Horse Health Beat the heat
Breeds in endurance Something for everyone
August/September 2020
Official members' publication for Endurance GB
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In this
Volume 17 – Issue 4
issue
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Regulars 4 28 42
Photo courtesy of IndiePics Photography
Follow us
Future Focus Endurance GB Chair Phil Nunnerley and the latest news
SERC Endurance with an Icelandic horse
Blog Bella Fricker on buying an endurance horse
Features 8 12
Cover Photo Avon Valley Ride
28
18
Rider Safety Safety products for the endurance rider
@endurancegbinsta
Fran James on common orthopaedic injuries
16
Veterinary
18
Horse Health
20
Nutrition
24
Rider Fitness
30
Endurance GB
Veterinary
Thermoregulation: Beat the heat
How and why to use electrolytes
How to overcome a fussy horse
RiderCiseÂŽ fitness series 3
@EnduranceGB EnduranceGB
36
6
Back on track Leicestershire and Rutland group and future rides
22
Training
26
RoR
34
International
38
Male Focus
40
Rider Profile
Maggie Pattinson on target training
New pathways for racehorses
New Chef d'Equipe and assessments
Carmine Villani is on top of the world
Futurity British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations
Georgina Vaughan in the spotlight
ISSN 2516-2349
contents
Future
focus
Phil Nunnerley Chair of Endurance GB
Dear Members, As I write this we have rides up and running again and my thanks to all the Ride Organisers and their bands of willing volunteers who have responded so magnificently in getting rides organised with such short preparation time. As we all recognise there are many new restrictions which we must all understand have to be observed and which were conditions of easing life post lockdown. Yes, we can all point to apparent inconsistencies between some of the current government guidance but, if we are to continue to enjoy our riding again, please respect all aspects of the guidance you are given or we could face lockdown of our sport again. This is not a return to normality; we have to adjust and accept a new ‘normal’ recognising that coronavirus has not gone away; lives are still being lost; and there is a thin line which, if crossed, will lead to a second wave of infection. We have deliberately started small as we learn to live with the new restrictions. Reports of happy, smiling faces at the first few social rides have been encouraging. Our first GERs are scheduled at Tilford. We are endeavouring to organise an FEI ride at Lavenham supporting those riders seeking qualifications for the World and European Championships next year but COVID restrictions will still apply and, given the challenges our finances are facing in the current year, the ride has to be self-funding. We are extending the season into November and even December. There will be no national annual awards dinner this year. We are giving thought as to how we organise the AGM respecting social distancing restrictions and yet allowing the membership to participate. Let’s hope we can continue to complete the season and look forward to a full season in 2021 though, until a vaccine is available, we will continue to have to observe restrictions. Let’s be grateful that we are riding again! Enjoy!!
Phil 4
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 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
The latest
news and updates
The Covid Derby
L
ike many equestrians in 2020, Maddie Smith-Benson and Devan Horn were ready to write 2020 off. With the cancellation of the local ride season and more international efforts postponed (such as the 2020 edition of the Mongol Derby – the World’s Toughest Horse Race) we realized that many athletes like us were sitting at home with fit horses and no competitions. Devan had recently taken part in a 1,000 kilometer virtual running race and reaped the mental health benefits of having a hearty challenge to commit to every day and an online community to interact with, and wanted to offer the same chance to the equine endurance world. Maddie came aboard to build the website and mileage reporting portal from scratch, and we put the word out through Facebook. Before we knew it, it had turned into a 203 competitor event, with 16 different countries partaking, and 4 competition categories: Equestrian Solo, Mixed Effort Solo, Equestrian Team, and Mixed Effort Team, inviting participants to log miles with their friends via horse, bike, hand-bike, kayak, and running! People from all over the globe came together as a community and began logging their miles, making new friends, and encouraging one another throughout the month. The online community we have built has been incredible, sharing knowledge and fun-we’ve had some sidecompetitions going on with wo can take the best photos in drive-thru restaurants on horseback! Some of our competitors finished in 12 days, averaging 80 kilometers per day and testing their endurance to the very limits, and some began their endurance journey by embarking on their very first walking regimen or taking their horses on trail for the first time. We’re most proud of our teams who left their comfort zones behind, no matter the starting point. In lieu of any kind of entry fee, we asked competitors to fundraise for Cool Earth, an environmental nonprofit organisation working to preserve rainforests in the Amazon, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We haven’t tallied the totals yet, but we’re confident it will be a contribution to be proud of.
Devan www.covidderby.com
A Special Moment That Brightened My Day!
T
he past months in lockdown have been stressful for us all and extremely difficult for many, but there have been lighter moments. Personally, I have found some light (and sometimes comic) relief in helping out by checking flu vaccinations submitted for certification on the Endurance GB website. This has had both its ups and its downs with the odd bug in the system that from time to time has mysteriously ‘hidden’ all the documents submitted, or at least some of them. Some photos have been so small that even with a powerful magnifying glass or zooming in to enlarge them, I can’t make out what is written as they become so out of focus. There have been horses registered with Endurance GB with a completely different name to that on their passport, but when I check the registration I find the UELN/Passport number is the same. There have even been dates entered by vets that are still in the future, and a good number that are almost impossible to decipher and, believe me, having been a GP’s Secretary in a former life before surgeries became computerised, I’m fairly experienced in
deciphering poor handwriting!! It has also been interesting and often rewarding entering into email correspondence with members who ask me to upload their documents. However, imagine my immense joy and excitement when the vaccination record in the photo arrived, with the vet having used a date stamp - HALLELUJAH - and a huge thank you to J R Crabtree in Malton!! (Sadly, the following two inoculations weren’t written in the same way, but at least the writing was clear!) Liz Hinings
news
5
#wewillrideagain
Back
Photo courtesy of IndiePics Photography
on track
6
May 15th and 16th should have been the Avon Valley ride. A ride that was being re-introduced by the Leicestershire and Rutland group, and sadly one of the first rides to be cancelled thanks to a pandemic that has blighted 2020 for many.
ride report
endurance | endurancegb.co.uk
T
he venue was to be Park Farm, Stanford on Avon. Park Farm is the home to Park Farm Chasers, an 8.5 mile off road riding course in the Hemplow Hills on the border of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and was used at a vet gate for the original Avon Valley ride way back in the 1980’s. We were looking forward to having a weekend of endurance, from a local social ride to an 80km CER. Preparation had started in early January on a strangely non rainy day when I walked some of the bridleways, reacquainting myself with my chosen route with my husband Stuart and Harvey the dog. By March, Vets and helpers were all sorted and with excitement starting to brew, bang coronavirus stopped us in our tracks. Lockdown may have kept us at home, but it didn’t stop the Leicestershire and Rutland committee staying in touch with a few virtual meetings, sharing any information coming out from our Board and wondering what we could do to help. In the middle of May lockdown eased a little and we were allowed to travel to exercise, thus enabling us to take our ponies out in the trailer. I heard that some equestrian facilities were starting to open so called Michael Eggington, Manager at Park Farm to see when they were opening. Amazingly he was going to open the next day, Friday 15th May. He was opening without the use of any of the facilities in the farm yard, these were staying strictly off limits to all but the farm lads. I found myself riding at Park Farm on Sunday 17th May the day we should have been holding our ride. I posted onto Facebook how bittersweet it was to be riding the beautiful course almost in solitude instead of supporting 100 others. In June the very active group committee agreed that we could put on a social ride at short notice. We had several on the calendar before lockdown and thought we could try to keep the same dates. It looked more and more likely that we would be able to ride from the start of July and as we had intended to run a ride from Buckminster on the 12th, we agreed to commit to that date – all things being equal. As with all things Covid-related it was complicated and we were not going to find out if it was allowed until the start of July. We needed a venue that would not take too much organising or need too many helpers. We wanted to have a minimal number of landowners to deal with and few gates for riders to have to handle. A quick phone call to Michael and we had an agreement to go ahead, government permitting. The venue was to be in the field now used as the main car park. Only part of it was mown for use, the rest was waiting for the hay or silage to be cut, Michael promised to do this and kept to his word even though he had to cut it in the rain. The route is nice and wide
giving plenty of room for overtaking, and the only 2 gates could be left open. Not only that but there was no marking that needed to be done, you had to go some to get lost here. Route and venue ideal, we worked with John Hudson to get the ride onto Clubhouse something we don't usually do for social rides and we worked with Rosemary Henderson on the risk assessment and with Esther Young to find ways to keep handling paperwork to a minimum. We posted on the group Facebook page that we hoped to run the ride and drummed up support, Ruth at IndiePics was as keen to get back to photography as we were to be back riding and asked to come and photograph, of course we are always happy to oblige. On the day the ride opened for entries we had people booked within minutes. Suddenly it dawned on us the responsibility of organising the first post lockdown endurance ride. We limited entries and kept trailers apart at the venue, we could have easily had at least half the number again, we gave everyone start times, something social riders are not used to and caused some initial confusion. We put in a one way system around the secretary and marked out 2 metre spots for queuing. As it turned out, none of this was really necessary because start times were so spread out and our riders were brilliant at keeping their social distance. The sun shone down and everyone smiled. Riders did manage to have a chat with friends but didn't hang around for too long, everyone appeared to enjoy themselves and we were all pleased to be back riding again.
Larissa Whiley
Upcoming Rides 26-27 September – Finchingfield Essex / GERs and PRs 27 September – Brampton Bryan Shropshire / PRs 27 September – Camelford Cornwall / GERs and PRs 27 September – Foxdales Lincs / PRs 27 September – Killamarsh Kick-On Notts / PRs 10 October – Dalby Forest N Yorks / PRs 11 October – The Dummer Down Ride Hampshire / PRs 17 October – Delamere Forest Cheshire / PRs 18 October – The Luffenhall Ride for Life Herts / PRs 24 October – Charnwood Forest Leics / PRs 24 October – Tideslow Derbyshire / PRs 31 October – Talybont De Cymru / PRs 31 October-1 November – Poplar Park TBC (October) Suffolk / GERs and PRs Concrete Cows TBC (November) Milton Keynes / GERs and PRs Wentwood De Cymru / PRs 5 December – Carsington Christmas Cracker Derbyshire / PRs Please check the Endurance GB website regularly for updates.
ride report
7
Safety products
Reduce the risk
D
espite a reduction in rider injury rates over the past decade, equestrianism will always remain a high risk sport. As soon as you get on a horse, there is a risk. Ensuring rider safety products are fitted correctly and meet the required standards, reduces the risk significantly. Endurance magazine catches up with the industry’s leading organisations and manufacturers to offer guidance on correctly fitted equipment and brings you the latest safety products reviewed by your fellow endurance riders.
for the Endurance rider
BETA Safety Week, has been running for three years and is supported by many of the sport’s top riders and organisations. The annual awareness-raising campaign was postponed back in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had originally timed the campaign to tie in with the start of the competition season, but many events and competitions have, sadly, been cancelled. Now, we’re facing the start of the ‘new’, delayed competition season as the disciplines propose their starts in some way. A rescheduled BETA Safety Week will give riders returning to competition the chance to check that their equipment still meets the rules and is fit for purpose.” said BETA executive director Claire Williams. BETA Safety Week encourages riders to visit participating BETA retailers for reliable advice on all aspects of safety gear and equipment such as body protectors, riding hats hi-viz and footwear. Ms Williams added: “Fitting safety garments such as riding hats and body protectors can be a closecontact process, so retailers have revised many of their procedures to cater for concerns around distancing and hygiene." For more information or to find a list of participating BETA retail members, please visit www.beta-uk.org
Product Review
TIPPERARY SPORTAGE HELMET
Rachel Owen
8
rider safety
When I started endurance, I wanted to find a riding hat that was lightweight and comfortable for the long hours I would be spending in the saddle. The hat I already had was quite heavy and my head would sweat even on cool days. After much research I came across the Tipperary Sportage. It really is the comfiest hat I have ever ridden in, its super lightweight and is really well ventilated making it extremely breathable, even on the hottest of days my head stays cool. The inner pads are removeable so they can be washed and the chin strap is really comfortable too. The helmet itself is an amazing fit.
