Category Archives: Horse Advice

Important advice that can be applied across the equestrian sector, providing expert help and guidance on a selection of topics.

Horse Advice

Horses mutually groom each other…do you let your horse groom you?

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Making your horse your best friend

Mutual grooming is an excellent way to bond with your horse.  Obviously you don’t need to use your teeth! You can use a dandy or body brush!

When horses are turned out together it is often possible to find two horses mutually grooming each other. This usually involves two horses standing in a way that they can both scratch each others withers at the same time. One horse generally starts the scratching and the other horse seems almost unable to resist the urge to return the favor. Is this where the expression, “I’ll scratch your back while you scratch mine” came from?

Horses living in the wild have a natural pecking order within their herd. Top horse is the stallion, closely followed by the alpha mare and so it goes all the way down to the least dominant mare, who tends to get picked on by everyone.

Domestic horses sharing a paddock will often show herd-like behaviour…there’s usually one or two dominant horses who boss the others around. If there’s some choice grazing or feed going, the dominant ones will grab it first, chasing the others away.

Bonds are often formed within the herd between pairs of horses. Feral horses tend to bond with others who are roughly their age and dominance rank, while domestic horses will bond with whoever they are sharing a paddock with, once they get to know them.

Horses often start by scratching each others withers but will move up and down each others body, not only rubbing with their strong upper lip but also using their teeth to both scratch and to gently nip.

It is always interesting to watch two horses scratching like this to observe how they interact. Many horses seem to both agree on the amount of pressure, while others will increase the pressure and nipping until offending the other horse who generally leaves.

So why do horses do it? What purpose does it serve?

It’s actually an important social aspect of a horse’s life, it helps develop bonds and has also been observed as an ‘appeasement’ gesture after two horses have been involved in a bit of an argument. In other words, it helps reduce the tension.

Often when a young horse is being groomed by a human the horse will also turn and try to groom the human back. I have seen some people who allow this, some who hold out their hand for the horse to scratch and others who teach the horse to enjoy the grooming without returning the favor to the human. Which do you encourage?

 

 

Horse Advice

Going round In Circles – Without getting dizzy

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Everyone who has ridden a dressage test knows the cold sweat that centre line encourages.  Riding a horse in a straight line is easy if you know how to go round in a circle.

There’s no need to get dizzy…. get direction

Do you manage a close approximation or an accurate set of 4 arcs joined exactly on the quarter points when you ride a circle?

What happens as you leave the security of the boards and turn into your circle? For the unwary and the unprepared your horse will fall off the track and onto his inside front leg and this will doom your circle to be ovoid ….or even rather square as he swings his quarters out and away!

Testing your circles out.

Having someone on the ground is very helpful.  If you are with a trainer they can watch how you are riding and point out what you are doing and how you could improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your circles.  Its so easy to fool yourself but a good instructor will quickly pick up on how your riding is affecting your circles.

During your sessions you and your trainer can work on using circles to improve everything from transitions to trotting down that all important centre line.

Have you ever actually tried it yourself on your feet?

Walk then jog in circles (you can do this when no one is watching or you can let people know exactly how eccentric you really are! )

Walk in an arc one way and then move into the opposite arc.  Be aware of how you use your balance, and your weight to achieve the change in direction.  Do this at greater speed and see how smoothly you can do this without falling into the movement and loosing your balance.  Go round in a circle and decrease the dimensions noticing all the time how and where your weight is. Shift your body change where the tensions are change where the weight is in your body.  Push off with your outside leg and then change to pushing off with your inside leg.  Turn your shoulders into the circle then turn them away from the movement. Its so simple and its an interesting exercise and helps you see how much subtle movements in yourself drastically influence your stance, weight, flow and momentum.  Try gently exaggerating the movements as you ride, change your weight and use the feel of pushing off with your inside leg on your walked circle and see how that affects the horses ability to turn then try allowing the weight to drop down into your outside stirrup, how does that change the way you are sitting on the saddle?

Practice circles at home.

