I recently tried out the head cam I have been waiting for for a long time, the French made cambox.  Having previously had my head bent by the weight of the gopro I thought I'd try something new!  The cambox isn't cheap so I expect great things.  

I tried the headcam out hunting and its easy to place on your hat silk with the velcro attachments which is a plus, but getting the right camera angle has proved a bit difficult so far.  First time I had it pointing up catching birds and when I was actually out hunting I managed to get it pointing down at my boots, the sensible thing would have been to open the app with it on my head and see what I was shooting but that's not so easy when your horse takes any opportunity to gallop off. 

However, I did mange to get some footage, which I will upload asap.  In a nutshell the quality is great, but I think I will need to set to the lower quality video setting so the files aren't so huge to upload but it has been very easy to use and once I get the cam angle right, I am looking forward to playing back some hedge hopping to all the unwilling viewers I can find !!

The app works well on your phone and connects easily, so, so far so good. 

Oh and one other thing, don't forget to tie it down on to your hat in case it fly's off !!

I often try not to think why do I even bother juggling five thousand things to do when I could just be sitting with a glass of wine and reading a book in those few spare minutes when I decide to go off and ride.  But, its passion hey and we love it. 

After a week of work, trying to spend some time with my little girl and my boyfriend, its all a bit much, but when I go off to see my horse it gives me the couple of hours I need to just think useless horsey thoughts (i.e. what colour brow-band next, will I ever get my pony to load, what feed to try)  and relax. 

Although riding my 4 year old Arab is not the most relaxing exercise I admit, it is pretty stress free, even when he goes sideways because a snail has farted.  What I do wonder is how I will cope actually keeping a horse hunting fit when Harry comes back in to work in 2 weeks time.  Then its the question of can I really ride two horses, probably not ha ha but I shall try. I can at least keep one fit (maybe) while the youngster ticks over with a weekly hack.

I figure I have about 4 days a week when I can ride, plus perhaps one days ride by a friend (pretty please) which I should think will keep a hunter hunting over the winter.  So, all in all, yes it is worth it and we fit it all in because we LOVE it and we are slightly nuts. 

I am also contemplating trying some endurance, but I must be mental so probably will think about this for the next decade before I actually go anywhere.  If anyone has any hints on endurance, do let me know as I haven't a clue !!

Well if you are hoping for the next Jilly Cooper novel, you are sorely mistaken.  A day in the life of this horsey chick started early this morn while I procrastinated about buying the sixth horse in my life, decided against it and continued to get child ready for the day whilst getting on as many layers as I could.  Ran around like a nutter for a good hour feeding cats, dog, child and chickens all the time thinking about the 6th horse.  Again told myself - NO  - these are crazy thoughts.

Hacked out with my crazy arab with my crazy friend and her crazy horse - there is a lot of crazy here just in case you hadn't noticed.  Had a fun time = we survived. Talked to friend about buying 6th horse, encouraged her to buy the horse instead, also noted I need a few sessions of the HA - also know as Horse Anonymous, the Alcoholics equivalent for addicted folks like me.  Reminded myself of look on boyfriends face when new horse rocks up and quickly shut all thoughts of 6th horse in to a small box.

Shovelled up manky sweating haylage onto the muck heap. Exciting task. Petted horse number 1 and number 3, gave carrots and departed for lunch with non-horsey buddy - poor gal didn't complain about the smell.

Went home, thought about horse number 6 some more. Decided it was a bad idea for my health as boyfriend will likely locate the nearest Ax. 

I also wrote my horse buyers guide, here. 

1) Ask your exceptionally experienced friend to do it, as he won't fall off after having a momentary lapse of judgment, jumping on bareback while the Arab pisses off in the opposite direction;
2) Once your exceptionally experienced friend has done all the scary stuff like being bolted with while trying to long reign, bucked off in the stable while trying to get on, rope burn while trying to get your Arab out of the stable, trod on while trying to mount etc etc, then you can casually tack up, jump on and take all credit;
3) Go for a little hack with sensible and quiet company, then gallop home at speed because it all got too scary;
4) Introduce a mounting block, then proceed to dance around it for 30 minutes;
5) Introduce the horsebox, enter slowly, exit with a giant death leap from the top of the ramp; 
6) Go for a little hack in open space with safe and sane company, everything is going to eat/kill him - gallop home alone;
7) Go for another little hack, have a trot, go via the open space, all well;
8) Jump a log in the woods, very scary, massive cat leap, gallop home while accidentally jumping the rest of the logs in the line - big smiley face mixed with concern for life;
9) Practice taking turnout rugs on and off, get legs caught in straps whilst dancing about, massive panic, gallop off;
10) Little solo hack out on the lane, someone has left a (white) gate shut that is normally open, massive panic, spin, gallop home;

MAY 2018
20 May - Kingsclere Ride, Berkshire - 8 miles with jumps - more info here;
​26 May - Windsor Fun Ride at Windsor Park
​27 May - Cirencester Fun Ride, Cirencester Park - over 100 jumps !

