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WEG - A 5 minute round up.

Following our 5 minute summary of the World Equestrian Games (WEG) grab 5 minutes and check out our 5 minute summary.  

So the dressage was a success with 3 silvers for Laura Bechtolsheimer, also her high scores make her the most successful british dressage rider ever.  Team GB also claimed a team silver in the dressage - the first time Britain have ever won a team dressage medal.  The Inaugral Para-Dressage competition was a British run away victory by far with 13 medals, seven of which were gold, three silver and three bronze.  Lee Pearson led the nicknamed "Magnificent Seven" with 3 gold medals making them the most succesfull GB team at a championships ever!

The Showjumping team finished up 9th 

The Eventing team banished all critics winning team gold  led by William Fox-Pitt with an individual silver.  All counting team members jumped clear showjumping with Pippa Funnell finishing 5th despite a break from top level eventing.  Mary King finished up in 6th to add yet another placing to a career spanning era's and era's of eventing.  However, German's Michael Jung won by a clear mile - in fact several light years!

Britain didn't actually send a driving team to WEG but the endurance team finished 6th despite team medal hopes being dashed by GB's leading horse, Nazeeka, failing metabolic tests at the final vet gate.  Britains reining team packed a hefty punch for a small reining nation against the reining giants of America and Canada.  Both British riders finished in the top 20 with a 10th and 15th place.  Yeha!

The British reining team somersaulted their way to 8th place in the teams competition.  Britain's first ever WEG vaulting medal was won by Joanne Eccles with her father lunging performing a' candle in the wind' routine.  

As far as the individual disciplines go, thats it.  Things were a little different with WEG being held in the USA this year but was still a success all round.  There'll always be the problem for non olympic sports getting funding to travel over seas on both sides of the Atlantic but for Britain to make such an impact across the board is a major achievement.  To top it all off Britain topped the overall medal table by miles with 9 golds, 7 silvers and 3 bronze medals putting team GB a total of 5 medals above Germany who finished 2nd overall.  

Just like WEG representing equestrianism from all corners of the globe Equishopping hopes to branch out across Europe.  We've already started with horses advertised with us from a wide variety of countries - so how about joining one of the only free global market places?

The World Equestrian Games...soo much better than the golf.

Type WEG into google and you'll be presented with some rather good news.  GB already have a medal in the dressage and as I type are one step closer to bagging some medals in the eventing.  That's not to mention the Show Jumping where things are looking up as well! Basically, it's going very well for Team GB.  Got 5 minutes spare? Well what are the World Equestrian Games? 

 

For starters they're being held at Kentucky in America this year.  Which means flying about 450 horses from Europe over the Atlantic.  No mean feat! There's also different classes.  The eventing team flew business class.  It's about 10,000 euros per horse and when the horses arrive there's a 42 hour quarantine period.  The logistics of the flights can be a little tricky as horses travel separately to riders which leaves riders somewhat preoccupied with wondering what their horse is up to a 10000 feet.....

There's 8 different competitions going on: Eventing, Dressage, Show Jumping, Reining, Driving, Para-Equestrian Dressage (first time), Endurance and Vaulting.  One controversial point is the availability of funding to non Olympic sports.... but that's an entirely different can of worms.  

I think an explanation is due for the lesser known sports.  Reining is western style riding's version of dressage.  Endurance is what it says on the can and Vaulting is literally gymnastics on horse back.  Driving consists of a series of tests much like eventing but without the jumping. You get the idea - lots of little bits added together. The actual driving is split into 3 separate competitions Driven Dressage, Marathon and Obstacle Cones Driving.  

Team GB's medal hopes? Well the dressage is already in the bag with a silver from Laura Bechtolsheimer although we didn't manage to beat Edward Gal's and Moorland Totilas' horde of 3 golds.  In reallity this means Laura won as Moorlands Totilas is verging on not being a horse, more some dressage machine that has the effect of making people cry spontaneously at the sight of him trotting down the centre line....

