your
horse
news report
What went wrong? The truth behind the fall that ended Oliver Townend’s dreams of securing a Grand Slam in Kentucky and left him unable to defend his Badminton crown Investigation by Rebecca Gibson 26 YOUR HORSE
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liver was two-thirds of the way round the 2010 Rolex Kentucky cross-country course on his second ride, Ashdale Cruise Master, when he suffered a horrendous rotational fall that could well have proved fatal. What’s most shocking about this accident, though, is that it happened at a fence specifically designed to prevent such falls. So what went wrong? Oliver’s horse left a foreleg behind at the 20th fence, named The Hollow. The horse’s head pitched down over the four-foot rail, he rotated through the air and landed on
top of Oliver, who was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken collar bone, shoulder, sternum and four ribs. The horse was uninjured. Oliver recalls nothing after taking off at the fence but suspects his horse spotted the drop on the other side as he took off. This distraction could have been enough to cause him to back off and catch his leg. Indeed two other riders – Kristi Nunnink and Tara Ziegler – had already suffered similar falls at the same fence. But this fence was fitted with frangible pins, designed to break and drop the fence in the event of a horse falling, so why didn’t the pins give way in any of these three falls? The fact that the fence failed to drop surely raises serious questions about the effectiveness of frangible pins. Well, not according to British Eventing national safety officer Jonathan Clissold. He works with the FEI and course builders around the world to help make eventing safer and was able to shed some light on why the pins at The Hollow may not have given
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Oliver Townend was lucky to escape with his life when he suffered a rotational fall from Ashdale Cruise Master in Kentucky at a frangible pin fence
pics: Press Association
info What are frangible pins? Frangible pins are now an integral part of fence safety around the world. Back in 2001 the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) analysed 100 accidents including 75 cross-country fences and 25 show jumping fences. It found that the potential for a crushing injury was related to the rotating motion and landing angle of the horse. A landing angle of more than 90 degrees was considered to provide a significant risk of crushing injury to the rider. It was found that this happened when the horse hit a fixed obstacle between his knee and elbow. Below this the horse was able to scrabble over – but above this and the horse stayed behind the fence with the rider staying seated or ejected over the fence. A mathematical model was developed and a full-scale crash test horse was used to simulate
the load conditions between a horse and fence. Based on the results of this test programme, TRL realised that if the rail anchorage was designed to break at a controlled load to ensure that the rail would fall, this would remove the vertical load between the horse and the fence. TRL designed a breakable pin that it says has the precise failure strength to allow the rail to drop, thereby stopping the horse from rotating or somersaulting. The pin breaks as the horse rotates, changing the trajectory of the falling horse, causing it to drop down rather than continue rotating. This supposedly means the horse can hit the rail fairly hard without the fence collapsing and still keep his feet, but if the critical load is reached the pin will fail, minimising the risk of injury to both horse and rider.
way. He says: “Frangible pins came about to prevent a certain type of rotational fall where the horse falls slowly over the fence, exerting a vertical load. This is known to be the most deadly type of fall for both horse and rider. There will be no vertical load exerted if the horse falls in such a way that causes him to rotate after the fence and, therefore, the critical load will not be exerted on the pins and they will not break. “A rotation after the fence may occur because the horse is travelling at speed, or if he leaves a leg, as appears to have been the case with Oliver’s horse. In these instances there will be a horizontal load as the horse’s leg hits the fence, but no vertical load since the horse isn’t actually rotating around the fence, but after it. “If the frangible pin fences were to fail as a result of a horizontal force, we would probably create more problems than we would solve. You would, for instance, see situations similar to those you get in show jumping when the horse knocks the pole
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Welcome Almost everyone I know who rides has had trouble with their confidence at one time or another and I’m no exception. Staying on top of your game with a positive outlook on your riding isn’t always easy – even the celeb riders struggle! So I’ve been speaking to some experts in the field to gets loads of information, tips and advice on dealing with confidence issues, and you can get all the answers here in our 20-page Confidence Special. Happy reading and, remember, you’re not the only one!
Imogen
80 YOUR HORSE
Guide to Confidence
When your confidence crumbles Don’t panic Confidence isn’t a physical object – you can’t touch it or hold it in your hand – it’s all in your head. There are plenty of ways to get it back if you lose it, you just need to know how
W
e’ve put together our Confidence Special to give you some ideas on where to turn to and how to work on your confidence. The first thing you need to do is figure out where your worries are coming from.
