Tag Archives: horses

Horse Jobs

Job available – Full time groom or Part time groom Ringwood Hampshire

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Little Pointers Farm are looking for Staff.

Do you live near Ringwood or are you looking for a job in the New Forest?

Full time groom or Part time groom

They are currently looking for either a full time groom/general help or a part time groom with flexibility to do 1/2 days or whole days to fit in with other staff. The right applicant must have worked on a professional yard and must work and turn out to the highest standard. On site single accommodation available. Ideally a lightweight competent rider, happy to hack young horses but a non riding position considered. Preferably no pets. Must be 100% reliable, cheerful, hard working, responsible and motivated. Excellent pay and conditions. References will be required and checked

This is a private showing yard for the owners horses only. Stabling for 4, a grooming box with solarium, rug room with drier and racking, tack room and feed room. All paddocks are post and rail and horses are turned out individually. The yard is run to a professional standard. Excellent direct hacking on the New Forest, no road work but a fairly busy track. Owners horses are show horses (cobs) or retired show horses but still in work. Planning for a menage is pending appeal decision. Non HGV horsebox on site. Owner lives on site.

Facilities

Excellent off-road hacking, Individual turn out, Onsite communal tea & coffee facility and Solarium

If you are looking for work elsewhere check through our listings on Horse Scout  and you will see a button on the top right hand corner of the Professional Trainers  or Yards  advertisement that says Staff Required.

 

 

Eventing

Fundraising with a difference – Rides for UK based horse charities

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Charities which support horses and particularly those which support the welfare of UK horses and ponies will always need donations and funds raised by us horsey folks. A great way to meet likeminded groups of people would be to arrange meetings or events through your local equestrian centres and Horse Scout has a number of Yards listed and there is sure to be one in your area.

Here are a couple of kickstarter ideas if you want to saddle up and go get those money buckets filled.

Since the launch of the first British Horse Society fundraising riding challenge in 2000, hundreds of riders have taken part in an adventure overseas. The ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ riding challenge opened the door for our intrepid challengers to travel the world in aid of British Horse Society welfare. The challenges now operate in Bulgaria, Iceland, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, India, Jordan, Peru, Spain and Lesotho. There is a trip to inspire everyone, each offering a unique experience no matter where you ride.

These challenges really do put the fun in fundraising but as well as enjoying a life-changing trip, all of the riders raise money that is vital in continuing our welfare work. Without the aid of our dedicated challengers our nationwide network of welfare officers would not be able to help anywhere near as many horses as they do. The British Horse Society has over 200 equine specialist welfare officers, more than any other charity, and together they improve the lives of countless horses, ponies and donkeys in every corner of the UK.

Some orgainisations like the World Horse Welfare Group who are the UK’s largest horse rescue and rehoming charity, use funds to provide a dedicated network of Field Officers who work hard to investigate reports of horses in distress, advising owners or bringing horses to their centres for urgent care and rehabilitation. They also campaign to improve policy and practice across the equine world, shaping the laws that protect horses and promoting better standards of care and in 2015 World Horse Welfare are planning to hold four rides.

So if you want to show your support for UK horse charities and fundraisers – saddle up! We guarantee you won’t regret it.

Perhaps you have your own pet charity already and need some advice on where you can legally ride in your area? A good place to start would be the Affiliated Bridleways Group

Buying A Horse

Top Tips for bonding with your new horse.

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You’ve checked out Horse Scouts Horses for sale pages and fond the perfect match  are you on the a mission to buy a new horse.  Looking for the right horse for sale can be stressful, although undoubtedly exciting.  With lots of people trying him out and disrupting his daily routine it can also be stressful for the horse who is for sale. It does not stop there though , your new horse is then moved from the familiar and is faced with getting used to new people and new surroundings to get used to. A good bonding exercise and one which will help your horse feel that he has a true friend is to spend time grooming him and this also helps you to get to know him too..  Here are some top tips to try out on your new horse.

