Your Horse Issue 340

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News Report a hay f o y r r o Is the w e a weight shortag houlders? rs on you

Hay today

gone tomorrow Investigation by Imogen Johnson

The good old British weather has played havoc with the harvest, sending the country’s hay stocks plummeting


YH News | News Report 21

With hay supplies across the UK rumoured to be dwindling, should horse owners be preparing for a tough winter ahead, or is it all just hearsay?

W

ith each passing year, whispers of a nationwide hay shortage can almost always be predicted. Some take the rumours as gospel while others assume farmers could be looking for ways to up their prices. This year, however, the resounding opinion from farmers and suppliers from region to region is that this year’s hay harvest has been tough. Hay yield across the UK is down and prices are now rising. Richard Wright, the director of Essex Hay and Straw, has been in the business of delivering hay and straw since 1980. “It’s never going to be easy to make hay in England. It’s only got to look like rain and farmers are straight out to bail it up,” he explains. “With hay stocks down to around 25-30% on average this year, there’s definitely a shortage and it’s affecting most of us. We have little here right now and we’re trying to buy more in.” Mark and Jenny Oakley run their family farm in Hertfordshire and, like most suppliers, they’ve been hit hard by the tough winter and difficult harvest. “It’s very difficult for hay suppliers like us at the moment. Our meadow hay

Hedge your bets

79%

KEY Small bale Large bale

yield was down 35% this year, 40% in some places, and even our seed hay was down 15%,” says Mark. Like many suppliers, Mark has used up his entire over-stock because of high demand in the harsh weather last winter. Many farmers, who still have hay to spare, are putting stock away until Christmas when they can bring it back out to suit further demand later in the year. “For us now it’s a case of making sure that we look after our regular customers as best we can. We had been getting half a dozen calls a day from people living 20-40 miles away but it’s just not been possible to cater for them. We’re only just managing to look after our regular customers at the moment and that’s very important to us. If we have another cold winter, it will be very hard to keep on top of

55% 27%

of you have had to find a new hay supplier

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Hay costs across the country We asked Your Horse readers what they’ve been paying for small and large bales of hay this year and the prices vary!

Hay stocks were used quickly in harsh weather last winter

Statistics We asked Your Horse readers to take our hay shortage survey online and here’s what we discovered

of you have seen hay prices in your area rise this year

WE ASK YOU

of you think you’ll have to use an alternative to hay this winter

things,” he says. “We do have people that we deal with to bring in hay from elsewhere in these situations, but with that you always run the risk of getting hay that’s not the best quality. It’s not like growing and selling your own, where you can be sure of the quality you produce and sell, but needs must.”

Hay rustling

Glasgow £5

£35

West Yorkshire Merseyside £2.50

£3

£25

£28

Staffordshire

£2.50 With hay in short supply Cambs and demand rising, theft Northants South Wales £3.50 is on the up, so Mark and £3.50 £4.50 £32 other suppliers are ensuring Gloucestershire that security remains tight Wiltshire/ £4 £30 as the situation worsens. Somerset border Bath “We had nearly 250 bales £4.50 £2 £20 £50 of hay stolen last winter and (last year £25) there are no spare bales Devon Isle of Wight anywhere at the moment, £3.50 £7 so we can’t risk that again. Cornwall Security will be much £4 tighter this year.” But it’s not just suppliers who should be prepared to up their APPEALING security. While horse Thieves are on the owners already have lookout for hay to ensure that their horses, tack, trailers and equipment stay safe on the yard, it’s now going to be necessary to ensure any hay is safely stored away. “Up until this summer reports of hay thefts were occasional and it

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34

.For more vet advice gwww.yourhorse.co.uk

Check his environment

Recurrent Airway Obstruction

You may find lumps of mucus outside your horse’s stable door or in his water bucket if he’s struggling with RAO

Expert vet advice on how to prevent and treat it

P

icture this – the nights are drawing in, the straw and hay bales are delivered, the fields are getting boggy and the winter rugs are back from the cleaner’s. Strolling along the yard you hear the contented munching of hay interrupted, annoyingly, by an outburst of coughing from one of the stables. That stable cougher is probably suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) – a source of anxiety to many horse owners as the winter months approach. Any horse can develop RAO. Here’s the best expert advice and myth-busting information to help you reduce the risk of your horse being affected this winter.

