Para Ambassadors AutumnQueen's2022Jubilee Special Edition Official members' publication for Endurance GB Mastering The Trot-up How to master the trot-up and what the vets want to see Meet our para ambassadors as they share their inspiring stories
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Fell Fun with Rowena Day On your best behaviour Feeding horses with muscle ACleandisordersitupnewstart for Lucy Astbury and Black SponsorBessfocus: Emerald Green Feeds Follow us @endurancegbinstaEnduranceGB@EnduranceGB Volume 19 – Issue 3 Endurance GB Office Administration Endurance GB Office, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RP t: 02475 313353 e: Publisherenquiries@endurancegb.co.uk Unit C, Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9QJ t: 01536 527297 e: Designedinfo@matrixprint.comby Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Production Editor Nicky Moffat e: Advertisingeditor@endurancegb.co.ukSalesManager Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: Deadlinesandy@matrixprint.com Copy Dates to Editor for future issues of Endurance: Winter 22 copy deadline is October 7. The views and opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the Editor, Matrix Print Consultants Ltd or Endurance GB. Endurance magazine is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without the permission of Endurance GB and/or Matrix Print Consultants Ltd. Cover Photo Caitlin Birkitt riding Moore Land RosaLee at Avon Valley. Photo courtesy of Indie Pics 36181228ISSN 2516-2349 In this issue Regulars Cirencester ROR RoyalWindsorWelsh Show Jubilee Para Endurance Camp Meet our Para Ambassadors Golden Horseshoe Ride RememberingRedCheshireDragon those lost along the way Endurance34221812716173042814242628 GB Features Vet’s viewpoint: Mastering the art of the Updatetrot-upfromthe office Scottish Endurance Riding Club Sponsor(SERC) focus: Emerald Green Feeds FSCPlacelogo 4040103236 contents 3
The Annual General Meeting approaches and affords opportunity to review the year gone and the future. It’s also a celebration, and we promise you a fabulous awards dinner with a Jubilee theme - so book your tickets. The AGM also provides for elections to the Board and there are vacancies.
we
A small number of long-standing members have indicated they will be stepping aside from the role next season and without successors we won’t be able to put some rides on. Please remember this and ensure TSs are treated with respect. There is zero tolerance for any abuse of officials in any circumstances where you may disagree with their decisions.
Directors’ roles are a vital part of running the organisation. You may not always agree with Board decisions but without members putting their names forward to take on these hard-working roles, we will not have a sport which offers its members the opportunities to enjoy their riding. We’re all busy people, but need some members to hold their hands up to serve to the best of their ability - and we should be grateful to them!
Futurefocus
Phil Nunnerley | Chair of Endurance GB Dear Members,
Phil 5 Chairman and Sponsorship Director PHIL NUNNERLEY T: 07860 323968 / 01761 221561 E: philnunnerley@endurancegb.co.uk Vice Chair, Operations and IT Director ESTHER YOUNG T: 07454 929919 E: estheryoung@endurancegb.co.uk Finance Director CHRIS WRAY T: 07856 500519 / 01600 860938 E: chriswray@endurancegb.co.uk H&S and Safeguarding Director AMANDA WOOLCOMBE T: 07771 362105 E: amandawoolcombe@endurancegb.co.uk Welfare & Disciplinary Director ANTONIA MILNER-MATTHEWS T: 07712 559256 E: antoniamilner-matthews@endurancegb.co.uk International, Young Riders, Para Riders, and Coaching Director ROSEMARY ATTFIELD T: 07810 580880 / 01403 822567 E: rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk Sustainability Director and SERC nominee ALISON SEGGIE T: 07875 408915 E: Alison.seggie@btinternet.com PR & Comms Director HEATHER GILES T: 01308 867754 E: heathergiles@endurancegb.co.uk Groups, Volunteering and Office Director SHELLEY BATES T: 07760 264619 E: shelleybates@endurancegb.co.uk Governance Director & Company Secretary LOUISE MCCANN T: 07785 246929 E: louisemccann@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. Endurance GB Board of Directors
By the time this magazine goes to print, the 2022 season will be soon drawing to its close but not before our team have competed in the World Championships in Verona - we wish them every success representing GB on the global stage. After the challenges of 2020 and 2021, it has been encouraging to witness a near full ride programme and we should all be grateful for the hard work put in by all our ride organisers together with their supporting ride officials and Talkingvolunteers.aboutvolunteers, we do need to identify some members who would be prepared to train and then assume roles as Technical Stewards.
I’m very keen for members to receive a magazine they enjoy reading and I’m bursting with feature ideas that I hope will be both educational and enjoyable to read. The plan for the next issue is to include a survey, which I hope lots of you will fill in so I can find out what you want – and don’t want – to read about.
“For me, the true heroes of any equestrian discipline are our incredible horses who give us so much pleasure and generosity”
6
A warmwelcome
For those who don’t know me, I have worked in equestrian publishing for almost 30 years across several titles and I’ve ridden and owned horses all my life, competing across many disciplines.
Nicky Moffat | Editor of Endurance Magazine
Nicky
Dear Members, I’m thrilled to be working as the new Editor of Endurance magazine and hearing all about your experiences in this wonderful sport. It’s your magazine and I do hope you will feel free to email me – editor@ endurancegb.co.uk – with any feature suggestions or stories. I also hope you will wish me a warm welcome as I come on board in this new role.
I am very much looking forward to hearing from you. Happy riding!
I was fortunate enough to have my first taste of endurance back in 2010, taking part in the Golden Horseshoe Ride, and I was invited back the following year for an Editors’ ride, while I was editing Horse&Rider magazine. What a thrilling experience endurance was for me, and I take my hat off to you all. Riding 80km over two days left me hobbling around for a few days afterwards, but what an adventure I had taking in the stunning scenery of Exmoor and putting my trust in Zara and Mimi, who carried me safely across the moor on both occasions. I’m looking forward to being involved again, but in a different way this time, and meeting many new faces out at rides soon.
For me, the true heroes of any equestrian discipline are our incredible horses who give us so much pleasure and generosity. I don’t know about you, but I feel privileged to have had horses in my life over the years and all the blood, sweat and tears has been worth every second. Long may our horsey fun continue.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a magazine without your support and our wonderful sponsors and advertisers who help to keep endurance a growing sport. Please spread the word about our sport whenever you can to encourage new members – younger or older – to participate and join in with the fun.
The teams were a mix of experienced endurance riders and some new to the sport. Among the teams there were two couples and a Para rider, demonstrating that endurance can be a family affair which is accessible to everyone, even on a Thoroughbred. Speaking of which, the teams included a previous Cheltenham winner, Art Mauresque, who won over £140,000 during his racing career and now enjoys his second job, and Fleeting View who was bred by HRH The Queen.
Chef d'Equipe was Anna Collins, a past winner of the RoR Elite Performance Award, who said: “Former racehorses excel at endurance and we wanted to provide an opportunity for them and their riders to compete in an environment where they would feel supported and safe. I’ve been unable to compete either of my two RoRs this year, so thought that I could help to provide some training and recovery tips and encourage others to participate in the sport I love. Former racehorses can be quirky and as an endurance competitor, you have to think back to how they were trained and dealt with in their formative years to get the best out of them and help them to enjoy a competitive ride situation. Once they’ve got it, they love it. I’ve been overwhelmed by the team spirit of the riders and crews who coached one another up to and during the weekend and I was delighted to help out.”
Kate Mieczkowska: “Great sport, lovely people and happy to help in any way. It was wonderful for me to have the horses and events to focus on while my husband was stuck overseas during lockdown.”
RoR
Amanda Hamley: “Thank you Anna for letting us be part of the RoR teams. We also got a Grade 1 with a heart rate of 39. I was really pleased with that, especially in this heat.”
Di Arbuthnot CEO of RoR added: “This is something that so many former racehorses could turn their hooves to. I am overwhelmed with what I have seen here today, happy horses and happy riders. Endurance is something else for the former racehorse to do.”
“I’ve overwhelmedbeenby the team spirit of the riders and crews who coached one another up to and during the weekend and I was delighted to help Formerout.” racehorses take on the club challenge
7The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
J ohn Hudson, who used to compete on an ex-racehorse himself, contacted all those eligible to enter with horses who have raced or have been trained under Jockey Club rules who are registered to compete with RoR. Many expressions of interest were received and, ultimately, RoR entered three teams to compete in the Endurance GB Clubs Championships at Cirencester Park as a qualifying ride. Teams Lambourn, Newmarket and Middleham were kindly sponsored by the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Trust. A total of 10 combinations qualified to ride at the Championships to be held at the EGB Red Dragon ride in South Wales in This year it was exciting to welcome teams from Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) in the EGB Team Championships.
Hayley Gilmore: “I feel very proud to have been part of it and to help show how versatile ex-racehorses are.”
The horses and riders entered the 30km and 40km classes in a beautiful part of the country in high temperatures where the ground was hard. The fact that so many fit horses passed the final vet inspection, which included two Grade 1s, is a credit to their riders. Good luck to the teams who compete at Red Dragon later in the year.
What the riders said Kelly Hopgood: “It’s all about the experience for him this year and for me to get the hang of it again after nine years away from endurance.”
The team competition has run since 2009 but there’s never been a team representing RoR, until now! September, where they will be pitted against Riding Club and Pony Club teams.
Rowena Day shares her compelling story of developing a passion for endurance and all things Fell, and regaining her confidence after a fall.
Fell Fun Day I had my first taste of endurance in October 2010 when I rode a pleasure ride organised by the South East group. I was aboard my lovely coloured cob mare Sapphire, and we thoroughly enjoyed our first try at the sport. In July 2011, while on holiday in Lincolnshire, Sapphire and I took part in the Lindum Spirit in the Pilgrim class where riders complete a dressage test, a Trec-style handy pony course, then a short pleasure ride. From there on, I was hooked on endurance and couldn’t wait to get back out again. Sadly, a lack of transport and struggling to keep Sapphire sound meant I wasn’t to ride my next endurance ride until quite a few years later. Fast forward to 2013, Sapphire had retired and I’d been bitten by the Fell pony bug as the four-yearold Townend Bellboy II (Deli) bounced into my life. He has this enthusiastic character and masses of energy, so I busied myself training him.
Rowena
Highs and lows Deli and I did a few sponsored rides early on but then focused on becoming dressage divas.
endurance rides to be a perfect complement to our dressage – in fact, they’re the perfect complement to any discipline as they teach a horse or pony independence, encouraging them to be bold as well as strengthening their muscles and fitness However,levels.itwas around this time that disaster struck. Deli has always been a buzzy pony and quite sharp to ride - he worries a lot and needs his hoof holding most of the time. We were having a lesson at home when I had a terrible fall. Luckily, physically I was fine, but it completely shattered my confidence. I associated the fall with the
PhotographyLGRofcourtesyPhoto Royal Windsor Horse Show May 2022 Tilford April 2021 8 features | endurancegb.co.ukrowena day
It wasn’t until a few years later, when in 2016 a friend was preparing to take her Highland to the Dartmoor Derby, that Deli would have his first taste of endurance. I suggested pleasure rides as the perfect opportunity to prepare my friend and her lovely pony for the Derby. I knew from the little taster I’d had that these rides are perfect for getting inexperienced ponies and riders used to riding out in the country. I accompanied her with Deli to several South East group rides and I’d (kindly) make her canter past the photographer for that perfect photo! The year 2017 was a busy one for dressage but I found
school, which meant that dressage took a back seat, but I felt a lot more comfortable outside the arena. As the fall happened in canter, I had a new fear of cantering over unfamiliar ground out hacking so I’d ride the hack first in walk, inspecting the going, and then go around again cantering the bits I deemed ‘safe’.
Getting going – at last! In 2018, Deli returned to being an endurance pony where we accompanied another friend on her Camargue horse while I tried to rebuild my confidence in the school. However, the same old lack of transport during 2018 and 2019 meant we couldn’t attend many rides. Then in 2020 Covid hit which put a hold on my aims to kickstart our endurance career as I’d just placed an order for my lorry to be built. As restrictions eased, I enjoyed a summer of exploring new routes from home and towards the end of 2020, I collected my new lorry and Deli moved to a different yard with excellent facilities and new hacking routes. A year later than planned, 2021 was our first full endurance season. It started with the Tilford Ride in April, which was a big test for building my confidence as I was riding solo. I learnt about a PR trophy the South East group offers called the Weald Championship, where riders qualify in PR classes by riding to an average speed of between 8-9.5kph. Three successfully completed rides mean you can enter the championship 32km PR ride at Devil’s Dyke in September, ridden to an average speed of between 10-11kph. So, with a new challenge to aim for, Primrose Ride followed a few weeks later and Southdowns the month after, and we managed to bag our qualification in our first three rides. I used the remaining PRs to see if we could increase our average speed but while Deli seems to have endless energy, being a native he isn’t that fast. Also, I get distracted by the stunning views and find myself merrily hacking when really, I should be focusing on a steady pace. In June 2021 we rode the Friston Forest Ride and thoroughly enjoyed the hilly, challenging route. I could feel my confidence growing so I started having dressage lessons again and decided I wanted to qualify for the National Pony Society (NPS) Dressage Championships. Weald Championship Ride September turned into a busy month, as I returned from a lovely holiday with Deli and some friends in Lincolnshire. I attended a Mid-South Group Ride at Dummer, qualified for the NPS Dressage Championships and rode the Weald Championship Ride. The preparation work for Weald was hard, being our first proper year, and I was nervous because it was the longest and fastest ride I’d done - and I didn’t have a crew. The day started well. Deli passed the vetting with his lowest heart rate ever of 32 but nerves were building so I knew I had to concentrate, the route was steep, and the downland chalk was slippery. There was one point where I was questioning myself and was about to give up on time and concentrate on getting Deli home safely, but someone caught up with me, which lifted Deli’s spirits. I took it too easy during the middle section and found myself riding the rest of the route faster than planned. The final vetting was nerve racking and Deli got a heart rate of 51, which I was disappointed about, cursing myself for taking that middle section too slow, meaning I had to pick up the pace on the last few kilometres. The vet asked me to trot him up a second time and luckily, we passed, bagging third place. Deli was the only native there too!