Top Tips to make your new horse as sparkly as he can be.

1. Ask your vet about adding vegetable oil or an essential Omega-3 fatty acid supplement to your horse’s well-balanced diet for added shine.

2. Sponging your horse’s face clean after exercise helps prevent fungal hair loss.

3. Keep different sized sponges for different duties (face, body, dock) and remember which is used for each task.

4. Hoof picks are cheap. Always use a sharp one to remove  debris, and replace the pick when it no longer does the job easily.

5. Use a tail bag to keep your horse’s tail thick, long and protected. Make sure to wash, condition, detangle and replait once a week, securing the tail bag below the tailbone.

6. Spend two minutes every two weeks running your clippers over your horse’s whiskers.

7. Hoof oils and dressings for health or show are available. If you have a particular concern in mind, such as hooves that crack easily, ask your farrier for product suggestions.

8. Use a detangler and a wide-toothed comb (or your fingers) to remove any large snarls from mane and tail.

9. Dark coats often fade or bleach in the sunlight, so provide plenty of shade and consider adding a sheet. Sweat in the coat accelerates the fade, so rinse a sweaty horse before allowing him to bask in the sunshine.

10. Wash your horse but don’t overdo it—frequent shampooing may actually dull his coat.

If you are looking for a new horse take a look at the for sale listings on Horse Scout.  Good luck and happy brushing.

Horse Breeds

Focus on Scotland Continued… The Scottish Horse Breeding Scene

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Horse Scout has been searching the Scottish stallions listed on its website for you and here they are all gathered together. Well Spotted in Scotland!

If you are looking for a stallion for your mare this year and want something close to home….assuming you live in Scotland, then look no further.  However all these stallions can supply frozen seamen if you cannot travel to Scotland for your Stallion this year.

The Solaris Stud have a range of stallions.  All of them completely gorgeous and perfectly bred to produce your competition horse.

Solaris Buenno – Braco, Dunblane £500

Our home bred homozygous coloured tobiano warmblood stallion standing at stud, Solaris Buenno, is an interesting addition to the world of warmblood and sport horse breeding who consistantly passes his abilities and temprament on to his progeny, elasticity, suppleness, atheleticism, tremendous shoulder reach and powerful hind engine. His bloodlines are a combination of both jumping and dressage genes from the worlds leading stud books including the grand prix show jumping stallion Wellington by stallion of the century Nimmerdor. Buenno is Homozygous for the tobiano gene, thus providing breeders with the certainty that his progeny will be tobiano. For the showing enthusiast his progeny have already been shown with great success. His first progeny have been sold as far as the Czech Republic Switzerland & France. Full ancestry report and extensive library of videos and photos of his progeny available on our website.

Umenno – Braco, Perthshire – £700

Umenno possesses a good trainable temperament, powerful flamboyant movement, a beautifully marked chestnut and white robe, and a pedigree of legendary ancestry with 50% thoroughbred. Bred with athleticism in mind Umenno is an expressive powerful mover with off the floor paces and has demonstrated good jumping ability in the showjumping arena.Umenno was also shown in hand throughout the UK, standing Open Non Native National Champion and young stock reserve. He has stood Champion at many National county shows including, the Scottish Chaps National, the Highland Show, Fife Show, and Great Yorkshire along with other wins in Sport Horse classes.As a four year old he jumped double clears in British Novice. Discovery and Newcomers. He qualified for the Royal Show potential showjumper, the Royal International Horse Show BSPA Ridden finals, Burghley young event horse, Arena UK 4 year old SJ championship, and the Scottish Sports Horse 4 year old showjumping sport horse series along with numerous overall Championships in ridden sport horse classes often standing vainquer to older competitors. Winner of the five year classes at Bicton and the six year old class in St Legier Switzerland with additional placings at RII with Rudi Wallerbosch.Umenno has since been sold to South Africa and has dominated the showing circuit with multiple wins and Championships.Frozen semen is still available for distribution within all EU countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

Solaris also stand Ameraux (KWPN 2005) Our Homozygous black dressage stallion with a pedigree of legendary ancestry who has consistently achieved excellent results in dressage.Expressive, head turning, with that “look at me factor”, modern and long legged he possesses three equally good paces, a ground covering walk, elasticity and suppleness in his trot with expressive use of the front leg in all three paces. His canter is excellent with above average length of stride, uphill cadence and good self carriage.

