As the colder weather approaches, we’ll all be thinking about how our horses are going to fair during the winter months. It can be tricky to keep your horse’s weight, immune system and health constant during the colder weather, especially for those who struggle to gain and maintain bodyweight, even in the warmer seasons. But the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to ensure that your horse is ready for the temperature to drop.

Here, we’ll go through some of the essential tips for preparing your horse for winter. That way, you can start putting things in place and rest assured that you’re ready for the new season.

Plan your winter feeds

During winter, most owners may need to consider increasing their horse’s calorie intake to meet the extra energy requirements for keeping warm in the lower temperatures. This is especially true for those who don’t gain weight easily or are even prone to losing weight.

This is best done by adding extra  forage and fibre to their diet. The best way to work out how much you should add to your horse’s feed is through regular condition scoring and consult your vet or a qualified equine nutritionist. Condition scoring your horse will help you assess whether they’re at a healthy weight going into winter, and how close they are to being under or overweight. Underweight horses will need a bit more added to their diet, but you should hold back if your horse is prone to putting on the pounds.

If you’re unsure, your vet or a nutritionist will be able to help you design a feeding routine that works for your horse that will be sustainable throughout the winter months. Horses normally need to eat around 1.5-2% of their bodyweight per day, but if your horse is prone to losing weight this can be increased. It’s useful to start planning your feeding routine now, so that you have plenty of time to tweak it and allow time to get extra hay or other supplies delivered.

Check water sources

It’s always important that horses stay hydrated  but during winter, this can be a problem because many water sources that your horse usually drinks from can become frozen. Even if the water doesn’t freeze, if it gets extremely cold then many horses won’t drink it as it feels uncomfortable.

So, at the start of the season you should conduct a check of your water sources to ensure that your horse always has access to drinking water at a reasonable temperature. If you can’t readily heat these areas, pick spots where it will be convenient for you to carry fresh drinking water to each day. Any water sources that your horse doesn’t need direct access to — such as a the tap you use to fill up buckets — can be covered at night to prevent freezing.

For outside water troughs, you can try filling a plastic water bottle with water, adding some salt, and then floating it on the top to prevent or limit freezing – a tennis ball can also work. Water buckets should also be placed within tyres to help insulate them against the cold and lower the temperature of the water slightly. Plus, this will also help prevent them from being accidentally kicked over in the stable. 

Decide how to clip your horse

In winter, horses grow a longer coat to help protect themselves from the harsher weather. While this thicker coat is practical for an unridden horse who lives out all year round, if a horse who’s in regular work sweats up a lot under saddle, it may be time for a clip to prevent him from catching a chill, and to help make grooming easier. So, if you’re planning to ride in winter, you should consider how you’re going to clip your horse’s coat.

If your horse will be working fairly hard over winter, then it might be beneficial to partially or wholly clip them, then make up for the lost warmth with a cosy rug when they’re resting. However, if your horse is older or will be resting a lot over the winter months, it’s much better to leave their winter coat unclipped.

You should also start thinking about what kind of rugs your horse will need during the season. For many horses, their own unclipped winter coat will be enough to keep them warm during turnout, but if you are expecting lots of wind, rain and snow they might need some extra help, especially to keep them from getting soaked. Clipped horses will need a thicker rug to compensate for their shorter coat.

Do a shelter check

While you should always be providing shelter for your horses throughout the year, it’s particularly important in winter. During the summer, a shelter’s function is mainly to provide shade for your horses, so you might not have noticed the odd leak in the roof or unsteady plank in the wall. But with the onset of winter weather, these shelters will need to remain dry and windproof. So, conduct a thorough check of any shelters and make sure that everything is sturdy and ready for the coming season. Repair any gaps or leaks now so you’ll be much better prepared once the weather turns. Remember that the run-in shelter should also be big enough for all the horses in the pasture to use at once, as it’s highly likely they will all want to come inside and watch the rain from their cosy corner!

You should also check any other areas that your horse might use for shelter to make sure they’re safe, too. Many horses will shelter under trees and against hay bale blocks, so it’s worth checking that there are no unsteady branches or anything else liable to cause trouble.

Shoe your horse for winter

The ground can be highly changeable during winter and can go from damp and boggy to frozen solid in a matter of days. To make it as easy as possible for your horse’s feet to adjust to the ground, it’s useful to decide on what kind of winter shoeing (or not) to go for. It’s best to consult your farrier to decide what will be best for your horse, but it will depend on a number of factors: the type of ground conditions your horse will be working on, how much work they’ll be doing and the condition of their feet.

