Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 500 i Your Horse

A 40TH ANNIVERSARY is a significant achievement, whether it involves someone celebrating four decades in the saddle, a company marking 40 years in business, or a ruby wedding anniversary observed. I mention all of this because Your Horse is 40 and we mark our impressive milestone in the ever-changing world of publishing with a trip down memory lane (page 10). Your Horse's first editor, Liz Benwell, has loved regaling us with stories from 1983, when the cover price of the magazine was 85p and the first issue was given away for free. It was the era of the headscarf; Puffa jackets were all the rage; horses were turned out in ubiquitous green New Zealand rugs; and the purists were horrified when coloured girths and numnahs started to flood the market.…

The cost of living crisis is hitting charities hard, not least Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), which has launched a winter appeal for donations. Hundreds of RDA groups across the UK support thousands of disabled adults and children, and demand is as strong as ever, but many are reporting that they are having to cancel sessions due to feeling the squeeze, with the cost of lighting indoor arenas cited as a major problem. For some groups it has simply become unaffordable. Sarah Healing from Penniwells RDA Group was representative of many when she said: “While we are a very determined group, the outlook over the coming winter for Penniwells RDA is worrying — with the cost of living forever rising, going forward we are worried about how we will…

IN THE FRAME ■ Guy Williams and Mr Blue Sky UK soared over the 2.15m (7ft) wall to share first place in the LeMieux Puissance at the London International Horse Show, held at ExCel in London during December. The pair has an exceptional puissance record at this fixture and were the victors last year. The contest provided a fitting conclusion to the opening day of this five-day show and 11 combinations came forward to take on the famous red wall. It wasn't raised to 2.15m until the fifth round, when Joseph Trunkfield with Cruze, another striking grey, also cleared it and the two riders shared the spoils. Joseph said: “It's unbelievable. Watching these classes as a kid it was Guy winning back then and being on the podium with him…

Jim Jams — a dream of a ride This is my son, Benjie, with his Cob-let Jim Jams and a cup of tea — the way he loves to start the day. Benjie started riding 18 months ago after being bullied at school. His sister scooped him up after school one day and took him to the stables. He sobbed his heart out to a little white pony called Sassy and never looked back. He enjoys hacking around the farm on Jim Jams and also taking part in unaffiliated showjumping contests. Karina Harris, Cornwall Camera shy I keep trying to take pictures of the lovely Frank, but he says no thank you to any kind of paparazzi. Therefore we have to settle for our shadow. Seriously, if I get a…

YOUR HORSE'S CARE KEEP HIM COMFY | IS HE CROOKED? WHAT DOES THE racehorse who runs better around left-handed tracks have in common with the showjumper who consistently jumps to the right? It is likely that they both carry asymmetry in their bodies, which means that they find some things biomechanically more challenging one way than the other. There are many factors that can cause asymmetry in horses, from conformational issues, previous injuries and poor farriery to a crooked rider, uneven saddle flocking and certain stable habits. Horses will often carry these with them throughout their lives with no significant illeffects — problems only arise when thresholds are exceeded and the balance of these forces tips. Russell Mackechnie-Guire of Centaur Biomechanics has developed sophisticated gait analysis software to measure horse and…

Your Horse Magazine editor Julie Harding's 17hh gelding Apollo (the regular star of our Welcome page) suffered a field accident in February 2021 in which he staked himself near his left eye, fracturing a bone in the process. The vet cleaned and stitched the 20p sized opening that morning, but a few days later the skin and the stitches broke down. The vet decided on subsequent visits not to restitch the hole and it quickly healed of its own accord, but as it closed up, and with it the opening for infected sinus drainage, a new problem appeared — swelling of the sinuses in the middle of his head and below his affected eye. “My vet suggested a visit to the surgery for flushing, but Apollo hadn't been transported anywhere…

