Testimonials from some of our Customers

As a family-run business supplying good quality Equestrian clothing via the Internet, we like to provide our customers with a quality service to match.

The following feedback can be found on our eBay shop where we sell off much of our previous season Equestrian clothing at keen prices:

• fantastic doing business with you thank you very much x
• The Item is good quality and came very quickly
• Great product really fast delivery - delighted thanks!!!!
• very quick delivery and a pleasure to deal with, thanks
• Well made gloves and excellent packing
• arrived quickly..look great on..great bargain..Many thanks
• Arrived promptly and is just as described. Very pleased.
• excellent service and as described : )
• BRILLIANT SERVICE FROM A GREAT SHOP. THANK YOU

Sherwood Equestrian.

2012 Olympic Games, Equestrian Events at Greenwich Park

The governing body for the sport of Eventing in Great Britain recommended Greenwich Park as a venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games after a range of options was considered; it has been confirmed as the chosen venue for the equestrian competitions.

The site places equestrian sport at the heart of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, only a few minutes from the main stadium and Olympic Village. It will enable the three equestrian disciplines to take place at a single venue.

Greenwich Park is visually stunning and the stadium in front of the Queen's House will be one of the finest settings ever seen in an Olympic Games and promises a wonderful atmosphere, giving equestrian events the best possible chance of TV coverage.

Equestrian Clothing

Did you know that the Sherwood Equestrian eBay shop has 100% positive feedback? If you are looking for good value good quality equestrian clothing, why not try our eBay shop? Link via our web site page at www.sherwoodequestrian.com

:o)

Equestrian Designer Zara Phillips

Zara Phillips has been designing a new range of equestrian wear and testing the finished products. Jackets, a gilet and tops will sport the logo "176" which is Zara's eventing number.

Better known for sailing clothing, Musto recently expanded into lifestyle outdoor clothing ranges, including shooting and equestrian. Their Zara Phillips equestrian range is expected to be available in the Autumn.

Daughter of the Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, the Queen's grand-daughter and Eventing World Champion was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2006.

Zara's world champion horse, Toytown, is currently out of action but she is focusing on the 2012 Olympics, either with a recovered Toytown or one of her other horses.

Caring for your Tack Leather

Taking care of your tack can help to prolong its life, make it more comfortable for the horse and make it easier to use.

Here are some top tips to help you get the most out of your leatherwork:

• Oil before use
  
• If the leather is muddy, clean it first with warm water
  
• Use good quality saddle soap after each use
  
• Store in a cool, dry environment
  
• If the leather becomes wet, allow it to dry slowly; 
  do not place over a radiator or in front of direct heat
  
• Do not tie your horse up using the bridle reins.

For safety reasons, all leatherwork should be checked regularly.

UK sporting country breaks with that WOW factor

Corks Creak Sporting Breaks recently launched a web site to advertise their expertise in putting together the perfect sporting break or holiday in the UK countryside.

With their geographical and sporting experience plus a growing network of contacts for hospitality / accommodation, fishing proprietors, shooting agents, qualified guides, ghillies, loaders and coaches, they will specialise in breaks and holidays with a maximum WOW factor – scenery and environment to allow the soul to breathe and the brain to relax.

According to Corks Creak Sporting Breaks founder, Paul Blackman:
"I started fishing at the age of four, fly fishing by the time I was twenty something. Fly tyer from several years after I started 'chucking fluff'. I have a long and varied past in field sports arenas.
"I started to arrange holidays for folk as a matter of courtesy about five years ago simply because I had the contact base to do so, and  I am that sort of bloke really."

Trekking, anyone?

The Running Martingale

The Martingale is the strap of a horse’s harness that connects the girth to the noseband and is designed to prevent the horse from throwing back its head.

Martingales are used by many riders, particularly when jumping and when riding young or strong horses. The Martingale helps to give that extra control by preventing the horse from raising its head beyond the point of control.

The most popular is the Running Martingale which separates into two straps with a ring at the end of each. The reins pass through the rings and evens the stability of the reins and bit and makes downward pressure on the mouth if the horse raises his head too high.

The Martingale has no effect on the horse if it is performing correctly and provides a neck strap for awkward moments. It also allows the rider to open the reins a little.

