Stud Fee £350 Natural and Frozen Owner: Sarah O’Neill Contact Tel: 01661886042 Mobile: 07910747910 Email: fenswood@btinternet.com

Sambist

Jazmyn

Higher First Premium stallion Samba B. Top yearling in the BEF endurance futurity 2013

Balaton Stihia Kasadi Sophy

Menes Panagia Topol Sapina Taqah Anna Rose Hucklebury Fynn Nigella

Samba B’s sire, AHS Premium Stallion, Sambist, was top long distance champion and racing sire. He was a multiple Classic Winner and retired sound after 6 years with 18 wins, 7 second places and 8 thirds internationally. Sambist was an AHS Premium stallion and earned the title Arab Racehorse Sire of the Year 13 times. He was famous for being the most correct and most sound Arabian Racing Stallion.

AHS Premium Mare, Jazmyn, had dressage wins at Preliminary, Novice, Elementary and Medium levels and was 5th in the 1999 Open Novice British Dressage championships. In hand, she won at the Suffolk County show, and was champion at the Norfolk and Suffolk show.

Samba B achieved the coveted Higher First Premium award for each of the three times he presented at the British Equestrian Federation Futurity Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Then, at the age of 6 years he won the BEF Futurity Graduates Bronze section, for 6 year olds.

Samba B successfully represented Home International squads in 2018 and 2019, is competing at Advanced level endurance, and is FEI qualified. Samba has an excellent temperament and personality.

Frozen semen available from Stallion AI Services www.stallionai.co.uk or natural cover at Fenswood Stud, Northumberland.

Stud guide

Breeding an Arabian

for endurance

Paul competing with his top endurance mare Sakeena Sky Zayin

I

set up Zayin Arabian Stud back in 1998 with the principal objective of breeding Arabians for racing. I have always believed in the value of strong performance bloodlines which is essential for establishing a solid foundation for your breeding program, as a result I did a considerable amount of research into their pedigrees. Although mine was primarily set up for racing, several of my key foundation mares come from dual purpose racing and endurance families, the other essential elements are conformation, temperament and movement; highly unlikely you will find the perfect horse but keeping in mind these factors is important. I wouldn’t consider looking at a horse for my stud if I wasn’t impressed by its performance pedigree, but likewise if it had an amazing pedigree but was poorly developed physically, I wouldn’t look past those faults. You want performance with sanity for endurance, those that are exceptionally highly strung will always struggle in the vet gates: and it is likely that those mares will breed these traits on with their foals.

and was placed 8 times from 19 starts over 3 seasons. She further excelled in endurance with me, our wins together include the 120 km Exmoor Stag at the Golden Horseshoe ride, 100 km CER Keysoe Race ride, 80 km Cerne Giant, 80 km Cirencester and 80 km Brentor ride, her placings include 2nd in the 80 km Southern Championships race ride at Three Rivers, 2nd in the 120 km Dragons Tail at the Red Dragon ride and 2nd in the 100 km CER Gold race ride at Cirencester Park. Her dam Sweet Simplicity comes from the Sky Crusader damline and Sky was her only foal, Sky is due to foal to Group 1 winning Arab race stallion Al Jakbar in May. Aliesha was placed racing and only had 2 foals (her full sister Bella Joy was a 160 km FEI*** horse with Nicky Sherry), of which Zayin Encantado excelled at endurance with owner/rider Jenny Pierson winning the 100 km Gold Achievement race at Cirencester (beat Sky & Kumara), 2nd in the 80 km Barbury Castle Chase, 2nd 80 km Boconnoc race ride, 2nd in

the 80 km Southern Champs and 24th in the 120 km FEI** at Windsor (with Alice Ingram riding). Columbine produced two advanced horses, Zayin Vakaash who won the 80 km Dragons Egg and the tiny but mighty Kumara Zayin (owned and ridden by Liz Sutton). Kumara scored gold at the 80 km Golden Horseshoe, 3rd in the 100 km Gold Achievement race ride at Cirencester and 5th in the 80 km Barbury Castle chase.

Choosing the broodmare: The key broodmares at Zayin

There are no unproven arabian performance mares at Zayin, all the mares chosen for breeding come from a distinct line of high class performance Arabian damlines; you will not find any show breeding lines in the Zayin programme as I do not believe these lines lead to good long term performance for racing and endurance. CS Comete (Bengali D’Albrte x Cikada) won 4 races herself and

CS Comete with colt foal Zayin Zachilles August 2009

The foundation mares: Sweet Simplicity, Aliesha and Autumn Columbine

The most successful endurance horse bred at Zayin is my homebred mare Sakeena Sky Zayin (Karmah x Sweet Simplicity), she won racing

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breeding

features | endurancegb.co.uk

was placed many times as well being full sister to Group 2 winner and champion racehorse CS Al Wahed, she has been a superb broodmare producing Zayin Zachilles (winner of 9 races inc. Dubai Day 7 Handicap and Champion British bred Arab racehorse 2014, he is also open level endurance) and Zayin Zodiac (winner of 2 races and placed 4th in Group 3 ARO Cup and 7th in 120 km FEI** in Spain), she is also dam of Kuwait race winners Zayin Zeus and CS Jakari. Barryh (Djelfor x Manisa) won twice racing, half sister to smart endurance performer Rawnq, she has produced two superstar racehorses for the stud – Zayin Barakaldo (won 3 inc. UAE Premier Hcap at Kempton and 4th in the Emirates Stakes on Dubai Day) and 3rd in 80 km FEI* in the UAE, Zayin Angkor Centurion (won two races, 2nd in the Group 3 ARO Cup and 2nd in the Emirates Stakes Dubai Day) and Zayin Bazyush (34th in the 160 km FEI*** UAE Presidents Cup), Zayin Indian Fuego (won and placed racing and open level endurance) and Fleur 24th in 120 km FEI** in France. The third significant mare I purchased was Jumah (Div x Samaura Bint Samurai), who has no French bloodlines, she won 3 times racing and was placed many times, her racing son CS Jumali was unbeaten in two races in the UK before going on to win in Kuwait 10 times, her daughters Samauring Zayin (won twice and placed and now broodmare at Zayin on her 3rd foal) and Amyzing Zayin (won twice and placed and open level endurance); her other son Nicsar Diamond Jubilee won twice racing and was 2019 EGB Novice endurance champion. Samauring has had 2 foals for Zayin, her racing son Zayin Activist was placed 4th from 3 starts racing, her daughter Warcry Zayin (by Assy) has been retained and she is currently in foal to Group 1 winner Handassa.

Zayin Arabians May 2019

can afford to use artificial insemination this will also give you a greater choice of stallions to use; but this can be expensive.

Trusted sources

Unfortunately, the breeding of performance Arabians in the UK is a dwindling occupation, the majority of studs breed on a small scale or for themselves only; therefore it is more and more difficult to find decent broodmares and bloodlines to add to your stud. I would advise against buying “any” mare and putting it to a good stallion. I am very careful about which mares I allow Zayin Zachilles to cover, to date they include EGB National Champion and FEI* endurance mares: as I want to give him the best chance of success as an endurance sire in years to come. In the last 6 years I have added two mares to the herd, Kallista (Sambist x GAS Pepelka) from Anne Brown’s top performance Gadebrook stud, she is half sister to race winner Mack The Knife and from the dam line of 120 km FEI** Sarafina; Kallista won twice and was placed racing and reached open level

in endurance. The other mare is Bey Safra (Ganemede x Gold Selene) she is ¾ sister to 160 km FEI*** Bey Sahli and 160 km FEI*** CJ’s Gai Forest, she was bred by Tina Cooke’s Stourvale Stud. Possibly interesting to note both were bought as young unbroken 4 yr old mares with no vettings.

I would strongly advise against large scale breeding in the current economy and climate, it is almost impossible to breed a foal for less than £1500 and if you keep it till 4 to sell it on for endurance, you are unlikely recoup any significant costs. I breed because I enjoy it and love watching them develop and each and every one has given me some great memories in racing and endurance, and whilst the journey of stud farm is hard, it is a fantastic experience. However, whilst I enjoy running Zayin it is expensive and will never be cost effective, it is a labour of love and I am proud of where Zayin Arabian Stud is now after 22 years' hard work. My advice is to keep your stud small and select and focus on quality over quantity.

Choosing the right stallion

I have always bred for racing as a primary focus, as a small stud and only breeding 1-2 foals a year I do not have the space to be too experimental or to breed too many; especially as most of the my horses don’t get sold until they are at least 5. This means I tend to focus on proven Group 1 Arabian race sires and in the last 10 years, by introducing French bloodlines I have seen bigger and stronger and faster horses on the racetrack, but these have also been successful in endurance. For example my best endurance performers are by Dahess, Jiyush and Khoutoubia, but Zachilles looks promising with Grade 1’s in majority of his rides and is by Kaolino, while both Sky and Encantado were by Group 2 winner Karmah (bred in Argentina of Egyptian bloodlines).

Currently in the UK there are number of top endurance stallions at stud and the choice is endless, but as a breeder starting out I would favour proven performance lines and if you

Samauring Zayin with daughter Warcry Zayin May 2019

breeding

15

Endurance breeders' advice Jenny Lees – Owner of Pearl Island Arabians who have bred numerous top class endurance performers as well as Arab race winners:

Barryh with colt foal Zayin Angkor Centurion August 2013

The costs of breeding

Natural cover is by far the cheapest, but as always before you send your mare away make sure you get your CEM swabs done and if the mare is a maiden make sure she is okay in terms of fertility and ability to hold a foal.

