Equine vet Katie Brickman and Black Jack V defied the odds to return from serious injuries and take the lead in Horse & Hound Festival of Eventing’s 70cm class.

The pair performed a polished test in Keysoe’s main arena to score of 25.75, putting them at the head of the 39-strong section at the Bedfordshire event (26-28 May).

This is the horse’s first event since tearing his middle patella ligament inside his stifle in a field accident l8 months ago.

The eight-year-old gelding had been having time off while Katie recovered from a life-threatening injury at work.

The Malton-based rider, who leads Minster Equine Veterinary was carrying a bottle of antibiotics at work, when she fell and the glass smashed into her left hand, severing the main artery in her wrist and tendons in her hand.

Now the pair are both back in action and have a one penalty lead ahead of second placed Georgie Siggers and Roy The Rascal, with Sally Pidsey and Tranwheal Tineth Moon in third 28.25.

“He was absolutely fantastic, really good today,” said a delighted Katie.

“He was a bit fresh in the warm-up but as soon as we got into the arena he was switched on, listening and knew what he was doing so we were smiling all the way round.

“We were given a really guarded prognosis for him ever to come back to being ridden again [after the accident] let alone to event, so he has had a long time in the stable and we’ve brought him back into exercise very gradually.

“He has come back even better than he was before.”

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Medics told Katie that she may never regain full strength in her hand again due to the extent of her injuries.

“We both had a bit of a terrible year last year, but I think the fact we were both off has made us come back together — I feel like we have come back stronger and he feels the best he ever has to me.”

Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk

Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how whether adding salt to feed is necessary and why table salt is preferable to electrolytes as a source of sodium

Q: “Should I add salt to feed? I was reading an article the other day that was recommending adding salt to feed even if horses have a salt lick. So I’m wondering if people do and if any improvements are seen? Both of my horses have free access Himalayan salt licks, and they use them. One of them can get through a 4kg one in a matter of weeks (two weeks was her record) and the other isn’t far behind her. With them being such enthusiastic consumers I’m not sure if adding salt to their feeds is the way to go for us. What are the benefits and drawbacks of feeding salt and do I need to add more into my horse’s feeds? Thanks.”

A: Firstly although everyone knows feeding salt is something to do with hydration, its role is often misunderstood. In basic terms, salt is the most common source of electrolytes, comprising sodium and chloride which alongside magnesium, potassium and calcium, are responsible for maintaining water balance within the body and play a vital role in nerve and muscle function.

When a horse sweats they obviously lose water from their body, but also a considerable amount of electrolyte. This is why you need to replace them in the diet. However for most horses in light work, providing a salt lick either in the stable or field is sufficient to meet their sodium requirements. The other main electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium and calcium will be supplied from their diet.

Continued below…

Related articles:

• H&H forum: find out what H&H readers suggested
• 19 super-fast facts about feeding your horse
• Read more expert feeding advice

For your horses there is no need to add salt into their feed as they have a salt block. Although consuming 4kg in two weeks is a little excessive — that’s more than 10 times their daily requirement, so this is worth keeping an eye on especially if they start drinking excessively. Some horses can become addicted to eating salt blocks and if this is the case, you may need to remove them and add a small amount ½-1 tbsp per day into their feed. For horses in harder work who are sweating regularly and/or travelling, adding in 1-3 tbsp of salt should cover typical electrolyte losses.

Although, there are many electrolyte products on the market, a lot of them don’t include sufficient levels of sodium making table salt the best option. In addition, many commercial electrolyte products contain other ingredients such as sugar and trace elements which are unnecessary.

Continued below…

A word of warning if you choose to use an electrolyte syringe — make sure your horse has plenty of access to fresh water or you could end up inadvertently dehydrating them even more as this will cause large fluid shifts into the gut. Electrolytes themselves do not hydrate your horse — they are always needed in conjunction with water.

So there you see, it doesn’t have to be so complicated. If you would like any further advice on electrolyte supplementation please call the SPILLERS Careline on 01908 22 66 26.

Today I clean for our guests who arrive at 3pm!

HERE WE GO!

Amazing.

The article said the horse was fine… that is lava behind him.

Ha!

Sweet.

