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Professional Rider

8 TIPS TO STAYING COOL & CALM IN THE COMPETITION ARENA

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Horse Scout Blogger was speaking with a rider coming up to their first competition level hike. At home they have been performing well and are well prepared in terms of ability and focus and will do well if our rider focuses on what the horse needs from him……The BIGGEST secret to you performing at your best, when it counts the most, is learning how to keep yourself CALM and COMPOSED. If you allow yourself to get too nervous or too excited right before or during a competition, then your muscles will tighten up, you’ll lose your confidence and your riding will go right down the tubes!

This is what it means to CHOKE! The rider gets so nervous that he/she ends up performing tight and tentatively — a mere shadow of your normal self and this will affect your horses performance to as he picks up on your tension.

THE REAL CAUSE OF OUT OF CONTROL NERVOUSNESS

Runaway, pre-competition nervousness can come from a lot of different sources: how good the other contestants are; the level at which you are competing; how important a competition is; how big the crowd is (and possibly more important to you – who in it is watching you; whether you’ll ride well today and win; How will the going be; Will you remember your test/course/timings— the list goes on and on.

While there are many things about your competitions that can potentially make you nervous, the true cause of your performance-disrupting nervousness isn’t any of the things that I’ve just mentioned above. The real cause of your out-of-control nerves is you! That’s right! YOU make YOURSELF nervous!

What I’m saying here is very important — It’s not what’s happening around or outside of you that makes you nervous. It’s what’s happening INSIDE that is the real cause of stress!

So it is important to take on board: It’s not the size, skill level or reputation of the competition arena that makes you nervous. It’s what you say to yourself about them in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the competition that’s the real culprit in sending your heart rate and blood pressure through the roof! Nervousness is always caused by our inner response to the things that are going on outside of us. But here’s the good news about that: If YOU make yourself nervous, then YOU have the ability to change your inner response to calm yourself down under competitive pressure.

Most riders who get too nervous to ride well do so because of what they focus on and think about as the day approaches. They worry about how well they’ll ride, what people may think or say about them, etc. Focusing on any or all of these things will guarantee that your stress level will go through the attic and your performance will get stuck in the cellar! To stay calm under pressure, you must learn to go into competitions with a completely different headset and focus. I

 

What you need is a game plan;  a game plan is a series of little mental goals that you want to bring into the performance with you. If you follow this game plan, it will guarantee that you’ll stay calm and relaxed when you perform. Remember, being your best when it counts the most is all about being loose right before and during your competitions.

 

Leading up to your performance –

1. KEEP YOUR CONCENTRATION IN THE “NOW”

Train yourself to keep your focus in the NOW — especially during your performance! This means that leading up to the performance, you don’t want to think about and focus on the upcoming competition and its importance. If you want to stay loose and relaxed, you must learn to keep your concentration in the now. When you’re in the action, you want to focus on one present-moment play at a time.

2. RECOGNIsE WHEN YOUR FOCUS “TRAVELS” AND BRING YOURSELF BACK

Concentrating on what is happening now and reacting to that is key. Whilst you have to anticipate your next move you must live in the now in order function from a position of strength. If your focus moves to reflect on what has happened or you start imagining the future bring your focus back.

3. KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON YOU, YOUR JOB AND YOUR PLAY

Allowing your focus to drift to anyone or anything other than you and your horse will quickly make you feel nervous. Staying focused on you and your job will keep you calm and confident.

4. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS! Comparison will always make you too nervous to play at your best.

5. HAVE FUN – Enjoy your job

Enjoying your performance and appreciating what is going well is the secret ingredient to staying calm and doing your best when the heat of competition is turned up high. When fun goes, so will all of your skills.

6. LEAVE YOUR GOALS AT HOME

One of the biggest tension-inducing mental mistakes that you can make as an competitor is to take your goals with you into the competition. Focusing on what you need to achieve will make you too nervous to perform well and, ironically, cause you never to reach them. Instead, leave your goals at home and keep your focus in the action, on “this” movement, this turn, this half halt.

