Your Horse August issue

11

of the best cooler rugs tested

Transform your stubborn horse into an angel

WIN

horse your

August 2010

INSPIRATION FOR OWNING AND ENJOYING HORSES www.yourhorse.co.uk

THIS GREAT HORSEBOX see p34

plus lots of other prizes

NTHLY BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING EQUESTRIAN MO

IMPROVE YOUR HORSE

Lungeing which ones to AIDS use and why HOW A POGO STICK COULD IMPROVE YOUR SITTING TROT XC SUCCESS

Ride faster and safer with our course walking guide

£3.80

HEADSHAKING

Vet Gil Riley reveals a glimmer of hope for horses who suffer 17 PAGE

TACK BUYING SPECIAL

● BUYING NEW VS SECONDHAND KIT HT RIG E TH G SIN OO CH AY WORK FOR YOU ● MADE TO MEASURE ● MAKING EB ✚ LOTS MORE

a horsebox and N I WW elcome to our new and very exciting Learn and Win series. Here’s how it works. Over the next few months, you’ll have the chance to improve your riding and learn some new horse care skills with our short but perfectly formed expert features.

Nothing new there I hear you say – but that’s where you’re wrong.

With each feature you’ll also get the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes from Dodson & Horrell, Petplan, Tekna, Chestfields and Musto, finishing in December with the big one – the chance to win the Equi-Trek horsebox you

see here. Someone is going to have a very happy Christmas! The horsebox will be out and about over the next six months so watch out for it on the road and at events. If you spot it, let us know.

See below for how to enter.

Riding a perfect show Learn and win prizes all at the same time – what could be better!

Riding a show doesn’t have to be difficult. So long as you and your horse are having fun, and he’s going well for you, then that’s all that matters.

Many riders tend to get disheartened when they don’t get placed or haven’t done as well as they’d hoped.

All about the Equi-trek Sonic horsebox The Sonic is compact and easy to drive and carries two horses in total luxury. It has the added benefit of a tack/changing/sitting area, with two saddle racks, two bridle racks and two coat hooks so you can carry all your equipment with ease, totally separate from the horses’ area. There’s also additional storage over the cab.

Equi-Trek has generously added a package of incredible extras to our Sonic including:

1

As soon as you enter the ring the judge is watching you. Ensure you’re well balanced and your horse is listening from the moment you go in.

Worth £27,000

> Alloy wheels > Mud flaps > Head divider > Corner seat with storage > CCTV camera so you can watch the horses in transit > Digital reversing camera > Padded partition > Padded walls > Extra height partition > Road Tax until May 2011

HOW TO ENTER

Go to www.yourhorse.co.uk/win and follow the instructions. Special terms and conditions apply. Closing date is 1 December. Alternatively visit Your Horse Live on 13 and 14 November at Stoneleigh Park – the horsebox will be on show for you to have a look at and you can enter while you’re there For more information on the Equi-Trek range of horseboxes, go to www.equi-trek.com or call 01484 852121

Don’t take it to heart – sometimes your horse might not be just what the judge was looking for on that particular day.

Riding a good show is important if you’re going to do well, though. Here’s our top tips for getting it right every time.

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When waiting to do your individual show make sure your horse stands still in the line up. The judges hate nothing more than seeing a fidget out the corner of their eye – also it doesn’t show good manners.

Want to learn more?

Then watch our video at www.yourhorse.co.uk/showing for more expert showing advice in partnership with IT’S TEKNA LOGICAL !

34 YOUR HORSE

www.yourhorse.co.uk

LEARN

WIN & a whole lot more horse with

3

When it’s your turn to do your individual show piece, walk out confidently to the judge and stand in front of her to present your horse. Let her have a look and only walk off and begin your show when she says to.

4

Always walk away from the judge and then show her a trot and canter on both reins, using a figure of eight to change the rein.

If you’re asked to show a gallop, do this down the long side or along the back of the line up.

Some classes don’t require a gallop so listen carefully for instructions.

5

After you’ve finished your individual show, halt in front of the judge, salute and say thank you.

Giving your horse a quick pat also shows the judge you appreciate what he’s done for you. Some judges like to see you to drop your reins and then salute to show good manners, but that’s up to you.

your

WIN WIN WIN! Chestfields Equine Products

A

well turned out horse will catch the judge’s eye as soon as you enter the ring. To help you get your horse looking stunning this season it pays to use products specially made for the job.

This is where the new Chestfields range comes in.

Chestfields Equine has produced a range of high performance grooming products that can achieve the highest standard of results.

