Ros Canter and Allstar B have finished third and fifth at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials the past two years, before going on to take the World Championship title last autumn.

Ros is not riding at Badminton this year because she is expecting her first child, but she visited the venue to share her views on Eric Winter’s cross-country course exclusively with Horse & Hound readers in today’s magazine (25 April), and in our online videos.

Fence 17abc & 18: Mirage Water

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Ros says: “The direct route is over a left-hand corner, on a right-hand curve to jump a wide ditch with running water and on to another left-hand corner. The first corner must be jumped at an angle in order to take the ditch on the left and be successful at finding the line to the second corner. The temptation is to make the first corner too kind and be pushed too far right at the ditch.

“The ditch is not like the man-made, wooden-sided ditches our horses see frequently. Riders should be ready to react to an awkward jump and hold the line to the corner, without being too committed to a stride pattern (it’s likely to be four or five).

“The numbering means riders who take the direct route corner (17ab) are committed to the open ditch (c), but it is possible to make a quick change of plan after the ditch and divert to the long route corner at fence 18. I predict most will go direct at the first corner and ditch, so the long route over another corner (17a) and a rail into the pond (17bc) will be little used.”

Fence 19ab: Nyetimbe Heights

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Ros says: “Riders need a plan here to make their chosen line as smooth and efficient as possible. In this intense area any awkward jumps will accumulate to knock the horse’s confidence.

“Everyone tackles a brush on top of a mound, then riders pick between the most right-hand skinny (jumped left to right, so away from the direction of the getaway channel) or any one of three skinnies jumped right to left.

“My preference is the second skinny from the left and on this route, riders should jump the brush slightly from left to right, so they are on the required curve. It’s not an easy fence to change your mind at, so if a horse leaves a leg or pecks, riders would be better to try to recover quickly and stick to their plan, rather than trying to pull left to find a route to the right-hand skinny.”

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Check out these pictures of Ros walking the course…

Ros and Eric Winter inspect the Savills Staircase (fences 4abc and five).

Ros eyes up the KBIS Bridge (fences 11 and 12).

The distance to the final skinny at the Outlander PHEV Bank (fence 13ab) is unpredictable.

Eric stands on the take-off point at the Hildon Water Pond (fence 15ab) and looks down to Ros, who is standing at the bottom of the drop. A waterfall will run down the back of the fence.

Ros looks at the first corner at the Mirage Pond (fence 17abc and 18).

The world champion checks out the oxer into the Voltaire Design Huntsman’s Close (fence 28ab).

Horses jump two big brushes with ditches in front of them on the way home at the Eclipse Cross Chicane (fence 29ab).

The HorseQuest Quarry (fence 30ab) is the penultimate combination on course.

Read Ros’s thoughts on every fence on the course in today’s Horse & Hound magazine (dated 25 April). 

Our full Badminton form guide is in next week’s issue (dated 2 May). 

It’s a month today since Irish Olympic event rider Jonty Evans suffered a serious brain injury when he had a fall at Tattersalls riding Cooley Rorkes Drift (Art) — the horse he secured through crowd-funding. With Jonty still unconscious, four-star rider Alice Dunsdon had the idea of riders and connections wearing green — Jonty’s cross-country colours — to show their support for him and so, with website Eventing Worldwide leading the campaign, #WearGreenForJonty was born.

Riders, friends, parents and people connected to equestrianism in every way got into the green spirit last weekend. Here are some of your photos of #WearGreenForJonty…

Linda Robertson’s daughter, Flossie, stencilled green stars on her pony, Ricky

Dot Dot Dash competing with Alison Cartwright at Eland Lodge

Stasi Grosvenor sent in these pictures of her nieces in Australia. On the left is 11-year-old Seanna New at her weekly lesson, while on the right is Shaye Peters, 16, and Grumby the Brumby. Stasi says: “Shaye has autism and only wears purple. I told her the story of Jonty and at her weekly lesson and at pony camp this month in Young Australia she joined in with #WearGreenForJonty”

Andrea Moxey watches her daughter Maddie at Area 9 Horse Trials at West Wilts

Brenda Gallacher’s Cinnamon. Brenda says: “From a good Scots lad to a good Irish lad. We want to see these Irish eyes smiling again”