I’d started blogging on Instagram and Facebook in 2015, mainly using it as a training diary to keep a log of our achievements and the ups and downs of training a young pony. I found it useful as I re-built my confidence to log how I was feeling and analyse why I was feeling that way. Also, I really wanted to promote the Fell pony breed, natives and adults riding ponies. We finished the 2021 season being awarded the ‘To Finish Is To Win’ trophy at the South East group AGM. The Fell Pony Society also awarded Deli the Lownthwaite Rob trophy which is awarded for achievements, performance or service that promotes the breed, usually outside the showing arena. Then 2022 started with more surprises. This year marks 100 years since the Fell Pony Society was formed which coincided with the Queen’s Jubilee and she is also the society's Patron. I was honoured to be asked to attend a special parade of ponies at Royal Windsor Horse Show with Deli. More than 30 ponies took part, led into the Castle Arena by Lady Louise Windsor driving two Fells, and it was a spectacular sight. The event was organised by the Chairman of the Fell Pony Society Centenary Celebrations, Jane Rawden, and we presented in front of Her Majesty with a salute to thank her for her support and commitment to the breed over the years. More to come I work full time and consider myself a ‘hobby’ rider. I also don’t have a huge team of people behind me helping with exercising or training – everything is funded and done by myself. However, I’m keen to continue to show others that native ponies can do well in endurance as well as other disciplines and while my progress might be a bit slower than some, I hope there’s much more to come from Deli yet. Did you know? Fell ponies are native to the North of England and are mostly found in Cumbria, in the NorthWest. They have a rich history dating back to the Iron Age. From the 11th and 12th centuries ponies were being used for long distance pack work and Fell ponies were also used for the Cumberland sport of trotting races. Modern Fell ponies are renowned for their ground-covering trot and the Fell is an ideal all-round family pony suitable for both adults and children. For more information You can follow my adventures on Facebook or Instagram: @townendbellboyii
Left: Dressage August 2021. Right: Findon August 2018 Priory March 2022 9The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition rowena day
PhotographyLGRofcourtesyPhotos
More surprises
PhotographyLGRofcourtesyPhoto
vet's viewpointof the trot-up Mastering the
With your horse’s best interests at heart, it’s essential to know how to trot-up your horse correctly. Dr Zofia Lisowski explains how to get to grips with this important part of your day. | endurancegb.co.uk art H eart rate measured, that’s the first bit done. ‘Now please trot your horse up and down for me’ - if only it were that simple. Sometimes I’ll get a bemused look as if I’d asked something that wasn’t expected, other times I'll get a sheer look of panic. A quick glance to the various items on the horse’s head being used for restraint usually explains this, as does the following trot-up when the horse takes the handler for a short tour of the trot-up area (and in some cases beyond!). The rest of the time they’ve shot off confidently before I’ve even put my stethoscope back around my neck and finished uttering the sentence. What happens on the day matters I really enjoy being an endurance vet as it’s a great opportunity to meet various riders, crew and, of course, horses. You get to observe a variety of horse breeds that all move in very different ways over the same short piece of ground, and it never ceases to amaze me how each individual horse (and handler) moves. I consider myself lucky not to have to evaluate the handlers as well though. A frequent request received at the pre-ride inspection is to read a letter from the horse’s own vet, which is often to explain the horse's movement or action. Explanations given have included ‘moves differently to others/paces/is Our expert Dr Zofia Lisowski BVSc FHEA PhD MRCVS graduated from Liverpool University in 2008 then went to work for Animal Care in Egypt in Luxor for a year before commencing an equine internship at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Kent. She then spent several years in first opinion equine practice before moving to Edinburgh to do a PhD in equine postoperative ileus at The Roslin Institute. She currently works at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary studies, University of Edinburgh, as a lecturer in veterinary biomedicine. Zofia has vetted at many national rides and is an FEI endurance vet. She was first introduced to endurance by Catriona Moon at university and has crewed Catriona at numerous events including European and World Championships and WEG.
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regulars
Vet's Viewpoint
If you’re unable to trot your own horse up, ensure you have someone organised to do this for you as it’s not always possible for one of the volunteers to do it. Plus, they don’t know your horse and your horse doesn’t know them.
Shutterstock 11The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
3. Third, give the horse some slack on the lead for its head. If you hold the lead short and ‘fix’ the horse's head in one position, we won't be able to see it move with the horse's gait. I remember once asking a handler to trot the horse with a bit more of a loose lead, but I regretted this very quickly as I watched the horse trot two metres, look at the handler who’d unclipped the lead rope, and realising it wasn’t attached, the horse needed no further encouragement and zoomed off into the distance (literally). That wasn’t quite the loose lead I had envisaged but luckily no serious injuries occurred. It could have been a lot worse so do ensure horses are adequately restrained (and attached to that Remember,restraint).thatthe reason we are here is to help look after your horse and to ensure they are fit to compete. We will always act in the best interests of the horse, but we’re also happy to offer help and advice, so please be sure to ask if you are unsure.
Perfecting your trot-up
The importance of mastering a good trot-up cannot be emphasised enough and I think it’s something that is often overlooked. This is understandable as in the grand scheme of an endurance ride the veterinary inspection takes such a small percentage of time compared to getting the horse fit, the rider fit, tack, nutrition and much more. However, having a horse that will stand quietly and then trot in a straight line will immediately make the whole day a lot less stressful for you, your horse and for others around you.
vet's viewpoint unlevel/is suffering a minor tendon injury so is slightly lame (yes, I did have this once!).
Unfortunately, this information is irrelevant on the day of a ride. The veterinary team needs to evaluate how the horse is moving at the event and not how they were moving at home a few days/weeks/months ago as quite a few things could have happened since. The horse has usually been ridden, turned out and travelled before the veterinary inspection and therefore it’s imperative that they are assessed on the day of the ride.
TOP TIP
Above: Your horse should learn to trot up quiety then stand still for the vet. Below: How a horse should trot up. Heather Giles & Darrar, final vetting, Barcelona 200kms
Where to start 1. First, know where the trot-up lane is. The reason for many confused faces from handlers when asked to trot-up is usually because they’re unsure if it's between the cones, round the cones, across three lanes or sometimes even a gymkhana style slalom through all the poles marking out the lane. Take a few minutes on arrival at a venue to have a look at the trot-up area and ascertain where it is you’ll be going. This will make you more relaxed which will, in turn, relax your horse resulting in a smoother and better trot-up 2. Second, make sure you can trot in a straight line because trying to ascertain whether a horse is sound as it zigzags down the lane isn’t easy and you’ll only be asked to trot the horse up again. And yes, I appreciate this is much easier said than done but it’s so important. Practise at home, halfway around a hack when jumping off to do a gate or anywhere suitable. Asking you to trot your horse up again isn’t to be annoying or to ruin your day, neither is it because I think handlers need more exercise. Remember this is your opportunity to show the veterinary team how well the horse moves and that they are fit to start or continue the ride, and a straight steady trot is the best way to do this.
PowerHNixonPeterWonderful12
Friday 13th is supposed to be an unlucky day but on that day at Windsor, it couldn’t have been further from the truth, says Annie Joppe. S even years ago, when I first saw HS Chiara (Chi) at Halsdon Arabians, I knew she had that ‘something special’ needed for her to be truly great. I tried several lovely young horses but to me they were nice but all the same. When Chiara was led out as an afterthought and I was led around on her as a ‘just sat on’ youngster, all my doubts vanished, and I knew she was the one. Windsor was always the plan for Chi this year. It sounds a bit dramatic so early in the season but at that time plans of a different type were being hatched for her. This was a plan that came together, almost all aspects aligned, and it was an amazing weekend. For those of you who have been lucky enough to compete or crew at Royal Windsor Endurance, you’ll know the unique atmosphere and the seemingly perfect organisation that goes into pulling off such an event. Last year’s event, with the lack of overseas competitors, was a more low-key affair and most definitely was not our ride with things going wrong almost from the start. This year saw much kinder weather for the horses and the return of the overseas competitors. Preparation plans For me and Chiara, the previous season ended on a high with a win in the 2* at Keysoe and I was determined to prepare her thoroughly over the winter for Windsor (the goal). Careful, targeted training ensued - poles, schooling, building up to trips to the moors, the beach and cantering
features | endurancegb.co.ukride report
Get set, go This year we made a somewhat ambitious start just behind the leading group as Chi needs space (I had tied a massive red ribbon on her tail to make sure of this!) and, although it was tiring for me constantly having to contain Chi’s enthusiasm and remain balanced, we completed the first loop pretty much according to plan, still behind the leading group but not too far back. Last year I made a major error of course on the first loop resulting in doing an extra 9km which proved costly in the end. This year, as the course was roughly similar, I made sure not to make the same mistake again.
By now Chi had settled into a steady canter, again on our own, and we had a lovely, relaxed loop. I had now realised that we weren’t going to catch Nicki and the experienced Wallonia, so this last loop was the easiest of the whole race. One slight blot was the geese. There are many Canadian geese in the Great Park, and I was unfortunate to encounter a pair who saw me coming. There was lots of neck stretching and wing flexing as I went past but fortunately this year they didn’t actually take off! It was so nice to canter across the line and be met by my most amazing crew, and the final trot up was pretty emotional. I discovered that we’d come fourth – so close to the magic top three - but then something else happened. One of the horses ahead of us (not British) was disqualified and Nicki had moved up to second and we had come third.
sessions on the sand track before it was ploughed up. Feeding was a carefully balanced art juggling Chi’s inherent excitability and slight propensity to tying up with coaxing her to eat sufficient feed and supplements to supply her needs for endurance.
I, for some unknown reason, had stashed my white jodhpurs and GBR top somewhere in the depth of the trailer. However, I thought it was pushing my luck to pack anything smart for my husband Robert. I duly changed and off we went to the organisers’ office where we met Nicki and Andy Thorne and were shepherded through the VIP area to wait for our presentation in the Castle Arena. Last time we were here (with Fantom)
Chi, me and Robert at Windsor On course at Windsor
Robert had to watch from the stands at some distance but this time, to our surprise, he and Andy were ushered into the Royal Box. My, oh my, Robert’s clothes! He wore a scruffy old T-shirt and zip out leg crew trousers which were noneThetoo-clean.Castle Arena is huge with stands that seem to go up to the sky and it was absolutely packed with people. The presentation itself by Prince Edward Earl of Wessex was an all-time high. The atmosphere, waving, cheering, hearing the commentator saying how well the British had done and the feeling of immense pride in being British, are lasting impressions I'll never forget. The only thing missing there was little Chiara (she probably wouldn’t agree having watched the driving competition from the comfort of her grassy Somethingstable).to always remember and to keep you grounded is that without an amazing horse and fantastic crew, you’re nothing. A huge thank you to Robert, Nicky Martin and John Hudson, my crew with Jo and Andrew Chisholm supporting and, of course, the fantastic HS Chiara who just keeps on giving.
PowerH ride report 13The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
The next vetting was slightly quicker than the first and we were soon on our way on the third and last loop. I must say I rather like just three loops.
Vetting was straightforward but as usual the presentation time was quite slow - around five minutes - allowing the leading group to get further ahead. Again, on the second loop we were mostly on our own and this time by and large Chi was more reasonable, although she got a little dramatic again when we caught a Kuwaiti rider whose horse was tiring.
Prior to the event I studied form (now this is not something I would normally do as, although sensible, I find it demoralising – everyone is so good). This time, however, I looked at every horse and rider’s FEI results – speeds, successes and failures and concluded that, allowing for a 50% attrition rate, we had a chance of coming in the first five or six but probably wouldn’t make the magic first three. However, I couldn’t access any data for Nicki’s [Thorne] new horse LI Wallonia. I should have tried harder.
MeeksTrevor
Surprise surprise The following day was what dreams are made of. After a slow start and seemingly hours of in-hand grazing, we made our way to the Royal Windsor Horse Show where Chi was given a stable with the big boys and our little Equi-Trek was dwarfed by the enormous horse boxes all around us.
• Intolerances to feeds or ingredients.
On
Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at Allen & Page, looks at the relationship between what we feed our horses and how they behave. feedingyourforbehaviour
The main ways feeding affects behaviour are:
• Not enough fibre in the diet. What’s too much? Giving a feed that provides more energy than your horse needs for his workload, or increasing the energy level of his diet too quickly, can lead to him having too much energy, resulting in increased excitability and spookiness. This can also happen if your horse’s workload decreases and you don’t lower his energy intake by reducing the quantity he’s fed or change to a lower energy feed. A fit horse on a high-energy feed doing little or no work is inevitably going to have an abundance of energy that could lead to unwanted behaviours.
• Providing too little energy or underfeeding.
Instead, choose one that’s high in fibre, low in starch and sugar and provides additional energy from oil rather than cereals. What’s too little? Good doers, particularly those at rest or in light work, will often receive more energy than they need through grazing and forage alone. This might mean they’re fed little or no additional feed to help avoid weight gain. Unless a vitamin and mineral supplement is provided it’s likely the horse will not have a balanced diet, leading to deficiencies in some essential vitamins and minerals and resulting in the horse suffering from lethargy and reduced performance. A low-energy feed is ideal for good doers and those in light work who don’t require a high-calorie feed. When fed at the recommended amount for a horse’s size and workload, it will provide a balance of essential nutrients.
• Too much starch and sugar.
features | endurancegb.co.uk Feeding for behaviour
• Providing too much energy or overfeeding.
Keeping good doers at an ideal body condition score is vital! Carefully monitoring your horse’s condition and having management practices in place to help prevent excessive intake of calories from grazing means more controlled amounts of energy can be provided in supplementary feed. While slow-release energy is the most important type of energy for endurance horses, some who are naturally laid back may benefit from small amounts of fast-release energy to add that bit of ‘oomph’ required for a sprint finish or to give them a bit of zest for the competition ahead. Providing that there are no health issues with your horse, such as laminitis, a feed with a slightly higher starch level will offer an instant energy boost if required.
best behaviour 14
When choosing a feed to match your horse’s energy requirements for maintaining weight and fuelling workload, it’s important to recognise that different feed ingredients will provide your horse with different types of energy. Fibre and oil are good sources of slow-release energy, often required in large amounts to fuel endurance horses’ long distance exercise, whereas cereals including barley, oats and maize have high starch levels, and ingredients like molasses contain additional sugar. Both starch and sugar provide fast-release energy and a diet high in these energy sources can negatively affect some horses’ behaviour, causing them to become over-reactive, sharp and excitable. Slow-release energy is much less likely to have this effect on behaviour so for sensitive and excitable horses needing a highcalorie feed to maintain condition or fuel an active workload, avoid cereal-based or molassed feeds.
