Issue 473

Your Horse

Enjoy every second in the saddle

Your Horse2 min read
Welcome
WHEN WE LOOK back on 2020 in years to come, there’s one word that will ping to the forefront of our minds: coronavirus. Few of us will come out of this without being impacted in some way. Within the horse world there are remarkable stories of how peo
Your Horse1 min read
Your Horse Magazine
A word from the team... Deputy editor Allison Lowther: The world of virtual competition is booming. Our feature gives you all the details you need to know about this stress-free, fun way of competing. It’s a great way to get your training on track. P
Your Horse2 min read
Your Horse Challenges You To… RIDE IN A RIVER
HOW MANY TIMES have you ridden past a stream or river without giving it a second glance? Next time you’re passing look for a horse-friendly way in and, if there is one, go for a paddle. River riding is a lot of fun for both of you. It adds a new sens
Your Horse3 min readScience & Mathematics
HORSE talk
For all the latest news from the horse world, visit yourhorse.co.uk Research has found that lower levels of bedding and lights left on significantly affects the quality of a horse’s state. Aberystwyth University student Daniela Amiouny’s thesis — The
Your Horse1 min readHorses
Rescue Update
Could you rehome a homeless horse or pony who has been rescued by a charity? Four horses currently living with Blue Cross in Rolleston are seeking new homes. Gus, a three-year-old piebald cob, is looking for an experienced home where he can be given
Your Horse1 min read
This Month We Love...
Stunning charcoal drawings of horses and hounds by Diana Shepherd, an artist in residence at Derby Arboretum Park, whose work is inspired by her love for the elegance of horses and hounds. From £10. Look for Diana Shepherd Art on etsy.com Luxury foot
Your Horse3 min readPsychology
Propel Into Winter
NOW THAT WINTER’S set in and the days are shorter, it’s easy to slip into the routine of not riding. But it’s not just the miles you’re missing out on when you stay indoors. Suzy Ayshford knows all too well how important it is to get out into the fre
Your Horse1 min readMotivational
7 Tips For Motivation
1 Wrap up warm 2 Make a plan and stick to it 3 Keep your plan somewhere visible 4 Hack with friends 5 Explore somewhere new 6 Set an achievable winter mileage goal 7 Rethink your routine ■
Your Horse1 min readPsychology
Escaping Covid-related anxiety
Next store manager Andrea Hawkins says that since the pandemic hit, hacking has provided a much-needed escape. “It has been a stressful year in retail. Hacking takes me to a different world and I’m going into the winter feeling more motivated than ev
Your Horse1 min read
From Road Rescue To Hack Finisher
Charlotte Griffin is celebrating after she completed #Hack1000Miles with her pony Tommy. It’s a happy ending for the 13.2hh six-year-old, who was found by Charlotte’s friend on the side of the road. “She felt sorry for him tethered at the side of the
Your Horse3 min read
‘I Tape On My Headlamp And We Set Off Into The Abyss’
CONFESSIONS OF A #HACK1000MILES CHALLENGER… IN WHAT HAS been a testing year for everybody, never have I been so grateful to head out on my horse and enjoy our solitude together. Along with miles of hacking during the Australian winter — that’s your s
Your Horse2 min readHorses
The Canadian Horse
THE CANADIAN HORSE breed dates back more than 350 years. It first arrived in Canada when Louis XIV of France shipped 12 horses to New France in 1663. Mystery surrounds the breeding of these horses, assumed to have been a mix, but they were chosen for
Your Horse6 min read
Natalie McGoldrick
NATALIE MCGOLDRICK HAS just returned from an emergency call out. A yearling’s eyelid, that was a J- bloody mess on arrival — caught in the hook of a bucket handle and ripped open — was neatly sutured with blue thread and set on the road to recovery b
Your Horse1 min read
The Covid Factor
During the first lockdown, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), stated that only emergency treatments could be performed. “With no routine treatment and the number of emergencies down due to no competitions and few people riding, I had a
Your Horse5 min read
Mel Derrick
Airline cabin crew I work as airline cabin crew, mainly flying out of Cardiff Airport, which is a handy 50-minute drive from my home. I fell into hairdressing following school and, two years later, worked in a factory making landline phones for three
Your Horse2 min read
‘Riding Was My Escape From The Outside World’