Team GB are well in contention for the Eventing but as always the final day will leave many people without finger nails... The Show Jumping competition is a fabulous opportunity for the British Showjumpers to render multiple critics speechless given some criticism over the past year. GB also have some strong contenders in the other disciplines to bolster our predicted medal tally.  However, placing beats on that is a dangerous business....

For anyone that wants to find out more check out the WEG website - www.alltechfeigames.com - be warned though, you'll have to put up with a frightfully annoying background voice in places....

Equishopping didn't sponsor WEG this time around but in the imminent future when we're a large multi-national company we'll have a think! However, we did sponsor Blair Castle this year which the BBC heralded as a showcase of Britain's Eventing prodigy - 2012 heeeere weeee come! Pheeew, whirl wind tour of WEG. Done.

Grooming kits - sooo much choice....

Grooming doesn't just get horses clean but it improves the bond between horse and human as well.  Although perhaps not to this extent: 

 

In all seriousness, isn't it about time you replaced your old tatty brushes?  You know, the ones that just keep going on and on but getting worse and worse at actually brushing anything....

Lets start at the top.  If you can afford it, the 'in' thing at the moment are full grooming kits.  That way you can colour coordinate everything from jackets and buckets to brushes and the lorry...

Of course we have an answer for those of you not so fortunate.  At the end of the day you can get by with just a body brush, dandy brush, hoof pick and comb - just don't let the BHS hear me say that... At the moment the secret weapon is a hose pipe with a spray gun.  Just make sure you've got all the sponges, sweat scrapers and hoof brushes you need. However, bear in mind that you've fairly likely to get the middle hoof if you use a hose pipe in December!!

While we're on the topic of winter which is literally about to batter summer out of existence its important to remember that conditions such as mud fever thrive in wet and muddy conditions.  It's worth investing in a good set of new brushes with some ping in the bristles as they'll make it far easier to get all that mud off - BANG and the dirt is gone....

A few things worth noting.  1. The bentley slip-not range really do work and stop grooming brushes acting like bars of soap. 2. You get what you pay for.  More expensive brushes are not only better ergonomically but the bristles will last longer and keep that fresh feel well into next season.  3. Get a big sturdy box for all your grooming kit.  That way the dog wont run off with it and you'll have an extra mounting block.  4. Rubber massage mits are a great way of removing loose hair and giving your horse a massage at the same time.  

When it comes to tails and manes its usually the case at this time of year that they need a bit of a tidy up.  That's fine if your horse doesn't mind having his mane pulled but if he does you're in for a battle.  Fear not! if you're a lucky one check out our range of mane combs, scissors and plaiting bands.  If you're not so lucky then we've got a few products up our sleeve to help you out.  So check out our range of mane pulling/thinning devices.  It might just save your life! 

If you're up for the challenge have a look through equishopping's entire range of grooming kit and see what the wackiest thing you can find is! My personal favorite and tip for the top is the vacuum groomer.  If you're lucky we might have a few competitions coming up to win some rather snazzy prizes (check out our last winner here) but the only way to find out about them is to subscribe! Or follow us on Facebook...

We'll look at clippers in a while but the next stop for our blog is a look at the World Equestrian Games which includes one of the largest flights of horses on record!!

Saddle fit and performance - a rider's point a view.

I won't pretend for a minute to be a saddler but what I do know is what I like.  Being 6' 2" I know from experience there's a difference between what some saddlers say fits and what doesn't.  "That fits nicely", "Actually I'd rather ride bareback than ride in that..." That said some saddlers are top knotch and even better there's the odd few that have ridden round 4*'s...

First point, if you've got long legs you're going to have trouble finding saddles that fit you.  Firstly, if you've a long hip to knee leg length then you end up having to have a very forward cut saddle to accommodate your leg with short stirrups.  If you've got a long knee to ankle length it's easier but that's not so common... The most forward cut saddles are XC saddles or event saddles.  The name suggests they're designed to go XC in but a lot of people SJ in them as well.  It's worth noting that I'm assuming people are riding in separate saddles for dressage and jumping.  