JUNE 2018
16th June - Pachsham ODE, Leatherhead, Surrey.

JULY 2018
1 July - Surrey Ride for Life - LGB Equestrian
7 July - Pachesham  One Day Event, low key, unaffiliated;
TBC - Approx. 31 July - Stratfield Saye Sponsored Ride, Berkshire;

AUGUST 2018
19th August - Warlingham Riding Club Fun Ride, Surrey
19th August - Highclere Ride - Vine and Craven
26th August - Rockley Manor Ride, Berks & Bucks Draghounds

SEPTEMBER 2018
​8th September - Windsor Park Sponsored Ride
9th September - ​Lambourn Fun Ride - Vine and Craven
16 September - Hampton, Surrey Sponsored Ride - 8 miles with jumps;
23 September - Kirtlington Park Ride, Oxford - 7 miles with jumps
​30th September - 10 mile fun ride over Hankley Common,  Surrey - Worplesdon and District Bridleways Association 
​30th September - Kingsclere Fun Ride, Berkshire - Berks and Bucks Draghounds

OCTOBER 2018
7th October - South Oxford Sponsored Ride, only second to RAF Halton ride, great jumps;
October - Hound Exercise with Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds
October - Sandhurst Drag Hunt - Opening Meet - Date TBC

NOVEMBER 2018
November - Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds Opening Meet - Date TBC

So normally, my answer would be no, not hugely but only because I don't like the dark and mud, I actually don't mind winter as it means hunting and hedges which I love.  However, this year is slightly different as I am now 8 months pregnant and just given up riding.  OMG.

So not riding is a little painful for my soul, but sometimes when its pissing with rain I don't mind so much. What I do mind is 4 horses to look after, knee deep mud and a large belly that kicks and squirms in protest to my wheelbarrow attempts.  What in the hell ever possessed me to have 4 horses in winter while pregnant, what drugs was I smoking at the time that that seemed like a reasonable thought ?!  Fortunately, one horse is looked after for me Monday to Friday, but my two youngsters and my mare are not and traipsing haylage from one field to another, stuffing haynets, pooh picking and various other chores are somewhat of a major pain the ass, and multiply that by 20 just because I am the size of a small cow with no oxygen.

So, yes it is my own fault entirely, no-one forced me to have all these horses and in the spring I will be smiling away merrily, but spring seems a little way off yet.  However, generally, it is possible.  So for all those folks who say they can't have a full time job, horses and a child (albeit in my belly at the mo), it is possible although OMG it is tiring and cutting back on the size of the herd would have been a good idea, but generally my good ideas consist of adding more horses, rather than taking them away.

We shall see what happens when the baby pops out, but maternity leave kicks in soon, and when work finishes it can only get easier I reckon. Until then, being very organised with my days combined with pushing a wheelbarrow about in the dark while tripping over pony turds is the way forward folks.   The moral of the story is don't get pregnant with 4 horses through the winter unless you are: a) nuts, b) a lady of leisure or, c) often win the lottery.

Each of these rides are great fun, whether you go in a group or on your own - I always recommend taking a large hip flask !

As follows, each with a number of optional jumps and in the region of 10 miles - click the links for more info:

1. 6th August, Stratfield Saye Sponsored Ride, Berkshire
2. 20th August, Warlingham Riding Club Sponsored Ride, Oxted, RH8 0SA
3. 10th September, Kirtlington Sponsored Ride, Kirtlington Park, OX5 3JN
4. 17th September, Hampton Sponsored Ride, Surrey
5. 1st October, South Oxford Sponsored Ride, Oxon

I know this is a touchy subject for most horse owners but it is one that really gets my goat.  The amount of times that I hear some idiot is putting down there horse without any serious investigation because its lame infuriates me.  Now, I do understand that if the horse is in pain and discomfort and the lameness has been fully investigated then OK, but beyond this..........then you really shouldn't be a horse owner in the beginning.

Firstly, your horse should always be insured, failing that you should have a pot of money ready to spend on it if it gets injured or sick.  You should not own a horse without this.  If you don't have insurance and/or a pot of money to cover those occasionally uninsured elements, you should not own a horse.  They are expesnive creatures.

Now, I'll tell you why I am writing this. The amount of horses that I have heard of being put down for uninvestigated lameness lately is insane.  We all know lameness can be really tricky to treat and diagnose, sometimes you just don't know what is wrong despite doing all the things you can like bone scans, x-rays, MRI scans, rest, shoes off, therapeutic shoeing, diet change, exercise change and the list goes on.  But without going through all of the above and giving time, I would say at least a year for you to try and diagnose and treat, then you should not be putting your horse down unless its exceptional circumstances or major pain.