Gino – Braco, Perthshire – £500

A tall, refined, long legged stallion of uphill build, dark coat and excellent mechanics, expressive use of the foreleg, quick & powerful use of the hind leg, a pure active walk and good self carriage in both trot and canter, just as one would expect when analysing his pedigree! Gino captures your heart with his gentle nature, his presence and his undeniable elegance. His sire is the KWPN stallion Sandreo a son of the famous Sandro Hit. His dam a daughter of the great Negro and his maternal grand dam a daughter of Michelangelo. A combination of the very best performance bloodlines! He will stand his first season at stud in 2014 and commence training in September in preparation for the young horse dressage Championship classes and the KWPN IBOP ridden performance test in partnership with Mat Burnett. Gino is KWPN PROK certified (Clean X-Rays) and fully vet checked.

Solaris Sports and performance stallions also have a very special and different Akhal Teke stallion called Kambarbay – £600.

He is stallion with stamina, speed, agility, scope and and high percentage of blood? – elasticity over a fence and four exceptional paces, walk, trot, canter and gallop? The Akhal Teke is considered by many to be one of the oldest thoroughbred breeds today. Kambarbay possesses all of the desirable characteristics of the modern sport horse, three very good paces, well defined limbs and a well proportioned length of body and neck along, a beautiful head and a metallic golden sheen to his coat for which the breed are also renown. The Akhal Teke as a breed are infamous for their great stamina, speed, agility and bravery the characteristics very much sought after for the eventing and endurance horse. Kambarbay is a stallion with tremendous nobility and refinement an elegant high blood stallion with the ability as a Perlino to pass on his dilute colouring 100% of the time. Homozygous agouti and cream he will always produce palomino and buckskin foals from solid mares. His first foals show an abundance of athleticism, presence and refinement. Kambarbay has competition results in British Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing.

In Lanarkshire, at the Romano Stud, is Serano Gold (£650 excludes VAT @ 20%). He was vice champion of 3yo stallions in Rastede in 2004, where he also was placed in the final of the Bundeschampionat. He scored highly in his 30 day performance test, scoring the highest mark for rideability with an outstanding mark of 9.75. He scored an impressive 10 for both the temperament and character and high marks for his paces. From the outset he was set to impress. He qualified for the Bundeschampionat in 2004 where was placed in the final and again in 2006 & 2007 where he sadly through no fault of his own was unable to attend the finals.

In 2006 ALL his foals received the prestigious Oldenburg PREMIUM title – he was thereafter known as “the foal maker”. He has sired several approved breeding stallions including the 2010 BWBS reserve champion SERANO and also SFORZANDO. CASHMIR was approved with the Swedish warm blood society. His offspring are sold for consistantly high prices at many of the auctions including SMILLA P for 40,000 euros and SOPRESSO for 40,000 euros at the Vechta Elite auctions, STRAHLEMANN for 27,000 euro

Of course, chilled seamen works both ways and if you are up in Scotland and want to look at Horse Scout’s other Stallions at Stud from across the country please use click the link .  There are some really class Stallions to see.

Horse Riding Tips

FOCUS FEATURE– Competitive Scotland

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This Feature Focus is aimed at  advertisers listed on Horse Scout  who are competing and breeding in Scotland and was bought about because I noticed on British Dressage that,in Scotland, the Ian Stark Equestrian Centre has now been approved to host BD affiliated competitions to bring the total venues in the region to 15. This has to be great news for all intrepid dressage Riders in Scotland.