All are 100% plant based and are completely non-toxic to human and horse. They’re all safe to use, store and dispose of and all of the products have been created to resolve not only environmental concerns, but issues of health and safety alongside.

If you’re preparing for any sort of competition, it can be difficult to get your horse looking clean and shiny.

With Chestfields products you can ensure your horse will look nothing but 100%.

So, if you’re in need of some quality products, you might just want to use Chestfields.

Win, win, win

In association with Chestfields, we’re giving 10 lucky readers the chance to win fabulous new show products worth £53.

Win this competition and you’ll get your hands on a pack containing a bottle of Cut & Graze, Multi Purpose, Mane & Tail, Show & Shine and Total Bodywash.

To enter and for full terms and conditions go to www.yourhorse.co.uk/win Closing date 12 August 2010 For more information visit www.chestfields.com or call 01227 276 129

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Last but not least, smile. Don’t make the judge think you hate every single moment of being on your horse. Look confident and like you’re enjoying it.

There’s nothing worse than a grumpy rider and the judge will pick up on it!

y Enter todaan c u and yo in enter to w ox b e s the hor me a at the s time

in partnership with

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IT’S TEKNA LOGICAL !

www.yourhorse.co.uk

YOUR HORSE 35

Spoilt rotten If your horse is the spoilt brat of the equine world it’s time to show him you’re no pushover

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.

For more information on Ruth, go to www.horse-talk.org or contact her by email on Ruth@horse-talk.org

28 YOUR HORSE

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A lesson in being firm but fair

H

orses are no fools, if we don’t ask with enough conviction they simply say ‘no thanks’ and do whatever they choose instead. This horse quickly takes on the characteristics of the spoilt child and becomes more or less uncontrollable.

Some things he’ll do nicely – if it suits him. He’ll usually come in quite happily for his bucket, he may even stand quietly to be groomed and tacked up, but ask him to go for a ride or do something else he’d rather not and he digs in his toes and says ‘no’!

When doing what you want suits him, he’s as sweet as pie

Spoiling a horse by being too soft and giving in too easily can lead to a myriad of problems. Our horses need to know that we’re in charge and we mean what we say – as long as it’s reasonable and within the sphere of their experience.

They also need to know the boundaries of what’s acceptable and what isn’t.

Overall, disobedience is not acceptable.

Horses use biting and kicking to establish boundaries

www.yourhorse.co.uk

A stubborn horse needs to be told what to do in no uncertain terms – sometimes this means being forceful. I’ve watched people spend hours trying to load their horse into a horsebox when all he needs is a good slap on the rump.

Horses understand the language of the whip – as long as it’s used judiciously.

Between themselves they deliver quite vicious kicks and bites, if or when a situation calls for it. The recipient understands immediately and does as he’s told. In using the whip at the right time and in the right way, we’re merely using the horse’s own language.

There’s a school of thought that says we should never take a whip to a horse. This is certainly true of the ‘normal’ horse that never objects to anything, unless he has a very good reason. With a normal horse we can work our way round any objection without resorting to a whip. But the spoilt

horse is a different story altogether.

He needs to be told in big, capital letters, that his resistance is unacceptable.

I no more like using a whip than anyone else but I’ve discovered that in the right place, at the right time, a short, sharp shock gets the message across so quickly and effectively that it’s actually kinder to the horse than messing about for hours, trying to be kind and gentle. Additionally, we get the same respect as the youngster strongly reprimanded by an adult horse.

Winning hearts and minds The stubborn horse is so far removed from his natural basic nature that he’s extremely difficult to work with. He has no desire whatsoever to co-operate. Which approach I take depends on the severity of the problem and the horse’s past experience.

YOUR HORSE 29

�

Emma Hindle rides sitting trot with ease – or so it would seem!

How to ride the perfect

Sitting trot

F

or many riders, sitting trot involves a great deal of bouncing around in the saddle while clinging on for dear life – but it shouldn’t. Here Mary Wanless, Heather Moffett and Laura Bechtolsheimer shed some light on the importance of rider biomechanics and give you some tips, advice and exercises to improve your sitting trot.

Mary Wanless Mary Wanless is an internationally renowned coach who created the unique and well-known Ride with Your Mind approach. Trained to ride traditionally, Mary became frustrated with her limited progress as a rider and set out to discover what makes top riders so great. Mary believes that these top riders are often unaware of what it is they do to perform so well, while the ordinary rider may have the theoretical knowledge but not the ability to apply it. Her understanding and appreciation of the importance of rider biomechanics has come from years spent researching these ideas.