Nower days people dispatch their broken horses like flys and it irritates the crap out of me.  Don't get a  horse if you aren't prepared for at some stage for it to be lame, because it will be I guarantee you.  And if it does go lame, treat it and try some various options, there are so many things we can do to help lame horses.  If you need some ideas, look no further:

1. Call the vet to look;
2. X-ray;
3. MRI scan;
4. Bone scan;
5. Physio;
6. Chiro;
7. Change of exercise regime;
8. Change of diet;
9. Increased turnout;
10. Change of shoes / try barefoot / therapeutic shoes;
11. Supplements - joint, hoof etc etc;
12. IRAP / PRP treatments;
13. TIME !!!!!!  These things do not fix over night.  For example, if you take shoes off it can take 12 months before the feet adjust properly.  At the end of it you may have a sound horse !
    
14. Rest - find a big paddock to turn your horse away in for a while, it's not going to cost much at about 120 pounds a month, and that's in Surrey !
    

I speak from experience when I say the above, I literally tried everything over the course of a year and finally my horse is sound.  These things do work but it can be a lot of trial and error, especially if the vet does not know exactly what is wrong, and that happens a lot !  But please please don't just shoot your horse, he should always be worth a year of your time to try and fix him.

Well, what can I say?  It was bludy amazing and I cannot fault a single second of the way 'Wait A Little' looked after us !!  Gerti and Phillip have an absolutely amazing team of people and horses who all do a fabulous job, whether it was Rusty guiding us through the bush, Catherine showing us around the horses, Anna making her amazing cakes and the teams efforts at fabulous G&Ts at sundown on horseback, it was fantastic from start to finish.

Wait A Little is based just outside of Hoedspruit, about an hour.  You are picked up by transfer and you arrive in to the most beautiful setting.  The horses are roaming about in the garden with the warthogs, the pool is beautiful and the bar is open.  Our rooms are the most amazing luxury huts on stilts surrounded by the local monkeys who welcome us loudly.  The glorious freestanding bath looks straight out on to the bush, with Kudo looking patiently back at you and lion roaring in the background.  Its pretty breathtaking.

After you settle yourself in, we are off for a ride in the late afternoon where we are introduced to the horses who are absolutely spotless and beautifully turned out, better than my hunters!!  Not only are they spotless, but their behavior and manners are impeccable, trained by Gerti a Grand Prix dressage rider, need I say more.  They turn and move on a sixpence and it was an absolute pleasure to ride such brilliantly trained horses  - that happen to know how to stand still in front of a rhino and a lion - crazy but true.

I won't spoil any more for you, but the 7 day adventure we did seeing all of the Big Five (rhino, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo) on many many occasions, you will love every minute.  Your guide, Rusty is fantastic and look out for Patson over at Makalali, the master of all guides.  What more can say, a bucket list trip with a difference.

Having done a little bit of research on joint supplements recently, it seems the usual old Glucosamine and Cosequin is not all that is out there and there are newer / more recently developed products that are available and do a good job.  I was recently looking in to what was available since I was a child and brought up using Cortaflex and hoped there were some new and hopefully improved products.

Having found this article on the effectiveness of the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel in aiding joint pain, I had to look a little deeper.  The article can be found here.  It all sounds very promising until I actually speak to my vet who says that its never actually been tested in a clinical trial as far as he is aware on anything apart from humans (on which the green lipped mussel supplement also works very well).

After additional research to try and find a decent study on the effeciveness of this supplement in horses, I came across this clinical trial here.   Which essentially states that when tested on horses, the product really does work. Other products that are also thought to be effective are Omega 3 oils, avocado and soyabean unsaponifiable, oral hyalauronic acid, hyaluronic acid and cetyl myristoleate.  Some of these products people will know well, and others are not so common but still proven effective.

I am now in search of a product that contains as many of these ingredients as possible and have so far found a product called Maxavita that does offer some of the ingredients and also direct from New Zealand here.  Maxavita is available here in the UK but the GlycOmega Plus only seems to come from New Zealand.  I am currently trying to order some and then intend to test on my horse and see if we can get some good results.  I shall let you know how I get on.