Fit Effectiveness Value for money
features | endurancegb.co.uk
Lorna Hogg
Product Review
ZILCO OSCAR VIBE HELMET (BRONZE) I purchased my Zilco Oscar Vibe helmet from Riding & Harness Stuff back in 2019. It met the required standards for competing in endurance with SERC and Endurance GB (i.e. conform to current European [EN], British [PAS], North American [ASTM/SEI], or Australian [AS/NZS] standards) and came in a lovely bronze colour which I really liked. (It is manufactured to European VG1 and American ASTM standards)
Fit Effectiveness Value for money
The hats provide good airflow, but I perspire on warm days when I am active without a hat, so with a hat I’ll always have some moisture. The lining on this hat is made of removeable mesh so it can be washed which I find to be a great feature, as well as the dial adjustment to help achieve great fit and comfort. I can find that throughout a long day depending on heat, that slight adjustment can be required.
I’d worn another of these hats when helping a friend with carriage driving and was impressed at the comfort and adjustability so when I decided it was time for me to have a new hat, I knew this would be the make and style I would go for.
Product Review
Product Review
HIT AIR JACKET
HELITE TURTLE AIR VEST
Fit Effectiveness Value for money Gaynor Jones I am an Endurance GB rider who, for the past 20 years had always ridden in an Airowear level 3 body protector. Over the years I have had several falls and always ended up with a touch of whiplash. On research I chose to purchase the Hit Air Jacket. This was because when the lanyard is triggered it Inflates outwardly as opposed to some of the other 'Air jackets' that tend to crush your ribs and you have trouble to breathe. I had a few trials, one at the 'Vetgate' when I got off and forgot to unclip, it inflated with a bang! Several competitors now know what it sounds like! My horse looked on as if to say 'not again' and didn't move. The first time he heard it he immediately moved to the side but stood still. I like the fact that the neck piece inflates and 'stops' the whiplash action, and before I hit the ground was fully inflated, so it was a bounce as opposed to a thud!! I find the jacket comfortable to wear and wear it on its own without a body protector underneath for endurance graded and competitive rides. You can purchase a foam panel which fits nicely in the back for added protection, I invested in one. I will continue to ride in my Hit Air Jacket as it has saved me on several occasions and is very comfortable to ride in.
Fit The vest sizes are on the generous side
Effectiveness Value for money Carol Chapman I had never considered back protection until I fell and severely damaged my back. I knew I needed a body protector if I wanted to continue riding. My internet search began, what was available, I spoke to endurance friends, tried their protectors on for comfort and asked what they thought of them. Eventually I bought my back protector from Helite UK because they gave me confidence in their products and their customer service was second to none. When the Helite Turtle Air Vest is inflated I have air protection from my head to the base of my spine but I also have the added protection of the additional hard shell to protect my spine (this model was originally designed to protect motorcycle riders). I find this vest comfortable, and it is not restrictive. I simply clip the vest on to my saddle and away I go. The air bag deploys in less than a second.
rider safety
9
Correct fit
Does your
body protector fit correctly?
A
Founded in 1970, Racesafe has established itself as a globally recognised brand at the forefront of making the equestrian world safer and improving performance.
W
hen choosing a body protector it is important to consider performance and comfort, combined with the protections from the European & BETA safety standards. However, this is reliant on riders having a correctly fitting body protector. Below, we run through some simple checks you can do to make sure you're properly protected. The correct fit and areas of coverage are universal, so you can follow these steps even if you don't have a Racesafe body protector.
B
rider safety
The examples show A) fitting too short in the body and B) fitting correctly.
Step 3: Back Length
Within the range of side adjustment, you should be able to achieve a snug, yet comfortable fit over a light layer of clothing.
For the correct back length, we are looking for lower back protection, but with enough clearance to stop the saddle interfering. The exact length is down to personal preference, your saddle type and its intended use.
If the body protector is still loose or moves when you're riding, it is probably too big. If on the maximum level of safe adjustment it's tight and restricts breathing or movement, then you need a larger size.
Sitting in your saddle, use your normal range of movement whilst riding and check if there is the necessary clearance. The width of 3/4 fingers between the body protector and the seat of the saddle is also a good guide to use.
Step 2: Body Length
The regular back length in example C) is a good length, with the D) short and E) long back options shown being on the short and long side respectively.
Step 1: Chest & Waist
Your ribs are an important area of protection and should be covered by the front of the body protector.
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Feeling for your bottom ribs, they should be covered by the foam panels. If they're exposed, then the fit is too short in the body. Likewise, the front should not come down too far and beyond your natural tipping point, or it's likely to become restrictive whilst riding.
features | endurancegb.co.uk
Traditionally there was a tendency to fit body protectors too long in the back and some people thought they were designed to cover coccyx, but that isn't the case! Most of the issues we see from badly fitting body protectors come from them being fitted too long.
Reviews
Our Promise
We strongly believe that with current lightweight, breathable designs, body protectors no longer have to be uncomfortable or restrictive! If that's something you're living with, we'd encourage you firstly to check the fit and then to try one of our latest models at one of our stockists You can find more information and size advice on our website and if you'd like any advice, please feel free to speak to one of our experts.
Fit Effectiveness Value for money They are expensive but what price do you put on your safety?
Gill Campbell
www.racesafe.co.uk I purchased my Racesafe Body Protector in 2015 after a nasty fall when I broke a couple of ribs. As my mare had previously reared over backwards with me, I thought this a prudent purchase! I had it fitted in the shop but standard size not a perfect fit, so it went to Racesafe for slight alterations.
C
I needed it back for a specific ride and they rushed it through and back to me in less than the quoted time scale. Excellent service and now a perfect fit.
Have worn it every time I’ve ridden since then. Many times over 100km and during very high temperatures. I’m hardly aware of wearing it, moulds to your body and does not restrict in any way. Also does a great job as a sports bra! I have had a few falls since wearing it and am certain it has protected me from injury. If you are looking for a body protector, I recommend Racesafe. A proven product and a great company to deal with.
Fit Effectiveness Value for money
D
E
Camilla Mascall Like many of us, I rode for years without thinking about wearing a body protector, first coming across them when children were at Pony Club. And I wasn’t going to take advice from my daughter saying if she had to wear one then so should I. (She has gone on to become a Health and Safety adviser to Chester Zoo where she can insist keepers take her advice). However, I did reconsider things when offered a friend’s horse to compete while she was side-lined due to injury and my horse was temporarily out of action. Somehow, I felt I was more likely to come
off a horse I did not know as well as my own. I didn’t come off this lovely mare and my worst accident was when my 22-yearold horse I had owned from a foal, slipped and fell on me. So, accidents can and do happen, fortunately then I was wearing my Racesafe! I chose the Racesafe as it felt cool, lightweight and comfortable to wear. Carefully fitted I found the child size fits me best. I have now come full circle and would not ride anywhere without one. Even in the hottest weather, I am hardly aware I am wearing it.
rider safety
11
Ask the expert
Common orthopaedic injuries
in endurance horses
Fran James has worked at Newmarket Equine Hospital since 2016 and is an American Specialist in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as a specialist in Equine Surgery.
O
rthopaedic problems and lameness are a major cause of elimination from endurance competitions particularly at the longer distance events and in older horses. They also cause lost time out of training and are the reason for eventual retirement of many horses. As with many injuries, prevention is often better than a cure and an awareness of the common types of injury that occur, along with some of the reasons that they may develop, can help minimize the risks. There are a number of commonly reported orthopaedic injuries in endurance horses including suspensory ligament/proximal metacarpal pain, foot pain, hind end muscle pain and stress-related bone injury. However two of the most potentially career-limiting problems are osteoarthritis and stress fractures. Stress fractures are a form of repetitive bone injury more typically seen in Thoroughbred racehorses in training. However in recent years stress fractures have been more commonly
12
veterinary
recognised in Endurance horses, possibly related to the increasing speeds during endurance competitions, particularly over the longer distances. The classic presentation for stress fractures is a sudden onset of marked lameness during or immediately after a period of fast work or a race. This can often improve rapidly with limited physical signs to localize the cause of lameness. If undetected, the horse is at risk of catastrophic injury if these fractures progress to becoming complete. This is due to a predisposition for stress fractures to develop in certain common locations including humerus, tibia and pelvis. Complete fractures of these long bones are not yet amenable to fracture repair in adult horses. But how do stress fractures form? The bone of a horse’s skeleton is constantly being repaired, turned-over and replaced during the course of life and normal exercise. In response to normal training, all bone
undergoes a degree of stress and micro-injury, which is then repaired, allowing the overall structure of the bone to adapt to training. However if the degree of damage is too great (e.g. undertaking lots of long pieces of fast work) or if the speed at which the repair tissue develops and strengthens can’t keep up with the degree of damage (e.g. sudden increases in training level and intensity following a period of time off) a fracture will develop. In many stress fractures, signs of the body’s attempts to heal i.e. bony callous or new bone around the fracture site are already evident when the horse initially becomes lame, highlighting the longer term bone injury that may have been present. Therefore x-rays or ultrasound can be important first steps in screening for this type of injury in horses that pull up extremely lame after exercise. Other more advanced imaging techniques e.g. nuclear scintigraphy (also known as a “bone scan”) can be essential in screening for and pinpointing stress fractures or providing more detail about the extent of bone damage in cases where x-rays haven’t fully demonstrated the extent of the lesion e.g. MRI of the upper cannon bone at the suspensory origin. Probably the most common cause of musculoskeletal pain and lameness across all types of competition horses is osteoarthritis. Unlike in humans where arthritis can develop
features | endurancegb.co.uk
for a variety of reasons including inflammatory and autoimmune arthritis, the vast majority of arthritis in horses is “traumatic” or “posttraumatic”. This means that arthritis develops secondary to one of a number of different injuries to the joint. This includes injuries to the joint capsule, synovial membrane, stabilizing ligaments of the joint, meniscus (in the stifle), supporting bone (including the subchondral bone plate) or cartilage damage or degeneration. Other terms like degenerative joint disease (DJD), OA (abbreviation for osteoarthritis) or joint disease are often used interchangeably to describe this condition but the end result is the same: progressive loss of normal joint function associated with degeneration of the joint cartilage, development of bone spurs, fibrosis and scarring of the joint capsule leading to loss of joint flexibility, pain and ultimately, in the most severe cases, collapse of the joint surface. But what can be done to prevent arthritis or slow down its progression? Overall, prevention is better than any of the available treatments or “cures”. Although the pain from arthritis can be controlled by joint medications, some of which can slow down he progression of the disease, once arthritis is present it will usually progress in severity over time. Looking at the horse as a whole, the importance of muscle support and stability to each joint and to the horse’s action in general is often underestimated when focusing on injury to the individual joint structures. Although horses have developed down
1
a specialized, evolutionary pathway such that almost all the muscles are in the upper limb and trunk (i.e. very few muscle fibres below the hock and knee), the effect of these muscles in stabilizing the joints of the lower limb is continued through their associated tendons. These muscles and tendons work to counteract “ground reaction force” which relates to effect that body weight and speed has, as the horse’s foot contacts the ground. Preventing instability around the joints is one of the many effects of muscle contraction and reduces the stresses that joints are exposed to. Inevitably a tired, fatigued horse is likely to have less motor control and balance and therefore place more stress on their joints and ligaments compared to a fresh, fit and well balanced horse. Factors that lead to overload of the joint surface and concentrate forces onto a small area of the bone are more likely to result in fractures or bone chip formation. It is well understood that bone physically adapts to the stresses placed onto it (Wolff’s law) and therefore appropriate training for the level and type of competition is essential to condition horses and their bone, particularly in the early stages of their career and following any period of rest from exercise (as a degree of loss of strength is expected with any significant period of rest). Although research into the best exercise regimens to prevent joint injury is ongoing, there is good evidence to suggest that exposure to exercise at the end of growth but before skeletal maturity is beneficial in preventing future injuries, although adequate time for appropriate recovery and adaptation remains important.
A cannon bone stress fracture/injury at the origin of the suspensory ligament.
2
White arrows on MRI (1 and 2) to highlight the area of bone injury.
3
2 x-rays (3 and 4) of the upper cannon bone taken the same day as the MRI.