7. KEEP YOUR MIND DISTRACTED BEFORE AND AFTER GAMES

Thinking gets most performers into trouble and makes them nervous. While you can’t really stop yourself from thinking, you can purposely distract yourself from it. So, in the days and minutes leading up to a big performance or tournament, keep busy. Do not allow yourself a lot of free time to think. If you are going through your test or riding the course in your mind. Think about HOW you re riding each movement or jump etc not how difficult its going to be.

8. KEEP YOUR FOCUS OF CONCENTRATION AWAY FROM THE “UNCONTROLLABLES”

There are a lot of things that happen in your sport that you do not have direct control over. Any time an competitor focuses on an “uncontrollable” (UC), they will get really nervous, lose their confidence and ride badly. So make a list of all of the things about this upcoming competition that you can’t directly control. For example, the officiating; the crowd; the future, such as the outcome, how well you’ll ride, winning or losing; how you are feeling that day; other people’s expectations; etc., and post the list in a highly visible. Keep in mind that these UCs are mental traps. They are lying in wait for you and every other competitor in that competition. Concentrate on the things over which you do have control.

Remember, if you really want to ride well, you have to stay loose and relaxed. To do this, focus on executing this GAME PLAN!

GoodLuck

 

British Dressage

Classical principals from across the pond – Dressage Clinics with Stephen Hayes this summer

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USA based Professional rider Stephen Hayes –has recently created a profile on Horse Scout.  Horse Scout Blogger noticed, on his face book page, that he is back in the UK from 25th July until 7th August and is available to run clinics for you

Stephen Hayes is a British 23 year old, who has worked and trained with some of the worlds best in dressage, he has trained with Olympic team riders and FEI judges who have judged all the way to WEG, Europeans and Olympic Games. Stephen, a well respected British rider is known for his way of riding and also his way of teaching riders. Stephen has been in extremely high demand to host Dressage clinics within the UK and with upwards of 60 clinics to date.  He is based at the spectacular world class facility in Florida and New Jersey with Piaffe Performance . Stephen rides and trains a number of horses and clients from young to highly advanced and enjoys the journey and progression more than anything else.

Stephens Bio:

I’ve always had a love and desire to one day work in the United States, ever since I first visited the country on holiday with my family back in 2001. So in December 2012 age 21, I made a huge decision to move out to the States to ride, teach and compete on one of most successful yards in America, Piaffe Performance. It’s situated in New Jersey during the summer months (45 mins from NYC) and Wellington, Florida known as the ‘Capital of the equestrian world’ during the winter show season, (10 mins from West Palm Beach). For me this move has been the best decision I’ve ever made, I work with an incredibly talented team of riders and grooms and have a wide range of enthusiastic clients which I coach on a daily basis. At Piaffe Performance I ride a range of horses from the young and uneducated all the way to Grand Prix horses. I’ve also had the opportunity to compete at many a show, one of the most recent was at ‘Dressage at Devon’ arguably the biggest show of the year in the USA, I competed one of the horses I ride daily in the higher advanced medium class, against other very high profile riders including some who had been in previous Olympics, what an incredible experience. During my time in America I’ve met and trained with some of the most respected riders, trainers and judges in the world and been to some amazing places outside the dressage world, previously I trained in Barcelona, Spain Beatrice Ferrer Salat, one of the finest dressage riders in the world, who has competed many a time in the Olympics, there I learnt how to really understand what feels correct when riding a horse and how to ride and train the upper level movements. I had the opportunity to ride amazing horses and occasionally horses like Olympic qualifiers; words can’t describe how unreal that was to be able to do that. Not only were the horses out of this world but the actual yard was the most prestige and luxurious I’ve ever seen in my life and in any magazine, the horses we’re literally treated like Kings. My experience in Spain was more than just educational, I was working hard and long days and in return had intense training from Beatrice, and I could never thank her enough for what she did for me as rider. I went on to train with Vicki Thompson-Winfield for 9 months in Surrey, a previous GB rider for the Olympics, another very valuable experience for me.