Do this at walk on a loose rein and be aware of the direction and way your horse moves. As you did on the ground combine this with concentrating on the movement of your shoulders and see what affect this has. Your shoulders, head, arms and hands are directing the direction of travel you’re going in and everything below your shoulders is generating the momentum and flow of the movement from the other end. Remember that your eyes must look directly at right angles forward from your shoulders and with luck (if things are going to plan!) should be looking forward through the horses ears. To check on progress check if you are in fact looking between the ears and if, by rote, the ears are pointing in the same direction as your line of movement. And if they are….that it is the quarters that are pushing the front end along that line too then, generally speaking, if everything is going along the same curved line you will be riding a round circle.

When hacking out use every opportunity to ask for a change of direction by asking for the horse to start off a circle. So don’t just sit there and enjoy the scenery think about using your hack to practice riding beautiful bends!  ….And find yourself a trainer to help you perfect your technique from the ground.

Horse Advice

Go Gadget review- Being Safe Rider SOS ALERT

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All this talk about endurance riding and hacking out safely has sent me off to see about keeping riders in touch when they are off the beaten track…or indeed out in the fields and in trouble. I came across this clever app called “Horse Rider SOS”

How does it work?

The concept is simple. Before you head off for your ride, open the ‘Horse Rider SOS’ app on your Android or iPhone, press the ‘Start button’ and now ‘Horse Rider SOS’ will begin to monitor your every move and track you while you ride.

As long as ’Horse Rider SOS’ continues to detect your movement and progress it will be ‘content’ to watch over you and will remain in’ tracking mode’.

However, In the event that you are unseated and fall off your horse, are unconscious or unable to move, Horse Rider SOS will immediately enter ‘Alert Mode’ and begin the rescue process.

At this point your predetermined guardians will be notified immediately that you’re in trouble and will be sent your location so that you can be rescued without delay.

It even has a false alarm fail safe system so no unintentional wolf crying! How clever is that?

Below are some testimonials for riders who use the system….one even found her phone using the app, so its useful in other ways too.

Check it out on http://www.horseridersos.com/

Rider Testimonials

Once, I fell off my horse miles from home and was unconscious for over an hour…worst of all, nobody knew I’d even fallen off! Luckily some hikers found me and were able to call for help. Now I always make sure I set Horse Rider SOS before I ride.” Michelle C.

Katie R.“When I get home from work I have to get the horses in from the field and sometimes they can be a bit naughty!…Now when I’m on my own I always make sure I set Horse Rider SOS to watch over me just in case something happens.” Katie R.

Nicki M.“I know it’s not what it’s designed for but once my phone fell out of my pocket when I was out riding and thanks to Horse Rider SOS I was able to pin-point exactly where I’d lost it! …I love this app!!” Nicki M.

Georgia S.“Whenever I ride alone, the one thing I’ve always worried about is falling off miles away from home! …now I’m reassured that if the worst should happen Horse Rider SOS is there to raise the alarm and rescue me.” Georgia S.

Susi P.“Horse Rider SOS is so simple to use and easy to set up…Now when I ride I’m much happier knowing that if I fall off, my husband will know where to find me.” Susi P.

Horse Advice

Hacking Hoedown – One to the right or two to the left?

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There is nothing more lovely than hacking out on your horse, for some it is ‘What they do’ and for others it’s a welcome break from the training schedule and a time when hair can be let down (metaphorically).

If you are new to riding and thinking of buying a horse it is a good idea to check that the horse is quiet when hacking out. Most all-rounders should, by rote, be exemplary hacks. Find out how good the horse is in traffic and whether it has particular dislikes i.e. does it turn and run when the smelly dustbin lorry is doing its rounds or if you live in an area where there are frequent bike races … or tanks are driven… is it likely to worry? Or do you ride a horse that has these problems already? If so making your horse safe to ride out has to be a priority and finding a trainer who can help with these issues if very important.

Safety out hacking

Some of us are lucky to live in the wilder areas of the UK and have almost unlimited hacking across some stunning, often deserted, heath and moorland in our National Parks but most horse’men hack their horses wherever they are, be it urban roads or countryside tracks,and the same precautions should be taken wherever you hack and whatever your ability.

Traffic is a horse’man’s nightmare. As a rider we have to hope that the motorist will first see us in good time and second react sensibly to the presence of a horse. It is a shame that this awareness is not part of driver training but s it stands preemptive strategies can help mitigate the dangers of traffic (and also bumptious horses) to the rider.