For insurance agent Kerry Oates, the routine of two horses has been a welcome stabiliser during a Covidshaped year rife with worry, writes Aimi Clark. “When lockdown one kicked in, I was suddenly working at home. I’m usually on the road and seeing lo
Your Horse6 min read
2020 The Pandemic Effect
NORMALLY I RUSH to the stables like a whirlwind, changing rugs, picking out feet and dashing about,” says Liz, who runs her own PR consultancy and keeps two ex-racehorses on turnout livery at a local working farm. But when rising coronavirus case num
Your Horse1 min read
A Major Loss For Showing Supremo
Leading showing producer Katie Jerram-Hunnable was thrilled to welcome the adored Cue Card to her stables after his 2018 retirement from Colin Tizzard’s yard. When she paraded with him at Sandown, his owner Jean Bishop told Katie: “He looks so happy,
Your Horse2 min read
YOUR Say
EMAIL US AT yh.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to: Your Horse, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone ME18 6AL Please note: Your Horse reserves the right to edit letters where necessary. Star letter I am writing to Your Hor
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You’ve Been Posting
Ex-racehorse Zippy enjoying an early morning workout. Kirsty Jenkins, Gloucestershire Thanks for my great prize – Barney will love it. Katie Lloyd, Somerset The end to a great day with my horse. Jaymee McCauley, Essex Join us on facebook at facebook.
Your Horse2 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Let’s Talk About... Your Horse’s Christmas Routine
Last year it was my first Christmas on our yard and on Christmas morning every horse had a present outside their stable door from the yard owners — what a lovely thing to do. Julie Thompson Last year on Christmas Day I had a lovely long hack with my
Your Horse1 min read
SEND A Selfie
Keep your photos coming in to yh.ed@kelsey.co.uk With our new horse Lenny — who I have ʻpinched’— and Apollo, both retired hunters. Chloe Fuller, Somerset Here’s Mally ready to go arena eventing. He seems up for it, don’t you think? Charlotte Cox, No
Your Horse5 min readHorses
It’s A Virtual World
WHEN COVID-19 BROUGHT life as we know it to an abrupt halt earlier this year, and all competition plans and goals disappeared overnight, virtual competing came into its own. While the idea that you can video yourself riding a dressage test or present
Your Horse1 min read
10 Tips For Competing Online
1 Read the rules before entering — what you and your horse have to wear will vary depending on who you are competing with. 2 Practise beforehand. You have a whole month to sort your entry so don’t leave filming or photo taking until the last minute.
Your Horse3 min readScience & Mathematics
The BITLESS journey
ROSS COOPER of Rosca Horsemanship is a - horseman, equine psychologist and holistic therapist based in Derbyshire. He offers a range of services, from ethical, positive, hands-on training to dynamic ridden coaching for all disciplines and abilities,
Your Horse2 min read
Bitless Bridles: The Options
A traditional Western bridle brought to America in the 1700s by the Spanish Vaqueros, the bosal hackamore consists of the bosal nosepiece, hanger and 22’mecate reins, traditionally made from horsehair. A bosal is made from rawhide braided around a ra
Your Horse1 min read
7 Tips For Riding Bitless
1 Good communication begins on the ground. Ensure your horse is relaxed and focused, using a foundation of dynamic groundwork exercises. 2 Choose a correctly fitting bridle based on your horse’s facial conformation and responses to the points of cont
Your Horse4 min readHorses
Impulsion, Not Speed
DANNIE MORGAN is a professional grand prix dressage rider and advanced event rider. Over the past four years, Dannie has clocked up 19 regional championship titles, seven national championship wins and has been reserve champion four times in dressage
Your Horse5 min read
Keep On Moving
Sussex-based eventer SAM PENN made her five-star debut at Burghley in 2012. She enjoys producing young event horses and teaching riders of all levels. Like us, Sam battles through the winter months but motivates herself to ride in all but the worst o
Your Horse4 min read
Feel Your Confidence Soar
PHIL BROWN is an event rider and trainer who’s based on the Lincolnshire/ Cambridgeshire border. He has evented up to four-star level and is sponsored by Equine Products UK Ltd, Ellie Norrie Saddles and The Ice Co. Find out more at philbrowneventing.