If you are interested in taking a clinic with Stephen then click through to his profile page on Horse Scout

Horse Jobs

Weekdays or weekends? Part time grooms for two very different yards

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Horse Scout has two wonderful yards looking for part time staff. Dressage specialists Labazordiere Dressage in Surrey are looking for a groom to cover weekday mornings (but are flexible) and in Chiddingfold, also in Surry, Southern Schoolmasters, who specialise in western riding and reining are looking for a groom to cover weekends

Labazordiere Dressage in Bramley, Surrey are looking for either a part or full time groom to join us in their new dressage training yard in Bramley, Surrey. Monday – Friday mornings preferable, but can be relatively flexible on days / times Candidate must be experienced and confident as we have youngsters and stallions. Training can be given. Candidates must be capable of taking occasional sole charge on occasion. This is not Live In position so own car a must. Friendly owners, good atmosphere and beautiful location

Labazordiere Dressage is the exclusive equestrian training centre on the spectacular 1000acre Wintershall Estate in the heart of the Surrey Hills and conveniently located to the nearby town of Godalming. Offering premier Livery, Facilities & Training in the art of Classical Dressage. The Stables are located at the heart of the Estate, surrounded by the pastures and some of the estates many lakes. The boxes are large and airy in an indoor barn complete with automatic water drinkers and with rear windows opening out to wonderful views of the Estate. There is a wash bay as well as a farriers bay within the indoor facility. The tack room is spacious and secure, with a washing machine, hot & cold water and offers tea and coffee facilities. The secluded Arena is nestled within the hills and is a 20m x 60m outdoor with a sand & passada surface for optimum riding with the peaceful outlook over the surrounding pastures and lakes. Exceptional Hacking on the doorstep to enjoy the stunning scenery either up quiet country lanes, across the Surrey Hills, fields and woodlands or within the neighbouring Wentworth Arboretum.

Specialising in the French Classical Dressage methods of training. Jean is a freelance, experienced registered Coach & Instructor and has benefitted from some of the highest classical training in Europe – Trained by and Son of Jacques Papin (student of Maitre Nuno Oliveira and taught to the highest level at the National Equitation School in Saumur). Jean has been a professional rider & trainer in the French National Stud in Rennes, France and has trained horse & rider in classical dressage and for modern competition from beginner levels up to Grand Prix. Nikita Mitson participates in British Dressage competitions and is qualified in Equine Science and Management as well as a Degree in Law with a focus on Equine Law. They collaborated together in England to establish a livery yard to produce horses both for the art of equitation and for modern competition.

Southern Schoolmasters in Chiddingfold, Surrey are looking for a weekend groom. Are you looking for an opportunity to be involved with horses at the weekend and are keen to learn more about Western Riding. then this may well be just up your street.

Southern Schoolmasters ‘Centre of Horsemanship’, run by a professional team offers a range personalised equestrian services, including livery, training, rehabilitation and tuition. The yard is situated Chiddingfold, Surrey, surrounded by acres of farmland. It offers 5 spacious stables, all weather floodlit school, round pen and all year turnout on well-managed grazing. There are miles of off road hacking, wooded bridleways. Southern Schoolmasters provides you and your horse excellent livery and training facilities with knowledgeable care and first hand access to our team’s experience and guidance. The aim is to provide a safe and relaxed environment that welcomes everyone from competition riders to happy hackers who want to learn, and work with their horses in a respectful way. Options are available for full, part or DIY livery as well as training and sales livery.

We are looking to recruit a reliable confident and experienced groom to join our existing team. We are a professional working livery yard with up to 20 full liveries. The position is yard based and all normal duties are required to be performed to a very high standard. The ideal candidate will have a good standard of horsemanship and have a quiet manner around the yard and horses. The candidate will require a basic knowledge of horses, be outgoing, quick thinking have initiative and lots of common sense. Having a keen eye for details, being physically fit and not afraid of hard work is a must . The yard team work on a 4 days on 2 days off rota which includes weekends. Own transport is essential due to early starts and lack of public transport locally.