H orses’ behaviour is influenced by many factors - genetics, environment and what they eat can all affect how they behave and react in different circumstances. It’s easy to put a horse’s reactions down to ‘just how he is’, but have you considered your horse’s diet might negatively affect his behaviour? With a few alterations, you could give him a much needed energy boost or reduce excitability. That said, some horses are just naturally excitable and busy, while others are laid back and conservative with energy. While what you feed can’t alter your horse’s natural temperament, you can help to boost his energy levels or not further fuel excitability by choosing the right feed.
Aggression, grumpiness or a withdrawn demeanour are all common in hungry horses and behaviours such as soil eating, wood chewing, fence walking and cribbing can develop. By carefully restricting grass intake and when necessary, providing regular controlled amounts of low-energy supplementary forage, you can ensure your horse has sufficient fibre to meet his physiological and psychological needs.
For more information on how feeding can affect your horse’s behaviour, visit www. allenandpage.co.uk or call the friendly nutrition helpline on 01362 822902Grodkiewicz & Merlin
When horses are fed a high-fibre, low-starch and sugar diet, bacteria in the hind gut break down the fibre slowly into volatile fatty acids that the horse uses as slow-release energy. This results in less extreme peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels, meaning the horse’s behaviour is likely to be more consistent and there’s less chance of a behavioural reaction occurring than with a high starch and sugar diet.
Starch and sugar
Gemma
15The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
feeding for behaviour
For these horses and ponies strip grazing, turning out on poorer pasture and using a grazing muzzle can all help maintain adequate fibre consumption while controlling calorie intake. As well as the health implications, changes in behaviour can occur if a horse or pony’s feed intake is too heavily restricted.
Facts about fibre Fibre is the most important component of every horse’s diet and they should be eating grass or conserved forage for 16-18 hours a day. Not eating enough fibre can lead to a horse developing gastric ulcers, which can cause behavioural changes such as grumpiness and aggression and ridden issues such as rearing and bucking, in response to pain. Giving your horse constant access to grazing and/or supplementary forage is the best way to ensure he has sufficient fibre in his diet. However, while this is ideal for those that don’t gain weight easily, what about good doers who would become obese if grazing and forage were unrestricted?
In a nutshell Feeding your horse according to his individual energy requirements will help ensure he has sufficient energy to perform to his maximum potential. Maintaining a high-fibre diet that’s low in starch and sugar and avoiding feeds or ingredients you suspect may be negatively affecting your horse will help maintain an even temperament and prevent excitable, overreactive behaviour that can, ultimatley, lead to poor performance.
Intolerances A true feed allergy is rare in horses, but intolerances are much more common. Horses can be intolerant to any number of ingredients, but barley, molasses and alfalfa are most likely to cause a reaction. Feed intolerances can cause itchy, lumpy skin as well as behavioural issues, such as excitability, or can make the horse difficult
Even giving a feed with a high starch and sugar content doesn’t give your horse too much fastrelease energy that affects his behaviour, but it can lead to a digestive problem known as hind gut acidosis if large quantities are fed. If too much starch and sugar is eaten, instead of being digested in the small intestine, it overflows undigested into the hind gut where it’s rapidly fermented and lactic acid is produced. This can lower the pH of the hindgut, making it more acidic which disrupts the delicate balance of bacteria that are essential for a healthy digestive system. Hindgut acidosis can lead to serious health problems including laminitis and colic. It can also affect a horse’s temperament, causing ‘fizzy’ or reactive behaviour and skin problems such as itchiness.
When a horse eats, food is broken down in the intestines and nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream which causes the blood sugar level to rise. This happens whether your horse is eating hay, grass or bucket feed, but diets high in sugar and starch bring on a much higher rise in blood sugar levels than fibre and the bigger the blood sugar peak, the more chance there is of your horse becoming fizzy or excitable. This is the same effect as the ‘sugar rush’ a child experiences after eating too many sweets. If a horse is fed limited forage and large bucket meals, the rise in blood sugar can be exaggerated. The horse’s body releases insulin to combat this rise which creates large peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels.
to handle. If you suspect your horse has a feed intolerance or allergy consult your vet who may recommend an elimination diet. This is where the feed or ingredient that is suspected to be causing an issue is removed. During the next two weeks, if the horse’s behaviour improves, this indicates that the eliminated feed was causing an issue. At this point, the suspected offending ingredient is added back into the diet to see if the behavioural issue reoccurs – if so, this will confirm that the suspected ingredient is the root cause.
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A s you can imagine, being one of the largest agricultural shows in Europe, this show was superbly organised and very generous with entry tickets for my willing volunteers. Set-up was straightforward and lo and behold, one of our tradestand neighbours used to work for Kim Conroy, ride organiser for Pen Dol y Gader – six degrees of separation or what? We were given a really good site on the main avenue past the horse arena which was a big draw in terms of people, and it also meant we had The events trailer is available for use at non-Endurance GB events if anyone sees an opportunity for promoting our sport. It is equipped with an electrical hook-up to run power sockets and lighting. It would come equipped with promotional material to be used at events – literature, magazines, sail flags and pull-up banners. There’s also Endurance Emily who comes dressed to do endurance! For more information please contact Heather Giles heathergiles@endurancegb.co.uk
GB
This show is huge with stands selling everything possible to do with agriculture plus all the horse events. Watching the Royal Horse Artillery doing tent-pegging in the horse arena was great fun although we didn’t get to see them doing their display in the main arena. We had a rota of 16 volunteers on the stand drawn from all the Welsh groups and Offa's Dyke. Everyone worked really hard, and we had lots of laughs, and in between the laughs we talked endurance to anyone who would listen, as well as few who probably went away wishing they hadn’t stopped to ask the question: “What is Weendurance?”.spoketo a broad range of people of all ages – Bethan Lewis, Chair of Mid & North Wales even made a sterling attempt to recruit a baby in a pram (nice try Beth!). Some didn’t know anything about endurance, others had done fun rides and some had done Endurance GB pleasure rides. We also spoke to a handful of members, old and new. We promoted Red Dragon hard, both as an intro into endurance, with its three days of ‘something for everyone’ and as an opportunity to volunteer and get a taste of what endurance is about. It was a long, hot four days but definitely worth the trip and I think we’ll go again in 2023 –certainly most of my volunteers said they would be up for it. something to watch during our down-time. We were a short walk from the main entrance and the show ran a very efficient park-and-ride system which meant parking was free. Our stand worked well despite having to set the trailer back a bit to allow space for the parasols that I’d taken to protect us from the forecast heatwave – and boy did it get hot, we measured 44°C degrees on the stand on the Monday afternoon.
Monday and Tuesday were, as forecast, extremely hot which impacted on footfall, as did the cost of fuel which would have discouraged visitors coming from further afield. Everyone agreed that the best place to be was the livestock sheds where the organisers had installed £50,000 worth of fans and air-conditioning to keep the beasts cool.
Endurancewelsh heads to Royal Welsh Show Welsh
This year Endurance GB took the events trailer to the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, 18-20 July, – the first one since 2019. Heather Giles reports. features | endurancegb.co.ukroyal
Monday began by focusing on body work for riders and horses to keep both in tip top condition. Rachel Hollings from Equissage started by giving a demonstration of the human benefits of the system and then went on to give all the horses treatments.
On the Monday afternoon we all drove the short distance to RB Equestrian where Master Saddler Ted Boggis gave an excellent talk and demonstration on saddle and bridle fitting. RB Equestrian also donated shopping vouchers and made us endless cups of tea and coffee so we could all enjoy a little retail therapy to finish off the weekend in fine style.
“Cindy really was amazing,” commented Kirstie McPherson. “I went from nervous wreck to confident forwards riding from morning until the afternoon and this was all down to an instructor who spent time helping me over my anxieties.”
We finished off Sunday with a Jubilee party, cake competition, quiz and Corgi colouring and collage (because you’re never too old).
We are immensely grateful for the grant provided by UK Sport Tackling Inequalities Fund and all the sponsors and supporters who made this event possible. We’d like to thank Equine Exceed, Hooves and Love and Celia Saunders for donations to the goodie bags; Simple System Feeds, Hands 4 Horses, Cindy Russell, Gez Baverstock, Julie Payne, RB Equestrian and Equissage for their time and expertise; and Kate Everall Photography for the wonderful pictures. A mention must also go to the venue who were wonderfully accommodating all weekend and Virginia Rider for being a social media whizz. Camp began on Sunday with an un-mounted coaching session on Overcoming Barriers to Progression from Cindy Russell and was followed by ridden sessions for all with both Cindy and Gez Baverstock. “It was a pleasure to work with such determined, positive people. Everyone was so focused, working towards improvement and understanding,” said Cindy.
para news
O n the first weekend in June, Endurance GB held it's first ever Para Endurance Training Camp at Bryerley Springs Equestrian Centre near Milton Keynes. The two days were open to para riders of all levels, their escorts and support teams (both mounted and unmounted). Despite a few last-minute dropouts due to illness – darn you Covid – the two days were a great success and much enjoyed by those that attended.
“It's amazing how much riding takes away the perception of disability, as, under Gez's helpful instruction, happy and smiling riders particpate on equal terms" said Virginia Rider.
Taking place from the 5- 6 June 2022, here’s what happened at the first ever Para Endurance Training Camp
ParaEndurance Camp
All horses (and some of the riders) were also checked over and given a treatment by Andy from Hands for Horses, demonstrating some simple body work that we can do easily as ‘compromised strength’ riders.
Simple System Feeds were also on hand, having brought their weighbridge, and were also giving nutrition advice to all participants.
There was a talk from Gez about the scales of training and how we can apply these to endurance, and we then upped the ante a little with a ridden pole work final session.
Jubilee
Para News - Nikki Parsler
17The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
One of the highlights of the para camp was a talk and demonstration that was given on the Sunday evening by international para dressage rider and endurance rider Julie Payne who brought along both her young dressage prospect and her veteran endurance horse. It was extremely interesting to hear about her philosophy for training for both disciplines.
para ambassadors features | endurancegb.co.uk Para Ambassadors PicsIndieofcourtesyPara Ambassadors 18
Katie Beckley I am a clinical nurse specialist and I work with complex spinal patients in the community. I’m also a lifelong horse owner who has participated in many different competitive areas. My spinal injury happened in November 2019 and has left me with a left-sided weakness and chronic nerve pain. I’m unable to walk too far and can’t run without falling over as I can’t feel my left foot.
The picture is me on my previous pony Spirit who took me to Euston Park Grassroots Pony Club Championships in 2019.
After I sadly outgrew Honey, my next horse was a beautiful pure-bred Arab called Perez. He hadn't done endurance before, so I started him from scratch. He loved the pleasure rides we did, and I had very high hopes for him. Unfortunately, our training progress was hampered first with him getting an abscess in his hoof (which resulted in MRSA in his foot then a year off). Then I had my GCSEs, Covid, A levels and starting university to deal with. We did manage to get out to one GER earlier this year but, as I am now
My name is Bethany, I’m 13 years old and have been riding since I was four. I love endurance and it was my mum who got me riding in this discipline as Mum competes too, and I’ve now stepped up to riding her horse Tallie. I have a congenital heart condition and pacemaker, but this doesn’t stop me living life to the max.
also suffering with Long Covid and have breathing difficulties, I soon realised I could only manage short trots and had to walk most of the way. Sadly Perez was involved in a car accident recently, which resulted in him being put to sleep as he had broken two legs as well as having catastrophic head injuries. I’m absolutely broken-hearted, we had such a great bond. I hope I can show other young riders that endurance is open to people with disabilities and how inclusive it is. I’ve had so much help over the years from many people in the endurance family and would love other people to experience this too.
The horses I own at present are a 13-year-old, 15hh lightweight piebald cob called Bear who I’ve had for seven years. He’s a cheeky, lovable boy, with lots of character and a zest for life (he doesn’t know he’s a cob!). In 2018, before my injury, we were lucky enough to be members of the England squad in our Novice year. Sadly, in 2019, Bear had an injury to his leg which required surgery and he’s no longer competing in endurance.My other horse is the most sensitive, lovable and dirty 15-year-old, 16.1hh grey (allegedly) Arab called Bobby, who I’ve owned for just over two and a half years. Complicated but loved dearly, he is the one I now compete. Competing with Bobby has been a huge learning curve but one we are thriving on and we’re starting to see some remarkable results. I’ve been focused on competing throughout my rehab and this focus does not wane but is increasingly encouraged by Endurance GB who have helped me overcome issues and allowed me to compete - it excites me! The fact that Bobby is happy and eager to participate is a great feeling and I trust him to look after me, but boy does he have a quick shy! I have struggled but am slowly improving and my love for my horses and endurance is helping me continue doing something I love. para ambassadors
I’m thankful for being chosen as an ambassador so I can continue with my coach to get the best out of myself and allie and so that we can become more of a partnership together.
Annabelle Lyndon I started endurance with the Pony Club on my 11.2hh New Forest pony Poppy when I was five years old. Although I did all the usual PC activities, endurance was my favourite. I’ve won at the PC National Championships four times and I’ve competed with Endurance GB up to 56km. The first time I did this was at Red Dragon - my favourite ride - and that year I won the Novice cup. At 10 years old I had a non-riding accident resulting in me fracturing my vertebra. Six months later I had two more spinal fractures. My surgeon said I had to stop all contact sport at school but reluctantly agreed for me to continue riding, but only endurance and dressage. Endurance riding has given me really strong core muscles which support my spine, but I will need a spinal fusion operation in the future. I also have hypermobility syndrome which means that my joints dislocate very easily and my bones break more easily too. With my health issues, it’s not unusual to see me at rides on crutches and then getting up onto my pony and competing. Following my accident, it took me ages to get fit enough to compete in endurance again, but I successfully competed my pony Glenives Celebration (Honey) all over England and Wales.
