Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 512 i Your Horse

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK in November was subtitled ‘Make a noise about bullying’. The thinking behind the campaign is to expose both face-toface bullying and that which takes place online. However it manifests itself, bullying is insidious, abhorrent and it ruins lives. Some people never recover from its effects, suffering anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Numerous people have fallen victim to bullies, but it is almost impossible to believe that the seemingly comfortable, cosy and friendly equestrian world could harbour such vile and vicious behaviour. However, it does, as proved by a recent survey undertaken by the charity Riders Minds. This reveals that 76% of equestrians say that they have been on the receiving end of bullying behaviour. It is certainly a surprising and distressing statistic, but the charity points out that…

Motorists who speed past horses are one of the British public's pet peeves, a survey commissioned by CarMats.co.uk has revealed. The study, entitled ‘Behind the Wheel’, looked at the nation's driving traits and preferences by surveying 1,366 UK drivers aged 17-55-plus. Almost two in five (36%) of respondents said that ‘not respecting horses and their riders’ was one of the worst driving misdemeanours motorists can commit. It ranked 13th in the list of 30 annoying driving habits and angered people more than drivers who don't respect pedestrians or cyclists — which were 16th and 20th respectively.…

WILD BEAUTY DELIVERS A POWERFUL MESSAGE A new feature documentary on America's native wild horses, which its makers hope will raise awareness of the worrying decline in their numbers, has been released. Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West encompasses topics such as animal welfare and conservation and investigates why the number of native wild horses has plummeted so fast. Filmmaker Ashley Avis shines a light on the current injustices in land management which is leading to the killing of America's native wild horses. “At first it sounded like a conspiracy,” she says in a voiceover, “until we realised that it was.” The film is available to stream on Amazon, iTunes and more.…

Unfortunately, the symptoms of ovarian cancer (a growth of cells that forms in the ovaries) are often vague, and the disease can go undetected for years, only giving notice of its presence when it has spread. Risk factors include… ■ Being over the age of 60. ■ Obesity. ■ Smoking. ■ Having a family history of ovarian cancer, or having inherited a faulty gene. ■ Having had breast or bowel cancer, or radiotherapy for a previous cancer. ■ Suffering from endometriosis or diabetes. ■ Having started periods early, or the menopause late. ■ Never using hormone contraception. ■ Taking hormone replacement therapy. ■ Never having had children, or having them later in life. Typical signs can be… ■ Bloating. ■ Feeling full after eating. ■ Unexplained weight loss. ■ Abdominal/pelvic/back…

YOUR HORSE'S TRAINING WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How to make the most of short winter days Putting yourself in the right mindset for constructive learning Visualisation as a powerful tool for making progress MEET THE EXPERT STEFFI DAMPNEY is a chartered sports and exercise psychologist. She runs her own business, The Sporting Difference, and also works alongside performance coach Charlie Unwin as a sport psychologist for Centre10. She provides psychology support for the sport academy at Hartpury College, too. Steffi is a horse owner herself and therefore recognises the pressures that riders put themselves under, especially when daylight hours are limited and time pressures mount up. Accredited Centre10 coaches offer sessions on everything from goal setting to building confidence. Visit centre10.com/find-a-coach ACKNOWLEDGINGA CONCERN is thestart of seekinga solution,sofor anyone already worrying…

Ask The Experts Simple solutions for horse owners Meet this month's panel of experts Bit fitting Angela Rudrum is a qualified specialist bit fitter. She has worked in the equestrian industry for 35 years. Visit equinebitting solutions.co.uk Moving yards Francesca Bradley BSc is the rider and yard manager at Whitegate Farm Livery, an awardwinning yard in Wales. Visit whitegate farmlivery.co.uk Vaccinations Danielle Johnson BVScMRCVS joined Clarendon Equine veterinary practice in 2022. She is currently studying towards an advanced certificate in equine medicine. Visit clarendonequine.co.uk Working equitation Caroline Clinkard is a working equitation rider and judge. She has competed internationally for Team GB at the highest level. Visit abweoffidal.co.uk GOT A PROBLEM? Need an answer? We'll know someone who can help… Welcome to our Ask The Experts section. Over the next eight pages…

YOUR HORSE'S GEAR WHAT'S NEW? | NEW PRODUCTS AS FIT AS A FIDDLE? The Enduro FIT Equine Ride Tracking App has been updated to include some new features to help the rider monitor the health, wellbeing and fitness levels of their horse on a daily basis. These new features include Multi-Horse Live Tracking, weather, calories burned and much more. The latest Enduro Equine Heart Rate Monitor is also an essential piece of smart kit for measuring heart rate. It includes an innovative, adaptable Enduro GW Smart Fabric Girth Wrap that is wireless, fits on a wide range of girths and is comfortable for any horse. RRP Download the Enduro FIT App from the App Store or Google Play. From £209 (Heart Rate Monitor) ENDUROEQUINE.COM FEET FIRST The tricky and unpredictable…