Horse Jobs

Going Dutch? – Opportunity for Living and Learning with Ron Smeets in Holland

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Learning and living in Holland with Ron Smeets Dressage Horses There are many different programmes available at Ron Smeets dressage horses in Hulsberg , Limburg. Trainer Ron Smeets is a FEI Grand Prix rider for almost 20 years and is offering a fantastic opportunity to a working pupil to join his team in Hulsberg, Limburg. He says on his Horse Scout profile, “We offer a simple boarding/ livery with a lesson or training session included once a week. We also take horses at all levels for training; from breaking to Grand Prix. With a wide range of international clients and contacts, you can also place your horse with us to be sold” He says that their working student program focuses on teaching training techniques and philosophies of dressage and barn management. This program* helps the rider learn to “train” and not just to “ride” horses. We invest a lot of time every day in training and developing our working students as professional riders. Working students will be provided with full room and board along with meals. References are available from previous working students. Please note that this is not a program for a novice rider. ‘Ron Smeets Dressage’ provides quality top horses that are sold around the world. Ron Smeets started his riding career training with Sjef Janssen (trainer of Anky van Grunsven, and he is currently training the Dutch Dressage Team). He became extremely successful at a young age showing in many different national and international competitions. At 18 years old he joined Young Riders and competed with them till the age of 21, representing Holland in many different international competitions. Now Ron has been a Gold Medal rider for 20 years. Currently he is focused on his training, selling, and breeding programs at home. He travels several times a year to teach clinics in various places in the United States as well as England. Charlotte Osborne – is currently the yard manager and rider at the fantastic private dressage barn in the south of Holland where Ron Smeets is based.

Professional Rider

Three fantastic opportunities at Lucinda Fredericks’ Yard, Rosegarth in Wiltshire

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Horse Scout keeps an eye on its lists and when possible will blog or tweet on behalf of the professionals who have profiles of themselves, their yards, their horses and any horses they have advertised for sale.

  1. For A professional Rider from May 2015

A Fantastic Opportunity for a professional rider to rent 6 – 10 boxes at Lucinda Fredericks’ Yard in Wiltshire from May 2015. Rosegarth offers every facility for the competitive rider including : 30 m x 60m outdoor school, stabling with rubber matting, wash area with state of the art solarium, lunge pen, covered horse walker, rower and rub show jumps, gated access and an alarmed tack room and a full onsite security system. We are located within superb on and off road hacking. Opportunities for tuition from Lucinda Fredericks.

We will ensure your horses are completely cared for on a daily basis including mucking out, feeding (using Pure feed and hay), turning in/out, grooming, tack cleaning and exercising.

Facilities:

24hr onsite supervision

Designated lorry parking

Excellent off-road hacking

Horse walker

Hot water washdown

Individual turn out

Lunge Pen/ Separate school

Mirrors around school

Non-individual paddock turn out

Onsite communal tea & coffee facility

Onsite shower & changing rooms

Outdoor school 20m x 60m or over

Solarium

Stabling

Undercover horse walker

Current Onsite Professionals: Lucinda Fredericks (Aus) Oliver Smith (GB) Emily Young-Jamieson (GB) Thomas Heffernan Ho (HK) Nicole Pearson (HK)

Horse Scout Blogger also notices that Rosegarth are also advertising for staff on their website as follows:

2.A Temporary Full Time Groom

We are currently seeking a temporary groom, full time over 6 days to start immediately.  This is a great opportunity for someone wanting to gain experience working on an International Eventing yard as part of a fantastic and friendly team.  Excellent on site accommodation is available.

3.And a Working Pupil Position

We have a new opportunity for a working pupil to join us with or without their horse asap. Closing date: extended to 31 March 2015

This is a great opportunity for someone wanting to experience life on an International Eventing yard as part of a fantastic and friendly team, whilst developing your own, and your horses career.

