Horse & Rider
How To Score High - EA Dressage Tests
How to Ride a EA Dressage Test & Receive a good score 1) Prepararation Make sure you sign up for a test within your abilities. Train with a dressage coach on a regular basis to get advise from an experienced trainer on the ground. Make a plan with your coach on how to prepare for your test, practice your weaknesses on a weekly basis. Even the easiest tests requires a balanced horse that can perform walk trot and canter in a relaxed manner. 2) Warm-up A lot of riders get nervous on the day and warm up for too long. Make sure you familiarise your horse with the area, however don't warm up for too long to make the 'horse tired' as this won't benefit you in the show ring. A warm up between 20-40minutes is usually enough. Ride each gait and bring a cach or a friend that can keep a track of time and let you know how far off you are. It is usually a good idea to have a last canter and trot in each gait right before going in. 3) Relax The overall impression is the most important aspect a dressage judge looks at, is there harmony between the horse and rider? Is the horse relaxed, calm and comfortable? A horse in a steady rythm with his head high and not collected will score better than a horse that works in a frame but looses rhythm is unsteady or unbalanced. 4) Work on Transitions Transitions, transitions, transitions - you've heard it all before. There is a reason to why all coaches ask you to do lots of exercises with transitions. Transitions makes the horse carry themselves without leaning on the bit and helps them work through their back and hold them more through their back legs. 5) Match the horse with a suitable rider Alot of people try to re-train young/inexperienced horses in a new discipline even though the rider does not have the knowledge and experience to do so. Do NOT buy a green horse just because its cheap and beautiful, go for an older schoolmaster that can teach you the basics before trying to train a green young horse. The Basics of EA dressage tests Dressage competitions involve a number of movements on horses that are already determined to be ridden in a chronological order. These movements are usually performed in a 20 x 60 meters area arena. Occasionally, an arena of area 20 x 40 meters is also chosen depending on the requirements. Throughout the arena - 12 letters are placed that are more like an indication of the starting point of the movements, the finish points, the points where the pace has to be changed, or the lead has to be taken. Every dressage competition, in general, involves a horse to display three different paces. These paces include walking trotting and cantering. There are a number of tests in Australia that are set up by the Equestrian Australia national federation. These tests vary in difficulty and range from beginner level to an advanced level. Beyond that, the other tests that include the FEI tests are those that are conducted on a national level. There is an official competition arranged by EA that hosts over 21 seniors, 10-21 young riders and about 10 pony riders. Every state hosts inter-school competitions that make use of the dressage tests as they are set by EA. Typically, there are three types of EA dressage types that include: Dressage tests for beginners Dressage tests for intermediate riders Dressage tests for advanced riders. Photo: Flickr How often are the EA Dressage tests updated? While there is no fixed date set for updates for these tests - they are constantly under review and do get updated quite regurarly. For instance, the last update for the EA Dressage tests was made on July 1, 2018. What to think about before your first dressage test? Competing in dressage can be quite daunting as it is a spectator sport where every single move is judged, and you are trying to perform at your peak while being nervous together with a 500kg live animal so there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Make sure you study your test in detail and know it inside and out, there is nothing worse than forgetting your test in the middle of riding it. Manage your time wisely and make sure you arrive early on the competition day to familiarise yourself with the surroundings and find out where your warm-up and competition ring is and whether there are any scratched riders. In short, you should be taking each and every precaution so as to let things flow smoothly. Photo: Flickr As far as the dress code goes, usually, you will be required to wear a short coat that is usually black or navy blue in color with white breeches or jodhpurs. Along with this, you will also be required to wear a tie and a stock. In summer however, coats are not always necessary to wear.