Many people choose to only shoe their horse’s front feet during winter if their workload will be reduced, but each horse is different and if you’re going to be riding on the road regularly throughout the colder months, you might also want to consider  asking your farrier for road nails. These add extra grip to help provide some extra security for your four-legged friend when the ground is icy.

Preparing your horse for winter involves many different factors, but by using these tips you’ll set yourself and your four-legged friend up to be healthy, happy and comfortable in the colder months.

Article by Katie Allen-Clarke, Head of Marketing at Horse & Country

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Horsebox flooring has been is an area of concern for both Horsebox manufacturers, converters, horse transport companies and horse owners who have their own lorry or trailer. We have put together some solutions as a best practice guide.

Problems seem to stem from either lack of experience when fitting floors, cutting corners to save money at the new build, or conversion stage from a box, parcel van, panel van or when refitting flooring, also from lack of inspection and maintenance.

Underframe.

We will start with the conversion (e.g. from parcel van) and below the floor, as many of this type of vehicle has wider bearer spacing than horse box bodies as much as 24”/ 600mm and perhaps even greater over the rear wheels. Horses have a large mass on a small hoof area and have a habit of lifting a foot whilst standing. This coupled with a phenolic floor (Buffalo board Wisadeck etc) of perhaps 18mm or Keruing 22mm planks is not always adequate for horse box application. The floor may require removal and fitment of additional reinforcing bearers, drain holes or drain channels and sealing all floor joints, cut edges and screws is one solution and is often beneficial on payload compared to double flooring.

Notes.

The bearer spacing determines the floor thickness so if the body is a conversion then the board supplier will spec the floor to the spacing already in situ. A manufacturer of new builds may space bearers at from 400 to 600 mm dependant on the size of horse to be carried with perhaps a closing up of the spacing in the vicinity of where the hooves will be when travelling and the board manufacturer should advise on the floor based on the spacing.

With “Rumber” the manufacturer specs the spacing at 300mm and there would no alteration from this as the flooring only comes in 1 thickness. This spacing must be adhered to.

Floor Overlay

Another route is an additional overlay of flooring which is often cheaper if you can afford the payload loss. Using Aluminium Five bar tread plate in either 3 or 4mm or another layer of Phenolic faced plywood or as a last resort marine ply certified to BS1008 and sealed on the face and underneath with a waterproof coating and in all instances incorporating drain tubes or channels, with all screws, joints and cut edges sealed. The floor rubber mats can then be refitted on top.

Fitting new flooring

The use of marine ply which is a poor substitute to the other flooring options and should be avoided, extra care must be taken on sealing not just edges, but both upper and lower faces of the board. Failure to install, seal and carefully maintain a marine ply flooring can result failure in less than eighteen months.

Next, Phenolic faced ply.  These boards come with cores of either far eastern hardwood or Birch. The Birch cored boards are the strongest, although both are made for hard use, choose wisely as there are different thicknesses and patterns of top resin veneer. The board manufacturer or supplier should be able to spec their best board for horse box use based on your bearer spacing. Problems arise from any cut edges and screw holes. Use the recommended sealer by the board manufacturer.

Some manufacturers recommend an acrylic type sealing paint/compound which is applied 3 times and allowed to dry each time to all cut edges) or a suitable alternative

(e.g. Smith’s CPES epoxy sealer) combined with a One-part Polyurethane sealant/adhesive

(e.g. Sikaflex) between the sheets and down the screw holes. It can help to fit flange head screws to phenol flooring that will not crack the resin surface of the board as the screw tightens on the surface like a countersunk screw would. Its best to cover the area over the wheels with a thin sheet of GRP or Aluminium to help protect the flooring from the rain/dirt thrown up from the wheels before the fitting of timber-based flooring.

Keruing hardwood flooring is quite strong compared with phenol flooring and weighs only slightly more on the same thickness. It still needs to be dried out regularly to avoid rot and the only other issue is that horses lifting a leg can load just 1 board so for long term is best overlaid with phenol boards or aluminium sheet sealed as in the next paragraph.