Case Study: Zoe joined us in August 2014 as a Working Pupil, she has shown herself to be a hardworking member of the team who is quick to learn and is a joy to be around. Due to her commitment and enthusiasm we have worked with her to transfer her onto an apprenticeship scheme and she is now working towards a level 3 qualification with us.

Zoe commented “Lucinda is someone I aspire to be like and what more could you want than being at her yard itself. In five years time I see myself and my own horse competing regularly in different disciplines, surrounded by and being part of a determined, hard working team. My ambition is to run my own yard for breaking, schooling and competitive livery”.

Professional Rider

Finding the right producer for your baby- give your horse the best start to his career

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Working with young horses, understanding how they function, anticipating how they will react and being aware of their needs is a skill and a calling.  Not every professional rider wants to start horses but those that do offer a service which is invaluable to you and to your horse. Horse scout has number of professionals who list breaking and producing among the services they offer.

Key advantages in asking a professional to start your horse for you.

  1. They have experience in this specialist area.
  2. They have started all sorts of youngsters and know what to expect.
  3. They treat each horse individually
  4. They follow a set routine (which is progressed and adapted to suit any one particular horse)
  5. They know how much to ask
  6. They know when to back off
  7. They know when to push forwards with training.
  8. They take the sudden and sometimes explosive reactions in their stride
  9. They understand which behaviors are reactions to the training and which may indicate problems
  10. They are successful because they are experienced and skilled at their job.

Using a professional for this key first stage in a horse ridden career can make all the difference to your relationship with your horse.  It is easy to let a horse scare you when you are unsure or inexperienced and it is just not worth the risk to you or your horse in terms of your mutual relationship.

There are, however, things which you can do to help prepare your horse:

It is always more effective to train through positive reinforcement and respect rather than using force, which only creates fear.

A horse which respects and trusts you will follow commands better and be a more enjoyable companion than a horse that fears you. However gaining respect is not always a simple scenario and has many facets. Knowing how to interact with your horse is the key in training. Here are some steps to bear in mind if you’re handling a young horse which will prepare him for life in general as well as pre formal breaking- in training.

Respect Is Mutual: Gain Their Trust

The first step to training a horse is creating and maintaining a bond of trust. If your horse doesn’t trust you it will be near impossible to train into being a calm and content riding horse. Grooming is a great way to create a connection between you and your horse. It is soothing and relaxing and is a bonding act within the herd itself. As with any animal you should talk to your horse so it knows your voice, if you frequently talk to your horse it will associate your voice with being a safe command or soothed so make sure to talk sensibly to your horse when trying new things, or going into new places or where he becomes spooked by a noise, object or strange feel……like the water from a hosepipe or a plastic bag in your hand or in the hedge.

Introduce Equipment and Gear Slowly

It’s important not to overwhelm your horse so introducing equipment slowly is a sensible way forward. Horses must first become familiar with common equipment such as bits, brushing boots, travel boots or even maybe the saddle. Introduce the gear slowly by placing it on them for short intervals at a time and gradually building up their use with shear repetition and patience. Rugs are one thing that will become a common place article, used on a daily basis. Always put on from the front to the back and take off by undoing the rug from the back to the front. That way it will never slip back and tangle in their legs. Good old fashioned common sense at all times.

Show Him the World

Don’t hide your young horse away……….Let him see and get used to all the things he will have to cope with as a ridden horse. Spend time in hand safely grazing your horse near a road so he can see and smell and hear all the traffic and comings and goings. The more solid you make him out here the easier and better he will train later on.

Travel train him! Get him used to the trailer…….don’t wait till the day he has to go somewhere. Spend some time feeding him on the ramp and then inside the space. Take him for short journeys when you don’t need to.

 

Horse Scout has Four professional, newly signed up, who specialize in breaking and producing young horses are:

Claire Rowland– Harrogate

Selina Milnes nr Bristol

Lorna Riley in Durham

Emily Llewellyn in Surrey

Horse Advice

How often do you think about your horses nose?