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Bombproofing A Horse
The term bombproofing is used to describe the process of training your horse by the use of a logical plan to make certain that it is calm in situations where their flight response usually kicks in - circumstances like the presence of scary objects or noises. When a horse is for sale is said to be 'bombproof' usually means it is more desirable as it is more suitable for kids and beginners. This type of training transforms your horse from shying, rearing or bolting when scared to being more confident, controllable, pleasurable and safer to use while riding and handling it.Majority of the aspects involving horses require a certain level of understanding of the horse's psychology and bombproofing is not different. All horses are different and diverse so some might be easy to train while some might prove to be such a hard task. The training difficulty or ease on different horses might be impacted by factors such as their background training, how early they were handled as a foal which might still have a huge impact on how they behave even as adults. Recommendations Make sure you use an experienced trainer if you are inexperienced with horses. Don't rush through the training. Repeat, repeat and reward. Keep the training short, 10-20 minutes per day is ok. Use Tools around the stable - You can use a plastic bag for desensentising the horse. Cheap and effective! Horses learn when they are calm, curious and are having fun. So make sure you keep your horse's anxiety level low in a clam environment. The personalities of the different horses might also play a part in the training. There are horses that are confident and full of themselves hence tend to pushy while others are always nervous hence a timid nature. The nature of the horse will impact how effective the bombproofing training will be and whether it will be easy or tough to do the training. Be patient and try to understand how the horse works and time when it is most energetic. Both the trainer and the horse need to have some level of connection in order for the training to be effective. Shouting or beating the horse in order for it to become submissive will only make the training much harder and can cause a lot of nasty habits. The trainer needs to demonstrate what they want the horse to do in a very clear way. Just like in all languages both parties have to understand the message in order to communicate. Horses will read your body language and will sense if you are tense or angry.
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Why Use A Bitless bridle
Benefits Using a bitless bridle can be very beneficial to both the horse and its handler. Some of the benefits include: The bridle being kinder on the horse since there is no metal bar positioned in their mouth. By using the bitless bridle some unwanted behaviours caused by the presence of the metal bit in the horse can be eliminated. The performance and health of sensitive and nervous horses could be improved. The use of a bitless bridle also helps in the fostering of a trusting relationship between the horse and the rider. Using this type of bridle also enables the rider to enjoy the ride since there are less hindrances which make it more natural. Avoids teeth and mouth problems from pressure points and pulling. Both the rider and the horse can enjoy one of the above benefits or a combination of them. The most sensitive part of the horse is the mouth which is why even the slightest application of pressure on it can be extremely painful. The bit is mainly constructed using metal and when it is included in the bridle it puts pressure on the mouth bars, the lips, mouth roof and the tongue. The pressure applied on these areas depends on the design of the bit in addition to the force used by the rider. The bone structure in the mouth region can be impacted over time when the bit is used regularly. Some riders think certain bit designs are kind enough on the horses but the kindest thing one can do to their horse is eliminate the bit altogether. When the bit on the bridle is causing discomfort or excruciating pain to the horse some will decide to suffer silently while some will start acting out and behaving in certain manners to express their pain. These erratic behaviour can be avoided by using the bitless bridles. How They Work The bitless bridles are becoming more and more popular today and can be very effective as long as the horse has received adequate training. When the rider pulls the reins, the pressure goes onto the horse's head and nose instead of the mouth. A well constructed bitless bridle distributes the pressure over the whole head, to avoid only one area being pressed on.Different Types Of Bitless BridlesThere are many different types of bridles available in the market. The majority of the bridles available are mainly in line with the bitless sidepull bridle design. Some of the bitless bridles include the Western and the English bridles. Some standard english bridles can also sometimes be adjusted and used as a bitless bridle (and sometimes used with a bit). One of these bridles is the Micklem Bridle that offers both options.Click on the picture below to view the bridle in the photo.