Two months after my injury I was told to start gentle exercise and much to my physio’s dismay I started riding again - but he did say any exercise is better than no exercise. I’ve had to be creative with ways of allowing me to ride and Bobby has learnt to live with a lopsided rider.
We introduce EGB’s Para Ambassadors, who share their inspiring stories below.
PhotographyLGRofcourtesy SaundersDavidofcourtesy 19The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
Bethany Lewis
Mycan.goals for the upcoming 2022 season are to upgrade my horse to Open and hopefully qualify for the England team at Home Internationals in the 50km class. I also aim to improve my balance and communication with my horse, which will improve our endurance.
for longer rides – anything over 25K - I need to be escorted. This is expertly done by my mum, Linda.
Kirstie McPherson
It's very important to me for endurance to be as accessible as possible and I want to share my passion so that others feel they can also participate. Endurance is an essential part of my life, it has given me more confidence in my abilities and helped me to build a strong relationship with my pony.
Due to my disabilities, I struggle with organisation and can’t read a map while I ride. I also have poor coordination and balance which means that any horse I ride must be forgiving of wobbles and random leg flapping. It also means that walking in a straight line is difficult, let alone running in one - which is why you’ll see Dad trotting Binky up for me most of the time.
para ambassadors features | endurancegb.co.uk PhoptographyFarlapofcourtesySaundersDavidofcourtesyPicsIndieofcourtesy 20
I have an assistance dog called Disney who I take with me to help me deal with the stress of events. Usually, due to my issues with anxiety and the inability to read a map, I ride with an escort (most often my older sister Rebecca these days but I've been very lucky to have lots of people help by escorting me over the years). Unfortunately, it’s very hard to get an escort for longer classes so one of my goals for 2022 is to practice riding at some events on my own when we know they have good marking and the crew can reach me easily if required.
I started as a Grade 4 Para dressage rider but have now been re-graded as Grade 2. I have Ehlers Danlos, dystonia, degenerative disc disease and suffer with hemiplegic migraine. In short, my muscles spasm, limbs twist, joints dislocate and I can become blind or However,paralysed.whenbacking a young horse during lockdown, I realised I could use my disability and my horse riding to raise money by undertaking sponsored long-distance rides. While training for this in 2021 I stumbled across Para Endurance and rediscovered my confidence and my old love for speed. People have asked how I can ride horses if I am so disabled, but riding gives me a freedom that my legs don’t. I can run on the back of a horse, have Caitlin Bikitt
Bryony Parsler I started endurance with The Pony Club and have successfully represented my branch team at the PC National Championships several times on both my old pony Bubbles and my current horse Personified (Binky). In the past I’ve been lucky enough to be awarded both the Cromwell Para Rider trophy and to be the Endurance GB Para Endurance League reserve champion. I received the Gold Young Equestrian Leaders Award in 2018, representing over 100 hours of volunteering with Endurance GB, Pony Club and the BHS, and I was an endurance national ride organiser between 2016 and 2021. I’ve completed several qualifications and courses relating to horse care and welfare as this is important to both endurance and to myself as a rider, and I believe this shows my dedication to the sport.
Competitively, I’ve ridden up to 80kms on my old pony Bubbles but have struggled to get Binky further than a one-day 50km with a vet gate and some 64km two-day rides. He unfortunately had several serious accidents resulting in injury which all meant quite a lot of box rest and time off work. None of these accidents are in any way endurance-related and two were overnight in the paddock - he seems to be very unlucky! I am pleased to say though that he has once again recovered well and we are now in the process of gradually building up his fitness. I was very pleased with him recently at Lavenham where he was placed third in the open 40km GER. My long-term goal has been to get both Binky and me to Advanced as I believe that (if he stops injuring himself for long enough) he has the potential to be very talented.
My first experience of endurance was a couple of pleasure rides when I was eight years old but my endurance career really started 11 years ago with the Pony Club. I’ve worked my way up through the levels and distances all the way to Advanced rider level, winning the EGB Novice Championship in 2017 and the Pony Club Endurance Championships in 2017 and 2019. I was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder in 2018 which causes weakness and paralysis in both my legs, it also causes me to stammer or lose the ability to speak. If I become too fatigued, I feel faint and there’s a risk I could pass out which means new adventures and, most importantly, help others by raising money doing it. No pain, no gain. (Due to the nature of my disabilities, I ride with a mandatory escort at EGB events).
The Para Endurance team have all been so lovely and welcoming and I’m privileged to have been offered this opportunity. I look forward to learning from all the other incredible riders. I was blown away this year to be offered sponsorship by WOW saddles in recognition of all the charity fundraising I’ve done with my horses - we raised money for a defibrillator for our local RDA centre and last year for the Air Ambulance too. Myself, Connie (14-year-old Connemara) and Dash (Welsh X TB youngster) are all looking forward to doing Endurance GB and my sponsors proud in endurance this season.
My family have been my greatest support with my rides and crew for me regularly. My local endurance group, North & East Yorkshire, have been a huge support to me at rides, helping me in any way they
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Marjorie Grant I’m delighted and honoured to have been awarded funding to help with my training through the EGB para endurance system. I have competed in endurance with the Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC) for over 30 years and dabble a little with Endurance GB when time and funds allow, due to being based in central Scotland. I have ridden to 120km with the 14hh Highland pony, Trailtrow Eriskay, and now have another native pony, Legends Star (Lexi), who is a pure-bred 14.2hh Irish Connemara. Lexi moved to Advanced level in 2021 at 80km after Covid stopped our efforts to return to a competition season in 2020. I’ve also represented Scotland as part of the Home International team over several years, with both Trailtrow Eriskay and Legends Star. I hold the UKCC Level 3 Endurance and Generic Riding Coaching certificates, being the first person to be assessed by Horse Scotland and Endurance GB actually in Scotland. I also hold various BHS certificates including BHSAI and BHS Stage 4 dressage, stable management and lungeing. I compete in dressage and have just found a love for TREC GB competition, as well as endurance.
Kirsty Wiscombe I’m an Advanced EGB rider who competes at National and International FEI level and I’ve competed in the UK, Europe and South Africa over the last 25 years. During my career I’ve completed over 20,000 km in competition. I have finished nine FEI three-star rides and my goal is to be able to complete that elusive 10th 160km ride and achieve ‘elite’ status as an FEI rider while I can still physically do the distance. I have my own yard on the Devon/ Dorset border and, aside from spending time with horses, I work part time for the NHS in the Urgent Community Response Team as well as for the two family businesses.
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I have had 40-plus operations/procedures over the last 14 years and it’s my love of horses and desire to compete that has kept me going. I have a spinal injury that means I have weakness and loss of feeling in my left leg, and live in constant pain that is only partially controlled with medication but is helped by exercise. I feel virtually nothing in my left stirrup and have to use my core to sit straight and level. I also struggle to feel the ground beneath me when I walk so you'll never see me trotting up my own horses. My older two horses, Eskar (now 22) and Yawl Hillbilly (19), adapted well to my weak left side but I’ve had to work hard with the youngsters to get them to respond to subtle aids from my left leg. I have to carefully juggle my meds in order to ride the longer rides and only compete on FEI legal meds. I work hard in the gym with a fantastic personal trainer, Duncan from BHealth and Fitness, under the guidance of a sports therapist from AR Sports Therapy, to maintain my fitness and help keep me in the saddle.
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I was accepted in 2021 as a para endurance rider with Endurance GB, following a couple of bad riding accidents, which have left me with some ongoing physical disabilities. Riding gives me freedom and, although still in differing levels of pain at times and having a loss of muscle mass and control, I’ve managed to get back to 80km level and hope to continue to progress in 2022. Preparation is not always easy as there are days that my body doesn’t want to play and just sitting on Lexi to hack out can be difficult, never mind a long ride at competition speed! There are days that simply schooling Lexi is too sore and difficult. Thanks to my wonderful NHS physio and good friends who are able and willing to assist, we are managing to deal with the uncertainty my body throws at us to keep things on track. The small adjustments awarded to me by Endurance GB as a para rider help immensely, with simply making life a little easier on ride day, from priority parking to specific number bibs which identify both my crew and me as a para team, particularly for vetting and assistance during the ride, if needed. find out about Para-Equestrian Endurance Riding with Endurance GB, welfare@endurancegb.co.uk find out about Endurance riding with the Riding for the Disabled, Lucy Stokes 01926 emailing Lucy at
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lstokes@rda.org.uk para ambassadors 21The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition DawsonKerryofcourtesy SaundersDavidofcourtesy
“I’ve also represented Scotland as part of the Home International team over several years“ “I have had andoperations/procedures40-plusoverthelast14yearsit’smyloveofhorsesanddesiretocompetethathaskeptmegoing . “ For more information To
James Dickinson on Magdy finishing Gold time Stag
in
With the marquee arriving along with the loos, and with the help of some of our long-suffering friends, by the end of Thursday the showground looked like a ride venue. Neil Arnold and his gang once again did a great job of marking out the course on their trail bikes and checking it throughout the whole weekend.
The lower than normal numbers are probably due to various factors – the last two years have meant that many riders haven’t kept their horses up to full competition fitness and the cost of fuel may restrict many to local rides rather than travelling further afield.
This year, sadly, there were no entries in the top class of the 160km/two-day Golden Horseshoe and only three in the Exmoor Stag 120 km/twoday and two in the Exmoor Fox class 80km/oneday. The main entries were spread over the more popular Exmoor Hind class 80km/two-day and the single day 40km and 24km classes.
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Making it a success
excitement PhotographySaundersDavid
T he Golden Horseshoe Ride has been a large part of my life over the last 25 years – from competing in many of the different classes from the two-day 80km to the ultimate endurance test of the twoday 160k class, to being part of the organisational team from 2017 to 2022, this being our final year. However, next year the mantle is being handed over to a new team headed up by Shelley Bates and Maggie Pattinson. We’re thrilled someone has stepped up to take on this iconic ride as it’s a part of the history of endurance in this country, and indeed is amongst the few endurance rides globally that many in the equestrian world have heard of.
My husband Andrew and I moved up to Exford on the Wednesday to start the setup of the venue.
It was clearly demonstrated that Exmoor demands the fittest and best prepared horses and riders, with the ‘introductory’ novice classes seeing a higher attrition rate than the higher mileage classes with more experienced combinations competing. The conditions were
Golden Horseshoe features | endurancegb.co.uk
in the Exmoor
GoldenExmoorHorseshoe
Jo Chisholm caught up on all the action from this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride, which took place on 20-22 May.
So come on you lot, let’s be having you up on Exmoor next year!
The Exmoor Stag 120km/two-day saw all three combinations - James Dickinson on Madgy, Andrea Champ on Druimghigha Lantana and Anthony Sargent on D’Hab - finish the first day and pass the vet in gold time, and the 80km/one-day had both Esther Groen on Asphodele Larzac and Saffron Bishop on Ty Shute Golden Savannah completing successfully, although both riders had slightly modified their routes! A total of 19 riders in the Exmoor Hind 80km/two-day ride, 20 in the 25km Foundation Novice and 29 Pleasure Riders also enjoyed the going on Saturday. However, many novices struggled to make good time. This shows how you can never take Exmoor lightly – the terrain is quite demanding with steep hills, stony combes and some soft going on the tops, but there was also lots of lovely cantering on the open moorland, which you need to make good use of when you get the chance to make up time.
Saturday saw the highest number of riders out on course. However, because of the low numbers in the top classes, it made sense to rearrange logistics, so the northern route was only used on Saturday. This meant that the volunteers out on course were not asked to stay too long at their check/steward points. The north route was similar to the 2018 route - up to Lyncombe Hill, Lucketts Cross, Pitcombe Head and back around via Oareford, South Common, Larkbarrow and through Exford back up to the venue. The south route dropped down into the valley past West and East Nethercote, down around the Punchbowl skirting Winsford Hill, down through the valley along Edbrooke Woods, sweeping around to Mounsey Hill Gate, on to the legendary Tarr Steps river crossing for a cool off, skirting around Withypool Hill and back along part of the Two Moors Way toward Winsford Hill again and back up to the venue.
• Class 7 Otter Cub 40km - Jessie Lethbridge on Mount Edgcumbe Velveteen.
• Class 8 Otter Cub Novice 40km - Stephen Blackwell and HS Pampero (also winner of BC trophy for first year novice).
23The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
The overnight hold for the two-day classes meant that all horses had to trot up for the vets in the morning, and unfortunately the vets decided that D’Hab was not 100% to go out again, so there was just James and Andrea out to finish the Stag. They both did it in good style, cantering across the line in front of the famous Horseshoe with both gaining gold awards and Magdy clinching the Best Condition trophy, which was well deserved – he seemed to be loving those hills! In the two-day
Golden Horseshoe just about perfect with Exmoor having had a reasonably quiet winter, so apart from the usual areas that tend to stay spongy, the moorland still had plenty of grass cover with firm going and the tracks had not been washed out. The weather was also kind to us during the weekend with just the right amount of sunshine.
So that’s us Chisholms signing off for the last time, maybe now I can have another go at riding it? I do feel that the current trend is towards the faster, flatter rides, but I can safely say that finishing the Golden Horseshoe Ride on Exmoor personally was one of the biggest highlights of my life, with the most incredible feeling of achievement.
Going for gold
• Class 5 Foundation Novice 25km - Helen Macdonald-Harris on Zarca (Estrellita).
ChisholmAbby Karyn Heard on Chica De Oro, Mark Brown on Texas Clover King and Robert Shadbolt on Glenwood Knight through Tarr Steps
The PF winners were:
Sunday saw the 40km classes, the second day of the 120km/two-day Exmoor Stag and the 80 km/ two-day Exmoor Hind out on the southern route.
Until next time We’d like to thank all the volunteers who go out of their way to help at their own, sometimes considerable, personal expense and special thanks to Philippa Verry and Amanda Hamley who spent many hours checking out all the areas of the course. I’ve asked them to help Shelley and Maggie again next year and so far, they are willing.
Exmoor Hind Belinda Stewart on Penny Clawd won the Performance Formula (PF) and Best Condition trophy with the fastest speed out on course over all the classes.