Showjumper and trainer Antonia Platt: Training is all about the little wins. Always go at the right pace (physically and metaphorically) to maintain and build your horse's confidence, as well as your own, and to cement your partnership together, page 30 Equine behaviourist Olivia Turner: There is a difference between horses who are frightened and those who have learned to avoid being bridled. They might still have an element of anxiety, but they are confident, possibly because they have found a successful tactic to evade the handler, page 36 Western instructor Emma Chapman: Western comes from training a horse to be a useful partner. Cowboys and cowgirls are riding one-handed and they need th horse to be responsive and reliable. They need complete control, page 38 Sarah Charnley, leading competition…

A Suffolk Punch dazzled the crowds and the judges on the Saturday at Your Horse Live (YHL) to be crowned overall Supreme Champion in the SEIB Insurance Brokers Search for a Star Your Horse Live Championship. Holbeache Scarlet, a four-year-old mare owned by Andrea Hoskins and handled by stud manager Brad Auker, had already made history the previous day when she won the first ever in-hand Search for A Star Heavy Horse final. Long-standing Search for a Star judges Katie Jerram-Hunnable and Chris Hunnable, said: “The Suffolk Punch was lovely and so well behaved. She is in foal – due at the end of May – which will be a fantastic addition to the collection of these rare breeds.” The Suffolk Punch is registered on the Priority list of the…

JANUARY The British Horse Society (BHS) publishes 2022 road accident figures and they don't make easy reading. In total, 68 horses died on the roads in Britain, 125 were injured, and 139 people were injured, too, despite Highway Code changes intended to improve horse and rider safety introduced the previous year. Data shows that 3,552 road incidents involving horses were reported to the organisation, representing a 21% increase on 2021. The BHS says that 82% of incidents occur because a vehicle passed too close to the horse, while 78% were caused by a vehicle passing too quickly. FEBRUARY British Riding Clubs introduces a new rule on the use of the whip, specifying that these artificial aids can only be employed to encourage an equine forward, or straight at a fence,…

How I make it work: The staff at the livery yard and my husband, Matt, all assist The former accountant moved to work for her family's construction firm three years ago, and she now juggles this demanding role with keeping a warmblood gelding called Rupert My job… I work alongside my stepdad, Jeremy, and mum, Sally, helping to run our family's Newmarket-based property development business, Freshwater Estates. We specialise in small developments of around six to nine properties in the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk area. I'm currently ‘learning on the job’ and I spend a lot of time on site, but I also oversee the company's finance function when I'm in the office. I don't have a construction background, and so it has all been a baptism by fire as I've not only…

When Liz Rankin's 20-year-old mare tore a tendon in December 2020 the prognosis looked grim. Despite stem cell therapy and four months of box rest, the tendon wasn't healing. Liz decided to give Bubbles until her re-scan in two months' time, and if no progress had been made then she would make the decision ever horse owner dreads. "Bubbles had always lived out, keep her on box rest for what would then be six months, with just a short in-hand walk each day, was really not fair to her," says Sheffield-based Liz of her 15hh cob. "The vet ha to me that ten injuries can be tricky as there isn't a great blood supply to them. Bubbles' tendon wasn't healing, and although she was walking happily, she was very lame…

WHAT IS A girth? Basically, it is a belt that goes under the horse's body to secure the saddle, rather like a person wears one to hold up their trousers or shorts to prevent them from ending up around their ankles on the floor. Originally the girth was merely thought of as a tool to hold the saddle in place and keep it still, but since Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire's groundbreaking research on racehorses, this ‘belt’ has been looked upon somewhat differently. Russell wrote in trainermagazine.com: “It seems that the girth has the potential to be more influential and important than has ever been imagined. Indeed, the girth's impact on equine locomotion has been reported to be so great that authors of a study suggest the girth and its fit should…

Ask The Experts WORKING EQUITATION - CAROLINE CLINKARD says… Q I have seen video dips on social media recently of working equitation during which the riders do a form of obstacle course. What exactly is working equitation? Emily Bennett, Nottinghamshire Caroline says: Working equitation, like eventing, is made up of three phases: dressage, ease of handling and a speed test. At international level there is also a fourth phase — cattle penning. The videos you watched are probably from the ease of handling phase. This is a course made up of up to 16 obstacles, and it was originally designed around displaying the skills required by horses who were used in the countryside for jobs such as working cattle or livestock, plus it is meant to highlight the partnership between…

Tell us about growing up in Australia Growing up in Turramurra, a suburb of Sydney, was wonderful. I was always surrounded by animals and we spent weekends visiting farms, where my love of horses began. I have also had a passion for fashion for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I would dismantle my bedroom wardrobe and put up a rack so that it looked like a shop! I studied textiles and design and wanted to be a fashion designer, but I just couldn't draw. I'd lay out all my outfits at night and treasure everything I had — especially the jewellery I had been given. I had many charms in the shape of horses. How did you get into riding? My family wasn't horsey and so,…