ILLUSTRATION RICHARD TIBBETTS / ANTBITS ILLUSTRATION

Meet the equine vet Charlie Briggs

is a vet at Hale Equine Vets in Wiltshire. She has worked at various large equine referral centres and is a keen horsewoman, having owned horses and competed all her life.

Your Horse november 2010

The bottom line One symptom of RAO is a visible movement of the anus in time with the affected horse’s breathing

The veterinary tick list The disease

RAO is an allergic reaction that affects the lungs

Symptoms

Increased breathing rate, nasal discharge and coughing

Prevention

A dust-free environment with as much turnout as possible

Treatment

Scrupulous management combined with veterinary care, and all-year round turnout, if possible


YH Care | RAO 35

z New

18 page section

allergic reaction The majority of UK cases of RAO are due to a hypersensitivity or allergy to the mould spores found in the stable environment

But he’s not ill! WOrking hard A heave line may show on badly affected horses as the abdominal muscles have to work extra hard on expiration

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Affected horses appear well in themselves and don’t have a temperature, but may well prove intolerant to exercise

Your Horse november 2010


44

See Richard Maxwell at Your Horse Live – see our show guide on page 77.

A LEAP OF FAITH

Horses have poor depth perception so jumping into water is a big ask, but as practical horseman Richard Maxwell shows, it’s possible to turn this potentially fearful experience into a fun and playful one Words by Rebecca Gibson

Horse and rider Sarah Watson and Lincoln

S

arah bought eightyear-old Lincoln to event. She thought she’d bought a horse that was ready to go but quickly realised this wasn’t the case. Lincoln was nappy, inexperienced and lacking in confidence, but Sarah saw his potential and stuck with him. She’s spent more than a year working to develop a strong partnership and says

Your Horse SEPTEMBER 2010

Lincoln now trusts her implicitly – until they reach water. Sarah thought Lincoln’s fear would lessen with time and experience but, if anything, his phobia has got worse since they started competing and Sarah is desperate to find a way to help Lincoln overcome his fear. “Lincoln isn’t too worried about walking through the streams we have at home,” says Sarah, “but when we approach

any water in a competition setting he panics and there’s no reasoning with him. He’s oblivious to what I’m doing and it’s scary.” Having recently affiliated Lincoln, his fear of water has now started to get costly, too. “The last one-day event we did cost £70 to enter,” says Sarah. “Lincoln did a great dressage test and we went clear in the show jumping, but the

www.yourhorse.co.uk


YH Care | Practical horsemanship part 3 45

Trainer profile Richard Maxwell, aka Max Having worked with the Household Cavalry and then later with Monty Roberts, Max has experienced both conventional and natural methods of training. Although he’s never consciously tried to merge the two, over the years he’s found himself taking the best of both methods

to develop his own style of horsemanship, which he says is best described as practical horsemanship. At the crux of all of Max’s training is developing a willing partnership. For more information visit www.richard-maxwell.com, email richardmaxwell19@aol. com or call 07764 404723

Horses don’t have the same depth perception that we do so it’s only natural for them to be wary of water

fifth fence on the cross-country course was a drop into water. Lincoln stopped, ran backwards and refused to go near it, and so we were eliminated. Even when we do manage to get through the water it takes a lot of persuasion, which costs us time and leaves Lincoln in a bad place psychologically for the remainder of the course.” Sarah and Lincoln are currently competing at