Your Horse1 min read
Lessons Learned
* Remember, you dictate the pace, and lengthening and shortening the strides between two ground poles is an easy reminder of this (as well as a great confidence booster). * Whether you’re popping two poles on the ground or a full course, rhythm is ev
Your Horse4 min read
CORONAVIRUS: The Aftermath
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has had a profound effect on many of our lives, including losing loved ones, job losses and life changes. Many of us have found solace in our horses, relishing the opportunity to spend time outside with our best friends, but eve
Your Horse1 min readMedical
Vet ‘Stress And Burnout’
Vets have ensured consistent care of our horses, but at what cost to their own health and wellbeing? Six months on from the first lockdown, a British Veterinary Association (BVA) survey gauged how vets felt about aspects of their professional life af
Your Horse1 min read
Accessing Funds
Riding schools, livery yards and similar equine businesses have been hit hard by Covid-19 (see box, p64). In April, the British Horse Society (BHS) launched its BHS Approved Centre Hardship Fund, to support riding schools affiliated to the charity du
Your Horse1 min read
Industry Impact In Numbers
Insurance company SEIB ran its SEIB Riding School and Livery Yard Covid Survey to find out how Covid-19 has affected the equestrian industry. Of the respondents, 44% were riding schools, 37% were livery yards and 19% were “other” (both, studs or trai
Your Horse2 min readMedical
Flu: What’s The Latest?
LAST YEAR SAW one of the highest recorded numbers of equine influenza in the UK for many years. Outbreaks were first reported in France in December 2018, with the UK noting outbreaks from 2 January 2019. The majority of outbreaks were confirmed in Ju
Your Horse1 min readMedical
Know The Signs
The most classic sign of flu is a very harsh cough, but horses can also have a snotty nose, high temperature, swollen glands, be off colour and not eat. The acute phase usually lasts a week, which is when horses are at risk of shedding the disease. T
Your Horse5 min readMedical
Shedding the Pounds
DONNA CASE BSc (Hons) is an experienced, fully insured independent equine nutritionist who runs her consultancy, The Horse Feed Guru, out of Newmarket, working both nationally and internationally. She works with a variety of horses and ponies from co
Your Horse1 min read
A Diet Overhaul Transformed Alfie’s Life
JEMMA FALZON CAME to me with her 16-year-old, Welsh section D gelding Alfie two years ago. It was the start of the winter and she wanted to break the cycle of Alfie being overweight. We discussed a suitable seasonal weight loss programme and Jemma ch
Your Horse3 min read
How The walk works
GILLIAN HIGGINS is an authority in equine anatomy and biomechanics, a British Horse Society senior coach and a professional sports and remedial therapist. Gillian specialises in assessing posture and movement, devising exercises for improving perform
Your Horse2 min read
Four Types Of Walk
A good walk displays even, active, rhythmical steps with impulsion. This is achieved through supple muscles, a swinging back and flexible joints. Energy is the final ingredient required for a good walk. There are four types of walk recognised within
Your Horse4 min readPsychology
Handle With Care
IN 2018, VET and behaviourist Gemma Pearson launched the “Don’t Break Your Vet” campaign, designed to encourage owners to help reduce the risks vets sometimes face when treating horses. The campaign was a huge success, with many owners actively learn
Your Horse1 min read
What Can You Do?
