Endurance Magazine Spring 2022 by Matrix Print

Ride the Wight 20 years on, the ride is being relaunched

Pony Club

Getting started in Endurance with the Pony Club

Spring 2022

Official members' publication for Endurance GB

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In this

issue

Endurance GB Office Administration Endurance GB Office, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RP t: 02475 313353 e: enquiries@endurancegb.co.uk

Volume 19 – Issue 1

Endurance GB 6

Ride The Wight

Publisher

Unit C, Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9QJ t: 01536 527297 e: info@matrixprint.com Designed by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Interim Production Editor Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Advertising Sales Manager Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Deadlines Copy Dates to Editor for future issues of Endurance: Summer 22 copy deadline is 11th April. 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 Sally Rowe riding Brownbread Easter Rabbit

Pony Club

Kings Forest

An Endurance Debut

Obituaries

Features 8

Pre-season Prep

Physiotherapy

Traffic Training

Towing Law Changes

The not-so-great Indoors

Heart Rate Monitors

Pre-Season Nutrition

Futurity Evaluations

Regulars 9

Sponsor Focus

Scottish Endurance Riding Club

Update From The Office

Lavenham Relaunch & Rides To Look Out For

ISSN 2516-2349

contents

Fast and slow release energy for sparkle and stamina!

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www.allenandpage.com – Gemma Grodkiewicz and Merlin

Future

Endurance GB Board of Directors

focus

Chairman and Sponsorship Director PHIL NUNNERLEY T: 07860 323968 / 01761 221561 E: philnunnerley@endurancegb.co.uk

Phil Nunnerley | Chair of Endurance GB

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.

Dear Members, 2022 brings a ray of hope at last. Covid has not gone away but we are going to have to learn to live with it, and that does still mean being sensible when meeting each other. Setting that aside, we are excited that we may be able to complete a full ride season. New rides, old rides; there is something for everybody and with horses and riders fit, I would encourage everyone to set themselves a resolution to attempt a new challenge. Covid has impacted Groups in varying degrees and a number will need help and support to sustain our sport. Please remember, we are a volunteer-led organisation and I would encourage you all to contribute; joining or supporting your local committee, or offering to support our team of dedicated and committed ride organisers who, without volunteers, will not be able to put rides on. Membership renewals at this stage of the year are encouraging, and our registered supporters continue to grow in number. We do however want to convert more of these to paid up memberships. There will be an enhanced focus this year on marketing our sport as we recover from Covid, and we all share a responsibility for promoting our rides and, more importantly, welcoming those riding with us for the first time. Please seek them out, explain a bit more about our sport, and encourage them to come again and bring a friend or family. We are an inclusive organisation and we are committed to extending a warm welcome to everyone regardless of their background. In common with all organisations, sport or otherwise, we share a responsibility for the world we live in. As climate change begins to affect sport on the global stage, we will be exploring initiatives that we can take to mitigate any negative impacts we may have on our environment. In the meantime, let's be grateful for the opportunities to enjoy our wonderful countryside; get ourselves and our horses fit; and look forward to a successful season ahead.

Phil

E ES

P T H E PR ES S

PR E S S | S T O P

Ride the Wight

E TH

TO | S

TO P T H E PR E | S

SS O

R E S S | STO E P P

Ride the

Wight 2022

t has been 20 years since our first Ride the Wight and we thought it would be great to celebrate this with a ride in 2022 and planning is well underway. Before finalising we need to know if there will be enough interest and support from Endurance GB members. We are looking at holding the ride the weekend of Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May 2022, the venue of our last ride, Kingates Equestrian in Niton, has offered to host the ride again and we will be able to have competitors arrive a few

ride the wight

days earlier or you could stay on for an extra couple of days if you wish to extend your stay and experience a few of the other attractions the Island has to offer, along, with the option to try our beautiful beaches for a beach ride with your horses. Some history! Ride the Wight was first discussed in the late 1990s when EHPS Wessex and a group of us on the island got together to organise a ride with a lovely venue at Carisbrooke Castle. In 2000

EHPS and BERA joined forces and Endurance GB was formed. We got ourselves organised and then sadly Foot & Mouth hit the UK and the ride was put on hold. We then worked hard to get things back on track, having obtained a new venue at the Islands Dinosaur Farm, near Brightstone, together with sponsorship from the ferry companies and other local businesses. The ride weekend proved a great success and the horses certainly found the life size dinosaur at the venue an interesting attraction when heading

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

to the vetting area and start! Over the years we have held a number of rides across the Wight, from a few different venues, and one year we held a linear ride from point to point. It’s a great ride to attend and riders can experience the varied terrain with an amazing network of bridleways, enabling them to see the Islands beautiful views and its attractions. This year’s venue has good facilities offering stables or corralling and camping, catering, water, toilets and Para priority. Within the local area there is a fabulous shop which sells everything you need for those staying on site. There are a number of smaller yards offering stable accommodation, a small caravan park (across the road), plenty of holiday cottages, B&B and hotels for those not wishing to camp. The village of Niton has three great local pubs within walking distance of the venue and we tend to hold a social get together on Saturday evening for those who wish to go out for a meal. The ride is also a great opportunity for those considering going abroad to experience travelling your horses on a ferry. Horses travel really well on the ferry and the crew on all of the ferries are really helpful in looking out for our special equine friends whilst on board. The route! For the 2022 routes we will be introducing some new bridleways and tracks not used in previous years. Our routes have varied terrain and no repeat trails on the first 40km. The routes also give you opportunity to explore the Island’s vast network of bridleways and the amazing views from the top of the Downs. There is minimal roadwork on all routes. The ride will be supported by Raynet at our check points. To be able to get it right and to attract as many riders as possible, it would be helpful to know what distances you would like to see on the schedule? We have produced a draft route of

approximately 40km in a circular route and we can branch shorter routes i.e. 30km, 20km and 10km to make up the longer distances. Options of single and two day 84km, 74k, 64km, 2-day or multi-day are possible with a total distance of up to 126kms. Feedback is essential for this ride to go ahead so please get in touch! To get here! Riders need to contact the ferry companies direct to find out the cost of your vehicles as height, length and time of travel can impact on the price you pay. For Wightlink Ferry please call the freight office Tel: 02392855260. For Red Funnel please call 02380019192. Riders who are members of the Caravan & Camping Club, if you have living in your trailer they also provide some good ferry discounts.

We are currently in discussions with both the ferry companies to see if we can arrange an even better equestrian discount than is currently offered for riders considering travelling over. For those of you with lorries you may wish to look at routes coming via Southampton and Lymington as Portsmouth City Council have now introduced a clean air zone charge of £50.00 so this will affect anyone with HGV vehicles travelling though the city. https://cleanerairportsmouth.co.uk/ Any thoughts or questions you may have about the ride please contact Karen Whittington initially as she is based on the Island and will be able to answer your questions. Karen’s details are mobile 07854609107, email karenandrobert2008@ hotmail.co.uk address Bevois Farm, Laceys Lane, Niton, Isle of Wight, PO38 2DN.

ride the wight

Pre-season

Pre-season preparation

with Sally Rowe

f Arabs are born to run, Highlands are born to eat. In an eating competition, Highlands – and frankly, any of their native cousins - would totally stuff the Arabs. Because stuffing is what they do best.

resembling grass. Rabbit lives out 24/7 but when the grass is growing, the grazing needs to be restricted to stop Rabbit growing too. Without intervention, she starts to look like a Zeppelin with a mane.

This is the pony that had a hissy fit at a crew point after spotting some hard feed. This is the pony that tried to eat at 28kph and nearly brought us both down, in stunt rider fashion, after grabbing a frond of something in a hedge and refusing to let go. For one split second her cantering body almost overtook her scoffing face.

So, while other owners might be tarting up their feeding regimes, we are tartaning ours. We are trying to recreate the harsh subsistence living conditions of Rabbit’s Scottish Highland ancestors in sub-tropical Dorset.

This is our raw material. The Rabbit. Less natural athlete and more hairy blancmange, so our endurance season prepping begins with a diet. It isn’t a level playing field when you own a native. In fact, it isn’t a field at all, it’s a strip, preferably stripped bare of anything vaguely

Like all natives, Rabbit is genetically stuck in permanent survival mode and therefore effectively a giant, furry, undiscriminating hoover. I have pulled feed sack entrails, a plastic scourer and even a toy rubber duck - don’t ask out of that furry snout before now. Sparse grazing bulked out by soaked hay or timothy haylage, a cup of low-cal balancer, a handful of straw based lo-cal chaff and a mug of virtually sugarless sugar beet. It’s a no-frills diet. I use a weight tape and condition scoring to monitor her progress. The only concession to her mileage is a joint supplement, a top-up of biotin and, when the season’s in full swing, some micronized linseed. Rabbit will spend most of the season fully clipped which also helps burn a few calories and only rugged in a 0g to keep her clean, dry and rideable. The magic ingredient for weight loss isn’t to be found in any feed, it’s simply work. Thoughtful, regular work: walking briskly, striding out, decent mileage, hills. Later, some canter and interval work. We abide by the golden rule of increasing distance before speed. She gets four days of proper work a week. Rest and recovery are important. In those early days it’s tempting to ride, ride, ride.

pre-season preperation

But steady and incremental wins this native fitness race. Our week is made up of a long conditioning ride, a shorter faster ride if time is tight, and then a combo of either canter track time, poles and/or long-lining which I favour over lunging because it’s brilliant for improving straightness and flexibility. We are lucky to have fantastic hills and hacking all around us which is an absolute Godsend. Chunkier ponies can feel tired and slow to start with but the energy comes with the fitness and the fitness comes with the work. Real, sweaty work that gets them out of puff. And although it feels like an uphill slog at the start, season upon season a little of that base fitness clings on and builds. It does get easier. It’s worth the effort. There is nothing like the glow you get walking away from a vetting with lovely comments about condition ringing in your ears: “This is what a native pony should look like. It just goes to show what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.” Way to go #TeamRabbit! facebook.com/ EnduranceRabbit

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Sponsor focus

Supporting the Red Dragon

Festival of Endurance and the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance seemed the perfect fit.

ow one of the UK's most successful specialist suppliers of farm feeds, micronized ingredients and horse feeds, with customers in more than 30 countries worldwide, I'Anson Brothers Ltd is an independent, fifth generation, family-owned and family-managed company, still based in Masham, North Yorkshire. In 1999 British Horse Feeds, the equine feed division of I’Anson Brothers Ltd., revolutionised the way horse owners fed beet pulp, by creating Speedi-Beet, this was followed by Fibre-Beet in 2008 and more recently their newest product, Cooked Linseed.

“Many endurance riders now choose to feed our products, which provide quality fibre, slowrelease energy and rapid rehydration.” Over the years British Horse Feeds has enjoyed many events and met countless riders that are passionate about equine nutrition and performance. National Sales Representative, Martin Bielby said: “I have attended the Red Dragon for many years and have seen first-hand how the event has developed each year, offering competitors a fantastic experience. “In 2014 we launched the ‘Best Crew Member’ and have heard so many amazing stories – the camaraderie in the endurance community is great.”

British Horse Feeds has been a long standing title sponsor of the prestigious Red Dragon Festival of Endurance since 2005 with the sponsorship being one of the first major sporting events that British Horse Feeds brand supported.

The Golden Paste Company, sister company to British Horse Feeds, manufactures all of their products in the UK and became part of the independent, fifth generation, family-owned and family-managed company in 2017.