4 Certain conditions e.g. poor conformation (which can be challenging to correct in the adult horse) and developmental joint abnormalities that begin as a foal or weanling (osteochondrosis for example is a condition where the joint surface fails to form normally resulting in isolated and potentially loose islands of bone and cartilage within the joint surface) predispose to the development of osteoarthritis. Osteochondrosis can cause lameness in its own right due to the irregular defect created in the joint surface but if these fragments become loose and trapped between the joint surfaces, further cartilage damage occurs which will increase the likelihood and severity of osteoarthritis in the future. For this reason, surgical removal of these unstable fragments of bone and overlying cartilage is often recommended to limit the risk of future joint damage. Early and accurate diagnosis of any joint injury including sprains, chip fractures, cartilage injury and articular fractures will guide early and directed treatment to minimise the long-term
veterinary
13
In complicated fractures, complete reconstruction of the joint surface can be challenging.
effects on joint health. Signs of these types of injury vary but a combination of lameness and significant filling of the joint and/or thickening of the joint lining are often present. Diagnosis of some, more complex, joint injuries e.g. mild sprains of the collateral ligaments can require more advanced imaging (magnetic resonance imaging) although more severe sprains can typically be easily identified using ultrasound and/or radiographs. Ultrasound examination is invaluable in identifying tears to the joint capsule and synovitis. Surgical removal of chip fractures minimises the risk of further damage to the joint that can occur if these chips become loose; loose fragments cause severe cartilage damage by becoming trapped between the joint surfaces or being crushed between the surfaces into smaller fragments. Repair of fractures involving the joint surface e.g. condylar fractures of the cannon bone (which have been increasingly recognised in endurance horses in the last 10 years) can minimise the long-term effect of the injury to the joint by exact re-apposition of the fracture fragments (an orthopaedic jigsaw puzzle in some cases). In complicated (comminuted) fractures, complete reconstruction of the joint surface can be challenging, if not impossible, and a residual defect in the joint surface may remain after surgical repair. This will predispose to arthritic changes developing due to persistent incongruity of the joint surface leading to cartilage degeneration. In summary, early recognition and diagnosis of stress fractures and joint injuries can prevent long-term and potentially catastrophic complications due to injury. Controlled and targeted training will help minimise the risk of injuries, although more research is needed to identify specific forms of training that limit the risk of joint disease. Horses are more at risk of injury if unfit or exhausted as the stabilizing effects of the muscles and tendons on the joints will be lost or minimised, therefore ensuring the horse is ready to compete or retiring early if the horse is struggling on a particular day, can avoid long-term career-limiting injuries that could affect their future. Although osteoarthritis can be managed with treatment, early recognition of the types of injury that can lead to arthritis and managing them appropriately in the early stages can minimise the long-term effect of these injuries on joints.
14
veterinary
Osteoarthritis Early and accurate diagnosis of any joint injury will guide early and directed treatment to minimise the long-term effects on joint health. Normal joint
BONE
CARTILAGE
Destruction of cartilage
BONE SPUR BONE ENDS RUB TOGETHER
THINNED CARTILAGE
THINNING CARTILAGE
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Stay cool
liver failure, abnormal heart rhythm, loss of co-ordination and in severe cases, death. Evaporative cooling i.e. sweating, is the most important mechanism by which horses control their body temperature during and after exercise. Water from sweat evaporates into the air taking heat energy with it. Body heat is also lost (about 30%) through the lungs and respiratory tract during normal breathing. However these methods of heat loss are most efficient when there is a reasonable difference between the skin temperature and surrounding air temperature, which creates a temperature gradient i.e. it's easier to lose body heat during cool dry weather. As weather temperatures rise and air humidity increases the rate of evaporation declines.
Thermoregulation:
Beating the Heat Fran James has worked at Newmarket Equine Hospital since 2016 and is an American Specialist in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation as well as a specialist in Equine Surgery
D
uring exercise, there is a major byproduct of energy production and muscle function: Heat. The process of turning energy stores into muscle “work” is quite inefficient and heat production increases in proportion to the intensity of exercise. Around 70-80% of energy from body stores is lost as heat during the metabolism process with only 20-30% of that energy actually being used for muscle contraction or “work”. This does mean that controlling body temperature during and after exercise is essential, particularly during hot weather
16
veterinary
conditions, to avoid the potentially serious effects of an increase in core body temperature i.e. heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Normal core body temperature in horses at rest is 37.5-38.5˚C (99.5-101.5˚F). If body temperature rises to above 41-42˚C, side effects and signs of heat exhaustion can be seen ranging from excessively high heart rate, high respiratory rate to dehydration, fatigue and poor recovery. If untreated, this can progress to heat stroke where the body is unable to regulate its own core temperature. Ultimately this can lead to multi-organ dysfunction including kidney and
A good deal of the research into the most effective ways to cool horses down at the end of competitions came from the preparations for the Olympic equestrian competitions held in hot humid conditions particularly Atlanta in 1996 and Beijing in 2008. Difficulties experienced by event horses during the cross country phase at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games highlighted the risks of heat stress during high level competitions in hot weather (in spite of the relatively low humidity at that event). In hot and humid conditions, evaporation of water from the skin surface during sweating is less effective as the surrounding air is already saturated with water and the temperature difference between the air and skin is minimal. This means that sweat starts to drip off the body but doing so only removes 5-10% of the heat that evaporation of sweat would have done. In these extremes of climate, even the fittest horses struggle to lose enough body heat by sweating and their core body temperature can rapidly climb to dangerously high levels towards the end and immediately after exercise. Research and collaboration between groups from the UK, USA and Australia has proven that applying cold water (9˚C) to horses at the end of exercise helps bring their core body temperature back down to normal faster than using tepid (31˚C) water in hot humid conditions. No negative effect of applying cold water was noted e.g. there was no influence on tying-up. At the end of the competition, providing shade in rest areas and adding misting fans to cool the ambient temperature helps cool horses more efficiently hence the misting tents seen at the Beijing games. Fitness and acclimatisation to the local weather are also key factors in avoiding heat stress. Research from the USA under experimental hot conditions
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showed that with increasing fitness, although the horses’ core body temperature increased in the same way as less fit horses (fitness was based on measuring VO2max), recovery after exercise improved with increasing fitness and the fitter horses lost a lower total volume of sweat. Dehydration and the associated deleterious effects on blood flow and circulation (particularly to the skin) makes regulation of body heat less efficient. In warm weather, horses can lose 3kg of body weight for each hour of travel in a horsebox. Most of this weight loss (around 90%) is due to fluid loss and dehydration, highlighting how vital adequate preparation and correcting any preexisting dehydration before the competition is, to maximising any horse's ability to cope with hot weather conditions. In practical terms the ambient temperature and humidity at most competitions in the UK rarely reaches the levels experienced in tropical climates. But that doesn’t mean that signs of heat exhaustion are uncommon in horses competing in the UK during the summer, particularly if the weather suddenly becomes hotter. Signs of heat stress and exhaustion to look out for include a prolonged and delayed recovery (longer than 10-20 minutes after the end of the competition), shaking, weakness, loss of awareness of surroundings, persistently elevated heart rate and breathing rate along with continued excessive sweating. Ongoing increases in rectal temperature after the end of exercise are a strong indicator of heat stress and the potential to develop heat stroke. In its most severe form, horses with heat stroke are unable to sweat, won't drink water
or walk, and show signs like staggering and depression and may even collapse. Urgent veterinary treatment including intravenous fluids is vital in these cases.
What are the most straightforward or ideal ways to cool horses at the end of competition?
A combination of applying copious amounts of cold water over the whole horse, offering water and electrolyte solutions to drink and hand walking to promote good circulation through the muscles should be adequate in most cases and allow horses to recover from exercise with minimal side effects. If the horse is slow to recover and the body temperature continues going up after exercise is finished, repeated application of cold water (apply, scrape it off with a sweat scraper and then reapply cold water again) will help get rid of some of the excess body heat. Offering electrolyte solutions as well as plain water to drink during the recovery period has the additional benefit of beginning to replace the salts that were lost in sweat during exercise. This has the added benefit of helping to restore normal circulation and promote good recovery. It is however important to give horses the choice of both plain water and electrolyte solutions to encourage them to drink and self-regulate electrolyte intake, particularly as some horses will show a strong preference for one over the other. During the cooling out period, it is important that rugs and sheets are not applied until after the horse has fully recovered and returned to a normal body temperature otherwise the rugs will “insulate” the horse and prevent normal heat loss from the skin.
Key points for competing in hot (& humid) weather Preparation for competition: • Fitter horses are better able to cope with hot weather • Allow enough time to recover from journey to the competition • Replace any fluids lost in transport before beginning the ride After competition: • Monitor horse’s demeanour, heart rate and rectal temperature • Look for signs of excessive or inadequate sweating • If horse is recovering slower than normal, make sure they are washed down with plenty of cold water, have access to water and electrolyte solutions to drink and walk in hand (in a shaded area if possible) • If the horse shows any signs of heat stroke including incoordination, shaking, persistently high heart rate or has a persistently high (>41˚C) or climbing temperature after a normal cool down period (about 20-30 minutes after the end of competition) seek veterinary advice urgently
veterinary
17
Ask the expert
How and why to
use electrolytes
S
odium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium are the five main electrolytes that your horse requires. They play vital roles within the body and are involved in most bodily functions including digestion, fluid regulation, the acid-base balance (pH) of the body and neurological functions such as muscle contractions. Electrolytes are lost from the body daily in urine, faeces and sweat. Horses use sweating as the primary way to remove excess heat from the body. Horses can produce 10-15 litres of sweat per hour during intense exercise so can lose a lot of electrolytes through sweating; approximately 9g of electrolytes per litre of sweat. Sodium, chloride and potassium are present in large quantities in sweat, and smaller amounts of magnesium and calcium. Whilst grass, hay and hard feed do provide some electrolytes, in most cases it is not enough to meet your horse’s requirements if they are in more than light work. It is common for horses not to be receiving enough electrolytes from their diet. This applies in particular to sodium as forage in the UK is often low in sodium. For horses in light work that are consuming fresh grass and a balancer, adding some table salt will provide the additional sodium and chloride that they need. For a typical horse adding 25g per day of table salt to their feed will provide them with enough sodium to meet their requirements. Whilst giving your horse access to a salt lick will provide them with additional salt, several studies have concluded that horses do not regulate their intake to match their requirements with a salt lick.
"Electrolyte deficiency is linked to fatigue and muscle weakness" Electrolyte deficiency Stephanie Mapletoft, MSc Equine Science, leads the nutrition team at Pure Feed and helps customers on a daily basis with nutritional advice for their horses.
Electrolyte deficiency can take months to become a problem, but signs include poor performance, decreased sweating, muscle problems such as tying up, poor recovery after exercise, thumps and increased risk of fractures. Electrolyte deficiency is linked
18
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horse health
to fatigue and muscle weakness which will both affect performance. It can also cause a decrease in the horse’s thirst response, leading to dehydration. Sodium is the main electrolyte responsible for your horse’s regulation of thirst.
Feeding an electrolyte supplement
Providing an electrolyte supplement in the diet is particularly important for the performance horse to prevent an electrolyte deficiency.
"it is important to make sure that your horse is well hydrated and has sufficient electrolytes" Performance horses that are in a higher level of work or worked for longer periods of time, are likely to be producing more sweat and thus losing more electrolytes and water from their body. To enable them to perform at their best, it is important to make sure that your horse is well hydrated and has sufficient electrolytes in their body before competition.
Feeding an electrolyte daily, as opposed to just adding an electrolyte supplement after intense work or before a competition is advisable. This will allow the horse to excrete any extra electrolyte that it doesn’t need and help prevent an electrolyte deficiency. Feeding only after competitions could cause your horse to refuse their feed if they are not used to being fed electrolytes. In addition, suddenly adding large amounts of electrolytes before or after a competition to a horse that isn’t used to getting them could disturb the hind gut and cause gastrointestinal problems. Sodium and chloride should be the main ingredients in an electrolyte supplement; check for this when choosing which electrolyte supplement to use. Some electrolyte supplements, such as Pure Plus Electrolyte, use micro-bead technology which means they have a fat coating. This improves efficiency and palatability. It helps to ensure that the electrolytes reach the small intestine to be absorbed, where they can have maximum effect. The fat coating also means that the electrolytes do not irritate the stomach lining; especially beneficial for horses with gastric ulcers. Palatability is improved with fat coated electrolytes as the coating reduces the salty taste. This makes the need for additional sugar to encourage ingestion of the electrolyte redundant and thus makes them suitable to feed to horses that need a low sugar diet. Electrolytes can be added to the feed, added to water or given as a concentrated paste. If electrolytes are added to water, another
source of water without anything added to it should also be available to the horse. The downside to giving electrolytes in water is that it can be difficult to know exactly how much of the electrolytes your horse got from the amount of water that they drank. In all cases when feeding your horse electrolytes, fresh clean water should also be available. The amount of electrolyte to feed will depend on several factors such as your horse’s breed, duration and intensity of exercise, fitness level, diet, environmental conditions (horses have been shown to sweat more in humid and hot conditions than in cool conditions) and their individual metabolism. As always, it is important you follow the manufacturer's guidelines and feeding recommendations. If you do, over supplementation of electrolytes is unlikely. However, signs to look out for include excessive drinking and excessive urinating.