I have been on each of these rides every single year I possibly can and can say they are all really good, however, these are my absolute top three that you should definitely try:

1. RAF HALTON, Halton, Buckinghamshire - 26th March 2017 - 50 amazing jumps for all abilities, over 12 miles - this ride gets booked up super quickly so get your online entry in now - http://www.haltonride.org.uk/;
2. Frensham Ride, Surrey – 7 May 2017 - 40 mixed jumps, 10miles - brilliant jumps - http://www.frenshamsr.org/;
3. South Oxford Sponsored Ride – First Weekend October 2017 - 40 mixed jumps, 12 miles - perfectly manicured fences over beautiful scenery - http://www.sosr.org.uk/news.html;

Other great dates:

1) West Wycombe Sponsored Ride, Buckinghamshire (another massive favourite of mine) - Berks and Bucks Drag Hounds – April 2017 - 45 jumps - 2 river crossings - 10 miles;
2) Kingsclere Ride, nr Newbury, Berkshire - Berks & Bucks Drag – April 2017 - 50 fences - 8 miles;
3) Waddesdon Ride, Rotary Club, Buckinghamshire - May 2017 - 40 jumps, 12 miles;
4) Kingsclere Ride, Newbury, Berks, Vine & Craven Hunt -  June 2017 - 8 miles, 40 fences;
5) Stratfield Saye Ride, nr Reading, Hampshire – July 2017 - 10 miles - 30 fences;
6) Windsor Great Park Ride – 9th and 10th September 2017 - 8 miles - 20 fences - enter early, gets super busy.  Enter here;
 

For sale is my lovely 15hh 6 year old Unicorn Stallion.  He is fully broken with manners to die for.  Unfortunately his wings have not yet come through, but wing buds can be seen, should be flying within 3 months.  Has a beautiful jump but can only be ridden at night due to the current Law of Magic prohibiting unicorns to be ridden in daylight hours.  Will dance to music, half pass on command, although can be a handful when Bieber comes on. Can jump most obstacles and once wings are fully developed this will obviously improve.  Good to clip and box, although won’t be shod without diamante’s and will get quite cross if your farrier does not wear pink.  Lives out, but be aware that you won’t catch him in from the field unless you clip your heels together 3 times whilst wearing red Prada shoes and whistling a Wizard of Oz tune thoughtfully.  Can be viewed from midnight today onwards. POA.

Ever wished your horse could tell you when he or she is sick or ill? Especially when you are not around.......the latest available technology on the market from Equisense can do just this.

Using a wearable lightweight vest, your horse's heart rate, respiratory rate, perspiration, temperature and movement are all monitored in real time straight to your phone.

When the indicators of for example colic are present such as raised temperature, increased heart rate and breathing as well as rolling, an alarm is sent to you via the app so that you can get to your horse as soon as symptoms are found and in good time to get any neccessary treatment started.  As we know, the earlier the horse is treated, the better the chances are of treating with success.

Interested? Find more reading here.

Now, before I start this little blog, I should say I didn’t know what the Jolly Farmers Meet with the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds was all about.  I had a rough idea that the jumps might be slightly bigger than normal and that there was a fair amount of jumping, and this is what I relayed to my merry team.  However, it was all a slight understatement as I later found while galloping along with my mouth hanging wide open as my friends awesome cob charged off in front and flew over what can only be described as a well over five foot double of hedges with just a few paces in between. 
 
When the hedges just keep coming, you just keep riding and they just come at you so fast that you don’t have time to debate with yourself as to whether or not you may or may not die on landing and this can only be described as a good thing !!  If I had time to think, and look at the approaching hedge and analyse its drop on the other side and the large ditch beneath it and the sheep staring at me on landing, I probably would have to say ‘no thanks’.  But, as it happened, all that I had was my horse, Harry, galloping and popping them like they were the 1’6 feet clear round class.
 
Beyond that, they just kept coming, hedge after hedge after hedge, what an amazing rush of adrenaline as your horse just takes you over them one after another.  Every now and again you find yourself looking around blindly to make sure fellow team members are still in situ in their saddles, which of course they are.  I cannot quite describe the amazing feeling after jumping about 10 huge hedges in a row, I think for me it was mainly shock and I can only really thank my horse as I sat there like a limp fart much of the time occasionally patting him on the neck whilst galloping full pelt.
 
My friends horses range from a fantastic cob with the jumping ability of a stag in full motion and a flirty ex-racehorse who needs some vocal encouragement to avoid use of the handbrake prior to take off (she enjoys seeing her rider engage the air bag) but who can also jump like a deer when she opts to.  We all had a fantastic day.  The Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds are lovely and inviting, and should you part company from your horse (as occasionally is the case) there will always be someone there to catch you and your horse.  Should you not be in the mood for a 6ft hedge, there is always a way around and a friendly field master to guide you on an alternative route.  I cannot recommend them highly enough.  Not only that but their super Photographer Julian Portch always gets some amazing full flight shots so that you can look back on your super day and smile.
 
There is nothing that can beat a day’s hunting, nothing at all and I have tried them all.  Show jumping is over too quickly, dressage is like putting me in front of headlights and eventing deprives me of sleep the night before.  Hunting however never ceases to bring a smile to my face, from the port and mince pies at the meet, to the hedge hopping and high fives as we go along, to the massive love for our horses after a fabulous day. 