When fitting Aluminium planks or sheets seal between all planks, sheet joints, cuts and holes with PU sealing compound. Drain tubes or preferably drain channels should always be fitted unless the construction deems them unnecessary. Aluminium flooring is not impervious to corrosion and any areas that have hollowed over time or gaps between overlays of matting can become filled with dirt straw etc which works its way between the sheets and holds onto horse urine greatly increasing the reaction between the urine and the aluminium. Note! To avoid Galvanic corrosion between the flooring (Aluminium) and dissimilar metal bearers (Steel), always use a gasket to prevent this corrosion.

e.g. Rubber, Fibre, Gaffer tape, PU Sealer or CT1 grab & bond, the same precautions must be remembered when riveting, do not use Aluminium rivets on stainless steel.

There is another type of flooring called Rumber which is a tongue and groove plank made from old tyres with some plastic binder added. This flooring would have to be imported as at present there are no UK stockists.  The bearers need spacing at 305mm centres and the flooring is the same weight as 27mm phenol board and 12mm rubber matting around

38kg sq. mtr. It will not rot and needs no further protection is non-slip and has a lifespan of around 20 years. With the additional floor supports it would add around 2kg per sq. mtr to the payload.

Floor overlay and maintenance

Floor overlays come either as lift out rubber mats or flow coated rubber type compounds. Each type has its downsides.

Loose rubber mats need to be taken out preferably after each use for best practice, and in any case at least 3 or 4 times per annum to allow the floor to dry. The floor washed out and all sealant around edges and drain tubes should be checked periodically.

Sealed flow-coat flooring needs to be washed out to inspect and should be done again on a regular basis also check the condition of the flow-coat for cracking/wear, as water, urine and chemicals under the coating will rot the floor in a very short time.

Inspection of the floor should be not only on the top but also on the underside for cracking rot etc including under the wheel arches.

Aluminium sheets/ planks are also affected from both urine, chemicals and cracking especially where there are large bearer spacings so don’t forget to inspect these.

How often is dependent on use but could be incorporated in the drivers walk around check if only used occasionally. It is cheaper to spend half an hour checking the soundness of a washed dry floor before using your horsebox than have the trauma of an injured horse.

Panel Van Conversions,

With this type of flooring laid on the panel van metal floor it cannot be checked from below. It is imperative that it has regular inspection of the sealing and of any cracking or wear in the floor. Some of this type of horse transport have flow-coat floors over relatively thin phenolic or marine ply, wonderful and robust until you have damaged the coating or have failing sealant. If you have had damaged flooring that has not been attended to quickly and does not look sound, the only option is to lift out the floor and inspect underneath. And whilst the top floor is out the metal van floor can be checked as the top floors are not always drained with properly sealed tubes so that liquid between the floors cause corrosion and rot.

Inspection Notice

It is good policy to put a notice in the cab/living or the horse bay entrance, on how to check and maintain the floor.

Remember the safety of occupants and animals should always be a priority. The horse can suffer trauma if it goes through a floor even if physically uninjured it could still be psychological giving future problems with both loading and travelling.

EXAMPLE:

• After every Use of this horsebox, Remove rubber matting (if applicable)
• Wash out floor and allow to dry!
• When Dry check seals around edges, drain tubes etc, and any worn areas of floor covering.
• Feel for any unusual softness/springiness in any areas as you walk over the floor.
• Check under the floor for rot, cracks, missing underseal if applied especially over large bearer spacings. 

Your first priority is the safety and welfare of your horses.

This guide is for the benefit of all Horsebox owners and users and all VBRA members are expected to adhere to this guidance

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When COVID-free, we have culture to rival anywhere else in the UK, including London. The Abbott Hall is one of the best provincial art galleries. We have a giant cinema at Rheged. We have a wide range of festivals. Our theatres, including The Brewery, attract world famous acts. There are numerous workshops and retreats following in the footsteps of literary greats like Wordsworth and Ruskin. The list goes on. 

We can enjoy a wide range of restaurants, pubs, cafes, specialist food shops, local wines, beers and spirits and other delicacies. These gastronomic delights are available to us all as a direct result of the number of visitors who arrive here every year. 

Locals enjoy tourist attractions as much as the tourists. We love the Ratty, the boats, the wildlife parks, the bird of prey centres, the adventure playgrounds, the quad bike safaris, the digger driving experiences and the high ropes courses. 