Wow…It’s a busy place! aside from dressage with Bi Monthly Clinics held by Ian Stark himself, and this weekend the Carrs Billington Unaffiliated Winter Show Jumping Series Final, indoor XC training, a feeding and condition clinic with TopSpec, BSJA Category 1 show and also clinics with Charlotte Ridley  and Efra David…. And that’s just in February

Horse Scout has several horses for sale in Scotland on its listings

Chloe II – Allanton Shotts, Scotland – a Showjumper based in Allaton an ds is described as a fantastic mare by Calvaro Z out of a first premium International grade A jumping mare This mare has three lovely paces and is easy to do in all ways She has mainly done showjumping, having competed in many different venues including the Spanish sunshine tour She is a very sweet horse with no vices She would be an ideal horse for someone coming off ponies and onto horses or someone wanting to go out having fun competing, she has a very careful jump and tries to please every time She is great to shoe, box, catch etc and travels in a trailer or horsebox She is also very well bred and full of quality for someone wanting a top class well bred broodmare She is great to hack out alone or in company and is fully passported with breeding recorded and microchipped. She also has an FEI passport

Or perhaps you are looking for a potential dressage horse then take a look at Faside Wimbledon – East Lothian – a truly stunning chestnut colt born on the 4th July 2013. He really has it all – beautiful colour and markings, correct conformation and super expressive movement. He is by the young British based stallion Wolkenderry and out of a fabulous Donnerhall mare Donnatella.Wolkenderry has just started competing at PSG level and is known to pass on his superb temperament and rideabaility. The dam of this foal is Donnatella who is sired by the world-famous dressage stallion Donnerhall. She is the full sister to the top stallion Don Primaire who has a high dressage index of 148 among with high scores for both conformation (111) and movement (108). This colt is sure to be an exciting dressage competition horse. To make 16.3hh.

Perhaps you are looking for a top Stallion based in Scotland Solaris Sport Horses, breeders of performance KWPN Sport Horses with a primary focus on dressage, show jumping and eventing. The stud is situated in Perthshire, Scotland in the UK. Solaris Sport Horses currently stand four stallions at stud with distribution available throughout the UK:

Solaris select the very best bloodlines that Europe has to offer and combine these with a strong emphasis on proven performance mare lines, they have incorporated distinctive and attractive coats of colour without compromising on quality to produce talented and beautiful horses suited for the amateur & professional rider. The proof of their well thought out breeding program is that they consistently produce Premium, Champion and Prize Winning young stock. Their foals and horses have been successfully sold to clients as far as the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, South Africa, and Southern Ireland with a few remaining in Scotland and the UK. Many of their home bred horses and the progeny of their stallions that are now under saddle are competing with success in the disciplines of dressage, showjumping and eventing at National Level.

Horsechoice –  near Edinburgh, Midlothian also have a selection of competition animals for sale but if you already own your own horse and

and you want to spark up your competitive approach how about a short sharp shock to your system?

Horsechoice offers a targeted service to competition riders through their training program for competition riders. They offer 3 or 5 day courses tailored to suit riders needs and wants at any level. Riders who strive to succeed within the competition ring can be based with the Horsechoice team for a period of time to allow on sight training as well as guidance at competitions.

 

 

Eventing

Help for Heros –Help raise funds

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There are so many charitites which need our support. If you are part of a larger horse community why don’t you hold a fund raising event through your local Equestrian centre or at your livery yard.  Or perhaps you are arranging a group lesson or clinic with one of listed Fantastic Trainers on Horse Scout, if so maybe everyone could pay just a little extra into the pot ato be donated to support a charity like Horseback UK.

HorseBack UK is a charity which has been created to provide a safe and secure environment to aid those serving, or those who have served in the UK armed forces.

Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment to aid the recovery of servicemen and women who have suffered either physical or mental injuries as a result of their commitment to their country. Their aim is to ease the integration of serving personnel and veterans back into the community, inspiring a meaningful and rewarding future.

