Top Tips!
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5 top tips for enjoying Spring time with your horseHere it is British Summer Time – the long awaited time of lengthy evenings, no mud, and shows. We can’t wait! But before you pile into to enjoying your time with your horse, make sure you are ready. We have complied our top 5 tips for enjoying the Spring time with your horses. 1) Beware the spring grass! Spring grass is notoriously loaded with sugars, this can give our previously sedate steeds a spring in their toes, but can also have serious health implications for those prone to laminitis, Cushings, or other metabolic disorders. We love turning our horses out after the long winter, but make sure you keep an eye on them, and consider restricting their grazing or using a grazing muzzle. This will give them all the benefit of the outside, without the spring grass risk! 2) Check your horse’s saddle due to weight change. Our horses’ shapes change over the winter, their muscle mass decreases due to less work and their weight can often drop. It is advisable to get a professional saddler to check your horse’s saddle before you start increasing their work load.3) Don’t go from 0-60 build up your horse’s workload gradually. Don’t suddenly start riding your horse for hours at a time, make sure you build up his work gradually to ensure he stays healthy and sound. Make sure he is up to date with his teeth, feet and consider getting a physio out for a once over before you start to increase his workload. 4) Make sure all your rugs are washed and reproofed ready for next winter. Have a good sort out in the sunshine, and then you are all prepared for next winter. Also you can often pick up some good bargains for next winter in the spring sales.5) Don’t just think about your horse, make sure you are fit to ride after the winter. Have you been active all winter? Or have you been sat on the sofa eating chocolate biscuits? (Guilty as charged!) Make sure you are fit to increase your riding. Try and walk every day, even 30 minutes does wonders for your base fitness. Enjoy it! And if you are not enjoying your time with your horse, please ask a respected professional for help, after all horses are meant to be a source of joy, not stress!For more information and top tips visit http://www.thehorsephysio.co.uk/w.thehorsephysio.co.uk and sign up to our newsletter. Sue Palmer is a Chartered Physiotherapist, an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate and a BHSAI.
The Rider Must Maintains a straight line from the elbow to the bit The hands must receive and must not restrict the flow of impulsion The rider's position must be maintained, staying in balance with the horse Rider Mistakes Get behind the movement putting unwanted pressure on the horse's loins Use obvious aids for example spurs, kicking use of the whip It should not be obvious to the onlooker The aids are between you and the horse, discreet, it is not a spectator sport! It is important that the horse stays supple over its back, maintains fluency and rhythm For mor tips and advice on lengthening your horse stride Read more
There are some common mistakes you should watch out for when perfoming travers, listed below are a few that will help you master this exercise. Horse's body is straight rather than evenly bent around the rider's inside leg. Loss of rhythm and impulsion. The rider pulling on the inside rein creating too much neck bend rather than using the outside leg to correct. Inside leg too far back. Too much outside leg creating too steep an angle, greater than 30 degrees and blocking the horse. Losing control of the forehand so it no longer travels along the outside track. Rider looking behind at the horse's quarters. Rider collapsing his/her inside hip. The horse losing impulsion and rhythm. Tip: asking for less bend will improve straightness and activity. MASTER TRAVERS exrecises and tips Read more
In shoulder-in, the horse’s hindlegs stay on the track while the shoulders are bought slightly to the inside. It is important to ask for only a slight amount of bend and to be content with a few correct steps at a time before riding forwards and straight, gradually increasing the number of steps of shoulder-in as the horse becomes more established. Work on shoulder-in should be little and often. Don’t drill your horse or he will become confused and resistant. Click here for more great riding advice and tips
When devising a schooling programme for your horse, you need to take his conformation into account. All horses can be taught to work correctly, but it takes an expert eye to assess a horse and realize what will come easily to him and what he will find more difficult. Building the right muscles in the right place can change a horses appearance dramatically.For more top tips helping you and your horse read more
IS HE HOT OR COLD?Apart from the obvious signs, such as sweating or shivering, how do you really know if your horse is hot or cold?The most accurate way to know what your horse’s temperature is, is to actually take it with a thermometer, this will certainly put your mind at ease.However if you just want an indication as to whether he is too hot or cold to help you decide which rug to put on, then here are a couple of pointers…..To see if he is cold….Feel his extremities such as lips or ears, if they are cold your horse is feeling a little chilly. His coat will be another indication, just like the hairs on humans arms, his coat may fluff up and stand on end if he’s feeling the cold.To see if his hot….Feel around the shoulder area or in between his front legs – When horses are a little too warm, they tend to feel damp and clammy in these areas.For 100's more great tips helping you and your horse click here
Hacks out can also incorporate work to help your horse's suppleness.You don't have to be in a school to practise getting your horse supple, obedient and balanced. Mix it up while out hacking. Use hills to help develop a medium or even extended trot. Make it fun whilst teaching him this new lesson without the restrictions of short sides and the end of the school looming too quickly. Whist riding on a quiet track leg yield across and back. The one thing you have out hacking you don't have in a school, is space. If it goes wrong you have plenty of time to correct and ask again. Lastly, remember to praise and reward him when he does something correct or tries for you.For more schooling tips and exercises click here