‘My ponies were fat, and no saddles would fit, so we did Couch to 5k’ When Aberystwyth-based nurse Fiona Sykes lost her horse, Spirit, to colic in May 2021, the mare's two field companions became unhandleable. “Spirit's best friend, Bramble, became really aggressive. The vet said it was due to grief, and I wasn't able to do anything with him or my other pony, William, until the November, when we started walking out in-hand,” says Fiona. William then became ill, meaning that by the time Fiona had their saddles refitted, the ponies had had two years off. “The saddler remarked how fat they were. Their saddles no longer fitted and she struggled to find one big enough for Bramble. That's when I decided we needed some kind of help,” says…

Ask The Experts Quit that snatching! Q I have a 17hh Dutch Warmblood cross who is perfect in every way apart from one problem: when I ride her she has a habit of snatching at the bit, yanking my arms and hands forward. She is ridden in a snaffle and her teeth have recently been checked. Can you help? Alice Conkey, Dorset Coral says: As long as your mare has been checked by your equine physio, dentist and vet, etc, and you are sure that there are no underlying issues, I would suggest that this has become a learned habit that needs to be changed. Perhaps try a Waterford bit or similar to encourage her not to snatch at the reins, and use your voice to reprimand her in a…

Ask The Experts The right fit I've recently bought a 17.5in saddle, which fits me well, but my pony has started to buck. She never used to do this. Could it be the saddle? I'm 5ft 7in and my pony is 13.3hh. Sarah Ward, Kent Jade says: If the behaviour your pony is showing is new and wasn't seen before you changed saddles it may well mean that your saddle isn't suitable for her, even if it fits you. As it's a 17.5in saddle, this might be too long for your pony's back. The saddle shouldn't sit further back than T18, which is the 18th thoracic vertebrae. If your saddle is sitting further back than this point it will be resting on the lumbar region. This is a non-weight bearing…

YOUR HORSE'S GEAR ON TREND ON TREND | TRIMMERS WAHL ADMIRE TRIMMER RRP £131 SHOPLISTER-GLOBAL.COM This versatile trimmer has an advanced lithium-ion battery to give a powerful trimming performance, while the lightweight, ergonomic design ensures comfort and ease of use. TheWahl Admire Trimmer offers 120 minutes of trimming time and the flexibility to run corded or cordless. Powerful yet quiet, the Admire can cope with any job—from tidying the face to trimming feathers. HEINIGER SAPHIR RRP £299.99 HEINIGER.CO.UK A quiet, lightweight trimmer with minimal vibration makes this a great choice if your horse is nervous about being clipped. It has a slim grip handpiece and it stays cool even when used for long periods. This powerful, rechargeable trimmer comes with two lithium-ion batteries that each gives up to an hour's trimming and…

Liz Benwell, the first editor of Your Horse: Your Horse's longevity is due to the fact that it has always appealed to the ordinary horse owner who loves to talk about their riding adventures, page 10 Multi-medalled Paralympian Natasha Baker: I have a very positive outlook and I never say “why me?” I've always felt that the opportunities that have come my way would never have done so without my disability, page 18 Former eventing World Champion Ros Canter: I'm not the bravest rider and I've had to develop a system that makes me feel safe to ride at the speed across country that I need to be competitive, page 32 Sports psychologist Leonie Lightfoot: Having lots of different aims can leave you feeling overwhelmed. By planning your goals effectively…

A member of the public called Horseworld and alerted them to the plight of the duo who had been cruelly neglected and discarded like rubbish. “It was a miracle that [the mare] had managed to give birth to a living foal when she was in such horrendous condition herself,” said Sarah Hollister, HorseWorld's head of equine welfare. “Her skeletal body had nothing left to give her baby and they were both in imminent danger of dying.” When they were taken in by the charity, the mare, named Blossom by staff, was so thirsty that she risked overwhelming her system by drinking too much water, so she had to be offered it in small amounts. Her foal, meanwhile, who has been christened Forest, had issues walking due to his limbs not…

CELEBRATING OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY EXACTLY 40 YEARS ago, in an office in Peterborough, a team was putting together a brand new magazine. A think tank made up of editorial and publishing experts worked on the relatively novel concept — a practical publication for leisure riders. They plumped for the name Your Horse. “I had recently given up working on Horse and Pony magazine and I'd gone home to do a bit of freelance journalism and mess around with my horses,” says Liz Benwell. “One day the phone rang and I was offered the role of editor of Emap's new magazine. I accepted with the proviso that I could work from home, which in the 1980s was pretty revolutionary.” With Liz newly installed at the helm, Your Horse launched in early…