Other dietary considerations
As well as providing electrolytes, clean, fresh water should always be available to your horse. Ensuring that your horse has plenty of fibre in their diet is also beneficial to help prevent your horse from becoming dehydrated. Fibre helps to trap water in the hind gut, as well as electrolytes, providing a reservoir which can be used when needed.
horse health
19
Fussy eater
How to overcome
a fussy horse
HorseHage has been the Official Supplier of DustFree Forage to The British Equestrian Team at every Olympic Games since Los Angeles in 1984.
20
nutrition
T
here are numerous reasons why a horse can become a fussy eater and finding out why is the first port of call in rectifying the situation. Of course, like humans, some horses are just naturally faddy, and this can be a constant frustration for owners. On the other hand, if a horse that usually has a good appetite suddenly goes off his food, the cause needs to be investigated.
Because horses are naturally trickle feeders, it’s important that they are continually getting enough fibre through their digestive systems to prevent acidic attacks on the gut wall and so if a horse or pony loses his appetite and stops eating, it can easily become a more serious problem. Firstly consider whether your horse has developed a health condition which may have caused him to go off his food. Gastric problems can cause a lot of discomfort when eating and if you suspect
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this or any other underlying condition, please consult your vet. Dental issues can cause pain or make it difficult for your horse to chew and a sign of this is quidding (when you find balls of half-chewed food spat out). In this situation we would always recommend consulting your equine dentist. Stress can be another factor and there can be many causes for this, and this in turn can also be a cause of gastric issues. Has your horse moved yards or fields? Is he missing another horse or pony? Is he being bullied at feed times if turned out with other horses? Has his workload changed? There can be lots of things that we probably wouldn’t consider stressful for our horses or ponies but in reality, sometimes something that seems a very small change to us can be hugely stressful for some horses and ponies. A simple change to a new stable can be enough to put a horse off his food. Look at his daily routine to see if there have been any changes recently and then address them. Of course, the answer may be something much more simple such as his feeding regime. If your horse or pony is turned out and there is plenty of grazing, he may simply go off his bucket feed as he will be enjoying the grass. Similarly, if he is turned out for longer, he may be filling up on grass.
Have you changed feed or feed brands or to a different forage? A change in feeds should always be made very gradually, particularly if you are changing from a molassed feed to one that is unmolassed and even the same type of feed from a different manufacturer can taste slightly different. The same applies to any supplements which you may be adding to your horse’s feed. Horses are greatly influenced by taste, aroma and texture in their food. Feeding a fibre-based diet compared to a cereal-based one is a much more natural way of feeding. Our horse’s saliva helps to neutralise the acid in their stomach, and unlike humans, horses only salivate when they are physically eating, so the more time we can allow them to eat, the more saliva they will produce. Feeding a high fibre chaff such as Mollichaff will stimulate the production of saliva and slow down the passage of food throughout the gut as it requires up to 8000 chews per kilo to eat, compared to as few as 1200 for concentrates. Look for a flavoured chaff to tempt your horse’s appetite. Horses relish the flavours of mint, cherry, apple and herbs as well as molasses. If you are adding succulents such as carrots or apples, make sure to grate them into the feed to prevent your horse from picking them out first. Forage can vary greatly, even from bale to bale and this can be down to hygiene, quality or
the types of grass it is made from. Look for forage that is dust-free and is consistent in quality such as HorseHage. Forage made from timothy grass can help to stimulate the appetite as it has a different ‘nose’ to ryegrass. Always make sure your feed is stored hygienically and is kept dry and away from contamination, rodents and insects. Feed buckets, bowls and utensils should be washed after every use. Water buckets and troughs should also be kept clean and fresh and in plentiful supply. Really cold water can put horses off drinking, which in turn can lead to a loss of appetite, so in cold weather it can be useful to be able to warm it slightly. Some horses also prefer their bucket feed to be dampened and it can make it easier for them to chew as well as the warm water making it smell more appetising. Adding medication to a horse’s feed can taint it, so try to give any meds to your horse or pony separately from his feed times to avoid him making a connection between the medication and his feed. For further information on feeding your horse, pony or donkey, please call the HorseHage & Mollichaff Helpline on 01803 527274 or visit www.horsehage.co.uk
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Series 3
Target
training
Top tip No short cuts – plan it – prepare for it – train for it! Training should take you out of your comfort zones.
W
e have previously covered a good deal of the Fitness and Training Plan and this issue will focus on our Target Training and where we are going: • • • • •
22
The event The ride The distance The speed The terrain
training
Hills require muscle power, strength, dexterity, trust and the ability to pick up the speed and equally reduce the speed but maintaining the rhythm. The flat fast rides require balance, rhythm and an ability to stretch the muscles. Mistakenly, some riders think the horse will just canter on with ease but unless they are using themselves correctly and economically, they will be injured. Speed is dangerous unless ridden correctly and correctly prepared for. I also advise that no matter what the ride we are aimed at, a degree of both hill and flat training is critical. So, let’s first look at canter work. A good steady canter should take you places and not stress the horse. It is often considered the “resting” pace, however for the canter to remain economical, the body needs to be warm and every fibre properly prepared to flow forward. Canter leads should be effortlessly even, using the ability to slow down and speed up and negotiating tricky ground or situations should almost be
a thought rather than a “pull”. Working together as one should be your ultimate aim. In an ideal world we should be able to do our canter work out and about but in reality there are too many people, dogs, pushchairs, bikes etc. We can train around them on our schooling hacks but a track or field margins are best. The most important thing is the warm up. As always, a slow steady warm up ensures every part of the body is flowing with oxygenated blood. This is different for every horse, so unless you are doing it the “scientific way” a longer slower one will be far more beneficial. The warm up should consist of trot work, using changes of rising diagonal to influence balance and rythmn, some lateral work, shoulder in, leg yield, halts and half halts. This is all dependent on the horse and the aim then adding in specific amounts of canter until reaching the point of long canter intervals. The degree of warm up and interval will of course
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depend on the distance being trained for. Recording distances and recovery times on both reins can be invaluable, so factor a coaching session into this, or have a friend along to take a record.
diagonal or leg yields in the trot to ease back and push forward when tackling a long climb. A good steady canter is also worthwhile – not only for the HR but also for the soul.
Beaches are great for a canter work, but remember it is so easy to over-do it! You need to be sure of the surface, warm up correctly and take into account any water resistance. Hills can be used in so many ways, body building, strength, cardiovascular work and, as I said earlier, it is all about trust. You need to know you’ve given your horse the strength and ability to keep going or slow down and basically do the safe option no matter who is in front or behind in competition! You need to think about the ride and what you might need to tackle. Gates are always something that I think we underestimate, they truly break our rhythm – so training for that break should help (Golden Horse Shoe in mind).
On the way down is where the trust comes into play - having to hang on or hauling and praying is no good for anyone. The youngsters need to learn to be careful and the old need to be helped to keep them strong at the end of the day. We need to be able to maintain a pace going down as well as going up and that pace will differ from horse to horse and age to age. Build the partnership and let them lead the way when competition day comes. Some good downhill exercises: • • • •
A few exercises to give you an idea and get your minds thinking! Divide a hill into three: • • •
alk a third, halt count to 5 W Trot a third, halt count to five Walk a third, halt count to five
The halts are important and represent your gate break. Play with the walk, the trot and add canter and add a training partner for fun. Use changes of rising
S tart with a zigzag type movement Gradually turn the curve to a leg yield A s confidence builds go from walk to trot Add halts and half halts – again these just make the discipline of waiting part of your game.
Clearly there is such a lot more to work on and look at, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need a little more help or clarification.
Top tip Using heart rate (HR) monitors is a great idea but you need to establish a true resting heart rate, followed by the base level in each zone (training zone), from there you can look at a programme. They are a very useful tool and can provide some great reference work if you are able to download the data. I also find it useful to use heart rate monitors on horses in rehab or that have issues such as switching off/spooking, but it is worth remembering it’s just a piece of electronic equipment – if your horse doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.
As always happy training but remember fun is also important for you both...
Maggie Pattinson
Try it When counting your halts or paces – counting out loud to keeps you breathing and focused.
training
23
Series 3
Many of us haven’t ridden much if at all during the lockdown and as restrictions start to lift and rides starting to happen. RiderCise® Series 3 will help to get you ready to ride.
G
etting yourself ready to ride is more than making sure your horse is fit and can cope, you are just as important and need to make sure that you can deal with the demand of riding a distance brings so that you feel confident on your bouncing raring to go steed and don’t wake up the following day unable to get down the stairs! You don’t forget how to ride but when we haven’t ridden as much as normal it is easy to lose belief and confidence, especially when you see your horses galloping, bucking, playing in the field. Being proactive in getting yourself ready to ride is empowering as you start to feel firmer, stronger and more agile! Its true! I promise.
Are you
Plan of Action
Ready to Ride?
Hopefully you have been doing the exercises regularly shown in Series 1 and 2, but if not, It’s time to dig out the last two issues and let’s get started. We are going to add those exercises to the new exercises in this Series and create a plan for you to do to get you Ready to Ride. #Weareridingagain
Your Workout Overview
Lateral Lunge & Leg Lift (new) DeadBug
DAY 5
30 Sec 20 Reps
DAY 6
DAY 7
12 Reps Each Leg
30 Sec 20 Reps
12 Reps Each Leg
1 ROUND
15 Reps
1 ROUND
1 ROUND
Squats (new)
30 Sec
DAY 4
10 Reps Each Leg
REST
10 Reps Each Leg
Single Leg Swing – Abduction / Adduction Forearm Plank
DAY 3
REST
Single Leg Swing – Flexion / Extension
DAY 2
1 ROUND
DAY 1
REST
Exercise
40 Sec 25 Reps
10 Reps Each Leg
10 Reps Each Leg
10 Reps Each Leg
10 Reps Each Leg
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
10 Reps
Workout Progression
Each week, increase the Rounds by 1 up to the max of 3 making sure that you really focus on the correct technique and form to perform each exercise. If you don’t feel ready to increase the Rounds, that’s ok! Just keep on going focusing on controlling your body and the movements required.
24
rider fitness
features | endurancegb.co.uk
Exercise 1 - Squats
Squats are one of the best exercises that you can do because they use a whole range of muscles and joints to perform, what we call a compound exercise in the fitness world. It doesn’t matter how low you can go as long as you really focus on maintaining your posture throughout. It really is a simple but very effective exercise when performed correctly. MAIN MUSCLES USED Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Abdominals, Calves RIDING TRANSLATION As an Endurance rider who spends a lot of time either rising in trot or hovering over the saddle this exercise will really help to reduce fatigue in your legs and glutes which means you stay stronger for longer and it will also reduce the after riding aches and pains. It also provides a great insight into how stable we are when we do this movement out of the saddle (especially in front of the mirror) as you can see how independent your seat really is or how much you are depending on your horse to stabilise you as your rise or hover. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart 2. Hips facing forward 3. Chest high and looking straight ahead 4. Push your bottom backwards and downwards as far as you can comfortably in a slow controlled manner without collapsing your torso and rounding your upper back. Ensure your feet remain flat on the floor 5. Push your weight through both feet and stand up in one smooth move, squeezing your bum at the top 6. This is one repetition
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
PERFORM 15 times on each leg and repeat NOTES • Make sure your feet remain flat on the floor and you don’t collapse through your torso • Only go as low as you can comfortably without losing technique • To keep the movement slow and controlled, count 4, 3, 2, 1 (slowly) and then stand to the count of 1 EXERCISE ADAPTATIONS OPTION 1 If you struggle with your balance you can practise sitting on the chair (without looking) and standing. EXERCISE ADAPTATIONS OPTION 2 If you are unable to keep your feet flat on the floor, place a book under each heel (this means that your hamstrings are restricted). If you collapse through your torso, clasp your hands and hold them straight out in front of you to help maintain the correct posture.