Fall colors in Spring

Yikes!

Yup!

Hubby sent this one to me…

Thank you, Becky. Gorgeous.

I love this!

Handsome.

The Gentle Barn

Oh I just want to dive in there!!!

Mother Nature is amazing.

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Revellers have been banned from bringing sky lanterns or balloons to a major festival.

The RSPCA has welcomed the news that BBC Radio One has included lanterns and balloons on its list of prohibited items for its “Biggest Weekend” in Swansea (26-27 May).

Numerous horses, and other animals, have been injured or killed by balloons and lanterns in recent years.

Parts can be eaten by animals, or cause entanglement or entrapment, which can lead to injury, stress or even death.

RSPCA wildlife expert Llewelyn Lowen said the preventative action by BBC Radio One is “really positive news”.

“It was a cause for celebration recently when Wales’ council land became a no-fly zone for dangerous sky lanterns — so it’s great news to see Radio One reminding attendees of the Biggest Weekend not to bring them along,” he said.

“It’s such a big event for the city of Swansea; so it’s a great way to again highlight to the public as to the dangers of sky lanterns.

“These devices can have deadly consequences and a devastating impact for pets, farm and — perhaps most pertinently — wild animals.

“Releasing helium balloons, or deflated balloon litter, also poses a risk to animals, so it’s welcome also that Radio One are urging Biggest Weekend goers not to bring these along either.”

Article continues below…

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The RSPCA lobbied for local authorities to ban the release of sky lanterns on council-owned land in Wales.

In February, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council became the 22nd and final Welsh local authority to ban the release of lanterns on its land.

The RSPCA is now campaigning for the Welsh government to introduce a countrywide ban on releasing the objects on private land.

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.

Take a virtual walk around the 80cm cross-country course at the 2018 H&H Festival of Eventing.

The cross-country of this three-day unaffiliated event takes place on Sunday (27 May).

Fence 1 (yellow numbers)

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Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing in Horse & Hound magazine — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk.

Eventer Matthew Wright has been found guilty of two equine passport falsifications relating to vaccinations and fined CHF1,500 (£1,133) by an FEI tribunal.

The decision, published on 11 May, related to an incident at Osberton International Horse Trials on 28 Sept – 2 Oct 2016, where Matthew had two horses entered, The Artist Almost Famous and MHS Twenty Twenty.

Anomalies were spotted in the vaccination records of both of his entries by the event’s veterinary delegate Alison (Ali) Butler. She noticed that the passport of MHS Twenty Twenty used the stamp of veterinary practice Hall and Lawrence, which was no longer in existence in that name.

There was no vaccination batch number noted, and the name of the vet was crossed out.

The entry was also signed “Ali Butler” — the same name as the veterinary delegate — though she confirmed it was not her signature.

The Artist Almost Famous’ passport was described as in a “very poor state” and the vaccination also had no batch number or veterinary stamp.

While Matthew was later able to provide a letter and a printout of clinical records to confirm that MHS Twenty Twenty had been vaccinated, he was not able to provide records for The Artist Almost Famous.

According the report, Matthew “admitted at the time of the event to have written the details in the passports in a meeting with Alison Butler (veterinary delegate), Howard Newitt (assistant veterinary delegate) and Simon Bere (technical delegate)” but later changed his explanation.

In a submission to the FEI on 13 June 2017, Matthew — who withdrew his horses from the event — claimed that his groom Lukasz Orywal had been responsible for the falsification.

The FEI did not consider this to be a valid defence, however, as the rider is considered the person responsible (PR) for their horses at all times.

“The PR is responsible for the documentation of his horses and also for his support personnel and it is the PR’s responsibility to provide the correct documentation for the horses he competes,” the report explained.

“This case was a bit particular since firstly, Matthew admitted that he falsified the passports in a meeting with the FEI officials. After the notification of alleged falsification of the passports, he came back with explanations that the falsifications actually were made by his groom Lukasz Orywal.

“There are two different versions of how it came about. This makes it difficult to provide strong evidence to impose a sanction. Mainly since the groom is not registered with the FEI and it would therefore be difficult to impose a sanction on the groom.”