Mary now works to help riders of all levels biomechanically improve their horses’ way of going. She’s written many Ride with Your Mind books, given lecture demonstrations to thousands and here she gives her advice to help you conquer sitting trot.

pic: Bob Langrish

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Mary helps riders of all levels

More than just sitting

Just because the word ’sitting’ precedes the word trot, no rider should ever assume that sitting trot is a time to relax. Achieving a good sitting trot takes hard work, lots of strength and, to those watching, it should look easy – but it’s anything but. Just like a swan gliding gracefully on the surface of water, while paddling like mad beneath, the rider must make sitting trot appear absolutely effortless.

“When you watch top riders in sitting trot they look still and controlled, but they also look ready to burst out of their own skin,” says Mary.

“That quality and presence is what gives ease to sitting trot, but they don’t achieve it by sinking down into the saddle and hoping for the best.”

Sitting trot is all about strength and stability, which Mary often relates to the feeling of bouncing on a pogo stick.

Your seat bones should point straight down

Neutral spine

A rider with a hollow back hasn’t a hope in hell when it comes to sitting trot, so the key to getting it right, before anything else, is to achieve neutral spine.

To do so, your seat bones should point straight down. Your pubic bone, belly button, sternum and collar bone should be in a straight vertical line so that your torso creates a box shape – not a banana shape.

YOUR HORSE 51

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Welcome

Browsing for a new item of tack is always lots of fun, but when it comes to the crunch and you need to make a decision on what to buy, things can often become stressful. Buying saddlery comes with so many considerations, the comfort of your horse, the aesthetics, the job you want it to do… and when you add into the mix the fact that you’re looking at parting with a considerable amount of your hard-earned cash, the decision can often become overwhelming.

Some people find themselves throwing money at the situation while others, like me, procrastinate, hoping the answers will suddenly become clear. Well, help is at hand. We’ve spoken to the experts and put together this 17-page special to help you make better buying decisions. Here you’ll find everything you need to know in order to make the right choices for both you and your horse, no matter what your budget.

Rebecca Gibson Your Horse writer

74 YOUR HORSE

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Guide to Buying tack I wante Do squ a ntar ca le?

the Is it ht rig width?

t Deep sea tter or fla seat?

ereet Is thdg a buion opt ? nt I wa Do lar ge ls? knee rol

Cutrbahicks ove withers?

Can I do nt allthI wa wi this?

ck Is blafor OKring? the Leatorher synthetic?

Comyfylegfor m length?

Do your homework It can be hard to find time to research your options thoroughly when you have a horse to care for but putting in the extra effort really does pay off

A

visit to your local tack shop or a flick through a saddlery catalogue will more than likely leave your head spinning. The vast array of tack available

Put pen to paper and draw up a list of your requirements

www.yourhorse.co.uk

is enough to confuse even the most experienced horse owner – and with so many products to choose from, it’s easy to get lost in the options or lured in by special offers that sound great but don’t actually give you what you need.

So, before you think about parting with any money, you need to have a clear idea about what it is you want. Start by drawing up a list of your requirements. Think honestly about why you need the new item, what you want from it and how much you have to spend. Do you want a bridle that’s dressage legal or a saddle that will help you keep a better position when show jumping? Is it important to you that your tack is low maintenance and easy to clean?

Have you been saving up to treat yourself,

or are you working to a tight budget?

Are you buying for a youngster who’s still growing? Now’s the time to think about your priorities – only then will you be ready to start spending.

What style?

The first step is to decide what type of saddle you require, because there’s no point buying a dressage saddle to go jumping in, just as there’s no point buying a jumping saddle to do dressage in. Every saddle will be made with a specific purpose in mind, which will dictate everything from the way the panels are cut to the position of the blocks, and even the types of materials used to produce the saddle.

YOUR HORSE 75

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Go gadget go The right lungeing aid for your horse Lungeing aids are great if you know how to use them but can be detrimental in the wrong hands.

Here four lungeing aids go under the spotlight, and we tell you what they’re for and how to use them

Our expert Samantha Rodwell of Country Physio Samantha Rodwell is a chartered physiotherapist who combines human and veterinary physiotherapy.

Based in Rutland, she works across the East Midlands and East Anglia, and here she gives you advice on what to use each aid for – covering side reins, the bungee, the chambon and the de Gogue – and how to avoid the common mistakes that can end up causing problems.

38 YOUR HORSE

L

ungeing can teach horses to go forwards and to respond to verbal commands. It can help to develop your horse’s balance, muscle tone and control, as well as enhancing flexibility and co-ordination.

Many people choose to introduce a lungeing aid to their lungeing sessions, which can be beneficial.