Exercise 2 – Stationary Lateral Lunge and Leg Lift
RIDING TRANSLATION All riders need to be able to stay balanced in the saddle and provide clear effective leg aids. This exercise enables you to engage all of the muscles you would use to do just that! It improves your pelvis stability and hip joint mobility when you perform the lateral lunge and glute strength and power to push you back to standing and your Psoas to perform the leg lift. What more could you ask for from a riding specific exercise? INSTRUCTIONS 1. Lift one leg and step out to the side, shifting your body weight over the moving leg and push your bottom backwards as you squat as low as you can comfortably go. 2. With power, push yourself back to the standing position and lift the leg so that the knee is bent at 90 degrees and in front of your body. 3. This is one repetition. PERFORM 10 Repetitions on each side
What a combination! The lateral lunge is and exercise in itself but adding in the leg lift really throws you a challenge. The lateral lunge will help lengthen AND strengthen the adductors, which is a must for riders! It will also show any weaknesses in your glute medius (pelvis stabiliser) on a single side. The transition into leg lift demonstrates how balanced and in control you are as you go into leg lift which engages the Psoas muscle. Can you do it without wobbling? It really helps improve your body awareness (proprioception) and motor control.
NOTES • Keep the movement slow and controlled and the lateral lunge small, don’t take a huge step to begin with • When you are in the lateral lunge position, make sure your body is facing forwards with your chest high, not facing your knee
MAIN MUSCLES TARGETED Lateral Lunge: A dductor muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes
EXERCISE ADAPTATIONS OPTION 2 If you find it particularly hard to perform the movement, break it down. Do the lateral lunge, then stand, then perform the leg lift.
Leg Lift:
P soas, Abdominals, opposite Glute Medius
EXERCISE ADAPTATIONS OPTION 1 If you struggle with balance you could hold on to a broom in front of you to help re-balance.
Clare Gangadeen
rider fitness
25
RoR
New pathway for
racehorses in endurance
A
s we gently ease out of lockdown and wait for the postponed ride calendar to recommence, I sit at home on my sofa, delighted that racing has returned to ITV, albeit behind closed doors with jockeys riding in face masks. I am wondering what will become of all those magnificent thoroughbreds who are giving their huge hearts to the only equestrian discipline they have known since birth. Thanks to Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), British Horseracing's official charity for the welfare of horses who have retired from racing, many will go on to new homes and second careers in dressage, showing, show jumping, polo and of course, endurance.
"The thoroughbred typically has bags of stamina and a very low heart rate when fit"
26
retraining
Anna Collins, former RoR Elite Endurance Champion and endurance ambassador for RoR explains the exciting new pathway.
Earlier this year, I was delighted to work with John Hudson, former Endurance GB Chairman and Anne Walker National RoR Co-ordinator to develop an exciting new pathway, both to encourage RoR members to give endurance a try and Endurance GB and Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC) members with former racehorses to compete. The thoroughbred typically has bags of stamina, a very low heart rate when fit, is used to travelling long distances to an event and is brought up from an early age to understand the routines of every day handling, shoeing, clipping and has good stable manners. The ex-racehorse will have trained in a string and will love riding out in company, which is why endurance rides are perfect for them. The new pathway shown, incentivises people to give it a go and gain a recognition rosette for completing a fun or charity ride
features | endurancegb.co.uk
all the way through to the Elite Endurance Award for which prize money is awarded and culminates in an award ceremony at the prestigious Jockey Club in Newmarket with a presentation from Clare Balding OBE, the charity’s patron and Luke Harvey from ITV Racing. We were particularly looking forward to launching a new competition at the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance as RoR teams are eligible to join Endurance GB as an ‘honorary’ Riding Club to work towards qualifying to compete as a team. We all know that Endurance GB develops lifelong friendships and we wanted RoR members to be part of that special atmosphere that the Red Dragon gives in abundance. The challenge in retraining an ex-racehorse for any discipline, especially endurance, includes teaching them to ride in a rhythm or cadence that works them efficiently and practising simple schooling manoeuvres that will get you safely through a gate, being tied to a trailer rather than attended to in a wagon or standing still whilst you get on. When introduced to endurance, ex-racers can be a little uncertain of their surroundings as they will probably not have seen muddy puddles, low hanging branches or uneven terrain but they soon get the hang of it. Thoroughbreds also tend to be a little taller than the average endurance horse so being able to remount on course is useful and they are renowned for their poor quality hoof which can be managed with a good diet and a good farrier as was borne
out when my mare won best shod at the Interregional Championships at Barbury Castle and my gelding was awarded Best Shod overall Champion at the Lindum Festival of Endurance. I have been lucky enough to compete two ex-racers at endurance and both have done extremely well. Diamond Destiny came 2nd and 3rd in the Elite Championship and Karactacus Potts (Mr P) earned us the Elite Award in 2017. I spent my prize money on mirrors for my school at home so at least now I can see how badly my feet stick out.
Unfortunately, the numbers of former racehorses competing in endurance have been reducing over the years. Once you have won at Elite level, the horse is excluded from competing again so this should give anyone with a horse from the track an incentive to join in as the field of competition is reduced and therefore making the points required to pick up an award or prize money more easily attainable. In this 20th year of RoR, we should be celebrating the thoroughbred, giving them a second career, an opportunity to expand their minds and to develop that special bond that we all enjoy from the sport we love. There’s always next year!
Photo credit: IndiePics
For more information about rehoming an ex-racehorse or competing at endurance, there is more information and advice including details about the pathway at www.ror.org.uk
Pictured are 2019 Elite Endurance Champion Tracy Sieminski riding Abseil and Anna Collins, 2017 Elite Endurance Champion riding Karactacus Potts at Cheshire Group’s Wirral ride on possibly the most inclement day of the year!
retraining
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Icelandics and endurance
Endurance with
an Icelandic horse
Kim (centre) with daughter Catriona (left) and friend Moira forming an Icelandic trio at the Longnewton ride in 2018
T
here are quite a few Icelandic horses taking part in Endurance in Scotland. I can think of 15 or 16 I’ve met at venues in the time I’ve been a SERC member and there are usually a couple at most rides. I’m not an expert on either Endurance or indeed on Icelandic horses, but it’s been interesting riding my two in Endurance events over the last seven years and I’ve learned a lot about both over that time.
What are Icelandic horses?
Icelandic horses are a gaited breed (walk, trot, canter/gallop, tölt and pace) and while there are only about a thousand in the UK, there are many more in other countries, where many weekends these small horses show their gaits on a long, slightly banked oval track, race in pace and compete for high honours. These are not cute little ponies but serious (and expensive)
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sport horses. Competitive Icelandic horse events are few in the UK and I don’t want to do Icelandic competitions, but I like the variety of gaits in the Icelandic and I do want to spend lots of time with my horses, riding through the countryside; Endurance is perfect for that.
My Icelandic horses
I have two Icelandics: Ess From Pentland Hills, now 20 and retired from Endurance, and the snappily named Guðröður Jósef fra Skjöldólfsstöðum, who is 10 this year and Bronze Thistle Final qualified. With Ess, I did pleasure rides with my Icelandic pals which was a lot of fun. He’s now semiretired, hacking 8-10km a couple of times a week. I imported Josef in 2016, a 6 year old from Iceland. These horses are brought up running in a herd with minimum – or even no –
intervention and are trained a little at 5, usually over winter, then turned away. His passport says he was gelded the day he left to come to me, which explains some of his behaviour when he joined our mixed sex Icelandic herd. Lots of things are new to young horses but it’s not usually trees, which are unknown and scary if you’ve never seen them before, especially when they move or bits drop off (including leaves). Also, trolls hide under rocks in Iceland, so these need to be avoided. Monsters live in the sea to nibble the unwary hoof. Gates are terrifying with their horse-eating jaws. We spent a lot of time on the ground getting used to things.
Going competitive with my Icelandic horse
Josef had a year doing pleasure rides, seeing the countryside and learning to trot and not tölt or pace for the vet (‘what is your horse doing with his legs?’). We had our novice competitive season in 2018. Supported a lot by my many knowledgeable SERC friends, I was catapulted into my first competitive 30km ride, in the Eildon hills, as a more or less last-minute
regulars | endurancegb.co.uk
addition to a team. The rider ahead of me and I worked nicely together on gates and her crew kindly crewed me too, especially appreciated by Josef after the last loop which included what is a near vertical ascent. We walked in to finish just below our declared maximum speed at 10.94 kph and a gold heart rate.
gaining our Bronze Thistle Final (at 12.71 kph with gold heart rate, coming second in the Novice class) – with thanks again to experienced SERC friends keeping me right at the vetgate. The highlight of 2019 was being in the winning interbranch Capercaillie team, bringing the trophy home for Lothians Branch.
What are the differences with an Icelandic horse?
"You can do 30km rides without a crew but it's much nicer to have one" Of course you can do 30km rides without a crew but it’s much nicer to have one and many people helped, most notably my daughter Catriona. A geography student, she kept me – and at times other crews - right with maps, was always there to meet me with the buckets of beet, water and sloshes. We did our first 50km ride at the Championships at Brodie Castle in 2018,
Actually, I’m not sure I know, but I do know what to do with mine.
FEEDING I keep them out 24/7 with hay in the winter. I feed a mixture of soaked beet, soaked coconut fibre, an alpine meadow chaff, micronized linseed and Science Supplements balancers. It’s DIY livery, and I also work, so this is once a day. I weigh tape Josef every week and alter the feed as needed. CLIPPING I trace clip when his winter coat starts to grow. He uses a lot of energy and protein growing that thick Icelandic winter coat and I up his linseed. He has 4-5 weeks off in November/December. This year I bit the bullet, clipped him out in February and rugged him so I could get him nicely fit; we planned to do the Cairngorm 100 trail ride this year but with Covid that was not to be. Next year, maybe.
FEET My horses are barefoot and both wear Renegades, which works well for me. Ess’s feet grow very slowly so he’s cheap for the farrier but Josef gets trimmed every 6-8 weeks. I keep them both tidy in between. EXERCISE I ride 3-4 times a week and also do some groundwork. I take Josef to polework lessons every fortnight, great for agility and core fitness. We trailer away for beach rides and hill training. ENDURANCE RIDES I just ride a speed he’s comfortable at (~11/11.5 kph) and I don’t push it. He’s not an Arab, he has a thicker coat and he has more fat even when he’s on the thin side, so he can’t lose heat so easily. He’s offered beet, water, will drink (monster-free) wild water and gets a lot of sloshing. I often walk him in and always get off immediately I cross the finish. I don’t use ice but I do use lots of water and I don’t scrape it off. It works for me, gold heart rates are the norm for him. Finally, I love my Icelandic horses and enjoy doing Endurance with them. I’ll never be doing 160km day classes – but how many of us will? For me, Endurance is about getting out, seeing the countryside and having fun with my friends – long may that be the case.
Kim Willoughby
Photos courtesy of Kris Clay (TopGearPhotos)
Kim and Josef covering the ground at Longnewton
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Futurity
Gold awards at
British breeding futurity evaluations
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he British Breeding Futurity evaluations started back in 2005, with the aim to identify British bred, young potential sport horses and ponies that are destined for careers in dressage, eventing, show jumping or endurance and may even find the Olympic Champions of the future. Entries are categorised by discipline with different age groups for foals, yearlings, two and three-year olds. It became clear earlier in the year that the coronavirus outbreak would affect everyone well into the summer season. With restrictions on international travel and the need to take the right steps to maintain social distancing while still allowing everyone to interact, to give the evaluators a chance to discuss their observations, the Virtual Futurity 2020 was formulated. For the first time The British Breeding/ Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations saw breeders submitting their entries in a digital format in sets of detailed videos taken on hard and soft ground that were examined by a team of international experts, including a senior veterinarian, Baileys Horse Feeds
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nutritionist, linear scorer and highly experienced International evaluators from the UK, Holland and Germany. Endurance magazine talks to the owners of the amazing horses that achieved the
coveted Gold award in the endurance category, who have qualified for preselection into the first ever Futurity Elite Online Auction, to be held in September this year in cooperation with ClipMyHorse.TV.