Eleanor Lunn and Galahad join in the spirit while schooling at home. Eleanor says she’ll definitely be wearing green next time she competes

Emilie Lyons riding Varo Two Chips (Coco)

Pippa Dixon and Barnadarrig Boy competing in the CIC* at Great Witchingham. Picture by Peter Nixon

Emma Wallace rides at Glaslough, Ireland, with a borrowed green numnah

Estelle Turner and Archie enjoy the sun in Frodsham, Cheshire

Frankie Zatouroff on Foxi at Holkham Beach, with her sister, Ella, sporting her Willberry Wonder Pony T-shirt in the background on Pebbles

#WearGreenForJonty details — Nicola Watson’s nails, done by The Beauty Lodge, Julia McQuigg’s shamrock, Janice Hawes’ shirt, Cathy Tapp’s pony, made by a friend, and Alison Coldicott’s wristband

Grania Haigh shows her support with a green T-shirt

Hayley Ward trades pink for green riding a young ex-racehorse at home in Hitchin

Indie Vaughan-Jones and Arrrowmands Diamond on the way to sixth in the CIC* at Great Witchingham. Picture by Peter Nixon

The start team at Offchurch Bury: Janice Hawes, Sue Trim and Jean Jennedy

Jessica Leroy and her Irish thoroughbred Baz at Priory Court Farm taking part in jump cross

Zoe Harris and Fudge head out cross-country schooling

Natalie O’Donnell, 12, sent us this picture of Team Quest team The Island Fling wearing green for Jonty in Stornoway, in the Isle of Lewis

Julia Whittle and Kobito contest the BE80(T) at Offchurch Bury

Katie Barber and Diamond Mine on the way to 10th in the CIC* at Great Witchingham

Thomas Goffe giving Sedgemoor Crispin a kiss before the start of their first one-day event together, Near Dursley in Gloucestershire. Plus here are Rosie Goffe, Thomas Goffe and Daisy Johnson Jones all aboard Stan the Man in Warwickshire

Anna White, 12, at Glaslough Horse Trials in Ireland on Jimmy. “Her contribution to the crowdfunding for Art was Anna’s 12th birthday present, and he is her absolute hero,” says Anna’s mother Lisa

Dom Watson, Albie and mum Lorene Watson at Pony Club Area 13 dressage qualifiers at Eashing, Surrey

Hints of green with team colours at a riding club area qualifier for Louiz Hughes

Lucy Turner says: “Get Ready Freddy (Fred to his friends!) looking distinctly not ready, having a snooze in the shade prior to the BE105 cross-country at Offchurch Bury Horse Trials. But he does have a little green bow to support his buddies Jonty and Art!”

Event rider Clare Chamberlayne is “off games” at the moment, but she took my green painted fingernails to Sparsholt Dressage Festival, where she was acting as dressage commentator for the first time. She was also delighted that her youngest pupil — whose mother lent her the nail polish — not only won her first ever championship but also picked up a green sash!

Marcia Fairless and Melanie Watson fence judging at Chepstow

Nicki Robinson and Gartsherrie before their clear cross-country round in the BE100 at Brightling

Phil Howell and Fence Judgeberry score collecting at West Wilts

Ricki Wischmann and her pony Keira about to go out on a hack in the forest in the the USA. “Jonty is one of my favorite event riders — I wish for his recovery every day,” says Ricki

Samantha Hobbs sports a green headband at Great Witchingham. Picture by Peter Nixon

Sarah Apt Cavalier and her youngster Hugo at Hopetoun in Scotland. Sarah says: “I love the campaign and it’s bringing to light how caring the eventing community really is!I usually wear burgundy so swapped for white with a green hat silk.” Picture by Dave Cameron Photography

 

Helpers at Chepstow Horse Trials get into the spirit: Elin Stenberg, the pole team, Berry ponies at the fence judge briefing, Jennie Smith, Kevin and Harvey, plus  Jack Myszkowski

Sarah Godwin’s family ready for stewarding at the Beaufort branch of the Pony Club mini one-day event

Jemima Gray wearing her signature lime green

Clare Kavanagh in her green cross-country colours

Tory Robbins and Silver Skywalker at Offchurch Bury, competing in their first BE105

Sofia Guarnieri rides Bally Lennon Lola. “Jonty wished me luck for my first one-day event on the Facebook page for Art’s Amazing Family the day he had the accident,” says Sofia.