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Pre-Novice level successfully and Sarah would like to move up to Novice, but Lincoln’s fear of water is holding them back. “Lincoln is a capable jumper and with a lot of kicking I can usually get him through the small Pre-Novice water but when the water elements get bigger, or have a jump in front, I’ll have no chance,” she says. “When a horse stops at water we tend to label him naughty

but in his mind he’s making a smart decision,” Max tells Sarah. “He’s chosen to use his size and strength against us to avoid what he views to be a potentially dangerous situation. Try to force him into the water and he may try to use his speed to run away from the danger. “Horses don’t have the same depth perception that we do so it’s only natural for them to be wary of water,” Max continues.

“To enable a horse to jump into water confidently we have to convince him that he doesn’t need to check the depth of the water himself – he can trust us to make that judgement call. “Horses who hesitate when faced with water think they need a second opinion. What we want is to get to a stage where we ask the horse to go and he does, without question.”

Your Horse SEPTEMBER 2010


54

There’s loads more gear in our FREE Winter Gear guide

z New

14 page section

10

of the best stable toys put to the test Words by Allison Lowther

Your Horse NOVEMBER 2010

www.yourhorse.co.uk


YH Gear | Big Test stable toys 55

Stable toys on test

1 Likit Tongue Twister

2 Super Codlivine Best Mate 3 Stubbs Rock ‘n’ Roll Ball 4 Cottage Craft Horseball 5 Likit Snak-A-Ball 6 Uncle Jimmy’s Licky Things

BigTest The testers

The test

10 stable toys were tested against the following criteria

For this test we asked a number of readers and the YH editorial team to put these toys to the test last winter

7 Roma Play Ball 8 Likit Ice Holder 9 Likit Boredom Breaker 10 Uncle Jimmy’s Hangin’ Balls

Design/idea

Our testers assessed the design and idea behind each stable toy they tested

Performance

How well did each toy perform - did it live up to the manufacturer’s claims and how long did it last?

Value for money

Our testers evaluated their comments on design/idea and performance in relation to the price, to decide whether the stable toys are good value for money. Would they recommend them to others to buy?

Stable toys can help occupy your horse while he’s stabled, making him work for treats

What to look out for

safety first

Hanging toys should be securely tied in a safe place

Well made

Check your toy has no sharp edges

right size

Make sure balls like this are correctly inflated

How we score 10 – Perfect 9 – Excellent 8 – Very good 7 – Good 6 – Fairly good

scoring system

5 – Average 4 – Below average 3 – Poor 2 – Very poor 1 - Don’t waste your money

Design/idea Performance Value for money

Example verdict www.yourhorse.co.uk

New

  

23/30

The awards Winner The stable toy that performed the best in all our criteria Best Buy The stable toy that offers great value for money and performance Recommended The stable toy that performed well in our test

Your Horse NOVEMBER 2010


V Dh nt SA UN o ym POver e

Win a winter wardrobe from Masta – see Rm22

HORSE

£10 OFF when you buy 3 months or more of any Maxavita supplement

valid at Your Horse Live, nov 13-14 We love mussels and so will your horse! Maxavita’s green-lipped mussel supplements are specially designed to help with joint care, hoof care, respiratory and calming problems This offer is exclusive to purchases made at Your Horse Live. To claim your discount bring this voucher along to stand M13 at Your Horse Live. Coupon is redeemable against a minimum purchase of a three-month size product. One voucher per customer. Maxavita, 08450 752754 or www.maxavita.com

E S

Offers Your

Welcome

We love our readers – and to prove it we’ve joined forces with some of the horse world’s best-known feed, bedding, clothing and grooming product manufacturers to bring you our new 5-page section full of the biggest money-saving deals on offer this month. So save £££s on all your horse gear and more!

z New

5 page section

This month’s

top £5 OFF HILTON HERBs’ ‘magic’ PHYTOBALM cream Offer valid until 31/12/2010 This voucher entitles readers to £5 off a 130g pot of Phytobalm cream (RRP £12). Phytobalm is a soothing herbal balm with anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It can be used on any wound, cut or abrasion, and will not harm if ingested Visit www.hiltonherbs.com or call freephone 0800 294 1250 and quote voucher code PHYTO10 to order your pot of Phytobalm

money saving deals

style for less 01 Top Kit you and your horse out in the latest gear – without the guilt!