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Horse Rugging Temperatures
⋙ CHECKOUT OUR TOP SELLING WINTER HORSE RUGS FOR SALE HERE ⋘ Horse owners have different opinions when it comes to rugging your horse correctly for temperature, rain, humidity, sun and protection from insects. Horses actually handle the cold better than heat, and a common misconception amongst horse owners is that horses needs to be rugged at night as soon as it is getting a bit cooler at nights. Areas to consider before rugging your horse:- Horses naturally move around in the wild and will get colder if stabled- The horse's natural insulation is removed if clipped, and will therefore require heavier rugging- Some breeds to better in the cold/warm weather than others- A horse that has got enough weight on them will handle the cold better than a skinny horse- It is important to remove heavy rugs during the day if the sun is out, as a rug disrupts a horse natural heat regulation.- Rainy weather can be very humid, and it is sometimes better to leave a horse unrugged in the rain rather than keeping it sweaty in a humid rainy storm.Rugging Temperatures (Celsius)As a general rule, if your horse is not clipped and in healthy shape, the following temperatures may require rugging if your horse is stabled:- Negative 10 to 0 degrees1200Denier with 300gram polyfill rug with a quaity cotton or fleece rug underneath is recommended. Make sure you use a combo rug.- 0 to 5 degrees200gram polyfill, medium weight rug.- 5 to 10 degreesLightWeight rug, 150gram polyfill. (No fill during the day if Sunny).- 10 to 15 degreesLight cotton rug, nothing or zero fill.- 15 degrees and upNo rug required, mesh rug can be used for protection of sun or insects.
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5 Best Horse Feed To Build Topline
There are a lot of mixed messages and controversy about what and how to feed your horse. It doesn't help that a lot of the big feed brand names are pushing marketing messages onto you, making it very difficult to know what is true and what are facts and what are myths. Honestly, we would probably scrap all the random stuff and follow a balanced commercial diet that is as close to natural as possible. As long as you make sure to feed at least the minimum recommended amount, taking into account the amount of work the horse is in and the age. Reasons Sloping Topline - Age: Older horses tend to loose their topline (this is natural and nothing to worry about)- Breed: Some breeds have a more distinct topline than others- Quality of Feed: Grass or hay that is dry and low in nutritional value won't help you even if you feed a lot of it. Make sure you add extra hay if your natural pasture is dry or not enough- Amount of work: Horses that are kept in full work require more feed, make sure you feed enough fats, carbs and proteins.- Broodmare: Broodmares tend to get a sloping topline due to natural reasons.- Muscle density: Horses that are on 'spell' and not in full work can loose their back muscles, making the topline more distinct. 5 Best Horse Feeds to Build Topline Number one advise is to keep it simple, don't buy every expensive formula and vitamines you come across. Use common sense! Remember the most important thing is to give your horse a balanced diet, and make sure you feed enough of it from a quality source. The following feeds are great for filling out the topline. 1) Copra MealThe high fat content in copra meal makes it a great additive for horses that easily drop in weight. It also provides extra shine to the horse's coat.2) Quality Hay/GrassAs previously stated, keep it simple and stick to natural sources. A balanced diet with a lot of hay will do wonders to your horses topline.3) Full fat soya bean mealSoya bean meal is a great carb and protein source for your horse, just make sure you get it from a quality source.4) SpeedibeetSpeedibeet is an allround feed with high nutrional content. It is not only known to fill out the topline, but also to give extra shine to your horses coat, and sometimes develop dapples.5) Amino acids (Lysine & Methionine)If you want to give any additives, amino acids are essential. Especially lysines and methionine.
