This week my competition news comes from France where I had four horses competing at Bethune CSI3*. It was one of those ‘nearly’ weeks.
The horses all felt on great form, but I just had a touch of four-fault-itis. However, there were still some great moments particularly with Z7 Caretina who came fourth in the seven-year-old class. She is a great mare and I’m really excited to see what the future holds. The main man, Z7 Cash Up, put in an incredible effort in the 1.55m to just breathe on a rail and have it down, but I’m still so proud of him and everything he is doing at the moment. We have such a busy schedule and he just keeps on giving me such lovely rounds.
You will see in my vlog that sadly it was my last show with the amazing Rosie. She has been the most vital and brilliant part of my support team. The horses all adore her, they always look amazing and I have loved working with her. Myself and the rest of the Breen Team are so sad to see her go but wish her all the luck in the world with her next adventure.
There have also been two pieces of quite exciting news. Firstly, I am thrilled to announce that I am now a brand ambassador for Kaval International who sell the most amazing riding wear, for both competition and at home. I am so grateful for their support and to Stride Management, who look after all of my PR, marketing and sponsorship, who have guided me through the whole process. Stride will be supporting me with all of my responsibilities as an ambassador, as with my hectic show schedule, I need all the help I can get! I will be wearing Kaval products from now on, so have a look at my Instagram to see the latest equestrian fashion from them.
Georgia has been flat out competing in the UK and in Europe — here she gives us a tour around…
Onto the second piece of news — the amazing Z7 Cash Up and I have been selected for the senior nations cup team at the Lisbon CSIO3* next week! This is will be my first appearance on a senior team and I am still pinching myself that I have made the cut. My team mates are Ellen Whitaker, Amy Inglis (a fellow Sussex girl) and Jake Saywell (another former Breen Team member — watch out for an intro from him in my vlog). To say I am excited is an understatement, but I am just trying to treat it as any other show and make sure Cash Up has the best possible preparation.
My next vlog will be all about my experience in Lisbon, Portugal so make sure to check back in to see how the team and I get on!
G
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In this week’s edition, out on 24 May, don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.
Whether your father is super keen or a reluctant equestrian, here are 11 perfect Father’s Day gifts to say thank you on 17 June for all he does to support your horsey endeavours.
NB: The shopping links below are provided to help you buy these items. We earn a small commission from these links.
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These belts were originally made in team colours of Argentinian polo teams. Nowadays they have become quite the fashion among rural and equestrian folk. Each belt is hand-stitched and is makes a useful, but fun present for your father. Buy now: Carlos Diaz Argentinian polo belts from £24.99
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For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Even the relatively gloomy UK climate can pose a threat to equine skin. Ultraviolet (UV) rays affect horses in much the same way as they do humans, the only difference being that horses cannot develop any resistance by tanning — although hair does provide some protection.
Overexposure to sun can leave horses with reddened, scaly skin or, in more severe cases, painful blisters that may ooze a fluid or serum.
Should we stock up on sunscreens to protect sensitive skin?
“Light-skinned horses and those with any areas of white, damaged or depigmented skin are at particular risk from sun damage, even on cloudy days when UV levels may still be high,” says Dr Philip Ivens from Buckingham Equine Vets. “Cover small areas such as the flesh between the nostrils with sunblock — preferably a zinc oxide cream that has antibacterial properties.
“You can use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) of 30-55, but check the ingredients as some horses are sensitive to the chemical PABA [para-aminobenzoic acid],” he adds. “Look for hypoallergenic sunscreens and those marketed for children, as they are formulated for sensitive skin and offer high levels of protection. Waterproof creams will not wash off in water troughs or on dewy grass, but always spot-test any products not made specifically for horses on a small area of skin in case of adverse reaction.”
Philip explains that excessive UV radiation can incite a skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
“The best defence is to provide grazing horses with plenty of field shade in the form of a shelter, thick hedging or trees,” he says. “Reduce exposure by avoiding peak UV times (10am to 3pm) or by turning horses out at night. Face masks and rugs that are UV-resistant are a good idea for horses susceptible to problems.”