The next bit is down to personal preference.  Blocks and thigh supports.  There's a million different combinations out there.  One good feature of quite a few synthetic saddles is that you can adjust the position of the blocks (they're attached by velcro).  The degree of forward cutness varies hugely from saddle to saddle so you have to try them.  However, with adjustable blocks you need to have a second flap over the top to cover the velcro so you can't have a single flap saddle with this design.  There's a few different designs of block.  

Banana rolls are the long rolls that go down the front of the saddle around the front of the knee.  These are very obvious on the Wexford jumping saddle.  

On most single flap saddles you get thigh rolls.  The idea of these is not so they trap your thigh.  They shouldn't rest against your thigh when you sit in the saddle.  They are only supposed to come into action if you shift forward against them or if you lean against them when galloping.  The Bates momentum is a prime example of these.  That said, thigh rolls do come in varying sizes.  Smaller ones like on the momentum or larger ones on saddles like Antares or Devecoux but these tend to be custom made - at a price....

You also get calf blocks.  These are positioned on the back of the flap ie behind the calf.  I find that if these are under the flap of a double flap saddle the shape is to gentle and the block actually pushes your calf away from the saddle instead of 'blocking' it in.  When you have calf blocks on a single flap saddle they very much act as a barrier and you know when your leg hits them.  These are very clear on the Vinici jumping saddle.  

Now for the single vs double flap debate.... Having ridden in both types of saddle I prefer single flap saddles but unfortunately they tend to be more expensive so what I want isn't the deciding factor... The blocks on a single flap saddle are stuck on the outside so are far more defined and give  more feel.  The degree of 'feel' through a single flap is far greater and you do sit closer to the horse.  However, some people do prefer double flap saddles for backing youngsters for example.  With a double flap young horses feel less movement from the rider - OMG! There's someone on my back!!! PANIC!!! Plus, attaching things like side reins to a single flap saddle isn't the easiest thing in the world.  Top tip.  Single flap saddles also use short girths so that the buckles aren't under the riders leg - chances are you'll buy a single flap saddle and forget this (I did!).  

Now for another misconception.  Close contact saddles.  Close contact saddles use foam instead of flocking in the panels so can't be adjusted.  This also means the don't need re-flocking and you adjust the fit with saddle pads.  The set up at the pommel is also slightly different so that you are sat closer to the horse.  It makes a difference, if you get the chance, sit in a non close contact saddle then sit in a close contact one and you'll see.  The misconception is that all single flap saddles are close contact and double flap saddles aren't.  This isn't true.  However, the idea stems from modern commercial trends.  You can get single flap saddles that aren't close contact and double flap saddles which are close contact but they are quite rare... 

The next bit is fairly controversial and a huge number of people have very strong opinions on the matter.  Go to the local point to point and look at the length of jockey's stirrups.  Chances are the well behaved and careful horses will be ridden with longer stirrup leathers and the careless, easily tiring or difficult ones will be ridden with very short leathers.  The reasoning behind this is that should the difficult horse get itself in a tangle the short stirrups mean the jockey gets shot straight out the door but more importantly he is flung miles away from the drama.  The longer your stirrups the more secure you are, give or take a bit, look at dressage riders... Now think of eventing. We don't ride in flat racing saddles but with comparitvely short stirrups and large blocks on our saddles to STOP us falling off.  When event horses fall you're not going to get thrown as far away... The thinking is that excessively large blocks make this situation even worse.  So supposedly saddles that are a more SJ style with flatter knee rolls such as the John Whittaker saddle range will mean you fall off more easily in the event of a horse fall therefore being safer.  But, bear in mind that's just an opinion...

The best solution?  Find a saddler that knows their game.  That way we're all happy and safe.  I haven't said anything about dressage saddles.... patience, I'll have to do a part 2.  To be continued....

BBC News - Machine in Newmarket helps jockeys fall safely

Now this is seriously cool!