However, these aids aren’t always used the way they should be, giving the horse conflicting messages and working his muscles incorrectly. It’s therefore important to understand what the aid you choose is intended for.

Generally lungeing aids should be used to develop a normal or desired movement, but different aids are designed to work on different muscles and to work your horse in different outlines on the lunge. Each will apply

pressure in various areas and encourage the direction of movement, so it’s important to know which does what.

Before you get started

turn the page

If you know what lungeing aid you want to use and you’re sure that it’s necessary you can go ahead and give it a go. But a useful tip is to watch your horse work on the for side reins, the bungee, lunge prior to fitting the chambon and the device so that you the de Gogue can see how he naturally moves. Then, when you fit the lungeing aid and ask him to work, consider whether the aid is actually doing what you want it to do – observe your horse’s length of stride, balance, rhythm, flexibility and fluidity of movement and decide whether the lungeing aid is enhancing or inhibiting his movement.

www.yourhorse.co.uk

Riding getting to grips with lungeing aids

Rhomboideus muscle Splenius muscle Ventral serratus muscle

Latissimus dorsi muscle Ventral serratus muscle

Biceps femoris muscle

37% of Your Horse readers, who took our survey, say they regularly use lungeing aids

External abdominal oblique muscle Triceps muscle

Deep pectoral muscle

Trapezius muscle Deltoid muscle Brachiocephalicus muscle

ďż˝ www.yourhorse.co.uk

YOUR HORSE 39

Cooler rugs are a versatile addition to your horse’s wardrobe – great to use after washing down or as a travel rug. We’ve tested 11 cooler rugs to see how well they performed

96 YOUR HORSE

THE

TEST cooler rugs

The test

The AWARDS

FIT & COMFORT Our tester commented on how well each rug fitted and how easy the rug was to use

PERFORMANCE Our tester assessed how well each rug performed – how effectively it kept her horses cool or dried them off after exercise

The cooler rug that performed the best during our test and our tester couldn’t live without

The cooler rug that offers great performance and value for money

The cooler rug that

VALUE FOR MONEY performed well in our test Our tester evaluated her comments on fit and performance in relation to price, to decide whether each rug is good value for money, and if she would recommend this rug to other horse owners

OUR TestER

turn the page to find out our winning products

Kate Walls

www.yourhorse.co.uk

co m se ing e p ne ag xt m e1 o 02 nth

E

NE L M O W AG AZOK IN

International event rider Kate used the rugs on a number of horses at her yard. She used them while her horses were travelling, after working and competing. She used the rugs for approximately nine months.

YOUR HORSE 97

Are we ready to move up a level? � 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 Christie Wright � Experience Former international event rider Christie Wright has been a British Eventing performance development coach for the last five years. Tasked by Eventing GB chef d’equipe Yogi Breisner to help improve the technical ability, knowledge and safety of riders within the sport of eventing, Christie and the other coaches run workshops throughout the year. Christie is also the UK Student Rider team coach.

The rider and horse � Name Jo Poultney � Experience Jo got into eventing after buying 16hh Irish Sports Horse Colly two years ago.

She currently competes 11-year-old Colly at Pre-novice level and would like to move up to Novice before the end of the season. Jo describes Colly as a cross-country machine but says he’s almost too confident. Because Colly gets so strong across country Jo’s worried they would be unsafe tackling the bigger fences.

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Riding Private Lessons

Understanding the rider’s role Before the lesson begins, Christie takes a few minutes to talk to Jo about her responsibility as a rider when competing across country.

“The officials have the job of building a safe, educational track and your horse obviously has a certain amount of responsibility,” says Christie, “but I’m afraid the bulk of the responsibility lies with you, the rider.

“Your responsibilities can be broken down into three key areas,” she explains. “Your approach – which includes the line you ride to the fence and your straightness; your rhythm – this is massively important as it makes the job of jumping much easier for your horse; and finally what canter you have – the canter needed will depend on the type of fence you’re jumping.”

� www.yourhorse.co.uk

YOUR HORSE 105

Horse care Headshaking: the latest research Spinal cord

Brain

Trigeminal nerve Opthalmic nerve

Maxillary nerve

Maxilla (upper jaw)

Mandibular nerve

Illustration: Samantha J Elmhurst BA Hons www.livingart.org.uk

Mandible (lower jaw)

As new research sheds light on this complex medical condition, we explore a glimmer of hope for headshaking sufferers Words by Helen Milbank

turn the page

for how the latest research could help your horse

Hope for headshakers? www.yourhorse.co.uk

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