The Cleveland Bay

This breed originates from an area in Yorkshire called Cleveland.  It is always Bay in colour and has no white except perhaps a white star.  They are more often seen hunting nowadays as their stamina and  strong leg action allows them to move quickly in heavy ground.

The Cleveland Bay is the oldest established horse breed in England.  These are strong horses and were used extensively in agriculture and as pack horses since medieval times.  When coaches began to appear they were also used to pull these.  They were then crossed with Andalusian, Barb, Arab and Thoroughbred horses to produce the breed we know now.  This cross breeding meant that the Cleveland Bay was more suited as carriage horses as they were faster and more elegant.  This lighter frame also makes the breed better suited as riding horses.  

However, as the railways developed horses generally were needed less and therefore were less popular, the breed declined. In 1883 the Cleveland Bay Society was formed in Great Britain and the first stud book was established the following year.  As the breed became popular abroad many horses were exported around the world and were used for ‘fun’ to pull carriages. 

During World War I the Cleveland Bay horses were used to pull artillery (larger breed types) and also as riding horses (smaller).  Many horses were killed and the numbers fell again.  Numbers continued to fall before and after World War II and in 1962 there were only 4 purebred stallions in the UK.  Queen Elizabeth II bought a stallion to prevent his export to the US – Mulgrave Supreme. 

 Mulgrave Supreme

Interest in the breed then increased through the 1970’s for Cleveland Bay’s as riding horses.  The breed has been used to create and improve several other breeds.  Unfortunately, the breed is still considered critical.

Characteristics

Height: 16 hh – 16.2 hh

Colour: Bay

Conformation:  Bold head which is slightly convex. The neck is long but well muscled and the withers are again well muscled but less defined.  The breed has a broad chest and sloping shoulders, a deep girth and long back. The quarters are strong but the legs short with good strong bone.  There is little feather on the lower legs which was advantageous when the horses were working in the fields. 

Temperament:  Intelligent and well mannered.

The pure and part bred Cleveland Bay horses can turn themselves to almost anything.  Show-jumping, dressage, eventing, hunting, driving and some light draught work.  They are great all round riding horses.

 

Cleveland Bay Society: http://www.clevelandbay.com/

Did you see last week's video?  Have a look at my 'Tommy' video 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 - African Horse Sickness

What is African Horse Sickness?

So far there has never been an outbreak of this disease in Great Britain.  It cannot be directly spread between horses but it is carried  by midges!  It is a notifiable disease and is highly infectious and deadly.  It affects horses, mules, donkeys and zebra and is generally seen (as the name suggests) in Africa.  

The disease has been seen in the Middle East and India but more recently in Spain and Portugal. There has been increased concern that the midges are moving northwards due to the appearance of Bluetongue (affecting sheep) in Great Britain in  2007 which is also carried by midges!  Continuing climate change could mean this disease could be seen in Great Britain.  There are 3 forms of the virus; the acute lung form, the cardiac or heart form and a mix of both. 

Signs

These may include:

• Swelling of the eyelids, face, neck or  head (heart form) 
• Unable to swallow (heart form) 
• Redness around the conjunctiva of the eyes (lung form) 
• Discharge and frothing from the nostrils (lung form) 
• Raised temperature (lung and heart forms) 
• Difficulty breathing and dilated nostrils (lung and heart forms to differing extent) 
• Sweating (lung form) 
• Heave lines because of breathing difficulties (lung form) 
• Coughing 
• Depression 
• Colic (heart form) 
• Bleeding from membranes of eyes and mouth in latter stages (heart form)

Horses with the mixed form of the virus will show mild respiratory signs and the swellings seen in the heart form.  90% of infected horses with the lung (acute) form will usually die within 24 hours, 50 – 70% of mules will die but only 10% of donkeys.  The heart form has a lower death rate of 50%, the mixed form 70%.