Keep at most stud farms is about £10 per day and I would always allow 6-8 weeks as you don’t want your mare to return home until the 30 day scan (when the heart beat can be detected). Stud fees vary but most decent Arab performance stallions stand between £500 - £1500. If you are going down the artificial insemination route then this can be costly but most vets now offer packages (I would recommend an experienced equine insemination clinic or stud, for the last 6 yrs all the Zayin mares have gone to West Kington), packages range in price between £400-500 per cycle and I always allow for at least two. For my stud farm all my breeding is done via artificial insemination, as the best arab race stallions are usually only available by AI. An example outlining the costs for putting Sky in foal last year: •

re AI vet checks,CEM swabs etc P £200

•

eep £10 per day @ 8 weeks K £420

•

I costs (1 cycle) A £450

•

S tud fee for Al Jakbar £1000

•

otal T £2070 approx

My ultimate goal as a breeder

For endurance it is to have an FEI winner, I have had some great results with Zayin Zodiac, Zayin Bazyush, Zayin Encantado and the best

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breeding

result was Zayin Barakaldo who was 3rd in an 80 km FEI* in the UAE. All my wins have come with Sakeena Sky Zayin and I am most proud of the 100 km race win at Keysoe, the 120 km Exmoor Stag and the 80 km Cirencester win all in the same year 2015, this led to me being awarded leading British Male Endurance rider at the Endurance GB Awards (the Jeffmaur Trophy) and she also won the G Putnik Award (best Arab racehorse to endurance horse).

For racing it is to have a group winner and also a Dubai Day winner. Zayin Zachilles gave my first Dubai Day winner in 2016 when winning the 7f handicap on Dubai Day and Zayin Angkor Centurion came 2nd there in the Emirates Stakes.

While Centurion also came 2nd in the Group 3 ARO Cup and Zayin Zodiac was 4th in the Group 3 race.

Advice for new breeders

• Think carefully about your mare, go for proven performance lines and good movement, conformation and temperament, don’t look for perfection as it doesn’t exist and always go with your gut instinct, personally if I was buying an endurance broodmare I would be looking for a mare to have either won or been placed in the top 5 at 80 km level or above.

• Stallion wise – there are some great endurance sires out there but most are only available by AI if you want top quality, there is a small number of performance stallions available in the UK by natural cover but these studs are becoming ever rarer.

• Breed for the love of it and passion of watching your horse develop and grow, there is no commercial value in

“The two qualities I look at when breeding a horse for Endurance are the sire and dam’s conformation and temperament.

If you get those two things right, then you should produce a horse that can go all day with the correct attitude. The Bahraini pulse rates are exceptional.”

Nicki Thorne – Owner of Akala Arabians and one of the UK’s top endurance riders representing the UK numerous times and competing in 160 km FEI*** globally: “The temperament and personality come above all else.

I only want to breed from proven bloodlines and specifically from individual proven horses. Good conformation is important; however, I’ve seen many phenomenal endurance horses that are not classically put together. By temperament I don’t just mean whether the sire and dam are easy to handle, I mean whether they exhibit a personality and heart that can handle the rigours of endurance.

They need the ability to be a “people” horse that wants to work with you, a heart to keep going even when the going is tough, and with that comes an element of feistiness and quirkiness.

Remember I’m really breeding for the ultimate endurance horse to me – and this will vary greatly for everyone. I have a size I’m most comfortable with riding, a type and way of going that I prefer, and

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a temperament in mind that I know I will enjoy competing, these are the things I keep in mind when I consider the sire and the dam. As I own the sire of my choice for breeding (Tidarbret) I am focusing on the choice of mare and even an amazing and well proven mare will not be considered if they fall short on my requirements. I want to breed and produce horses that will do me proud in my chosen sport of endurance, and have a potential to be raced in Arab racing prior to converting to endurance and that encapsulate my view of the attributes of the Arabian breed.”

breeding arabs for sport in the current market. You might not want to keep your horse indefinitely but be aware for performance breeding people generally only want them ready to go 4 or 5 plus, so that is how long you will have to keep and raise it. There is little or no investment by endurance people in the UK in youngstock for the future, this is partly what has led to significant decline in the breeding of Arabians for performance in the UK, as well as the on-going rising costs of keeping a horse and competing.

• Budget well especially if going down the AI route, one year I had a very bad breeding year, in August after 4 cycles each with two older mares I was a huge amount of money down and no foals on the way, being either stubbornly determined or stupidly optimistic, I gave both mares one more cycle of AI and then took them home. I scanned them 8 weeks later and both went on to give me two lovely fillies the following year for their final foals (both now happily retired), that year cost

wise was horrendous. So always prepare for contingency and be prepared to throw in the towel if the bank well runs dry.

• Success rates with natural are higher and less expensive, but as one breeder said to me it costs the same amount of money and time to raise a good well bred 4 yr old as it does a poorly bred one. I am only breeding one foal this year, Kallista has been booked to Group 1 Arab race winner No Risk Al Maury.

• Quality over quantity every time, better to breed one top class stallion to a top class mare, than 4 average ones.

• Visit stud farms and view the stallions if you can and get an idea if they are what you are looking for and will improve your mare, the more you see and view the more you will learn and understand what you are looking for.

All the best, good luck and enjoy.

Happy to answer any questions by e-mail: paulprszay@hotmail.com, www.zayinarabianstud.co.uk

Something for everyone

Feeding for

breeding success

18

nutrition

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Emma Short BSc (Hons), Senior Equine Nutritionist, Baileys Horse Feeds. Emma advises horse owners on feeding, develops feeding programmes based on forage analyses and can be found at Futurity Evaluations, alongside the vet, helping assess body condition and offering specialist advice on the feeding of youngstock.

W

hatever breed or type, nutrition plays an important role in the production of a healthy, sound foal with a useful career ahead of it.

Good Preparation

The Mare Research suggests that a rising plane of nutrition helps increase conception rates which simply means that the mare needs to be improving in condition at the time of conception. A mare should be fit not fat when she is covered and those who are significantly under or over weight are less likely to conceive. For particularly good doers, a specially formulated stud balancer is an excellent way to provide essential protein, vitamins and minerals without extra calories, whilst a conditioning feed will provide additional calories to promote weight gain where necessary.

The Stallion The stallion should be fit and healthy to cope with the rigours of regular covering and to help ensure maximum fertility. His nutritional requirements can be considered equivalent to those of a performance horse, becoming even greater if the stallion is competing as well as covering. As with many horses in peak physical condition, some stallions may go off their feed, losing weight and condition, during a busy covering season.

For these horses, the “little and often” approach is even more important and those who require higher calorie diets to maintain condition but can tend to be “fizzy”, are best fed reduced or low starch feeds, including those targeted at horses prone to gastric ulcers. Oil is also an ideal, non-heating way of increasing the calorie content of the diet without significantly increasing the volume fed.

In fact, fatty acids, especially Omega 3, have been shown in other species to help create stronger sperm cell membranes, which should help the semen withstand AI techniques.

Antioxidants, including vitamin E (fat soluble), vitamin C (water soluble), beta carotene and trace minerals zinc and selenium, help defend sperm cells against free radicals, the harmful compounds produced in normal metabolic processes. They have also been linked to maintaining optimum sperm counts, motility, production and increased fertility.

She’s in Foal

The development of the foal begins right from

the point of conception so it’s essential to feed appropriately from this time onwards. It is often suggested that a high fibre, low energy feed, such as a cool mix, will meet a pregnant mare’s requirements but it’s unlikely to provide sufficient vitamins and minerals to support the growing foetus. Minerals like copper are vitally important in a mare’s diet because they, and other essential nutrients, are needed to build the cells and tissues that create a foal. Research has shown that the foetus accumulates stores of minerals in its liver on which it can draw once it is born and growing very rapidly. Without these reserves, Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) can occur as the foal grows.

"It’s very important to feed the manufacturer’s recommended levels" So What Do I Feed Her? Good-doers are likely to put on weight if fed a stud mix or cube during pregnancy so, again, for these types a specially formulated stud balancer is ideal. These contain all the necessary essential nutrients but with a negligible calorie content and should ensure that the development of the foetus is supported without promoting weight gain in the mare. As balancers are so concentrated, only small amounts need to be fed which is particularly useful for mares that are heavily pregnant as they often have a reduced appetite. For mares who don’t hold their weight particularly well a stud mix or stud cube should be fed to provide extra calories alongside the essential nutrients required.

Whatever you choose, it’s very important to feed it at the manufacturer’s recommended levels to ensure the mare is receiving all the nutrients she and her growing foal need.

The Lactating Mare

Milk production requires more energy than hard work so it’s no surprise that a mare can consume up to 2.75% of her bodyweight as food per day (compared to about 2% for

maintenance requirements). Good quality grass makes a significant contribution to the mare’s requirements but a stud ration should be fed alongside to counteract any nutrient deficiencies that may be present in the pasture. The good doer will often only need a stud balancer alongside good forage, whilst others may require stud mix or cubes to supply additional calories. These are formulated to be fed in much larger quantities and a Thoroughbred or Warmblood mare may require 12-15lbs/5.5-6.8kg of feed per day which will need to be divided into 3 if not 4 meals.

The foal is growing rapidly during the first three months of life and is totally dependent on milk from the dam. The quality and quantity of this milk will determine the foal’s rate of growth, bodyweight and condition so the mare’s diet must contain sufficient nutrients to support the foal during this period. Mare’s milk will usually meet the foal’s requirements for protein and energy, however, the mineral density declines as milk production increases, resulting in lots of energy but a “diluted” mineral content. This can lead to problems such as Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) in the foal and calls for the use of vitamin and trace mineral supplementation to help support the foal’s growth.

Help and Support

There are many things that can go wrong when breeding a foal and that’s why it’s so rewarding when things go well. Although getting nutrition right is no guarantee against problems occurring, it does reduce the risk.