Said Hattie I’Anson, Business & Strategic Lead Manager: “Initially we were looking to support an event to promote our product, Speedi-Beet,

The company came on board with the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance for the first time in 2020 but the event was sadly cancelled due

to the Covid 19 pandemic. The equine range from The Golden Paste Company currently features two supplements, TurmerAid™ and TurmerItch™. TurmerAid™ is the only pelleted turmeric supplement for horses on the market, which supports healthy joints, aids digestion and promotes a healthy skin and coat. Ideal for endurance horses, the supplement supports healthy joints as it helps the integrity of the equine natural defence mechanisms, while supporting the body’s natural inflammation processes. The Golden Paste Company also produces a range of supplements for humans and pets. It will be an exciting couple of years for I’Anson Brothers Ltd and the brands, as they have a new £12m production facility in development, the largest investment in the business' 120-year history. I’Anson Brothers Ltd currently employs 85 people from the local community and this latest investment will maintain the existing workforce and also create additional jobs at the new production facility with more expected to follow as the company grows in the future. British Horse Feeds and The Golden Paste Company look forward to continuing their support at the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance. For more information on British Horse Feeds contact them on 01765 680300 or visit britishhorsefeeds.com and for The Golden Paste Company, 01423 503319 or goldenpastecompany.co.uk

endurancegb.co.uk | regulars

sponsor focus

Equine health

dream work

ho’s in your Team? Your vet, Farrier, Trainer but is a physiotherapist part of your team? Many people can skip over the physio and how key their job can be in getting a horse to its peak performance. Within this article we investigate their role, the equine biomechanical processes and how they work with and assess the horse before taking an inside look with some case studies that wouldn't be where they are today without their physiotherapist. Physiotherapy is the prevention and treatment of injuries by physical non-medical methods including hot and cold treatments, specific exercises and massage just to name a few. These professionals work with the science of and the biomechanics to maximise physical strength, function and locomotion of both the horses and riders. Yes, riders see physios too!

physiotherapy

Finding a physio

Okay, so not just anyone can call themselves a qualified registered physiotherapist. You must be registered, however there are a few different ways you can do this either by degree courses, masters courses or top up courses. These will allow you to be registered either as an ACPAT (Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy) veterinary physio or an animal physio on the RAMP (Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners) register. Both methods would give you professional accreditation to work on all animals within different industries.

The physiotherapy assessment A physiotherapy assessment involves the exploration of the horse, they will assess the horse by observing the impairments, dysfunctions and performance. However, unlike veterinary exams, a physio has no use

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Photo courtesy of Kerry Dawson

Team work makes the

for pathoanatomic diagnostics (x-ray, MRI or ultrasound) to develop their treatment plans. The assessment comes in stages. 1. A dynamic assessment looking at the active physical movement of the horse. This is often done by assessing the horse walking and trotting away and back in a straight line. By doing this the physio will assess footfalls of the horse, ensuring the horse is sound and the gait is even. 2. Next is the soft tissue palpitations, this is done with the horse in a static state with the main aim to mobilize the muscles and breakup any scar tissue. In turn this then helps to remove waste products and increase the speed of recovery, finally releasing muscle tension and improving flexibility. 3. The passive physiological joint assessment, this is done in a static state to give an indepth assessment of the strength and range of movement of all major joints and soft tissues involved when the horse is in locomotion.

"Physiotherapy is the prevention and treatment of injuries by physical nonmedical methods including hot and cold treatments" This assessment is a critical stage in both the production of a pre-habiliation programme and a rehabilitation programme, showing the areas that need to be worked on and strengthened to ensure the optimum performance of the horse can be reached safely.

Water treadmills and swimming are often used to help build streangth of the muscular system without putting pressure and strain on the joints.

obviously vary case by case. But in summary they are developed before injuries occur and aid to prevent them from appearing. Techniques in these programmes involve daily training and conditioning to strengthen the musculoskeletal systems used to aid the performance of the horse. Rehabilitation programmes in contrast still vary case by case but involve using specific exercises that enhance the bodies natural healing processes. These exercises will result in strong but flexible scar tissues that involve the restoration of function to build back up to optimal competition performance. In most instances, these programmes prove very effective with the input from the vets, farriers, trainers and the riders but remember sometimes veterinary and medical intervention is needed to ensure horse welfare is maintained after an injury in the form of diagnostics or pain relief. Postural and spinal abnormalities are now being increasingly recognised as important factors that impacts the performance of the equine athlete. A study in the Equine Veterinary Journal by Mair

Prehabilitation programmes within the horse

These irregularities within the horse can often be signs of pain in specific areas which then result in the alterations of the body and the gait to compensate. Both prehabilitation and rehabilitation can help to stop this pain and reduce or completely eliminate these abnormalities within the horse.

How does biomechanics fit into this

As discussed by Robyn Dunn in a Team GB presentation there are two main muscle chains within the horse, the dorsal-ventral muscle chains. This antagonistic pair of muscle chains include the extensor chain shown in the image below in orange and the flexor chain shown in purple.

Pre-habiliation/ rehabilitation programmes

These two types of programmes, although developed by the same professional, involve working closely with the rest of the home team or competition team. Pre-habiliation and rehabilitation programmes are both used regularly in training plans for performance horses. Personally, my physio has used both on different horses of mine which have been useful and effective.

in 2020 support the information that lameness and gait abnormalities have had an impact on the horse’s performance. This is where the assessment helps to identify small abnormalities and produce a programme to stop these from becoming a big issue.

An ACPAT physio completing a dynamic assesment of and equine athlete

The extensor muscles (shown in orange and mainly zone 1 muscles), make up the ‘top line’ of the horse which riders are always looking to develop. These extend the hip and spine, making them responsible for the power and propulsion of the horse. Greater conditioned muscles equal

physiotherapy

Equine health more powerful movements. Situated along the top line of the horse, starting with the splenius muscle running from the start of the thoracic vertebrate to the first 4 cervical vertebrae at the poll. Leading on to the longissimus dorsi running from the withers to the points of the pelvis attaching to every vertebrate along the way. Linking into the gluteal muscles, the largest, most powerful but also most gymnastic muscles in the horse alongside the hamstring muscles used for extension of the hip and stifle during propulsion and jumping.

"Physiotherapy can have many benefits for horses at any level and discipline, but it is an essential part of the jigsaw puzzle that is training and managing performance horses" In contrast to the extensor chain, is the flexor chain of muscles lining the underside of the horse. These flex the hip, raising the withers and lowering the head giving the desired ‘outline’. Mainly made up of zone 1/2 muscles they provide support and posture. Starting with the stenocephalic muscle, originating at the poll and connecting just below the point of the shoulder, they bring the head down, flexing the neck and pulling the forelimbs forward in movement and supporting the jaw. Next leading onto the abdominal group of muscles, that aid breathing and work together to create the desired lift, useful when doing raised pole exercises. The llipoas muscle group attaches to the lower side of the lumbar spine and pelvis contributing to hip flexion and movement of the pelvis. Finally leading to the tensor fascial muscle running towards the stifle. This is the main hip flexor used when bring the hind limbs forward. All these groups are important and will be continuously developing through the training of performance horses.

Types of physiotherapy

After the consultation. a range of physiotherapy techniques will be added to the programme to build a wide range of muscles and flexibility. These include;

physiotherapy

•

Manual Therapy (manipulative therapy), applied passive or active movement used to manage mobility of the muscles, neurological tissues and joints.

•

Cryotherapy, the application of cooling agents to the affected body area up to 72hrs post injury.

•

Heat therapy, this is used in opposition to cold therapy and from 72hrs after injury.

•

Passive range of movement, exercises moving joints without weight bearing muscle contraction.

•

Balance therapy, weight shifting therapy to improve balance.

•

Treadmills, used to strengthen muscle, increase range of motion providing cardiovascular and endurance benefits.

•

Hydrotherapy, providing buoyancy to reduce weight bearing on the limbs, increased and equal hydrostatic pressure on all surfaces to increase the range of motion and providing resistance to increase muscular strength.

Conclusions

plan for every different horse with unique needs to maximise their performance. They target and develop specific muscle chains within the body to achieve the optimum ridden efficiency and agility to meet the demands of the sport. This can be done through a range of different types of therapy with ranging difficulty and with the aim at reaching different goals. Finally, as an International Endurance athlete, I have used many of these therapies to reach my goals in my highly demanding sport. My physiotherapist has completed many prehabilitation and a few rehabilitation plans for my horse, starting years in advance and working back from the goal we are working towards. Working with the Team GB development and management teams for the world championships, I have learnt how important all of the professionals are in the success of the combination and realised how to work as part of this team to achieve the best results possible—and I couldn’t do it without them! So I’ve found my team … have you found yours? Written by Emma Taylor, Horse owner, Endurance GB Young Rider and FEI Athlete at EJT Endurance.

Physiotherapy can have many benefits for horses at any level and discipline, but it is an essential part of the jigsaw puzzle that is training and managing performance horses. A qualified physio will help you to create that individual

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Case Study Holyoake Nightingale (All Rounder)

Sable Name:

Precious

Age:

Breed:

Welsh B

Height:

13.1hh

Discipline Level:

Endurance Advanced

Case History

Within the last 5 years of owning Precious, she has competed in many disciplines at a low level – intro/novice dressage and 70-1m show jumping. Then she started endurance, however, was vetted out once a year close to the end of a season on the same left forelimb lameness. Many vet visits and lameness workups couldn’t figure out where the pain was coming from, which is when we investigated her history; ex-broodmare, had 2 foals at the age of 3 and 4, so a physio was recommended to us. After 1 physio assessment we discovered and rectified the problem, a tilted pelvis resulting from the dismounting of a stallion at a young age was causing a shortening of the left forelimb stride. So, a year and a half off and our physio managed to solve the problem in 25 minutes, she hasn’t been lame since and is now seen regularly. She went on to compete at 2 inter-regional championships; a home international championship; has done almost 700 successful KM’s and has completed her 1 day 80k to reach the advanced level of competition.

Case Study Simeric Sarsour (FEI Endurance Horse)

Sable Name:

Bug

Age:

Breed:

Arabian

Height:

16hh

Discipline Level:

FEI 1*

Case History

Owning Bug now for 3 1/2 years has come with its own challenges, especially ridden. Progressing his ridden career has taken time, when he came, he was at walk under saddle. He is now walk, trot, canter and can jump up to 1m, but some behavioural traits have been discovered and through working with my coach and my physio these are becoming easier. Riding forward when schooling has been the biggest issue, hacking or out competing is not a problem but with my physio’s rehabilitation programme and stretching and pole work exercises he has become more supple, less resistant, and has a longer stride because of it. He is seen every 6-8 weeks with assessments throughout the year at events by the Team GB management to make sure the plans are on track and changing parts of the training plans as we go along to increase his performance and get us to where we want to be.

physiotherapy

Training

Traffic training the

young endurance horse

raffic training with Tom Mitchell (Equine Behaviouralist) and Karl Greenwood (Confidence Coach). Getting a young horse well used to traffic is an important part of their education. Indeed we need to prepare our horses for all sorts of traffic, including those individuals that drive too fast and too close. Frustrating as it is to meet these types of drivers, they are out on the road, so you need to be ready for them. We cannot control the sort of drivers we are going to meet or dogs that might run alongside or the weather, but we can control our own behaviour and that of our horse. Whilst situations may arise that cause us as riders a degree of anxiety, we should try not to indulge those feelings. Instead we need to accept the nerves and adrenaline but keep calm and focus on giving clear guidance to our horse. This can be easier said than done but the reality is that when we really have to be in control of our emotions and if we are determined, then we can do it. Some of us behave confidently quite naturally and some of us fake it, however if we are behaving with confidence then our horse will see us as such.

can be the predator and the vehicle is the prey. The horse is encouraged to ‘chase’ the vehicle away. Start with the vehicle parked in the centre of the arena with the engine off. Work the horse in circles around the stationary vehicle. In order to give the horse a break, turn and face the vehicle with their nose almost touching. Keep working around so that the vehicle becomes the nice place to go for a rest! Make sure you can trot around the vehicle on a loose rein and the horse has no qualms about turning into the vehicle for a breather. The next step is to have the engine on but the vehicle still stationary. As you progress you now introduce a moving vehicle. Start with the vehicle slowly pulling away in front of you and get your horse to follow behind it. Keep tailing the vehicle until the horse is following very closely and with confidence. The next step involves the vehicle approaching head on. Start with a generous gap to the side of 10 metres and gradually reduce this space until it

The Traffic Training Process

traffic training

The same concept can now be applied to vehicles passing from behind the horse. Again start with the vehicle passing wide and slow and then gradually increase the level of challenge. Continue with this exercise until the horse shows little reaction to the passing vehicle. Always follow on and track after the vehicle once it has gone past. When riding out you may prefer to turn and face vehicles approaching from behind. This allows you to face the ongoing vehicle and pass head on. This provides greater opportunity to make eye contact with the driver to request that they pass slowly.