Pesky flies
Flies can prove a persistent problem, plaguing horses indoors and out. Ready yourself for the onslaught this summer with advice from H&H vet Karen Coumbe MRCVS of Bell Equine.
“A long-lasting fly spray, applied regularly, can be effective,” she says. “Home-made repellents with oils such as citronella may help, but insecticides known as synthetic pyrethroids — especially permethrin or cypermethrin — offer the best defence against biting horse flies and the small, black flies that commonly feed around the horse’s face, neck and underside. However, try a tiny amount of any fly repellent before more widespread use, as many of the more effective products contain the relatively strong substance DEET, which is used in a variety of mosquito repellents for humans. A patch test on a hairless area of the horse’s inner thigh, if he will tolerate it, will reveal any sensitivity to the ingredients.
“Minimising areas where flies breed and gather will help,” adds Karen, who also advises practising good yard hygiene. “Fly traps or tapes are a good idea, as long as they are fixed securely and placed well out of your horse’s reach.
“Barriers such as face masks, neck covers and anti-midge or turnout rugs can offer excellent protection, but take care that items fit well and are checked regularly. Sadly, we recently had to remove a horse’s eye after he suffered severe ocular trauma when his fly mask slipped.”
Cracked hooves
When it comes to cracked hooves, the answer is not found in a can, according to farrier Fraser Youngson AWCF.
“The main summer challenge is rapid hoof growth,” he says, and explains that warmer temperatures and a boost in nutrition from spring grass are less of a drain on a horse’s metabolism than winter conditions, and promote the development of new horn.
“An effective solution for poor hoof condition is regular shoeing and hoof care. A horse who will go six to seven weeks between farriery sessions in winter will need a trim every four to five weeks maximum in summer. When the clenches have risen and the shoe is becoming loose, damage to the hoof is already occurring.
“Horn quality does tend to deteriorate in summer, especially when the weather changes from wet to dry and back,” adds Fraser, likening hoof horn to wood that shrinks and swells. “Hooves tend to be strongest with constant conditions. Repeated saturation can be problematic, especially in hot weather when they then dry rapidly.
“Products with natural ingredients should do no harm and improve hoof appearance, but regular attention from the farrier is the key to condition,” he says. “Good nutrition should improve long-term hoof health, but weak hooves may benefit from a supplement with a range of ingredients such as zinc, biotin and methionine.”
Leg cooling
Hammering across hard ground in summer can leave a horse feeling sore. David Rowlands MRCVS of Penbode Equine Vets explains the science behind cold therapy.
“The effects of cooling include constriction of blood vessels (known as vasoconstriction) and reduced blood flow, resulting in a decrease in any bleeding or swelling within the soft tissues,” he says. “Nerve conduction is also lessened, reducing pain. A lower metabolic rate, in turn, reduces cell death from hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), which helps preserve tissue health and can shorten healing time.”
A good old-fashioned hose pipe or a bag of chopped ice should do the trick, but may not be practical — especially away from home. Are ice boots, pastes and gels as effective?
“Cold therapy can be achieved via several methods and new products are always evolving,” says David. “But, horses are more likely to tolerate simpler systems.
“The key factor is temperature,” he explains. “To be most effective, tissue temperatures must be reduced to between 15 and 19°C — any lower than 10°C and tissue damage can occur. Timing is critical, especially in the case of acute injury, as cold therapy will have greatest effect if applied immediately and within 48 hours.
Apply cold or iced water for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. In case of soft tissue injury, such as superficial digital flexor tendonitis, further cooling is often required at intervals of between 30 minutes and four hours.
“Avoid applying ice directly to the skin,” adds David, who advises using a damp cloth as a buffer to protect tissue and dissipate the cold.
Electrolyte support
A horse loses around 10g of electrolytes per litre of sweat, according to Natalie McGoldrick MRVCS of South Coast Equine Vets.
“Electrolytes control many bodily functions, including muscle contraction, and play a vital role in the transmission of nerve impulses,” she says. “Hay, chaff, grass and hard feed are typically low in sodium, yet this is a vital thirst regulator.