Riding with an injury
Suffering from an injury, whether it’s new or ongoing, can make life tricky – especially if you’re a horse owner. An injury can make general mobility tough and ensure that pain rears its ugly head Injuries can be hard to cope with
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whenever you ride – both of which can hugely affect your riding confidence. Being less agile, physically restricted and in pain can make you feel like you’re not a good rider, so it’s important to tackle the issue head on. Regaining your physical fitness, balance and stability is extremely important, and here’s how you can do it. If you’ve not done so already, speak to your doctor. If you have a niggling pain that won’t go away, find out exactly what’s wrong. There’s no need to suffer unnecessarily and, while us horsey folk are tough as old boots, sometimes the doc really does know best! You might find there’s a simple solution and you could leave the surgery kicking yourself for not visiting your GP earlier. Attend physiotherapy Muscular problems are common in riders and sometimes a physio is the best option. You can ask around for your local practitioner or search on the internet. Just give them a call and often a single examination will be enough to determine what, if any, treatment you might need. Try pilates or even equipilates As riders we’re constantly putting our body under physical stress so we need to find ways to balance our body and keep it balanced. Pilates is a great way to improve posture and balance, relieve aches and pains, increase your strength and stamina, as well as helping you to relax. There are many different outlets for equipilates, which can provide specialised pilates training for riders. Seek guidance from a professional riding instructor – your discomfort could well be linked to your riding style or something your horse is doing – explain the problem you’re having and see what they think. Consider trying
a complementary therapy – if you’re not sure what’s involved, flick to page 88 for advice from Caroline Putus. Then once you’ve found something to help, stick at it. Injuries have a real knack of popping up at the most inconvenient time and here the saying ‘prevention is better than the cure’ is so true. Find something that helps your recovery and maintains it.
Back to riding after a break As any good rider will know, when it comes to horses, you never stop learning. The equestrian world is always changing and there’s always something new to try, something you’ve never heard of before, and techniques and methods going in and out of fashion daily. So if you’ve ever had a break from riding to have children, fulfil career aspirations or simply because you wanted to try something else, you’ll know that getting back into the swing of things is no mean feat. The equestrian world can feel daunting when you’ve been away for a while. People you knew when you used to ride might have progressed beyond recognition, your physical fitness might leave you gasping for air and, to be honest, it’s just not as simple as riding a bike. Perhaps you were used to the faithful steed who’s no longer around – the one who was bombproof, easy to deal with and the one with whom you had a strong bond. Getting all of this back with a new horse can be hard work and every bump in the road can knock your confidence, leaving you wondering why on earth you decided to do this again.
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Our expert Ruth Mazet Ruth has been working with problem horses for 35 years and has experienced just about everything they can throw at us. By treating every horse as an individual, she uses his desire to co-operate to win him round to her way of thinking, building trust and confidence along the way. Her methods are simple and anyone, whatever discipline they ride in, can use them.
30 YOUR HORSE
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Catching made easy
Catch me
if you can! T
he horse who won’t be caught has essentially gone wild. He’s living by his instincts. He’ll tolerate human presence at a distance but move in too close and he’ll run away in the opposite direction. He suspects our predatory instincts and isn’t
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prepared to stick around long enough to find out whether we’re friend or foe. There is, however, a way to win back your horse’s trust and confidence, regardless of this inherent fear. We see it with people who study wild animals such as gorillas, monkeys, wolves, bears
and so on. These are all sociable animals with a capacity for friendship. All we have to do is behave like they do, showing extreme caution in our approach. We only move in closer when they allow it. We know they’ll only show acceptance when we prove we aren’t going to hurt or frighten them.
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10
ATE M I T L U THE AL SURVIV THE O T E D I GU
1 A puncture wound to the sole will need to be poulticed
2
Ask your farrier to show you how to remove a shoe in case of an emergency
110 YOUR HORSE
YOUR HORSE SUFFERS A PUNCTURE WOUND Whether it’s a nail embedded in the foot or a shard of wood lodged in the skin, the main thing to remember about puncture wounds is that they’re often deceiving. They may appear minor but can easily become infected and the internal damage is often greater than it appears. ✚ What to do Leave the object in place, keep your horse as still and calm as possible, and call your vet. It will help your vet to
determine the extent and location of the injury if he can see exactly what’s causing it, – he may advise X-rays with the object still in place. If there’s a nail in the foot and your horse can’t put his foot down without pushing the nail in further, use wire cutters to trim the nail level with the base of the shoe, but leave as much sticking out as possible. Once the damage is known your vet can decide how to remove the object.