Going solo or riding with a hacking buddy

With the correct preparation a young horse can be taught to hack out alone with confidence. At some point a companion horse may not be available so they need to be able to hack out solo from the start. Once their traffic work is more established a calm and experienced hacking buddy can be introduced. Put the more experienced horse first but continue with the turn and follow technique.

In order to minimise the risks and exert some control over our surroundings the best place to start traffic training is in an enclosed space such as a riding arena. Choose your first vehicle depending on your horse’s level of confidence and experience. You may even just start with a pedestrian and then progress through to a bicycle, a car, a quad bike and a tractor. For each vehicle follow the same pattern so the horse can be taught a workable solution and apply the same solution to each scenario. From the inexperienced horse’s point of view a vehicle represents a potential predator. The vehicle will cause anxiety levels to rise and the fight/flight instinct to kick in. A successful training technique is to allow the horse to believe that they

matches the passing space on a country lane. Start with the vehicle moving very slowly and the horse in halt. As the vehicle passes you turn and follow. Repeat this exercise with the horse in walk. Now repeat again but gradually increase the speed at which the vehicle passes the horse. Make sure you turn and follow with the horse each time. Continue with this exercise until the horse will calmly walk past a moving vehicle through a fairly narrow gap.

Success Story – Billy 12 year old warmblood An example of a tried-and-tested technique where the horse is encouraged to chase a vehicle therefore helping to build confidence.

Billy and his owner Sarah were out hacking when they were hit by a car. Sarah was left with life changing injuries and Billy became terrified of vehicles. Billy was sent to Tom to address his fears. ‘Billy was understandably affected by the trauma

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Karl – In this case the rider has had a frightening experience that is stuck in her mind as a negative image. The rider cannot move on from this even though it may not happen to her again. Instead the rider revisits the incident in her mind every time she hacks out on the road. This is irrational but then brains are not very rational!

he had suffered and we knew this would take several weeks to rebuild his confidence. We started with a stationary tractor and rode around it, turning to face the vehicle for rest breaks. After a few sessions Billy could circle the vehicle in trot on a loose rein and was actively looking to turn in, with his nose to the vehicle, for his rest break. The next stage involved teaching Billy to follow the tractor around at close quarters. Once Billy was comfortable following he was then encouraged to walk calmly as the tractor passed him. Each time the gap got narrower and the tractor got slightly closer until it represented what Billy and Sarah would face out hacking on a country lane. The final stage of tractor work involved Billy walking along a fence with the tractor passing from behind. If Billy shot forward he was turned into the fence. Once the tractor had passed Billy was encouraged to follow it. This carried on for a few sessions until Billy showed no reaction to the passing tractor. Once Billy was fully comfortable with the tractor then the same exercise was repeated with a car, a quad bike and a bicycle. Billy was also ridden around the busy yard car park as vehicles manoeuvred around him. Only after all the ‘boxes were ticked’ was Billy taken out on the road. The courageous partnership of Billy and Sarah is now hacking confidently on the roads.

"It's not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean" - Tony Robbins The above quote is useful because it illustrates the strength of the feelings that we attribute to incidents that happen to us. This rider has developed a phobia of riding on the road and in order to move on with Lady she needs to wipe the emotion from the scene of the incident playing so clearly in her mind. The ‘fast phobia cure’ is a standard service offered by hypnotherapists and in three sessions will allow the rider to remember the incident but without the negative emotions attached to it. This will enable her to be the confident and focused rider that Lady needs her to be.

Tom set up Tom Mitchell Equine Behaviour back in 2016. He has been involved with horses his entire life having been brought up on a farm with ponies, progressing through the pony club, on to eventing and playing polocrosse. Tom took a keen interest in horse training and equine behaviour in his late teens and set about fulfilling a career in that field. Having spent a number of years training with leading experts, he now has his own training facility just outside Ashford in Kent where he takes in starters, horses for further education and with behavioural issues. He also travels the south east teaching and training at people’s homes and yards. Tom has a particularly keen interest in rider confidence and human psychology. If you would like to get in touch with him please visit his website www.tm-equine.co.uk or look up Tom Mitchell Equine Behaviour on social media.

Massive thanks to our two generous contributors who provided all the expertise for this article in our Young Endurance Horse Lockdown Series.

Case Study

Lady is a 5 year old cob who has done limited hacking and gets jumpy with passing traffic, especially traffic approaching from the rear. Lady’s owner had been involved in a near miss on a narrow lane when a speedy driver skidded behind her previous horse before swerving and crashing into a hedge. Although no one was hurt, Lady’s owner is fearful of traffic approaching from behind and is conscious that her fears are now causing Lady’s confidence to deteriorate. Tom - The rider needs to be honest with themselves and understand that they are causing a regression in the horse’s behaviour. The rider should seek the help of an experienced trainer who can ride Lady positively and purposefully in traffic. The rider should hack out with them on a calm, traffic confident horse. This will allow the rider to rebuild their own confidence and also witness Lady behaving sensibly on the road.

Karl Greenwood is an Equine Showman, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Rider Confidence Coach and Author. He has been producing performances with horses in live shows, films and tv for about 15 years. He is now highly sought after to help riders to feel confident about riding their horse and to achieve their goals. Karl can be contacted via www.karlgreenwood. co.uk or his Karl Greenwood Facebook Page. Visit his page and check out the prints for sale of his stunning spanish stallion Luminoso. Prints are being sold to raise funds forLuminoso’s emergency eye treatment

traffic training

Scottish Endurance Riding Club

Some reflections from the

the outgoing Chair, Alison Seggie

s I am about to hand over the reins as SERC Chair in February, I was asked to reflect on my time as Chair and give the wider Endurance GB membership a deeper insight into SERC the organisation. We are a separate organisation with our own constitution and rules but have been affiliated to Endurance GB since its creation. My personal endurance journey started in the late 1980s. I vividly remember hacking three miles to a local ride, completing a 17 mile hilly pleasure ride in snow showers, and then hacking back on my first horse, Blaze, a lovely black cob. I’ve been hooked ever since! I have been involved as rider, crew, ride organiser, Branch committee member, Branch chair, Club management committee rep and now Club Chair and SERC rep on Endurance GB.

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We are a wholly volunteer led and run Club organising endurance rides across Scotland via a network of nine Branches from Orkney in the far north to the Borders in the south, and all corners in between. SERC is a special club where lifelong friendships are created and nurtured. My aims as Chair were to:

•

Grow our membership

•

Particularly encourage junior membership and activities

•

Encourage more members to compete and move through the grading system

•

Continue to highlight horse welfare and the ethos of the Club – ‘to complete is to win’

2019

I took over as Chair in February 2019 and enjoyed a relatively normal and busy first year. Highlights included chairing our first ever Scottish Endurance Equine Welfare Seminar in April at the Royal {Dick} School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, which brought together experts from the worlds of vet science, farriery, physiotherapy, and the governance of top-level competition, with highquality speakers including Dr Tim Parkin, member of the FEI Veterinary Committee, and vet and equine behaviourist Gemma Pearson. A fascinating day from which the audience took away much food for thought. Other highlights included a super weekend of competition at our Seacliff ride near North Berwick, including FEI and national classes and a new venue for the Scottish Championships near

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"My personal endurance journey started in the late 1980s. I vividly remember hacking three miles to a local ride, completing a 17 mile hilly pleasure ride in snow showers, and then hacking back on my first horse, Blaze" Peebles which saw riders from all Branches tackle tough routes in the Tweed Valley through the hilly forests of Cardrona and Glentress, revisiting old SERC routes through Traquair village (a previous Championships and Home International /Celtic Challenge venue). We consulted our members on the important emerging FEI welfare proposals and fed back our views via Endurance GB. We also held a very successful, and by all accounts, fun Young Riders Camp at Mar Lodge near Braemar in late July, with challenging training rides, fun learning sessions, and a 'dook' in a very cold river! In September our interbranch Capercaillie Team competition was held at the Sheeppark ride. In the Highlands, a great venue on the top of a hill overlooking the Cromarty Firth. The Scottish team then brought back some silverware from the Home International and Celtic Challenge at the Red Dragon, including a win in the CC and a close second place in the HI. The team were also awarded Scottish Team of the Year at the Horse Scotland Awards for 2019. We continued our liaison meetings with Endurance GB, and over the course of 2019 finalised a revised Affiliation Agreement. On a personal level, it was my first competitive season with my Highland mare Pabbay. We enjoyed 12 rides ranging from pleasure rides and a superb camp ride, to competitive rides from the Highlands to the Borders. The toughest was our first attempt at 50k and our Bronze Thistle Final (BTF) at the Championships on a challenging hilly course in both torrential rain and hot sun! Neither

Scottish Champions Fionnghuala Paterson and Tannasg Psyonny relax after a sterling effort on the 2-day 160kms

of us were quite fit enough but we did learn lots and got some good fittening work. We got our BTF on our second attempt at the Sheeppark ride in the Highlands in September.

2020

I chaired my first AGM in February. Little did we know then how the world was about to change with the devastating impact of Covid-19 on society, our families, our working lives, and our sport. We invited Prof. Tim Parkin to our AGM to give us an update on the FEI welfare proposals and some interesting insights from his recent research findings. We did manage a few early season rides before everything was halted by a new word in our vocabulary, ‘lockdown’. Priorities changed from organising rides to attempting to keep engaged with and support our members through a variety of on-line activities. Club management meetings moved on-line via Zoom, and our recently

established PR Group rose to the challenge. Additionally, branch committees kept us all connected and engaged virtually via quizzes, photo competitions, on-line learning and via our Club e-newsletter Hoofprint. Our big thing in 2020 was Plan Restart, devised by the PR Group, an eight-week challenge for teams and individuals to complete 160km and a wide variety of weekly tasks, ranging from groundwork challenges for horse and rider to polework and riding targets. Over 150 members took part via 35 teams, including the Desperate Horsewives, Pandemic Ponies and the Unsocially Distanced! We also launched a SERC Instagram page to share positive images of our sport and our members. By the autumn we had devised new Covid ride procedures and were tentatively starting to organise and plan rides. This took time as ride numbers were restricted by Scottish government rules; ride organisers, helpers and landowners were still cautious. One of the positive things

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Scottish Endurance Riding Club to come out of the ‘new ways of working’ was a move towards paperless rides and the introduction of a SERC ride app which has revolutionised how we manage ride admin and results on the day I joined the Endurance GB Board as SERC rep in November replacing Club Treasurer, Constance Newbould, who had ably represented us for a number of years. On a personal level I only managed one pleasure ride on Pabbay. However, on the plus side we focused on our flat work, doing our first ever dressage test aged 54! We have a great set up at our livery yard, Team Oakden near Newburgh in Fife, where facilities include a huge outdoor school with XC jumps and a small indoor school. We get regular sessions with our on-site trainers James and Sarah Oakden. James has ridden at Badminton and Burghley and still competes, while Sarah has a background in showing and dressage. Visiting coaches include Ian Woodhead, who was the dressage coach to the Gold medal winning GB Eventing Team. Check us out on Facebook.