"A racing school in Suffolk has been using a machine to teach jockeys to fall safely.  Experts said the exercise builds jockeys' muscle memory to avoid injuries when falling from horses.  The British Racing School in Newmarket has been given the fall simulator to use on up and coming jockeys.  Champion jockey John Francome, who was visiting the school, said it would "save lives and prevent no end of injuries".  The Injured Jockeys Fund purchased the machine with the help of the charity Alborada Trust.  "In my view, everyone who rides should go on this machine," Mr Francome said.  "The great thing is that it teaches riders to be proactive and do something when they come off as opposed to just waiting to hit the ground.  You don't become a sky diver without any training on how to land.  But nobody ever teaches you what to do when you fall off a horse, and if you can't manoeuvre yourself to fall off properly, you are a risk and should not be riding.  The jockeys learn to tuck their shoulders in and keep rolling to get away from the horse."" (BBC, 2010)

Check out the video here.  

Of course you can also help protect yourself in the event of a fall by wearing a correctly fitted and appropriate body protector.  Want some advice on body protectors?  Well check out our earlier article covering body protectors.  

Competition wear - what, when and how?

Chances are you've already got show kit but having just had to buy a new stock I realised how wide the equishopping range of competition wear is.

Thinking along credit crunch lines check out this jacket with 30% off.  For eventing, dressage and showjumping black and blue jackets are fine.  Tweed jackets are also fine although if you're hunting tweed is the norm.  The only exception is that at intermediate eventing and above you need a black or navy jacket.

The tails problem! It's actually only compulsory to wear top hat and tails at ** or above eventing.  That said, most people tend to wear them at * as well.  Despite BE discouraging this practice - whatever people tell you about not having to chances are you'll fit in more wearing one... Top tip for top hats.  Unless you're willing to shell out for a custom made Patey chances are your top hat won't fit perfectly.  Fear not! All you need to do is get a bit of foam tape used for fitting hats around the head band and it'll fit like glue. Sorted.

Helmet wise, eventers tend to wear 'skull' helmets with a coloured silk XC and swap to a black silk for the SJ.  Although quite a few have separate helmets specifically for showjumping which can of course be worn for the dressage as well- yes please!

As well as that if you're eventing at novice or above you can wear a 'beagler' for your dressage test.  It's worth noting that these aren't actually protective but some say they look more elegant....

Wow, that's just the hats and jackets! The choice is yours and mostly comes down to preference....

Before we move on though, check out Equishopping's range of hat covers and silks - there's some pretty funky ones!

Breeches wise it's cream, white or beige for nearly everything.  My only thing here would be getting white breeches clean - horses have that annoying habit of slobbering down the only clean clothes you have...

Finally we're down to the boots.  Seniors (above 17) are actually supposed to wear full length boots.  However, given the price if you couldn't run to a pair then boots and gaiters can look pretty good - will people really notice?... The advantages of a proper pair of long riding boots are fairly big though, they give a lot more support to the leg and will really help you get a more secure leg position which can only make you safer... worth thinking about.

Doh! I've missed two things out.  Underwear and shirts/tops.  White or cream is the usual for shirts.  I'm pretty sure there's no rules governing what pants you can wear so go for it.  Although, specific underwear for riding is more comfy!

What are the levels of eventing?

You might take it for granted that everyone understands eventing and the various levels but not everyone does.  Trying to explain it to people isn't the easiest the things either.  If you weren't brought up learning to read from eventing schedules instead of 'chip and the magic key' don't worry, just keep reading...

All eventing run by British Eventing or the FEI is called affiliated eventing if it's not run by either of them it's called unaffiliated eventing.  The lowest level you can start affiliated eventing at is BE80 which as the name suggests has jumps at about 80cm high and a very simple dressage test.  You also get alot of help in these classes as they're designed to introduce people to eventing.

The next step up is BE90 (previously intro) and after that BE100 (previously Pre - Novice) with jumps at 90cm and 1m respectively.  At this point you also get BE100plus which has novice (the next level up) dressage and showjumping (although a bit easier) then a BE100 XC track.  BE100plus is the highest level a rider can ride at for the first time at BE events although this only applies to the rider so once you've done one you're sorted.  That is as long as you're over 17 as if you're younger you get your own special set of qualification restrictions but thats a whole other article....