Nutritional Building Blocks Baileys have supported the British Breeding Futurity Evaluations since their inception in 2005, and been actively involved in the assessment of youngsters, through Body Condition and Muscle Scoring, since 2010. The combined input of Vet and Nutritionist provides unique and invaluable feedback for breeders, to help ensure their young horses are given the best possible start in life. Body condition is a reflection of the horse’s diet and the Futurity, whether virtual or in “real life”, allows this to be adjusted accordingly. “It’s about providing nutritional support and the right building blocks for correct growth and development,” says Baileys Director of Nutrition, Liz Bulbrook.
features | endurancegb.co.uk
Tannasg Adonis and Tannasg Aurelius What the Evaluators said…
“Tannasg Adonis was a lovely prospect for endurance with effortless movement and a nice, elegant frame.” “Tannasg Aurelius showed great potential for the future with nice even paces and a very attractive frame with good functionality for endurance.” The colts achieved scores of 8.575 and 8.375 respectively for their Endurance evaluations.
Tannasg Arabians Stud in Dunning
We have been breeding top quality Arabian horses since 2002. Our focus has always been producing horses that can do anything from endurance to dressage to hacking. To achieve this we have bred horses with excellent conformation, natural athleticism and above all, wonderful temperaments. Tannasg Adonis is by Tannasg Ansomrob (Psyches Boy x Tannasg Roulette) and out of Kazanan (Tamayuz x Bosphorous Queen). Tannasg Ansomrob is a homebred FEI qualified stallion who has competed up to FEI 1* 80km level. He is currently the only stallion to have completed the extremely tough Cairngorm 100 challenge (100 miles, 1 horse, 1 day). He completed the last 20 miles of this challenge on his own, in the dark and never wavered.
Tannasg Aurelius is by WW Moonlight Venture out of Tannasg Alya. WW Moonlight Venture is a registered Cremello American Quarter Horse and the dam, homebred, Tannasg Alya is a purebred Arabian (Psyches Boy x Tannasg Parfait).
Future plans
We were absolutely delighted that at the recent British Breeding Futurity evaluations our two entries were both awarded Gold awards in the endurance section. We put forward our two part bred yearlings, the first being our Anglo Arabian gelding, Tannasg Adonis. Adonis is the first foal by our homebred stallion Tannasg Ansomrob and is rather special as he represents three generations of our breeding here at Tannasg, Ansomrob is out of a homebred mare by our foundation stallion. Adonis’ dam is an ex racing thoroughbred who we purchased to start our Anglo Arab breeding programme. Adonis is being retained at the stud to be Iain’s future competition horse, mainly aimed at endurance but he will also do some dressage and maybe some eventing in future. Our other entrant was Tannasg Aurelius, a half quarter horse, half Arab gelding out of a homebred mare, Aurelius also represents three generations of Tannasg bloodlines. Aurelius's sire is an American bred quarter horse who we chose because of his conformation and temperament and we wanted to add some size and power as a bigger endurance horse, but he will do any job! Aurelius will be available for sale.
Iain Paterson
breeding
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Zobeyni Magnus
What the Evaluators said…
“A harmonious, elegant-looking young horse convinces with lovely conformation and very good gaits, he is a super prospect for endurance.” Achieved an excellent score of 8.825 in the Endurance category
Zobeyni Arabian Stud
Zobeyni Magnus is by the wonderful stallion Zobeyni Nurani from Alexia Ross’ Zobeyni Arabian Stud which is based on the bloodlines of The Crabbet Stud, founded by Lady Anne and Wilfrid Scawen Blunt in the 1870s. Zobeyni Magnus is out of Bint Magnetta who Alexia Ross loaned from Daphne Cocksedge of the Romac Stud in South Wales. Daphne has been breeding Arabians for over 50 years and back in the early days she bred for racing as well as endurance. Bint Magnetta was sired by a competitive endurance stallion called Celtic Shadow and is of 100% Old English Arabian lines, most of which come from the Crabbet Stud programme.
registered and gelded. He was handled for 6 months before being turned away until February 2020. I was thinking about the futurity as I knew Alexia would be keen for me to give it a go. I spotted that it was still going ahead online and with help from friends I could do this! The videos required soft/hard surfaces and an arena to run free. Anne Dicker of Catherston Stud was very helpful, after a call and a visit we booked an afternoon to film! I gathered a small group of friends and planned what shots we needed. He was trimmed up by the farrier and washed. He was a star and took it all in his stride, away from home he was alert and interested. In the loose assessment he really showed himself, however, I had no idea how well he would do!
In June 2017 an adorable foal picture popped up from Alexia Ross of the Zobeyni Stud. Video footage of his movement confirmed this might be the one! I visited him at 4 months to meet him and take photos of angles and limbs to discuss with my dressage trainer
Magnus loves humans and has a great trust, enabling me to progress him this summer through lunging and long reining to backing and walking out under saddle on the lead rein. The plan is to continue through the paces until Christmas when he will have a break. Next year schooling will continue along with hacking out and the aim will be to train with dressage until he is strong and moving correctly and then start doing some endurance once he is around 7 and matured physically.
Magnus arrived in July 2018 as a yearling,
Rebecca Gant
Our story so far
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features | endurancegb.co.uk
Carlangelo SBM What the Evaluators said…
“A super example of an endurance foal with harmonious lines and effortless movement showing a lot of promise for the future”. Gold Premium score of 8.7 making him a contender for the Gold Leader Board.
SBM Arabians
We are a pure-bred Arabian stud on the edge of Dartmoor. We breed by instinct, not necessarily by fashion. Instinct was the way, some years ago, whereby we came to purchase a miniature Shetland called Farthingwood Romeo who, two years later in 2000, became the first British Miniature horse champion at the Horse of the Year Show. Instinct is the way in which we have bred several of our Arabian horses, one of the mares with the same sire as Carlangelo SBM’s winning her in-hand class at the top UKIAHS ECAHO ‘A’ show in 2019 with 91 points.
Angelita’s sire line was Vodofon Kossack (NL) (2001-2020) purchased from his breeder in 2008. He was straight Russian, the National Champion Foal of The Netherlands. His sire was Balaton (Menes/Panagia), bred by The Tersk Stud in Russia and known as ‘the Sire of the Century’. His dam, Verba, also Russian, was a racing mare.
Who is Carlangelo SBM?
At present we have no future plans for Carlangelo SBM. We are totally taken aback by his Futurity success. Naturally we hope that he will develop into a great and credible endurance horse for the future and produce successful progeny.
He is a very personable, sociable and inquisitive 5 months’ old foal who has inherited the characters and delightful temperaments of both his sire, the 1996 Brazilian National Champion Lothar el Nyhl ( Nyhl el Jamaal (Ali Jaamal) / AF Lissa ) owned by Shirley and Charlie Watts of Halsdon Arabians and his dam, Angelita, purchased by us as a yearling in 2006. 0ur grooms love him and remark that he is the easiest colt foal that we have bred. Angelita’s previous foals include a gelding (All Spice SBM, by H. Tobago) recently sold to a well-known endurance home and Carlangelo SBM’s full sister, Lolita SBM, whose future we also see in endurance, both of which claimed the title of British National Silver Foal Champion at the 2015 and 2018 AHS Championship Shows respectively.
The British Breeders' Futurity
With Carlangelo SBM, what you see is how he is. The video tells it all!! -and we think that he is even better in the flesh. We would encourage breeders to ‘go for it’, to enter the Futurity whether on video or actual event, because like us, you may not know what you have in your yard. We would also say follow your instincts in breeding and selection, as we have done. Following fashion may or may not result in what you hope for.
Sarah & Peter Howard
photo Sweet Photography - design www.arabianhorsepromo.com
We breed for correct conformation and freedom of movement. We have recently successfully sold three of our lightly backed
Arabians to endurance homes. A few years ago the Government of Pakistan selected a colt of ours to enhance the breeding programme at their State Stud. We cannot retain all the horses we breed and so offer for sale from time to time youngsters for in-hand showing and lightly backed older (4/5/6 years old) horses for performance (endurance/ridden) careers.
EXCELSIOR SBM, 2017 grey AHS Licensed Stallion (Excalibur EA (ES) x Tosca de Forgehill (FR)) ECAHO ‘C’ Gold Champion 2018 and other successes. Bred from 2014 World Champion (Excalibur EA) and 1990/1991European Champion (Drug - RASB) bloodlines with prominent, historic, athletic and racing influence.
HADIYYA SBM, 2015 grey mare, (Psadisho Ibn Esstashan (DE) x Tosca de Forgehill (FR)). Half-sister of EXCELSIOR SBM. Also prominent athletic bloodlines. Currently with foal at foot, she will be available unbacked after his weaning, or backed in the weeks thereafter. ECAHO ‘C’ Silver Champion and other successes.
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Endurance GB’s International Committee has announced the appointment of former international rider Fiona Bloom as Chef d’Equipe to the senior international team. Fiona (33) succeeds longstanding manager Liz Finney who has retired 25 years after first stepping into the role.
Team GB
New senior team
Chef d'Equipe
L
iz Finney has been involved in international endurance from the early 1980's and was a member of the British team at the first European championships at Florac, France, then in Germany, where she and Show Girl II won the individual silver medal, and finally at the first World Equestrian Games at Stockholm in 1990 where the British team of Liz, Judith Heeley, Joy Loyla and Lilla Wall were Gold medallists. Liz was Chef d'Equipe on 14 occasions starting at the European championships at Morlaix in 1995 where the team of Pat Fowler, Jo Trego, Sally Hall and Jill Thomas won gold. She was Chef d’Equipe two years later at the European Championships at Pratoni Del Vivaro in Italy and took on the challenging task of leading the squad at the inaugural desert World Championships in the UAE in 1998 where the team scored four completions, Jo Trego, Jane James, Graham Hartley, Anne Newton landing a credible seventh place out of 16 nations.
Her swansong as International Chef d’Equipe was at the 2019 FEI European Championships at Euston Park where the team came fifth. Rosemary Attfield, Chair of International said: “Liz Finney has given a huge amount of commitment to the international side of the sport over a number of years and provided strength and continuity by taking on the role of Chef d’Equipe at so many major championships. We all join in thanking her for all that.” Fiona Bloom (nee Hamilton) has been competing in endurance since the age of eight,
firstly with Rosemary Attfield’s 13hh Welsh Section C, Burfield Queen Bee, with whom she completed the Wicklow Ride as well as winning Gold on Exmoor in 2000 at the age of 13 becoming one of the youngest competitors ever to take part in the 100 mile event. Fiona has ridden internationally at FEI level 25 times and represented Team GB on teams at every level. With her grey mare Sharifah, she twice represented the Senior International Team at European Championships both at Assisi in 2009 and at Barroca D’Alva in Portugal in 2007 at the age of 20, where she and Sharifa finished in 19th place and the team finished sixth. That same year she won the 160km CEI3* at Ermelo in Holland and followed up with a win in the CEI3* 160km at Euston Park in 2007. Professionally Fiona is a chartered human Physio and ACPAT & RAMP registered veterinary physio. She is also a FEI permitted Equine Therapist. She owns her own practice working with horses and riders across the equine disciplines. Her MSc thesis was entitled “Performance Differences within the Elite Endurance Horse” and she is currently studying for her PHD which is focused on lameness in Endurance horses.
As an FEI judge, Liz has officiated in Europe, the USA and Dubai and was President of the Ground Jury at the World Championships at Euston Park in 2012. Liz was also Chairman of British Endurance Riding Association and was heavily involved in the formation of Endurance GB following BERA’s merger with the Endurance Horse and Pony Society (EHPS). She founded the Cheshire endurance group in 1991 and has been their Chairman for a number of years.
