Schooling - Best Laid Plans!

So far January is not going according to plan!  Chesney's foot abscess means that I haven't been able to ride Basil for a couple of weeks now.  Ches is finally getting better so I thought I would have a look at some ideas for our schooling sessions!

My January aims for Basil are:

1. Calmness 
2. Rhythm 
3. Suppleness 
4. Consistency of bend on left rein 
5. Halt for more than 2 seconds! 
6. Encouraging contact
7. All transitions
8. Circles, serpentines and changes of rein.

I need to get in mind to practise our halts.  I am not very good at this as I tend to just keep on going around with other things.  I don't only stay on the track though, and try to include lots of 20 metre circles and serpentines.  Over Christmas we were doing lots of smaller 15 or 10 metre circles in walk in the corners to try to improve our suppleness and bend.  I find these really useful.  Our balance is a continual problem as trying to do the smaller circles in trot is not easy - we just tend to be trotting too fast :(  

I want to continue this year with trying out some new exercises and things to try and keep our interest while we are working on these.  The one exercise we did not manage to get right last year had lots of trot walk transitions - so this is something I really want to get this year.  This won't be achieved in January alone though. 

So I think we will start with walking the short sides and trotting the long sides, then swap that around. 

Something else which I would like to try in the few months  are just cantering half circles.  These will be quite a challenge and will take a while for us to get right.  It will take most of the second half of the circle to come back to walk!  As soon as we introduce the first canter in a session Basil assumes we are going to canter again in every corner so I have to constantly do things a bit differently!  Obviously, we won't be able to do much of this initially as he is not very fit.

The other new exercises we had just started doing when I had to stop riding because of Basil's tooth were these:

So we will try these again too.  This last one will be good for practising our corners as it is so easy to just fall around!  I will start doing it all in walk and then trot the bigger circle/square and walk the smaller one.

I also had a new book for Christmas which I am hoping to start working through soon.

I am hoping that I might be able to do some of the exercises in this book with Tommy from the ground too :)

Have you seen yesterday's video 'Snow Play!' on my You Tube channel.  
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Riding Hats and the New Standards

One of the things I have never contemplated riding without is a hard hat.  I had a new one about 18 months ago (see my blog) and wearing them has always made me feel safer.  I wore a riding hat from the first time I learnt to ride and although I still see some adults out on the road without one I would NEVER do this.  In the UK it is law that riders under the age of 14 wear a riding hat when on the public highway.  When they announced, a few months after I had bought my new hat, that one of the standards was to no longer be accepted, I was a bit worried.  

Basically, from now, the EN1384 or BS EN 1384 is not an accepted standard.  So if your hat only shows this standard it does not comply.  However, many hats have this and the PAS015 1998 or PAS015 2011 and these are still fine.

This one is fine.

Riding hats have to meet various safety standards and these all require certain protective elements, the understanding and opinion on various elements does alter every few years!  Hats and skull caps must have an integral adjustable nylon harness and bear the CE mark.  Different standards will mean the hat has passed different tests; eg: crush tests, penetration tests, landing on an edged surface, replicating  a kick from a horse etcetera.  You can find out more by visiting the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) website.

Obviously, if you have a hat which is marked only with (BS) EN 1384 and no other standard it is still going to offer the same protection as it always has.  Although, the recommendation is to change your hat every 5 years!  So, you are still better to wear one and if you do not compete there is no huge rush to replace it - although riding schools and/or freelance instructors may insist your hat meets the current accepted standards before a lesson.  In addition some livery yards require hats to current standards to be worn at all times when riding on the premises.

If you compete you will need a hat which is up to the currently accepted standards - ie: not just BS EN1384.  This is true for Riding Club shows, Pony Club, British Eventing, British Showjumping etc so make sure you check before arriving to compete!

Also, if you have personal accident insurance which covers you when riding it will probably only be applicable if you take all reasonable precautions.  This is likely to mean wearing a hat which is up to current standards!