For the soldiers who come to the centre the initial emphasis is on learning the basics, caring for the horses and building a bond of trust with them. Once that trust is established, the groundwork starts. This builds confidence in gentle increments, so that by the time the participants graduate to riding, they are completely at ease with their horse, and can go through obstacle courses and out on trail rides through the Deeside hills.

For those who return to active service after being injured, the emphasis is on building strength, confidence and capability. It is simply a different approach to help servicemen and women in their journey back to full fitness, both in body and mind. For veterans, HorseBack acts as a bridge from the military to the civilian world.

Many of those who attend our courses will have been suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress for years, and may have almost forgotten what normal life is like. For them, the relationship with our horses is a powerful therapeutic tool, as is spending time in the great Scottish outdoors. A remarkable number of our participants stress the powerful effect that being in such a beautiful environment has on them.

 

Horse Jobs

Are you looking for work as a Groom or Work Rider?

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Are you looking for work as a groom?  Horse Scout has several trainers looking for new staff.

You can advertise yourself FREE on Horse Scouts Website. Click here to see the great set up we have and register your details with us.

However we do already have some professionals looking for work riders and grooms, so if you are thinking of becoming a groom or looking for a new placement there are several professional trainers and riding establishments who have open positions at the moment check out Justine Armstrong Small in Essex who is a professional show rider who has won at all major county shows including royal international and horse of the Year Show over the past 20 yrs. Her passion is particularly focused on showing working hunters.  So expect jumping and a high standard of turnout to be on her list of priorities.

Another high profile trainer is Event rider Lucienne Elms who is based at in the south ‘Blackwater Equestrain Centre’, which is potentially one of the most prestigious equestrian centres in the South West. Lucienne offers professional training up to CCI***, and is aiming for Bramham  again in 2015. Luciene has trained and worked with numerous world ranked riders including world number 1 2009, and UK number 1 2014 Oliver Townend.  She produces horses for sale, training & competition.  So this would be a great opportunity to be part of the Event world in a fantastic location.

Also, if you live in Scotland and are looking for a busy producing and competition yard there is Horse Choice based near Edinburgh who are also looking for experienced riders/grooms to become part of their team.

Showjumping

Cool Competition centres – Crofton Manor

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Crofton Manor Equestrian Centre-Fareham, Hampshire

Crofton manor is a fantastic competition centre and with up to three competition or event days a week there is something for every one.

With competitions such as the

BS Junior Blue Chip Qualifier,

HorseQuest UK Sapphire Championship Qualifier

Animo Pony Novice Championship Qualifier

UK Coral Championship Qualifier

Blue Chip Pro Sparkle JC/JA Championship Qualifier – 31st January 2015 BS Senior Blue Chip Qualifier Dates Blue Chip Joint RLF Power Championship

…and that’s just (some of) the show jumping.

Crofton regularly holds affiliated and un affiliated dressage events and acts as a showing venue

The facilities at Crofton are certainly well thought out with everything for the competition rider and their teams

The brand new olympic sized arena is 67 Metres x 67 Metres.

Livery Outdoor Arena area

This has a rubber and sand surface and is 60 Metres x 30 Metres.

Floodlit

Post & Rail Fencing

Rubber & Sand Surface

Public Address System

Timing Equipment with Wirefree Radio Controls

BSJA Show Jumps, all colour co-ordinated

Car Parking

There is a large car/lorry park for competitors plus car parking facilities for Livery customers.

Be on the door step and look at Crofton Manors’ Do-It-Yourself Livery

We provide good quality indoor and outdoor stabling for the equestrian enthusiast. A secured tack room and hay/straw storage are all included in the monthly rent.

Hay, shavings and straw are purchased on site and delivered to your storage bay.

Hacking Out

The hacking out is excellent, with bridleways and quick routes to the beach at Hillhead.

Mares and geldings are kept in separate fields to avoid the usual problems with mixed sexed groups.