YOUR HORSE TWISTS A SHOE If your horse twists a shoe, this can damage and tear the hoof as the nails rip through the hoof wall, and expose the sole of the foot to a puncture wound if nails are protruding. ✚ What to do “If the shoe’s twisted but still attached to the foot, the first thing you need to do is keep the horse as still as possible to avoid further damage,” says farrier Matt Eastwood. “If possible, get him to a stable so he can’t rip the shoe off more, then call your farrier. If you’re out on a hack and lucky enough to be able to phone someone who can rescue you
with a horse box then great, but often this isn’t possible, so you need to get where the horse can be stabled. “I’d always recommend people keep a simple shoe removal kit with them. You can buy these from tack shops and even though they tend not to be very good they’ll do the job in an emergency. It’s also a good idea to ask your farrier to show you how to safely remove a shoe – he might let you practise under close supervision – and most farriers will be happy to order you the proper kit you’ll need to get a shoe off.”
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t s are tha re… d d o e h t i t ning, bu s caught up in w g. w k o n a e b s il r o M g n h Helen pects of cy. Cuts, falls, le stable or out ridi s a Words by s u o y h n , jo e not-so equine emerge ey’re in the field y situations, wit h t f o e n c an th It’s o u’ll face -prone whether mmon emergen o y y a d o e one accident ed the 10 most c ive to tell the tal e r a s e s l hor e identifi nd your horse) v ’ e w , e r a ( He help you o t e c i v ad YOUR HORSE INJURES HIS EYE Never ignore a sore eye
3
When it comes to eye injuries there’s one simple rule – leave well alone and call your vet. Whether the problem’s caused by infection, disease or a foreign body, it’s easy to unwittingly damage the eye further, so keep your horse in a darkened stable (as chances are he’ll be sensitive to light) and wait for the vet. ✚ What to do Assess the problem as far as you can without touching the eye, forcing the eyelid open or trying to remove anything that’s stuck (it may be a part of the inside of the eye that’s plugging a wound, while if a piece of straw or hair’s got stuck you could cut the eye as you remove it). Look for foreign bodies, blood in or around the eye, and any foggy or cloudy areas so you can give your vet as much information as possible. While you’re waiting for him to arrive, gently wipe any discharge and keep the flies away, and stay with your horse to stop him rubbing his eye and causing more damage.
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YOUR HORSE 111
On the
right lines This month we see how Fred and Rowena Cook are progressing with new recruit Oscar, as well as a step-by-step guide to long-reining
w lifefollow A ne e started to
Last year w ena Cook, as they ow e, Blue. Fred and R er racehors ve rm fo a d e to ha retrain was found Sadly Blue joint disease and ve degenerati ostitis and the hard peri d ce n a v d have him a as taken to decision w In his place came . euthanised ho had been rw a sc O ll a C fter a m racing a o fr d retire . ry tendon inju
S
ince the sad loss of Blue, Fred and Rowena of Equine Management and Training have been working on ex-racehorse Oscar, who is well on his way to a successful future. Oscar is a beautiful 17hh gentle giant who has plenty of potential. He just tends to carry a little tension and Fred and Rowena are working to improve this as his training progresses. “When Oscar arrived last August he had all the necessary checks and treatments to ensure he was ready for retraining. “His injured tendon, which led to his retirement from racing, was scanned and confirmed to be well and, apart from a little bleached hair from his time on the coast at Hollesley Bay, he was in tip top condition,” says Rowena. “Following this, priority number one was to address his diet. The order of the day was to provide him with oil to improve coat, skin and hoof condition, a fibre-based diet with good quality protein. We chose Dengie Alfa-A with Oil, unmolassed sugarbeet and Dengie Fibremix.” As Oscar didn’t appear to have any glaringly obvious physical problems he was re-introduced to exercise for a few weeks prior to a chiropractic examination. He had a month of walk and trot exercise to begin to harden his tendons before he was expected to start his proper retraining.
38 YOUR HORSE
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Retraining racehorses
turn the page
for a step-by-step guide to long-reining
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YOUR HORSE 39
Help our partnership across country � Your problems solved with our one-to-one training sessions Words Rebecca Gibson
THIS O C ULD BE
! U YO PRIVATE LESSONS
The trainer
� Name Jeanette Brakewell � Experience One of Britain’s top event riders and a member of the GB Eventing Team. Jeanette’s most famous horse is Over to You – they won eight medals for Britain, including individual silver at the 2004 World Equestrian Games, two Olympic team silver medals and four European team golds. Jeanette now runs a yard with Australian rider Brook Staples in Staffordshire.