PhotographySaundersDavid
Georgina Vaughan riding Vlacq Bellatrix in 2019
E quine Rhabdomyolysis Syndrome (ERS) is an umbrella term for muscle disorders which, as our understanding of some of the causes has evolved, are now sub-divided according to factors like the number of episodes, physiological abnormalities, or external trigger factors. A brief summary of the different problems is useful to understand feeding recommendations for the different issues:
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• Sporadic ER - defined as affecting those horses or ponies who have no previous ER and caused by extrinsic factors such as dietary imbalance or over-exertion.
• PSSM1 – caused by a genetic mutation found in more than 20 breeds of horses. These horses don’t break down glycogen in their muscles as easily as normal horses due to a mutation of the enzyme Glycogen Synthase 1 (GYS1). This means they can have 1.5-5 times more muscle glycogen in their muscles compared to normal horses, which makes it very difficult and painful for them to move. While some PSSM1 horses are asymptomatic, diets high in nonstructural carbohydrates (sugar and starch) can exacerbate clinical signs as these nutrients are stored as glycogen.
Feeding horses with muscle disorders disorders
features | endurancegb.co.uk
Muscle conditions are a common problem in horses but with the right diet they can be managed successfully. Dengie’s Katie Williams offers a better insight into what to feed affected horses. disorders
Muscle
• Chronic ER - repeated ER due to an underlying abnormality in muscle structure and function. The defect can either be a disorder relating to the contracting and relaxing of muscles, which tends to be called RER, or a defect in how carbohydrates are stored and/or utilised in the muscles which is referred to as PSSM. The latter is further sub-divided into two groups –Type 1 and Type 2.
• PSSM2 – refers to all PSSM cases that aren’t caused by genetic mutation GYS1, so there may be more than one further subset identified in the future. Well turned out Turning out to grass as much as possible is recommended for most horses for their overall health and well-being but there are exceptions, the most obvious being those prone to laminitis. Horses with PSSM1 also fall into this category for the simple reason that grass is abundant in sugar, so unlimited access may contribute to the excessive accumulation of glycogen in their muscles. Bringing horses off grass for some or all of the time may be necessary to help control sugar consumption. As being allowed to move around more is believed to be beneficial for horses with muscle issues, alternative strategies to turning out on grass for those with PSSM1 or those prone to laminitis include using barns, corrals, track systems and Our expert Katie Williams M.Sc. (Dist) R Nutr, is the Technical and Product Development Manager for Dengie Horse Feeds. She is responsible for creating new products and ensuring they are legally compliant.
Muscle
25The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
If forage isn’t enough to keep a horse in work in good condition, you can supply additional energy in a bucket feed. The key is to keep starch levels as low as possible, so high oil and high-quality fibre feeds are the go-to materials to use instead. Sugar beet and alfalfa-based feeds are readily available and are highly digestible forms of fibre.
Unmolassed versions keep starch and sugar levels below 5% and, as they are usually straights, work alongside balancers and supplements well.
Ifbetter.using higher levels of oil, additional vitamin E is required on top of the level the horse needs normally. An additional 1-1.5IU per ml of oil added is recommended. One of the advantages of high oil feed supplements is that they often contain additional vitamin E whereas straight oil doesn’t. It's best to contact a nutritionist for advice if you have any concerns. For further feeding advice contact the Dengie Feedline on 01621 841188 or visit www.dengie.com
The latter is still cleaner than hay but, because fermentation hasn’t significantly occurred, sugar levels are basically the same as hay. A true haylage that has fermented has less sugar because it’s been converted to volatile fatty acids as part of the fermentation process. This means it’s more acidic but lower in sugar. Both forms of wrapped forage are acceptable to feed to horses with muscle issues who need higher levels of energy for work or to maintain condition.
Forage can be fed ad-lib for all horses other than those who are overweight. If forage is to be limited, a minimum of 1.5% of bodyweight on a dry matter basis is recommended for longerterm management of a good doer. As forage makes up such a large proportion of the horse’s diet, it’s worth conducting a nutritional analysis including minerals. Dietary imbalance can be a risk factor for some muscle disorders in horses, so establishing what the forage is contributing to the ration can be crucial.
Bucket feeds A balanced diet appropriate for the work level is obviously important, including replacing electrolytes for those in work. For horses who hold weight easily, broad-spectrum sources of vitamins and minerals, such as balancers or supplements, are ideal as they don’t provide significant levels of additional calories, starch or sugar. It’s important to consider that if straw is being used at higher levels i.e., up to 50% of the forage ration, it will contribute much lower levels of minerals and vitamins than grass forages, so additional supplementation may be required.
Some chopped fibre feeds contain high levels of oil or oil can be added separately as a liquid or a high oil feed supplement. The latter often includes ingredients like rice bran and soya hulls. Be aware that starch levels in these feeds can be around 20% so although they provide a lot of oil, it’s not without starch. Feeding rates are relatively low which is how the starch intake is kept down but if you have a horse with severe muscle issues or you find you’re needing to feed a lot to get the energy required, remember the starch level will creep up as well. You may find that using a combination of some liquid oil alongside a high oil feed works
TOP TIP Feeding horses with different sub-types of muscle problems involves keeping starch intake to a minimum and ensuring the diet is balanced. The extent to which starch can be lowered and alternative feed materials used is determined by the individual’s condition, workload and type, as well as availability of other feedstuffs and scope to turn out.
Forages that provide the most energy are those that are more digestible: they tend to be harvested earlier which means the grass is less mature and not so lignified. Wrapped forages are often cut earlier as they require less drying time and are recommended for performance horses because they have better hygienic quality than sun-dried forage. Wrapped forages can be divided into those that have fermented and those that haven’t, which are now generally referred to as wrapped hay.
Muscle disorders woodchip ‘paddocks’. It’s important that every horse receives plenty of fibre, so forages need to be used as alternatives to grazing for these horses. Facts about forage Grass-based forages can contain a lot of sugar, so for PSSM1 cases alternatives may help to manage the disease. Straw is low sugar and low energy (calorie) and is therefore useful for those who hold weight easily. If someone has a concern about using straw, it’s usually because they’re worried about it causing colic or they believe it increases the risk of ulcers. If a horse has a history of impaction colic or has dental issues, straw is probably best avoided but, if introduced gradually and mixed with other forage, it should be fine to feed to most good doers. It is, after all, a widely used ingredient in many chopped fibre feeds. The key is not letting a horse consume too much in one go so diluting it amongst other forage will help to reduce that risk. A recent study has helped to provide reassurance that the ulcer risk from feeding straw is a bit of a fallacy too. This is because the vital piece of information that often gets missed out is that straw must be the sole or majority forage fed for it to increase the risk of ulcers. Very few people in the UK feed as much straw as that and the more recent study (Jansson et al, 2021) showed that up to 50% inclusion of wheat straw didn’t increase the risk of ulcers. The downside to straw is its hygienic quality, as there is greater potential for soil contamination, but it can be soaked or steamed to manage dust levels. At the other end of the spectrum, forage used for poor doers needs to provide as much energy as possible to help support their requirements for work and to maintain condition. The greater the contribution from forage, the less reliance there needs to be on bucket feed. While there are many lower starch feeds that can be used, they inevitably contain higher levels of oil to bring the energy density up and oil isn’t the most palatable ingredient. Therefore, the less we need to use, the less likely we are to put the horse off eating!
“Forage can be fed ad-lib for all horses other than those who are overweight”
In another example, a Swiss veterinarian called Connie Herholz, invited 112 dressage and jumping horses to her clinic for a free health check. Their owners, too, reported that their horses were healthy. However, she found respiratory disease in 53% of them.
Addressing the horse's environment is critical to protecting equine respiratory health says Kim F Miller, Partnerships Manager and In-House writer for Haygain. health features health
| endurancegb.co.uk Respiratory
Particular about particulates
Noted equine scientist and welfare advocate Dr. David Marlin (www.drdavidmarlin.com) and veterinarian Colin Roberts demonstrated discipline-specific clinical evaluations. They performed endoscopic exams on 14 international endurance horses who were all performing as expected and not reported to be coughing. “Many of the owners were reluctant to have their horses scoped initially because they lived out 24/7 and ‘won’t have respiratory disease’.” As a result of the endoscopy and laboratory tests, 12 of the 14 horses were treated for respiratory disease.
Clean it up!
Respiratory function is greatly affected by particulate matter. Microscopic bits of dust, fungi and bacteria found in a normal yard environment are big problems. Particles above five microns in size can usually be filtered out by natural defence mechanisms in the horse’s upper airway. The trachea, or windpipe, transports air from the nostrils to the lower airway passages in the horse’s lungs. Built-in defences consist of a mucous membrane and tiny, hair-like cilia that can usually trap and transport the five-micron and bigger particles back out of the nose or send to the oesophagus to be swallowed.These particles are about the width of a human hair. Smaller particles slip past and infiltrate the thin lining of the lung. There they irritate the surface and cause inflammation, triggering bronchoconstriction and impeding the transfer of oxygen to the bloodstream. The bloodstream carries oxygen to all cells in the horse’s body. Because horse’s bodies are about 60% oxygen-greedy muscles, a restriction in air supply to them can correlate to restricted performance. Inflammation also impedes the exit of carbon dioxide through our horses’ exhalations. Safeguarding the horse’s respiratory system comes down to controlling the controllable aspects of their environment. Unfortunately, two of the most common components in that environment are also the biggest contributors to respirable dust, and especially the dust that occurs in the horse's breathing system.
Habitat assessment Renowned Belgian sport horse vet Dr. Emmanuelle Van Erck Westergren starts any case of suspected or diagnosed respiratory issue with an assessment of the horse’s habitat. “We do measurements of dust levels and samples of contaminants,” she explains of a typical yard visit for this purpose. “Some are easy to see. Have you seen someone sweep dust from the aisle, then
These findings align with results Dr. Marlin and Roberts found in scoping eight British three-day event horses two months before they travelled to an Olympic Games. “All riders were confident their horses were healthy, yet, as a result of the endoscopy and laboratory tests, seven out of eight were treated for respiratory disease.”
TOP TIP Reducing breathable dust – the kind we can see and the kind we can’t – is the veterinary community’s top tip for preventing or managing respiratory disease in our horses.
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respiratory
C OVID-19 made the world keenly aware of how harmful microscopic airborne particles can be and horses may benefit from these hard learned lessons in respiratory health as owners pay more attention to what their horses inhale. We all know that respiratory health is critical to equine well-being and performance. What’s less known is that multiple studies show over 80% of active sport horses suffer some degree of respiratory compromise – often without symptoms – and this includes endurance horses.
Haygain’s ComfortStall is a top brand to feature that component and its layer of therapeutic foam reduces the need for bedding to only the amount required to absorb urine.
“In a study we did on sport horses, we detected a link between fungi in the airways and the likelihood of exercised induced pulmonary haemorrhage: a horse is seven times more likely to bleed from the lungs, through the nose, during extreme exertion when they have fungi in the airways.”
The habit of closely monitoring every aspect of their horse’s behaviour likely gives endurance riders an advantage in detecting such early signs.
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For the forage part of the unhealthy stable air equation, Dr. Van Erck Westergren advocates Haygain steamed hay. It reduces up to 99% of the dust, fungi, bacteria and other allergens found even in hay of top nutrient quality. This is a special problem because hay puts these particulates right in the horse’s breathing zone.
Diagnostic tests include a re-breathing exercise, where the vet listens to lung sounds, an endoscopic exam of the airways and a bronchoalveolar lavage (lung wash) to count the number of nutrophils, inflammation indicators, that come out of the lungs. Spotting early signs of trouble is our best chance of defence against respiratory disease. Happily, that’s an everyday task at which endurance riders already excel. 27 Hay is a top source of respirable irritants in a horse’s environment. Even hay of good nutrient content can contain microscopic particles.
respiratory health stash that in the horse’s stable? Or seen mould stains on walls or ceilings?
or diagnosed, current treatments often include corticosteroids to address inflammation. Those further depress the immune system, enhancing the opportunity for fungal infection. “In our study of 731 horses referred for suspected respiratory issues and/or poor performance, 88% were found to have inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Horses with fungal elements in their airway were 2.1 times as likely to have IAD.
“The role of fungi, aka mould, is not yet broadly recognised in the veterinary world,” she continues. “When a fungal infection is suspected
Because the cardboard hasn’t been used first for other purposes, it does not bring chemicals or contaminants into the yard. Used in tandem with an effective sealed flooring like ComfortStall, such bedding can significantly reduce ammonia odours that can harm respiratory health.
“Horses were designed to live outside, but many horses spend 23 hours a day in the stable. Living inside, they’re exposed to 50 times more inhalable irritants and even if they live outside, if they’re getting hay with contaminants, it’s still a problem.”
On the stable bedding front, flooring that seals to the stable wall to prevent urine seepage and accumulation of harmful ammonia odours is ideal.
“A condition called Sick Building Syndrome exists in human medicine and it can apply to horses too. They may not be coughing or showing nasal discharge, but they clearly don’t feel well. That can often be linked to the amount of contaminants growing inside the building.
Low-dust bedding is another key environmental improvement and AirLite Bedding is emerging as a leader in this product category. Made from unused cardboard and subjected to a dust extraction process, AirLite is proven effective in absorbing another common airway irritant: ammonia that arises from accumulated urine.
Fear fungi Found in hay, straw bedding and elsewhere in the stable, fungi is increasingly recognised as a major risk factor in respiratory health. “It can be very allergenic because it has proteins that can trigger a very strong reaction,” Dr. Van Westergren explains. “It can become infectious and start to grow inside the horse’s airways. That process can produce toxins and irritations to the respiratory mucosa, which can ultimately affect the throat muscles. Fungi can also trigger inflammatory responses that manifest as rhinitis and sinusitis.