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Horse Scout Blogger was thinking about the way a horse wriggles his nose in your hand. It’s a funny feeling and somehow very friendly. We all know a nose is for breathing and for smelling but horses use their noses for other things too!

1.Exploration

Horses use their lips the way people use their hands—to touch, explore, and sense the world around them. Horses engage in mutual grooming, and he might be putting his nose by yours to invite you to scratch his nose or groom his face. A horse who puts his nose in your face may be trying to use his mouth to gently touch you, the way he might greet another horse.

2. Affection

Another reason horses put their noses in your face is to show affection. Horses show affection for one another by gently blowing into each other’s nostrils, and your horse may be trying to show affection for you as if you were another horse. Mares nuzzle their foals, and reaching out to touch your face may be how your horse says “I love you” in a similar way.

3. Sight

Horses have different fields of vision from humans, and they often move their heads simply so they can see better. A horse has binocular vision to the front but a blind spot directly in front of his nose. He may be moving his head closer to yours so he can get a better look at you if you’re in his blind spot.

4. Learned Behavior

Horses may also duck their noses to your face if they’ve learned that people bring them treats. In their eagerness to get treats, they may move quickly into your space. They may also have learned along the way that such behavior is rewarded with affectionate pets or scratches. Unless this behavior bothers you or turns into nipping, it’s usually fine. To get a horse to stop doing this, tap him on the chest to get him to back up.

Be cautious about strange horses putting their noses to your face and never encourage this behavior. Horses do have big teeth. I know a lady who got her nose bitten off when she used to feed her horse carrots from her mouth.

Horse Riding Tips

Be an efficient and effective rider. 10 Top Tips – Core strength, mobility and suppleness will make you ride better

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How effective are you in the saddle.  Have you ever tried to tune in to what is happening under your saddle? Are you aware of the exact response from the horse to any given movement by you?

Are you a bit fuzzy on how the whole thing actually works. You know the basics, you ride inside to outside, you sit centrally in the saddle with subtle changes in weight reflected in the movements of your upper and lower body.  Legs controlling behind, shoulders the front and your core the power house creating energy, swing, impulsion, and lastly your seat providing a stable point from which to perform all this with a set which is light, mobile, agile, and controlled.

All this without even thinking about your spot on timing and direct ion, cadence, pace, suppleness and balance from your horse.  So much to think about all at once. Sometimes it’s easier to forget that there is a horse under you and concentrate on recreating the correct body shape needed to make efficient and accurate aids.

You can go a long way to helping yourself become efficient and effective in the saddle if you are fit and agile.

The key to being a effective rider starts on the ground.  You need to be fit.  Riding and mucking out  (unless you are one of our professional riders and trainers) is not enough you need to get out and to aerobic sports like running and swimming, fitness classes or dancing.  Dancing is very good for a rider as it helps with a sense of erythema and makes you agile at the same time.  However key to all progressive riding is being strong and mobile in your core.  Here are a few simple exercises which can help you start to strengthen you central core/abs.  As always with any fitness advice if you experience pain then you must consult your doctor before progressing further.  Taking part in fitness classes may be a way to get you motivated.  There is nothing better than the thought of thinking people will notice you haven’t been doing your ‘homework” to get things moving along a pace!

However if you want some exercises you can do at home with a minimum of equipment her are five simple ones to start you off.

1. Reverse Crunch with Resistance Bands

Targets: transverse abdominals

Lie on your back with your knees bent, arms down by your sides, holding one end of a band in each hand, with the band wrapped around tops of shins. Raise your knees toward your chest until your hips leave the floor. Hold for 3 seconds; lower to start. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 reps.

2. Knee-Ups

Targets: rectus abdominus

Brace yourself between the backrests of two sturdy chairs, keeping elbows slightly bent, shoulders down, neck relaxed, head and chest lifted. Keeping your abs tight, exhale and then very slowly bring your knees to your chest without swinging back and forth. If your form falters, try raising one knee at a time. Build up to 3 sets of 15 reps.