Most reputable feed manufacturers have telephone or email Helplines manned by experienced nutritionists who will always be happy to discuss your particular concerns. www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk info@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk 01371 850247

nutrition

19

Case study

A chip off

the old block

Owner

Louise Rich

Name

Oakleazefarm Czamak, called Skinny for short as he was skinny when he was born.

Age

16 years old

Height 15.2hh

Breed

Home bred pure Arab, half Polish and half Crabett Arab out of our stallion Czarus and mare Roundhills Desert Rhapsody who have both now sadly passed away. He is the spitting image of his dad – a true athlete.

Career

Skinny was born at home, broken in and trained by his owner, Louise. Skinny has had a very successful endurance career, with minimal failures.

He has won at FEI 1*,2* and 3* all at Kings Forest

20

veterinary

within an 18 months period. The pair had aimed for the Euston 2019 European Championships but had to put on hold due to lameness issues.

Symptoms

Lameness of left forelimb, muscle cramps and poor performance.

Diagnosis

Physical assessment, lameness investigation including nerve blocking to left forelimb, radiographic examination identified bone chips, along with moderate degenerative joint disease of the fetlock joint.

Treatment

Pre-surgery antibiotics, arthroscopic surgical correction to remove bone chips under general anaesthetic.

Aftercare

Dressing to affected limb, box rest for 6 weeks, walking in hand/horse walker. Post-surgery assessment at 6 weeks and regenerative stem cell therapy by injection.

features | endurancegb.co.uk

E

ndurance is the only discipline where there are compulsory veterinary examinations before, throughout and after the competition. Horses can be eliminated at any of these veterinary inspections, with lameness being a common cause. The carpus (knee) and fetlock are at higher risk of bone fracture than other joints, but with advances in research and imaging technology, veterinarians have determined that some fractures are not so terrible.

This article will discuss osteochondral fragments (bone chips) found in the fetlock joint of a 16 year old endurance horse and his journey so far.

Ollie Crowe BVSc CertES(Orth) DipECVS MRCVS After graduation, Ollie worked in Newmarket for 2 years before undertaking a surgery residency at the Royal Veterinary College.

He worked in Lambourn before joining Willesley Equine Clinic in 2003. Ollie holds the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons RCVS certificate in Equine Surgery and is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and a European recognised specialist in Equine Surgery.

Ollie spends almost all of his time in the Breadstone Hospital but is also frequently asked to perform surgery at other facilities both within and outside the UK. Ollie's particular interests are in minimally invasive, orthopaedic and colic surgery and he has published papers on arthroscopy and suspensory ligament disease in the horse. He is an FEI official treating vet at Badminton Horse Trials and regularly treats horses referred to the hospital from nearby events and racecourses.

Introduction

The equine skeleton consists of approximately 205 bones made up from calcium, phosphorus, sodium, other minerals and collagen. The skeletal system adapts to exercise or lack of it, by forming or removing tissue, allowing bones to respond to the mechanical stresses or movement and training.

Bone contains 3 types of cells: • Osteoclasts – break down old or damaged bone.

•

Osteocytes – carry nutrients to and from blood vessels

•

Osteoblasts- repair damage and build up new bone.

Evolution has seen the horse adapt to a cursorial lifestyle, with musculoskeletal structures adapting to maximise speed and endurance at an early age to avoid predators.

But these evolutionary traits can lead to problems in our modern ridden horses. The lengthened lower limb has reduced muscle mass and number of bones, with the third metacarpal and the metatarsal bones (cannon bones) bearing the most load.

How does bone chip?

Bone conditions at a slower rate in comparison to other tissue and there are three ways bones can fracture: 1. Monotonic fracture - a single extraordinary high force loaded on a bone or acute trauma caused by a fall or kick.

2. P athological fracture – bone disease weakens the bone or reduces its mass, making it unable to withstand normal loading.

3. F atigue fracture – repetitive loading causes a progressive erosion of mineral properties and bone at a rate that exceeds bone remodelling. This accumulation of microdamage is the most common cause of chip fractures.

Bone chips can vary in size from small flakes to pebbles and similarly to other fractures, clinical symptoms include pain, a build-up of fluid around affected joint, sudden onset of heat, lameness and in Skinny’s case, poor performance.

The fetlock

"Theoretically, chips can fracture off any bone, but are most commonly found in joints, especially the carpus and metacarpal phalangeal joint (fetlock)" says Ollie. Horses naturally weight-bear 60% on their forelimbs. As the forelimb hits the ground, the elbow and knee are locked causing the fetlock to extend and absorb most of the concussion. This loading is intensified when riding downhill or jumping.

The fetlock is a high motion joint, consisting of four bones, third metacarpal, proximal phalanx (long pastern) and the paired proximal sesamoid bones. The sesamoid bones support the digital flexor tendons and create extra leverage for movement. As in all other joints, the fetlock contains lubricating synovial fluid held within the synovial membrane.

veterinary

21

The cyclical loading (repeated weightbearing) on a relatively small surface area of a high motion joint causes the accumulation of microdamage. This results in the failure of subchondral bone (SCB) adaptation which leads to a chip displacing from the parent bone.

Normal Joint

Metacarpal Bone

Sesamoid Bone

Fetlock Joint Cavity Long Pastern Common Digital Extensor Tendon

Short Pastern

Deep Digital Flexor Tendon

Osteoarthritis Navicular Bone Coffin Bone

Digital Cushion Frog

The size of the chip is not as significant as the amount of debris the chip sheds.

The debris can irritate the joint and induce changes in the remodelling of opposing bones, leading to osteoarthritis – highlighting the importance of early detection and effective treatment for successful reduction of progressive changes

Conformation The long and short pasterns are situated between the fetlock and the hoof, ideally following the angle of the hoof wall. They have limited movement but are vital in absorbing concussion.

An upright pastern will be more prone to concussive injury due to the direct weight and an over sloping pastern will put more strain on the ligaments, tendons and fetlock joint.

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veterinary

Diagnosis

A nerve block examination involves local anaesthetic injected around specific nerves to abolish pain from the parts of the leg that these nerves supply. This confirms the site of the pain and highlights the area to be investigated further.

Radiographs (x-rays) were discovered back in 1895 and are especially good at looking at bones. Over the past decade digital radiography has replaced conventional radiography due to improved image quality and computer enhancements. A radiograph is obtained by firing a short pulse of x-rays through the patient and onto the x-ray detector (plate). As previously mentioned, bones contain a high amount of calcium, which due to its atomic properties, is good at

absorbing the x-rays (turning the image white).

The surrounding soft tissues contain atoms that are not as good as absorbing x-rays (turning the image grey).

Bone abnormalities are not always evident on x-rays when lameness occurs due to the inflammatory phase of bone healing.

Due to the suspicion of injury, Skinny was put on strict box rest after the initial x-rays.

Re-radiographing 14 days later revealed two bone chips displaced from the cannon bone.

Ollie adds that the use of arthroscopy as a diagnostic tool allows a direct observation of the joint surface and other surrounding structures which could offer further information not available using other diagnostic modalities.

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Did you know?

The first arthroscopy performed on a horse was back in 1954 by Masaki Watanabe.

Surgical correction

Arthroscopic surgery is the preferred choice for the removal of any bone chips and diseased bone, with the main goal to normalise the joint and minimalise further damage. The majority of arthroscopic surgery is carried out under general anaesthetic due to the surgeon’s ability to locate the bone chips more rapidly, without the risk of the horse moving during the procedure.

Arthroscopic surgery involves inserting a small arthroscope (camera) and surgical instruments through tiny incisions to view and complete surgery within the joint. The main advantages of this technique over traditional open surgery are: •

Minimal invasion to the joint

•

Reduced surgical time

•

Shorter hospitalisation times

•

Better cosmetic result

•

Increased success due to reduced trauma

"The prognosis for horses that have a chip fracture removed is usually excellent" says Ollie. Recent research suggests that the success rate of arthroscopic removal of chip fragments is extremely positive, with 83.5% of racehorses returning to their previous use and 73.6% return to racing at the same level of performance.

Aftercare

Nowadays, most vets recommend box rest with a little controlled exercise. Box rest reduces the risk of infection and further injury; however,

it is also important to consider the psychological adjustment of your confined horse. As herd animals, horses on box rest benefit from a variety of environment enhancing solutions to help support their natural behaviours (see page 24).

Horses require a basic level of fitness to support and maintain good health. As part of his rehabilitation program, Skinny was exercised on a horse walker for 20 minutes a day, over a 6 week period. Research by Trackener suggests that using a horse walker for 20 minutes, provides similar benefits to 1 hour turnout.

Walking is also beneficial in increasing circulation and preventing swelling. A physiotherapist can show you how to passively manipulate joints that have a tendency to stiffness. Stretching exercises are proven to decrease joint effusion and improve overall range of motion. Ollie adds that regular physio sessions can help identify injuries, asymmetry or secondary conditions and should be a part of routine management and not just during rehabilitation.

Skinny is my second International horse along with his brother, Cziko. He has been my most successful at senior level as Cziko was my Young Rider horse. My aims for this season are to build him back up slowly with a possible 80km somewhere and the hope to go to Euston festival.

I will continue to monitor him, with the hope to re-qualify for 2021. Even at 16yrs old, I really do believe he can still prove himself as he doesn’t have a massive amount of miles on his legs.

My biggest advice to other competitors would be the saying 'time is a great healer'.

Giving him plenty of time off and bringing him back slowly has paid off and I honestly can’t believe the difference in him. I would like to say a massive thank you to my sponsors for always supporting my team of horses, Equine Products for all the supplements and FLAIR Nasal Strips for the FLAIR strips keeping the horses on top form.