Trouble signs An occasional throat-clearing cough at rest or when beginning to exercise is normal in healthy people but not in healthy horses. It’s often an early sign of conditions on the mild end of the equine asthma spectrum. Caught at that stage, irritation and inflammation can be undone by reducing the horse’s exposure to its causes. Untreated, it can progress to more severe and potentially irreversible conditions, like severe equine asthma, (aka ‘heaves’ and recurrent airway obstruction) which can only be managed, not cured. Other subtle signs include nostril flare and a higher-than-normal respiratory rate. Also, your horse might just seem a little 'off'. Many veterinarians consider respiratory challenges to be the top performance limiter after soundness, and this makes total sense when we consider how anxious we feel when our breathing is compromised by illness, allergies or air pollution.
Haygain steamed hay can reduce up to 99% of dust, fungi, bacteria and other allergens found in hay For more information, scan the QR code below.
Meet Lucy Astbury and her 19-year-old mare, Black Bess, who, in their first season with Endurance GB, have already made quite an impression, taking part in the winning Heart and Cromwell team at the Inter Regionals where they picked up their first grade one.
Q. What is your background with horses?
lucy astbury and black bess features | endurancegb.co.uk
Q. Do you know anything about Bess's breeding?
Lucy Astbury and Black Bess
I had my first pony ride at a farm when I was about six and cried the whole way around, but I was hooked after that. I rode at a riding school from the ages of 6-11 and then loaned two ponies for hacking when I was around 13, as well as helping with some young Percherons! Bess came along when I was about 15 and from what I understand she'd been raced and used as a brood mare, but after she went barren she was left at the farm I was helping/riding at. A few people dabbled with her but she was quite flighty and defensive at the time so it didn't usually last long. When I was 16 I asked the farmer if I could have a go. I was completely out of my depth, but I thought I'm never going to get this chance again as I couldn't afford to buy my own horse. I stuck with it and and somehow we muddled our way through the difficult times together.
During my time away at Aberystwyth University where I studied microbiology, Bess stayed at home. She was turned away while I was studying and we'd try again with some training when I was back home over the holidays. The farmer and his family were fantastic at looking after her while I was away. We moved to a dressage yard once I was back from uni as they had an onsite instructor and that was when we finally got some real schooling (boot camp if you will), but she was still very difficult. We moved again after two years and went for a lesson with a friend just for the trailer practice, which is where we met our current instructor. She works with our vets rehabbing Pacers (horses that move laterally at trot rather than diagonally) and was the first person I'd ever met who knew what Bess was. She completely changed everything for us and put us in touch with her team of body workers/saddlers to help set things right, and within about two weeks she was a totally different horse. She was out doing fun rides, show jumping and doing bits of cross country within the first year of being with our new instructor and I learned how to give her confidence rather than us both being a nervous wreck.
Q. How would you describe Bess?
Bess is registered as 15hh in her passport but she's only just scraping 14.3hh when we measured her. Temperament wise, she's a lovely mare, very clever, but she is also opinionated and always lets me know loudly if something isn't quite right or if she doesn't agree with me. She always wants to be in front and must win the race she's having in her head at all costs - even if it's just being a nose in front of her friends at walk. Bess is incredibly expressive - when she's confident and knows what she's doing she's a 'hold my beer I've got this' type of pony, but she can be quite shy in new situations.
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Q. Tell us about her training
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Her passport just says she’s three-quarters Trotter but I was told she was an American Trotter. When I looked it up that seems to be an American Standardbred. I’m not sure what her other quarter is though.
The first time we went show jumping she tried to
CompilednewbyDominicSmith and Lucy Astbury
I started with lots of groundwork as she was very flighty and it took me about two weeks to get a headcollar on her. Once I was on her she had no concept of turning right so we had to teach her how to do that under saddle, which is when I started to realise that perhaps she wasn't actually broken to ride. We hacked out on the farm for a few years and tried polework but it often ended up with me getting off before she got too overwhelmed as she was a 'bolter'.
Q. Which EGB rides have you completed so far? We've done so many already this seasonHaywood Oaks, Three Shires Head, Shuckburgh, Pikehall, Bailey's Cheshire Frolic, Avon Valley and those are only the competitive rides. My first competition was Haywood Oaks and I remember everyone being so lovely - I had no idea what I was doing and I was on my own, but a lovely lady called Tamzin helped us through the signing in process and then so many people called us over to share a left over slosh bottle once their rider had left the crew point, or riders called us in to share with them which was so kind of them all. We got our first Grade two at that ride which was overwhelming - I was so proud of her.
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Q. How did you discover endurance?
Q. Do you have a favourite moment so far? If I'm allowed to consider outside of Endurance GB (sorry everyone) then Man v Horse. I was so nervous about the mass start as she can be such a hot head, but she didn't bat an eyelid at anything. She put herself towards the back out of the chaos and wasn’t strong once. The terrain required her to be so careful as there were many slippery downhills, but she assessed and considered every move and got us though safely together - I trusted her every second of the way and without endurance I don't think we could have done it. As an Endurance GB ride I think my favourite one (so far) is probably Avon Valley because the ride is just gorgeous and I loved it.
lucy astbury and black bess hide her face in our friend Julia's curls when we were ringside as she was unsure what the ‘plan’ was and takes comfort from being close to her human herd. Julia helped us with our loading and for a long time Bess wouldn't let anyone other than me load her on and anyone but Julia put the back bar of the trailer on - trust is a big thing for her. We have a horsebox now, which she's quite happy in, but sometimes she still likes a lunge line runway, it's like landing a plane! It’s nice to see she wants to go out in the box now. She always travelled well but was hesitant to load, but now she's straight on, excited to see where we're going. I've found as a hot-headed horse she's also learned to settle at venues and the start of rides is quicker in pace, which is more relaxing for both of us. Physically, she's a lot more muscled - it's the first time ever I've not had to worry about her gaining too much weight over summer as endurance is keeping her so fit.
We kept up with pleasure rides over winter but tried to ride them at competitive speeds to see where we were fitness-wise. Then at home we tried to do distance training, as much as the light over winter allowed, as well as some jumping, just to keep things much more interesting for her as she loves to jump. Our typical week changes based on if we've competed at the weekend but I like to do an inhand walk the day after a competition to stretch any achy muscles before the next competition. (including mine) then rest days depending on the distance we did. Then I like to do a distance day and a schooling/jumping day before a day off pre the next competition. Bess feels fit and ready at the moment so I like to try and make sure she gets enough rest between her busy weekends.
Q. What are your plans moving forward? At the time of writing this, we have a coloured cob ride coming up, we've put our name forward for Inter-Regionals at Cirencester (if they'll have us) and we're also thinking about going to Red Dragon this year. (We bagged a Grade 1 at the Coloured Cob ride and a super Grade 1 at the Inter-Regionals). I'd love to give a 40km a go and a two-day ride. I know Bess is a little older coming to endurance so my hopes for her are to just enjoy herself and that we have many more happy years together. Getting a youngster to bring on once she retires is something I’d love to do as I'm hooked with the sport now.
Enjoying their first season with hopefully many more to come. Bess is a bit of a 'hot-head' and opinionated but she thrives on trust.
Q. What training have you carried out going into the season?
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I came to endurance by accident. I didn't realise there was a difference between a fun ride and pleasure ride so I dragged my partner on foot to a 10-mile pleasure ride - oops! We met our now close friend Julia and her daughter volunteering on a gate. They offered to accompany me on my next ride to spare my partner walking holes in his shoes, and the rest is history. Julia 'nannied' us through our first few rides and then after Covid we did our first season of Pleasure Rides. We met another like-minded pair who convinced us to have a go at competing this year as we were already doing the distance, and now I'm hooked.
I've learnt that Bess is a lot fitter than I thought she was. I think we've both learnt to trust each other more and we've grown in confidence as a team. It's also taught me a lot about how to keep her fit and healthy with all the advice from vets and other experienced riders - every day is a school day. I’m also getting better at map reading but I still have a way to go until I'm truly confident. I’ve learned a lot about how to set ourselves up for a good vetting at the start and how to help her recovery post ride too. I did a Q&A with Groen Equestrian which really helped to get my brain ticking too.
Q. What has endurance taught you so far?
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Frolickingaround
Graded riders work out their planned speed in advance and where they expect to be and by when. A GPS watch or fitness app can also be helpful.
30 cheshire forest frolic features | endurancegb.co.uk
On 7 May, Pat Guerin and her loyal group of volunteers hosted the 16th Bailey’s Cheshire Forest Frolic. Here’s what happened along the way… Cheshire Forest Frolic - by Anna Collins heshire Forest Frolic has become a firm favourite on the calendar with many riders in the north of the country, and some travel from far and wide to join this ride which is early in the season and a good fitness assessment. The exceptional Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre accommodates the ride which incorporates their 6.5-mile farm ride, Primrose Hill Woods and Delamere Forest. Anyone who thinks that Cheshire is flat hasn’t ridden up Eddisbury Hill to the top of Old Pale and taken in the stunning views across the Cheshire Plain and North Wales! Since rides opened again following the pandemic lockdown, the group has been working hard to encourage local riders to try endurance. Jill Thorburn has been coaching newbies on a special Cheshire Did you know?
Facebook group where ‘no questions are daft questions’ and she’s also arranged escorted rides for them to discover what group riding feels like. This resulted in 18 pleasure riders taking part on the day alongside 27 competitive riders. Amazingly there were no eliminations, a 100% pass rate is testimony to the training and preparation undertaken by the participants.
Posts included tips from the vet about how to trot-up, crewing points and map reading.
The awesome Cheshire rider John Black and Merlin finished and won the 64km class on a heart rate of 48bpm and sound. Well deserving of his no 1 bib! “We’ll be back next year,” says Pat. The longest 60 seconds - waiting for the heart rate to be declared then it’s hold your breath on the trot up as you pray for a sound horse. Everyone looks forward to buying photos to remind them of the day and our loyal photographers don’t receive enough credit for their work. Ruth Saunby of IndiePics is Cheshire Group’s favourite photographer - she always has a smile, wave or words of encouragement. A special Mum and daughter moment, Kath and Isobel Wilson making memories together. cheshire forest frolicJubilee
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John Black, who finished and won the 64km class with his horse Merlin on a heart rate of 48bpm and sound, has had an amazing season, despite some challenging health issues. At the time of the Frolic, ‘JB’ had successfully ridden over 200 competitive kilometres this season. Since then, he’s gone onwards and upwards and was the proud winner of the 2* 120km at King's Forest on CA Jalmeer or ‘Jam the Man’ to his friends. John is a humble chap who never talks about his health or achievements in any other way than with great humility. When asked about his fitness and diet JB says it’s down to “Mars Bars and crisps”. He doesn’t have flatwork lessons and his partnership with Jam can be seen and heard as he chats to his ‘mate’ all the way around a ride. A truly awesome team, John is also competing his second horse and recently achieved a G1 with Merlin in the 65km at 16.4kph at Pembrey. Did you know?
Special Edition
Well done ‘JB’
Everyone’s happy At 3.05pm it’s a wrap and we’re all ready for Pat Guerin to say: “I’m not doing it again”. She’s said that for the 16 years she’s organised this event which so many people have enjoyed. Instead, Pat said: “Thank you everyone, I’m so glad you all had a good time. It's not just me - I have a wonderful, efficient team of helpers who come back every year, both before and on the day, to ease the stress of organising this event.
“We’ve had a 100% pass rate today with 45 happy, healthy and sound horses. This is a credit to all the riders who took part across the levels, from pleasure riders to hard core. Well done everyone and special thanks to Bailey’s Horse Feeds for sponsoring the ride. We'll be back next year.”
Facebook was flooded with messages of thanks and praise. Sonja Barton-Hanley said: “I absolutely loved this ride. Thank you to all involved in making it happen. My vote is yes please for next year.”
During the day, PR Committee member Anna Collins posted the ride process on the group’s Facebook page, explaining each element along the way and providing top tips. This resulted in lots of active engagement, photo shares and comments by riders and page followers (Cheshire is proud to boast a Facebook following of over 2,745 people).
Kate Johnson commented: “Thank you so much to everyone involved in organising the day, we had a brilliant time.” Jane Wyatt added: “Lovely pictures, I had such a wonderful ride yesterday, thanks to all the organisers and volunteers.”
Towards the end of the event, a crazy gust of wind carried several vet sheets off for a ride of their own. After rising high and away above the trees, they were off over the fields of the farm ride. Some athletic riders and helpers ran to help recover them.
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Endurance GB rides couldn’t happen without the dedication and time of our teams of volunteers and this ride could not have run without the 18 helpers of whom 61% were members and 39% were friends, family and vet students. Their roles were celebrated throughout the day.
cover everything from someone just starting out to those at the very top competing for Team GB!
An Update from the office Office update - Darren
AGM, gala dinner and trophies You’ll be seeing more information in the coming weeks (if not already!) but I’m really looking forward to this year’s event – I hope it will be bigger and better than ever!
& Shelley Bates 32 Office update regulars | endurancegb.co.uk
The AGM and gala dinner are going to be held at the Delta Marriot Hotel in Warwick and we previewed the hotel in the last magazine. You can now sign up to both events via Endurance GB website to book your place and, if like me you enjoy a good party, you can also book your hotel room now. We’ve managed to get discounted Butler
Don’t forget that there are lots of deadlines when it comes to the AGM, such as nominations for Directors and member proposals and then also for trophies. You’ll need to put in your distance award claim for horses and riders by 21st October.
Also for those of you who won trophies last year, we will need to collect them in – sorry! Please make sure you’ve had your details put on them and that they are nice and shiny ready for the next person. There are a couple of options – either you can post them back to the office (please make sure they are packed well!) or you can drop them off at Red Dragon Festival of Endurance where Shelley or I will take them off your hands. If you might struggle with either of these options please get in touch with me and we’ll sort something out.
W elcome! Things have settled into a steady rhythm now in the office with the season well and truly underway – in fact by the time you read this there will only be a couple of months left of National Rides. It’s been a great year back in the saddle (office chair) and the majority of interactions with members provide a huge sense of job satisfaction. While I’m not ‘horsey’ I really enjoy my job supporting you all in your adventures! A lot of my work is helping with membership changes (don’t forget there is the discounted half year membership), helping people with their membership records, processing upgrades, uploading results, sending out welcome emails and a lot of support to the FEI riders as I’m the point of contact for British Equestrian when it comes to passports, registrations and entries. So I truly
I’m planning to bring some items with me from the shop for you to purchase (or you can preorder and save on postage) and if you need a new mastercard for next year I’ll have those too!