“Electrolyte deficiencies can cause poor performance and recovery from exercise, as well as exertional rhabdomyolysis (ERM, also known as ‘tying up’),” she adds. “It’s not just competition horses who need electrolytes in the summer months — consider supplementing any horse in work, especially if he has no hard feed.”
What should we look for on the ingredients label?
“Definitely sodium, but also chloride, calcium, magnesium and potassium,” says Natalie, adding that competitors should check the contents for banned substances. “Ideally, an electrolyte supplement should have a high sodium chloride content, less than 5% sugar and not many added extras. Table salt can be used for a horse in very light work, but will not replace the full spectrum of electrolytes.
“Supplements can be fed in paste form, mixed into feed or added to the horse’s water, although the latter can make it difficult to monitor intake and the taste may discourage the horse from drinking,” says Natalie, who recommends giving a supplement daily.
Kentucky designer Derek di Grazia and I have been talking a lot recently about how horses see. We believe increasing understanding of this has big
implications for eventing safety. Horses are prey animals — they have a good range of vision to the sides, but they miss about 10° directly in front and behind them. So as horses approach a fence, they increasingly pull their information from the sides. We can use fence decoration to help horses read the question.
For example, trees around the fence should be placed about one foot in front of the leading edge (the take-off side of the jump), rather than level with it. This will encourage the horse not to get too deep and take off too close to the fence.
The trees should ideally be slightly taller than the fence, to give the horse the impression the leading edge is little higher than it is.
The hardest fence for a horse to read is a spread with the flags on the back — as the horse gets closer, he reads the flags, but misses the leading edge, risking hitting it.
Nothing is a complete solution in eventing safety, but this is a different way of looking at it — if we can help horses understand the question, we might not need so many frangible fences. I have been using this knowledge on my courses at all levels this year and it really reduces the number of fallers.
Changing courses
This was my third year overseeing the CIC2* at Rockingham. Budget is always a factor at one-day events and it takes time to make changes.
The first year you’re basically putting on a plaster — getting rid of the bad fences and making the moderate ones as good as possible. In the second and third years, a designer can start to put in new fences to get close to the course you want. After that, there must be a policy of replacing a few fences each year as the old ones deteriorate. Without ongoing investment, an organiser will suddenly need to replace 10 to 15 fences at once, which is expensive.
Although the ground at Rockingham had a hard crust, it was soft underneath and broke up well when aerated. Horses travelled well on it, so with sunshine and a new title sponsor in Fairfax & Favor, the event came together nicely.
New rules
The FEI is currently rewriting the abuse of the horse rule after the fallout following Oliver Townend’s warning for over-use of the whip at Badminton. The new rule will make it clearer to riders and the ground jury what is and isn’t acceptable.
The FEI also recognises that showjumping is becoming very influential following the change of scoring this year to decrease the dressage influence.
As such, it is looking at bringing in a change to award one time-fault per four seconds commenced over the time allowed in the showjumping (as in the pure discipline), rather than the current rule of one time-fault per second. This will mean three or four seconds over the optimum shouldn’t cost a rider 15 places, again a positive move.
Finally, I am in favour of Mark Todd’s idea of trialling a split of the ground jury role to put separate experts in charge of each phase (comment, 24 May). Having the right people in the right roles can only improve the professionalism of former Olympic team gold decisions in our sport.
Riders are invited to donate their brains to help form a greater understanding the long-term effects of concussion in sport.
The International Concussion and Head Injury Research Foundation (ICHIRF), led by Dr Michael Turner, is exploring whether repeated head trauma leads to neurological problems later in life (news, 28 January, 2016).
The project involves in-depth screening of jockeys, riders and other athletes who have had concussion, comparing their results to control subjects.
Dr Turner told H&H the next stage is to look at whether concussion can lead to the neurodegenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE can only be diagnosed after death, when the brain can be examined for evidence. This is where the brain donation scheme comes into play.
“It sounds very gory but when you talk to friends, most are organ donors and have already come to the conclusion that they are happy to give up their organs to somebody else to save their life,” he said.
“We don’t need the brain to be active. We’re happy to wait until you’ve finished with it.”