Louise (owner)

Post-operative assessments were carried out after 6 and 26 weeks. At 6 weeks, stem cells were injected into Skinny’s fetlock, integrating into local tissue and aiding in repair. Stem cell therapy has become increasingly popular for the treatment of tendon, ligament and joint diseases in the horse. During his 26 week assessment, Skinny was observed whilst being lunged and ridden as lameness may only be apparent or appear different under saddle. This also allowed Ollie to obtain valuable feedback from his owner before officially signing off.

Catherine Baldock

veterinary

23

Promotion

stable enrichment Horses on box rest or stabled for long periods of time due to weather conditions can become stressed, restless and bored.

Here are our essential products to help create a safe, clean and enriched environment.

2 3

1 4

24

endurance essentials

5

features | endurancegb.co.uk

6 1. The Tall Corner Model is one of the Pacefeeders designed to fit into any corner or stand alone.

Contains a subfloor to collects dust, sand, pollen and mould. www.pacefeeder.ie 2. Nettex Horse and Pony original is a tasty all round feed, vitamin and mineral lick to help keep your horse or pony happy and healthy. www.nettexequine.com 3. Blue Ribbon Horse Bedding wood pellets are known for their highly absorbent and innovative structure, binding odours immediately, leaving a clean and pleasant stable for you and your horses. www.blueribbonhorsebedding.co.uk 4. EQU StreamZ magnetic horse bands contain a continuous strip of StreamZ magnetised silicone, creating a 360º non invasive energy field which spins around the horses leg. www.streamz-global.com

7 Watch over your horses from anywhere

5. The Boredom Breaker in a combination toy that includes a Likit Holder and a robust ball with inserts for two Little Likits. www.likit.co.uk 6. A texturised, flexible panel that can be mounted on a fence post or stable wall allowing horses to safely scratch to relieve boredom. www.shiresequestrain.co.uk 7. Trackener is a simple, easy to use system that enables owners to remotely monitor their horses 24/7. Featuring inbuilt GPS and motion sensors, a belt incorporating a heart rate monitor and a girth sleeve to use whilst riding. www.trackener.com 8. The revolutionary ComfortStall® Flooring System, co-developed and used on a daily basis by Cornell University Veterinary Hospital.

Combining three key veterinarian-recommended components to provide a range of respiratory and musculoskeletal benefits. www.haygain.co.uk

8

endurance essentials –––

25

Complimentary therapy

O

ur pets, like our friends and family, can suffer from a variety of debilitating chronic, degenerative conditions.

Treatment options, meanwhile, are sometimes limited and frustrating, focusing on alleviating symptoms through the use of medications and other means. There may be another solution, though. Your vet may recommend an alternative therapeutic approach to your pet’s health.

Alternative therapies for pets have taken giant leaps in the success rate of post-operative recovery, as well as cases involving degenerative spine issues, neurologic disc problems, hip dysplasia, arthritis and cruciate ligament injuries. The aim of alternative and complimentary therapy is to support your animal using ‘a whole body approach’.

A British manufactured technology is now making waves within the complementary health sector for both humans and animals - StreamZ Global.

Endorsed by leading horse riders across the world StreamZ equine product, EQU StreamZ magnetic bands, have created significant impact on the magnetic therapy market. These magnetic bands are worn around the legs of a horse and provide an alternative approach to traditional magnetic therapy devices often found in boots or rugs. StreamZ highly regarded Ambassadors include World and Olympic Champions and support a variety of health benefits to their horses. Endorsements and reviews indicate a significant impact on mobility, inflammation, stamina and even the animals behaviour. But, how do they differ to magnets and why are they producing such a stir in the industry?

Traditional magnetic therapy has been around for thousands of years with early evidence that Cleopatra wore a magnetic bracelet to alleviate aches and pains. Many years on and manufacturers in this field continue to use static magnetic technology. Minimal innovation has gone into magnetic therapy technology since.

StreamZ introduces a new approach to magnetism - bio-resonance technology. This unique magnetic process rebalances the horses system at a molecular level. Traditional magnets create a pulsating action which help to increase blood flow.

Bio-resonance technology does not increase heat to the wearer; significant when looking to support an animal directly after exercise or with any muscle, tendon or ligament issue.

The fundamental principles of bio-resonance therapy have been confirmed by the latest discoveries in quantum mechanics and biophysics, revealing that all particles of matter share the characteristics of both waves and particles. This means that all substances – and therefore all cells,

26

horse health

The attraction

of magnetic therapy Complimentary Health Solutions look at innovative technologies within the health industry with a focus on the use of complementary techniques in supporting conditions where traditional medications may not be an option

parts of the body, as well as viruses, bacteria, pollen, toxins, etc. – emit electromagnetic waves.

Depending upon their nature, all substances have a quite specific typical wavelength or frequency with highly individual characteristics.

With technologies as they are in todays world the natural balance has been drastically altered due to the volume of man made frequencies which operate at extremely high range frequencies. We may not see or hear the impact these high frequencies have on our cells, but the cells within the body certainly do. Cells naturally resonate at 7.4Hz, mobile telephones operate at 2,400,000Hz! How this affects us and our animals is unproven. With the introduction of even higher frequencies in technologies such as 5G cellular networks, the call for a greater understanding on how these high range frequencies implicate our health is growing.

The benefits of Magnetic Therapy • Non invasive process • Suitable for 24/7 use • Creates no heat • Used by professionals • Clinically tested • Use in turnout/box rest

StreamZ design protected technology is made from a unique mix of silicone and magnetised particles which contain a secret range of low range frequencies. These low range frequencies interact with the horses molecular system, rebalancing the cells back to their natural and optimum state. The natural healing process is rebalanced. To horse owners one thing matters… do they work? It seems with this latest innovation to traditional magnetic therapy that complementary health devices have an important place in the equestrian community.

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Normandy, August 2014 and the World Equestrian Games: a fairy tale start to my short, but jam packed Endurance journey.

Endurance 365

M

y first experience of endurance training began with the horse Franc de la Illa, who I helped to train in the heat of a Valencian Summer, losing 2 kilos in weight myself in the process. As luck would have it, this training was to prepare for the 2014 World Equestrian Games Endurance Championship in Normandy, France. Ridden by Harken Jensen from Chile, Franc was one of the 38 horses to complete the full 160km from a field of over 200. Not a bad start for a small endurance team out of Valencia, Spain.

Endurance riding

in Spain

The landscape contrasts with the Valencian coastal mountains to a rich variety of forests.

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international

Based just north of Valencia, in the foothills of the Sierra Calderona, I am part of Albalat Endurance. Alongside my neighbour, who is the owner, we always aim high. Not content with just training and competing with our 13 horses, 4 years ago we became a competition organizing committee. At the beginning of this year, we started an equestrian tourism company (endurance365. es) focusing on endurance in order to further share our passion for horses and endurance with others.

The beauty about riding and competing in Spain is that you can train almost 365 days of the year, and with so many horses the week is busy. So busy that 3 years ago I stopped my regular job, in order to concentrate on the horses. Now my regular work is riding. :) We train 6 long mornings a week, the horses an average of 4 supplemented by the walker. Midday to the Spanish is 14:00 and lunch can easily begin at 15:00. For hill work, we have miles of track without touching a road. 70% of my time is spent mainly at walk, as the local ground is hard and rocky.

A weekly treat is canter training, in the local disused football pitch. Most months we top this with a trip to nearby Ademuz, where the landscape contrasts with the almost dry arid Valencian coastal mountains to a rich variety of pine and deciduous forests, a flowing river, and fertile valley floors.

In Ademuz our horses have their second home. It's in Ademuz that we get to ride at competition pace and test our horses’ stamina and fitness.

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Ademuz is our competition venue (Raid Ademuz, (in Spanish ‘raid’ is pronounced ride). In 2017, we held our first competition there. It was a small last minute affair, organized in 2 weeks due to the cancellation of another local ride. But from there on, we have never looked back. The local population caught the bug; the town's Mayor has qualified as a judge, and the competition weekends are fully supported by volunteers from the local community. In November of last year, 14 year old Raúl Blasco Benítez, became the first rider from the town to compete in a competition.

Perhaps like many countries, ground for competitions is always in question and in Ademuz we are proud to boast of our having kilometers of good wide track to use for the course, combining some hill work and more technical tracks with long stretches alongside the river to allow the horses to stretch and canter. Another bonus of the competitions is that we use one static crew point for all loops, accompanied by plenty of water points along the way. It aids crewing for multiple riders in multiple competitions and has the bonus that a fresh fruit snack is also provided at this point, (thanks to our connections in the wholesale fruit market).

Last year the highlight of the season, in November, was hosting over 150 riders from around Spain, who came to compete in an interprovince team championship, much like the home counties one in the UK. This was topped with the National 60km, under 16 Spanish Endurance Championship.

The 2020 Raid Ademuz season is the biggest we have organized with 3 full weekends of local, national and international competitions, culminating in the weekend of November 14/15 when we will host our first 2 day 3 star event and for the second time in 3 years - the Spanish Kings Cup, a 2 star 120km competition.

With so many horses and with a desire to grow and share our passion, in 2019 we opened our doors to international riders, and started our new project Endurance 365. We are an international team, I am British; the owner, Manolo is Spanish; and we have had riders from Uruguay and Poland working for us. With Endurance 365, we aim to provide international riders an opportunity to experience endurance in Spain. We hosted a 15 year old girl from Thailand for two 3 month blocks, mentoring her in her progression into international level competitions. In the fall of last year we had 3 riders, each for a week’s stay, each with their own agenda, but a shared desire for a new experience. One was new to endurance, another a seasoned competitor, and the third a young girl from New Zealand gaining experience in endurance yards around the world. Each went away wanting to come back, having fallen in love with at least one of our horses.

Unlike many big teams, many of our horses come ‘without’ papers. One of our passions is to work with horses that others feel have no future.