All I can say is try it, you will definitely like it. If you are not sure and need some advice, get in touch and take a look at my hunting guide and some info on hirelings , if you don’t fancy taking your own horse!  There is also some helpful info here on the Kent and Surrey Bloodhounds page. Get cracking folks !!

It has long been a problem of racehorse trainers and general performance horse trainers alike that they are unable to know exactly when their horse has reached peak fitness and what level to train at in order to stay there without pushing the boundary in to injury. 

Most trainers will say ‘yes I know, I have been around horses all my life and I don’t need a piece of technology to tell me when my horse is fit’.  However, what if this technology really did do what it said on the tin and tell you when your horse was working at its very optimum capacity, how to keep it there and when to reduce the gas before fatigue kicks in and before injury happens.

Many injuries that occur in the sport horse and racing industries could have been prevented had the horse been running at peak fitness or if the trainer knew the horse’s max workload capacity before it began to break down.  These are some of the main injuries that occur from high intensity sports such as racing:
 

• Tendon injuries;
• Fractures;
• Epistaxis – bleeding;
• Tying up;

 
Tendon injuries and fractures are a common theme in the racing industry but if we could engage with technology and science and put ourselves in a position so that we can monitor when the threshold for injury is about to be breached and thereby take preventative measures - surely this can only be of benefit to the sport?  It would help to reduce criticism of the industry through reducing injury rates while also reducing the huge costs of rehabilitating broken horses by ensuring fewer injuries are sustained to start with.
 
So how will this new technology really help? Tendon and fracture problems tend to occur more often when the horse is over exerted and tiring.  Because the horse cannot tell us, we may continue pushing the horse in to injury unknowingly.  When a horse is tired and over exerted it has a reduced capacity to balance properly, land safely, exert equal pressure to all limbs and use its muscles correctly.  Reduced muscle functionality can lead to over extending tendons which in turn results in damage.   The technology we are researching will tell you when your horse has reached this injury threshold, what it has taken to get your horse to the threshold and how to increase its ability to work within the threshold.
 
Another common injury in racing is a fractured pelvis. This may occur when the horse is fatigued and abnormal pressure is exerted on the bones in the limbs.  The muscles can be stretched in all different directions due to un-coordinated movement again resulting in a fracture.  This could be avoided by ensuring that you know when your horse is starting to fatigue and train in a way that avoids this while still increasing fitness.
 
Yet another common issue that could be avoided is ‘tying up’.  This occurs when the body needs energy to ensure maximum muscle function but is so lacking in energy that that the muscles cannot release properly and therefore essentially rip due to inappropriate muscle release. The resulting effect is a horse that likely cannot race or compete for at least some time, whether this be a week or a month.  The point is, that it could be avoided if you never pushed the horse to that extreme and beyond its capability in the first place.  Yes, some might say you need to push the horse in order to get it fit, and yes this is true, but pushing within its boundaries is really what trainers should be aiming for, not pushing the horse outside of its boundaries and in to lameness. 

How will it work? The technology attaches to the girth or bridle and tracks heart rate, respiratory rate, rhythm of footfall to gauge balance, the track gradient, the amount of force being exerted on the horse (amplitude) all while the horse is in work.  The data is fed in real time straight to your phone via the associated app.  At the point you see the heart rate reach a certain level or the rhythm become irregular, you know the horse is no longer working well at maximum capacity, it has dropped in to the realms of injury and workload should be quickly reduced. 

Performance can be tracked over several weeks so that you can see the training progress and know when your horse is working at its peak and how long it can stay there for before it drops off.  You will be able to gauge the best possible speeds and distances for your horses by knowing how their bodies perform as they run.  They are all very different as we know and a distance that works well for one horse, will not work so well for another.

The only product I have come across so far that looks as if it will be able to tick all the right boxes is here: https://www.arioneo.com/en/home/performance-range/  We haven’t yet had the opportunity to test the product as it is not yet available, but hopefully when it is released for testing, we will be able to see what it is really made of, whether it can reduce the likelihood of injury and get our horses fitter and faster with minimal risk.

After all, if the NFL, NBA and Australian Football League use them on their professional athletes, why shouldn’t we use them on our performance horses?

Today was a traumatic day, I am unsure if I will ever fully recover. Hay giver / feed provider / girl thought it would be a good idea to drag me from the calm happiness of my field to go up the long dark place they call the farm driveway.  I cannot put in to words how traumatised I feel after the ensuing ordeal. 

She talked a considerable amount to me whilst she debated removing the caked mud from my face whilst moaning it was MY fault that I was so muddy.  She clearly did not know that the mud threw itself at me as I rolled casually.  I chose not to comment.  She has no right to remove the mud, I protested with my head held high.  I will not be subject to such degrading treatment in front of my fellow horse.