Causes

African Horse Sickness is caused by a virus which is carried by midges – Culicoides imicola.  These midges (similar to those which cause sweet itch) like warm and humid conditions so cold and long winters will usually halt any spread.  The female midge bites a horse and transfers the virus.  Although, the virus cannot be spread directly from horse to horse the midge could bite more than one horse or if it bites an infected horse and then bites another it will transfer the virus. 

Diagnosis

Call the vet.  The signs noted above usually assist the initial diagnosis.  Several tests can be used once a horse has died to confirm the diagnosis.  Unfortunately the immune response is not usually quick enough for the animal to recover.

Treatment

There is no treatment available at the moment.

Prevention

Good biosecurity procedures, for example quarantine measures, hygiene and cleanliness are vital – I wrote a blog about this.  There is a vaccine available for use in Africa but this is not licensed for use in Europe as a whole or Great Britain.  This is because it is a live vaccine and therefore has the chance of causing an outbreak!  Research is ongoing with a dead virus.

 

Obviously, if an outbreak were to occur the same measures which can be used to prevent midges biting and causing sweet itch may reduce the chance of your horse becoming infected.

This disease is horrible and luckily is not seen in this country, hopefully a good vaccine will have been developed before the midges ever get near us! 

Have you seen Wednesday's 'Tommy' video 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

January Review

I am feeling really frustrated at the moment.  Finally Chesney's foot was better and I could ride again and then Basil half pulls his shoe and stands on one of the nails:(  I have been back to poulticing every day again and the horses are again staying on the yard.  We really made steps forward over Christmas and I thought it was a really good, positive start after his tooth - oh well, you never  know what is going to happen next with horses!

My January aims for Basil were:

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.

The first week or so of January were a bit stressful for Tommy.  He was out on his own because of Chesney's foot and there was lots of hedge clearing and fencing going on in the next field.  The workmen had hi-vis jackets on and they made quite a lot of noise which seemed to upset him.  He spent quite a lot of time running around in the field and then watching them.  He was also difficult to get in.  He usually follows the others in but obviously they weren't out and I have still only been able to catch him a couple of times since he has been with us.  Plenty of polo's convinced him to follow me in for the first few days and then he came on his own:)

Since they have finished working in the next field I really feel like we have made big steps.  As he has been out in the field on his own I have been able to practice getting right up to him.  He doesn't trot or walk off when I get near now (which he was doing).  He lets me get up close to give him a treat and then I can pat him too.  He will actually come up to me now.  This is a great step forward to being able to catch him.  So I have high hopes for the spring when he will be in his own section of the field - for diet purposes!

This is what January looked like:

1st - Schooled today about 30 minutes. Walk, trot and a little canter.  We worked on serpentines in walk and trot and some leg yield in walk too.  20 metre circles in walk and trot and some 10 metre circles in walk.  Basil started off being a bit lazy today which is unusual, but he was very good.

2nd - Chesney is a bit lame today so did not ride Basil.  Not sure if it is his arthritis that is worse, maybe because I have ridden more he has been trotting up and down in the mud more? 

3rd - Chesney not better today.  If anything worse, so didn't ride again.

5th - Chesney no better after a few days of not riding, worse again so called vet.  After poking around for a while found an abscess in his off-hind foot.  I think it probably is because he runs up and down when I first get Basil in to ride.  We put some new stone down in the gateway in the summer and he was fine but I suppose because it has been so wet his soles are soft and more easily damaged.  Poulticing.

8th - Called vet out again as Chesney, although he was better on Wednesday, is worse again today.  The abscess seems to be trying to escape out of his heel, so he is now having an even bigger poultice which mustn't be too tight around his heel. 

16th - Chesney and Basil have been staying in on the yard for the past week or so.  They have had lots of hay and plenty of water.  Being on the yard has allowed them to potter about which is good for Basil's sanity and for Chesney's arthritis.  The field is so muddy and Chesney has been really quite lame I decided this was the best course of action. Tommy has still been going out, if he was on the yard too he would be bullied and I didn't want to leave him in his stable.  He has had some hay in the field right up by the stables but mostly he has chosen to go off and graze.