And how lucky we are to have a whole army of ticketed experts to take us climbing, canoeing, abseiling, sailing, wild swimming, mountain walking or any other outdoor activity. And we can enjoy ourselves in the outdoors in the knowledge that there are teams of 100s of volunteer members of Mountain Rescue teams, who set rescue standards the world over, to come to our aid in times of crisis. 

I am sure I speak for most residents of the English Lake District when I say we welcome visitors, tourists and all the benefits that they bring with them. 

And we all need escape, freedom and recovery now, more than ever. 

However, and here is the ‘but’, the very essence of what draws visitors to the Lake District in the first place, is in danger of being destroyed. The splendour, beauty, drama, tranquillity and isolation of the Lake District Valleys (notably Wasdale, but also Coniston, Mardale, Ullswater, Eskdale and Newlands) is in jeopardy. As a nation, we need to ask ourselves if we are happy with this process.

As a resident of the Lake District for the best part of 60 years I can remember friends visiting from Manchester 40 years ago and wondering why our telephone boxes were grey and not red. It was obvious to us – they were grey to blend in with the landscape and to reduce visual pollution. And we were proud of this. Things change and times move on. Telephone boxes are historical artefacts now. The Lake District is a living entity and how we live here must also change and move with the times. But I worry that we are marching into a future for the Lake District, without question or debate or awareness. And that this future doesn’t look very pretty.

In the Lake District, like in all other areas of life at present we seem to have developed factions. Individual viewpoints, needs, stances and opinions often seem to be at odds with those of others. We take sides and fight it out. Meanwhile, the innocent Lake District is caught in the middle. My vision is for people to work together, to seek to understand what it is like from each other’s perspective, to listen to each other’s needs. 

In addition, education is important. We all have a right to visit the Lake District and with this right comes responsibilities:

• We must take our litter home
• We must camper van, caravan and camp in official sites (unless wild camping up on the high fells above the highest in-take wall)
• We must take our poo-soiled tissues home
• We must close gates properly and not climb walls
• We must respect the quiet, honour the solitude and protect nature.

Satisfying a range of current needs, the needs of our children, and their children, and so protecting the Lake District, is not easy, but vital. The area is, after all, an international treasure. We stand, in this moment in time, as it’s only guardians.

Author: Ruth Clark + Heather Turner

http://www.ruthclarkequestrian.co.uk/

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So here are my tips on becoming a better rider without actually getting on your horse!

1. Stop worrying about what people think. I don’t know about you but I go a bit funny when people watch me ride. Now I wouldn’t even describe myself as a nervous rider, I just want people to think I’m a good rider, even when I am just riding in front of my friends. When I was recording my latest online dressage test I had a bit of an epiphany! Who cares? Why does it matter what other people think? So what if the other girls at the yard don’t think you are amazing? Your friends won’t think you are rubbish because they are your friends and if they are negative in any way perhaps you need some new ones. I gave my really nervous friend some advice many years ago before she went into the showjumping ring. “They probably aren’t even watching you anyway” which may seem super harsh but its probably true! Not in a nasty way but don’t ruin your ride because you think someone is watching. They probably have their own stuff going on and haven’t even noticed you. Do what makes you happy and don’t let people having a little look at you worry you. They may be thinking how good you look.

2. Don’t be a sheep! It’s sometimes easier to follow the crowd. All your friends love jumping but it scares the life out of you? All your friends love eventing but it stresses you right out? You don’t have to do it because they are! If you want to be a dressage diva do that. If you want to try endurance do that. If you don’t even want to ride then do that. It’s up to you what you do. Just because you always used to do that or everyone else is doing that doesn’t mean you have to do it too. Find something that suits you and your horse and stick to that.

3. Find a coach you like. Now when I was younger I wouldn’t really care what instructor I had. Of course I had my favourites but I would just get on with it regardless. These days I realise that I want a particular sort of instructor and that hasn’t been easy to find in France. I don’t want an instructor that tells me I am brilliant so I keep having lessons with them and also don’t want an instructor that is too gun ho either. I am lucky and I seem to have found a lovely instructor, who seems to share mine and Mya’s owner’s values and I can already see an improvement in my riding after two lessons.

4. Do some homework. The internet is a wonderful thing! If there is something you would like to work on with your riding or you are looking for new schooling ideas there are so many resources out there now online that can help you from the comfort of your sofa! I have recently discovered equestrian vlogs and they are just great. There are all sorts of educational videos, schooling ideas and how to videos for basically anything you want to know about riding and horsemanship.