She continued her talks with me about the dark coming in and that we should hurry up, when quite frankly, I am not of the inclination to be rushed so I fidgeted, skipped and leapt occasionally to express my displeasure.

We move off up the darkening farm track. I see wolves eyes glistening at me in the bush, I leap from left to right and bounce accordingly, before realising they are pheasants, I do not feel it right to let the girl know, that I know they are pheasants, she would not realise the danger that pheasants also present to a young horse.  Unfortunately, she remains seated.  We continue up the drive.

She yatters on about one thing and another but I pay little attention to her, my worry is only for the wild horses to my left.  I spot them in the distance and stop.  They are galloping towards me, I snort, are they coming to say hello?  What danger follows?  I snort louder to alert my fellow horses, I whinny loudly but to no avail. 

She continues to press me up the track, she has not seen the wild horses galloping over.  Fortunately, I am happy to rescue us from this situation by spinning and by galloping off at the fastest pace I can in the opposite direction.  She tries to hold me back, but I have to RUN……….THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH.

At this stage I have little care for her, I shall go it alone.  I reach my head down as quickly as I can and throw in the most ferocious air leap I can muster, she stays, she sits, silently. Why?  WHY ? Why would she do this to me?  Does she not know the wild horses are galloping over and every second lost brings me nearer to death ?!

After much to’ing and fro’ing, I look up to see the wild horses have arrived.  They stand looking at me in the paddock adjoining the farm track and mock my lost battle.  I realise it was all a game, the wild horses are the holidaying polo ponies from next door, god damn them and the 100 acre field they roam and gallop about in.  God damn the girl seated on my back.  We walk off, back down the farm track, she does not know I have already spotted another pheasant.

Worming your horse properly is becoming more and more of an issue as resistance to wormers gets worse.  This means that the wormers we are using are  not working as well as they used to as the worms have become immune to their effects, they do not die and your horse continues to be infected with worms.

How do we help stop this?  One way is to ensure that you only worm when absolutely required, i.e. when your horse is infected and when you know precisely what to worm for.  The practice in the UK for many years has been to just worm your horses a few times a year whether they are infected with worms or not. Ridiculous right, you wouldn't dose yourself up with Flu Relief if you didn't have flu and you wouldn't take antibiotics without an infection that was diagnosed by a doctor to require them, so why do we worm our horses when we don't know if they need it or not?

I think the problem is that it is is easier to just order a wormer and pump it in, rather than trying to work out the alternative.  BUT, what if there was an easy way to test that was quick and inexpensive?

Worming Guide

What worms are you testing for? Redworm, roundworm, tapeworm and pinworm.
 
What do you do?  To start with, find out if your horse needs a worming treatment by using worming egg count test kits. 
 
What test kits do you need?

• Redworm and roundworm – Dung egg count test kit;

• Pinworm – Selotape Test;

Combination test kit for pinworm, redworm and roundworm – £11.50 per kit here;

• Tapeworm (cannot be detected by dung egg count test) – Equisal Saliva Test, here from Westgate - costs £17.95;

 
The price includes everything – the kit and the test and the results that will be emailed or posted to you.  Its all super simple and very easy to do.
 
How do you do it?  When you receive the test kit, follow the instructions closely – they are simple.  Fresh dung is very important.
When to test using the kits? At the beginning of each season – Spring 1st March, Summer 1st July, Autumn 1st September, Winter 1st December.
Why bother? Worms can cause a huge amount of damage to the intestines of your horse that can lead to colic and diarrhoea, blockage of intestines and tail rubbing to name a few.  Start using egg-testing kits so that you can save money on buying unnecessary wormers, treat only using the right type of wormer and help prevent resistance to wormers and get a healthy horse.

Results! When you get your results by post or email they will tell you how many of each type of worm egg is present and you can then select the correct wormer for those particular type of worms and you do not need to worm unnecessarily.  You should save money long term by not having to order unnecessary wormers.

Skinny minnies in winter has always been a horsey problem !  It gets cold and the weight drops off so, what do you do ?  I hunt in the winter so have to be extra watchful of weight as they are in regular and, hard work.

So, for my 17hh Warmblood working 5 days per week and hunting 1 day, the following seems to be keeping the condition ON:

1) 900 grams micronised linseed meal split in to two feeds;
2) 800 grams (dry weight) speedi beat split in to two feeds;
3) Saracen Stamm 30 Balancer - 1 kilo split in to two feeds;
4) 10 grams table salt per day;
5) Ad-lib Haylage;

If you could fit in three feeds per day, this would also really be of benefit and you could slightly increase the overall amounts above then split across three feeds.

Hope this helps!!