Make life easy 02 Save on mucking out machines and forks, or get easy-to-use bedding

a break 03 Take Save on horse holidays around the world

Terms & Conditions

All offers available only while stocks last Only original vouchers acceptable – no photocopies allowed Unless stated, offers limited to one item or discount per voucher Please refer to individual vouchers for specific terms and conditions

www.yourhorse.co.uk Your Horse NOVEMBER 2010


K £8 O ! t just ta W BO Oes star ic N pr

Th e ev en tin g co upl e ar e re ad y an d wa iti ng to he lp you !

et ck Ti

LU CIN D A AN D CL AY TO N FR ED ER ICK S

z FREE

22 page

IF YOU

show guide

LOVE YOUR HORSE, YOU’LL LOVE

Celebrity demos • Expert advice • Extensive shopping What? Your Horse Live 2010

Ro ck on , Ro ck in’ Ho rs e!

Co ss ac k rid ing wit h at tit ud e - do n’t mis s it!

When? 13-14 November, 9am to 5.30pm Where? Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LZ

CONTENTS

Th e GE OF F ult ima te pr ize LU CK ET T

80 82

Our sup er b Th e fa mo us Hello and welcome to Your Horse Live 2010 Eq ui- Tr ek lor ry sp ee d jum pe r co uld be you rs ! co me s to YH L The main event – what’s on in the Main Arena and the Dodson & Horrell Arena What’s in store at the all-new Q&A Live and Improve your Riding zones

84

The lowdown on the stars of Your Horse Live

86

More special guests, the Breeds Village and our chosen charity

88

Meet the stars of Q&A Live and the Improve Your Riding zone

91

Inside the Your Horse Village

92

It’s here –your chance to win an Equi-Trek lorry!

94

Special show subscription offer

79

96 List of exhibitors

 M A R IA G E IL B E R nd her

M a r ia a M ic h a e l b r o t h e r h e ir s h a r e t t ip s t r a in in g


NEW every month inside HORSE Your

Riding magazine New

64 page section

Exclusive

NEW section

dedicated to improving your riding and training

+

The best expert and celebrity instructors inside ● Simple yet effective exercises for all levels of skill ● Tuition tailored to suit your needs

PLUS

8 pages of horses for sale Check out all the latest performance horses to hit the market

CONTENTS Advice for jumping indoors Rm03 · How to

achieve submission Rm12 · Jumping with Geoff Luckett Rm18 · Balance with Maria Eilberg Rm26 · Training the young horse Rm32 · How to ride rein-back Rm44 · Great competitions - and more!

starting on the next page 


Riding magazine | Indoor show jumping Rm03

Riding magazine Jumping indoors

The

z New

64 page

ultimate test

magazine

Jumping indoors asks a lot of both horse and rider, but master the art and you’ll be a better rider for it Words

Rebecca Gibson

ďƒ¨

www.yourhorse.co.uk Your Horse novemBER 2010


Rm32

Riding magazine Training young horses 8

Young

Guns Words

Imogen Johnson

Taking on a young horse is by no means easy, so we’ve asked three top riders how they bring on their young horses from the point of backing to their first competition BEVERLEY BRIGHTMAN

TANYA KYLE Event rider

SCOTT BRASH

Scotland’s number one show jumper

Your Horse november 2010

Photography Kathryn Pearn Photography JULIA SHEARWOOD

International Grand Prix dressage rider

www.yourhorse.co.uk


z New

Riding magazine | Training the young horse Rm33

64 page magazine

 EXPERT ADVICE FROM BEVERLEY BRIGHTMAN BEVERLEY BRIGHTMAN

Beverley, an international Grand Prix dressage rider and former four-star three-day event rider, knows how to give young dressage horses the best start in life

The young dressage horse

When it comes to training a young dressage horse, there’s a structured system you should follow in order to give your horse the skills he needs to do well. However, all horses are individuals, so it’s important to understand that they will all learn and progress at different rates.