Booking codes
rates for the rooms and there are options for single, double and family rooms. Please use the booking link on Endurance GB website or speak to the hotel and let them know you are with Endurance GB to obtain your discount. Outside assistance Whilst outside assistance is very much frowned upon during the course of a ride, when the only office worker goes away on leave we have to make sure his role is still covered. This time it fell to Shelley (with the usual support from the brilliant John Hudson – who was also preparing to run a ride at the weekend). Combining being available to Endurance GB members via email and doing her day job meant it was full on – and some members will have noticed that their emails were answered outside of normal office hours. It was an interesting experience and hopefully Darren didn’t have to do too many corrections when he got Andback.thereason Darren went away? Well it was his birthday – so I guess that’s allowed. Happy birthday Darren. That’s all from the office team for now, we continue to be here to help and support you on your endurance adventures and wish you all the best for the rest of the season. endurancegb.co.uk | IS YOUR EXPERIENCINGHORSE LEARN HOW CAN HELP YOUR HORSE. PERPLEXING haygain.co.ukPERFORMANCE?POOR | 01488 854005
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AreDragon
Stunning scenery, fabulous canters, something for everyone and more than just ‘that hill’, Julie Jones reveals what’ll be happening at this year’s Red Dragon Festival of Endurance Red
The showground facilities with showers, loos and catering make it great for riders and crews and the permanent stabling means that the horses are snug and secure overnight.
The 80km route is a single loop with two oncourse vet-gates, so no covering your tracks several times on the longer distances. Yes, if you are doing a multi-day ride (and there are many options at all levels from Novice to Advanced –but more about that later) you’ll encounter the Did you know?
RedyouDragon ready?
Julie Jones and friend tackling 'that hill'
T he Red Dragon Festival of Endurance is the last major ride on the calendar each season, held on the last weekend in September, and the autumnal mists as you ride out must be seen to be believed. It’s held in Builth Wells, mid-Wales, and starts from the Royal Welsh Showground (so the facilities are wonderful). Just like other iconic rides on the calendar, it has its quirks and reputation – mostly surrounding ‘that hill’ which must be tackled before getting onto the main part of the routes.
34 red dragon features | endurancegb.co.uk
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition 35red dragon
What to expect First of all, ‘that hill’ is actually a climb of 150m over a 750m-1km (don’t quote me on that) track, and although a big pull, it’s fine – most riders walk, and that gives them time to see the views. Once you’re up on the top, you can canter for miles on rolling downs to regain time ‘lost’ through the walk. If you trot or canter up it your horse is likely to need a breather at the top. On the way back, coming down, a lot of us get off and run the horses to the bottom to give them a bit of a breather (there’s a big bank to get on at the bottom too). David Saunders, the photographer, is usually around there and gets some breath-taking pictures, particularly in the morning mist. Next – the going. Well, it’s mostly common land so good turf, sheep trails and tracks. There’s some roadwork although the routes are updated this year to reduce this. New for 2022 is the re-routed 26km PR with no roadwork at all once you are up on the hill, and the amalgamation of the 42km and 48km routes into a 44km route with much reduced roadwork. The 80km route is different, taking out 8km of roadwork, and there is now a 55km route so people can try a vet gate – again little roadwork – so you can concentrate on enjoying the fabulous scenery and, of course, being with your horse.
Many riders return year after year once they have the ‘Red Dragon bug’ and take themselves up the levels as they do so, from a PR or Foundation Novice to CER and/or multi-day rides (which are run as separate day rides often, so there are no overnight vet holds – and some are Novice rides too). As well as the Red Dragon and Dragon’s Claw, there are Dragon’s Days (three-day 120km), Dragon’s Egg (two-day 80km) and a host of others. There is truly something for everyone, giving a great sense of achievement at the end. It isn’t just the rolling terrain, but the wonderful Welsh weather, which can sometimes offer all four seasons in one day! The event is one that riders want to put on their ride bucket list and even if it is a long way to come for some, most agree that it’s worth the travel. Hopefully, this has given a bit of an insight into this wonderful ride. It truly is one to do and will have you returning year after year once you do. See you on course!
Red Dragon is one of the UK’s iconic endurance rides as it has been on the calendar since 1977 and attracts riders from all over the UK (and beyond). As such, there’s a large range of classes and distances and the venue helps as there’s good stabling for the horses and excellent facilities for the riders and crews. Builth Wells has some great restaurants and often people use the event as a little holiday, either staying at the venue or in local villages.
I’ve been riding at Red Dragon for about seven years on and off and it’s my favourite ride. I have done the PR, 42km and Dragon’s Egg (two-day 80km) at Novice and Open and can honestly say that although it has the reputation of being a tough ride, it’s achievable at all levels. Let me explain in more detail...
Nikki Malcolm “The ride? Wow! Yes there are a few hills but the views are breath-taking. The wonderful ‘old turf’ that drums beneath your horse's feet as you canter for miles across gentle undulations and at the finish that sense of total achievement over any distance – there’s no feeling like it. The horses love it too. They love to stand and survey the landscape. You can see for miles and it’s such great fun to ride.” Gill Talbot “It’s the best ride of the season – not too stony, not too much roadwork and we love the views. I have even persuaded my husband to stay for a week at Aberedw as a holiday, the week beforehand, as I love it there so much!”
same scenery on subsequent days (eg two-day 160km (2 x 80km) Red Dragon CER or the twoday (2 x 26km) Dragon’s Claw for Foundation Novice) but you won’t have multiple loops on the same day.
Did you know?
Caroline Le Butt “I’ve ridden Red Dragon for nearly 30 years –from 42k to the two-day 160k. It’s one of the most iconic events in the calendar for many reasons. A fabulous venue for both horse and rider, well organised, classes for everyone and all abilities. Superb riding with stunning views, lovely long canters and a good mix of roads and tracks.” Zoe Powell “I love my end of season ride at Red Dragon and I have enjoyed riding 2/3 days through to the infamous 160k. I love the venue, it’s so well laid out and I am never far from my horse in his nice dry stable. Although the conditions change each year, the spectacular Welsh hills don’t. It’s a good test of our fitness and what we have learnt in this current year. After the hills the going on top always seems to be wonderful with springy turf and great scenery. It is a ride for everyone at any level of endurance and has the best ‘festival’ atmosphere with time to see old friends and catch up.” Sally Toye Julie Jones and RAF cantering through the mist
Tackling 'that hill' in the mist
The organisers have cut the costs to the bone because they want to encourage more riders to stay for the whole three days – and there is often a talk on the Saturday night. What the riders say “I hate to be a myth buster but it’s not actually that ‘tough’ – Red Dragon is achievable for everyone with a little thought into how you ride it. You’ll be gutted it’s over so soon (a good reason to do multiple days). Many of my novices have had their best results at Red Dragon.”
Scottish
Stickystart to STQ Endurance
Wind back nearly five years, when I had been seriously horse hunting for months. Too big, too small, too old, too young. Overpriced project ponies produced for jumping meant that when I tried to ride them away from the comfort of their homes they napped. Why did I compromise so much and end up buying a three-quarter bred Arab from sunny Suffolk? He was too young, too big and far too grey! At a loss I brought Silver Moon home to Central Scotland which was allegedly the wettest late summer and autumn since the 1980s. This, combined with falling off the moment I tried to get on, was not an auspicious start. I did groundwork with him but spent more time falling off than I did riding, always falling the same way, always hurting the same bits. He then spent just over a year at a large livery, happy in the field, but totally stressed by the barn environment. I gave up trying to ride but tried to keep up the momentum with groundwork. I had a visit from a natural horsemanship instructor and he performed very well for her, quickly learning what was expected, but totally took the mick out of my attempts to repeat what I’d been taught. I kept sticking my head deeper into the sand, at a loss over what to do. Out of the blue, Chris MacMillan offered to see what she could do with him, whether that was to get me back on board or to get him going and sell him on. She worked with him for a week, gaining his confidence and his respect. I watched in awe as she long-reined him around the yard, down the passage and around the arena. She quickly decided that his problem was an ill-fitting saddle, bought from a saddle fitter in Suffolk. Next Chris did a combination of long-reining and riding for a couple of weeks, then it was my turn and after another week she sent him home. She was forcing me to face up to the challenge – she’d set me up to ride him, or to sell him and get something else I could ride instead.
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36 serc features | endurancegb.co.uk
2 022, the year of four weddings (including our daughter’s), big birthday parties and rearranged holidays, thanks to Covid. Just when exactly was I going to ride my horse? I badly want to ride 60km at Lauder and need a ride buddy and a crew, but husband Howard is unavailable. Why is that important? Well, he has been the constant in the roller coaster that has been life with Heritage Silver Moon and I rely on him for being my assistant horse handler, rookie crew and loader. We have never yet failed to load him! Failure is not to be risked or the work of the last few years could all unravel.
A difficult youngster with undoubted potential, but how to harness it? Many of us have been there, including Sarah Perkins.
Getting going at last In the meantime we were trying to get to grips with loading. He would just plant on the ramp or get part way in and reverse out again, quickly. He wasn’t frightened, just plain stubborn. Most days we did trailer practice, sometimes taking an hour or more and then, once he was in, he was quite happy to stand inside and would go in multiple times. In fact, he positively wanted to go in and had a tantrum when you said enough was enough! Chris warned me to expect setbacks, but my confidence was growing and the progress was amazing, so it was time to introduce him to his job in life. The Broughton Friday evening ride seemed like a good place to start with Chris on Silver Moon and me on my old horse Ro. Another couple of SERC outings with Ro as company and then it was my turn. Silver Moon finished the season with six pleasure rides under his belt, and then in March 2020, Covid hit. In late summer and autumn 2020, we fitted in four fabulous pleasure rides before being locked down again. Every time out we were exposed to new challenges including lots of steep hills. In 2021 we got both Bronze Thistle Qualifiers (BTQ) at the lovely Lothians ride. I was buzzing as we’d come such a long way. It’s not all plain sailing and although we often practise a full vetting at home, getting him to stand still for the obligatory minute has a mixed success rate at SERC rides. Lovely Lauder Lauder is quite simply one of my favourite rides. A couple of months earlier we had gained our Bronze Thistle Final (BTF), again riding alongside Chris. Despite the downsides, this time of no ride buddy and no crew, I was desperate to go for my first Silver Thistle Qualfier (STQ) at Lauder. A new friend, Anne Marie, had mentioned that she’d be interested in perhaps crewing for me, so I asked and amazingly, she said yes. My initial ride buddy needed to withdraw the day before and Gill Brittle generously invited me to ride the first two loops of the 80km with her. Silver Moon was a brat at the vetting but soon we were tacked up and away and the first canter up a grassy field had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Before long we were high up on the moors, the 360-degree panoramas did not disappoint, and the horses were smiling as much as we were. There were lots of canter opportunities and no worries about our timing. Everything was beautifully marked and lots of cheery gate openers meant we had far fewer to open ourselves than expected.
It was no hardship to ride this fabulous loop a second time as the footballers, the playground children and the walkers had long gone. This was a sociable loop with others joining us at various points, my boy was tiring and content to let them go ahead. I was tired too and not helping him much in the final kilometres. I have so much respect for the guys doing the big distances as 60km was tough, but I guess almost 1000m of ascent had something to do with that.
Quite simply getting our STQ at Lauder was fab and my horse was just amazing. When I looked up Silver Moon’s stud recently, beside his name it said ‘sold to an endurance home in Scotland’, so perhaps we can fulfil that expectation! The brat still appears sometimes at the vetting, and he remains a work in progress, but I really feel we turned a corner this year. Don’t despair if your new horse is challenging - find someone nearby to work with you both. You’re not on your own in SERC, the most supportive group of people that I know.
"I was desperate to go for my first STQ at Lauder. A new friend, Anne Marie, had mentioned that she’d be interested in perhaps crewing for me, so I asked and amazingly, she said yes"37
In Lauder, we encountered our first football match, and at the busy playground with giant saucer swing complete with swinging child we took refuge behind the sensible Fleur. Then, on a narrow uphill gravel path, we came upon 270 sponsored walkers! We apologised to and thanked every little group as we passed and warned them that there were other riders behind. The horses didn’t seem to notice the man in the pink net tutu or the couple wearing inflatable unicorn costumes!
sercThe Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition
With Finn now loading, we completed our Bronze Thistle award in 2019. We’d planned to start our Silver Thistle award in 2020 but, as for everyone that year, those plans never came to fruition.
Finn’s brilliant attitude to work and new challenges meant he was quick to progress once he was under saddle and he generally coped well with new challenges he met, though had a tendency to throw all his toys out of the pram with little warning. Get set go Our main issue in this first year was loading to go to new places and then getting home again. In fairness, Finn’s first experience of travelling anywhere was when we picked him up from the only home he’d ever known. After some lengthy battles, we’d manage to get him in, but usually after his front hooves had spent a reasonable amount of time waving around in the air. It was recommended that we contact Gemma Pearson, who runs the Equine Behaviour Service from the Edinburgh University Vet School (The Royal Dick).
Scottish Endurance Riding Club News
"We managed to fit in our first solo ride at Harestanes in early March and two pleasure rides at the end of the year, along with plenty of long rides from home when I was unable to work”
The devil turnsangelic
Sharing his name with the 1990s ‘family horror’ film, Hocus Pocus has given Katie Smith a few scary moments
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e bought Finn (or Hocus Pocus to give him his Sunday name) in 2018. He was a largely blank canvas of a rising six-year-old, homebred out of a Thoroughbred mare by a coloured warmblood stallion. His dam didn’t want much to do with him, meaning Finn was raised with a donkey as his companion. He’s one of the cleverest horses I’ve had the pleasure of working with but can also be rather stubborn.
We now have a horse who generally loads and travels well and will even self-load and position himself if his friend is already in, something that seemed impossible previously.