Scottish Endurance 2018 - 2021 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0

No of rides

Total kms ridden

No of participants

% passes

No helpers

Thistle gradings achieved

2018

59225

2476

1468

2019

51680

2134

1392

2020

9040

506

453

2021

30193

1360

695

2018

2019

2020

2021

2021 started slowly as we went into a second lockdown in January. We held our AGM on Zoom, which was well attended, and it was good to see so many members even if just on screen. We ran a Fit to Start programme based on the previous Plan Restart which, again, was very well received as riders tried to get horses fit for a much hoped for season of some sort. To keep minds active the PR Group also ran an Easter Treasure Hunt with prizes from one of the members, Penny Hudson, who runs Dee’s Designs (check them out on Facebook). Grampian and Borders branches managed to run rides in April, but the season didn’t officially open until May for all branches, although unfortunately our Orkney Branch decided to take a break from rides for a year. We also ran some Zoom Chief Steward (the equivalent of Endurance GB’s Technical Steward) training for potential new Chief Stewards, and refreshed the training for existing ones. We currently have a pool of 50 trained Chief Stewards. Our new Covid safe procedures meant a few tweaks to how our rides ran, including no vet sheets and no check-in at the venue, but most riders and helpers seemed to adapt well. To encourage more juniors our Team Chef and Young Rider Champion, Francis Bakker, ran an endurance taster day for the Berwickshire Pony Club which will hopefully lead to similar events. We managed to run more or less a full calendar of events from May to the end of the year, although it was more difficult to source routes, venues and helpers. It was great to be able to run our

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A canine steward helps out ...

Scottish Championships at Longnewton in the Borders. This was the first time many of us were able to catch up face to face with friends and members from other Branches. It was a superb venue, the route was well received, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming you all to Longnewton for the Home International and Celtic Challenge in September this year. In October we took a large well organised team of riders, officials, crew and supporters south to the HI/CC at Cropton. A successful trip with great results, great camaraderie between the teams and lots of good experience for all levels within the Team. A full report was included in the Winter 21 issue of Endurance. On a personal level unfortunately Pabbay suffered suspensory ligament damage in the spring which meant 18 months off work, so we put her in foal to the gorgeous Arab Horse Society (AHS) Premium Ridden Merit stallion Tannasg Ansomrob. Since riding was the only thing keeping my spirits up through Covid, I needed a replacement riding horse, hence the arrival of Balhagarty Sassy Sara, aka Susan, into our lives, a lovely 12-year-old black Welsh/Sports Horse mare with a touch of Arab and warmblood too, a bit

of a dressage schoolmaster. We concentrated on our flatwork and building her fitness and managed to complete five rides last year, including two pleasure rides at the Championships.

Looking ahead to 2022

Looking ahead we are planning for a more ‘normal’ season with a fairly full calendar of 68 rides plus our Scottish Championships. Fourty six of these are competitive rides, including eight 80k rides, and four are multi-day rides. However, a number of our forests suffered significant damage during Storm Arwen in December, so we hope that not too many of our rides will be affected. We are also running our popular Fit to Start Challenge from the end of February to help members and horses prepare for the new season. I am sure our new Chair, Linda Lithgow, will take us forward positively into 2022 and beyond, and I wish her and the new Club Management Committee all the best. For further detail on all our rides go to www. scottishendurance.com/Events/Calendar Written by Alison Seggie SERC Chair February 2019-February 2022, and current SERC Endurance GB Board Member

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Alison and Susan enjoy a canter on the Friday Pleasure Ride

Susan’s debut Championships

We were always planning to go to the Scottish Championships this year, writes Alison Seggie. I always try to volunteer to help at least one day, but I wasn’t sure about bringing Susan (aka Balhagarty Sassy Sara) - it would have been only her second ride and she’d never corralled; however, I bashed on and entered both the Friday and Sunday pleasures, giving her a day off in between. She travelled well, we tacked up and set off to the start with our riding partners for the weekend, Jackie Henderson and her lovely Highland Stram. The queue at the start didn’t bode well as Susan is not keen on standing about, and she wasn’t a fan of the flappy Start/Finish flags either! Started not too bad; however, things went awry at the letter S where a few of us hesitated due to map, markers and talkround not matching up, but Jackie made a quick call back to venue to set us back on track. We were now in a group, which Susan was not keen on, and a few stretches of lovely stubble where horses were coming towards us at speed in the next field did fry her brain! However, we managed to ride home in one piece, even coping with the scary blue pipe. Lots of water on board at the end thanks to crew Kev - Susan is black and absorbs the heat. I was super chuffed with her heart rate of 40, lower than the 42 on the way out. She was rewarded with banana flavoured recovery mash, her new favourite. She took to her corral well, enjoying the grass and thistles, as we headed to the Buccleuch Arms for a well-deserved drink and lovely supper.

On the Saturday Susan chilled in her corral, only a little unsettled when her new friends went out without her. Both Kev and I were helping Kev on the very busy A68 crossing, then part of the venue vet gate team. I enjoyed vet writing including a wee run out to the remote vet gate, which broke the day up. You learn so much from vet writing and our wonderful vets are very generous with their knowledge. I even managed to input the vetting information to our new ride app which is a great asset. Saturday evening saw us at the supper in the marquee - the food was excellent and it was great to catch up with friends from near and far. On the Sunday, we changed tack and headed out at the back of the Pleasure ‘pack’ to see if that might improve things for Susan. And it worked! Much more settled and enjoyable ride on the 24k loop, we hardly saw another horse and Susan and Stram got into a lovely rhythm. We even enjoyed a good few canters. The Sunday ride flowed well with an extra loop adding some nice tracks and terrain. Susan was not keen on what might have been giant hogweed plants in abundance in fields near the river, but by the end of the ride she wasn’t really noticing it! Both Susan and I were much more relaxed, and we even coped with going round a field with a busy tractor and plough.

"You learn so much from vet writing and our wonderful vets are very generous with their knowledge. " photographer, out on course, and our pictures on the Sunday were much more smiley and less forced! We even cantered over the finish line. Back to the trailer for a cool down and then to the vetting, with a heart rate of 50, slightly higher than the friday. However, we did go further and faster, so again really chuffed. All in all, a great first Championships experience for Susan, and a big thank you to all the organisers and helpers. A fantastic weekend, topped off when Jackie and I heard we were part of the Tayside Branch winning Open Team, ably led by young Fionnghuala Paterson and Tannasg Psyonny storming round to win the 160km Championship Class.

A benefit of riding with a farmer’s wife is that she knows the exact speed of the plough so we could time our trot to avoid it! It was lovely to see Kris Clay, our regular ride

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Towing tips

A guide to

Towing Trailers

change in towing law on 16th December 2021 allows anyone with a standard car license to legally tow a trailer up to 3.5T Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM), without the need for them to have passed a test. Previously, a car license holder either had what was generally known as ‘grandfather rights’ (having passed a test prior to 1st January 1997), or they were required to pass a towing test before they were able to legally tow.

How does this impact horse owners?

The towing tests were scrapped in September 2021 in order to free up examiners for HGV test slots, as the UK was in desperate need of more HGV drivers. This in turn is a real benefit to those looking to take their horse(s) out and about in a trailer, as it has removed the cost of a trailer test and also the wait time involved to secure a test slot. A horse owner looking to start towing should know that the 3.5T maximum weight refers to the amount of weight you can legally tow, not including the weight of the vehicle you are towing with.

Is there anything you need to do before starting to tow? Before loading up your horse and hitting the road, there are various things you need to do and be aware of:

Whilst it’s not a legal requirement, getting some lessons when you first start out is highly recommended. Our horses are our pride and joy, there is no benefit to rushing to get them out and not having the experience of towing that you need. There are various factors that you may bypass in the excitement, such as hitching up and unhitching as well as reversing, which can take some time to master. You must find out your car’s Gross Train Weight to confirm the weight your car can

towing tips

actually tow. The gross train weight is the weight of the fully-loaded car plus the fullyloaded trailer and must not be exceeded.. You do not need to contact the DVLA for an updated license. They will automatically update their system to show you are now able to tow, there is no need to send off your license for this to be recorded. When you feel ready to load your horse, why not have a practice without the need to get to a competition or venue by a certain time? Removing these pressures and having a trial run will give you and your horse a stress-free experience and leave you both full of confidence for your next trip.

What else should you consider? If you are looking to purchase your own trailer, consider taking a mechanic with you to ensure the trailer is as advertised. Ask if the person selling the trailer has any service history or tyre replacement history. Look at the floor, ramp, walls, electrics and underneath of the trailer. Pay particular attention to any soft spots on the trailer sides, ramp or floor, especially if the

floor is wooden and not aluminium as in older models. Check hinges on the ramps and jockey door as these can rust and fail, which is not ideal if it happens whilst away from home. If you find the right trailer and decide to go ahead, insurance should be the next thing on your to-do list. There are two types of policy to consider, insurance for the trailer itself for accidental damage, fire and theft and then also trailer breakdown cover.

Let’s talk about Trailer Insurance

At KBIS, Trailer Insurance starts from as little as £67.20 for the year and covers social, domestic and pleasure uses. The exact premium will depend on the value of the trailer itself but you

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can get a quote and insure your trailer online instantly (subject to KBIS being in receipt of the serial or chassis number to be covered for theft). Head there by scanning the QR code opposite. It is important to note that when you are not using your trailer, you must secure it with either a hitch lock or wheel clamp. Make sure you check that the insurance you have for the towing vehicle covers you to tow as trailer policies do not cover third party damages. This is because it is the towing vehicle that is in control of the trailer, rather than it being the trailer itself that would be able to cause any third party damages, like reversing into a fence and breaking it for example.

And what about Breakdown?

Breakdown cover is a really key consideration, as there is nothing worse than the thought of being stuck at the roadside with horses on board and no plan of action as to how you are going to get them safely home again. It is vital to check the breakdown policy you have allows you to tow and will include recovery of your horse(s) if needed. You may find standard breakdown policies will only cover the vehicle, or some may include the trailer too, but if your horses themselves are not included it may be time to look for an equine specific breakdown policy.

Talk to us about Trailers.

Equine Speciﬁc Trailer Breakdown Cover & Trailer Insurance for accidental damage, ﬁre and theft.

The KBIS Trailer Breakdown policy costs £132.08 for the year and even covers your car when you are not towing, replacing the need for multiple breakdown policies for the same vehicle. It includes home start, roadside assistance, and recovery of you, your horse(s), your trailer and your vehicle. If the person sent to fix the issue cannot repair the problem at the roadside, alternative transport will be sent to get you and your horses to a destination of your choosing. At KBIS, we always try to send the same type of transport as you were travelling in originally, as we know some horses can be tricky loaders or have their preferences when they are on the move. There are several other benefits to the policy, such as lost key cover, misfuelling and emergency accommodation (hotel and stabling) if you are stuck over 50 miles away from home. With so many things to consider when towing a trailer, the bottom line is to take your time and ensure you feel confident about the whole process. From towing for the first time to purchasing a trailer, your first trip on the road with your horse to heading out weekly, make sure you have cover for when you need it most. Find out more about our Trailer Insurance and Breakdown Cover at kbis.insure/trailer or call our helpful team on 0345 230 2323.