Susan Williams sent in this picture, saying: “My son was on the Pony Club Talent Pathway Camp at Solihull Riding Club at the weekend and they asked everyone to wear green for Jonty.”

Jonty’s goddaughter Bibi Zijlmans and her family, at showjumping at Moores Farm

Natalie Ireland and her mother Jackie Ireland out on Jackie’s first ever fun ride. Jackie rides 22-year-old Cherokee Brave (number 43), who events and, says Natalie, “donated his four-leaf clover that we found to Jonty and Art last year at Kelsall Hill where they were second in the open intermediate”. Natalie is on her five-year-old Clearbeck Elgar, who was also at his first fun ride

 

Tamsin Miall and Gloria III head to a cross-country clear inside the time in the CIC* at Great Witchingham. Picture by Peter Nixon

Una Morris and her horse Guiness from Dublin, Ireland. “He is 18 years old, I’ve owned him for 14 of those. Needless to say he will stay with me for the rest of his life too, says Una. “Guin is my Art, that special horse you come across once in your life.”

Aisling Hayes 17, riding John Steadman’s four-year-old Loughehoe Starboy in his first cross-country at Fernhill Sport Horses Kilguilkey International Horse Trials in Co Cork, Ireland. “He doesn’t much like dressage but he completed a test for the first time and was a total rock star over his fences,” says Una Hayes.

Jackie Harvey-Knight, Stephanie Knight and five-year-0ld Elle Harvey-Knight (complete with green hair) at Chepstow

Emma Golding and Lilly in Co Kildare, Ireland. “We’ll be Team Ireland’s representatives at the para World Championships in August,” says Emma. “I met Jonty’s mum Maggie at Cirencester last year when she and Jonty’s stepfather Arthur were there with the Griff tradestand. It was my first British Championships and she was so lovely asking how we got on after each phase. I’m thinking of the whole family.”

Finally, Jonty’s daughter Mia sent us this picture of her and her father — his original green cross-country colours the inspiration for the #WearGreenForJonty campaign. Picture by Lucy Hall

This simple exercise, courtesy of top event rider Francis Whittington (pictured), provides a solid foundation for skinnies and arrowheads

Aim

If the horse understands that he must stay straight, no matter what he is presented with, then you can jump anything. There’s no need to practise repeatedly over arrowheads and skinnies. The trick is to create an angle over a basic fence so the horse develops balance through his shoulder. By teaching him to be straight and even into the contact, you can both work on the precision needed for these more technical fences using a very straightforward jump — without scaring yourselves.

Exercise

1. Set up a simple fence on the centre line of your schooling area, something small and upright but wide. It should be easy, so the horse can work well within his comfort zone and you can both concentrate on staying straight and accurate. Canter down the centre line and over the fence in each direction, aiming for the middle spot each time.

2. Gradually increase the angle of the approach, still aiming for the centre of the fence and controlling the horse’s outside shoulder with your leg. His job is to stay straight in the direction you ride him, so make this clear.

3. With this established, you can begin to ask more questions. Continue to increase the approach angle by increments until you are almost coming across the arena on the diagonal. With practice, you’ll both develop an eye for jumping the fence on an angle.

4. Now aim to start jumping towards the outer edge of the fence. This will give the horse the opportunity to run out, but he should by now understand the requirement to jump.

5. Once you’ve mastered the exercise in the arena, try it over a basic fence when you’re cross-country schooling. It’s something you can practise on your own, without a trainer, and should provide a solid foundation when you do move on to the more demanding technical fences.

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Tips and pitfalls

• A run-out in the early stages means going back to square one, so take things steady and don’t be tempted to rush the process. Increase the approach angle over a number of sessions.
• Be positive, but aim for accuracy rather than pace.
• Stay balanced in the saddle and be confident about jumping straight at your chosen angle, leaving your horse sure which way to go.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

The international showjumper (pictured) talks us through this multi-fence workout which she uses with both her younger and more experienced horses to help them jump a flowing round

The aim

The three main things I consider when riding a showjumping course are time, attention and care. This exercise enables you to practise pushing horses on between lines and bringing them back, getting them to focus. Mistakes are made when horses run on and you no longer have their full concentration, so this helps prevent that.