When to begin training In an ideal world you want to start working on your horse when he reaches the age of three and I’d always leave it as late as possible in that third year as there’s no sense in working a young body hard – that body has to last. Plan to work your horse throughout the summer months but then give him a break through the winter.

It’s great to allow young horses this time off as it gives them a chance to process what they’ve learnt and ease them into their working life. Some horses, if started late, may benefit from getting straight into the swing of things.

your horse live

13-14 November

See Beverley in action at Your Horse Live, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. See page 77 for our full Show Guide

The basics To begin with, every horse must learn to go in the correct way. I therefore start with basic schooling, getting them walking, trotting and cantering in a rhythm and on an even

contact. The horse must learn to come into an outline as soon as possible – for some this comes quite naturally while for others it’s more difficult. With the basics in place, you

can then introduce transitions and changes of rein. In your horse’s fourth year, you’ll start to get an idea of how his brain and body works.

Start simple

Top tip If you can take your young horse out hacking, great, but this will depend on his temperament – start by leading him around the yard or field

Concentrate on basic schooling exercises

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Your Horse novEMBER 2010


Rm26

Riding magazine Private Lesson

Help get us focused Your problems solved with our one-to-one training sessions

Words

Imogen Johnson

E

ach month one lucky reader is given the chance to have a private lesson with a leading instructor.

This month we see how Amy Coote and her horse Chicago got on when they were given a lesson by Maria Eilberg.

DON'T MISS

The trainer Maria Eilberg

See Maria at Your Horse Live 2010 where she’ll join forces with her brother Michael for a special demo. It will be the first demo Michael and Maria have given without their father Ferdi and we’re sure they’ll relish the challenge! See page 77 for full details

Maria is an international dressage rider who travelled with the 2008 Olympic team to Beijing as a reserve. Having been a member of the Pony, Junior and Young Rider European teams from 1998 to 2005, Maria has seen much success, including winning the 2008 National Grand Prix Championship at the National Dressage Championships. She’s also a member of the World Class Performance Programme, was selected for WEG 2010 with her horse Two Sox, and is now working towards the 2012 Olympics.

The horse and rider Amy Coote

Amy and her horse Chicago compete in unaffiliated dressage and hunter trials. The plan is to event Chicago but Amy feels that she struggles with her dressage, having concentrated on jumping with her previous horses.

Your Horse NOVEMBER 2010

www.yourhorse.co.uk


Riding magazine | Private Lesson Rm27

THIS COULD BE YOU

See page Rm30 for how to apply

Vertically challenged Amy struggles with Chicago's naturally high head carriage and feels she needs more contact with her horse

Chicago

ďƒ¨

Chicago needs help to keep enough impulsion to engage her hindquarters and remain balanced. She, like many horses, is also stiffer on one side

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Your Horse NOVEMBER 2010


Rm44

Riding magazine Rein-back

Ride the perfect

Simple steps to help you reverse in style

Back steps In a correctly ridden rein-back, the horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs, while the horse remains soft and calm, with the hindquarters engaged

As well as improving your dressage score, rein-back is an essential gate-opening move out on hacks

Your Horse November 2010

www.yourhorse.co.uk


Riding magazine | Rein-back Rm45

z New

64 page magazine

Words

Helen Milbank

I

f you’re having trouble finding your horse’s reverse gear, you’ll appreciate how frustrating it can be trying to teach a confused horse to rein-back. It might be tempting to simply pull

on the reins and sink your weight into the saddle as you lean back yourself, but chances are all your horse will do in reply is lift his head in the air and set himself against you as he stands stock still. The good news is that with a little help you’ll be stepping back in style, and rein-back is a useful skill to

master whether you’re hoping to improve your dressage score or simply want to become more manoeuvrable out on hacks (it’s an essential gate-opening move). So follow our four easy exercises to improve your rein-back in minutes, with advice from one of the UK’s top dressage trainers.