0345 230 2323

kbis.insure/trailer KBIS Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (300861) KBIS is a Specialist Risk Group Company

nutrition

Stabling

The not-so-great

Indoors

pring rides are just around the corner, yet it’s still chilly out. Our horses likely have a few more months of living mostly indoors and that means more time being exposed to 50 times more inhalable particles than they’re subjected to while living outside. That increased exposure is bad news any time of year and especially as we prepare for the ride season when peak respiratory performance is key to crossing the finish line and getting good reports in the vet boxes along the way. These inhalable particles are the main cause of conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum that affect over 80 percent of active sporthorses, often without obvious symptoms. Some horses have a genetic predisposition for Equine Asthma, but otherwise it's an occupational disease, explains sporthorse veterinarian Emmanuelle Van Erck-Westergren,

horse health

DVM, PhD, ECEIM. "Environment, stresses of training and competition which can lower immunity, and mingling with other horses, are all risk factors for Equine Asthma." The good news is that our horses' environment is something we horse owners can control or, at least, significantly improve by reducing these risk factors.

"Sick Building?"

"Dust" is the innocent sounding description for the main causes of asthma. There's the dust we can see, and the dust we can't see under 5 microns in size and invisible without a microscope. A horse's natural respiratory defense mechanisms can usually handle larger particles. It's the invisible particles that pose the greatest risk because they can evade these defenses and deliver tiny bits of mould, bacteria and other irritants and allergens deep into the lungs.

Unfortunately, even a meticulously maintained yard has loads of microscopic irritants, much of them from forage and bedding. This is why Dr. Van Erck-Westergren includes barn visits in caring for her patients, many of whom are referred for further study when respiratory challenges persist after traditional treatments. "I look at the horse and his environment," explains the partner in the Equine Sports Medicine Practice in Waterloo, Belgium. "We do measurements of dust levels and samples of contaminants. Some are easy to see. Have you seen someone sweep dust from the barn aisle, then stash that in the horse's stall? Or seen mould stains on barn walls or ceilings? "A condition called Sick Building Syndrome exists in human medicine and it can apply to horses, too," she continues. "They may not be coughing or having nasal discharge, but they clearly don't feel well. That can often be linked

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to the number of contaminants growing inside the building. "Horses were designed to live outside, but many horses spend 23 hours a day in the barn. Living inside, they're exposed to 50 times more inhalable irritants! Even if they live outside, if they're getting hay with contaminants, it's still a problem."

Preventative Measures

"Assess and improve your horse's environment," Dr Van Erck-Westergren asserts, offering these four tips for horse owners: 1.

Make sure there's ventilation in the barn. That means circulation and renewal of the air. If there's no renewal, moisture will accumulate and foster contaminant growth. Cobwebs indicate there isn't enough ventilation because spiders won't make them where there's any breeze.

Reduce dust: the fine dust that can be inhaled and lodge in the airways and deep in the lungs.

Look for signs of mould on walls, everywhere and especially on walls near stored hay.

Look at floor mats: specifically, what is growing between and underneath them. Urine accumulation can make it really dangerous and gross. It's awful for horses and people. Stables don't have to be sterile, but they do need to be clean.

Hay & Bedding

Two ubiquitous stable elements, forage and bedding, are major contributors to conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum, which ranges from mild, reversible Inflammatory Airway Disease to Severe Equine Asthma that's gone so far it can only be managed, not cured. Even forage of high nutrient value and that looks and smells clean to a knowledgeable horseman can be loaded with irritants. It’s grown in dirt, harvested with heavy equipment and, often, transported on motorways and stored for long periods. It has bits in it our horses don’t need! Dr. Westergren "strongly advises" all her clients to get a Haygain High Temperature Hay Steamer because it reduces up to 99% of the fine, respirable particles and kills mould, bacteria and yeast in hay. Ample scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of killing the mould that cause irritation and inflammation in the respiratory system. "When it comes to preventative medicine, hightemperature steaming is something that speaks

for itself over time," she continues. "That's why you don't see many Haygain Hay Steamers for sale second-hand. Once horse owners adopt it, they don't go back." As for bedding, first consider flooring that can be disinfected. ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring, by Haygain, is an ideal option that comes with built-in cushion so that bedding is only needed to absorb urine. Less bedding equal’s less respirable dust. Further, ComfortStall’s single-piece TopCover™ prevents urine and other fluids from seeping

through to the stall base, where ammonia odours and bacteria accumulation can add to respiratory risks. For what bedding is needed, wood shavings are good because they contain terpene, a natural antiseptic. Cardboard and paper shavings are cleaner options. Straw, however, can foster bacterial and fungal growth. Article provided by Haygain. For more information, please visit www.Haygain.co.uk.

horse health

Training with

Heart Rate Monitors

his is a BIG subject! Heart rate Monitors (HRM) started to become popular in our sport about 25-30 years ago, and consisted of a simple transmitter, two electrodes and a watch. I got one and was fascinated. I had great fun with it and then started to really look at its technical uses. Endurance for me had already become an exciting sport, coming from a racing and eventing background the sport of ‘happy hacking’ held little appeal, until I tried it. Even at 20 miles suddenly fitness took on a whole new meaning and this little gadget really started to tell me about those fitness levels and lots more.

training

Fast forward 30 years and HRMs have moved on. Speed, elevation, GPS tracking, a whole raft of information to see, keep and use. OntheHoofdt use them on a regular basis at sessions for all disciplines for all sorts of reasons, over the years they have taught me so much and that’s the bit I’d like to share this time.

Do we need one? Well hopefully when you’ve read this, you’ll make a choice for the right reasons. So, let’s look at some of the reasons you might want to invest in one:

Should we rely on one? Never! This is just a bit of electronic kit, your gut instinct is best!

Rehabilitation: The heart can’t lie! Pain equals High Heart Rate generally, so I find using a HRM during rehab is really useful, in particular when increasing work. For instance, when starting trot work or with changes of surface, if you are getting high readings maybe something is not quite right or you’re not quite ready for the next step.

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!

Confidence Boost: You’re riding that spooky

Firstly, a couple of cautionary words:

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Photo courtesy of West End Photography

Heart Rate

youngster and you’re constantly scanning the horizon for the next ‘danger’ it’s interesting to see if the massive spook, snort, or refusal to move forward is accompanied by a nice slow steady heart rate. This might just give you the confidence to be less cautious about your ‘get on with it’ request to your horse. If you’re maybe worried about going a little faster, then seeing a steady heart rate can deflect from the nerves so you can just let your horse get on with the job and you with the riding. General Interest: It’s fun to know what’s happening under you, what your horse is finding easy, hard, exciting etc. I’ve used HRMs with everyone from Pony Clubbers and Riding Clubs to Polo Players and Dressage Riders. Heart rate highs, lows and recovery rates can bring a whole new insight to what you are doing and how much you ask of your horses. Interval and Target Training: This is the serious bit and it’s also where time needs to be invested. In order to use your HRM effectively you will need to know what your horse’s base levels are, without those you can’t monitor improvements effectively. If used correctly you will be able to accurately know when your horse is ‘warmed up’, ready to work, working efficiently in the aerobic zone, working effectively in the anaerobic zone and what makes your horse tick. You need to know what you are aiming at for your horse to be ‘fit for the job’ and you need to understand training zones. Where and how your horse works best within those zones and also understand physiologically what is happening in those zones!

Notes from OntheHoofdt Track Training Sessions •

Aerobic meaning the use of oxygen in the blood to feed the muscles. The aerobic zone varies per horse but is generally estimated to be 150–170bpm. At a higher heart rate than this level the horse goes into the anaerobic zone.

•

Anaerobic meaning the heart is unable to provide oxygenated blood to the muscles efficiently and the muscles then start to use by-products such as lactic acid to work them – work cannot be sustained at this level!

Sustained work in the anaerobic zone results in a build-up of lactic acid causing the muscles to stop working, resulting in fatigue or worse! Racehorses need to work in the anaerobic zone for short bursts because they only race over short distances. The point at which your horse’s heart rate goes from aerobic to anaerobic is called the ‘threshold’. By working your horse for short periods of time anaerobically, which means increasing speed (gallops) or incline (hills) you can extend this threshold. Fitness increases the efficiency of the heart enabling it to pump blood further around for less effort. Recovery times are the key.

Working at Set Speeds

You should really have a fair idea of the pace at which your horse walks, trots and canters. To do this measure a kilometre or a mile on a flat surface using a field, gallops or a good long sandy track. Measure it on a map, or with a car, mark the start and finish, then time yourself at each pace. Allow your horse to get into their usual steady rhythm before reaching the start point of your measured distance. When you have established your speeds using your watch, try doing it without looking at your watch and set yourself a speed to ride at. You will soon get to feel the speed you are travelling at in any given pace. Beware changes in terrain etc will cause a change of pace and speed.

Final Word

Again, it can’t be stressed enough that each horse is different and that using a HRM is a guide and an extremely useful and fun tool, but your instincts and warning signs should always be heeded. As always remember to have fun whilst training – variety is the spice of life. written by Maggie Pattinson of OnTheHoof

"You need to know what you are aiming at for your horse to be ‘fit for the job’ and you need to understand training zones"

Personally, whilst information post training is invaluable, information during work is vital! So even if you just have the basic watch and monitor you can see your highs, lows and recovery. Whatever reason you are using a monitor for you need to know the base levels, ie what’s normal for your horse! Odd readings usually have a reason, for example the electrode may have moved or there may be an anomaly with the heart. I always use a stethoscope to listen before fitting a new horse, if it misses beats for instance it might not record/register. Maybe that fidgety anxious mounting issue really is an issue as well as always bucking into canter or transitions. A High Heart Rate might indicate saddle issues on these occasions!

training

Pre-season prep

Nutrition for Spring

pre-season training Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at Allen & Page Horse Feeds looks at how best to feed these equine athletes to match their energy needs, whatever their workloads this winter.

hether your endurance horse has been enjoying a winter holiday or ticking along with some off season ridden work, the late winter and early spring months are an important time for developing fitness and preparing for the season ahead. Joanna Palmer, nutritionist for Allen & Page Horse Feeds looks at the key role your horse’s nutrition has in ensuring the all-important pre-season training is fuelled appropriately.

A balancing act

Successful feeding of every horse requires owners to match the energy provided in the diet to that required by the horse to maintain an ideal body condition and sustain their workload, whilst ensuring the horse’s essential nutrients, including fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, are also met. In addition, this balanced diet must also meet the horse’s fundamental need to ingest large quantities of forage to fulfil their natural grazing behaviour and maintain a healthy digestive system, all of which will help promote good health and optimise performance.

Low energy requirements

Every horse is different and factors such as age, temperament, workload, how well they maintain their body condition and the quality of their grazing and forage will determine how much energy they require from a feed. During

nutrition

the initial stages of a fitness programme, most horses do not need any significant increase in energy intake, so remaining on their current feed and quantity is ideal, providing it is meeting their energy requirements for maintaining a healthy bodyweight. A nutritionally balanced feed such as Fast Fibre, which has a low digestible energy (DE) level of 8MJ/kg is ideal for horses at rest or in light work as the training season begins. Whilst good doers in light work may not need too much additional energy from a feed, they do need a balanced diet, including quality protein and essential vitamins and minerals to promote all round health, growth and repair. Feeding a high energy diet when the horse’s energy requirements are low at the beginning of the training season is likely to cause unwanted weight gain and possibly lead to exuberant behaviour as the horse simply isn’t using up the energy during light exercise. Always check the manufacturers feeding guide to ensure that you are feeding at least the minimum recommended amount of feed according to your horse’s size and workload.