I call it a “gym layout”, which combines a variety of trotting poles, cavaletti, cross-pole oxers and narrow fillers with guide poles arranged into grids.

It’s a workout I find especially useful with my top horses when I feel they need to leave the floor, but I don’t want to jump them over big fences and put unnecessary strain on their tendons and ligaments.

It’s also something I introduce early on with the youngsters — I make it really easy and just start with poles on the ground. It’s a big help with the canter, particularly as some horses don’t initially have the confidence to canter over fences.

The exercise

It is based around grids, incorporating placing poles, cavaletti and fences on both bounces and longer distances. You can mix and match to suit each horse and I usually introduce a new challenge to a line at least once during the session.

1. To start, set up three or four lines of different fence combinations, one of which might just be trotting poles raised at alternate ends.

2. I start out gently to make sure the horse is understanding the
question. Cavaletti and poles should be falling in the centre of the arc of the horse’s stride or jump. Once the horse is jumping each line correctly, I start to come up with some “gym circuits”.

3. Some of the trickier elements — such as a skinny filler with guide
poles — I might introduce individually, and then add into a grid later on. I like to “skinny train” my showjumpers, as course builders can throw in some surprises.

4. I usually put a cross-pole over at the end of a line or in the middle of a grid, as this help with straightness. V-poles, guide rails and poles as “tunnels” on the floor all help to stop any drifting.

5. I will introduce a bigger fence into a line — at a max of 1.10m — to help keep their concentration.

6. Between lines you can also introduce some exercises on the flat. I like to do a canter to walk transition and then ask the horses to move their hindquarters around 180°, while keeping their shoulders still (turn on the forehand), before going back into canter. It teaches them balance and gets them stepping under. As you move out of the exercise, it emphasises turning from the outside rein.

Tips and pitfalls

• Make sure to give plenty of rests as injuries are most likely to occur when a horse is tired.
• There will often be lots of long lines and tight turns in an arena set-up, so it’s important to keep control of the horse’s outside shoulder.
• If a horse isn’t paying attention, introduce V-poles on the sides of the fences to help.

For much more great content, don’t miss the current issue of Horse & Hound magazine, on sale now (dated 21 February 2019), which features our showjumping special

Sarah Millis (pictured), an international dressage rider, explains how you can improve the quality and rhythm of the trot by training with half-10m circles and shoulder-in

Aim

This exercise is a great way to teach shoulder-in to young horses, but it can help improve and maintain engagement and suppleness at all ages and levels.

With young horses, when teaching shoulder-in, don’t ask for the movement along the entire long side. Instead, use half-circles to encourage the horse to turn and stay supple.

I don’t ask the horse for too much flexion in the shoulder-in initially — I just teach them how to take the correct positioning and learn to come on to three tracks. Otherwise, they learn to bend the neck too much and fall out through the shoulders. This results in them bending just the neck, rather than allowing the inside hindleg to come under to help create bend through the whole body for a true shoulder-in.

Exercise

1. Trot around the short side of the arena on the left rein then, from F to D, ride a half-10m circle left followed by a half-10m circle right to K. Make sure your horse is carrying himself, straight on the centre line and beginning to flex through his ribcage around your inside leg before turning, so he doesn’t fall on to the inside shoulder.

2. At K, go straight into shoulder-in right until the next marker (V in a 20x60m arena or E in a 20x40m) and repeat, so it’s a continuing exercise you can ride from one end of the arena to the other. When starting to position the shoulder-in, think of beginning another circle so you guide the shoulders around, then ask your horse to yield from your inside leg to a steady outside rein. Your outside leg needs to support his outside hindleg so he doesn’t swing the quarters out.

3. During both movements, focus on the rhythm as it is important that the purity of the horse’s gait is not lost, otherwise he’ll become uneven and lose balance. Ride the exercise from one end of the arena to the other so that you are performing the shoulder-in on both reins.