The rider and horse � Name Lisa Egan � Experience Lisa has owned 16.2hh Dutch warmblood Raz for two-and-a-half years. He’d only recently been backed when Lisa got him so they’ve been taking things slowly, but Lisa says their partnership has really started to come together over the last six months. They are currently jumping 2ft 9in courses successfully, but Raz can lack confidence and will run off with Lisa when he gets worried. 118 YOUR HORSE
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Riding Private Lessons JumpCro ss Our Private Le
sson this month is o n course. Jum a JumpCross p riders to ri Cross teaches de in rhyth m and balance ove r vary without th ing terrain, e worry of jumping fi xed fences
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YOUR HORSE 119
ate Our Ultiim nnepretition YearHorsw e ran a com
te ur In 2009, Yo er to win the Ultima e d for one rea horse. As well as all th eir rize Year with th d on page 132, the p te goodies lis ssons with top riders included le rd Davison and Billy icha including R e lucky winner was Th y, y. e m o Tw mare Darc ss and her lli A g in w o Abigail ll been fo and we’ve year their
Intelligent Horsemanship guru Kelly Marks helps Our Ultimate Year winner Abi Alliss improve the connection with her mare Darcy
Abi and Darcy get relationship counselling 130 YOUR HORSE
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WIN THE
ULTIM ATE YEAR
T
he bond we have with our horses is second to none but sometimes, just like with other relationships, things can go awry and the lines of communication break down. Kelly Marks is an expert in teaching humans to communicate with their horses, so when Abi started to run into difficulties with six-year-old Darcy, we sent her to Kelly’s Oxfordshire yard to complete a five-day Intelligent Horsemanship Foundation Course. The course provides an introduction to the key areas of natural horsemanship, with a particular focus on improving the flow of information between horse and rider.
Abi and Kelly discuss the importance of body languag e when working with horses
The principles of Join Up An anxious Abi pulled up to Hartsop Farm for the start of the course, unsure what the famous Kelly Marks would
make of her bolshy mare. But after meeting the other 12 students she realised she wasn’t the only one in need of help. “Everyone on the course had different experiences and aspirations,” says Abi, “but they were all really lovely and all had a common aim – to improve their relationship with their horse.” After a morning lecture explaining the principles of Join Up, the students were given their first opportunity to put what they had learnt into practice – on each other! “We practised Join Up human to human to begin with, which was a bit weird, but invaluable in understanding how your body language can affect your horse’s demeanour and way of going,” says Abi. “Join Up is great for teaching the essential skills of horsemanship,” explains Kelly. “The process requires a good understanding of timing and energy. It requires students to learn how to communicate in a language the horse understands, use their body language effectively and read their horse’s signals. It also requires them to develop peripheral vision, control their emotions, and more.”
Making a connection When the time came to try out what she’d learnt on Darcy, Abi was worried about the reaction she’d get. “I was concerned that, being an alpha
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mare, Darcy wouldn’t take kindly to me trying to take charge of the relationship but Kelly explained that Darcy actually really desperately needs a leader. “She pointed out that in a natural herd environment Darcy would have a stallion to direct her, and I realised that if I could take on some of this role in a human form, it would give me and Darcy an unbreakable partnership and she would respect me so much more. “Kelly told me that stallions control their mares in the wild by moving their feet – this is their control mechanism and this is the basis of Join Up. If I could put into practice what I had learnt in the classroom and control where Darcy’s feet were going, she would be more submissive and start to look up to me as her leader.” In fact, Darcy responded well to the new, assertive Abi. “Having harped on about how bolshy Darcy can be, she was immaculately behaved,” Abi laughs.