Meeting higher energy requirements

Often the first change to make to an endurance horse’s diet as their workload increases through spring training is to simply feed more of their current feed to meet the higher energy demand. However, as endurance horses need to achieve peak fitness levels to be able to work at high intensity for long periods, there is often a need to swap to another feed that is more nutrient dense and higher in energy. Allen & Page offers a variety of feeds, with low, medium and high energy options available to suit all endurance horses at all stages of training. Typically, a feed with an energy

A horse’s requirements for nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals will rise as their workload increases. Not feeding enough or not including the right ingredients to meet these nutritional demands can lead to an unbalanced diet and potential deficiencies in essential nutrients which can affect health and performance.

features | endurancegb.co.uk

level of 11MJ/kg or more is categorised as high energy, but not all high energy feeds are the same and some are more appropriate for endurance horses than others. For this reason, it is important owners are aware of the different types of energy available to horses from their diet. Unlike sprinting racehorses who require short, sharp bursts of energy, endurance horses need large amounts of predominately slow release, stamina giving energy to fuel their long-distance exercise. Horses obtain energy from three main dietary constituents, namely fibre, glucose (from starch) and oil. This energy is then stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles and elsewhere in the body as fat. Fibre and oil are good sources of slow release energy, whereas cereals including barley, oats and maize contain high starch levels which provide fast release energy. It is well recognised that too much fast release energy can have a negative effect on some horses’ behaviour, causing them to become over-reactive, sharp and excitable. None of these are desirable attributes for an endurance horse where control and focus during training and competition are vital for success. Feeding a diet that is high in slow release energy is much less likely to have this effect on behaviour, so when looking to increase the energy content of your endurance horse’s diet, avoid cereal based feeds and instead choose one which is high in oil and low in starch and sugar. Allen & Page’s Calm & Condition is a popular high energy feed for endurance horses. It contains predominately fibre and oil ingredients as the main energy sources and is ideal for meeting the slow release energy demands of our long distance equine athletes in hard work. Some fibrous ingredients are termed ‘super fibres’, this means they provide much higher levels of energy than forage and are particularly useful in the diets of endurance horses. Sugar beet pulp is one such ‘super fibre’ that is commonly used in feeds designed to provide slow release energy. A feed like Calm & Condition that incorporates sugar beet will require soaking before feeding which is highly beneficial in increasing an endurance horse’s water intake, helping to keep them hydrated. Feeds like Calm & Condition that are high in oil are more energy dense than traditional cereal based feeds. In fact, oils contain more than twice as much energy as the equal weight of carbohydrates. A high oil diet will help to maximise energy intake without over-feeding, making it ideal for performance horses in hard work who have large energy requirements. Horses digest oil well and when performing aerobically, endurance horses will use up their fat stores as the first energy source, meaning stores of glycogen in the muscles remain available for anaerobic metabolism when short, sharp bursts of energy are required for speed.

Keep a close eye on condition

Keeping your endurance horse at an ideal bodyweight is vital for their health and success during training and competition. Carrying extra weight places unnecessary stress on limbs and organs but being too lean means the horse has no reserves to draw on. Regular assessment of a horse’s bodyweight and condition is an important management tool that every owner should adopt to help ensure you feed appropriately as your horse’s requirements change through the seasons and training stages. Using a weightape to give an estimate of your horse’s weight or an equine weighbridge to give an accurate measurement are great ways of keeping track of your horse’s weight. Most horse feed manufacturers, including Allen & Page, offer yard visits to customers, providing nutritional advice and access to a portable weighbridge. Be sure to make use of this fantastic service! A horse’s weight should not be taken in isolation and instead be used in conjunction with body condition scoring to give an overall measure of weight and condition. Body condition scoring is essentially a hands-on assessment of the amount of fat and muscle covering a horse’s body. Keeping a record of the weights and scores will help you to manage your horse and adjust his diet and routine accordingly.

Forage intake

Whatever your horse’s level of work, fibre should always form the majority of their diet. In late winter and early spring, the nutritional content of grass can be particularly poor as winter reserves have all been consumed and the expected flush of spring growth is heavily dependent on the weather and a soil temperature above 8 degrees. This means conserved forage must continue to be fed, both when stabled and in the field, to supplement grazing to provide the endurance horse with the fibre they need. Fibre is digested in the hind gut, where millions of bacteria ferment it into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) which are used by the horse’s body as a source of energy in the presence of oxygen. This aerobic metabolism is how endurance horses gain most of their energy,

unlike racehorses who predominately work at a higher intensity and need to rely on anaerobic metabolism of glycogen to meet their energy needs. The slow process of fibre digestion means that VFAs continue to be absorbed long after fibre is eaten; this resulting energy is then available to the horse for a long period of time during exercise, perfect for the endurance horse who can be exercising for many hours without access to feed. Fibre in the gut also acts as a reservoir for water and electrolytes – providing vital nutrition for the endurance horse at all stages of training. When grass does begin to grow in the spring, it often does so abundantly and a horse’s energy consumption from grass alone can exceed their requirements, particularly for good doers. Although an endurance horse’s workload will be increasing at this time and will help to use up this extra energy intake, strip grazing, turning out on poorer pasture and the use of a grazing muzzle will all help to prevent the unwanted weight gain that can be detrimental to health and performance. Successfully fuelling your endurance horse’s training from field to competition this spring involves carefully meeting their energy and nutritional needs with appropriate forage and feeds every step of the way. For more information on feeding the endurance horse visit www.allenandpage.co.uk or call the friendly nutrition helpline on 01362 822902.

nutrition

About us

An update

from the office

elcome to our new feature, an update from the office. We thought we would kick off with an introduction to Office Manager Darren and give an insight to his working week. Hi, I’m Darren Butler and I’ve been working in the Endurance GB office for four years now. I am your first point of contact for all queries to do with Endurance riding and as with anything in the horse world, no two days are the same. I’ve written a diary for a ’typical’ week, I hope you enjoy it!

Monday

I get to work for 9am and log onto my account straight away. There are normally emails to answer which have come in over the weekend and so I look at those first and prioritise the tasks. We have quite a lot of overseas members who are in different time zones, so often our correspondence will extend over a couple of days depending on times. This is especially important at the beginning of the year as they all need to update their No Objection Certificates (NOC) for competing overseas (as do UK based riders who want to compete in another country). When I receive a request, I pass it on to British Equestrian who can take up to five days to process it, so it really helps if you give us plenty of notice. Did you know that you must have a different NOC for each country you want to compete in?

Tuesday

I have a catch up today with the Office Director, Shelley Bates. We speak regularly and work out what needs to be done in the week ahead. Whilst most of my work is reactive to people’s requests, I do undertake projects and try to find ways to make the office processes more efficient. I also work closely with John Hudson who gives me regular Clubhouse training to make sure I can support the members. I developed a new system for processing NOCs, that John was able

office update

to implement on Clubhouse and we have also introduced logging overseas FEI ride results so that everything can be stored on the horse and rider Clubhouse record. Despite it only being January, we are already in the planning stages for the AGM as venues get booked up quickly!

Wednesday

I’m working from home today as our office building, which is owned by the Bristish Horse Society (BHS), is still operating under the Government’s work from home guidelines, so we try to minimise office time. However it doesn’t mean that anyone contacting me will notice a difference. I still have full access to all the emails, phones and databases so can action any questions that come in. I have an area set up at home and my partner knows not to disturb me when I’m in ‘work mode’. It does mean I can spend some quality time with my hamsters at lunchtime though!

Thursday

Back in the office today and there are lots of items to post out! Our online shop has all manner of things such as car stickers and extra poly pockets for your logbook folders and it is also the place where you can get FEI passports or update FEI

registrations. This time of year is perfect to check your Mastercards before you start going out to events – do you have a first season ‘green’ card? If so, you need to order a yellow one ASAP and you can do this through the shop. Likewise if you only have a space or two on your well-used yellow cards, these can now be ordered from the shop rather than sending in your old card with a SAE and hoping it doesn’t get lost in the post. It just costs £1 for postage. If you have lost your logbook you can also order a duplicate through the shop.

Friday

It’s the end of the week, and rather than things getting quieter it quite often becomes one of my busiest days. FEI ride entries normally need completing; the competitors enter on Clubhouse and then I transfer the information to the FEI Database and make the entry definite. There are sometimes last-minute requests from members trying to make sure their accounts are up to date so they can enter Endurance GB rides and I do everything I can to help. We do get a number of magazines returned so if you ever move house, please update your address! Phew – time to go home and recuperate! Have a great weekend out riding and enjoying your horses.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

Pony Club

Getting started in endurance

with The Pony Club

getting started

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

is measured by the finishing heart rate. The combination with the highest points wins!

ndurance is one of the nine different competitive equestrian sports on offer through The Pony Club and starting out through your local branch or centre is a great way to get started in the sport. All Pony Club branches and centres are encouraged to have a go at running their own rides – even if just a short distance training ride. Just as with rides run through Endurance GB, the governing body for the sport in England and Wales, endurance riding in The Pony Club involves a ride, usually over open country, along a mappedout route for a set distance with specific speed requirements depending on the distance and class of competition.

You will be surprised at how fast you need to ride to make the lowest permitted speed which is 8km/hour - working trot is around 8 – 10km/ hour).

How do I progress further?

To progress further you can increase the distance of your rides and progress through the ride levels or alternatively you can look to ride the same distance and take part in more organised rides competitively. There are five Endurance ride levels, ranging from Level 1 (Robin) which are rides under 10 kilometres, to Level 5 (Eagle) which are advanced rides over 40 kilometres. Details about each ride level are detailed below:

What’s involved

Endurance riding is for all Pony Club Branch/ Centre Members aged five years and over. The Pony Club is running Endurance as a sport with training rides, competitions and a Championship. You can take part in endurance with The Pony Club on any type of pony or horse. If your pony is in regular work and used to hacking, you and your pony will need no special fitness training or equipment to get started.

Starting out

Level 1 and 2 are entry level training rides. Moving on up, if you are capable of riding for two hours or more, and you ride at least three times a week including some canter work, then you and your pony should be able to manage a Level 3 ride. When you and your pony become fitter there are further distances at Levels 4 and 5 that are well within the capability of the average Pony Club Member.

Going to a ride

Once you have entered your first Pony Club endurance ride, you will receive a map of the route a few days before the competition to study carefully and measure in order to plan the ride pace and finish in time. There will be checkpoints and stewards along the route and most competitive rides also require the horse or pony to be 'vetted' before and after the ride. The vetting for the ponies participating includes a trot up for soundness, a check on feet and shoes, and a heart rate check. You gain points from a formula based on the speed ridden and the fitness of your pony which

Pony Club Members can take part in Endurance through rides organised by Branches and Centres, or they can access rides organised by national governing bodies; Endurance GB (EGB), Scottish Endurance and the Irish Long Distance Riding Association, which qualify for the Endurance Championships! A Grassroots (under 20km) class is held each year at the Pony Club National Endurance Championships – you only need to have done 1 qualifying ride to enter! It’s not a Championships class, but you get to experience the atmosphere

and take part! Endurance GB runs two types of ride – all can be used for Pony Club National Championships Qualification. Endurance GB Group Rides are organized by the local Endurance GB groups. These are lower key rides where you just tack up and go! Distances are usually short from 10km to 25km. Endurance GB National Rides are the competitive rides that attract riders from all over the country.

getting started

Pony Club They have several classes of various distances typically starting at 20km. Longer distances are on offer to the more experienced combinations: 30km, 40km, 60km and up to 80km. These rides are different from the group rides in that you have to present your pony to the onsite farrier before the ride to check their shoes and feet are OK to proceed. You then take your pony to the onsite vet who takes your pony’s heart rate, checks hydration and gut sounds. You then trot up your pony in-hand over 20m there and back so that the vet can verify that they are sound. This ‘vetting’ happens again within 30 minutes of your return from the ride. You ‘pass’ your ride if you complete within the permitted time and your pony is still sound, and importantly the heart rate is below 64 beats per minute.

