Tag Archives: tips

Horse Advice

Feeling Good?- how to develop that all important eureka factor -“Feel”

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Feeling Good?- how to develop that all important eureka factor.

Training with ‘Feel’

‘Feel’ is something that cannot be explained easily because each rider’s perception is likely to differ from another’s understanding of that feeling. For that reason, a training approach and exercises that teach riders the ‘feel’ for balance and thoroughness should be part of a trainers routine. When using this ‘feel,’ the rider finds that the movements become less complicated and that the horses are able to stay relaxed even at the highest level of competition.

The thing is though it’s a bit like the chicken and an egg situation….until you can ride with some mastery you cannot really understand “feel” and until you can “feel” you cannot ride with any real mastery! The good thing is that, as you start learning and getting better, you do occasionally have those inspirational moments when you feel “feel”

Eureka moments are easiest, at the start, on simple movements. On a circle for instance. As you concentrate on looking forward, with your shoulders turned slightly in the direction you are going, your inside leg is able to support and push the horse into an outside rein contact and, one you feel the horse is balanced, you can (slowly) release your inside rein towards the horses mouth. In a dressage test this is termed give and take. On a circle when you are training and the horse stays well balanced and does not change its rhythm and continues on the circle….you have a eureka moment! It is one of the most thrilling things ever. Much better than skiing down a mountain (!).

Share your eureka moments and find yourself a trainer in your area. It is so much easier if you have someone on the ground who can help you find that all important “feel”. Horse Scout would love to hear about your first eureka moments.

 

Horse Advice

Ever Wondered Why? – Words about Warming UP

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Have you ever thought about how you move after you have been sitting still for a long time. (hopefully reading all the interesting tips on this Horse Scout Bog!) Everything is just a little bit stiff and can be a little bit cold. (well certainly this is true at my age); but that aside any muscles which have been inactive are in a state of stasis and need waking up before you ask them questions.

Our horses are the same and by adding 20 minutes to your work time by warming your horse up effectively will reap its rewards in training progress and avoidance of injury.  Warm downs should also become an integral part of your routine too.

To understand why you need to warm your horse up before asking him to work in an outline or jump is simple.  Test out why yourself.  Put on some suitable footware and open your front door and start running (be aware of traffic and stay safe).  Result?

Yes you can run a fair way; and then what happens? Running is good for you but don’t approach your own fitness this way.  You will get out of breath first, then you will feel tired. If you continue to run you will get a build up of lactic acid in your muscles and they will cramp of become overly tired.  If you don’t stretch afterwards you will have sore stiff muscles within a couple of hours.

This is exactly what happens to your horse.

If you need help with creating a suitable routine then contact one of Horse Scouts trainers and arrange for some lessons.

However, there are some things you can do from the ground and Gillian Higgins, who is a sports and remedial therapist, BHS Senior Coach, anatomist, and founder of Horses Inside Out, has some brilliant graphics on her website using her painted horses to demonstrate exactly how effective a warm up routine is.

She says  “Your warm-up is so important for a number of different reasons,”. “First and foremost are the physiological reasons. Warming up your horse’s skeleton, joints and muscles is crucial to ensure he avoids injury and can perform to the best of his ability. Then, secondly are the behavioural and

psychological elements that get your horse switched on and listening to your aids. A good warm-up programme will help to tackle all of the above.”

To get your horse properly warmed up follow Gillian’s six step essential warm-up plan, covering how to:

1. Start with groundwork

2. Loosen him up

3. Get his blood flowing

4. Move his joints

5. Work his core

6. Get him listening

Horse Advice

Horse Scouts 6 Top Tips – Warming up from the ground

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What is a warm-up? The term ‘warm-up’ accurately describes what happens when we transition the body from a resting state to a state suitable for activity: the muscles are literally ‘warmed up’, receive increased blood and oxygen supply, gain flexibility and therefore reduce stress on tendons and ligaments.

 

A warm-up will also ensure increased oxygen supply to the blood and the elevation of the heart rate from a resting rate to an activity rate. If you warm up your horse gradually—instead of ‘jump-starting’ his heart-rate—you will also have a calmer, more relaxed, and more willing horse.

 

Sufficient warm up before exercise, training, and competition is essential, in order to avoid injury to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Our bodies-rider’s and horse’s-are made up of mostly fluids! Warming up body fuids inside muscles reduces the internal friction of a muscle and therefore prevents injury. Mobility and elasticity of muscles is increased, which minimises the strain on ligaments and tendons.

Avoid muscle spasms, discomfort, stiff gaits and in extreme cases torn muscles or tendons or anxiety and unwillingness to work by warming your horse up properly at the beginning of every ride.