Dr Turner explained that those donating their brains must be involved in the screening process, although those who are screened as part of the concussion project do not have to sign up to donate their brains.
ICHIRF is looking for controls and those who have been concussed for brain donations, as well as more people, preferably aged over 50 to sign up for the screening process, which is free for participants.
The brain donation scheme is organised alongside the Queen’s Square Brain Bank at the UCL Institute of Neurology. Each brain examination will cost £5,000 and ICHIRF is looking for more sponsors of scheme.
For further information about the brain donation scheme and the ICHIRF project, including comments from Richard Pitman and Bob Champion, don’t miss this week’s H&H magazine, out on Thursday (31 May)
(THANK YOU, EVERYONE for sending prayers, great thoughts and donations to the ER BUCKET FUND for The Golden Carrot yesterday. We are very, very close to our goal. Amazing. Thank you.)
NORMA JEAN is SHEDDING IN MAY! She hasn’t done this in 10 years! I really think Gina is a miracle worker!
Earlier this month, I told you about Gina Vetro and her homeopathic/ayurvedic remedies that have brought my donkey back from the brink (after 3 vets just said she was “old” – I knew I was losing her). You can read that story here.
Soooooooooo, the next hugely big news is that Norma Jean is shedding! SHEDDING! Norma hasn’t shed earlier than August in years. YEARS!
They say donkeys don’t get Cushings, but they get Fatty Liver Disease, and there is nothing anyone can do. Well, I am going to say that there IS something you can do… Call Gina!
LOOK at how happy and engaged Norma is now… and she is shedding, trotting around, being loving and defiant, giving her opinion and demanding attention – finally – again!
I am thrilled.
Please, if you have a horse that is ‘off’ and you know it. Call Gina!
THE FINAL TEST WILL BE HER SUMMER DONKEY PSORIASIS… but even if it comes back, I’m still thrilled with Norma’s surge in health!
Norma has gotten donkey psoriasis on her legs every summer for the last 5 summers. I have something that gets rid of it (MAJOR’S SOLUTION/Fungus Free – no affiliation), but it would be great if it didn’t come at all!
When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Inc.
Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!
Sponsorship is getting increasingly difficult to secure for riders at all levels. Whether you’re competing at four-star or just starting to make your way up the grades, sponsorship and its allocation to you relies on many things. It’s not just how good you are in the saddle. A blend of social media prowess, what else you can offer the company and your character are factors too. And, more than this, when the sponsorship is secured, that’s just the start.
Over the years, we’ve seen many brands ‘drop’ riders for various reasons. Sometimes a contract or agreed time simply expires and is not renewed. In other cases something happens and the company is forced into making a decision one way or another. Sometimes, the company may come out in support of a rider, but often they’ll go quiet and wait for the storm to pass or, depending on the ‘severity’ of the issue and/or how this aligns with the brand’s values and customers, they may decide to walk away.
It’s not just how a rider or equestrian behaves in his or her professional career that can cause a parting of the ways. Incidences that are deemed socially unacceptable or illegal can also cause an agreement to terminate, as can a breach of contract.
Marta Kotonska is the managing director of fast-growing brand Eqclusive and supports a number of riders and grooms.
“For us, loyalty is important as is work ethic. We expect our sponsored team to use our products, to wear appropriate branded clothing and be an active part of what we’re doing to promote our brand. These are all written into the contract we sign with the sponsored person before we start. We have a lot people who are incredibly keen to work with us so we have a framework to give people the opportunities to do this.”
As for more serious matters, that’s written into the contract too.
“We have a specific clause stating that we can drop a rider banned by FEI, involved with doping or not fulfilling the clauses above. Luckily we have never had to do this. We came close once, but after a very honest conversation we managed to move forward, and we’re really pleased we did.”
For Annabel Brocks, managing director of Annabel Brocks and Hawkins Organic, welfare also remains at the forefront of her mind.
“For any riders we sponsor, one of the most important things to me is welfare and care of their horses and not just what you see in the public eye. We normally spend quite a lot of time with riders before becoming associated with them to ensure this and it’s a real deal breaker for us.