17th - Chesney is sound now so I decided to put them out for a while today in the little bit of field behind the stables and in the arena.  I have not poulticed his foot today but put a pad on it and plastic bag to try to keep it clean.  It has snowed a little overnight.  Have a look at my video to see what they thought of it!  Chesney totally destroyed the plastic bag and tape today though because they were having such fun.  I had to clean all his foot up again!

19th - I decided today that I would wrap Chesney's foot up in a plastic bag and lots of Duck tape and put them out in the field for a while.  He is so much better and I feel that he is ready to go out for a while.  Bag stayed  on today :)

20th - The horses went out all day today.  Chesney still had his plastic bag on his foot though and it stayed!  Tommy was pleased to have his friends back in the field too.

23rd - Lunged Basil today.  Mostly in walk with a little trot and just for 10 minutes.  He was really good, which surprised me as I expected him to go mad!

24th - Rode in the arena today.  We did 25 minutes today just in walk and trot.  Lots of 20 metre circles, serpentines and some 10 metre walking circles at the end.  He was a bit jumpy to start with but did settle really well and I was really proud of him.

27th - Basil has done something to his shoe today, although it is still in place he has a nail sticking out on the inner side of his off- fore leg.  He also seems a little bit lame.  Arranged for farrier to come tomorrow.

28th - Farrier took Basil's shoe off and discovered that he has trodden on one of the nails. No wonder he seemed a bit lame yesterday:(  More poulticing and they will be better in on the yard again for a few days.  No more riding.

29th - Basil is feeling really sorry for himself today.

30th - I think Basil is a bit less lame today :)

31st - Good news. Basil seems sound today.

As January did not go according to plan my February aims for Basil are the same:

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.

Have you seen yesterday's video yet 'Tommy' - I thought it was time for a 6 month review of his progress :)   
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

Horse Treat Review

If you watch my You Tube channel you will know that I tried some new treats for the horses this year.  So, I thought I would do a little review of them here too :)

Every year at Christmas I give the horse's a swede on a string.  Chesney and Basil seem to enjoy them although they never last very long.  Tommy enjoyed his this year too, which I was really pleased about.  

I also made some vegetable treat 'kebabs' on string for them which went down even better and Tommy gave me a bit of entertainment watching him eat it ...

If you would like to see how to make these check out my video: https://youtu.be/_O9_YPsEUW4
Polo's always go down well at any time of year :) 

However, I also tried some new things this year.  Several people have said to me this year that horses like ginger biscuits, which I was not sure about but was prepared to try.  These were not popular with my boys though :(  Basil ate a tiny bit but the other 2 spat their biscuit out.  I don't know if I bought the wrong type of ginger biscuit but I ended up eating them instead.

I bought some Mr Johnson's  Equiglo Minty Horse Treats.  These are herby too and to be honest all of the horses were a bit hesitant to start with but grew to really like them!

 

They are made with wheatfeed, oatfeed, grassmeal, linseed etcetera, I guess to make them into a nut shape, and then some mint liquid is added for the flavour.  I have tried the herby ones of these in the past and the horse ate them but did not seem that keen!  

 
The really popular new treats were the coconut flavoured ones from KM Elite Products.  I had no idea horses liked coconut but was promised in the shop that they do - and they do!!!

According to their website these 'are made from 100% natural ingredients and include coconut and flaxseed which provide a good source of vital Omega 3, 6 and 9'.  The horses are gobbling these up!

Apples are always a winning treat and I still have some left from my tree.  They have always been popular with Tommy! 

I think that I will get some more of the coconut treats when this bag is empty because they are really handy for treats.  They won't replace the carrots which I usually have for certain times of day but I think for working with Tommy they will be really useful!

Have a look at 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