"One of our passions is to work with horses that have no future" We have Platon, an 8 year old Shagya Arab who lost his eye in an accident in his paddock, and who has learnt to trust his rider, and is almost unflappable. Naima, a somewhat crazy 7 year old mare, who selected us, she had been discarded in a field, with a herd of other horses and approached Manolo, as he walked round, taking a look. Moro, a 10 year old Anglo Arab, who, or so the story goes, was so hungry at his previous yard, that he ate the tail of another horse. Even our champion Franc de la Illa, now 18, was passed from owner to owner before we gave him his forever home.

In Spain there is no off season, there are competitions every month of the year, but we have made a great start to 2020. First and Best condition in 80km; First and Best condition in 60km; and 3rd in a 1 star international competition, all on the same day.

We hope 2020 continues to be full of success, and look forward to you joining us for an endurance experience in Spain.

This article was written prior to Coronavirus – we wish our Spanish endurance riding family the very best and hope that we will all be back out competing soon. #wewillrideagain

Jacqueline Paarhuis

international

29

Series 1

O

nce we’ve read everything, got everyone’s advice, re-looked, compared, despaired and goodness knows what – we suddenly find that fitness and training has become such an onerous and complex task that we end up either over doing it, under doing it or by some miracle getting it right!

What I thought we would do here is look at a few simple rules to follow in order to make ourselves more confident in what we have done, why we did it and if we are ready to compete and at what level! The first question has to be…

What is fit?

•

Being fit for the job – a 32 km novice will require a different level of fitness to a 160 km horse.

•

A slow hilly ride or a fast flat ride will require different types of preparation work/fitness levels.

•

Endurance fitness should be built upon season after season

•

Fitness is about muscles (one of which is the heart) tendons, ligaments, general wellbeing and mental health

•

Everything needs to be put together in a sensible, practical and achievable manner – with priorities and measurability!

Endurance is a tough sport at every level. Over training and over competing, not taking travel and overnight stays into consideration is key to disaster at some stage. Take a step back and look at how happy you both are. If you think that the next 30, 40, 60 or 100 km is too much, then it probably is. If you think there is something not quite right, it probably isn’t right.

Understanding fitness, training and goals

The Basics

Never take short cuts with the basics.

Make sure you revisit them every year (even if you have kept going through the winter), spending some time doing some proper walk and trot build up and then review. This also applies to those bringing new horses on… a) do not compare b) take time needed for “this new” chap!! c) coming back from injury - don’t rush it!

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t... so don’t risk it!

A typical week’s training plan should include 3 to 4 pieces of work and it must work for you too. Also, remember that rest and being a horse is equally as important.

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training

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

So let's keep it simple...

Planning • is a necessity • key to success • path to victory A plan should not be written in stone, it’s a guideline and can be altered to suit the time and the situation, changing it is not a failure or an issue!

Part of any plan should be about finding answers and even questions…. listening and acting on them… reviewing and progressing Reality It is absolutely no good working to a plan or indeed goals without a REALITY CHECK! It is self-defeating to make plans you simply cannot achieve because of time, weather, money, whatever Goals • are our direction • made with reality • and steps forward Goal setting is not just about competition. If you lack confidence it could be about tiny steps, if it’s about ability or either you or your horse, it might be the bigger picture.

Formal schooling •

2 0 mins in the arena practising your “warm up” pre ride

•

Lunging

•

Long reining

•

Poles

•

Lesson

•

Treadmill

If you can’t wait until Series 2 feel free to contact me: onthehoofdt@hotmail.co.uk Happy Training Times

Maggie Pattinson

Schooling ride

This is about going out with some purpose and using what’s around to do some proper leg work. So, for example within an hour hack a couple of proper 10 min sessions. Also, the opportunity to do some real riding exercises for yourself (maybe not 'Round the World' but remember some of those other exercises).

Target training

This is looking at the rides specifically being trained for so it could be: hill work, track work, beach, rough going or long but slow.

Time in the saddle

This the most important piece of work of the week – DON’T MISS IT! Make sure all tack is correctly fitted and, as a rider, that you are fit enough for the job in hand. Go out on a nice long hack, picnic or pub ride and remember how great it is to be riding.

Take the time to look at those gorgeous ears in front of you.

In Series 2, we will look at specific training plans for the Schooling and Targeted Training Exercises and why we are doing them and what they look to achieve.

We will also look at planning for your crews, keeping them in the loop, knowing why they are needed where, what you might need and why.

Top Tips Keep a training diary of some kind (include type of work, where, time of day, weather and comments – how did it go, anything different, include a weekly goal or challenge maybe). Use a regular circuit to assess young horses, any niggles, fitness improvements (recovery, speed etc) and keep a record. Get a coach/instructor/ friend who will tell you the truth and not just what you want to hear. Listen to advice, discuss and even ask questions.

Remember that one size does not fit all (and that’s not just the saddle)!

• • • • •

Feed/supplements Cooling Training Terrain Equipment

Spend time in the saddle

There are the • Ultimate Goals (reaching for the stars/ in years to come) • Mid way Goals (this season, this year, this horse) • Here and now Goals: (today, this week, this ride) But they all go towards • your story • your success • your journey

training

31

Feed management

It's that time

of year again Lizzie Drury MSc RNutritionist has a wealth of nutritional expertise supporting the health, well being and performance of the modern equine athlete, with a passion for feeding the Endurance horse throughout the season.

I

t seems to me as though the endurance season comes around faster and faster each year and here we are again! However, I think that one of the main reasons for the seasons feeling as though they are rolling into one is because of the huge amount of work that now goes into the preparation, management and feeding of these endurance horses even in the ‘off season’ to ensure that they are absolutely fighting fit and fuel tanks on full, ready for their first competitive rides.

The attention that needs to be paid to the feed management of horses during the ‘off season’ is crucial to support optimum recovery and repair from the season that has just passed and to help ensure that the horses are given the best possible opportunity to start the new season fit and well. If the preparation during this time is done correctly, then the feeding during the season should be easier requiring some fine tuning with attention paid to feed management

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feeding

strategies prior, at and after a ride or for individual horses who require a more specific feed or feeding regime during the season.

"The high work rate of an endurance horse poses several challenges" A number of factors will influence the choice of feeding programme for endurance horses and here at Saracen Horse Feeds we appreciate these factors and therefore take time to work closely

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Photo courtesy of David Saunders Photography

with our clients to find a feed that complements the current forage, training regime and trainer / owner preference to help support the optimum performance of the endurance horse.

The high work rate of an endurance horse poses several challenges with the first one being the high-energy demands which potentially can result in the depletion of substrate stores, particularly muscle and liver glycogen, resulting in a decline in performance. Secondly as the evaporation of sweat is the major mechanism for heat dissipation during exercise, there is substantial loss of body water and electrolytes (sodium and chloride) and failure to mitigate the resultant dehydration and electrolyte losses is another potential reason for poor performance, metabolic problems and elimination.

During my work with endurance clients, I spend a significant amount of time ensuring that clients have made the necessary transitions from the ‘off season’ feeding programme to the Enduro 100 smoothly and looking at each individual horse to ensure that some of their more individual needs are being properly met and that the feeding programmes as a whole complements the way that the trainer trains and how the yard operates.

The Enduro 100 is one of the most successful endurance rations used today and has been formulated to support and provide more kilometres per hour. The emphasis of the feed is to ensure the optimum provision of a variety of energy sources to fuel performance and help maintain muscle and liver glycogen stores, to support hydration during training and competition by encouraging water intake and maintaining hindgut function as well as providing a full spectrum of chelated minerals and vitamins including a natural source of the powerful antioxidant vitamin E to maintain muscle function and recovery pre, during and post ride. Quality

protein sources (soya, alfalfa) provide key amino acids that play the all-important role of helping to support muscle development and strength of the topline in association with correct training but also to help mitigate the extent of muscle damage and degeneration during training and competition.

are consuming valuable calories and nutrients to support their training and competition.

Palatability is a key component and Enduro 100 can help to tempt even the fussiest of feeders and to support appetite through the season and encourage them to eat at rest stops during competition.

An endurance feed is no good if the horse won’t eat it and endurance horses can be particularly tricky due to their high energy demand which usually exceeds their appetite and the fact that these horses are under a huge amount of stress during the season. Saracen Horse Feeds work closely with our clients to help ensure that horses eat well and enthusiastically, and closely monitor appetites to ensure that horses

Quality Control is of paramount importance at Saracen Horse Feeds and we have strict quality control procedures in place alongside a through testing protocol which ensures that the feed is safe and fit for purpose. The feed is also specifically managed during transit on route from our mill in the UK until it reaches its final destination, whether that be in the UK or anywhere worldwide, we ensure that care is then taken to ensure the correct storage and handling to maintain the high quality of the feed.

Depending upon the size of your stables and the number of horses we are also able to offer the opportunity to discuss variations on the Enduro 100 to compliment your training regime, forage choice or preference of supplementation programmes.

To enquire about this service please contact Saracen Horse Feeds 01622 718487 or Lizzie Drury MSc Registered Nutritionist and Endurance specialist 07813601363

feeding

33

Series 1

What is

Rider Fitness?

RiderCiseÂŽ Definition: Fitness and performance training designed specifically to help develop and improve riding ability and performance and reducing associated aches and pains and the severity of injuries that can occur. Known in the fitness industry as Sport Specific Training.

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rider fitness

R

ider Fitness can mean different things to different people and more often than not people associate the word fitness with hours in the gym lifting weights or running on the treadmill.

Whilst all of this is beneficial to your overall general fitness it isn’t what Rider Fitness means.

Correct and effective riding requires coordination, balance, control, strength and stamina to be able to work in harmony with your horse and provide clear communication without the body struggling to cope which can have a negative effect on your horse and your body.