Tips and pitfalls

• It’s important to keep focused on maintaining a good, active rhythm in the trot. Always refresh your horse’s forward-thinking mind and active hindleg by riding some lengthened strides or medium trot on the long side or diagonal before repeating, or in between if the horse loses impulsion.
• If you don’t have the use of a mirror, it’s important to have someone on the ground videoing from behind and in front so that you can see if you’re staying central over the horse’s back and not slipping to the outside.
• If your horse tends to run on down the long side, try asking for some trot-walk-trot transitions. This will encourage him to wait, instead of you hanging on to the front end and riding him from front to back, when he should be working through from behind with an engaged hindleg.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

The international dressage rider and young horse producer (pictured) explains how walk pirouettes can improve engagement for medium trot

Aim

This exercise is great for hotter horses as it means the rider is able to ride forward from the walk pirouette, which, in itself, is a collecting movement. It is also helpful if your horse is lazy in the hindlegs, as he learns to pick his hindlegs up and down underneath his body when performing the walk pirouette correctly. The idea behind this exercise is that the smaller the walk pirouette, the more engaged the hindleg.

One of the advantages of doing the walk pirouettes on the long side is that it helps the rider understand how small the pirouette needs to be.

Very often, when you see someone doing a walk pirouette in the middle of the arena, because they don’t have a wall to help them, the pirouettes are too large and, therefore, it doesn’t engage the hindleg correctly.

This exercise also teaches the horse to push and engage with the transition into medium trot after the walk pirouette.

Exercise

1. Start the exercise by riding down the long side of the arena in working trot.

2. Ask for a transition to walk before the corner and perform half a walk pirouette. Make sure you put the horse into shoulder-fore position before the walk pirouette. In a shoulder-fore position, the outside foreleg is already leading the way towards the inside bend. For instance, if you are doing a walk pirouette to the left, the right fore has to cross over the left foreleg.

3. Immediately after completing the half walk pirouette, once straight, make a transition into medium trot. Use the walk pirouette to engage the inside hindleg straight into the transition to medium trot down the long side.

4. Ride medium trot down the long side, then make a transition to walk before
the corner and ask for another half walk pirouette in the other direction. This puts the horse back on the hindleg. Then immediately asks him to push off again, so he is pushing and sitting.

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5. Repeat the exercise, ensuring you take plenty of breaks.

Tips and pitfalls

If your horse isn’t good at medium trot, go into rising rather than sitting trot until you can establish a rhythm.

In the walk pirouette, you need to learn to keep turning the front, rather than keeping the back in place.

By performing the walk pirouette against the wall, any rider who pushes the hindlegs to the inside will automatically realise how far away from the wall they are at the end.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday.

The five-star eventer shows how the figure-of-eight jumping exercise can help develop balance, rhythm and the ability to land on the correct canter lead

Aim

This is a very versatile exercise because, depending on the experience of the horse and rider, it can be started in trot with just poles on the floor and built up to canter over a variety of fences, including oxers and skinnies.

It is also great for overly fresh or erratic horses as the rider has to concentrate quietly on the rhythm, balance and line of the circle, which maintains the horse’s focus. Additionally, the rider has to think ahead, always looking up and forwards to the next fence or risk missing it, as it is only a handful of strides away.

The exercise can also stop horses anticipating the route, because you can change the course by continuing straight down the long side occasionally instead of staying on the circle.

The exercise

1. Set up the poles on the circle as shown in diagram one (above). Ride over the middle pole at X and continue on a circle. Begin with poles on the floor, then when horse and rider are confident with the exercise, build the poles up into small fences. Start off on a 20m circle on each rein, then progress to changing the rein over the fence at X to ride a figure-of-eight.

2. Aim to keep the horse balanced and rhythmical to the middle of each fence by staying central in the saddle; keep the line of the circle by steering with your legs. The horse should be encouraged to land on the correct lead if you keep your weight in the inside stirrup; allow the outside leg back and open the inside rein slightly as the horse takes off. He should switch leads when changing the rein over the fence at X.

3. To increase the technicality, you can add a further fence at A and C (as shown in diagram two, below), or change the fences down the long side to skinnies or make the fence at X into a parallel. The fences don’t need to be big — I keep the height to around 80cm — although the fence at X could be increased if you want to incorporate something a bit bigger as you master the exercise.

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Tips and pitfalls

• Make sure that your horse is properly warmed up before starting, especially in colder weather.
• Keep the exercise simple — don’t increase the difficulty too soon.
• Ride from the inside leg to outside rein to bring the horse’s shoulder round on the turns — don’t pull the inside rein or you’ll lose the shoulder to the outside of the circle.
• Keep your hands down and soft, using your legs to keep riding forwards to the poles or fences.
• When changing the rein, step into the inside stirrup, looking up in the new direction. To aid the change, you can slightly open the inside rein out to the side.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday.