“We wouldn’t work with anyone who we felt was negligent in any area and would have no issue in terminating an agreement if an incident was reviewed and we felt it was detrimental to our brand. We’re very fair and appreciate there’s two sides to every story, but welfare is essential to what we do and what we believe.”
There’s so many aspects to sponsorship and with social media becoming a bigger and bigger part in many brands’ marketing strategies, the response on social media to a particular event can definitely influence a decision too. Sponsored riders, in addition to all of the above, are selected because the attributes they possess either echo or complement a brand’s, and the reach that that person has, to people with shared views, can be hugely valuable. If something happens to compromise this, whether it’s a welfare issue, being banned, doing something illegal or frowned upon, brands will review how to move forward.
Equestrian PR and marketing consultant Rhea Freeman offers her advice about becoming a brand ambassador — and making the most…
If something does start to go south, burying your head in the sand is not the best option. Being open and honest, and keeping the lines of communication open is, often, the very best chance of either maintaining a sponsorship or, at the very least, parting on the best terms possible.
The cost implications when a brand decides to support a rider are one thing, but the damage that can be done to a brand if the rider no longer aligns with their customers can cost a lot more, and this is something many brands will consider before parting ways with a rider.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In the latest edition (24 May), don’t miss our “cob special”, including how to find the perfect cob, meet champion cob Our Cashel Blue and more.
World number one showjumper Harrie Smolders has bought a one-third share in the British-produced six-year-old stallion Escape Z.
The son of the Dutchman’s Olympic partner Emerald was bred in Holland by Willem van Hoof and has been produced in the UK since a three-year-old by Danielle Ryder.
In 2016 he claimed the national four-year-old title at Addington and last year was named leading five-year-old stallion at the world young horse championships in Lanaken.
The 166cm (16.1hh) chestnut will remain in the UK with Danielle — who along with his breeder Willem retains a one-third share — to produce for the next year and a half.
“I am often away from home and he would not get enough exercise at my place. He has to keep up with his peers, no more. Hopefully he will be the successor of his sire Emerald,” Harrie said.
“He is a very remarkable horse. I believe that he has great quality and enough power to cover wide oxers. I am always looking for horses like that. As long as they have something exceptional, the right instincts, things you can not change as a rider.”
Danielle said Harrie — who claimed a European individual silver medal last year with the British-produced stallion Don VHP — had confidence in the UK’s young horse system.
“Harrie has known the horse for a year and a half and followed him since he did his first international shows as a five-year-old, then he saw him jump at Lanaken on the z-tour and he approached us from there,” Danielle said. “He will ride him a few times over the next two years and then take him over as an eight-year-old. He knows Willem well and trusts us 200%.”
Danielle, who runs Sports Horse Direct, has been sourcing horses from Willem for 14 years and believes Escape Z is the best to have passed through her hands.
“We’ve had a feeling from the horse from the beginning,” she said. “I always believed in him, Harrie believed in him before he rode him and when he sat on him he said he was even better than he thought. He can make power from nothing.
“He’s a simple horse to ride because he’s so balanced and easy in his character. I can collect [semen] off him in the morning and go to a show in afternoon, but in the ring he’s a fighter — he only ever sees the jumps and is totally focussed on his job.”
Horse & Hound’s guest showjumping columnist on why reducing the schedule works better
Escape Z has some superb competition bloodlines, being out of the mare Promesse (Heartbreaker x Cathargo), who is also the dam of the popular five-star grand prix stallion Untouchable 27.
Escape has already made a mark on the breeding world, having served 70 mares last year. His foal Escape The Opposition was awarded the best show jumping foal at the BEF Futurity, achieving the highest points of any age and any category in 2017.
As well as continuing with stud duties, the AES and Zangersheide-approved stallion will be aimed at newcomers second rounds this year and will also contest the six-year-old classes at Lanaken.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Teenage showjumper Olli Fletcher has soared into the record books as the youngest ever winner of an Area Trial.