5. Do some in hand work with your horse. To be the best rider you can be you need to be comfortable with your horse and trust them. This is a massive issue for Mya and I, as she can be pretty unpredictable to handle sometimes and it really scares me. Last year I lost all trust in her, which led to her losing trust in me and our rides suffered. Normal rides became problematic as I felt nervous, so she would be nervous too or act out. It was rubbish and not very fun. However we overcame those problems when her owner worked with me and showed me how to handle Mya assertively and confidently in hand. We did lots of ground work sessions and it helped tremendously. My confidence was restored on the ground but it also came back in the saddle too. Now, when Mya is naughty being handled I now know what to do with her and will forgo riding her sometimes to do some in hand work so we keep that level of trust that we have built back up.

6. Goal setting. I am all about goals! I think it is so good to have something to work towards. Start by setting little achievable goals as it feels so good when you reach them. I have set goals that have taken me way longer to achieve than I thought they would. That is fine too. Make sure you are realistic and be flexible with the time it may take to achieve them. Then quite often you will find you will set yourself a goal which naturally then leads to another. It’s also a great way to realise what you have achieved when you are feeling negative as you’ve probably progressed more than you think!

7. Stay inspired. I am a sucker for this one. I like to set goals and become a little obsessed. At the moment it is with my online dressage competitions. I just love them! So I focus all my energy on training for a test or two each month, and quite frankly once I have filmed my tests I am bit dressaged out! Particularly if I do more than one test a month. So I realised I need to stay inspired in a more well rounded way. I need to make sure Mya and I go hacking often too, we started having a lesson once a fortnight and I have found some really cool pole work exercises to do with her as I realised that I need to make it all a bit more fun or the inspiration will dry up pretty quickly!

8. Try and watch the professionals at work. I get so motivated after I have watched Badminton or Burghley and come away full of enthusiasm wanting to be able to ride like the pros. It isn’t going to happen. BUT it’s great fun feeling motivated and watching those horses and riders compete at the highest level of our sport. Any motivation or enthusiasm you can take will come out positively in your own riding.

9. Try something different. If you are feeling a bit flat or bored with your regular riding go try something different. Have a go at polo or go for a beach ride. Anything that will relight your passion. Even something as simple as going for a lesson at a different yard on a different horse may make you realise that you can actually ride quite well after all.

10. Have fun. It’s why we do it! Don’t let silly things get in the way of having fun with your horse. Do what makes you happy what ever that is and try not to be too hard on yourself. You are a great rider and wanting to improve is a sign of a great horse person. Just don’t get too caught up in that and put too much pressure on yourself. You can improve and progress whilst having fun and your horse will be thankful for it as all they want is a happy relaxed rider!

Author – Louise Dando

https://www.induehorse.com

Do you have any extra tips about becoming a better rider? Email libby@thehorselife.uk if you do!

The post 10 Things You Can Do To be a Better Rider Right Now! appeared first on The Horse Life.

The Equi Travel Safe has been impressing it’s users since its release in 2017. This clever harness prevents horses rearing onto lockers or over the breast bar while in the horsebox. It’s been described as “The best piece of kit I’ve ever bought.” By a number of its users and is a lifesaver for owners with difficult travellers.

Ever since the 3.5 tonne lorries arrived on the road, there has been incidents of horses rearing over the breast bars and getting stuck. Horsebox manufacturers have tried altering the design of the horsebox, while the Equi Travel Safe was designed by a showjumper with the horse in mind. Simply by putting on this harness prior to loading, and clipping it to the breast bar or locker wall, the horse is safe.  No need for weighty extras or limited horse access. Yet still allowing the horse freedom to  move and balance without the need for their heads to be tied down.

“When we first launched, people were actually quite sceptical”  said founder Nicky Sutcliffe, “They didn’t understand how it worked and were understandably doubtful. Since then the reviews have been amazing. We’re so proud of how it’s helping so many horses.”

 Owners who previously couldn’t travel their horses are now getting out and about,  enjoying competing, clinics and away from home hacking without the worry of a disaster. Best of all, the horses seem to love it.

A recent survey taken by Equi Travel Safe users, showed that nearly 90% of its users think it reduces stress levels and it’s proving to be highly successful with all types of horses and ponies.

To find out more visit the Equi Travel Safe website – https://www.equitravelsafe.co.uk/

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