The basics: meaning The Minimum consideration before venturing out on top of a horse

  • Ride with someone else if possible
  • Tell someone where you plan to go and how long you are likely to be
  • Take your phone with you
  • Inspect you tack before setting out
  • Dress sensibly – Wear your PPE including High Viz
  • If you intend to be out for a “long ride” take some water with you
  • A map if you do not know the country you are riding

Here are some very sage words from the Ordenance Survey guys:

Consider your mount

Make sure you plan your ride according to yours and your horse’s fitness and ability.

If you have a recently-backed youngster, it’s probably not a wise idea to go out exploring on your own for hours. In this case it may be best to ride in company along a well-planned route. Likewise, if your horse is unfit, it’s not worth risking a trip or fall by taking him out on a canter-filled ride instead of an appropriate fittening round-the-block walk.

All the gear….

Ok, so hi-viz isn’t the most attractive riding attire – particularly when emblazoned with ‘Please pass wide and slow’ – but it really is essential if you’re going to be doing some roadwork. For added visibility, consider purchasing other reflective gear for your horse, such as leg bands or tailguards. Anything that helps you stand out is worthwhile and could help motorists spot you much earlier.

It goes without saying that you should be wearing a riding hat of PAS 015 standard. Some riders don’t think they need one when schooling in an arena on a safe horse, but the fact is, no animal is completely bombproof and accidents can happen. Getting hat hair is better than getting knocked unconscious or worse…

If you’re riding a young or spooky horse, it’s also worth considering wearing a body protector. This type of protection is mandatory for most cross country competitions – including British Eventing-affiliated events.

Aside from safety wear, make sure your tack is in good condition – yes, this does mean getting out the saddle soap once in a while! Watch out for any frayed stitching or cracked leatherwork. Keeping your tack soaped and oiled will help it last for years to come, so don’t underestimate the power of good cleaning.

Sparkly tack is all well and good, but it needs to fit well. Ensure your horse receives regular visits from the saddler – particularly if he’s a growing youngster or has gained/lost weight recently. Any changes in shape will affect your saddle’s fit and a poorly fitting saddle could cause pain – resulting in potentially dangerous bad behaviour. You should supplement visits from your saddler with back checks from an equine physiotherapist or sports massage professional to ensure that your horse is completely pain free and fit for purpose.

Plan your route

It’s easy to make a spur of the moment decision to go for a ride without really planning where you’re going, or telling anyone for that matter. Those of you that remember your Pony Club days will know that you should always carry a hoof pick, baler twine, some change for a payphone and remember to tell people where you’re going. Things have moved on a bit since – you’ll be carrying your mobile phone for a start – but the old adage of informing someone of your route and how long you’ll be out still stands.

For the explorers among you, it’s also wise to plan your route on a map beforehand and, better still, carry one with you on your ride – just in case you happen to get lost. If you don’t want to carry round a paper map, try OS MapFinder – although bear in mind that you might want to dismount before consulting either version!

Other useful apps include Horse Rider SOS which uses GPS to track your position and alerts a designated contact if you have an accident which renders you motionless. This is particularly useful if you enjoy hacking alone in more remote locations.

Be safe on the roads

We’re not all lucky enough to be able to ride straight from the yard out into the countryside – riding along a quiet lane or busy road is essential for some riders to access bridleways, so thank you OS Guys for your in put here.  Safe Hacking

North South East or West…or somewhere in the middle?  Here are links to just some of the livery yards with fantastic hacking on their doorstep.

Clumber Livery – Worksop, Nottinghamshire

Glanmire Farm Stables – Epsom Surrey

Alcott Farm  – Birmingham, Worcestershire

Firecrest Liveries – Sandwich, Kent

SYCAMORE STUD – Stoke St Michael, Somrset

Delny Riding Centre – Invergordon, Ross-shire

 

Horse Advice

Bite Sized Bits:- Walk-Out for 2 Hours and get a Mars Bar Free

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Riding – Why is it good for you?

Mars Bar related weighting!

An hour’s riding burns about 120 calories at walking pace, 360 calories at trotting pace and 480 at galloping pace. Although it may seem that the horse is receiving all the exercise, this equates to the calories lost in a 30-minute jog or cycle ride carried out at a similar speed.

Less Strain on your joints (although that first turn round the gallops can have you wondering if this fact is true!)