These 1.50m classes are some of the most prestigious on the national circuit and always a highly competitive affair, so when 15-year-old Olli, son of the great showjumpers Graham and Tina Fletcher, was handed the red ribbon at Wales and West last weekend (18-21 May), it was a truly momentous moment for the whole family.
“The first round asked plenty of questions and it wasn’t over until you’d jumped the last, but the jump-off was smooth and flowing,” says Olli, who was riding the 15-year-old former eventer KBIS Caicos.
“He’s amazing, lovely to ride and has so much scope that every fence is like jumping a vertical.”
Olli would love to follow in his mother’s footsteps and win the Hickstead Derby, but his immediate aims are a place on the junior European jumping team and a tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at the Royal International.
“I’d love a crack at the Derby, but rules say I’ve got to wait three years until I’m 18,” says Olli. “Caicos has already jumped it with [former rider] Alfie Bradstock and although he’s 15 now, he thinks he’s seven.”
Olli’s father Graham reckons he didn’t win his first Area Trial until the age of 16, so son Olli is already giving him a very good run for his money.
“To win a Trial at his age is a great achievement,” Graham told H&H. “Your only hope as a parent is that your children do better than you, and, with the right rub of the green, I think he could go on to do very well.
“I’d say Olli is a pretty similar personality to me – a bit cocky and, like my Dad had to do to me, sometimes I have to keep him in check! But I would say his riding is a lot more stylish than mine was, but I think every rider has to be nowadays just because of the type of horses they’re riding. The courses back then were a fair bit gutsier and tougher, too — you had to ride with a bit more vigour, shall we say!”
From Broomstick the skinny thoroughbred who liked to take off, to the German-bred Kraut, some funny horse names are so bad, they’re unforgettably good…
1. Houdini
Obvious reasons, found wandering around the stable yard.
2. Bunny Killer
Real name Murphy but nick-named Bunny Killer as he trampled some rabbits to death in his field.
3. Badly
Always amusing to hear: “next in, we have Jo Bloggs riding Badly”…
4. Clear So Far
Talk about jinxing every jumping round and being condemned to a life of having the first fence down.
5. Prudence
She opened gates, her stable door, untied ropes, went into the feed room and flipped up lids, and even climbed through electric fencing. But she always weighed up the pros and cons of her actions so she never got hurt.
6. Bandit
A Shetland pony. He was very naughty and always up to mischief. A perfect match for his name.
7. Hannibal Lector
Used to kill rats in his stable. Also one day turned to the horse in the stable next door and bit its tongue out.
8. Snoreen
He actually snores when he’s asleep. It’s hilarious.
9. Puff
This little grey pony farted a lot at Pony Club.
10. Wotsit
We could never remember his name. We’d say “Y’know, what’s his name”, and eventually Wotsit stuck.
11. Lucky Strike
Turned out to be a ringer. Not such a lucky strike!
12. Trauma
He had a difficult birth. Life was a bit of an uphill struggle for him with that name.
13. Heidi
A 12hh Welsh mountain pony. She was palomino with long blonde locks.
14. Nipper
A 14.2hh New Forest/thoroughbred who used to mistake hair for hay.
15. Spirit Of Independence
She was born on 4 July… Independence day. But she was certainly a ‘free spirit’ and would ditch her rider at any given opportunity.
16. Pants
His actual stable name is Smartie, but somewhere along the line this evolved into Smartie-pants, then just Pants. Cue funny looks calling his name at shows.
17. Broomstick
A skinny bay thoroughbred who liked to take off.
18. Frog
He was imported from France.
19. Kraut
She was German-bred.
20. Treasure
A 12hh Welsh chestnut mare and a total pain in every way possible. Banned from Pony Club. Had a nasty rearing habit. Not a Treasure in any way, shape or form.
21. VIP
Which has, bizarrely, been elongated for his stable name into Very Important Peanut — or Peanut if we’re feeling lazy.
22. Hoarse
A Canadian horse with a minor respiratory problem. Bit of a cruel name, but also inspired.
23. OP
He’s ginger and it stands for Orange Pony. He is even freezmarked OP.
24. Horsey McHorseFace
A racehorse named after Boaty McBoat Face. He is now in training in Australia.