Make sure your hat has one of the following

• VG1 (with or without Kitemark or IC mark) 
• PAS: 1998 (with or without Kitemark or IC mark) 
• PAS: 2011 (with or without Kitemark or IC mark) 
• ASTM F1163:2004a (with SEI mark) - an American standard 
• Snell E2001 - an American standard 
• AS/NZS 3838:2006 (with SAI global mark) - an Australasian standard

This is my new hat - and it complies with several of these standards.

Did you see last week's vlog on my You Tube channel.   Horse Life and Love
Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

All About ... Anaemia.

What is Anaemia.

Anaemia means the horse has a low level of haemoglobin in the blood.  This is the pigment which carries the oxygen to the tissues around the body.  This may be because there is a decrease in the number Red Blood Cells (RBC’s) in the blood (see my Circulatory System blog)  or a low level of haemoglobin, or both.  As a result of this it is likely that there will not be enough oxygen getting to key areas of the horse.  

Signs

These can vary slightly depending on the cause of the anaemia.

• Pale gums, mucous membranes and the inside of the eyelids 
• Weakness 
• Dull coat 
• Weight loss 
• Poor appetite 
• Poor performance 
• Reduced stamina 
• Restlessness 
• Increased heart rate 
• Fever 
• Urine may be a darker colour if red blood cells are being destroyed.

Causes

Anaemia has a number of different causes and these causes can affect the signs too. 

• It may be due to an infection or illness eg: Equine Infectious Anaemia. 
• Anaemia can be caused by bleeding  from a wound but it may also be internal bleeding following a serious fall or accident.  This will of course mean there is a severe loss of blood. 
• It can be caused by an excessive worm burden (see my blog about worms). 
• Nutritional deficiency is another cause of anaemia but your vet will be best placed to advise on this following the blood test. 
• Stress can also cause anaemia.  Sometimes seen in horses that are in hard training and performing regularly at a high level. This is because the continual hard work can lead to stress which can affect the production of RBC’s.

One type of worms.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing anaemia is done with a blood test by a vet.  Equine Infections Anaemia is a notifiable disease!

This is a copy of Chesney's blood test from last winter - see his low RBC count!

Treatment

Appropriate treatment will be dependent on the cause of the anaemia.

• If the cause is external bleeding then the wound should be treated immediately (see my blog). 
• If the cause is an infection or illness then again a vet will need to treat this. 
• If worms are causing the anaemia then the vet will advise a worming schedule to tackle the issue – this may include egg counts. 
• Anaemia resulting from a nutritional deficiency will mean giving the horse a dietary supplement initially, followed by a further blood test to check for improvements.  The diet will need to be assessed to identify the reasons for the deficiency so the anaemia can be prevented in the future.  
• Stress caused anaemia will again need a vet’s input. However, horses in hard work are likely to need a well balanced supplement to support them .

Prevention

Anaemia from blood loss is obviously difficult to prevent, no easier than preventing your horse from injuring himself!  However, ensuring your horse has a well balanced diet appropriate to his work load and with a well balanced supplement if necessary will help reduce the likelihood of anaemia. A consistent egg count and worming programme should prevent an excessive worm burden causing anaemia.  Equine Infectious Anaemia is spread by large horse flies so having good Yard Hygiene and adhering to your yard's biosecurity measures eg: isolation boxes etcetera are important. 

Anaemia is unusual in horses and you should never diagnose yourself without a blood test.  Your vet will be able to help you identify the cause and therefore the treatment and future prevention!

Have you seen Wednesday's vlog 'It's January!' on new You Tube channel?   
Horse Life and Love.  Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo

Rain :(

I think these photos just about sum up the last few weeks! 

 

 

 

 

But Tommy just covered himself in shavings. 

 

Did you see yesterday's vlog 'It's January!' on my new You Tube channel.   Horse Life and Love

Please check it out and SUBSCRIBE.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for updates on Chesney, Basil, Tommy and Daisy.

Until next time!

Jo