Having had some interest in where we can all ride on a beach in the South of England, I have put up a new page to guide you on where to go, where to park and riding restrictions - which can be found by clicking here.  Hope this helps :0) Enjoy !!

Its a tricky area that's for sure, I have learnt that horses that are broken take a very very long time to come back together again.  Most of the horses in my little herd have one issue or another.  Whether its rearing, bucking, loading or pissing off, I think I can pretty much cover it all.  Each horse has come to me with its issues and I have taken them on in full hopes of managing to get them back to a normal riding state.

So, how long will it take to rehabilitate a horse? It will take FOREVER and even with forever, each horse has the potential to return to its prior behaviour if it is not very carefully monitored and managed.  Two of the horses I took on in February 2016 are well on the mend. My naughty rearer has turned in to my favourite hunter and I can't actually think of the last time he reared, he is an easy going gent.  SUCCESS.

As for the other one, it has turned out his behaviour was down to lameness, he will still try to buck and piss off now occasionally but way way less than he has done before.  He is still very slightly lame, but this is improving every day but is taking huge amounts of time and patience, he will always be sharp I don't doubt that, its just his nature that he likes to keep you on your toes.  What I do know is that he is not innately a mean horse, he was simply telling his rider he was in pain and there is only so much s**t this horse will take.  So, should he have been put down? No, I don't think so, he just needed someone as stupid as me to put up with his weird quirks, take my time and enjoy a fun ride with reduced athletic expectation for now.  Maybe one day he will reach the hunting field, fingers crossed but maybe he will be a happy hacker for the rest of his days, we shall see !

The final pony, he is tricky.  It pisses off on the ground and occasionally decides not to load randomly.  He has only been in the herd for a few months but already he is improving.  I took him hunting on my own the other day and he loaded perfectly, but then other times he just doesn't fancy it - completely random.  He needs more experience of going out regularly and a slightly regimented approach to how he is handled on the ground.  BUT he is only 5, plenty of time yet  - he is always getting better and that is all I need to see, small improvements.  At the point this pony loads on command I shall be loading a video up as that's my aim, at the moment he looks at me like I am insane..........I'm in it for the long haul clearly !

With all my rehab ponies there is no quick fix, it just won't happen with any horse.  Even if you get a quick fix, chances are it will return to its prior behaviour just as fast and as soon as its given the opportunity to do so.  Rider education is also very important and time spent teaching owners would be key.  To all the professional rehab trainers out there, I have to salute you, it can be a tough and a frustrating job but so good to think of the results you can get.

Winter is always a tricky time for horse owners as the bills go up and the available light goes down, which is pretty depressing when you have a heap of horses to feed, keep fit and exercise. So, how do we do it?

The best way I find is to be super organised and have a plan for each week.  Sounds nuts but I am speaking to fellow horse mad folk right now so I assume I'm in good company.  I have a weekly plan for each horse where I can fit my riding around work / non-horsey life.

The clocks go back soon, which leaves even less light and means riding early before work and on lunch.  I am lucky that my horses are super close which makes riding at lunch do-able (10 mins drive / 10 mins tack up / 40 mins ride) and they live out so I can pooh pick pretty much whenever I have 30 mins free and my lovely yard managers feed for me in the morning or evenings depending on which end of the day I will be there - this really helps.

When I plan my week I factor in my sharer who rides on set days on one of them, then the other two who are in full work a minimum of 5 days per week each, its tricky but it can be done.  One horse is ridden in the morning before work and one is ridden at lunch 3 days in the week, I will ride and lead twice in the week also which gets two out at once for hacking.  The weekends are usually hectic with at least one day hunting/competing then the other day riding at least two. 

So, it can be done but it does mean you have no other life than your horses and your boyfriend may try to strangle you in your sleep, but other than that its happy days- for the 'horse mad' its perfect, but for those who are less keen, it looks like I have finally lost it !! 

Fox hunting with hounds in the UK is a highly debated subject which stretches across all kinds of people.  Every person I meet has a different opinion and I can never gauge what the reaction might be when I tell people I go fox hunting.  The point is, that fox hunting is not what it used to be.  We DO NOT HUNT A FOX these days, we actually hunt a few human runners.  So relax folks before you get all up in arms in excitement about fox murdering - it just isn't done these days.

To be honest with you, I did fox hunt as kid, I was brought up with it and I have seen both sides of the coin.  I have many pro hunting friends and many against.  The fact is that nower days we do not hunt a fox, but the rest is pretty much the same as it has always been.  I gallop about, jump hedges, drink from my hip flask, laugh profusely, freeze my ass off and have a generally awesome time gallavanting around the countryside.

With the hunting season just kicking off now, there are many options for the aspiring hunter.  You can go out with a drag hunt, blood hounds, fox hounds or no hounds - none of which actually hunt a fox - most of which hunt a few exceptionally keen and fast humans across the countryside - all of which is completely consensual I might add.  These are not folks that were caught stealing from the local bread market, no, some of them are training for marathons, triathlons or just trying to keep fit and they do a great job.