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The tribunal, which was presided over by one-man panel Dr Armand Leone, concluded that there were “still two falsifications of passports regardless of who did it,” and that the responsibility lay with the rider.

The minimum sanction that can be applied under FEI rules is a CHF1,000 fine. Having agreed that there were two falsifications, Matthew accepted a fine of CHF1,500.

Matthew declined to comment for this news story, but said he would comment in his blog on the H&H website in due course.

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.

Take a virtual walk around the 70cm cross-country course at the 2018 H&H Festival of Eventing.

The cross-country of this three-day unaffiliated event takes place on Sunday (27 May).

Fence 1 (green numbers)

Fence 2

Fence 3

Fence 4

Fence 5

Fence 6

Fence 7a

Fence 7b

Fence 8

Fence 9

Fence 10

Fence 11

Fence 12

Fence 13a

Fence 13b

Fence 14

Fence 15

Fence 16

Don’t miss the full report from the H&H Festival of Eventing — on sale Thursday, 7 June and follow online at www.horseandhound.co.uk.

Enjoy some of our favourite updates from equestrian social media channels during the past week. From some fabulous Royal wedding moments to a cat loving dressage horse, it all happened on social media this week.

Don’t miss the exciting competition on this weekly page. Our favourite tweet each week will win either an Apatchy mini tablet case or an Apatchy cosmetic bag, personalised with your own initials. For more information about the competition and to find out who this week’s winner is, go to the bottom of this page.

Equestrian social media posts of the week

How sweet

Interesting technique…

When Harry Meade photo bombed George and Amal Clooney

Flying

Synchronised salute

Real life My Little Pony

Interpretive dance

And congratulations to this week’s Social Media Post of the Week winner

While most people were fixated by Harry and Meghan during the Royal wedding, we were more interested in the horses

If you like this, why not follow @horseandhound on twitter today?

Tweet of the week competition

The winner of the Horse & Hound tweet of the week competition can also be found by searching Twitter for #HHTweetOfTheWeek. The winner will receive an Apatchy mini tablet case (pictured left) or an Apatchy cosmetic bag (pictured below right), personalised with their initials.

Apatchy are designers and makers of bespoke lifestyle gifts. Their ranges include wash, cosmetic, travel and sports bags, which can be instantly personalised or customised without the need for sewing, gluing or ironing. To find out more about Apatchy’s unique personalised products and their wonderful gift wrapping service, visit www.apatchy.co.uk

A riding instructor has urged dog-walkers to ensure they can control their pets after she broke her arm and two horses were bitten in a frightening attack.

Gemma Collison is now struggling to care for her nine-month-old baby and four-year-old son following the incident on 12 May, and has also been forced to cancel all her summer competition plans.

Both her homebred Lusitano Esperanzo and the riding school’s part-bred Lusitano Celeste were injured when a Staffordshire bull terrier broke loose on Kessingland Beach, Suffolk, where Gemma was hacking with two clients.

“We’d walked past a lady and a dog and the dog was on a lead, then 10 minutes later, as we were walking along the beach, we heard her screaming and it was obvious she had let go,” said Gemma, who is head girl at her family’s Pakefield Riding School.

“I run on the beach every day and I’ve ridden on it for years — we’ve had dogs chase us, but I’ve never had a dog attack in the manner that one did — it came straight up, teeth bared, and went in for the kill.”

Gemma said the dog initially grabbed her 16.3hh horse’s boot but she managed to smack it across the nose with her schooling whip and it let go.

It then came back and as Gemma leant down to strike it again, it sank its teeth into nine-year-old Esperanzo’s leg, which made him swerve, and Gemma fell.

“I landed on my elbow and I knew straight away I’d probably broken my arm,” she said. “Esperanzo was brilliant, he just kept circling round me even with the dog after him. I only wish one of the horses had kicked it.”

The dog also ran up to Celeste and grabbed her belly, “swinging off the floor” while attached to the horse.

Despite her injury, Gemma managed to grab the dog’s lead and shake it off.

“The lady came over and she said to me ‘Oh, I’m ever so sorry. It’s not my dog’. I said ‘I think I’ve broken my arm’ and she said ‘don’t say that’. She said ‘I can’t believe amount of blood on the dog’s mouth’. I said ‘look at my horses!’” Gemma recalled.