After the BE100 comes novice with jumps around 1.15m and you start to get things like medium trot in the dressage tests.  Moving on from there you get intermediate which has showjumping fences at around 1.25m and bits and pieces like shoulder in in your dressage tests.  The XC at intermediate also becomes somewhat meatier and more technical.

The highest national level is advanced with fences at around 1.30m and flying changes in your dressage tests for example.

But thats not it.  International competitions have their own set of levels denoted by stars and letters.  * is an international novice, ** an international intermediate, *** an international advanced and above that **** ie Badminton, Burghley and Pau for example.

There are also 2 types of international competition.  A one day international (which normally has day before dressage so lasts 2 days - typical) is a CIC.  Whereas an international 3 day event is a CCI.  So an international intermediate 3 day event would be a CCI** and a one day international advanced would be a CIC***.

While we're on funny letters, if you ever look in the FEI rule book or on eventing ireland you'll see something like this "CNC* or CNC**" all it means is that it's a national class.  So a CNC** is just an intermediate and a CNC*** is just an advanced class.

There you go, looks simple now.  Trouble is it takes a while to get up to the higher grades... If you're reading this chances are you weren't brought up on eventing and want to get cracking.  I sympathies and if you want to follow my attempts to turn professional and move up the grades check out my website - www.olilawrence.co.uk As well as that check out one of the best guides on eventing by the Pony Club.

Haynets, grass, hay, haylage, sillage, sun.... come again?

It's that time of year again - harvest time... Although for the horse world the hay was cut a while back.  There's been talk all summer of a hay shortage so it's perhaps more important than ever to think about the choices between different forage.  Before we start worrying about hay and other options we all need some new haynets! Chances are this far into the season hay nets are looking pretty shabby so go and check out equishopping's huge (actually mahusive) range of haynets.  There's also some pretty clever haynets about such as those specifically designed with small holes to slow down horses eating - we all know the type, the ones who eat hay like its milkshake... Hay bags are also becoming popular as they reduce wastage and entertain horses a bit more.

Fo those of you, me very much included, who find filling haynets a total pain how about trying a haynet filler?

Or you could just skip the haynet filling all together and use a Hay Bar.  The other plus side is that the horses stretch their top line, eat in a more natural position and waste less hay .

So where does hay come from?  Hay, haylage and silage start out as very long grass.  The quality of the end product depends on the type of grass hence why hay prices vary so much.  The grass is then cut and left to dry in the sun.  This is where the products split up.  Silage is only left to dry for a short period, one or two days perhaps and then baled.  However, it's very unusual to feed Silage to horses as you risk things like botulism - cows on the other hand can cope.

Haylage is inbetween hay and silage.  It's left to dry for longer than silage but isn't totally dry like hay.  This means you get the best energy to weight ratio.  Hay is left untill it's totally dry.  Hence why you might see the occasional farmer jumping up and down angrily when it starts to rain....

With regards to feeding horses, haylage has more energy in it but is more expensive although you feed less of it than hay.  Haylage is also available from recognised feed manufacturers who use specific grass mixs to achieve quotable nutritional values.  The same cannot be said for hay so its a good plan to get a nutritional analysis done on your hay - most major feed companies will do this for you.

One final thing.  If the predicted hay shortage does happen then the prices are only going to go up - think £5 a bale (bad news) so stacking a barn full (or the garden shed) wouldn't be a bad plan...

Body protectors, shoulder protection, Point Two and exo cages - a controversial subject!

Anyone eventing at the moment will undoubtably have heard of Point Two air jackets or perhaps an exo bodycage.  So lets have a look at the general stance on these but first lets start with normal body protectors.

There's a huge range of body protectors avaliable but all of them are constructed from 'impact foam'.  The general advice at the moment is to replace body protectors every 3 years as the foam losses it's shock absorbent properties (yup, that's me overdue..).  That said, there are models that don't need replacing such as the Kan.