As a horse owner, there are things you can do to help keep your vet safe and make visits as stress-free as possible for your horse, including: ■ Be honest about your horse’s issues and communicate them to your vet ■ Be proactive and work with your ve
Your Horse3 min readBiology
In His DEFENCE
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM is the body’s defence against infection and illness (see box, right). Interest in the connection between immunity and nutrition has been on the rise over recent years, with particular focus on the role of the gut, both in early deve
Your Horse2 min readPsychology
Three Ways To Help
Horses learn through release of pressure. As soon as the horse feels a wormer against his lips, he throws his head up and the wormer goes away, so he’s going to repeat that behaviour every time. You want him to learn that if you put a wormer against
Your Horse1 min readMedical
Four Ways To Support The Immune System
1 Supply a fully balanced diet. 2 Provide the recommended level of vitamins and minerals every day. 3 Maintain an ideal body condition score. 4 Satisfy your horse’s forage needs: at least 2% of their bodyweight daily. ■
Your Horse1 min readBiology
Immune System Explained
The immune system is essentially a network that functions together to signal when help is needed from various body parts. This network involves all of the following: The physical barrier of the skin Mucous membranes of the airways White blood cells a
Your Horse2 min readFashion
Boots for The Whole Family
THE BOOTS YOU ride in have to tick a lot of boxes, for style, comfort, suitability and more. Find one that fits the bill from the Cavallo Linus range: The Linus Jump boot is an absolute all-round talent. It’s not only a jumping boot, but also perfect
Your Horse2 min read
A magnetic connection
GOLEYGO® IS AN innovative magnetic securing system that ensures a secure connection between human, animal and technology. Thanks to the long-standing expertise from the Kerbl/Covalliero brands in the domestic animal and riding sector, animal wellbein
Your Horse3 min readBiology
Add A Little OIL
AS HORSE OWNERS, we want to feed the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals to match our horse’s specific needs. Vitamins and minerals tend to be largely taken care of by carefully formulated commercial feeds. However, d
Your Horse1 min readMedical
Other Natural Solutions
In winter, our horses’ diets tend to feature less fresh forage and more hard feed, which increases omega-6 consumption. When metabolised, excess omega-6 can induce inflammatory process, affecting health, fertility and condition. Omega-3 supplementati
Your Horse2 min readMedical
A GOOD licking
SOME PEOPLE WORRY about how their horse will cope with winter, whereas for others it’s a chance to get that summer weight off and not worry about excess calories. If you fall into this category, take advantage of the chance to reduce the calories and
Your Horse3 min readMedical
WINTER Well
IN ORDER TO put condition on a horse you need to increase his intake of digestible energy so that you provide more than what is required to keep warm, active and maintain body condition. Horses lose large amounts of heat from their bodies and this is
Your Horse1 min read
Two Typical Weight Gain Feeding Examples
The horse: 510kg, eight-year-old, Irish Sports Horse who drops weight easily. Routine: Stabled at night and in light work at riding club level. Can be excitable but lacks stamina. Feed: 2kg Saracen • Conditioning Cubes • 800 grams alfalfa chaff • 1 t
Your Horse1 min read
Ask The Experts
Email your question to yh.ed@yourhorse.co.uk. Simple solutions for horse owners. Need an answer? We’ll know someone who can help Welcome to our AskThe Experts section. In the next nine pages, we solve your horsey dilemmas by taking them to those in t
Your Horse1 min read
Meet This Month’s Panel Of Experts
Helen Bell is a former international event rider who has been in the top ten at Badminton and Burghley. She now coaches and organises Breckenbrough Horse Trials. Claire Dryden is an advanced Equipilates biomechanics trainer. She has more than 35 year
Your Horse3 min read
ARENA EVENTING: Helen Bell says...
Q What tips do you have for remembering long arena eventing courses of 20 fences? Charlene Glass, Wolverhampton Helen says... My top tips for rememberina the course include: ■ Try to walk the course more than once. ■ Familiarise yourself with the cou
Your Horse1 min read
Pilates For Hip Mobility
Pilates exercises help us all with our day-to-day activities, as well as riding, so I recommend you do lots of it. Without seeing you in person it is difficult to give you personalised exercises, but generally, I recommend you start by improving your
Your Horse3 min read
EQUIPILATES: Claire Dryden says...