As Gemma checked the horses’ injuries the lady quickly walked off, but it is believed she later approached the police.

Gemma was able to hack part of the way home and then called her mother — the yard manager — for help. X-rays showed she had broken her radial head in two — while its hoped the bone will heal in six weeks, the position near the elbow could mean she will not be able to use her arm properly for six months.

“I might be able to do some winter dressage, but I won’t be able to do all the things I’ve planned — its perfect sunshine and I want to be out enjoying it,” she said. “The weekend before this, we did a ridden show and Esperanzo won his foreign breed class, was ridden champion and supreme champion.

“We planned to do the Suffolk and Norfolk [county shows] and the Lusitano breed show — it’s his first proper season as I’ve had two children in four years and now we’ll miss it.”

Esperanzo and 14-year-old Celeste both needed painkillers and antibiotics for their injuries, but are recovering well.

“Esperanzo is just turned away as he still has some swelling and Celeste is back hacking at the riding school — we’ve not had a dog chasing her yet so we don’t know how she’ll react, but we’re playing it safe and just having staff members ride her to see what she’s like and get her confidence back up.”

Gemma believes that had her horse not been wearing boots, his injuries could have been “a lot worse”.

“We have 30 horses at the riding school and at the weekends we take out rides on that beach from 9am to 4pm if the weather is good,” she said. “I’d say 90% of the people clip their dogs on leads when they see us and are very polite and we don’t have many incidents but this was horrendous.

“We were very lucky the horses behaved as well as they did. If Esperanzo had run for home with a dog chasing him there could easily have been a serious accident, he could’ve been hit by a car or anything. Fortunately I think he was worried about me and stayed with me as he’s quite a kind horse.”

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She urged dog walkers to make sure they are in control.

“That Staffie should’ve had a muzzle on and be led by someone who could handle it — the woman was in her 60s and had no chance. It was in an extender lead and its harness didn’t fit,” Gemma said.

“While most people put their dog on a lead, so many don’t and then they say ‘Oh, the dog has never seen a horse before.’ If you don’t know how the dog is going to behave, make sure you clip it on.”

A spokesman for Suffolk Police confirmed the force is continuing its inquiries into the incident.

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.

How nice would it be if all it took to transform from your hat-haired, post-yard self to a clean and polished member of non-horsey society was two flicks of your fairy godmother’s wand?

On reflection, Cinderella’s transformation was pretty easy. A few swift magic waves and there she was, ball-ready, plus no farrier required to replace her lost shoe.

Anyone who had horses will know that there are never enough hours in the day.

Trying to fit in jobs, families and a social life requires planning skills of the best PA, with extra time factored in for errant equines and becoming presentable enough for non-horsey society.

While Cinderella’s fairy godmother (sadly) is just a fairytale, a new equestrian store has come up with a way to help riders speed up their magical transformations.

Pointers Equine & Country founders Emma Grellis and Emily Purvis have set up The Muddy Nail Bar at their Forest Green store in Surrey, where riders can have their rugged hands sorted out while picking up essentials for the tack room.

No more apologising for your eau de horse, goodbye to surreptitiously pulling stray bits of hay out of your hair, all is welcome here.

“We decided to combine my nail technician skills within the shop as we know horsey people generally have pretty unloved hands so it’s nice to give them a bit of a pampering,” said Emma.

“It’s great as people can come straight from the yard and not have to think about ‘dehorseying’ beforehand.

“We all fork out for new shoes for our horses every month so why not treat ourselves?”

The pair took over the store in November and completely gutted the space, reopening on 1 December and also have an online shop and booking system.

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Clients even sit on a specially designed saddle stool — created by Emily — while their hands are treated.

“Emily is really creative and took the idea and ran with it, my face must have been a picture when she started to butcher a stool and an old saddle we bought on eBay to make the saddle stool,” added Emma.

“It has been a massive success both in store and online with 10 bookings in the first week of being open.

“Gel nails have been the most popular treatment so far as they are perfect for making nails look nice and to make them stronger with no damage to the natural nail.

“I’m even brave enough to tackle feet so with this flip-flop weather you can be sure to have as nice hooves as your horse!”

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.