ANYONE WHO HAS ever worked with a brand as an influencer might well have asked themselves whether they should be remunerated for their work. If they are creating content for a certain brand, they have probably wondered when they should start to charge for it. And if they decide that they really should charge a fee, that leads to another question — how much should they actually charge? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. In industries beyond equestrian there are clearer guidelines as to what content is worth. Such fees take into account a number of factors, with the follower number being one. The higher the follower number, the more the influencer can expect to charge, but there are some other questions that need to be asked to truly assess…

One of Tania Grantham's favourite pole workouts for developing even muscle tone is the torpedo exercise, where poles are arranged in a square with two triangles coming off pointing towards B and E in the arena. It has two main purposes: To confirm straightness To improve proprioception Tanya says: “You can adjust your line according to your horse's stride length and it's also useful to practise riding from dot to dot or stripe to stripe through the poles to help improve straightness. “Riding different lines through more complex pole layouts teaches the horse to think about where he's putting his feet and works on proprioception [muscle memory], which is important for developing equal muscle tone.”…

SCIENCE HAS SO far not been able to fathom entirely why horses have a sinus system — a complicated set of empty air-filled chambers that extend off the nasal cavity and through which they normally drain — but basically if they didn't and their heads were made up entirely of bone they would be impossibly heavy. It is thought, too, that the sinuses may have an immune function, plus they protect vital structures from trauma. The lining of the sinuses are constantly secreting small amounts of fluid and, provided this is clear, it is normal and nothing to worry about. Indeed, in a healthy horse with no sinus problems, on a cold day he might, as in humans and dogs, have a slight watery discharge, but otherwise the sinuses won't…

In partnership with Email your questions to yh.ed@yourhorse.co.uk Simple solutions for horse owners Meet this month's panel of experts Farriery Dale Beecham is an experienced farrier who is based in south Lincolnshire. He specialises in young and farrierphobic horses. Riding advice Coral Hardman (née Keen) is a UKCC Level 3 coach and a five-star event rider who is based in Wiltshire. Follow Coral Hardman Eventing on Facebook. Behaviour Felicity George is an Equine Behaviour Affiliation (EBA) registered equine psychology specialist. Read more about her at equinecarecentre.com Saddle issues Jade Holly Smith is director of The Saddle Bank and a master saddle fitting consultant. Visit thesaddlebank.com GOT A PROBLEM? Need an answer? We'll know someone who can help… Welcome to our Ask The Experts section. Over the next nine pages we…

Ask The Experts Cupid's hormones to blame Q My mare comes into season the moment she meets a new gelding, and this happens year round. Is this behaviour normal? Sheryle Elson, Essex Felicity says: Yes, this behaviour is fairly common. I've seen and heard of many mares who do this but appear to be in good health, both mentally and physically. It is an interesting observation which could help us to reflect on how we meet the needs of our domestic horses. Feral mares spend much of their lives in foal or with a foal at foot and socialise predominantly with a stallion and their offspring. Domestication can interfere with the urge to reproduce in many ways, and the ability to fulfil this need is greatly diminished. Many of us…

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SILVER GEM Hand-made to order by a small business in the UK from silver, this bracelet is the perfect gift for anyone who adores horses. It can also be made as a necklace. etsy.me/3iUclYD TAKE FIVE WITH GEMMA OWEN Love Island star Gemma Owen talks horses, coming from a horsey family and helping to raise the profile of dressage while on the popular ITV reality show in next month's Your Horse (issue 501). Be sure not to miss it!…