The exercises 4 simple exercises

to help you rein-back correctly, with advice from leading dressage rider and trainer Claire Lilley

1 Do the groundwork 2 Cornered 3 Pole work 4 Direct transitions

Meet the expert Claire Lilley

As an international dressage rider and trainer, Claire trains riders of all levels at the Claire Lilley Training Centre in Melksham, Wiltshire, following the classical principles of The Scales of Training. Join Claire at her ‘Lungeing and in-hand work’ workshop on Saturday 23 October, from 2-4.30pm, with advice on everything from improving your lungeing technique to lungeing over poles. Tickets cost £20 in advance, £25 on the day. For more details call 01380 812483 or visit www.clairelilley.com

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Your Horse November 2010


Rm64 Anna Ross-Davies..

On the hoof with

ANNA ROSS-DAVIES

I’m really excited to have a regular column in the new look Your Horse magazine and to be sharing this coming year with you all Earning his wings

Pegasus was happy to receive a rosette on behalf of Aramis T

The dressage was a mixed group with some competitors looking as though they were trying to get it over with

I

’m busy, busy, busy... The sun shone on beautiful Burghley where my dog Benjy and I went to do some commentating. The dressage was a mixed group with the top competitors at a very high level, but a few at the back end of the class still looked as though they were trying to get it over with before the cross-country. My dog Benjy’s recent ‘gelding’ seems to have quelled his ardour but not his fighting spirit. He seems to have embraced a new motto of ‘make war not love’ and brought shame on team Ross-Davies by picking a fight with most of the other canine visitors at Burghley, which was extremely embarrassing. Dog training classes are calling.

Your Horse November May 2010 2010

The following week I went to the National Dressage Championships, which had been brought forward a week this year as the Pope was scheduled to visit Birmingham on the original date – although that could have been useful for any desperate competitors wishing to send the Almighty an urgent message before their test. This meant the championships, which last over five days, clashed with Blenheim Horse Trials – so that resulted in a lot of sprinting up and down the motorway to Blenheim for me to train dressage and event riders. In fact there was a lot of shared kit going up and down that motorway as well, including my tailcoat and another prominent rider’s boots, which three other people were apparently wearing

between the two shows! I was thrilled with my horses at the Nationals as each one had a top 10 placing. Aramis T was on early on both days and, having been frightened out of her wits last year by the atmosphere, I was delighted (and relieved) that she had a much more mature (and less death-defying) approach this year. I didn’t take her into her prizegivings as she’s afraid of clapping and we didn’t want her to finish on a scare when she’d been so brave, so Pegasus Mk, my Grand Prix ride, deputised for her and seemed delighted that he’d won a rosette without having to work for it at all. Pegasus, who is no introvert, relished his primetime slot and support from the crowd, and gained 70% in the Grand Prix

freestyle to music. I decided rather last minute to ride a more ambitious ground plan and it came off really well. I do my own music so I can adjust it at the last minute if I feel the need, although I think the show secretary was getting a little anxious when I only finished the CD 20 minutes before mounting! I’m now moving yards to a stunning new base near Banbury in Oxfordshire. I’ve set up a new business called Altogether Equestrian, which will encompass all aspects of horse and rider training, and so it’s flat out until we move in two weeks. Along with moving, I’m planning the website, organising dates and trying to plan the winter’s training and competing. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though, I love it!

www.yourhorse.co.uk


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