We managed to fit in our first solo ride at Harestanes in early March and two pleasure rides at the end of the year, along with plenty of long rides from home when I was unable to work. With plans delayed, we worked on attempting our first 60km at Lammermuir Hills in 2021. This was a turning point for Finn, or at least a big learning curve. He’s naturally very athletic so has never really struggled to do anything. I’ve also always been careful when working him to never over face him because he’s incredibly genuine. His confidence felt far more like arrogance on that day. I had a horse who I thought was fit enough to do 60km but who hadn’t been further than 30km since 2019, so he couldn’t see a reason not to race every horse he saw ahead of him. If only I could have explained that he had to go out to do a second loop. This is where his stubbornness came into play, and I spent much of the first loop trying to contain his speed and acrobatics while he tried most of the tricks in the book to ignore me and at points just to get the killjoy off his back. He settled a bit when he went out after the vet gate onto loop two but by that point the damage was done. About 50-55km in, with some serious climbs ahead, dire
Gemma was brilliant and broke down the process into steps with him until he was more confident.
SERC up-and-coming rides We have a wide variety of rides to come before the season ends, with distances ranging from a 'taster' to 60kms. If you live south of the border, there’s no better time to visit Scotland than in the autumn - the colours are fantastic and the midges are minimal. The four rides highlighted below span the whole length and breadth of the Combinecountry.your ride with a couple of days’ sightseeing – the 18th century Culzean Castle, once regularly visited by General (and then President) Eisenhower and now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, is well worth spending time in. Balmoral Castle and Estate are open to the public during the summer only, but the surrounding hills make for terrific walks and the towns of Braemar and Ballater have plenty to offer the visitor. Tentsmuir is only one of many superb Fife beaches, and the university town of St Andrews and the coastal fishing villages repay exploring. Redcoll is handily placed both for North Berwick, recently rated one of the best places to live in Scotland, and the festival city of Edinburgh. Visit scottishendurance.com to find out more about our rides and to enter. Culzean, 25 September, Glasgow Branch: 30kms, Pleasure The ride is a wet weather route, with beach, road, and forest tracks. Riding through the beautiful grounds of Culzean estate near Turnberry on the Ayrshire coast. Roadwork20%; Forestry - 25%; Tracks - 40%; Beach 15%. Jubilee Culzean Ride, 25 September Tentsmuir, 2 October
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serc weather and some pretty boggy going because of the torrential downpour, Finn started to find out what it was like to be tired. I ended up walking/ jogging beside him much of the rest of the way to get him home and once home there wasn’t much chance he was going to pass the vet. Settling into his stride A few weeks off allowed him to recover properly, and he came back feeling brilliant, and was somewhat more sensible on his next outing to Kirkton Manor, 30km, which made us feel more confident about entering another 60km at the Scottish Championships. This time we completed successfully with a gold award. For our second STQ we enjoyed a lovely ride at Tentsmuir to end the season. Some well-earned time off with no shoes to help his feet recover followed before coming back into work and following SERC’s Fit2Start programme over the winter months. This helped us to feel ready to tackle an early season 60km at Balgone before looking to decide where we might go for our first 80km (Silver Thistle Final) attempt. I really enjoyed the ride at Lauder. I was slightly apprehensive – not because of the distance but because we had been unable to get shoes put on Finn’s back feet so we were attempting it in boots. We had one mishap where both boots twisted off while traversing a steep hillside. My ride partner Chris Macmillan who knew the route well thought the going was likely to be good enough to ride to the crew point barefoot so we ended up completing the loop without the boots and preemptively took them off before that hill on the next loop too.
The Queen's Platinum
Venue information Hard standing on old airfield. Water and toilet facilities available at local stables. Also a tea room. No camping, corralling or stabling availability.
Finn was definitely a little sceptical about setting off for the third loop but followed his new friend Stinky (Coolagoree Glen Thunder being his Sunday name) out of the venue before settling into his stride once more and tackling the third loop with apparent ease, maintaining a lovely steady rhythm to complete at slightly over 12.6kmph with a Silver award. It turns out that Finn is a very pleasant ride after 60km, but he was also more settled throughout than he has been before, largely due to the fluent and forward way of going that Chris and Stinky have. We used our first crew point to allow other horses that ours were fixing on to move out of sight, which removed the opportunity for the tantrum we’d often have if I had just asked Finn to slow while he was on the hunt. A trick I think may come in handy in the future. Little by little we’re learning more about how to manage him. We have far fewer tantrums than we used to, partly because I’m better at reading the signals that one might be imminent, but I like to think he is starting to mature as well. Now I just need to find a way to get ‘well-mannered third loop Finn’ out on loop one.
Tentsmuir, 2 October, Tayside Branch: 60/50/40/30kms, Pleasure/Training, Taster Lovely flat ride with routes through Tentsmuir Forest, grassy tracks interspersed with forestry tracks and a lovely bit of beach. Very popular ride and a good one to grade at. (Possibility of an 80km class too). Roadwork - 5%; Forestry75%; Tracks - 15%; Beach 5% Venue information Large grass field with some hardstanding areas for lorries. Portaloo on site. No camping, corralling or stabling availability. Redcoll 16 October, Lothians Branch: 30kms, Pleasure, Taster Flat and easy end of season ride with lots of endriggs, some railway tracks and short sections on country roads. No major or busy roads to cross. Roadwork - 10%; Fields/moorland - 70%; Forestry - 5%; Tracks - 15% Venue information Field parking, limited hard standing for lorries. Water available at nearby farm, Portaloo. Balmoral, 30 October, Grampian Branch: 30kms, Pleasure/Training A wonderful opportunity to ride in the Queen’s Scottish Estate. Roadwork - 10%; Fields/ Moorland - 5%; Forestry - 85%. Venue information Back garden of Balmoral Castle. No camping, corralling or stabling availability.
Emerald Green Feeds
sponsor focus regulars | endurancegb.co.uk
Heather discovered endurance with Oliver when he was the ripe old age of 18 after seeing an advert for an event at Thoresby Hall. They started with pleasure rides all around Lincolnshire, where the family farm is also situated, then progressed to graded endurance rides for several years. Very sadly, Oliver passed away in 2019 because of recurring Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
A strong connection has developed and flourished between Lindum Endurance Group, Endurance GB and A Poucher and Sons (Bardney Dairies) Ltd since we first launched our own branded range of horse feed in 2012 called Emerald Green Feeds. This affinity with endurance is in no small way due to our wider family connections. As a fifthgeneration business, family members and trusted members of the team are crucial to the day-to-day running of A Poucher and Sons and the Emerald Green Feeds brand. Howard Burchnall is no exception to this and manages the drying of the forages togther with his uncle David Burchnall. Howard, however, is the latest generation to be involved at the farm and it was his wife Heather’s interest in endurance riding, together with her horse Oliver, that introduced us to the Lindum Group.
Louise Burchnall from Emerald Green Feeds gathers fond family memories of how the team’s involvement with endurance first began.
Heather and Oliver enjoyed a 15-year partnership together, during which they experienced both the highs and lows of horse ownership. Oliver, sadly no longer with us, was a 15.2hh partThoroughbred, bay gelding born in 1998. He took part in all riding club activities and overcame a severed tendon following a freak accident. He still managed to return to full ridden work, even after a full urethrostomy in 2016, following a diagnosis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
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One thing leads to another
It was around 2015 when Heather and Howard met Thay Stephenson through the Lindum Group social rides. Thay remembers what a lovely horse Oliver was and how involved both Heather and Howard were. Quickly becoming a valued member of the group, Heather helped out at events, with Howard always there to offer support. Thay recalls how Howard has always been very hands on and often helped cheerfully with the more physical elements of set up and break down, which was greatly appreciated. At some point, Thay says, they discovered the link with Emerald Green Feeds and says they were thrilled by the support given with much loved
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Ongoing support
Emerald Green Feeds took on the title sponsorship of the Lindum Group’s flagship event, Lindum Spirit, at Market Rasen Racecourse in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and supported the hosting of the Home Internationals during this period. The Emerald Green Feeds team presented their exhibition trailer at the racecourse with the EGF team meeting and greeting the participants and offering samples of the natural forage feeds.
Along the way, we’ve met many customers and participants of different disciplines, but we have always been impressed by the gratitude we receive from the endurance competitors - they really are the best at saying 'thank-you'. It always makes your day at the farm when the EGF team receives a thank you card in the post or a thank you email.
Heather’s horse Oliver enjoyed every minute, completing all rides sound and in great conditioneven the odd Grade 1! Together, they gained many kilometres on their ride cards, along with rosettes and trophies for both novice horse and veteran horse.
We knew we had an excellent product and frequent feedback from our loyal customers has reinforced and given testament to this. Some of the UK’s top horse riders use our feeds today, in many different disciplines, including a current world champion from Lincolnshire and a national champion carriage driver. Support from customers locally and across the UK, including wholesalers and retailers, has been vital to the brand’s success and customers appreciate the quality, value, and health benefits of a natural feed.
A natural approach We are more than proud to be sponsors of endurance events and contributors to Endurance Magazine. If you see us at an event or show, please come and see us and the team will tell you all about Emerald Green Feeds and how they might benefit your horse or pony. Our range of feed is completely natural with no use of pesticides on the growing crops, and with no fillers, binders or coatings used in processing. We believe natural is best and the range can provide an excellent forage diet with different levels of digestible energy
sponsor focus 41The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Special Edition sample bags, rosettes for social rides and super prizes at the group’s annual awards.
A passion for animals Endurance is a hugely accessible sport, with a class for everyone. Nothing is better if you enjoy the outdoors and adventures with your horse.
As a result of Fiona Kearton taking the time to reach out and say how grateful she was to receive a goodie bag at the Haywood Oaks Ride, Fiona and her horse Echo have featured in our latest advert with a super photograph taken at the ride by David Saunders.
Heather, who has always been obsessed with horses and began riding when she was just nine, has forged a career in animal welfare. She worked as an equine veterinary nurse before qualifying as a registered veterinary nurse in 2019. At the age of 35, she’s currently taking a break from horse ownership while she focuses on her education and she’s also busy completing a feline nursing certification which is an additional qualification with the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM).
Valued customers The year 2022 sees Emerald Green Feeds proudly celebrating 10 years of producing feed for horses and grazing animals, as our own cheerful brand, in easily recognisable and colourful packaging. We can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we decided to invest and expand to develop a range of good quality forage to be sold directly to customers and through retailers - it has certainly taken us on a journey and a very different path from traditional arable farming!
Going back in time Our trade stand at the Great Yorkshire Show Our trade stand at Beta
The whole team is very knowledgeable about the forages they grow themselves and their benefits. There are many lengthy conversations to be had about horses and their feed and the team are always willing to take time to chat. Eventually, and rather sadly, due to increasing pressure from traffic, the group sought a new special venue. Following the Covid pandemic, Well Vale in Lincolnshire ran for the first time in 2021 with Emerald Green Feeds as the title sponsor once again. The Lindum group hope to grow this event with the brand’s continued and valued support and, at the time of writing this article, were busy preparing for this year’s event in August.
Other family members at A Poucher and Sons also discovered what a friendly bunch the Lindum group are and were lucky enough to be involved in social events with quizzes and awards evenings.
obituaries features | endurancegb.co.uk EObituaries
ndurance GB celebrates the lives of the inspirational stalwarts of our sport. These are the heart-warming remembrances of the people and horses we have lost and the feats they achieved in the world of endurance.
The same year we won the North Wales Arab Group’s Combined Amateur/Veteran Championship with the prize of a beautiful painting by Judi Kent Pyrah which occupies pride of place at home. Mainly due to his endurance achievements, Zhiwah had an excellent record in the AHS Performance Awards. He won the Dinsdale Trophy for the top pure bred in 2000, was runner up in 2001 and 2010 and also achieved five top six placings before winning the veteran trophy in 2013. In 2011 he was awarded the North Staffs Arabian Horse Group’s merit award for his contribution to the promotion of the versatile Arabian. Zhiwah continued to compete successfully with Endurance GB only retiring in 2014 having completed a grand total of 6,230 kilometres. This put him in the top 50 in the Endurance GB distance league table.
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1992Zhiwah,-2021
Pat Guerin takes a look back at her wonderful horse Zhiwah, who she describes as ‘a truly versatile Arabian’. Zhiwah (Platoon x Heavenly Grace) was bred by Ann Potts at Southwynd Arabians. Nick and Melanie Brown of Guisburn Arabians bought him as a yearling to be their stud stallion but changed their breeding programme which meant he was gelded. He came to me lightly ridden and shown successfully in-hand and he already had a big personality. Endurance is my passion and Zhiwah entered his first ride in 1998, successfully completing 23 miles in a British Endurance Riding Association (BERA) Bronze Buckle qualifier at the Cross Pennine venue. We then progressed through 30- and 40-mile rides with both the Endurance Horse & Pony Society (EHPS) and BERA to his first 50-miler at Haywood Oaks in 2000 which saw him reach Advanced level. By then he had been selected for the North West Regional Endurance team on two occasions. Meanwhile, we competed increasingly successfully in local unaffiliated dressage and I was encouraged by a very knowledgeable friend to try some Arab ridden showing classes. After some local outings, I entered the National Show at Malvern in 2002 where Zhiwah gained success as reserve champion novice pure-bred ridden gelding. Not a bad result for an endurance horse!
Zhiwah was a wonderful, handsome, feisty, strong-minded little horse and through him I have made many good friends in the Arabian horse world. He was exciting to ride and well known for his exuberance on endurance rides and in the show ring. I miss his very positive presence but feel so lucky to have owned him. I am immensely proud of our achievements together and will never forget the hours of exhilaration and joy he gave me.
43 www.allenandpage.com “Hefullcomesalwaysbackofenergy” Merlin is very reactive to feed, but Power & Performance doesn’t make him fizzy. He goes so nicely on it, and he always comes back full of energy, even after 66km he looked fresh and ready to go out again! – Gemma Grodkiewicz and Merlin Contact our award-winning helpline for more information and nutritional advice 01362 822 902 | helpline@allenandpage.co.uk Fast and slow release energy for sparkle and stamina! A energyhighfeed DEMJ/kg12.8 Contains a probiotic and a blend of prebiotics for digestion balancedFully with vitamins and minerals linseedIncludes–a good source of Omega 3 WITH ADDED LINSEED
Emerald Green FeedsEmerald Green Feeds emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk CELEBRATING10YEARS Fiona and Echo, Haywood Oaks.