Aiming for the Championships?

Every year The Pony Club stages The Pony Club Endurance Championships. These are held at a major Endurance GB Ride and in 2022 will take place at The British Horse Feeds and Golden Paste Red Dragon Ride in Wales, a spectacular ride over the Cambrian Mountains with its prestigious venue at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells. To qualify for the Championships horse and rider must have successfully completed three rides of the appropriate distance and within the correct speed. This does not have to be the same combination of horse and rider as long as both have completed the three qualification rides.

"Pony Club endurance is an ideal way to get into endurance if you have not done it before,” said Hannah. “Once I tried endurance there was no looking back as it’s a great sport where you can really get to know your horse better. I would encourage all young riders to give it a go.”

These rides must have been achieved since 1st September in the year before the Championship and at least one must have been completed during the current year. It is quite permissible for Branches/Centres to run their own qualifying rides and employ their own vet, use an approved Pony Club Official or responsible adult.

Elise Hayzen

Hannah’s choice

Hannah Maskell became the youngest rider to win Endurance GB’s (EGB) supreme champion trophy at the age of 15 in 2014, having also won the Endurance GB Young Rider Championship at Cirencester that summer. Hannah, now 22, has gone on to have a successful career competing internationally. She started endurance riding with the Whaddon Chase branch of The Pony Club and affiliated with Endurance GB in 2011 to increase the distances she could compete in. Her Supreme Championship winning partner was Joyce’s Choice (aka Jimmi), a 16hh Irish Sports Horse, not the typical endurance horse, proving that endurance can be for any breed or size of horse and pony.

getting started

Elise was recently featured as ‘pony of the week’ on the Pony Club Facebook page cementing her position as one to watch out for in the future. She began her journey with the Wilton Hunt Pony Club and Mid South branch. Despite only recently turning 8 years old she is has done several 20km rides in the last year and already plans to up the distance to a 60-70km ride this year in her first year competing in Endurance. This will all be done on her pony Shadow who is a 5 year old 12hh Welsh section A mountain pony that she has owned for 18 months. Other goals for the coming season include learning to ‘trot up’ by herself, to do at least one Endurance ride a month and to begin doing more jumping in canter not trot.

"It’s important to make sure your pony is fit so you have to ride at least a few times a week and be able to trot and canter for 2 hours"

Elise said of endurance riding: ‘’ I think it’s a great way to spend lots of fun times with your pony. It’s important to make sure your pony is fit so you have to ride at least a few times a week and be able to trot and canter for 2 hours.’’

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

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Futurity evaluations

2021 British Breeding's

Futurity Evaluations 34

breeding

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Above: 2021 Gold Premium colts, chestnut Elektrik Akhdhar and Voltage Akhdhar with dams

hat opportunities do Endurance breeders have while they wait for their youngsters to mature? Preparing them for the Futurity Evaluations provides a welcome challenge for an increasing number of owners. The Evaluations are run by British Breeding (BB) who took over from the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) a few years ago – with a slightly different awards system. In separate classes, specialist judges assess foals, yearlings, two-year olds and three-year olds, in four separate divisions. Endurance is one, alongside Eventing, Dressage and Show jumping, with a separate section for Sport Ponies.

useful comments on the score sheet. The totals then give the result, Elite being the highest, then Gold Premium and Silver. Jo Claridge, the Endurance Futurity Evaluator, concedes that 2021 was yet another difficult year for the Futurity with only 11 entries, one in the flesh and 10 virtual. “However, the quality of these young athletes demonstrated their excellent potential for competing in Endurance,” says Jo. “They included a highly sought-after Elite, five Golds and five Silver awards. There were five foals, three yearlings, two two-year olds and one threeyear old, slightly down on the last two years.”

This brings the total evaluated for Endurance to 216 since the scheme started in 2009. Of these, 36 have been foals, 47 yearlings, 59 two-year olds and 74 three-year olds. They have achieved eight Elite, 66 Higher Golds/Firsts, 95 Lower Golds, 43 Silver and four Bronze Awards. Since 2009, Elite Awards have been won by three foals, a yearling, two two-year olds and two three-year olds. “Tracking the progress of those horses that have gone on to compete in Endurance rides has been fascinating,” confirms Jo. “The Phoenix Field Futurity Graduate Scheme has awarded 148 rosettes to 61 horses which have progressed from Futurity Evaluation to compete within Endurance GB and internationally,” explains Jo.

In what has been one of the few positive outcomes of Covid, the organisers have expanded the scheme to allow virtual assessments, in addition to attendance at venues around the country. The move is especially welcomed by owners of mares with foals at foot as they no longer have to transport them away from home. It has also opened the scheme to owners in the furthest corners of Britain as they can now send in their entry by video Whether an entry is in the flesh or by video, the assessors and a specialist vet closely analyse the youngster from all angles while it stands still, then at the walk and trot in hand, then at all paces moving freely in an arena or small paddock. They award marks out of 10 for each pace, and also body score for condition, and provide very

Two-year old Silver Harmony, the only 2021 entrant in the flesh. Photo Rachael Holdsworth

breeding

Futurity evaluations Currently, there are 12 Futurity graduates at Novice level, 22 at Open and 26 at Advanced. 12 of these have competed at FEI level. “Some wonderfully talented horses have been bred in this country and thanks to British Breeding including the Endurance discipline in their Evaluation, breeders and owners are encouraged to keep producing high quality competitors,” asserts Jo Claridge. So congratulations to Laura Pyke on an outstanding success with her Anglo Arab colt foal Vlacq Dizzy Rascal, by the stud’s Vlacq Zibac who achieved the only Elite in the 2021 Endurance division. “Everyone who met Dizz as a foal was impressed by him,” says Laura. “Unfortunately, there was no Futurity venue close to us, so we filmed (in the wind and rain) and made sure we had all the angles and information the panel needed. “It's a lot of work, and I suspect the virtual entrants are watched and re-watched more closely than their in-the-flesh counterparts. “Even if you plan to go to a venue with your youngster, run through the checklist for the virtual evaluations,” advises Laura. “It will help you, as the handler, to understand what the panel need to see, and what they are looking for to ensure accurate scoring.” Just one Endurance youngster came forward in the flesh, at the Exeter venue. Rachael FarleyClaridge’s home-bred two-year old Arab Silver Harmony gained a Gold Premium – as she had done as a yearling – proving the ability of her sire, Silver Zenif, to produce quality foals to follow in his endurance hoof-prints. Rachael noted the judges’ assessments of paces, at the walk as “Clear and fluent”. Rachael adds: “Harmony has the ability to navigate 20% Cornish hills with ease as a two-year old which bodes well for the Red Dragon!” Leading the three-year division with a Gold Premium was Gadebrook Blade, a strong Arabian gelding, now owned by champion rider Susan Hawes of Nightingale Farm Endurance Susan comments: “I bought Blade from his breeder, Anne Brown, last year as a potential endurance horse. I really enjoyed getting him ready for the virtual Futurity and am sure that the handling he received will pay dividends when it comes to backing him later this year. When

breeding

Colt foal Vlacq Dizzy Rascal, awarded the only Elite in the 2021 Endurance Evaluations

British Breeding provides an Equine Bridge for Endurance horses in 2022, I would very much like to participate. “I am a great believer in the value of the Futurity scheme as an indicator of true Endurance potential. “For example, Blade’s half-brother, Kaalif (both out of the Crabbet Arabian mare Palma Benay, imported from Australia) was the leading Futurity two-year old and three year-old in the Endurance section in 2012 and 2013 and went on to win the Arab Horse Society’s performance horse championships in 2019, plus the Farenza Cup for Junior Endurance rider, Victoria Ward. “My Advanced endurance horse, Samba B (Sambist x Jazmyn) was awarded a Higher First Premium in both 2013 and 2014 and was also the leading two year old Futurity Endurance horse in 2014. Both Blade and Samba B are clearly destined for great things as their Futurity results indicate!” Futurity debutante Esther Groen entered two colt foals in 2021, with great success, both gaining Gold Premiums. Anglo Arab Voltage Akhdhar earned a score of 8.6; full Arab Elektrik Akhdhar scored 8.525. “When my Arab stallion Watt du Colombier's first two foals were born last year, I really felt this was the time to enter. Travelling to a venue with mares and foals was not an option so I appreciated the virtual route. I have very basic facilities just fields really - and not much experience in how to present horses. The going on slippery grass did not show the foals as well as an arena surface would have and the JCB working in the background didn’t help. I had few people to help and limited camera skills so I knew I could not show the foals’ full potential. Nevertheless, I thought the quality they have was visible enough.” Leading endurance rider and breeder Kirsty Wiscombe has supported the Evaluations for

Gadebrook's yearling winners of Gold Premiums at 2020 Evaluations

a number of years. She shares some of the subsequent success: “Yawl Hill Big Yin was a Futurity graduate and gained an award at the British Breeders Awards Dinner as did two more of my home-bred endurance winners, Yawl Hill Maverick and Yawl Hill Pollyanna. “Polly has done three FEI 2 stars and Maverick was the highest scorer of all disciplines at The Grange evaluations and was the leading Endurance progeny. He has done the 160km at Red Dragon and a 120km FEI 2 star.” I also regularly put my youngsters forward for evaluation, including the 2019 Reserve Leading Endurance horse, my three-year old Arabian stallion Hadiya. He had already covered three of my mares at Gadebrook Stud, so I entered the foals, by video in 2020. All three gained Gold Premiums. Proof of the pudding! Written by Anne Brown

features | endurancegb.co.uk

The categories are dressage, showjumping, eventing and, in our case, endurance. This assists breeders such as ourselves to make breeding decisions for the future, based upon the evaluation. We decided to enter Gifted Spirit SBM at the last moment in August 2021 as there were so few suitable shows for him last year. We literally brought him in from the field and ‘put him in at the deep end’ so to speak, submitting the first videos – walk, trot, canter both in-hand and loose, and photos of conformation that we took, raw and uneducated as he was.

Gadebrook's yearling winners of Gold Premiums at 2020 Evaluations

Gifted Spirit is impeccably bred. He has good conformation, clean limbs, superb effortless movement and a very nice temperament.

e were delighted to hear on New Year’s Eve that our June 2020 yearling colt Gifted Spirit SBM was the top scoring yearling in the 2021 British Breeding Virtual Futurity – especially since another of our 2020 foals, Carlangelo SBM ( Lothar el Nyhl (BR) x Angelita by Vodofon Kossack (NL)) had been the top scoring foal in the Endurance category in the 2020 Virtual Futurity. They are stable mates from our 2020 foal crop (three colts).

His sire is Wortex Kalliste (FR), an international multi-champion in-hand stallion who is a grandson of ‘the Champion Maker’ WH Justice and who also carries the great Balaton and Kubinec Russian bloodlines.

The evaluators describe Gifted Spirit SBM as "a nice type for endurance, showing effortless movement and fluency" At SBM Arabians, located on the northern fringe of Dartmoor, we have pure bred Arabian horses with bloodlines from around the world including Russia, Poland and elsewhere. We focus on breeding our own horses and many of those which we have bred are now themselves breeding youngstock. We show our horses in hand whilst they are still young so that they can get experience of the outside world. Whilst we have had a great deal of success (the third colt of our 2020 foal crop - Dancing Mirage SBM - was the British National Champion Yearling Colt at the 2021 AHS National Show), not all of our horses will be the right ‘fashion’ type for showing because for us, conformation and

particularly movement is paramount rather than ‘china display cabinet’ looks. We cannot retain all the horses that we breed, so if our homebreds have not been sold as youngstock, we arrange for them to be backed at between 4 and 6 years and we then offer them for sale for performance (ridden / endurance) careers. Most recently we sold four of our lightly backed homebreds to endurance homes. A few years ago we even sold one of our homebred colts to the State Stud of Pakistan.