Clients use the vet and farrier of their choice, but we have a monthly vet’sclinic and a horse dentist visits the yard on a regular basis.

 

 

Stallions At Stud

6 Tips for Picking Out Awesome Freestyle Music for Your Horse

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Don’t freewheel …Freestyle instead

1. Know your horse’s ideal BPM (beats per minute)

2. The average horse has the following BPM:

•   Walk 90-106 BPM

•   Trot 138-160 BPM

•   Canter 96-108 BPM

3. Pick music that matches your horse’s BPM within 4-6 BPM range.

(For example if your dressage horse has a canter of 104 BPM, choose music that is between 100 BPM and 108 BPM)

4. Choose music that has a very clear downbeat. (You’d tap your toe to the downbeat.)

5. If you CAN’T tap your toe or clap your hands easily to the beat of the music, it’s not great freestyle music!

6. Choose freestyle music that will help you achieve your horse’s ideal tempo.

For example: If your horse is a bit on the lazy side, choose an upbeat and energetic piece of music that will help YOU ask for more energy. If your horse is hot or nervous, choose freestyle music that will help you feel calm and steady as well as help your horse with rhythm and relaxation.

Here are the facts – Thanks to British Dressage

There has been no stopping the popularity of the freestyle dressage to music test, also known as a kür, since Goodwood CDI hosted the first one at international level in 1979. There is even a separate set of individual medals up for grabs at the Olympics, World and European Championships for this crowd-pleasing form of the sport.

If you want to have a go, it is worth watching a few kürs to give you an idea of what works and doesn’t. Marks are awarded in a different way to ordinary tests. There are two categories: technical and artistic.

The freestyle test sheets tell you the compulsory movements required at the different levels and these are available through our Online shop.

To play copied music in public, you must have a music licence. You can arrange this by completing and returning both a music sub-licence agreement and a music licence record form to:

Michelle Garland, British Dressage,  Meriden Business Park Copse Drive, Meriden West Midlands CV5 9RG

Michelle will then send you stickers, which you need to put on your freestyle tapes/CDs to fulfil the licence agreement. This allows you to use any music from the record labels listed on the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) repertoire list.

Follow this link to access the PPL online search facility.

2014 PPL Licence

There is no charge for this service if you are a BD member. If you are not a member, you can become a BD music member for £36 per year or £25 if you are a riding club member. Contact Michelle Garland (tel: 0247 669 8832) for more information.

You can put your own test and music together or you can pay a professional to help you. It is a good idea to take two CDs or tapes with you to shows in case there is a problem with one. Check with the organiser whether they have any requirements; at international shows, organisers like two different mediums, such as a mini disc and CD.

You need to give the organiser one CD or tape marked with your name and that of your horse. It needs to be ready to start at the right place with a note as to whether this is at the halt or at the position outside the arena where you will give a signal.

Rock and Roll guys. Horse Scout has a number of Dressage trainers and instructors who would, I am sure, be only to pleased to help you put your test and the music together with you and your horse! Good Luck.

Stallions At Stud

Stallion at Stud Timolin

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View our exceptional stallion at stud Timolin here

Timolin  is an elegant, light-footed stallion of exceptional quality showing outstanding paces with a lot of athleticism as is shown in his jumping ability. Heads turn where ever he walks with him eluding presence and natural self-carriage. He is thought to be a refining sire and is expected to produce quality foals for dressage and probably for eventing with his ground covering strides and great jumping ability. His temperament is ideal for both disciplines.

His Sire, Totilas was World and European Dressage Champion, the first horse to win all three available gold medals at a World Equestrian Games in 2010. His name is legendary and was the first dressage horse to top 90% at Grand Prix level and at that time held 3 world record scores.

His dam, the International Small Tour Dressage mare Samira, was ridden by Jane Gregory and is by the Dutch stallion Sion.

Timolin was presented at the BEF Futurity as a yearling in 2012 where he was awarded the Overall highest score of all Dressage Yearlings with a score of 9.38. A very good Elite score.