They lead us over ditches, up hills, through gates, over hedges and more.  They then get a quick break between lines while we all chat and quickly reach to pull our hip flasks out before galloping off once more.  If you are considering hunting and just don't know whether you and your horse could cope, take a look at my hunting guide which provides some great hunting tips and info - in a nutshell, man-up, you will love it.  I have seen a first timer go home without a huge smile across their face - do ensure you wear thermals, it gets a bit nippy :)

SORE HOOVES, LAMENESS AND HOOF NUTRITION
 
I think as a result of being at my wits end with lame horses caused by rubbish feet I have opened my tunnel vision up to examine all angles.  For me, it started with some research in the USA.  Over there, they seem to have a lot more knowledge on what to feed to improve hoof quality.  It makes sense, what you put in to your horse, you get out, including out through the hoof wall.  Feed bad quality feed and what do you think your horses body will produce in terms of skin, coat and nails?
 
So, now my little brain has put these quite obvious elements together, I needed to work out what to feed and what is within my budget and means so that I get a good strong hoof for a horse that is actually rideable.
 
Firstly, SUGAR!  It is literally in everything I feed and heaps of it.  I never realised, even my cheap fibre nuts are loaded with molasses aka sugar.  This is horrific for the hoof in many ways.  Too much sugar causes insulin resistance, which in a nutshell can lead to laminitis and also not stating the obvious, but sugar leads to overweight horses and bad hoof production.  High sugar should be avoided at all costs.  Number 1: cut down the sugar.
 
Number 2 - all our basic feeds do not contain sufficient basic minerals for good hoof growth.  The main minerals the hoof needs are zinc, salt and copper – its SIMPLE.  If you can bump these up to recommended levels, you are in with a good chance.  I explain below how to do this without giving you all the horrific maths I have had to do!  Salt is a big one, hardly any of our horses are getting enough of this and a salt block WILL NOT be enough.  You really want to shoot for at least 10 grams of table salt per 500 kilo horse, per day.  This is based on a low work load.  Each of mine are just in walk work at the moment.
 
In a nutshell, I have completely overhauled each of my horses diets.  I dumped the rubbish pony nuts and high molasses ALFA-A and came up with a new plan.  I now feed Speedi-beat which is great as its low sugar, low starch and high fibre = great for hooves. I feed about 400 grams per day (dry weight) per horse, each of my horses are about 500 kilos.
 
I then mix in flaked Micronised Lynseed, about 400 grams per day.  This contains a great basic and naturally occurring mineral mix, it contains some brilliant oils and its low sugar but brill for getting condition on if you have a skinny Minnie – or just feed less if you have a slightly rounder horse.  Now, this diet will already be helping to improve your horses feet.  If you have a slightly bigger budget, I would also add in the ‘Forage Plus’ hoof mineral mix which gives your horses hooves literally everything they need for their feet.  Its perfect.  BUT if you have a slightly lesser budget, as I do, I have opted for Stamm30 Saracen Stud balancer which contains a perfect concoction of vitamins and minerals, all of which promote healthy hoof growth.  I feed about 500 grams per day (2 cups) to meet my horses needs.  Yes it’s a stud mix, but because of that it’s boosted with some great quality hoof nutrients such as zinc and copper.
 
If you are feeding just the linseed and Speedi-beat, you are looking at a cost of about 26 pounds per month per 500 kilo horse.  If you can afford to stretch to adding in the balancer, this goes up to about 40 pounds per month total.  Don’t forget the table salt.
 
Beyond this, Methionine, Lysine and Biotin are all SUPER for growing strong hooves.  You will find this pre-mixed in to the ‘Forage Plus’ mineral mix for hooves or you can have a look online for a hoof supplement.  Your Lynseed and Speed-beat each contain some levels of Methionine and Lysine already which is great, but you might still be slightly short on the recommended daily allowance, but it’s a start!  Do some research, I use a product called Hoof Aid from Shotter and Byers Vets and this does me well.  See what you can find.
 
Add to this diet regular exercise (even if it’s a walk 5 times per week for 35mins) and a reduced grass intake (try a grass muzzle as grass is very sugar rich) and you are well on your way.  I feed mine about 2 sections of hay twice per day but they have very limited grass and it’s still warm! 
 
Apparently in 6 weeks or so I should notice some small hoof changes, keeping in mind it takes about 9 months to grow out an entire hoof! Wish me luck, and if you have any questions, drop me an email: ponypatters@outlook.com.

Diet summary: Soaked Speedi-beet, micronised linseed, salt, Saracen Stam 30 stud balancer, hoof aid supplement! GOOD LUCK !