His dam, Hadiyya SBM, bred by us, has been lightly shown and at her last show the judge enthused upon her potential as a ridden / endurance prospect. She is sired by Psadisho ibn Esstashan ( Padrons Psyche). Her dam is Tosca de Forgehill (FR) ( Matador x Traviata) bred from prominent Russian ridden / endurance lines, whom we purchased from a well known endurance yard. Her grandsire was Drug (RASB), the only pure bred Arabian to have been both European champion racehorse and European champion halter horse in the same year - and for 2 years running. Naturally we hope that Gifted Spirit SBM will become a credible endurance prospect for the future. In summary we would say follow your instincts in breeding. Following fashion does not necessarily produce the equine which you hope for. Sarah and Peter Howard, SBM Arabians

breeding

Kings Forest

The Kings

Forest Ride

ride review

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

f you’ve never ridden at The Kings Forest and it’s been on your bucket list, or on the periphery of your radar, throw the pencil away and grab the pen now, turn the diary to 9th and 10th April and write it in capital letters. The reason I say all this is time may be running out. Following the summer ride of 2019, where Kings' 25th was celebrated, after a perfect day of riding and with the warm evening summer sun setting over the prize giving, a bar and BBQ and much merriment, there was the realisation that some of us had been involved with this ride for a quarter of a century! In a strange way it seemed like the perfect time to stop how could this ride get any better? To me it encompassed every distance and combination that endurance could offer, from the 16km pleasure route to the 160km FEI 3* event with everything in between. Some competitors competing in multi day classes, some as a family and some with their eye on the results from the Spring ride, to be coupled with the Summer ride, to win The Kings Cup. Convinced by competitors and officials alike that this muchloved ride should not end at this point it was full steam ahead for 2020, with everything booked and a lot paid for and with only a few weeks to go it all came to a grinding halt. The summer ride was also cancelled but then there was a small window where it looked as if it could be resurrected in the autumn but then it was the turn of the Forestry to say no. The preparations for 2021 were a lot more cautious but once again it was a no-go for the Spring and Summer rides. The Forestry had agreed that I could run a ride at the beginning of August, purely as an FEI ride, but the Board felt it was too close to Keysoe and Well Vale so that ride too was a non-starter. So, to 2022. Preparations are now under way and already the jumping of hurdles has begun. The application has gone into the Forestry and initial comments, many of them in a code form, have been received. For example, "proposed route incorporates a lot of SPA habitat coupled with 40 participants will require an HRA. Areas mapped on GIS cannot be used. Scheduled 1 birds whose nesting attempts failed in 2021 may try again this year, could be last minute route changes, application could get quite difficult, you may be in for the long haul….". This coupled with the increase in Forestry charges, which Endurance GB are trying hard to resolve, the need for Endurance GB rides to break even, extra FEI rules and requirements to adhere to and the combined age of Paul and myself being 135 things are not going in the right direction! Why do I do it I ask? The answer is easy and anyone who has ever ridden at Kings will vouch

Quotes from Endurance GB Members Alice Ingram: 'Kings Forest Endurance has something for everyone, from pleasure rides through to world class FEI competition, which very few venues can combine so successfully. If Carlsberg designed endurance tracks, Kings Forest would probably be the best in the World. Many a champion has made their name here' Annie Joppe: 'I go to Kings as often as possible as the route and organisation are superb. The ride must have the best going in the country which is ideal for progressing my horses through the levels.'

for its perfect going, miles and miles of grass or sand tracks, no gates, no road work, no mud, no stones, fantastic marking – so no getting lost! it really is THE most perfect place. The multitude of tracks has enabled each loop to follow a different route keeping the pleasure riders away from the race riders. The venue is spacious and facilitates camping, corralling, stabling, a huge hold area and a well-prepared vetting area, and from a crew's point of view it must be heaven with all crew points on one of two roads, all with ample parking space. The venue is easily accessible from good A Roads and motorways and accommodation is in abundance. An exceptionally warm welcome awaits all of the ‘regulars’ and if you haven’t done it then this is the year to have a go!

Nicki Thorne: 'Kings Forest has to be ranked as one of the best rides within the U.K. - at any level of competition. For me the mixture of excellent organisational skills by Dianne and Paul Luke and their family, who have put their heart and soul into this ride for many years really shines through. The course is absolutely fabulous with gorgeous forest tracks and trails winding through ancient forests, it’s a joy to ride. Whether you are aiming at a first Novice 20 kms or looking to really race at top international FEI level this course never disappoints. As you can tell I love riding here. The forest has a magic all of its own. I have been lucky to compete here regularly and enjoyed great success with top 3 placings at FEI level and equally used it as a platform to bring on the young and novice horses, all of whom have benefited from the experience' Tracey Chilvers: 'Having ridden the Kings Forest for over 25 years, I can honestly say it is one of the best venues for endurance riding. The organisation and location of the event coupled with the fantastic forest terrain makes for some of the best going on the Endurance GB calendar'

ride review

Claire Fowler

introduction to endurance

t was during the summer of the Covid lockdown in 2020 I received the devastating results that my young Welsh cob had Myofibrillar Myopathy, a genetic muscle disease (pssm2). This undoubtedly put paid to the endurance dream I had with him. So I had to search again for a new riding partner. But what was I going to go for? I enjoyed a couple of Endurance GB pleasure rides on Reg, a little gypsy cob project I had, but going back to a cob was not on my agenda. I had thought maybe I might own an Arab one day, long after having the best years and fun on my Welsh cob but that never even got started! Not many horses were initially on the market during that weird summer of 2020 but I went to view a 9 year old ex-racing Arabian who was turned away as there was no racing. He seemed rather anxious and I didn’t ride him but I watched, in awe of him, floating with ease and grace around a round pen. I looked in his eye, and I felt something really strong, something I couldn’t explain. We left but I knew I had to have him and I brought him home a couple of weeks later, having never owned an Arab

claire fowler

let alone an ex-racing one! He is B Wing (By Benamer (Amer) x On The Wing (Wiking)) and is a beautiful bay Arabian. I knew then this was my long-awaited opportunity: we had to throw ourselves into endurance and I spent autumn and winter of 2020 getting to know him and gently rebuild fitness. At the beginning of 2021 I registered myself as a full member and B Wing as a competition horse. We started our first season very excited and nervous at the same time. We had a very rocky start as he was very tense at the events, great on the actual rides, but would then fail on final HR. Amazing advice was given to me from experienced Arab owners and Endurance GB members to whom I am eternally grateful! I took their advice, upping the distance and we then started to get those grades - G3 at Wareham 40k then a G1 at Bonham 35k. Sadly the final ride of our season Rufus was cancelled just when everything was falling into place. There was a lot to learn starting out as a complete novice to endurance myself and I realise I have an amazing horse, a little Ferrari!

Claire Fowler receiving her award at the Wessex Awards Dinner from Alice Porter of Equine Products. Now I am looking forward to our second season in 2022 and I am looking forward to the challenge of us moving forward from Novice to Open. Remembering our first 40k the distance seemed so daunting, but we did it and did it so well. It is on these occasions that you start to see and believe in the possibilities of longer distances. That’s what drew me to endurance, the bond with your horse, being out in open countryside and the personal challenge it gives you is just as much very rewarding. Last Saturday was the Wessex Group 2021 Awards Dinner and B Wing and I came away with a hat trick of novice runner-up rosettes! Considering we had a predominantly rough start to the season with persistent fails it was a surprise to be awarded anything!! I am so very proud of B Wing and of our relationship and we’ve only just begun. Fingers crossed this season we take off from where we finished last season – flying!

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Marcel Perrett

My unscheduled

Lavenham ride

Lavenham Endurance

Relaunched

he Lavenham Endurance 2022 edition will treat horses and riders to some of the most iconic tracks on the Endurance GB Calendar alongside a competitive and professional environment that the new OC, Lauren Hirst and Anna Bridges, are set on bringing to the forefront. ‘We are really excited to be given the opportunity to continue the Lavenham legacy from Heather’ commented Lauren. ‘I’ve ridden here on multiple occasions and can honestly say it’s one of my favourite routes to ride, lots of canter opportunities and beautiful views. Running in May will ensure there is plenty of give in the ground, but dry enough to enjoy the tracks at their best.’

on our website and social media pages to keep up to date with news, competitions and event details’ said Anna. ‘This is a long-term project for us, we really want to nurture top level competition with horse welfare and high officiating standards at the top of our priority list; but equally, we want everyone to feel welcome and encouraged that there really will be something for all, so come and join us, you’ll only regret it if you don’t!’ Web: www.lavenhamendurance.com Facebook: Lavenham Endurance Instagram: @lavenhamendurance

Endurance GB Rides

Major Endurance GB rides planned for 2022 include:

26th March Roadflash Hayward Oaks Ride 1* FEI + 80km CER + supporting classes.

9th - 10th April Kings Spring FEI 1-3* + 80, 100, 120 & 160 CER + supporting classes

23rd - 24th April Pembrey Country Park Welsh Championships + supporting classes.

13th May Royal Windsor Horse Show

With distances ranging from 20km through to an 80km CER, there will be something for all competitors to enjoy. With the introduction of Performance Formula Rankings through all GER classes, a Farrier’s Award, a Best Turned Out Award and of course, a coveted Best Condition Award in the 80km CER and GER there will be plenty to celebrate. And in keeping with the celebration theme, all riders, crews and officials will be invited to Lavenham Endurance’s Sunday Shindig, an opportunity to reminisce about a brilliant day of endurance with food, drink and music a-plenty!

21st - 22nd May Golden Horseshoe 160km + supporting classes

19th June Dialstone Northern Championships + supporting classes.

SERC RIDES

‘We’ve got some incredible sponsors onboard for Lavenham Endurance 2022 – keep an eye

Major SERC rides planned for 2022 include:

BE THE FIRST! First 15 entries will be entered into a draw for FREE camping and corralling

May (TBC) Tentsmuir, near St. Andrews, Fife 14th - 15th May Eildons, near Melrose, Scottish Borders 27th - 29th May Dinnet, near Aboyne in Grampian 19th June Cawdor, near Nairn in the Highlands

lavenham & ride list

Obituaries

Remembering those lost

along the way

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.

Adam Brown

Adam Brown, beloved husband of Cathy, passed away peacefully at home on the 17th September after a long illness. Despite not having a natural affinity with horses, Adam was an avid and enthusiastic endurance supporter and crew member for Cathy in the UK and all over the world, especially in France, where they lived for many years and where Adam worked for Airbus in Toulouse for over 30 years.

Silver Zourra – 2001 - 2021 It was with great sadness that Silver Zourra lost her lust for life on 2nd July 2021. Zourra gave birth to a colt foal text book style in the early hours of 1st July but sadly things went horribly wrong 24 hours later and Zourra was put to sleep late on 2nd July 2021. Zourra’s colt foal has had quite a struggle to survive and spent his first 10 days in an equine hospital, but six months on he is with us strong, fit and well, with a very attentive step-mum, my old mare Jaz. Zourra was a mare to be reckoned with both in competition and at home. She has left an enormous hole in our lives but I am honoured to have shared many exciting moments with her

obituaries

and so glad she chose to share them with me. She enjoyed her endurance career more than any other horse I have had and looked upon it as pure competition with only one outcome – to win. Zourra left life as she always lived it – in a hurry and with a bit of trauma thrown in – perhaps just a bit too much this time. She will always hold a big place in my heart and has left a magnificent reminder of her - strutting around the field is a stunning chestnut colt with just a touch of a look about him of Mum – big shoes to fill! Nicky Sherry

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk