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PONY PATTERS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

A HORSEY BLOG

REDUCING INJURIES IN RACEHORSES

25/11/2016

2 Comments

 
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?



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2 Comments

WINTER RIDING ETC.

28/10/2016

0 Comments

 
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 !! 

0 Comments

A FEW UPCOMING DATES FOR SURREY XC CLINICS, RIDING CAMPS, SPONSORED RIDES, ODE ETC..........

10/6/2016

1 Comment

 
As my last visit to a one day event at Munstead with my new horse was a little dodgy ;), I thought it would be more sensible to get some training under my belt first.  I would like to think the point of Munstead was really to test my horses reaction to a show, and he was very mellow.  Now we just need to ensure we get around the XC course.  And, with that in mind, a few events for June and July 2016:

1) Gasstons Livery Yard, XC Clinic with event rider Tracy Brown, 11 June - http://www.gasstonstables.co.uk/events;
2) Bookham Riding Club Camp (Dressgae, XC and SJ) - 17th June to 19th June;
3) Pachesham One Day Event, 25 June (super low key and good for beginners);
4) Gasston XC and SJ Combined Clinic, 2 July;
5) A beach trip :) According to Chichester County Council we can ride on the beach any time between Pagham Harbour and Shore Road in East Wittering; if you wish to go elsewhere like Camber Sands, there are restrictions after 8:30am and before 7pm;
6) Gasstons Dressage Clinic with Stephen Hayes, 9 July;
7) Pachesham One Day Event, 23 July, or possibly Gasston's Hunter Trials same day;
8) Stratfield Saye Sponsored Ride, Berkshire, Sunday 31st July;
9) Littleton Manor, Reigate 2 day camp, SJ, XC, Dressage Clinics, 6th and 7th August;
10) Borde Hill Unaffiliated Horse Trials (70cm and up), 13th August - entries open 1st July - http://www.bdwp.co.uk/bh2/index.html & schedule here;
11) Highclere Sponsored Ride, Berkshire, Sunday 21st August;
12) Tweseldown Eventer Challenge, Saturday 27 August;

And that's me planned until end August, then hunting starts, woohoo !!!!


1 Comment

XC CLINIC WITH LUCY GASSTON, HEADLEY SURREY

23/5/2016

0 Comments

 
I must divert briefly from horses.........I had an awesome weekend this weekend as I spent some time on my work's latest ship launch for 'Harmony of the Seas', what an amazing experience.  Yes I missed PonyPatting all weekend, but I have to say, I did enjoy cruising, only Friday until Sunday, but still, what an experience.  The ship has more fun stuff on-board than Oxford Circus and the cocktails are yummy and strong (it was my birthday :) - they had ice skating, bumper cars, rock climbing, water slides, casino, bars, night club, diving show, Grease show and loads more, OMG, I am a cruise convert ha ha.

Anyhow, getting back to the horses, the other weekend I took my favorite rearer off to an XC clinic at Gasstons Yard in Headley.  I don't know if I can actually call this horse a rearer any more as he seems to have lost the rear in his rear.  He was an angel and jumped like a super star. I thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, was able to make it over all of the fences we were pointed at including a massive massive table that made me want to cry a little as it went through an arch that I didn't think me and my 16.3hh warmblood would even make it through, but we did, awesome happy times.

We even jumped a ditch without issue.  The thing about having great teacher like Lucy, is that when she tells you jump a jump, you just do it, its as if there is no other option, you just simply have to jump the jump, and oh my god can this horse jump.  I even made it over a few Novice fences which was pretty darn fun I have to say. 

So, the upshot has to be, I never thought I would enjoy riding a warmblood as much as I do.  Yes he is a lot of work to get going on the flat, you really have to gee him up, but when it moves, oh my god.  And this horse has definitely had some education at some point, and well, when it jumps its gorgeous.  The last thing on my list has to be neater SJ, at the mo we always have one pole, but I think with more flat work and getting a more compact canter, we will get there.  Thank you to Lucy Gasston (XC and SJ help) and to Madeleine Herridge for some brilliant flat lessons, you have definitely got me going with a horse that had a decidedly dodgy future ahead, now has a very pleasant looking one !!
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    A crazed horsey person from head to toe, writing something that I hope will help other horsey folk.

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