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5 Best Fattening Horse Feeds
Different horses have different nutritional needs. An adult horse who does not work, of course, has less nutritional needs than a hard working or draft horse. A growing horse needs the right type of nutrition to develop normally. There are many different factors that affect how much a nutritional needs a horse has. Maintenance needs are Minimum A large horse has a greater maintenance requirement of energy than a small horse. All horses have a maintenance needs of energy and nutrients like protein, minerals and vitamins. Maintenance needs are the needs the horse has when it does not do anything beyond being a horse, that is, when it is not working, giving it or being pregnant, and not increasing or decreasing in the hole and weight. The amount of maintenance required by energy depends mainly on how big the horse is, ie its body weight. A large horse of 800 kg has a greater maintenance requirement than a 200 kg pony. Supplement for work, growth and breeding If the horse or pony is in full work, it needs the addition of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins for it, as well as growing young horses need additions for growth and drowning stones need extra for their milk production. The size of the work supplement varies with how hard work is for the horse. Hard work is meant for example training and competition in the field competition on light and medium level and difficult class jumping, and as hard work are trot and gallop training and competition, elite level competition and distance competition. Forestry and farm work is also considered hard for a lot of hard work. However, the vast majority of working horses are not practiced hard or very hard, but easy to medium-sized. As easy work, the majority of recreational riding / driving is counted, and as medium work is calculated for example work at riding school or similar. If the horse does not have free access to grass, we should weigh the donors to know how much the horse is eating. Otherwise, it is difficult to adjust the feed state up or down when the need arises. The horse's protein needs Growing young horses, have a higher protein requirement than most horses. It's because they are going to employ or build something, a growing body, which means that building blocks are needed. It is the protein that is the building blocks. The amount of digestible crude protein the horse requires is stated per MJ, so it is related to the energy requirement. Minerals Among the minerals, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are particularly important, for example, to build up the skeleton, for muscle work and for the energy metabolism of cells. The horse needs calcium and phosphorus in appropriate proportions to each other, therefore, the Ca / P ratio is usually mentioned. There should always be more Ca than P in the horse-fed state to prevent the skeleton from being decalcified. The C / P ratio should therefore always be at least 1.1 in the total feed state. A suitable range for the Ca / P ratio is 1.2-1.8, but if the field feed is Ca-rich, the quota may be higher. In feeding trials, Ca / P ratios up to 6 have been used without observing any negative consequences of this on the horses. However, a prerequisite is that the P requirement is met. A mineral that the horse also needs is sodium (Na), which is included with chloride (Cl-) in common saline (NaCl). For most horses, the Na need is covered by the horse having access to a salt stone, but horses who sweat a lot also lose a lot of Na through the sweat and may then need to replace that loss by getting extra salt. Important analysis of the rough feed No matter what type of feed you have, it's important to know the nutritional content in order to feed properly. This can only be found by analyzing the nutritional content of the food. For example, an analysis of the nutritional content of the fodder shows the amount of energy, protein and minerals in the feed. An analysis of the roughage is always required. Take any samples directly in the field when harvesting. Photo: Carin Wrange You can not watch a blanket with the naked eye and decide if it's 8 MJ or 12 MJ in it. If there is no analysis on the lamb feed when you buy it, you can take a sample and send it for analysis in retrospect, but it is a little more difficult. You will then take samples (preferably with silage or hay drill) from a few bales, which means that you have to make holes on the plastic when it comes to wrapped cotton lining. You can also sample 3-4 bales as they are opened for feeding. The samples are then collected in a plastic bag and stored in freezer until a sample of a sufficient number of bales has been collected. The samples are then cut into smaller pieces, reassembled and sent for analysis. Testing from only one ball can not be recommended as such a test is not representative of the feed.Most easily, during harvesting, just before pressing, go diagonally across the field and take samples from randomly selected places. Then you get an analytical response that represents a larger part of the field from which the feed comes from, in a convenient way. 5 Best (affordable) Fattening Horse Feeds are: 1) Natural grass/plants 2) Lupin 3) Quality Hay 4) Vegetable Oil 5) Grains