How Do I improve my Rider Fitness?

Improving your rider fitness doesn’t mean complex, high intensity workouts, strenuous cardio or extreme lifting.

In this 4-part Rider Fitness series, we are going to show you just how simple yet effective it can be by providing you with some exercises which will help you improve your body awareness and control and improve your muscular strength, endurance and overall stamina.

Each series will provide you 3 exercises and with alternative options so you can choose which one you feel most comfortable with.

You can work on the 3 exercises until the next series where I will provide you with 3 more exercises so that at the end of the 4-part series (October) you will have a complete routine of 12 exercises to help develop and improve your rider fitness.

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Exercise 1

RIDING TRANSLATION When riding we use many different types of muscle contractions but endurance riders spend a lot of time out of the saddle, hovering over their horses back and this uses isometric contractions so this is a great, albeit tough, exercise to help improve your ability to stay stable and upright when standing in your stirrups.

Exercise adaptation 2

Exercise 1 - Single Leg Swing – Flexion / Extension

This exercise is fantastic for developing core stability, body awareness and control. It may look simple but it is more than just swinging your leg.

NOTES • Remember to breathe fully as you do the exercise, imagine your diaphragm moving up and down •

Main Muscles used: Glutes (bum), Hamstrings (back of legs), Quadriceps (front of legs), iliopsoas (core) RIDING TRANSLATION One of the most important factors of core stabilisation is to breathe fully, allowing the diaphragm to inflate and deflate fully. As riders we often brace our ‘core’ and stop breathing but this doesn't facilitate core stability and can cause a block to the horse and give a concussive force to the spine.

This movement will help you to improve your ability to stabilise your core through effective breathing and body movement control which is required to allow you to remain neutral and stable in the saddle whilst providing clear effective leg aids.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Stand with your feet together and resting one leg. Keep your standing knee soft, not locked out 2. Hips facing forward

Feel the movement, don't rush. Technique is key. It is better to do 2 perfect leg swings that the suggested 10 per leg

EXERCISE ADAPTIONS OPTION 1 If you struggle with your balance you can perform this movement whilst holding on to a chair or by resting your hand on a wall.

EXERCISE ADAPTIONS OPTION 2 If you feel particularly tight or restricted in this movement then you can bend the leg at the knee but keep the movement the same, focusing on the control of the flexion and extension.

Exercise 2 – Forearm Plank

This is a great total body exercise, although tough, it can help strengthen your postural muscles and challenge your body in a safe way using isometric contractions (where no movement takes place), something endurance riders do a lot.

Main Muscles targeted: This exercise is a total body strengthening exercise using the back, legs, bum, neck, shoulders chest and core

INSTRUCTIONS 1. S lowly lower yourself to the ground and rest on your forearms slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with elbows directly below your shoulders 2. R aise yourself on to the balls of your feet, keeping your legs straight to form a straight line from head to heels eep your torso straight and rigid, not letting 3. K your pelvis drop with your head relaxed and looking at the floor Perform: Hold the position for as long as you can (make sure you use a timer and make a note of what you do) with good technique, rest then repeat.

NOTES • R emember to breathe fully during this exercise, imagine your diaphragm moving up and down •

I f you feel that you are shaking too much or your pelvis has dropped, rest and then repeat.

It takes time to build up to longer periods

EXERCISE ADAPTIONS OPTION 1 A slightly easier option is to do this exercise at a 35degree angle, such as resting on the edge of your couch.

EXERCISE ADAPTIONS OPTION 2 Instead of holding the forearm plank in the up position you can control your knees down till they touch the floor and then push your hips back up to a straight line again and repeat as many times as possible. Make sure the movement is controlled.

Clare Gangadeen

3. Chest high and looking straight ahead 4. Bring your resting leg forward into flexion, keeping the leg as straight as possible then bring your leg backwards into extension squeezing your bum as far as you can whilst keeping it straight and not tipping forwards

Exercise 2

5. Return the leg towards the centre in a controlled manner.

6. This is one repetition Perform: 10 times on each leg and repeat

rider fitness

35

Endurance Down Under

Australian endurance adventures Tayside member Iain Paterson spent a post-university 2019 in Australia working at one of the country’s most successful endurance stables, Oso Arabians, where he had the opportunity to train and compete some excellent horses. This is a distillation of his regular reports back home.

Endurance in UK vs Australia – the differences

First, the qualification process out here is quite different: riders must do two 40km rides and three 80km rides in novice time to upgrade to open - no faster than 40km in 3 hours or 80km in 6 hours. Novice horses only have to do three 80km rides to upgrade to open, and a horse’s first ride can be an 80km. All 80km rides are run as if they are an ER. There are four different divisions based on weight: junior, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight (over 91kg), which includes saddle, saddle pad, breastplate, girth and helmet. I run in the heavyweight division, so I can be the 15th rider across the line but be first heavyweight rider and win that division. This means that horses

36

serc

with considerably heavier riders get recognition rather than always being at a disadvantage due to carrying more weight.

The vetting procedure is also different in some rides: your time stops when you cross the line, and you have 20 minutes to present. However, your horse’s heart rate off the first loop must be under 55bpm and off subsequent loops under 60bpm. In big rides such as the state championships or the Tom Quilty time stops when presenting to the vet and heart rate must be under 64bpm.

There is a best condition prize for each division and the horses within two hours of the leader or within the top 20 in each division are eligible. An hour after final vetting you present your horse in front of the vets, who judge the horse’s overall appearance and apparent fitness to continue.

Most 80km rides start at around 4am, in the dark and most ride with headlamps for the first loop.

160km rides start anywhere from midnight to 2am. One reason for this is to try and beat the heat. It also allows people time to travel home; it is normal to drive at least five hours to a ride.

The final major difference is the crewing, or strapping. With no crewing on course, you fend for yourself and look after your horse round the whole leg. Water is provided on course but normally only for drinking unless sloshing buckets are provided at dams. This makes it more of a challenge to look after your own and

your horse’s hydration/energy levels and makes riders very aware of their horses’ fitness levels.

The one thing that is the same is the friendly people and love of the sport, no matter what level you are at.

The Tom Quilty

In 2019 I was lucky to be able to attend the iconic Tom Quilty ride, held at the incredible Stirling’s Crossing Endurance complex in Queensland. Oso Arabians sent a team of five horses and my role as assistant trainer meant I had a large part in overseeing the preparation for the event and the logistics of getting there.

The trip started with three days of travelling to get to the venue, 1500km, the equivalent of driving from Scotland to Italy or Spain. We travelled about eight hours each day in a convoy with the horse lorry, Iveco and horse trailer and the jeep.

After going through the off-site horse health check we headed to ride base to set up camp.

The base itself was incredible: set up specifically for endurance, a large barn for vetting, permanent admin buildings and taps sprouting from the ground. This meant that running a ride with 300 odd horses competing was easy.

In the week prior to the race we exercised the horses and the strapping team steadily grew to include the Oso farrier, physio and many incredibly experienced endurance strappers.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

Very quickly Friday came round, the ride was scheduled to start at midnight and there was an air of excitement. The final prep for the horses went smoothly and riders headed to bed early. I fed the horses at 10pm to give them time to eat in peace.

At 11.45pm the riders mounted, we did the final checks, and headed to the marshalling area where about 200 to 250 of the 300 horses were circling ready for the ride. The warm up and start was a very calm affair with all the horses steadily making their way down the track to the sound of the iconic Quilty song. We watched the constant stream of horses then headed back to the fire - no crewing on course means we have to wait until the riders return to base.

"Imagine our surprise when the horses came in in the lead!"

We weren’t expecting any of the Oso horses to be in the leading group, so imagine our surprise when the three more competitive horses came in in the lead! They all presented quickly and looked great - the hill training we had been doing had allowed the Oso horses to keep up a good pace, especially on the downhill sections.

Soon the first three were heading out onto loop 2 and aiming to maintain their speed and, hopefully, their lead. The other two were out shortly afterwards and again we waited for the horses to return. I refilled the water and feed buckets and assessed who was eating what. It was very interesting to watch how the horses changed what they wanted to eat through the day.

every horse’s needs were met, including hand feeding them to ensure they took on fuel. We had two horses doing their first 160km so the race was a huge learning curve for them and for us as we judged what they wanted and needed and how they ran over that distance.

Sending the horses out on the fourth loop we were still in extremely competitive positions, with all five horses in the race. It didn’t take long for the horses to come into the final vet gate. Everyone presented quickly and looked good. Finally the time came to send our leading rider out onto the track for the final leg. Tahlia set off looking determined but was closely followed by some exceptional horses and riders.

Unfortunately, Tahlia’s horse got tired and was passed, but she still presented amazingly well at the end and passed with a card full of As and 1s! The two following horses flew in and bagged two more passes. The final two Oso riders also passed: 100% completion rate over 160km for the Oso team and all five within the top 20.

The next day saw the best condition assessments for each weight division and the Pat Slater Cup, which is the best condition assessment for the top ten heavyweight and middleweight horses across the line. This includes a vet check and trot up to ensure the horses are sound and able to take part in the ridden presentation.

I was delighted to be able to present Emma and DD, who I had strapped for the day before, with their best condition rug for the lightweight division!

Tom Quilty 2019 was an incredible experience: I will be back Down Under one day to have a crack at this amazing race for myself.

Woodstock

Oso Engarde and I were aimed at the Woodstock ride in September. A four-horse team from Oso attended this ride. The journey was smooth and once camp was set up, we took the horses for a leg stretch then vetted in, everyone passed and was good to go at 5am the next morning.

I woke early to give the horses their breakfast and prepare the gear. This was a standard, two leg 80km, each leg was 40km over farm tracks and paddocks, making for lovely going.