Before you even get your horse out of the stable you can start a warm up routine as part of his preparation to be ridden.

Here are 6 top tips to get that blood flowing; the bonus is that it will help get you warmed up too!

  1. A warm up should always start gently.  Getting the blood to start flowing around the body and warming up the muscles. You can start by grooming your horse, and this has an added benefit of giving you the chance to check for injuries and to ensure that all sweat and mud is removed so that it cannot irritate your horse as he starts work.
  1. Having brushed you horse all over start to concentrate on the back area using a technique similar to a Swedish massage, long light stokes using the warmth of your palm and flicking up and away at the end of the stroke.  Its called “Effleurage” you can see graphics on the internet if you search the word. Basically think of it as ironing out the (metaphorical) wrinkles by moulding your palm around the muscles, as you stoke away you will feel a warmth in your hand and he will be feeling the same warmth in his muscles.
  1. Before mounting him walk him around in circles and ask him to walk forward and backwards too.  This will really help if you have a horse with a cold back.
  2. As these movements will help to warm his back muscles up and increase the
  3. blood flow around his whole body.
  1. Finally, before bitting him up, use carrot stretches to help stretch his topline muscles and engage his core muscles. Make sure he has had time to finish his mouthful before setting off. More on carrot stretches later. As these are also excellent at the end of a ride and your horse will love you for feeding him carrots.

When viewing a horse for sale this crucial step is often left out or rushed because of the time element perhaps the seller is a busy yard owner and has to move on to the next sale or job or where buying privately the seller feels rushed because they don’t want to hold you up.  However this could be an important factor in your final decision and it really is best to allow the horse to fully warm up before you get your first impression of him. Perhaps if you go for a second viewing you could ask to take the horse through a full warm up and that way you could also asses his temperament, stable manners, etc from a relaxed and quiet moment or two together, I am sure that if the seller knows you are a serious purchaser they will allow you to do this.

If you are having a training session or clinic with a professional rider then make sure you build in time to do this initial warm up when you arrive, so there is plenty of time to get ready for the start of your lesson.

Mandy Frost holds Show Jumping Clinics at The Mullacott Centre – Mandy Frost is a BS Accredited UKCC Level 3 Coach and Coach of the Year 2009 and also lead coach for Devon Junior Academy as well as being part of the Excel Coaching Programme. As well as competing Nationally. Cost – group of 3 – £20 per person: two sharing – £30 per person: individual -£60

Lucinda Fredericks  Clinics can be organised outside of eventing season. The cost is £1,000 + VAT plus travel expenses. Clinics can be a mix of flatwork, jumping skills or cross country skills or can concentrate on one discipline and can be a mix of group work and private lessons. If you book a 3 day clinic one night can include a video/Talk/Q&A Session and dinner with Lucinda on one of the nights. Lucinda can offer private lessons to individuals or groups from complete beginners right up to advanced competition riders. Lessons can be undertaken at either at Rosegarth or at external locations for more people by booking a clinic day – Lucinda often travels to local XC courses and equestrian centres to offer tuition to small groups. For lessons on site at Rosegarth please note you will need to bring your own horse with you.  Lucinda has two sessions in in Dorset 18 & 28th February 2015 – Her charges are: Individual lessons – £80 for a 45 minute session: Group lesson with 4 people – £35 each for 1 hour: Group lesson for 6 people – £25 each for 1.5 hours charges subject to VAT

 

 

 

Professional Rider

Trade Secrets that a professional work rider or groom already knows

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Here are some top tips that every work rider and professional groom knows.  If you are looking for a work rider to help you out or a groom to join your yard you can be confident that they know these things!  If you look after your own horse then wow your horse friends with a sparkly horse using these top tips.

 

  1. If you have a gray horse or one with a lot of chrome, keep some spray-on equine stain remover—created to deal with manure and grass stains—at the ready.
  1. As you groom, inspect your horse for injuries, skin irritations or areas of sensitivity. Run your bare hands down his legs to check for heat or swelling.
  1. Keep up with routine grooming chores, such as mane pulling, trimming fetlocks, et cetera. That way you’re not overwhelmed with last minute clean-up before a show.
  1. If your horse objects to having his mane pulled, try doing a little each day after exercise, while his pores are open.
  1. Check your horse’s stall or paddock fencing for protruding objects: Wounds lead to blemishes and worse.
  1. Let sweat and mud dry before attempting to brush it out. Or, hose your horse off while it is still wet.
  1. When plaiting or training a mane over to one side, use a mane mousse to help get wayward hairs under control.
  1. Color enhancing shampoos accentuate your horse’s natural tones and bring out the highlights of his coat. Washing blue in a black or grey tail make give it a wow factor.  (Always check a small patch of skin first)
  1. Using oil specifically designed for your horse’s face, rather than baby oil, will collect less dust at the show. Check contents on bottle.