Q I’m 5’2”, a fit 62 years old, and have recently moved yards to where the bridleways have gates, which my 15.2hh mare, Tia, doesn’t like to navigate. I need to be able to get on and off from the ground, but my short legs are about four inches away f
Your Horse1 min read
Try This
A great exercise to help is to stand on a step with the ball of your feet near the edge, connecting big and little toe joints. Raise and lower your heels slowly in a controlled manner, focusing on your balance. Next, add small squats, as if doing ris
Your Horse3 min readMedical
WINTER FEEDING: Jasmin Grogan says...
Q Would you recommend hay or haylage for my poor doer through winter? Sam Nichols, Hampshire Jasmin says... Typically, people think of haylage as being the richer, more nutritious, higher sugar option and therefore choose this for poor doers. However
Your Horse4 min read
COLIC: Chris Baldwin says...
Q If my horse were to colic, how will I know when euthanasia is a kinder choice for him rather than trying surgery? Holly Walker, Gloucestershire Chris says... This is a very individual, case-by-case decision, with multiple variables involved, includ
Your Horse1 min read
If Things Look Bad
If the situation looks bad and you think your horse may require hospitalisation or even surgery, then while you are waiting for the vet, get everything ready for transporting your horse. If you are not the owner, it is very important you make contact
Your Horse2 min readMedical
Ask Clare
The owner: Fee Mulbarton The horse: Dominic, a 14.1hh rescue cob The problem: Dominic only needs to look at a blade of grass and his waistline expands, even in winter… Clare says: As a typical native cob, Dominic needs dietary management all year rou
Your Horse2 min readDiet & Nutrition
Win
Keep your horse looking great and your tack in tip-top condition with this bundle of prizes from Absorbine. Each bundle contains Absorbine Miracle Groom, an all-in-one formula that cleans, conditions, deodorizes, detangles, and shines — no rinsing or
Your Horse3 min readFashion
What’s New?
The technical microfibre Multi Scarf from Equiboodle is designed in a tube shape to give ultimate flexibility. It can be worn as a neck warmer, an ear warmer or a headband, and it can even be used as a face covering. The scarf is available in a leopa
Your Horse4 min readFashion
Long Casual Boots
A MODERN TWIST ON the traditional wellington boot, long casual boots are designed to withstand the rigours of yard work but also be your go-to footwear for long walks with the dog or for popping into town on a cold, wet day. In this issue we have rev
Your Horse2 min readFashion
Waterproof Trousers
COLOURS Black, sand, graphite, bottle green, storm grey, stone grey, taupe, navy, khaki SIZES 6-22 (petite, regular, long and extra long) BUY AT acaioutdoorwear.com These trousers have the look of a pair of skinny jeans but with some additional benef
Your Horse3 min read
Half Pads
USING A HALF pad has become a popular choice for many horse owners. These versatile pads are used to add additional cushioning between your saddle and your horse’s back, and some can even be adjusted to help with minor saddle fit issues, but it’s imp
Your Horse2 min read
Buyer’s Guide
COLOURS White/natural, brown, black/natural, black SIZES S — L BUY AT kmeliteproducts.co.uk This half pad is shaped at the wither to relieve pressure on your horse’s back and ensure the best fit. Made from 100% merino lambswool to encourage muscle re
Your Horse1 min read
Your Horse Magazine
www.yourhorse.co.uk Your Horse magazine Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL Email: yh.ed@kelsey.co.uk Editor: Aimi Clark Deputy Editor: Allison Lowther Freelance Design: Geoff Johnson Chief Executi
Your Horse3 min read
TAKE FIVE WITH Jenni Falconer
Have you always been interested in horses? Growing up I desperately wanted a horse. Every Sunday morning my parents would drive me out of town to the stables and in the holidays, I used to go on a week-long course. I was dropped off at nine and picke

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