The equine industry has a special and important role to play in terms of the environment and sustainability — and it starts with the small changes we can all make in our day-to-day lives on the yard. This was the key message from Ruth Dancer, director of environmental sustainability specialist White Griffin, during her presentation at the World Horse Welfare Conference, held during November. The theme of the conference was ‘Horses and the Environment: Friend or Foe?’ and Ruth spoke of risks, challenges and opportunities in terms of environmental sustainability. “We are the sport of the land — we live here, we train here, we relax here — but the way we use land for horse sport can be damaging,” she warned, alluding to overstocking, horse-sick paddocks, and nitrates and…

HOW OFTEN DO you listen to your horse? When he spooks or shies, when he refuses to walk on, or when he wants to turn back to the yard what do you do? Many riders will push on, reasoning that their mount is just misbehaving or that he is being silly. But what if a horse is trying to tell their rider that something really is amiss and that they could be entering a danger zone? This was the case for Steph Dunn, who headed out for a ride aboard her loan horse, Splash, one sunny Sunday morning. “The hack started as normal and it was one I had done more than a dozen times before, both solo and with company, so it was a familiar route,” recalls Steph. “When…

Back together again I had just returned from a week's holiday and I took Bobby Joe for a walk in-hand when I snapped this picture. He gave me a lovely cuddle as I think he was pleased to see me again. Anne McEwen, Perthshire Equine empathy Dan and I love walking together. He's 14 years old and I've had him since he was five. He's my rock and he gave me so much comfort when I lost my mum two years ago. The evening before I got the phone call to summon me to the hospital where she was very poorly, Dan pulled me into his chest and hugged me. It was like he knew. He's definitely my best friend. Jane Hoare, Cheshire Living her best life My 24-year-old cob…

This is an exercise to develop steering aids and a partnership between horse and rider. It secures immense accuracy, discipline and strength in your core to hold a horse on a very narrow line of poles without allowing any deviation. It is a great warm-up exercise to switch on your muscles and mind before anything more challenging. Set-up and equipment Very simply you will need four wooden 90cm half-round poles, preferably painted white (two will work just as well, but it is more advantageous to have the lines down both long sides of the arena). Set the poles on a straight line 2m in from the track or on the centre line with as much room between them as your arena allows (opposite top right). Warming up Keep to your…

Four years ago, Marion Wills’18-year-old mare Esta developed anumber of sarcoids, including twolarge growths in her udder area. Marion's vet recommended using Liverpool cream, a chemotherapy product developed by Liverpool VetSchool. However, Marion wasconcerned thatthe treatment wouldn't suit Esta, avery strong Fjordpony, and she maybecome difficult to handle. A friend suggested homeopathy and Marion's vetwas happyfor her to consulta British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons (BAHVS) registered vet. “We had along chatoverthe phone and then the vetcame out to meet Esta. He wantedtoknow all about her, whatshe waslike in the field.Was she happy? Did she get nervous? How was she to ride? All sorts of questions to find outher personality. “Then, over the next four or five months,she was prescribed anumber of substances,starting with thuja [ thuja occidentalis, an extract…

8 DENGIE HI-FI ORIGINAL CINNAMON SPICE DUOS AND A BOBBLE HAT Eight lucky winners will each receive two bales of festive Dengie Hi-Fi Original Cinnamon Spice and a Dengie Bobble Hat. Dengie Hi-Fi Original Cinnamon Spice is naturally high in fibre but low in calories (8MJ/kg), sugar (9%) and starch (1.5%). It combines nutritious alfalfa blended with soft straw for optimum digestive health and is a great choice for horses and ponies in light work or at rest. The added cinnamon spice flavour makes it even tastier and brings a festive flavour to the feed room. As with all Dengie feeds, Hi-Fi Original Cinnamon Spice is made from non-GM fibres and is sourced locally, helping to keep food miles as low as possible and meaning that every bag can be traced back…

YOUR HORSE'S GEAR ONTREND | THERAPY RUGS WEATHERBEETA THERAPY-TEC WICK DRI COOLER COMBO NECK RRP £129.99 COLOUR Black/silver/red SIZES 5ft–7ft3in WEATHERBEETA.CO.UK The Weatherbeeta Therapy-Tec is a lightweight, wicking cooler rug with a fleece upper and mesh lower that boasts ceramic fabric technology to reflect the horse's own bod heat over his shoulders, back, neck and quarters.The neck covercan be folded away in the hideawayneck pocket so thatthe rug canbeused as astandardneck style. PROTECHMASTA FIXED NECK INFRARED COMBO RUG RRP£189 COLOUR Black/red SIZES 4ft6in–7ft6in HARRYHALL.COM This therapy cooler rug employs Far Infrared radiation, anatural process that isscientifically proven to safely assist blood circulation. This helps to reduce any swelling and eases muscle tension, supports recovery and assists in the prevention of injury. FELIX BÜHLER WALKER RUG CERAMIC REHAB RRP £119 COLOUR Black…