10.  Let your horse roll—dirt isn’t permanent.

 

Horse Advice

Ten Top Tips for every horse owner, groom and Mum! 

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Are you about to set out looking for your perfect Mother Daughter horse combo?  Horse Scout has some lovely all-rounders listed on its Horses For Sale page.

Here are some top tips for any Mother Daughter horse cleaning regime….how you share them out? Well that’s up to you but do…have a sparkling relationship with your horse!

  1. An equine squeegee, rather than a hard sweat scraper, makes removing water from equine legs and hips easier and kinder.
  2. For extra shine on special occasions, spritz your horse’s coat with a sheen product.
  3. Regular use of coat polish sprays right after bathing has the added bonus of deterring dust—it slides right off.
  4. Horses with pink skin need extra sun protection—use sunscreen on susceptible pink noses!
  5. To help protect against skin infections, regularly disinfect grooming brushes and combs.
  6. Keep brushes clean as you go: After every few strokes with your body brush, clean the bristles on a metal or rubber curry held in your other hand.
  7. Brush from front to back, top to bottom, for the most efficient effort.
  8. Curry first in a circular motion to loosen dirt and hair; then use your stiff dandy brush to remove it. A flick of the wrist at the end of your long flat brush stroke helps lift the dust off.
  9. Multi-task: use a brush in each hand!
  10. Show-ring veterans have long known that grooming wipes are ever so handy.

 

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 Jobs

Being a groom – Careers advice 

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You love horses and really want to work with them? Lets look at being a professional groom

As a groom, you would:

  • provide food and water for horses
  • replace and move baled and bagged bedding and feed
  • clean equipment such as saddles and bridles
  • clean, brush and sometimes clip, horses’ coats
  • muck out stables, sweep yards
  • Possibly set up jumping courses, move poles etc
  • watch out for changes in the condition of horses and report problems
  • treat minor wounds, change dressings and give certain medications
  • follow instructions from vets when treatment is needed.
  • You may also be responsible for exercising the horses each day.

If you work with show jumpers or race horses, you will prepare them for events, and may accompany them. In studs and breeding yards you will work with stallions, mares and foals, and may help vets to deliver foals. In riding schools you may greet clients, lead riders out on foot, and accompany them on horseback.

Grooms who work with competition or racehorses will get many opportunities to travel both in the UK and abroad. This can lead to a very exciting job if you are part of a professional team; there is no greater buzz than seeing the horse that you love and care for winning a race or a medal! As a groom you can also work in a stud with stallions and mares, which is really exciting in the spring time when the foals are born.

Hours

You would usually work 40 hours a week, including early mornings, late nights and weekends. Overtime is often available, and you may be able to do part-time work, casual work or work on a freelance basis.

You would need to be prepared to work in cold, wet and muddy conditions, and you would wear protective clothing and footwear.

Income guide

Starting salaries for unqualified grooms can be around £10,000 a year.

Qualified grooms can start at around £12,000 a year.

Experienced grooms can earn £16,000.

Some employers may provide you with accommodation and food. Some may also offer free stabling for your own horse along with riding lessons.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You may not need formal qualifications to work as a horse groom. Experience of working with horses is valuable and could give you an advantage and help you find work.

Volunteering or looking for temporary work in a stable can be a great way of getting some experience. It also shows employers that you are keen to work with horses and learn more about the industry. It can help you to meet new people and make contacts that may be useful when you start to look for paid work.

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.

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 Riding Tips

Hot Tips For Hat Heads

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Do you suffer from hat head? Is your Skin rough or bumpy and your hair decidedly straw like are you utterly shattered at the end of your horse filled hours? You could take the sweat out of looking after your horse and put it at livery (pass these tips on to his keeper!) or your trainer could ride your horse more often (in which case they could read these tips too)…. or you could look make sure you look after yourself and keep doing the thing you love.

Rough and Bumpy skin is formed by dead skins cells and bacteria in the hair follicles. Wearing your riding hat is definitely a big part of your problem, but is unavoidable so make sure you make a point of rejuvenating and cleaning hat heads

It sounds pretty obvious … but hitting the shower at the end of the day to rejuvenate your skin and avoiding wearing makeup whilst you’re working up a sweat as this can clog your pores. To reduce the bumps try using a scrub or body brush (not one from the tack room) to get rid of any build up.