3. Leg Swings

Targets: obliques

Lie on back with arms out to sides, legs and feet pointing up. Exhale and draw navel in toward spine as you lower legs to left side about 5 inches from floor. Return to start and repeat on right side. Keep switching sides for a total of 15 reps. Work up to 3 sets.

4. Ball Leg Lift

Targets: transverse abdominals

Lie facedown on a ball and roll forward until your hands are on floor and just the tops of your feet are flat on ball. Keeping your back and right leg straight, slowly lift leg a couple of inches toward the ceiling. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower. Do 10 reps, then switch legs. Add 2 repetitions each week as long as you can maintain perfect form.

5. Butterfly Crunch

Targets: rectus abdominus (“six-pack”)

Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together as close to your body as possible, with knees bent out to sides. Place hands behind your head, elbows in line with ears. Keeping your back flat on floor and stomach muscles contracted, exhale and curl your chest up a few inches off the floor toward your legs. Lower to start. Repeat 10 times.

6. Side to Side

Targets: obliques (sides)

Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with your arms at your sides. Exhale and contract your abs as you slide your right hand toward your right foot. Your head and neck should remain aligned and your lower back pressed to the floor. Return to start, then switch sides. Repeat 15 times.

7. Front Plank

Targets: transverse abdominals

Start on your hands and knees. Keeping your back and ab muscles contracted, drop down to your forearms while extending legs out behind you so you are resting on the balls of your feet. Be sure to keep your back straight, hips up, and neck relaxed. Hold for 3 seconds, then return to start. Repeat 10 times.

8. Fingers to Toes

Targets: rectus abdominus

Lie on your back with your legs straight and extended toward the ceiling, with arms down by your sides. Exhale and contract your abs as you crunch up from your waist and extend your hands toward your toes. Keep your back flat on the floor. Work up to 2 sets of 15 reps.

9. Scissors

Targets: obliques

Lie on your back with your fingers resting behind your head. Keeping your abdominals tight, raise your left knee and touch it to your right elbow. Return to start, then raise your right knee and touch it to your left elbow. Alternate for 15 reps in a smooth, continuous motion, keeping abs engaged and hands relaxed so you don’t pull on your neck. Work up to 2 sets.

10. Obviously don’t do all of these at once!! Work through the list joining on new sets as you get stronger.  Do not perform moves badly.  Stop and rest of do fewer repetitions until you are ready to move on.

First Horse

I wish horses could BURP! 10 tips to help stop ulcers spoiling your horses performance

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Understanding how the equine digestive system works is key to understanding a horse’s dietary needs, and it is valid to question why horse owners insist on feeding grains to herbivores. There are so many supplements, specialist feeds and different approaches to feeding your horse that it can be difficult to know if you are making the right choice.

Keeping things simple, as simple as you can, is the right approach for the everyday horse owner.

  1. The horse is a grazing animal designed to graze for 16-18 hours per day, consuming low-grade forage,
  2. It has an in-built urge to eat and will not stop until it feels satisfied. Its natural position for eating is with its head down.
  3. Food passes from the horse’s mouth into the oesophagus aided by saliva for lubrication. The saliva is produced in response to chewing and is high in bicarbonate. (A natural antacid)
  4. A horse produces 32-46 litres of saliva per day. The less chewing a horse does, the less saliva it will produce. Eating forage slowly encourages it to produce more saliva.
  5. A horses stomach is small because the horse is a defenceless animal whose natural instinct is to flee from danger andthe stomach impacts on the chest and diaphragm, so if it was too large and too full of food it would inhibit the speed at which the horse could flee.
  6. A horse produces 35-40 litres of gastric juices independently of it eating, so stomach needs to stay at about a third full of fibre and forageto act as a mat in the base of the stomach and hold the acid.
  7. Ceareal based diets mean that the stomach can be emptied too fast and as the horse moves, acid splashes up onto the top of the stomach wall. This, combined with the associated imbalance of alkaline saliva and acid gastric juices, further reduces the pH in the stomach and causes ulcers.
  8. Around 95 per cent of racehorses and 35 per cent of leisure horses have ulcers, but because, as a prey animal, they are not designed to exhibit signs of pain, owners may not be aware of them. However, they can be detected by scoping and they are likely to manifest themselves as behavioural problems.
  9. A horse’s pancreas only produces a finite amount of insulin and if this is used up early in a horse’s life, by having to process an excessive amount of sugar and starch, it will create health issues such as metabolic syndrome. It is so easy to upset the natural balance of your horses digestion tract.
  10. A horse will function best, what ever its job, when fed as closely to its natural diet as is possible, given the restrictions of stabling and restricted grazing.