" These days, shopping in different stores for your daughter is a thing of the past – our label proves that, we have daughters who shop with their mums, because you can still wear key trends, you just need to ‘tweak’ them slightly. For example our cute flirty tweed Aimee skirts are fab and fun, but for mums looking for a more sophisticated look, they can rock our Hazel pencil skirts – still sassy but just a bit more grown-up!"www.timothyfoxx.co.ukROSALIE EUSTACE, CHIEF DESIGNER AT TIMOTHY FOXXWIN - A distinctive Timothy Foxx Tweed Ear Warmer Click here
Top tips to aid weight loss in horse's•Weight loss must be gradual; avoid starvation and crash diets.•Reduce calories not bulk. Feed a diet based on grass hay or hay substitute with low carbohydrate content. Good quality straw can be used. Water must be available at all times.•Feed a minimum 1.5 per cent of current bodyweight of hay to achieve weight loss safely.•Monitor weight weekly.•Soak hay, for several hours to remove sugars.•Use a commercial low calorie feed balancer.•Weigh out feed. This may be tedious but it will stop you from being tempted to give that little bit extra.•Restrict access to grazing by reducing time at pasture, using electric fencing or a grazing muzzle.•Use a small holed haynet or double net to keep your horse occupied for longer.•Increase exercise levels.•Removing rugs or clipping will make a horse burn energy to keep warm. Equine obesity - Prevent and manage this serious welfare problem Read more
"Before you go shopping, make sure that you have a clear out of your wardrobe. If you have never worn it or not worn it for the past 12 months you are unlikely too in the future, so either put it on E-bay or give it to your local charity shop.Did you know that it’s estimated that a quarter of women only wear 10% of their clothing? If that sounds like you – its time to ‘chuck out your chintz’!"ROSALIE EUSTACE, CHIEF DESIGNER AT TIMOTHY FOXXwww.timothyfoxx.co.ukWIN - A distinctive Timothy Foxx Tweed Ear Warmer Click here
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Help protect your horse against summer bugs with these top tips 1. Spiders love flies, so leave webs in stables.2. Protect your horse's eyes with a fly mask, ensuring that all edges fit snugly around his head. 3. Flies breed in manure, so poo pick your fields daily4. If possible turn your horse out with other horses so they can stand close and swish flies away from each other.5. Bring your horses in during the day when the flies are at their worst, and put him out at night when he won't be bothered.6. Use fly papers and fly traps around the stable block and yard (high enough that your horse will not lick or get stuck too) 7. Place a fine mesh across windows and doors and use a suitable insecticide on stable walls.8. Use special feed supplements in your feed such as garlic or cider vinegar, this is thought to help repel flies through horse secretions. 9. Muck out thoroughly every day, flies will breed in deep bedding10. Avoid pasture turnout where there is standing water as flies and mosquitoes thrive on it.For more advice and tips on coping with flies and midges click here
1. Have your saddle fit checked by a qualified saddle fitter every year at the very least, more often if your horse has a tendency to change shape. Poor saddle fit is one of the main causes of back pain. Imagine wearing an ill-fitting pair of shoes and then being asked to dance well in them - we can't say for sure but our best guess is that being ridden in an ill-fitting saddle could feel similarly painful. 2. Feel your horse's back regularly for any pain or tension, but also have a Chartered Physiotherapist check your horse's back periodically. They have spent several years qualifying to practise their profession, so they are likely to be more accurate in their assessment than someone less experienced. Personally I recommend every 3 months for a horse that is ridden 5 or 6 times a week, or every month for a horse that is being asked to compete at a high level.3. Massage your horse's back yourself, once a week or once a month if you have the time. You will get to know what is normal for him, and to recognise when things are starting to go wrong, at the same time as improving his comfort and performance. Massage is easy to learn (get your copy of the Horse Massage for Horse Owners book and DVD here), enjoyable to practice, and best of all, your horse will love it!Massage for horses Read moreFind out more about learning how to massage your own horse, either by joining Sue on a course or by getting your copy of Horse Massage for Horse Owners book or DVD at www.holistichorsehelp.com
TOP TIPS1. Plant health will still be weak after the long winter and will be missing vital nutrients.2. Your paddock will still need a lot of TLC to get it through the summer, especially if it’s the hot one forecast!3. Grass care, as plants still need additional nutrients to thrive throughout the summer4. Don’t worry about fertiliser applications causing overly lush growth, G-Upp’s long-lasting, slow release, natural plant food is the answer. 5.Treating the grass with a slow release fertiliser will feed it without causing excessive growth.6. G-Upp’s freeze-dried, water soluble, naturally occurring ‘friendly’ bacteria and organic plant food works in symbiosis with the grass avoiding the lush growth spurts that most horse owners want to avoid.7.Fact for those paddocks used for haymaking, the slow release fertiliser, G-Upp, is proven to increase the quality and dry matter of the hay. PHOTO RIGHT - Clearly demonstrates a paddock topped and then treated with G-UPP one week ago on right compared with topped paddock untreated on left.REMEMBERGrass care starts with the roots, what goes on underground is always reflected above ground and strong roots below ground will also provide a better ‘anchor’ and help keep the grass together if the paddock is also used for schooling or jumping – or if you have a lively horse!If you'd like to know more please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 08432 244908. http://g-upp.com/ Read more Horse Care in the field advice and tips
"Don’t be a slave to fashion trends, especially equestrian style trends. Our label is all about being unique; so when it comes to your own style philosophy, don’t be dictated to by ‘the latest fad’. Choose fashion that suits your figure and your personality"ROSALIE EUSTACE, CHIEF DESIGNER AT TIMOTHY FOXXwww.timothyfoxx.co.ukWIN - A distinctive Timothy Foxx Tweed Ear Warmer Click here