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Top 10 Mistakes beginners make
1) Leaning forward Number one mistake beginners tend to make is to lean forward in the saddle and not sit-up straight. To balance on the horse the most important thing is to sit-up tall in the saddle. By leaning forward, you put both yourself and the horse in imbalance and one step in the wrong direction and you can end up on the ground. 2) Holding the balance in the reins Beginner horse riders tend to pull the horse’s mouth as they hold their balance in the reins. The balance should be in the seat, not the hands. Horse’s have sensitive mouths and riders should therefore always ride with light gentle hands and focus on using their body more. 3) Riding with the hands too high It is common for beginner riders to ride with their hands right in front of them as it doesn’t come natural to keep them low. Your hands should be adjacent with the saddle and mane and beginners are often encouraged to hold on to the horses mane to avoid pulling their mouth if they loose their balance. 4) Let the horse do its own thingA lot of times beginners will just sit and go along and just follow the horse rather than the other way around and all of a sudden your hear from the feed room “but he just walked here I couldn’t steer him”. As a rider you need to be proactive and make sure you plan every step or else it is very likely that the horse will wander off in its own preferable direction. 5) Riding with the hands wide apartAnother common error for beginner riders is to hold their hands wide apart, expecially when turning. A rider should eep their hands nice and neat together with their thumbs pointing up. 6) Turning with both handsTurning can be a difficult task to maneouver as a beginner and people usually make the mistake of turning their horse with both their hands to the left or the right. This will not only give mixed signals to the horse but it will also put rider out of balance. Make sure you keep one hand resting on the point on the saddle and the turning hand gently leads the turning reins. 7) Points toes downThe weight of the rider should be kept in the heels. Beginners usually sit more on top of the horse rather than relaxing and coming down deep in the saddle. It usually takes a while for beginners to get used to having slightly bent legs in the stirrups with their heels down. 8) Looks downLooking up and keeping your eyes on where you are going can be a difficult task for a beginner. A horse rider should never look down as if your horse spooks or suddenly stops, you will 100% end up on the ground in front of you. By keeping your eyes and energy up you have a greater chance of staying on. 9) Not firm enoughHorses know if there’s an inexperienced rider on them and they will usually take advantage of this (by stopping or turning home etc). Be confident and firm with your aids, and your horse will listen better. 10) Get on a horse that is too greenYou often see beginner riders that have worked their confidence up on calm school horses and they all of a sudden think they are professional equestrian riders that can take on any horse. It is a BIG difference of riding a lazy school horse than from a young unbalanced horse. An unbalance horse needs a balanced rider and the other way around. Leave the educating of horses to the very experienced riders.
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11 Ways to stop a horse leaning on the bit
It Is a common problem for riders to come across horses that hang or lean on the bit.This is usually a problem that has arisen from bad riding or bad conformation in the horse.If horses are built a bit downhill tend to find it more difficult to carry themselves with a steady contact to the riding and the motor coming from the back. 1) Stay Light in your Hand. Number one advise is to not to get strong handed when your horse appears heavy and leaning. This is the number one mistakes riders do. By using strong hands you will only create a bigger problem as your horse will eventually end up with a ‘dead’ mouth. 2) Work on transitions The fact that the horse is leaning on you usually goes hand in hand that the horse is not carrying themselves. Lots of transitions will encourage the horse to think and it is forced to start using its back-end (if done correctly). 3) Do not use strong bits It can be very tempting for riders to find a quick solution by investing in a strong bit. This is not recommended as you are actually not solving the problem, only putting a short term fix on it. We recommend soft double jointed bit of your preference and horses with ‘dead’ mouths tend to respond better to bits that have more areas of movement in them. It is easier for a horse to lean on a straight mullen bit or a single jointed snaffle. We recommend this bit 4) Change bit often Horses that become a bit numb in their mouth usually responds better to being ridden in different bits. Change it up with different snaffles, and maybe even a bit-less bridle some days. 5) Get help from someone on the ground Having an experienced coach on the ground is invaluable. This is probably our number one recommendation! Even if its just a friend, sometimes you do things as a rider that you didn't have any idea of. 6) Use your body more Ride every stride with your seat and legs. A well educated horse can be ridden with feather light reins. No only every upward transition but every downward transition requires a lot of legs. It can be useful to use your voice as well as encouragement. 