Avoid motorbiking in the show ring with these 10-metre circle and loop exercises, as recommended by top show rider, Justine Armstrong-Small

Aim

One of my favourite exercises in training is riding 10-metre circles in each corner of the school and five-metre loops down each long side.

The purpose of this exercise is to teach both the horse and rider balance and control. In order to ride the circles correctly the horse has to be engaged through his hind legs and supple through his shoulders and neck.

He has to go from a straight line to a small circle without losing rhythm and balance. It teaches the rider to use inside leg to outside rein, which so many riders struggle to achieve.

The loops ask the horse to change the inside bend to outside bend — putting more pressure and control into the inside rein and making him soften through to the outside rein. This helps him to be more supple across the wither and will help loosen the shoulder to create more movement and elevation.

The exercise

1. This exercise can be done in both walk and trot. Start by riding your horse into an even contact and pace around the arena. For a novice horse it’s better to start in walk as this gives time to achieve the correct lines you’re trying to follow.

2. As you approach each corner, steady your speed by half-halting and keeping your leg on to collect the gait. Think about the size of your circle, while being careful not to overshoot the centre line.

3. Encourage the horse to soften down his inside shoulder by creating bend with the inside rein, while also taking more pressure onto the outside rein. Sitting trot helps the rider use their leg more effectively and keep better control of the horse and his direction.

4. Maintain balance coming out of the circle and ride straight into the next corner, repeating the exercise with another circle. As you come out of the second corner approaching the long side, ride a five-metre loop off the track onto the three- quarter line of the arena and then back to the next corner.

5. On returning to the corner, change the bend again to go into your next 10-metre circle. Repeat this exercise around the arena three or four times on one rein. Then do the same on the other rein.

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Working hunter specialist Rory Gilsenan emphasises the importance of riding to a fence in a flowing, forward fashion, without interfering

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Tips and pitfalls

• Many riders use the inside rein to steer, which can create head flicks or motorbiking, and falling in on the circles.
• The horse can lose balance and take uneven steps, hop into canter or trip up when not pushing from behind.
• The horse can fall out of the circle through his outside shoulder if you don’t have enough outside rein controlling the amount of bend required.
• If the rider uses more inside rein and no outside leg, it will allow the horse to banana and fall out of the circle.
• If a horse is constantly ridden with one rein shorter than the other it will ultimately lead to the horse compensating by either lifting its head, or going on two tracks of the arena with the quarters coming in off the track rather than being in line with the front. This can make the horse appear lame.
• Rushing the trot can accentuate the problems above.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

If you’ve decided to give your horse or pony a well-earned holiday in the field this winter, you might find yourself as a loose end for three or four months.

Here are 17 things horse owners who are currently horseless might attempt over winter…

1. Online dating

While you’ve always considered your horse to be the love of your life, the abundance of free time you now have in the evenings means you could possibly start looking for a two-legged individual to join your life. Requirements; tall, handsome and must not be allergic to animal hair.

2. Buy a new horse 

How do you replace the horse-shaped void in your life? Drain your entire life savings on a similarly shaped replacement as a winter project.

3. Join a gym

If your horse is out at grass, the lack of mucking out, daily yard chores and riding, coupled with the wealth of food on offer at this time of year might not be the best for your waist line. With your horse losing some fitness over winter, if both of you are flagging in the new year, getting ready for next season might be more of a challenge.

4. Take up a sport

If the gym life isn’t for you, maybe joining a new sports team could be the answer to maintaining your fitness levels. The ‘team’ part might throw you off at first, as your used to the ‘every man for himself ’ philosophy of equestrian competition.

5. Meet up with other horse owners

Who’s up for a weekly meet up where we pine after long weekend hacks, horse shows and the smell of haylage?

6. Ride someone else’s horse

Not everyone chooses to give their horse some time off work, so take advantage of this and steal a few rides on an alternative mount so you’re not as rusty when your horse is brought back in to work. Especially as he’s likely to be feeling slightly fresh after some R&R…

7. Buy a third horse

Wealthy people with substantial acreage and stabling, see point 2.