In 1984, a year after the launch of Your Horse magazine, the team organised a day of demos at Wychnor Manor in a show that would become a forerunner to Your Horse Live. Despite the presence of showjumping ‘names’ like Nick Skelton and Graham Fletcher, they had no idea if anyone would turn up. “I remember us all standing around in the morning, nervously wondering if it would be a success, but it was. It was really well attended,” says Liz Benwell. The show would later move to Markfield Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire, where it was hosted until it was amalgamated with Stoneleigh's British Equine Event, and this eventually morphed into Your Horse Live. After that first show, as Liz was driving home along the M1 to Yorkshire, the lights…

How I make it work: I keep my mare on full livery, my employer is flexible and my partner is a great help The Vodafone employee juggles a busy role at the phone giant with hacking her loan horse, Sandro Isabella, four times a week My job… I work full time as a service relationship manager for Vodafone UK, looking after three business customers. My job involves making sure that the customer's relationship is managed and cared for. I act as a single point of contact for the customer and am the voice of the customer into Vodafone, as well as the voice of Vodafone to the customer. I hold regular meetings with my customers to stay in touch about the services they buy from Vodafone. This gives us a…

Change diagonals regularly This will ensure that you avoid always sitting and rising on the same diagonal pair of legs. Ask for a proper canter strike-off “Don't let the horse get faster and faster in trot until he breaks into canter, otherwise he will always strike off on his preferred leg,” says Tania Grantham. Consider the camber “When you always ride on the left-hand side of the road, the effect of the camber means that the horse's left hind is likely to be left behind and have increased pelvic rotation,” says Russell Mackechnie-Guire, so… …Include gentle leg yields (if it is safe to do so) “A leg yield in walk is mechanically more demanding than a leg yield in trot and will help to strengthen the horse,” says Russell. Ride…

‘A mystery illness left my horse looking emaciated’ Last February, Spearmint, Louise Horwood's 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse cross gelding, was rushed into an equine hospital with an illness that still hasn't: been fully diagnosed. “His temperature and heart rate were through the roof,” remembers Louise of the horse who spent four days at Rase Vets in Market Rasen and who was only able to return home once he could come off intravenous antibiotics. After two months of having weekly serum amyloid A (SAA) tests, gauging the level of inflammation in his body, Spearmint was able to be brought back into work. However, it was soon obvious that the months off had taken their toll on him physically. “Spearmint's muscles had wasted away. He looked anorexic,” says Louise. “We were both…

Ask The Experts In too deep? Q Our fields are really boggy and there's no avoiding the mud as my horse lives out. Will this be doing his feet any harm — and how can I protect them? lzzy Meadows, East Sussex Dale says: As a rule, hooves can cope pretty well with mud. Problems only really start to occur when the weather is extreme, namely very dry or very wet. When this happens, owners need to step in and do the opposite of the weather. By this I mean use a moisturising product on their horse's hooves in periods of prolonged dry weather and a hardener when it's very wet. If you consider a horse in the wild in his natural environment, he would never spend days or weeks…

Ask The Experts Read the signs Q My horse swishes his tail and refuses to walk forwards when I mount up. Could this be a saddle issue? Jo Higgins, Surrey Jade says: Firstly, it is important to note that a horse who is perceived to be misbehaving is often trying to tell us something. Horses attempt to talk to us all the time, but we don't speak the same language. So, as horse owners and riders, it is our responsibility to learn to listen. For example, if your horse pins his ears back, stomps his feet, or tries to bite you when the saddle comes near or is placed on his back, he is trying to tell you that he's associating and anticipating pain in relation to the saddle. If…

KRAMER TREAT AND ACTIVITY BALL RRP £22.90 KRAMER.CO.UK Simply fill the angular ball with treats and, when your horse nudges the ball, it starts to move and a treat will fall out. A simple and fun way to relieve boredom in the stable. It can also be used in the field. SHOWMASTER HAY BAG GOLIATH II RRP £59.90 KRAMER.CO.UK This large, sturdy hay bag with strategically placed holes slows down how quickly your horse can eat his ration. You can make it more challenging by hanging the bag freely in his stable. Hay Bag Goliath II comes complete with large snap hooks and a rope. HAYGAIN FORAGER RRP £295 HAYGAIN.CO.UK This slow feeder extendsmealtimes without frustrating your horse. More time eating equals less time for boredom behaviours and food scarcity…