The position taken when riding a horse works muscles in the dorsal and abdominal region that are seldom used in everyday life. It provides steady exercise without straining the knee and ankle joints.

Zen for the mind (well …. unless its a frosty day and your horse has just been clipped)

Riding is further recognised as possessing excellent therapeutic and stress relieving qualities due to the relationship developed between rider and horse.

…and last bite sized bit….Equestrian sports are enjoyed by people of all ages, as shown by German rider Reiner Klimke who won six Olympic gold medals between 1964 and 1988. Which is all very well but creaky joints is not a euphemism; having said that perhaps we all feel we would like one of those walkways you get in airports to go up and down from the field on occasions.

 

Horse Advice

Freelance Grooms and Instructors are you covered?

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Freelance grooms are defined as those professionals who work part time for different employers ,, trainer or instructor allows a degree of flexibility to both parties and also on a casual cover basis i.e. when permanent staff are sick or on holiday.

View Horse Scout grooms available here 

For clients looking for training, which is provided by a professional instructor, at home on their own yard the same freelance insurance cover principals would apply.

From the point of view of the professional offering a service to others it is essential that in todays litigious society we must protect ourselves from being sued by a third party and Freelancers are no exception. Whether you are an instructor, trainer or a groom you must protect yourself. Likewise those who employ trainers and outside horse help must make sure they are covered by appropriate insurances. The BHS offer Public Liability cover with their membership. Which for freelance instructors would protect you if the person you are teaching on their own horse was to fall and sustain an injury and you were found to be legally liability for the injury. Furthermore if as an instructor or groom you were to ride or handle someone else’s horse and the horse caused any third party property damage or bodily injury whilst doing so then the policy would protect you should a claim be made against you.

However for the professional freelancer it might be advisable to consider a more compressive policy e.g. SEIB who, unlike the BHS include care, custody and control for horses under your care.

Care Custody and Control cover is an optional extension to the public liability and would protect you as the instructor or groom should a horse whilst in your care, custody or control be injured and the owner of the horse were to claim against you for the injury. For example if a groom was clipping a horse and accidentally cut the horse, the owner of the horse may claim from the groom for the resulting vets fees from the accident.

Also it should be noted that anyone employing members of staff must carry Employers Liability and is essential cover if you were to have a helper or student to assist with your freelance instructing or groom duties. The cover protects you as the ’employer’ should the helper or assistant get injured whilst carrying out their ’employed’ duties.

 

 

Horse Advice

After an accident with a horse how can I overcome my fear?

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4 signs that you are definitely rattled and 4 helpful tips to help you see off those butterflies.

“You’re not a rider until you have fallen off seven times”. How many of us have heard this saying?

However, each of those 7 falls can make us scared, question why we are riding at all and for some the seventh fall may well be the last time they want to fall.

Fear and horses are not a good combination.

When I was learning my pony only had to turn a corner, not even a sharp one, and off I’d slide. In fact I swear I did actually spend more time sitting on the floor than on my pony’s back. Luckily he was close to the ground and never seemed to be going at any great speed so I was lucky and falling off didn’t really phase me. As I got better and stayed on for longer periods, allowing said pony to go a bit faster and following on from him a series of ponies then horses then proper show horses, hunters & eventers and I fell off more frequently and at greater speeds and from greater heights… and then I wasn’t so laid back. Looked at from a distance the sensations could have been described as fear I don’t think I thought of them as fear but it did shock me, It did make my tummy try to jump right out of my mouth, it did make me feel sick. Shock or fear are natural reactions, they are natures way of protecting us. It was not the getting back on top that was more difficult, mostly I just jumped right back into the saddle and carried on… it was more the next time, or the time after that, sometimes for months, mostly unbidden the butterflies would suddenly rear their head and rattle me.

I don’t disagree that you are not a rider until you have fallen off seven times, but I do think that its right to acknowledge that each of them have shaken you up, dented your self confidence and can affect how you ride afterwards.