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international
endurance | endurancegb.co.uk
Rosemary Attfield said: “It will be a very busy year in 2021 with the World Championships at Pisa in Italy (May 21-22) with all those taking part having completed their two three star competitions between 23rd August 2018 and 9th April 2021 and the Europeans in Ermelo in Holland (September 6-11) with qualifying dates for this competition from 5 December 2018 to 5 July 2021. “Fiona will bring to the role of Chef her huge enthusiasm, youth, and a recent knowledge of competing both in the team and individually at international level from riding a 13.1hh pony to competing on a large, strong Arab. . “Her strengths include a desire to lead from the front with a competitive and successful team, to bring the squad together, so that irrespective of whether they make it into the team of five, they all feel they are part of the team and their success. Fiona’s knowledge, having always being an excellent team member herself, will also make her very inclusive with the rest of the management team. “The other team management for the Worlds and Europeans will be Georgina Vaughan as vet, Nigel Brown as farrier and Robyn Dunn as physio. I along with my committee wish Fiona all the best with her team in 2021 and on.” Reflecting on her championship career, Liz Finney said: “Looking back there were many highs and lows but the greatest team achievement in my time was at Morlaix winning the gold medal in France and having Rod Fisher as team vet helped enormously. Kentucky World Equestrian Games was special too, one of the few WEG's where endurance was based at the same venue as the other disciplines and the team finished 6th. I am also very proud of the team effort last year at Euston Park, when the team members really worked well together and the crews, many of whom had international experience themselves, were amazing. “Although the organisation at Tryon in 2018 was a disaster, the management team of Hannah Kelly (vet) Kelvin Lymer (farrier) and Sam Daplyn
(equine physio) were great to work with and we had plenty of lighter moments amongst the chaos! We had the same team leading up to the Europeans at Euston, though Georgina Vaughan took over from Hannah at the competition due to Hannah being eight months pregnant! Kelvin has been a constant over many years as team farrier and his experience of all number of scenarios in the team championships was invaluable. “Fiona comes in as Chef with a lot of experience of international competition, so is well able to deal with the challenges ahead. Next year’s championships will be very different to previous years as the new FEI qualifications come into effect, making qualifying more difficult and there are both World and European competitions taking place. We do have a core of experienced horses and riders and also some very promising combinations who will be hoping to qualify as soon as possible. “I wish the international committee and squad management team well in continuing the progress that has been made over the last few years in developing a large squad of international riders and helping them achieve their goals.” Fiona Bloom said: "I hope to lead a competitive team, which every member of the squad is part of, regardless of who is on the start line. I hope to bring my competitive experience and nature to the team combined with the most up to date research into the sport for us to optimise our success. We have an excellent management team that I trust implicitly and who will assist myself and the team greatly. I am under no illusion as to the challenges that lie ahead given the lack of competition this year and two championships next year, but the GB spirit will rise to the challenge!"
Fiona Bloom and Courtside winning the Arab Horse Society Marathon
Farewell and thank you! “At the various International Team Events and Championships I attended I always found Liz to be committed in her approach as GB Team Chef, always present at all of the meetings and briefings and always contributing in a constructive and professional manner.” Ian Williams, former FEI Director for Endurance “Liz’s most outstanding achievement was probably at Morlaix where Great Britain won the Team Gold. She was quietly assertive in pulling together and managing what was essentially a team of individuals and her planning and research paid dividends in terms of directing team tactics. In the UAE three years later the challenges were enormous, with ambient temperatures exceeding fifty degrees centigrade in the early afternoon sun. We did very well to finish a team, in no small part due to the conviction which Liz carried through that everybody should be riding and working as a team” Rod Fisher, British Endurance Team Vet 1989-2001 “Liz was a very important part of the era and management team when British endurance was a strong force. Liz was always fair but firm and it was a privilege to be part of the Team Gold at Morlaix and the first desert championships. Thank you Liz! Jo Trego, former British Senior Team rider
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Assessment and selection pathways Looking ahead to the 2021 season for the World Championships at Pisa in Italy on the 21st & 22nd May and the European Championships at Ermelo in Holland from 6th to 11th September, the International Committee explains the assessment and selection pathways.
1.
Assessment Criteria
The following criteria will be taken into account in making selection decisions having successfully completed their two three star competitions in combination within 33 months of the championship. The results by horse and rider combination at the relevant classes in 2018 from 23rd August 2018 to 10th April 2021 for the Worlds and 6th December 2018 to 5th July 2021 for the Europeans.
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1.1. Further consideration may be given to:
competence over comparable courses.
•
1.6. Willingness of a combination to compete at rides/in classes identified by the International Committee in conjunction with Team Management, as important for assessing performance. Riders will be expected to give strong justification for their reasons for non-attendance.
• •
S preadsheet Results in from 2018 to final selection 2021 Availability of experienced crew Attendance as a combination at assessment sessions
1.2. All combinations will be expected [except under exceptional circumstances] to compete at a minimum speed as identified by the International Committee in the planning procedure prior to selection and to attend additional specific rides/classes at the request of the International Committee 1.3. The fitness and soundness of the horse. The advice of the Team veterinary surgeon or another veterinary surgeon may be sought. The advice of the team equine physiotherapist or another equine physiotherapist may also be sought. Riders should notify the Team Veterinarian of any change in their horse’s health status or veterinary management immediately. 1.4. The fitness of the rider. Fitness of riders to compete to their full potential will be taken into consideration. 1.5. The technical nature of the courses at which competitions will be held and results-based evidence of the combination’s
2.
David Saunders Photography
Team GB
Selection Process
2.1. Combinations will be notified at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for sufficient planning if they are required to participate in a head to head competition. 2.2. The assessment will be informed by the Team veterinarian and physiotherapist as to the riders’ or horses’ fitness. This information will be coordinated by the International committee and will be delivered in summary/matrix format and not include the confidential detail. 2.3. Veterinary matters – as part of the assessment process the advice of the Team veterinary surgeon will be taken into consideration. There will be an official inspection which all horses must attend. Alternatively, the official inspections may take place at riders’ yards or at a competition. Riders are expected to facilitate open communication between their own veterinary surgeon and the Team veterinary surgeon.
endurance | endurancegb.co.uk
2.4. Farriery matters - as part of the assessment process the advice of the Team farrier will be taken into consideration. Riders are expected to facilitate open communication between their own farrier and the Team farrier. 2.5. Announcement of the chosen individuals to travel as the Endurance GB International Team to the World Endurance Championships 17th May, 2021 will be announced on or around 5th April, 2021. For the European Championship to travel around 3rd September 2021, the team will announced around 5th July 2021. 2.6. This information will remain confidential until such time as Endurance GB releases a formal announcement
3.
Post Selection
circumstances, the International Committee will be entitled within the provisions of this process to exercise their discretion to achieve the objective where it is reasonable to do so.
3.1. Maintaining fitness – Riders should note that selection decisions are subject to the horse/rider combinations retaining fitness/ performance [see Substitution below]. Once a horse/rider combination has been selected they must maintain a suitable training or competition programme.
4.2.
Code of Conduct
3.2. Substitution – the International Committee may substitute a Reserve combination for a Squad member between the announcement of the Squad and the Closing Date for entries. The reason for a substitution should only be because:
4.2.2. Riders and their support teams are expected to behave at all times in a manner that does not bring the sport, and in particular Endurance GB/SERC/FEI, into disrepute.
4.2.1. Riders, their support teams and all Squad management personnel will be required to abide by any agreements and/or abide by codes of behaviour for the endurance team appropriate to the event.
4.5. Force Majeure – in the event of exceptional circumstances beyond Endurance GB's control e.g. disease outbreak in horses or humans, the Endurance GB reserves the right to make the decision, following consultation with the Chair of International Committee, Chef D’ Equipe, to change the Selection procedure, which might include withdrawing the GBR Team/s or individuals from competition.
5. Communication 5.1
3.2.1. Either the rider is unfit to compete due to injury or illness or 3.2.2. The performance of the Squad individual has dropped off to such an extent that for the success of the Squad/Team a substitution is vital or 3.2.3. There is a strong veterinary case for substitution. This situation will almost certainly occur as a result of a veterinary problem which it may or may not be possible to define given the time/resources available at the time. 3.2.4. In the case of a horse being considered unable due to veterinary reasons to compete or unable to compete to the performance standard anticipated, this decision will be made by the Team veterinary surgeon and in consultation with the Chef D’Equipe and Chair of IC if available. 3.2.5. Breaches in compliance with the Code of Conduct detailed below and conditions laid out in the Rider Agreement including the Communications Policy.
4. General 4.1.
Discretion – in exceptional
4.2.3. Riders, their support teams and all Squad Management personnel will be required to sign and comply with the Confidentiality Agreement. 4.3. Clean Sport – Selection is subject to compliance with FEI Rules on doping and medication control for Human and Equine. Any rider or horse being considered may be subject to random testing in or out of competition 4.4. Cancellation/Postponement – in the event of cancellation of the Event the relevant parties will be notified straightaway. In the event of postponement, a situation might arise where a new and/or different Squad or individuals need to be selected, in which case all parties will be notified and normal procedure for selection will be followed.
Points of Contact
5.1.1. The key point of contact relating to this Selection Process is: Chair of the International Committee 5.1.2. The point of contact for riders who wish to discuss their intended competition plans will be the Chair of the International Committee or their squad Chef D’ Equipe; riders are encouraged to discuss their competition plans with their squad Chef D’ Equipe
6. Appeals Process and Procedures
6.1. Riders have the right to appeal against a selection decision but only on the grounds of failure to comply with this Process. An appeal must be made by submitting notice in writing to both the Chair of International Committee and Chair of Endurance GB within 48 hours of the relevant rider being informed of the decision.
The Chair of International Committee shall on receipt of the notice of appeal seek to bring together all parties for a without prejudice discussion that may, if all are agreed, take the form of a facilitated mediation. For more information please contact International Director, Rosemary Attfield – rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk
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Male focus
ch
ee
Tell us about your life in business and how the skills transfer to endurance?
se
On top of
the world How did you make the transfer to horses and endurance?
Carmine Villani used to be involved in motorsport as a racing driver – he switched from cars to endurance 12 years ago and now tops the FEI World Rankings, a first for a British rider. He tells Endurance GB how he got there…
You have gone from the speed of motor racing to endurance - tell us about your other sporting interests I used to be a track and field athlete and was a champion as a middle-distance runner at an incredibly young age. I won an athletics scholarship in the United States. I was also a racing car driver.
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spotlight
In Texas graduate school I started riding quarter horses and thoroughbred horses. I picked up the love of horses from my grandfather and learned the tricks and bareback riding at a young age from him. I am a cowboy in spirit and no matter if you are living in jet set places, I like the approach based on what is real in life. I had been doing ultra-marathons and had heard about Arabian endurance and I became interested. I was doing 90km rides and started buying horses and winning national races in the US and in Italy. One of the biggest challenges I had coming from racing a vehicle was learning that a horse is not a car! You cannot rely on the team you have in the pit when driving cars and I realised I had to see things from a horse’s point of view so I started to race the 160km on foot alongside my horse to understand mentally and physically the experience the horse goes through.
Who inspired you to get involved in the sport?
It is a very democratic sport in which Kings and Royals participate and compete alongside people from all backgrounds and all ages.
I am a graduate of the university of Texas in Professional Accounting and Business Administration, a Certified and a Public Accountant in the State of New York and a Public Notary for the American Society of Notaries and I am the CEO of the MultiFamily Office Investments, a multibillion dollar investment platform, as well as Managing Director of the Global Family Office, and executive board member for Saudi Crown Holdings. I am also on the board of Tus Holdings the $130b technology and infrastructure Multifamily Office and Sovereign Wealth Funds globally. I worked with President Clinton in Yucaipa global partnership fund where I learned to create and build friendships and dialogue around the world and do business with your friends. What a great metaphor with the special relationship and partnership that we must build with our horses to compete and succeed together. And along these lines I learned to build partnerships and synergies in business that you also apply to this sport. Partnership with the horse in the first place. Then the crew obviously and the team.
What is your link to the UK that brings you to compete as a British rider?
I have lived in the UK for many years first in London in Notting Hill and then in West Sussex and I am proud to be riding for Britain and to be part of Endurance GB. I love the Downs where I live and Littlehampton because it is one of the warmest parts of the country! I am proud of the British people as they have a sense of values and speak for what is right and there is a sense of discipline in the sport of endurance here – a sense of belonging. Britain has also shown strong leadership in terms of safeguarding the welfare of the horse and bringing us back to origins of the sport.
Tell us about your horses
What are your favourite rides in the UK?
Euston Park is the most famous ride in the world because of the great terrain and going over so many miles of green tracks, and Royal Windsor which is so prestigious because of the location and the attendance of the Queen – so those two.
You are qualified for the World Championships in Italy next year; will you be aiming to ride for Team GB?