The vast majority have a zip up the front and thankfully the days of leg straps are virtually gone.  The distinguishing factors tend to be in the foam.  All body protectors for eventing have to satisfy the BETA level 3 criteria so the protection will be of a uniform minimum.  However, more expensive brands use more flexible foam or 'moulding foam' that greatly increase comfort.  Plus, some of the more expensive brands have put huge amounts of research into improving performance without producing a bulky monster of a body protector. The other way of improving flexibility is to use small squares such as Racesafe's (british junior team sponsor) RS 2000.  Apart from that, it's a matter of personal preference so check out the whole of equishopping range of body protectors.

Before we move on to the likes of point2's there is one addition to a standard body protector that will make the world of difference if you hit the deck - the hardest thing about learning to ride (and we're all learning) - is the ground....

Shoulder pads. Imagine how a lot of falls happen - being thrown forwards and landing on the shoulder region.  Wearing shoulder pads significantly reduces the risk of a broken collar bone if you land in this way.  What's more you'll barely notice you're wearing them.

Now for the latest phenomenon to hit the eventing world.  Point Two air jackets.  The jacket is just like a waistcoat but with a lanyard attached to the saddle.  When you fall the lanyard breaks and inflates the jacket in 0.1 seconds which then provides protection to all major thoracic upper dominal organs and the collar area of the neck.  Studies have shown that these are the most likely body parts to be hurt so you can't go far wrong.  Studies also showed that they wouldn't worsen a fall so any previous claims of this have a challenge now.

However, the Point Two does have to be worn over a conventional body protector as it won't inflate until you're well out of the saddle.  This means that if the horse where to fall with you or say, ran into a tree the jacket wouldn't be activated.  Of course there's also the claims against it as with all new products.  Some argue that the force required to break the lanyard means the trajectory of your fall is altered meaning you land closer to your horse (the danger zone) although this is purely people's idea.  I don't think anyone's sat down with formulas and calculator to work that critique out.  Critics also say the sound when the CO₂ canister inflates the jacket would terrify a horse.  Having seen several canisters go off (including accidental ones when people didn't unclip before getting off!) I haven't seen any horses bothered by it although all horses are different...

Forum's usually have a lot to say about Point Twos and the Horse and Hound forum is no exception.  It raised concerns that if under normal circumstances you could have rescued yourself when thrown out of balance a long way that a Point Two would have activated by this point causing you to fall - mixed thoughts. How many times do you manage to pull yourself back if you've been thrown that far off. Considering the length of the lanyard is really quite long it would be a very impressive recovery.

On a more supportive note by all accounts Point Two gave out a small number of jackets for free to top professionals when they launched to get the jacket seen in action.  Now if you go to any BE event a huge proportion of competitors are wearing them - the uptake has been very encouraging and includes a large percentage of professionals who weren't given them for free.

The last but by no means least, is the Woof Wear exo cage.  It is what it says on the packet - a body protector with an aluminium exo skeleton inside.  However, they never really took off despite being researched heavily.  Few riders took them up and current rumors suggest that they have been taken out of production.  They have different aims to a point two: an air jacket won't protect against crushing injuries whereas an actual metal frame work will.  On the other hand a metal frame work provides far less protection from the bog standard bruising. Before you ask, no you can't wear both together.  People have attempted it but it doesn't quite work out as the cage moves the jacket too far away from the body.

So that's it.  There's such a wide choice of body protection available and thanks to BETA's standards we know that it all meets an appropriate standard.  Recent developments also mean we're safer than ever but at the end of the day if it's comfy you'll wear it so look in the place where's there a huge choice - equishopping!

Apparently you can only lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink - the times are a changing!

We all know that well known saying but is it still true?

In the second article in this series on battling the heat we look at equine hydration.

The easiest way to prevent dehydration is to keep horses drinking at every opportunity.  Horses will usually drink more than they need but under stress not all of them will.  Just a 5% drop in water levels will result in decreased performance.  Studies have shown that the best horses from Pre-Novice to **** and from dressage to eventing are those that drink enough.  Dehydrated horses just can't perform.  

So what can we do to help? Equine America think they have the answer: Drink More - Equine America 

'Drink More' does exactly what it says on the packet - give it a go! It might just be that winning edge...

In our next article we'll be looking at electrolytes and what they actually are....