If you are keeping your horse with a professional trainer on schooling livery or for your own pleasure at a livery yard you will be able to work closely with the professionals in charge of your horses welfare. However, if you are looking after your own horse there are so many products and supplements on the market that it can become tempting to complicate the whole thing and end up causing your horses digestive system to become overloaded or stressed.

Horse Scout Blogger was watching the racing this weekend (along with a few other people I suspect!) One particular trainer recounted that despite a victorious last race of the season before but that something had been nagging at him (the trainer) He knew there was something “not quite right” and tests did show that the horse was suffering from acute ulceration of the stomach. With a change in regime and fodder types the horse had bounced back and was in the best form ever, and indeed was lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

Horse Riding Tips

Buying a horse starts with a telephone call and ends with a great new relationship.

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Are you about to buy a horse? Horse Scouts’ Bloggers top tips for finding you a horse that can be your perfect partner.

You know what discipline you want your horse to excel in, show jumping, dressage, eventing or showing but one of the most important aspects of a horse you are looking after and riding is his temperament.  For the average Jo its important that you actually like your horse…..not just love what he does!

So here is Horse Scouts Bloggers “Top Temperament Check List”

Assessing your potential purchase’s personality and behaviour is something you should do as well as having him vetted, not instead of.

When speaking to the vendor have a list of questions ready. It is far better for you both to establish with the vendor exactly what you are looking for and what areas of ease of handling are important to you.  Horse Scout has a quality list of professional horse dealers and trainers, they know their job and, at the end of the day, do not want to sell you a horse which is unsuitable.

So write down, in five clear areas, in the order of importance to you the horses behavior:

1. Behaviour around other horses

2. Behaviour when interacting with you and other people

3. Behaviour when in his stable, yard, paddock and strange environment

4. Behaviour when loading

5. Behaviour when mounting and when being ridden

When you go and see the horse and observe him note how he is in each of these areas and if you have doubts be prepared to ask further questions, the inside knowledge of the current owner  will help you clarify things which may be worrying you .

Other considerations when buying your horse:

Have you really carried out all the checks necessary to make sure he is the best horse for you and your discipline?

You may have decided that you want a show jumper, an eventer or simply a horse that you can enjoy hacking out on. No matter what your aspirations are, it is essential that you do more than just ensure the horse is up to doing the physical job required of him.

Regardless of how talented a horse is physically, if he has behavioural issues, such as bullying or is difficult to be handled whether that be by you, a farrier or even the dentist – the relationship can turn sour very quickly. You may even find that your colleagues at the yard start too resent him being around – and instead of having a horse you can enjoy, you find yourself having to deal with problems on a daily basis.

Behavioural problems can manifest, becoming so severe that to solve them you have to get the assistance of a professional trainer whose specialty is rehabilitation.

Visit the horse at his existing home more than once – although going only once or twice will not give you the time to gain a complete picture and insight into his personality and behavior, if you zone in on his attitude it will give an indication of how he is going to be with you.

Horse Scouts Professional horse dealers are experienced horse’men who know their job and want to make sure you find the right horse for you. So be honest with the vendor about your abilities, what you want to do with the horse and your experience.  It would also be helpful if you where able to tell them something of your training routine and whether this included lessons with a professional trainer etc.  All this helps the trader find you the perfect horse.