If I am chosen to represent Great Britain it would be my honour to do all I can to follow the instructions of the team manager and vets and help the team bring all four horses in. At this kind of competition it is about team work not an individual competition and you have to help the other horses to go through
Tell us how you approach a ride
I have been exposed to both types of riding fast and flat as well as technical. You must be complete. Although riding fast flat courses appears to be more fun, it has got its own risks to be aware of, mainly for the horses' welfare and recovery, while technical courses are more challenging and I think you need to be an overall better rider to be successful.
I had over 130 horses at one point between the various continents. But not all were endurance. My love for these noble animals leads me to own multiple breeds, including the large Breton working horses. I have endurance horses in training in the USA, France, and Italy. They are at different stages and I enjoy riding the young ones at their early competitions. I do not currently have any endurance horses in training in the UK, but I would do if there were more FEI rides here. My horses are aimed at the terrain and kind of ride that will suit them. In the States you need sound, strong horses that will go slower. In Europe you need to manage the horses so that they are doing one big race a year – that way you make sure you preserve your best horses for the big events.
What about your own training as an athlete?
I alternate interval training and running with strength workouts with no rest over multiple series of exercises, including a set of 1,000 push ups split into series. Endurance demands a great partnership from the athlete and the horse. Your horse is not a machine and the health of the horse is foremost.
What have you learned from women in the sport?
I have learned a lot more from women in the sport than men who sometimes have too much of an ego. From Cheryl (Van Dusen) while this is in many ways an individual sport, I have learned to never leave anyone behind and ride with the slowest horse. In terms of improved horsemanship l have learned a lot from her in that respect and by slowing down I have understood the real discipline of endurance. I have found women in the sport have intelligence and discipline and in many ways are stronger and tougher than the men and so the point to men in endurance really is whether you are man enough to keep up with the women. I have found women are great strategists and are
often able to manage business more objectively than men as they do not have egos to the same extent, it's about getting the job done.
How would you sum up your ethos?
I’ve always maintained what is real in life is the cowboy spirit: focus on what is real and what makes you happy, you don’t need a sports car or yacht. Stay grounded and be happy for the things in life you are thankful for – your health, what you have built and your family values growing up. I find my two little daughters a great inspiration and try to instil in them real values about being active and healthy with the spirit of sacrifice that allows you to do well in sport, school, work and life. In terms of the sport I would sum it as if you cannot be the best, be your best.
As a businessman, how do you make time for endurance?
When I was competing with the top track team in school I learned if something is important in your life you find the time and so I learned to break things down half an hour by half an hour, and manage tasks like this. If something is important you must prioritise and create your own sense of urgency. If you do not prioritise you live upon other people’s timetables.
Tell us why endurance has captivated you
Endurance is all about strategy, determination, and a strong spirit of sacrifice. You never give up and you want tough rides but conducted in a beautiful way. To improve your horse, you need to go through a ride with safety as a priority but also from a base that they are well, sound, eating and have good metabolic function so it is complex. In terms of myself I always push myself a little more to break my own barriers and extend my range but at the end of the day it is also a fun and enjoyable sport, a celebration of living life with passion.
My objective is always to feel that the horse can do one more loop after the finish and therefore to ensure we have all Vet Card As as the health and welfare of my horses is of foremost importance. On a ride if I start to sense a horse is losing something, I will slow down and maybe let it eat some grass and get off and run until they pick up again. Often on a mountain to maintain the balance of the horse I will run up the hill and down the hill preserving the horse and give myself a nice workout in between.
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Rider profile
Name
My
Georgina Vaughan is the Endurance GB British Team Vet
Endurance GB group
endurance
Heart of England
life
Date of first endurance ride? 18th April 1998 Bodynfoel, Wales BBQ
How did you first get involved in endurance? From my mum, crewing and bringing on the young horses.
Windsor as there is something special about riding in the queens back garden. I also love the challenge and unpredictability of Exmoor and the Golden Horseshoe ride.
horses up after every piece of work, and am constantly looking at the way they are moving on the lunge as well as monitoring their legs for any heat or swelling.
What was your first ride?
Most challenging ride so far?
What do you feed your horse(s)?
18th April 1998 – I stepped in last minute to ride my mums pony after she had broken her ribs in a fall. And the pony needed the qualification to compete in the Bronze Buckle Final at Cirencester that year. I was just old enough to ride by myself. So, my first ride I was completely by myself, I remember getting lost and almost being out of time and I had to canter all the way back in to make the time, but we did it. Having spent many hours out hunting on this pony in the Welsh hills, luckily, I was unphased by my first experience.
First endurance horse (or pony)?
The first ride I did was on my mum’s horse Rohey Evagline who is the dam of Polaris.
Favourite ride in the calendar?
It would be Seacliff in Scotland, a ride with so much variation and stunning scenery (but unfortunately, it’s no longer), otherwise I love
SPONSORED BY
Montcuq, both a logistical nightmare with vetgates out on course in village squares, a tough technical ride after 2 days of travelling. And having the biggest climb at the 140-160km mark followed by a vetting and a re-exam before the final loop, that extra 40km on top of a 160km was entering into the unkown.
Ride/distance you most want to do?
It has to be 160km at Florac- the ultimate challenge. To be able to take part in the gallop of all the successful completions the day after the ride would be truly magical.
Where and how do you train your horse (s)?
In the Black Mountains, Wales. To do any consistent canter work I have to travel for 2 hrs to a decent all-weather surface.
Live in/live out?
spotlight
Who is your farrier? Nigel Brown
Any special shoes?
For competitions, they are padded up in front.
Both, those who are competing will spend some time in during the summer months so it’s not a change of routine going to a competition. Otherwise they are out as much as possible during the summer months as they spend a lot of time in during the winter months, as the weather is quite extreme on top of a mountain.
Team colours?
Vet/physio support?
Pioneer Endurance provide a fantastic bespoke service, making my bridles, head collars, breastplates and numnahs.
I use an ACPAT physio regularly throughout the competition season. Being a vet myself I trot my
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Pure Feed and good quality haylage made on the farm. I started using Pure Feed about 8 years ago, after my horses were becoming very sharp and spooky during the winter months on another brand of feed. After some research I found that Pure Feed had a much lower starch and higher fibre content in than most feeds. I’m still shocked at the level of starch in a lot of feeds. The horses love it and are much more satisfied on it and I think the results speak for themselves. It’s so simple to feed, the horses look amazing and always have enough energy to do the job that’s asked of them.
White and pink tack, making it easy for my crew to spot me.
What saddle/bridle do you use? I use a podium saddle on all my horses and I love it.
regulars | endurancegb.co.uk
What clothing/hat/ footwear do you wear?
Charles Owen Ayr8 (my safety comes above anything else). Stud one riding tights and intercuir chaps, never had any issues with them so I’m reluctant to change.
Most vital piece of equipment? Stethoscope- unlike heart rate monitors they never go wrong and I love to know my horse’s hearts are in a normal rhythm and no murmurs are present during a race.
Do you have any sponsors?
I am extremely grateful for the support I have had from the Pure Feed Company for the last 8 years, how the horses look and the results they have achieved in that time are the reason why I am happy to endorse the feed and why I wouldn’t feed anything else.
How do you plan your endurance season?
I decide what aim I have for each horse at the beginning of the year, then I work back accordingly to try and enable them to achieve my goal.
Homebred Polaris 26th place at Montcuq, France 2018
What do you eat the night before a ride?
Fresh Pasta which we take with us and cook ourselves so I can guarantee I definitely get what I need.
How do you keep fit and healthy yourself?
Riding, constantly walking up and down hills, working and running around after a toddler.
Who are your crew? My husband Stephen.
What inducements do you offer them?! It’s just teamwork, I help him on the farm and he helps me with the horses.
What are the challenges of crewing you and your horse? Hanging onto them.
Your best endurance moment? Several: •
•
oming 3rd at World Young Horse C Endurance Championships in 2007 in Compiegne, France. Completing Montcuq on a homebred horse who came back from a career ending injury in 2013 and also survived getting stuck in a cattle grid in 2015… Teaching me why you should never give up on a horse.
Top tip for success?
You never stop learning in endurance, the day you do is the day you should give up.
Horse of a lifetime?
All my horses are special to me
How would you sell the sport to a friend?
Not only do you form an incredible relationship
with your horse. But the best way to see our country and the world is from the back of a horse, and I have been to some incredible places both in this country and abroad that I wouldn’t have come across if it hadn’t been for endurance.
Golden Horseshoe, Red Dragon or Florac? Florac
Desert or mountain?
Having done both, they both have their individual challenges. However, nothing quite beats an incredible view so it has to be Mountains.
If you could choose one of the iconic rides, Tevis, Quilty or South Africa’s new Ride The Wild Coast 350km 5-day challenge, which would be and if you could pick any endurance horse from history who would it be on? It would be Tevis, however I would love to do it on Polar (Polaris), however the cost is completely prohibitive, but you can always dream! He is the most sure-footed horse, and there isn’t a horse I would rather be on over such challenging terrain.
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Matt Parry Photography
Buyer's guide
Buying your next Endurance horse
W
hen it comes to buying an endurance horse, the most important thing is conformation. Ultimately our sport relies on a sound athlete, whether they be 14hh, 16hh, Heinz 57 or with the best performance lines. You will not start a pleasure ride with a lame horse, so a good starting point is at least one that moves straight with an efficient gait. Dishing or any other unusual movements can distract the vets. One of the reasons Arabs excel is due to their highly efficient gait, they have a naturally low arc of flight so very little energy is wasted. You want a horse with decent bone, not too heavy but enough that it doesn’t look like it will blow over in the wind. The cannons should be nice and short with good sized knees and hocks. Some of the show Arab lines have been bred too fine and would be cautious of these. You also want an ideal length of back, Arabs typically have quite short backs which whilst strong, can make saddle fitting more challenging. Personally, I like a reasonably sloped rump. Something again which seems to be lacking in some of the more show-bred lines we see.
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If you look at the French-bred or race-bred Arabians you will see they have really impressive hind ends that allow the horse to really step under itself and propel forward which allows them to engage the engine! Peachy bottoms is the aim people! Finally avoid a too fine head! Extremely dished faces can be detrimental to performance since they can restrict the airways. When it comes to choosing which breed and breeding lines, it depends on what your aims are. There are many non-Arabs succeeding across all levels of the sport but it is fair to say globally that Arabs and part-bred Arabs dominate over bigger distances. Personally, I prefer a part-bred Arab. My preference is far more about function over flair and I find that pure-bred Arabs in the UK are heavily influenced by showing lines, rather than performance (I know this is blanket statement - sorry). There are exceptions of course, especially with the race-bred Arabs and those with French or Australian influence but these come with £££££ tags. Part-bred Arabians I genuinely feel offer so many benefits. My personal favourite is the Anglo-Arab (TB x Arab), closely followed by Connemara x Arab. Indeed, I think any sports
horse type crossed with an Arab makes for an impressive athlete. I own three horses, all are very different but I plan to and do already do endurance with all of them. Chip, is a 50:50 Anglo, standing at 15.3hh, successfully competing at 2* level. Fern, is a Thoroughbred, standing at 16.1 but I hope to compete in some endurance before ultimately breeding myself an Anglo foal. Finally, Spice who at 15.1hh goes against a lot of what I have written because he’s a pure-bred and he has show lines! However, apart from being a little straight through the hocks and preferring a little more slope to his rump, I really like how he is put together. So if you are looking to buy your next horse, consider what you want to achieve. Ask for photos from various angles and I also ask for videos of walk/trot on a straight line, on the lunge and under saddle. When recently looking for a horse, I ruled out about 8/10 horses based on further photos/videos before having to travel to view. Buying any horse is a big decision, not least if you have high hopes and a performance career in mind! Good luck!
Bella x
regulars | endurancegb.co.uk
Georgina Vaughan speaks about Pure Feed
Georgina Vaughan BVetMed MRCVS Endurance GB British Team Vet
I started using Pure Feed about 8 years ago, after my horses were becoming very sharp and spooky during the winter months on another brand of feed. After some research I found that Pure Feed had a much lower starch and higher fibre content in than most feeds. I’m still shocked at the level of starch in a lot of feeds. The horses love it and are much more satisfied on it and I think the results speak for themselves. It’s so simple to feed, the horses look amazing and always have enough energy to do the job that’s asked of them.
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