The frequent amount of time spent outdoors, exposing your skin to the harsh elements like wind and sun can play a part in wrinkles, age sports, or the feeling of thick skin giving it a leathery look.

It has also been suggested that the world of horses and all that involves damages the elasticity of the skin, causing a droopy face and neck, giving the face a ‘sunken’ look (although we’re still unconvinced). Use a sunblock with a high SPF, sweat-resistant sun cream to prevent skin damage, use a moisturising lotion. I can’t recommend a specific brand but a unisex cheap and effective one is E45. (always check on a small area of skin first)

Straw like hair

Although jumping in the shower after a workout is better for your skin, ensure it’s not at the downfall to your hair. Try just rinsing your hair instead of shampooing especially in the cold weather which has a nasty habit of drying skin.

Washing your hair too much will remove natural, protective oils that your skin and hair naturally produce, once your hair gets used to not being shampooed every day it slowly allows longer between shampooing without that lank greasy look. Take it slowly don’t frighten yourself. Try a one day break for a couple of weeks then stretch this to two etc. It’s hard when your hair is under a hat all day but give it time and your hair will thank you.

Tired and haggard

Too much exercise can leave your body exhausted and without a chance to catch up weaken your immune system leaving you more prone to colds and viruses and looking and feeling exhausted.

Here are five ways to boost your immune system from “The running Bug” …. They know a thing or two about getting hot and sweaty! (Just change “training” for working on yard, riding, running after loose horses, grooming etc etc!!!!!)

1. Eat Sufficient Calories for for the amount of work you are doing

Eating enough calories for training and day-to-day living is probably the single most important factor for an optimally functioning immune system. Excluding the calories needed for training and racing, the body needs a specific number of calories (known as the basal metabolic rate, BMR) just to function. If there is an energy deficiency, immune function is compromised and can often result in illness. Runners with low energy availability are particularly susceptible to upper respiratory-tract infections (URTI’s i.e. coughs and colds). To avoid this, maintain a calorie intake that supports training, daily activity and biological processes. One way to find out if you’re eating enough is to speak to a qualified performance nutritionist; alternatively to put you on the right track, adhere to point 2…

2. Don’t Avoid Fat

Athletes and active individuals should be aiming to consume approximately 25 per cent or more of their total calories from fat for optimal immune function, especially during heavy training periods. As well as contributing to overall energy intake, research shows that long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids may specifically change the defences which fight infectious pathogens. In addition, having insufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells inhibit their ability to recognise and destroy foreign bodies such as viruses and bacteria. To ensure you’re getting sufficient fat in the diet, aim to include foods such as eggs, red meat, oily fish, nuts, avocados, olives and olive oils, butter, full fat dairy and coconut.

3. Consider supplementing with Vitamin D

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, has had a surge in research interest in recent years. Compromised vitamin D status can affect a runner’s overall health and ability to train by negatively affecting bone health, innate immunity and exercise-related immunity and yet it is thought more than half of the UK population have insufficient vitamin D levels. Those who spend a lot of time indoors and/or are darker skinned are particularly at risk from deficiency, however chances are without supplementation over the winter in the UK, we are all at risk of developing insufficient or even deficient levels. Your GP should be able to test your vitamin D levels; however, if testing is unavailable, taking a baseline dose (2500IU/day) will help correct any insufficiency and improve immune function. Vitamin D supplements are available in most health shops.

4. Eat More Offal

Offal (heart, kidneys, liver) is one of the most nutritionally complete foods around. It contains fat, has a high protein content, and provides more variety of vitamins and minerals (including zinc which plays a central role in immune function) than any other individual food making it a great immune boosting choice! If taste or texture is a struggle, chop it up and hide in dishes such as casseroles, chilli’s and bolognese.

5. Take a Probiotic

Taking a daily probiotic (micro-organisms found in yoghurt or dietary supplements) has been shown to reduce frequency, duration and severity of immunity illnesses, and improve gut health among athletes during heavy training periods. One study in particular by Gleeson et al. (2011) looked at the effects of taking a daily probiotic (Lactobacillus casei Shirota) over the winter period on the incidence of URTI’s (upper respiratory tract infection) in endurance athletes. They found over 4 months, the number of athletes experiencing coughs and colds lasting 7 days or more was 36 per cent lower in those taking a daily probiotic. Yogurt is also quite useful for its effect of free radicals especially when taken with red/purple berries.

My favourite is yoghurt with summer fruits and some honey. You can buy summer fruits frozen in tubs. Quite handy because it means you can just use what you want…..just remember to take a spoonful out when you make your first cup of tea and by the time you’ve done the morning work rides it will be thawed and ready to stir into your yogourt.