We split into two pairs to tackle the first leg, Engarde and I with Tahlia and Florin going slightly faster than the other two. The horses travelled well together, the first leg passed quickly and soon we were back in the ride base. The day was getting hot which meant Engarde took longer to pulse down. Once cooled down he vetted well, shortly followed by the other two.

As we headed out on the second leg, the temperature was rising, but the horses were running well as this leg was flatter. Engarde was going well but at one of the checkpoints started tucking into the grass. I allowed him to eat and improve his gut sounds for the final vetgate. He soon caught back up with Tahlia and Florin, allowing us to finish the leg together. Again Engarde took a while to pulse down but he vetted well and passed!

Our third 80km together and our third win, this time over an hour ahead of the next heavyweight rider. The other three Oso horses all passed well, making our trip to Woodstock very successful. It was a great way to finish up Engarde’s and my season together.

Iain with the rest of the Oso team at Woodstock: Tahlia Franke, Emzy Dimech and Tori Bice

All too soon the horses were coming in off the second leg. It was during the second vetting that the horses started to split up as people presented slightly faster or slower - now that we were in the lead we weren’t holding back horses to wait for slower ones. This hold was shorter and just as it started to get light, we were tacking up for loop 3. The horses all cantered out looking fantastic with the riders all in good form!

The horses came in off loop 3 split up - one in the lead and two more close behind with the other two well within the top 30 … fantastic placings but a lot of pressure for all involved!

Everyone presented well again and went into hold looking good. The strappers made sure

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37

Men in endurance

Clued up to

crew

Endurance GB’s new Chair Phil Nunnerley talks about a key role and his love of the sport

Which aspects of endurance do you find most appealing?

As a regular crew it is the social interaction with the other crews many of whom you see at ride after ride.

Best moments in the sport so far?

Rosemary winning trophies makes you very proud, and particularly winning trophies myself as her ‘invaluable’ crew.

How did you get involved in endurance in the first place?

My partner, Rosemary, took up endurance and needed a crew. She rode with a friend whose twin sister joined me to crew them both. We didn’t get off to the best of starts and missed the first crew point. To this day Rosemary tells everyone we were in the pub.

Needless to say, I haven’t missed a crew point since! I don’t ride, I just crew but it is the crew which gets you through!

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spotlight

Which role models in the sport (other horse sports too) inspire you and why?

We have some brilliant endurance riders past and present in this country so it is not easy to choose but someone like Nikki Malcolm, who is close to where we are based in Dorset, is a wonderful ambassador for her dedication to the sport and more particularly for the importance she attaches to the welfare of her horses.

Are there any aspects of the sport/competing/training where you think men have a different approach to women?

Not really. We just need to get more men riding. It is a lovely social sport and an excellent way to get out and enjoy fresh air, the countryside, and get fitter in the process.

What tips or approach have you learned from the women in your life about the sport?

It is all very well being competitive but the welfare of the horse takes priority over winning.

What is your favourite ride to crew?

My favourite ride to crew is Barbury Castle.

It is challenging to get around the crew points before Rosemary but always achieved. It is a fantastic ride for horse and rider. And there is a lovely restaurant nearby where the crew gets treated to a rewarding meal!

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

What is your crew vehicle?

I drive a Land Rover Discovery – plenty of room for sloshes.

What is your most important piece of crew equipment A map!

"Crews have a critical role for both horse and rider" What is your top tip as a crew?!

You have a critical role to play; make sure you get to crew points in good time to feed and water both horse and rider.

Apart from crewing, what other roles have you had in the sport?

I have been a road marshal, time-keeper, car park attendant, assistant to TS and on Ground

Endurance is a very social sport and you get to talk to meet and make many good friends.

Jury, course marker, assistant to ride organiser, health and safety officer, vet runner and most importantly tea and sandwich maker and runner.

How do you keep fit/train?

Not as much as I used to but I do enjoy walking.

When Rosemary was riding in Yorkshire I would run 10 miles in an evening followed by her on horseback. It became such a regular pattern that her horse would not ride out unless I was running in front!

What other sports have you been involved in?

I played rugby in my youth up to county standard. I was on the Board of the Rugby Football Union for Women for eight years and was one of two Directors of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 hosted in the UK

Are you reading this?

So are your potential customers.

How do other sports help you in your approach to endurance?

You appreciate the importance of fitness, of both horse and rider.

What would you say to encourage other men (of all ages) to get involved in the sport as riders as well as support team and organisationally?

Endurance is a very social sport and you get to talk to meet and make many good friends. There are so many ways to get involved. You don’t have to ride as there are so many volunteer roles all of which are vital for the sport. Whatever your skills we can find a role to fulfil you... so give it a try. You will always be welcome and you get to see parts of the country you didn't know existed.

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Rider profile

My

endurance life

Name Shelley Bates

Endurance GB group South East Group

Date of first endurance ride?

“Under rules” Graffham Down 30 March 2014

How did you first get involved in endurance?

I read an article when I was a teenager and looking after some Arabs. I always thought it was something I would enjoy and decided that when I had my own horse I would do it.

Fast forward 15 years or so and I finally had that horse. I spent a year beforehand helping out at rides whenever I was back in the UK (I was posted in Germany at the time) to gain an understanding of what it was all about.

What was your first ride?

My first proper experience of ‘endurance’ riding was taking part in the Mongol Derby in 2013. I had bought Orion earlier that year to have a go at rides in the UK to prepare me so that I would at least know what a 40km leg felt like…he had a tendon injury in the third week of owning him so I never got that practice. That first 40km leg felt like it went on forever…and then I had to do another one before nightfall! Definitely one of the hardest, most challenging things I’ve done mentally, physically and emotionally (and I’ve completed 3 different sets of Army basic training!)

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rider profile

My first EGB ride was Graffham Down using part of the South Downs way. It was a tricky year with slippery downhill chalk sections, everyone was very impressed with our completion time…we’d whizzed round faster than more experienced combinations – Orion didn’t find it tricky at all.

Although I think cantering sideways down to the start was a little unnerving for the timekeeper!

First endurance horse (or pony)?

Orion – a veteran of Pleasure Rides in one of the Northern Groups. We got qualified to Open in our first year; sadly he’s a bit accident prone and a couple of injuries meant that we never progressed past that. He is now 21 years young, enjoying life in retirement!

only to find I’d broken my ankle. So it was the disappointment of having a horse so completely ready to go again the next day but not being able to see it through – mentally tough! I was riding in the Borders ride 8 weeks later though…

Ride/distance you most want to do?

160km in a day – I’ve done it once but on 4 different horses (4 40km legs).

Where and how do you train your horse(s)?

I now ride Sadhira who is owned by Maggie Pattinson. I realise how fortunate I am as otherwise I wouldn’t be able to compete.

Unconventionally! For two years I was only able to ride at weekends and that was during the year we tackled our toughest rides. We like to keep it varied to keep Sadhira interested. We do a lot of exploring in the countryside, canter sessions on a track, regular lessons, polework and of course the water treadmill.

Favourite ride in the calendar?

Live in/live out?

Most challenging ride so far?

Vet or physio support?

Tilford – obviously as I co-organise it with Maggie Pattinson!

Not including the Mongol Derby and although not on the Endurance GB calendar, the Borders 50 mile unsupported ride in 2018 was probably the toughest. I was proud of my map reading but I couldn’t have got as far as I did without my friend Joanne Archer who was riding Bali. We were a team for the whole thing including all the training beforehand. I don’t know how those on their own were able to manage the crewing bit.

Golden Horseshoe in 2018 was also tough…but for once not due to the weather. I came off 12km from the end, got back on and back to the venue

50/50 in the winter, out as much as possible in summer…it’s good for their mind, body and soul!

An endurance horse is an athlete and so Sadhira has a whole team of people looking after her; Iain McKenzie a vet who knows her inside out; Joanne Archer of Surrey Hills Chiropractic, and Liz Briscoe is her Physio. She also has regular sessions on the water treadmill at Equine Rebalance Therapy Centre…it’s absolutely fascinating to watch her power through water above her knees and striding up an incline. You really see how they move. She is also the only horse allowed to trot on the incline due to her balance and lightness.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

What do you feed your horse(s)?

A staple is Baileys Ease and Excel – she absolutely loves it. On ride days we take samples of every food we have (quite a range) so she can have a smorgasbord to choose from. I used to laugh at Mags with all her pots and now I’m the one making sure we have something of everything!

Who is your farrier?

Neil Sherlock of Sherlock Farriery; he’s an exArmy Farrier and brilliant. Really interested in what we do and understands how important the shoeing aspect is for us.

Any special shoes?

Well fitted, correctly balanced ones..

Team colours?

Depending on if I’m riding with my Army colours – in which case it’s red and black. If not, Sadhira’s normal colours are green and black.

It’s fun to mix it up but I do like a bit of matchy matchy on the day!.

What saddle/bridle do you use?

We have biothene bridles from Performance Equestrian and have just moved into a Stride Free saddle. We did use a Devecoux for some time but needed to move onto something new. It took ages to find a saddle which fits both Sadhira and me – the Stride Free fits her brilliantly and the science behind it is really interesting. You can see the freedom she has in it. It just took me a while to get comfortable but I guess that’s just because it was so different.

What clothing/hat/footwear do you wear?

I have endurance tights (in my colours with appropriate writing) and wear a matching coloured top. I prefer having a long sleeved underlayer on as I get sunburnt easily and also it protects your arms from scratches/grazes. I have a pink Tipperary hat (I love pink) but really need to look at getting one to go with the theme… my argument is that you can see me coming! I will either ride in Ariat long boots or last year I bought some riding trainers that I can wear with coloured mesh chaps (again to match the theme).

They’re an interesting concept and feel funny to walk in but I don’t spend much time doing that.