Abi practises Join Up in the round pen at Hartsop Farm
“When I first entered the round pen to work with her I was so sceptical but our tutors were very encouraging and my confidence quickly grew. As I used the body language we’d been taught to ask Darcy to move away, I was amazed to find it worked. I was able to send her around the pen and even ask her to change direction every so often. “The next step was to actually get Darcy to Join Up and follow me,” says Abi. “I was utterly convinced that she would just ignore me, but by
WITH YOUR HORSE
bringing down the energy in my body language and by turning away from her, I was able to get her to connect. I felt so proud as I walked two whole circles with her following me.” Abi repeated the Join Up work with Darcy several times during the week to consolidate what they’d learnt and also worked with a couple of other horses so that she could get a feel for the subtle differences in the way each horse reacts. “The key is to get your horse to see you as a reliable leader rather than just this thing that keeps getting under his feet,” says Kelly. “Once Darcy started to see this in Abi, it changed their relationship beyond recognition. “It’s often the case that achieving Join Up with your horse can completely turn things around and get your horse to look at you in a whole new light. This clearly happened with Abi and Darcy, which was lovely to see. I think they’d been stuck in a bit of a rut, but Join Up gave them a new, more effective way to communicate.”
Long-lining Since many of the students attending the course were, like Abi, working with horses who were young, inexperienced or had issues, the Intelligent Horsemanship team were keen to show them how to work their horses from the safety of the ground. “Long-lining is considered by many to be an advanced skill,” says Kelly. “However, we find students pick it up quickly and find it invaluable for working with young horses or those with issues.” “I’d never long-lined before in my life,” says Abi. “I found it tricky at first and there were lots of growls of frustration
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Summer jodhpurs breeches
& The test
The AWARDS
A pair of summer weight jodhpurs or breeches makes riding on a warm day much more bearable. We’ve put 22 pairs to the test – find out which ones will keep you cool and comfortable FIT AND COMFORT Our testers commented on the fit and comfort of each pair of jodhpurs or breeches they tested when they were riding or working on the yard. They considered the stretch of the material, fastenings and length of leg. They also commented on the suitability of wearing them during warmer weather
DESIGN Our testers considered the design of the jodhpurs or breeches and whether they added anything to the overall performance
The pair of jodhpurs or breeches that performed the best in all aspects of our test
The jodhpurs or breeches that offer great value for money and performance
VALUE FOR MONEY Our testers evaluated their comments on fit, The jodhpurs or breeches that comfort and design in relation to the price, to performed well in our test decide whether they’re good value for money
OUR TestERs For this test we asked a number of readers, international event riders and members of the Your Horse team to wear the jodhpurs or breeches for riding and general yard work 102 YOUR HORSE
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TEST jodhpurs & breeches
OV ER
UN DE R
£1 00
£1 00
THE
hMAoGrAsZINeE your
WINNERS
Ariat Olympia Breeches £129.99 full seat, £109.95 knee patches
HyPerformance Style Breeches £50
THE MANUFACTURER SAYS
THE MANUFACTURER SAYS
These breeches feature a four-way stretch fabric for comfort and mobility, with either a stretch Clarino full seat or knee patches. A patented waist and calf fit system ensures these breeches look and feel great. Colours White, beige, navy, maple, grey plaid (full seat only) Sizes 24in to 34in reg OUR TESTER SAYS
These are the best breeches I’ve ever had – they’re fantastic! Ariat has really thought about the problems you may have with
some breeches and come up with solutions to make these breeches very comfortable. They pull on over your foot so there’s no fastening around your ankle, which gives you a much closer fit and no bulk, which can be uncomfortable inside your boots. The material allows you to move freely when you’re riding and the knee patches give a little additional grip – there’s no annoying seam near your knee either. These aren’t cheap but they’re worth every penny – I can’t fault them.
VERDICT 10/10 www.yourhorse.co.uk
These breeches are made from Agate Cool Fabric with a stretch leather seat, which is very flattering and provides grip while retaining strength and a comfortable fit. They’re fashionably designed with contrast thread stitching, Velcro closures at the ankles, discreet front pockets, full zip fly, belt loops in contrast leather and reinforced stitching and finishing. Colours Steel grey or chocolate brown Sizes 24in to 32in
OUR TESTER SAYS
These breeches are really nice and look extremely smart. I’ve had quite a few comments saying how good they look and asking what make they are. They’re so comfortable to ride in and for yard work. The full seat on these breeches is really stretchy, which I’ve found restrictive on some other makes. The contrast stitching is a nice touch – I really can’t fault these breeches at all. I’m also surprised at the price – I thought they would be more expensive.
VERDICT 10/10 YOUR HORSE 103
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buyers’ guide
Dressed for
success
A well-fitting, comfortable competition jacket is a must if you’re a regular competitor. There’s a large number of different jackets on the market – our buyers’ guide will help you make the right choice. Whether you wear a plain or tweed jacket, there’s one here to suit you
Jackets modelled by eventer Julia Crowson
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