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Why don’t horse riders look after themselves? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I can honestly say that I look after my horses better than myself. It’s true! They have all their needs met; they have the very best diet, a structured exercise & work plan, they are groomed & pampered regularly, they have friends they can socialise with, the vet is called at any sign of pain or injury, and they pretty much have the best life that I can give them. It’s what I love doing! However, on the flip side I’m frequently exhausted, frantically running round like a headless chicken, poorly groomed & [...]

The 5 Second Rule www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I’ve recently read a book by Mel Robbins, called ‘The 5 Second Rule’, and it is amazing! The concept is incredibly simple and can be used in any aspect of our lives, but I want to think about it in terms of horses and our motivation to ride. What do you want to improve in your life? What are the things that you really should be doing, but just can’t bring yourself to do? The 5 Second Rule gives us the call to action to make those necessary changes to improve what we do with our [...]

Stop being so hard on yourself! www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I coach a wide variety of different riders and I can honestly say that I love doing it. My clients are primarily grass-roots level and for the most part just want to improve and enjoy the time they spend with their horses. It is so very rewarding seeing the partnership progress and develop, overcoming their fears & problems. One of the biggest issues that I come across is riders who are just so very hard on themselves. I think it comes from wanting to do their absolute best for their horses and not wanting [...]

Managing horses and a family www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I had my little girl 20 months ago, and it has been an absolutely whirlwind. We never really planned to have children; we’d always talked about it but had got to a point where we simply didn’t think it was meant to be. Now I was never ‘mumsey’ or remotely maternal; I had no idea about what to do with babies or children, and really was a bit rubbish about it all, which was fine, because I was too busy out competing! I’d be out and about virtually every weekend and horses were my life. [...]

Traditional Grooming www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   We don’t groom our horses enough these days! Traditionally, when horses were working animals, grooms would be employed to provide the horse with a range of massage and grooming techniques, and I think it’s a real shame that we have lost the time and knowledge to give our horses proper, correct daily grooming. If you’re anything like me, a quick brush over before I ride is sufficient; the horse is clean in all the right places, i.e. where the tack goes, and I don’t do any more. I’m busy! I need to make sure my horse gets [...]

To rug or not to rug? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   My horse struggles to keep weight on. He always has, it’s just the way he is. He’s been checked by the vets (lots!), but he’s just not driven by food. Consequently, he has a body condition score of 3/5, which is healthy and good, but he can drop weight very quickly when weather gets cold. I have a whole range of rugs for him, and I do try to keep him warm and comfortable whatever the weather. Most people use rugs for their horses over winter, with the very good intentions of keeping [...]

Time to Ride www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   We’re at the time of year where the nights are now longer and darker, and it can be difficult to maintain motivation to ride and keep our horses fit and strong.  So how can we do the best for our horses and fit in time to ride? Here are my top tips…   Timetable Plan your week ahead to help you identify spaces or gaps where you could ride. It could be early morning, late at night, lunchtime, whenever!   Select the activity Sometimes, it’s completely impractical to school in the arena, so you might find [...]

Do we take worming horses seriously enough? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   Worms, or more correctly, internal parasites, can be at best a nuisance or at worst fatal to horses. There are so many different types, it can be difficult to know how best to manage them. The constant challenges of poo-picking and maintaining horse pasture, of choosing which type of wormer (anthelmintic) to use at which time of year, and of assessing the effectiveness of the products selected, mean that many owners simply follow a basic plan of worming all horses every 3 months. In the past, this programme of 13 week intervals [...]

Brilliant Bedding www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   I’ve tried most types of bedding over the years, from straw to shavings to paper. I admit that I haven’t used cardboard! But my all-time favourite is wood pellets. I’ve been using them for about 18 months & they are officially ACE! Why do I love them? Easy to muck out Soo very easy. Basically, I use approximately 10 bags to set up the bed, and then maintain it by taking out the droppings each day (my boys are turned out in the day and in over night). I don’t touch the wet until the weekend when [...]

Supplements for Horses www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I know an awful lot of horse owners who add things to their horse’s feed. In my experience, there seems to be a trend for feeding horses a mixture of chaff, nuts and an array of supplements. Now don’t get me wrong, there are horses which require additional supplementation for specific issues, and who benefit from a specific product, but does every horse and pony really need additional supplements? The answer is far from simple!  Before we discuss this, it’s important to be super clear about the different types of additional supplements & their use. What is [...]