I’m still not completely happy on the footwear front so may look to try something else this year.

Most vital piece of equipment?

A fully charged mobile phone…it can act as a watch, track your route (via an app such as Mapmyrun), locate me in an emergency (I have what3words downloaded) or you can use it to make a call in some emergency.

How do you plan your endurance season?

I have tended to have a theme; when I had Orion it

was tackling local rides to work up the qualifications and it was my first season so I didn’t know anything else. With Sadhira, the first year was about having fun and getting qualified to advanced so that I could compete in the Home Internationsal and do my first race ride. Then I wanted to concentrate on challenging rides such as Golden Horseshoe and the Borders 50 and last year was looking at doing my first FEI rides. This year I’m going back to what it was all about in the first place – having fun, riding in different locations and enjoying the scenery. I also have to plan around my Technical Steward commitments and make sure we have time for training and just having fun time too.

What do you eat the night before a ride?

Nothing special – I don’t have a set routine; I just make sure I eat. And I always try to have something on a ride morning…I have a tendency to get hangry!

How do you keep fit and healthy yourself?

I have to maintain a certain level of fitness for my job so that helps and I recently got my puppy Lockie – which has meant more walking (good for base fitness). I’m beginning to realise that I have to make more of an effort with fitness than a few years ago.

Who are your crew?

Maggie Pattinson – she is Sadhira’s mum after all.

I’m also lucky to have some good help from Eve, Joanne, Lynn and my Mum, as and when we need to increase the crew size or for special events.

What inducements do you offer them?!

Lunch and returning the favour (and for my mum it’s time spent with me)!

What can you learn from other sports (equestrian and non equestrian)?

Who is your endurance sporting hero?

Jill Thomas – I have never met Jill but it’s thanks to her article in Horse and Pony magazine all those years ago prior to the World or European Championships that I even found out about Endurance riding. I also won a Horse and Hound competition in 2011 or 2012 to stay in the Exmoor Inn and be hosted by Barbara Wigley - that was my first experience at seeing endurance riding happen in the UK.

Horse of a lifetime?

Not an endurance horse but she could have been if only I knew about it back then. Her name was Teela, she was a chestnut with white socks, stood about 15hh and was a Crabbet bred arab. We did hunter trials, showjumping, showing – she never faltered. We would hack for hours and hours – I know she would have been amazing at Endurance. Sadly I never owned her and I was just a teenager but I would love to have had her now.

How would you sell the sport to a friend?

If you want the opportunity to explore beautiful countryside, surrounded by likeminded friendly people and create a bond between you and your horse forged through time spent in the saddle then endurance riding is for you.

Golden Horseshoe, Red Dragon or Florac?

I think I have to say Red Dragon (seeing as I’m the Technical Steward there)…one day I might get to ride it!

Desert or mountain?

Mountain – so much more variety.

If you could choose one of the iconic rides, Tevis, Quilty or I think that the main thing is to remember to view South Africa’s new Ride The Wild an endurance horse as an athlete and as an individual. Coast 350km 5-day challenge, That means looking at all elements of preparation. which would it be and if you Over the years there has been lots of scientific could pick any endurance horse research into nutrition, exercise, physiology across from history who would it be on? all sports and you can take bits of everything to make it work for you. Then not forgetting the rider; we put so much effort into getting our horses prepared that sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that you also need to be fit and able to ride in balance. For example I also see a chiropractor on a regular basis. I think there is a lot to be said for sports psychology too. Ultimately you are a team; you, the horse, the crew and the support ‘staff’ (for want of a better word!).

Top tip for success?

Listen to your horse and make the right decision on the day even if it means not completing the ride. Best to save all concerned for another day.

Tevis, without a doubt. I’ve heard Quilty is completed in loops and I don’t have a death wish big enough to undertake the Ride the Wild Coast ride. Completing the Mongol Derby was adventure enough for me! Tevis is the original challenge, a point-to-point route covering all types of terrain. It’s on the bucket list.

Do you have any sponsors?

I’m a brand ambassador for Omega Equine, a supplements company mostly for horses although they have branched into dogs too.

They have some excellent supplements that have really made a difference to all our horses (and they smell nice too!).

rider profile

41

All about Bella

#Wewillrideagain

All systems go

(or not)

In the first in a new series, Bella Fricker shares her experiences of the season so far…

I

n August 2018, following a super CEIO2* 120km at Euston Park, I decided that I’d quite like to tackle my first CEI3* 160km at Fontainebleau in the Spring of 2019. Having put quite a lot of work in over the winter of 2018-19, unfortunately, a huge bill from the mechanic make the trip to last year’s Fontainebleau financially unviable.

AAs it turned out, this was a blessing in disguise, as we discovered Spanish Heir or Chip as we call him, had a hoof imbalance resulting in a very slow start to the 2019 season.

However, we worked through that to return to the UK Masters 2019 and if I may say so, put in a sterling performance in the CEIO2*. I felt that Chip was really ready for a 3* in the autumn of 2019 but there just weren’t any races suitable for us – they were either over courses that were too slow or involved too many days driving to get to.

So, here we go again, I thought, and the planning began again – why not let’s go to Fontainebleau for the CEI3* 160km Spring 2020? Great. Plan in play. Let’s do this.

I picked up the training again at the end of November and took on a slow 60km the weekend before Christmas in Kings Forest (2.5hrs away from home). The training ride was a slog! The weather wasn’t fab and we were on our own for the day.

But with the goal of Fontainebleau in mind I found the motivation and we got the job done.

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blog

The end of January saw us again at Kings this time for a slightly faster 60km. I managed to coordinate things with friends so that we had company for both 30km loops so the trip was far better all round!

The last ‘training’ ride was the 66km at Tilford – on my birthday. This was an eventful day all round. To start with, we broke down four miles from the venue (new car), got lost on course (did 75km in the end) and fell over when I got off to run down from the Punch Bowl. BUT – Chip was brilliant and we had great company (thanks Suzie Todd) so I was really very happy with him.

Tilford was, for me anyway, a tough course this year and the way Chip tackled it filled me with confidence. So fingers crossed, I sent my entry for Fontainbleau in. The ferry was booked, five crew members coordinated, flights, hire cars and another ferry. A stop-over paddock in Compiegne was booked. We can do this….

Then, enter COVID-19 and suddenly Europe was at a standstill. The French federation decided to pull all races – two weeks out. So, I’m ready, the horse is ready and my crew are ready – I started to look to find another race to get us to the start line but it was not to be. Of all the things you think of that could do wrong either in training or on race day, a pandemic is not one that springs to mind! It is incredibly frustrating for us all as endurance riders to be in this position.

Introduced to her grandmother’s Anglo Arab before she could walk, Bella Fricker got hooked on endurance riding at the age of 13.

Bella has worked as a professional rider on two endurance yards, she has raced and crewed in ten different countries and was a member of the under 21 GBR squad in 2016. She competed in the European Championship for Young Riders 2016 representing GBR and the CEI02* Nations Cup 2018 for GBR to take Team 4th and individual second Brit across the line.

In partnership with her 10-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding Spanish Heir, Bella aims to work towards selection for the Senior British team for the World Endurance Championships in Pisa, Italy, this September. She introduced her second horse Nahdia Bint Chatanz to endurance last season.

Away from endurance, Bella became a brand assistant for Spillers and became a social media manager for Mars in January this year.

Let’s watch this space. I fear COVID-19 could yet cause a lot more disruption to the endurance season but we can look out for one another and ensure we stay fit, keep our horses fit and well and be ready at which ever start line we can get to when it is all over…

Bella X

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

Photo courtesy of David Saunders Photography

Cannock Chase

T

he Cannock Chase ride marks the start of the endurance season for many horses and riders and to make it to the ride day this year without a named storm or high wind weather warning threatening to cancel the event was a relief.

The sun even managed to shine and we stayed dry for the majority of the day which was also a bonus. The Chase generally tends to weather well due to the harder route surfaces and forestry tracks and the ongoing forestry operations in the area gave us an opportunity to alter the route this year and add in some variety.

"The route had ridden better than ever" We had some excited horses eager to get the season underway after the recent terrible weather and a few rusty riders trying to remember how this endurance thing works (I was the same the previous week at the Forest of Dean ride – note to self; plug in endurance brain!). But all the time and effort spent organising these rides becomes worth it when the smiling faces of riders return after a successful ride. Feedback in some cases was that this year the route had ridden better than ever.

Entry numbers were down though this year and sadly we only had one entry in the 64km class – although stylishly completed with a Grade 2 by Jade Edwards on Sheer Bliss, who had to complete the second 32km on their own. It is not clear why the entry numbers were so low; last year we were impacted by the new Equine Flu rules and maybe this year it was the weather impacting people’s ability to train. Either way I really do hope they improve next year as it is a fabulous place to ride and those that don’t come are missing out. Endless forest tracks and no road work; what’s not to like?

We also struggled to get volunteers this year; not wanting to spend too long on my ride organiser’s soap box but we really do need people to offer to help to run these rides, even better if we don’t have to beg and guilt trip people into doing it first. The Heart of England Group Pleasure Ride also ran from a separate venue, using the same route. Since losing the use of the larger single venue this works well

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

Start of

the season

for us and makes the day slightly more manageable. It was so lovely to see everybody out and about on the ride day, from Cannock regulars to new faces trying our ride for the first time.

It was nice to see the young horses starting out on their endurance career and the seasoned professionals building up to their individual goals for the year. I look forward to seeing

both riders and horses throughout the season and hope that Cannock Chase provided the building block for these goals and aspirations.

I must also take the opportunity to thank all of our volunteers who gave up their time and made the ride day possible. It is no understatement to say that without you all the ride wouldn’t be able to run.

Victoria Smith

ride report

43

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