7) Change exercises often Make it fun and exciting for your horse. Horses that lean do not carry themselves and might be bored, which turns into laziness. Do serpentine's to bend through the neck, change every ride from trail rides to flat work with pole work. Pole work can really assist a horse to carry themselves and start concentrating on their task a bit more. 8) Allow the horse to stretch low and forward If your horse is really heavy in the end, don't even give them the option to lean on your hand. Ride with long reins in all gaits for 10-20 minutes every ride. They will then be forced to carry their own body. Encourage a long relaxed frame stretching low and forward. 9) Make sure you warm up Your warm up routine can make or break your ride. Every horse is different but we usually recommend anything from 15-30 minute warm up. Do not ask for anything difficult in the warm up, just allow your horse to find its rhythm and make sure its in front of the leg. 10) Use a suitable bridle/nose-band We recommend an anatomic bridle that sits light and forms around the horse's head. The noseband should give support but not be too tight. Try this bridle for a more steady light contact
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11 Most Popular Horse Breeds
Thoroughbred Originally from England bred around the 1700 hundreds. The goal for the breed was to get as fast horse as possible, and it is known as on of the fastest breeds in the world today. It is mostly used in horse racing but people have also started using it in Eventing and showjumping. They tend to be between 155 and 165cm, and are often brown, chestnut, black or grey. The breed is unique in its way that it is bred for performance (not look). Arabian Horse The arabian horse is developed and breed for its exterior and is very fine built usually referred to as elegant and beautiful. Its gaits are flowing and free moving. The arabian horse tend to grow older than other horse breeds. It is very popular all over the world because of its look but also used in western ridining. Its got a reputation of being hot tempreed and wild, but it is actually very intelligent and suitable as a family pet. They tend to get anywhere between 145 and 161cm tall. Quarter Horse The quarter horse is mostly used in the USA and there are over 3 million quarter horses all over the world. Of all horse breeds in the world, the quarter horse is the most popular in terms of number. It is athletic, muscular and calm personality. It got its name from being the worlds fastest horse of a quartermile. Welsh Cob Originally bred in Wales England. It exists in all colours apart from paint. It is very popular all of the world as a family horse and is mainly used for showing. It is quite chunky built with a elegant head. Paint Horse The paint horse originates from America. It is known for its gorgeous colouring and sometimes bright blue eyecolour. They grow between 145 and 165 cm tall and are very popular in western riding or at ranches. They tend to be built with chunky bodies with a fine neck. Shetland The shetland pony is known for its small size and are great as a kids family pony. The breed originates from the Shetland isles, hence its name. They range from anywhere between 71cm and 107cm. They have thick coats with a cute head and short legs. They are used in a wide range of disciplines, adults tend to use them for trick training as they are known to be very intelligent. Clydesdale The Clydesdale is one of the larger horse breeds and originates from Scotland around 1720s. They are very useful for pulling a carriage. They are a very heavy breed but are also used as riding horses. The clydesdales are popular for showing in some countries. They range anything from 165cm to 173cm. Standardbred The standardbred is famous for its 4th gait 'pacing'. It is mainly used for trotters races. They can hold a pace around 55km/hour hence they are great for racing. They are known to be quite plain looking horses with a bay colour. Appaloosa The appaloosa is one of the most popular horse breeds because of its unique appearance. Its known for spotted colouring and thin manes. They originate from Palouse in America, hence its name 'A Palouse Horse'. It is commonly used at circuses due to its unique appearance. Warmblood The warmblood horse is very popular for horseback riding, and is known to perform as a show jumper or dressage horse. They are atlthetic built with long legs and elegant carrying neck. They exist in most colours but mainly seen in bay, black, white or grey. Andalusian The andalusian horse is very powerful majestic looking with a strong neck and chunky body. They originates from South of Spain and is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. Grey and bay are the most common colourings. They are mostly used for dressage or carriage driving.
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