8. Take a holiday

If you compete during the summer, chances are any spare funds are spent on entries, so get away for some sun or snow and experience what normal people call ‘a holiday.’

Continued below…

9 things you quickly discover while competing in muddy conditions

Here’s just a few problems we face while

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9. Get a part-time job

More to spend on achieving next season’s goals. Work now, play later.

10. Get married/have a baby

It’s likely that these momentous occasions were put in motion well before winter came along, but hardcore equestrians might schedule them around the competition calendar to ensure they don’t miss out on any of the ‘biggies’ which land on the same dates each season. Organisation is key.

11. Redecorate

With no time for anything domestic all year, the winter can provide the ideal opportunity for a home refurb.

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A rider who sustained a badly broken arm after a revving motorbike spooked her horse wants to raise awareness of the support on offer.

Zoe Hewer was injured in the fall from her horse Reggie two years ago but as the motorcyclist left the scene, thought she had no options in terms of seeking compensation.

But when a family member saw a piece in H&H about the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB), which compensates victims of uninsured or untraceable drivers, she realised this was not the case.

Her claim was settled last week but she had already benefited from physiotherapy and counselling funded by the MIB.

“I tell everyone about it now!” Zoe told H&H. “Even if just for the physio and therapy it would be worth it as accidents like this can leave you with lasting injuries, physical and mental.”

Zoe was hacking out with her stepson Harvey, on mountains near their yard in Wales, on 7 October 2017. They were on their way back to the yard when a motorbike came alongside.

“It was next to us, revving its engine,” Zoe said. “It startled my horse, who galloped down the road – and the bike kept up with us.

“He kept revving the engine, which spooked Reggie even more, then stopped opposite the drive to the stables.”

Reggie knew his way home and Zoe managed to stop him at the top of the drive. But as she turned to call for Harvey – who had managed to pull his pony Millie up out of the way – a second bike appeared.

“The first bike must have been waiting for him,” Zoe said. “But the second one was revving too, which startled Reggie more. I was completely off-balance because I was twisted round shouting to Harvey and I came off.

“Fortunately, he galloped towards the stables; if we’d been on the road, he might have gone towards the village and it could have been even worse.”

It was later found Zoe had broken her upper arm in the fall.

“I snapped my humerus completely,” she said. “The pain was horrendous; I stood up and fell back on to the tarmac.

“I was thinking something wasn’t right; I could feel my arm crunching and thought ‘that’s not a good sign’.

“I’d felt my head bounce on the ground; I’m so glad I had my hat on as I think it would have been lights out otherwise.”

Zoe was sent home in a sling as it was not possible to put her arm in plaster, and doctors hoped it would heal on its own.

But eight weeks later, there had been no progress, which she was told is sometimes the case, so she had to undergo an operation, to have the bone plated and pinned.

“That took me straight back to the start,” she said. “I’d been unable to do anything for myself at first but had got used to shuffling around, then you go back to day one.”

Zoe also had to cope with the return of the breast cancer for which she had already been treated, on the same side as the broken arm. This was successfully treated but “it added to the complexity”, she said.

“I also had problems with my neck and shoulders, which are ongoing,” she added.

“Then my father-in-law saw the article in H&H. I read it and thought ‘let’s give it a shot’, so I rang the lawyer in it, Hanna Campbell.”

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£12,000 compensation for rider trampled by horse in road accident

‘All I saw was the car slowing down – he must have seen what happened – and then driving off

Mainstream motor insurer aims to educate drivers on passing horses

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Zoe, who is now riding again, on Millie, said she wants other riders to be aware of the MIB.

“There is support there,” she said. “The consequences of an accident can be horrendous; not just breaking your arm but everything else that goes with it and this has really made a difference.

“If it hadn’t been for the H&H article, it wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”

Hanna Campbell of HorseSolicitor, who acted for Zoe in the claim, said: “I hope this case raises awareness of a rider’s right to claim compensation even in cases where the driver fails to stop and cannot be traced. A vehicle does not have to have made contact with you or your horse for the driver to be held responsible for the accident. It’s just as negligent to spook a horse by driving past too close or too quickly as it is to crash into them.

“The MIB exists to compensate people who have been injured by negligent drivers, either untraced or uninsured. A small portion of the money paid for all car and motorbike insurance policies goes to the MIB, which acts as an insurer of last resort.”

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