Fear is a very useful emotion, if we didn’t have any fear, we wouldn’t be able to tell if we were in danger and extreme fear is paralysing and irrational and does need to be addressed. Everyone is going to cope differently:

  1. You may make excuses to avoid riding, in you head its all perfectly rational, suddenly your diary is so full you just cant take the time to ride.
  1. You may think yes I’m fine but then faced with the same jump you freeze of you deliberately (or subconsciously) pull your horse up. You sit there kicking but hope that he wont go so you pull him back at the same time.
  1. Your horse starts making you very nervous. He only has to jinx or react and you over react. You just cant enjoy what you are doing and are constantly expecting the worse.
  1. Or you may experience extreme anxiety, where there were just little tingles in your tummy before now you almost cant breath, your heart is thumping and you are very hot.

The first step to overcoming this new fear is to stop, step back and analyse what the problem is. Calmly break it down into its component parts. Of course there are some accidents which are way beyond anything we can plan for and for these life changing events it is best to seek professional help. For the majority of us though I am talking about being dumped off a fresh horse, mis judging a fence, not concentrating and being caught out when our horse spooks.

When you break an event down into its component parts it has a calming effect, you are able to remove the emotional connection to the event.

Ask yourself what is going on in your life that may be causing you to lack concentration, or was it due to a lack of common sense. i.e. I knew Frank was fresh…I hadn’t ridden for a week” or where you tackling something new of bigger where you overconfident or did you take a risk. Sometimes thinking things through can help us understand the obvious.

Some people can bottle their worries up and carry on regardless, but they know they are pretending. They are experiencing the same fears but choosing to ignore the effect it is having on them. However this is not always the best idea. Each event does need to be acknowledged and thought through then rationalised.

April Clay the Sports Phycologist suggests the following techniques and suggestions for rebuilding your confidence:

  1. Take it slow: take a step back and ask a little less of yourself do what you know you can do and then when you feel confident ask yourself to step forward again.
  2. Build physical strength/basic skills: Increasing your physical strength can increase your confidence and your ability.
  3. Realign your self talk: stop saying “I know I will fall off again” and replace those thoughts with more reasonable, positive ones. Acknowledge that you are feeling anxious but think positively on how much you are progressing. Visualise yourself correcting the problem: visualise the correct way of doing/approaching. Feel in your head the movements that you need to make to achieve this. Do not use I”I must not do this or that” use the positives.
  4. Relaxation training: Meditation of exercises like Yoga or Tai Chi are not only great physically for your body they also help you become more self aware and therefore more able to control your mind and body together.

How you begin to build up your confidence after an accident will depend on your unique situation and your individual personality. Some of you will have higher hurdles to get over, but stepping back, analyzing, starting small and thinking positively will make all the difference to you and your horse.

Anna Clay has published a very interesting book “Training from the Neck Up: A Practical Guide to Sports Physchology for Riders or The Rider’s Edge: Overcoming the Psychological Challenges of Riding written by Janet Sasson Edgette and Tony Johnson’s Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse these books are available on Amazon and elsewhere.

Finding the right professional trainer will also be a great help.  Someone who you feel at ease with and are able to properly discuss your concerns will be able to make sure you address any worries and help you along the road to becoming the confident rider you want to be.

 

Horse Advice

Blown Away!

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Cautionary tale for anyone using a mobile field shelter on skids..

During the last week we have been experiencing some pretty strong winds. No doubt making for some interesting riding sessions!! Strong gusting wind and driving rain is never a favourite with me when everything has to be secured, belts and braces to stop tarps blowing off and escapee feedbags racing across the yard and spooking the horses but riding instructor Janine Lamy couldn’t believe it when she saw what had happened to her mare’s wooden stable. It had lifted clean up off its skids and blown into the next field, bashing into some trees and knocking down the perimeter fence.

“it was windy that night, but the stables have survived worse storms,” Janine explains. “it was more gusty and rainy, and generally foul. But the wind must have caught the stable at a certain angle and that was it.”

For husbandry reasons some horses are kept turned out year round but indeed even short-term turn out might benefit from shelter and this is often in the form of horse shelters on skids. Planning regulations mean that permanent stabling must be approved by the local planning office, but non permanent field shelters (i.e. those which can be relocated with a tow hitch and skids), fall outside the need for permission and provide a means of shelter from wind, rain, sun and flies for many owners and yards where horses are regularly at grass. Although the incidence of the drastic uber-mobility of Janine’s field shelter is rare it might be worth considering some form of anchorage that avoids planning infringements (it seems that non permanent anchoring is permissible – but please check with your local authority). One option would be to ensure that the entrance is sited away from the prevailing wind or the shelter is sited with the shelter of trees of another building to reduce the impact of the prevailing wind.

If turn out is important to you make sure you make a point of asking what the yards policy is when visiting the a proposed Livery or Training Establishment. If you are looking for livery and want your horse to be grass kept the safe siting and robustness of the field shelters provided would be a key consideration.

 For yards offering livery services on Horse Scout click here  

Horse Advice

Livery for your horse

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Are you looking for livery for your horse?

We all want to look after our horses and keep them happy and healthy.

If you are not happy in your present yard or your circumstances have changed or perhaps you are thinking of buying a horse and keeping it at livery. Livery yards are built in every size and shape and generally speaking you will get what you pay for. So its important to consider what it is that you want to pay for and balance this against what you can actually afford in order to enjoy your horse.  Who, after all represents, for most of us, a sizeable percentage outgoing of any disposable income.

Here are some fundamental things to put on your tick list.

What do you need from your livery yard?

  1. What kind of livery are you looking for?
  2. How far from home/work?
  3. How much time have you got to give to your horse?
  4. What do you want to do with your horse?

Take the time to think all these things through, each as important as the next.

Livery – is a term used to describe the rent of services and facilities to house and care for your horse.  What kind of livery will very much depend on what you need in terms of care for your horse, and any time constraints you may have due to work or family commitments and of course your experience and financial situation.

  • Full training livery – An option for Sports and Show horses where a horse is ridden and cared for by a professional rider and their team. The horse will be trained and competed by the professional rider who is specifically training horses to progress on a specific career path.  For example Dressage, or Eventing, Showing and Racing and any other discipline which requires specialist training.
  • Full livery – your horse is cared for, fed, and ridden – the livery yard takes 100% of the duties in looking after and exercising your horse around your requirements.  For instance hunters who may require excersising, schooling and preparation for their owners to take them hunting maybe once a week or to come an dride when they are able but not necessarily be involved in the day to day care of the animal.
  • Half Livery – your horse has a range of needs catered for but not all i.e. you share responsibility for the care of your horse with yard staff.  The permutations are endless and can cover a variety of needs for both horse and owner.  Typical packages could be the yard will feed, muck out and turn out and bring your horse in but you are responsible for grooming and riding or maybe the yard staff tend to your horse at one end of the day or another, this may still include mucking out and feeding.
  • DIY Livery – the owner provides the infrastructure in which to keep your horse but you would be responsible for its care and exercise.
  • Grass keep – the owner provides a field which may or may not have a shelter and water.  Whilst you are 100% responsible for your horse and it should be noted that you are responsible for ensuring that your horse stays within the confines of the field, it is a good idea to establish who is responsible for the maintenance of any boundaries and entrances etc.

 

If you are looking for a training livery then where the yard is not necessarily the key directive, you will have chosen your yard based on the professional rider and their area of speciality for instance you may be looking for an event rider in the south west, or a dressage rider who has competed at top level to bring on your newly imported warmblood.

However for other types of livery will need to fulfil specific criteria depending on your personal circumstances.

One important consideration is how far will you realistically be able to travel if, for instance you are working and have your horse on half livery.  You will be responsible for a certain amount of time out of each day to devote to the care and the exercise of your lovely horse.  If you can find the ideal yard which is on your way or way back between two points then you will save precious time to spend with him, and with a few organisational tweak’s like packing your riding gear or boots into your car so they are always on hand means you wont have to return home before visiting the yard.

If you work or have family ties then another consideration should be given to how much time, realistically, you will be able to give to your horse and still ensure his care is as good as it can be.  Half livery is a convenient and generally realistically priced option if you want to be as involved as you can with your horse.

If you are confident that you have the experience and the time then DIY is a good choice, it is worth asking for recommendations, or talking with other clients and also checking out exactly what is offered with the service. i.e. does the owner allow for storage of hay and straw etc or are you expected to buy supplies through them.  Is there enough and secure storage for your horse related equipment.

When viewing any potential premises and their options remember to ask the questions that will establish whether the yard in question is going to cover all your requirements.  Spend some time watching the horses and the staff and ….quite importantly, the other clients who you may be spending time with if you are choosing half or DIY options.

Don’t just jump right in.  Make sure the yard you pick is going to make your horse and just as important, you, happy.

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