The Running Martingale is very commonly used in show jumping and cross country and is very popular with riders in general.

A problem can arise when some horses try to grab the straps of a Running Martingale in their mouths. In these instances an alternative Martingale might be used, such as a Bib Martingale.

The Bib Martingale will be covered in a future article together with details about Sliding Martingales.

Spartan Missile and the Grand National

Arguably, Spartan Missile was the best Point to Pointer/Hunter Chaser of all time. He stood head and shoulders above the other horses in his class and almost won the Aintree Grand National.

The horse's owner, John Thorne, an amateur rider in his 50s, came out of retirement to ride this horse that he had bred and trained because he believed it would allow him to attain his dream of riding the winner of the Grand National.

John Thorne had also bred and ridden Spartan Missile’s dam, Polaris Missile, and returned to race riding after his son Nigel was killed in a car accident. After graduating to Hunter Chases from Point to Points he won the Aintree Foxhunters in 1978 and again a year later. The 1978 win was particularly memorable as the pin in one of his leathers broke and he had to ride over the last 8 jumps with no stirrups.

Spartan Missile missed 1980 through injury and, on his return a year later, John Thorne weighed in at 13 stone. Needing to get down to a race weight of 11 stone 2lbs, he trained with the soldiers at his local barracks and managed to achieve 11 stone 5lbs, just over 3lbs heavier than his target.

John Francome, the champion jockey at this time, offered to ride Spartan Missile in the big race, but John declined. The likelihood is that if John Francome had ridden, it would have won, thereby denying Aldaniti and Bob Champion of their fairytale ending.

Spartan Missile was settled at the back in the race and made a bad mistake at the first fence on the second circuit setting him even further back. Slowly he made his way through the field but Aldaniti had set sail for home already. Clawing his way past horse after horse, at the last fence only Aldaniti was in front of him. Relentlessly gaining length after length on the run-in, the post came just in time for Aldaniti. The galloping grandpa had just failed.

Great sportsman he was, John Thorne was pleased for Bob Champion, the rider of Aldaniti, and even had a drink with him in the local pub that evening.

Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending. The following year, John Thorne was tragically killed in a fall at a Point to Point and Spartan Missile never ran again.

Equestrian Clothing - Quality at an affordable price.

A Bit Special - part 3.

Concluding our Bit Special ...

Fit

Even if you have chosen the perfect type of bit for your horse, if it is the wrong size, it will cause the horse discomfort and could be rather ineffective.

To measure a horse for a bit, look at your existing bit in the horse’s mouth. If you gently pull the bit to one side of the horse’s mouth (so the opposite bit ring sits flush against the horse’s face can you fit one or two fingers between the horse’s lips and the bit ring? Ideally, there should be around ½ inch of bit either side of the horse’s mouth.

If this bit is OK, then remove the bridle and measure it. This is easily done, simply lay the bit on a flat surface and measure between the two rings. Simple as that, you have the size of the bit!

Bit Size Chart

Imperial/Metric

Materials

• Stainless steel - safe and easy to clean, stainless steel is the normal material that bits are made from.
• Copper - is softer and can be used to cover other metal mouthpieces, It can be used to help horses mouth the bit and encourage salivation. Many horses like the taste.
• Cupro Nickel and German Silver - these bits have a light gold colour and have a unique flavour which can help the horse to soften
• Sweet Iron – is darker in colour and encourages the horse to salivate, This in turn produces a pleasant taste.
• Rubber – makes a very soft and very kind bit. Because of the nature of the material, bits made from rubber should always have metal reinforcement running through the centre in case the horse chews through.
• Synthetic – usually light but very strong. They are also quite gentle on the horse’s mouth.
• Vulcanite – a type of rubber that is hardened by heat. Vulcanite mouthpieces are often very thick meaning that they gentle on the horse’s mouth.

A Bit more - part 2 of 3 - Double, Pelham, Gags & Bitless

In part 1, we looked at Snaffles. Here are the other Bits.

Double

Double bridles are made up of three parts, the bradoon and the curb bit and the curb chain. These are easy to distinguish as:

• A bradoon will have a link and round rings
• A curb bit has no link and has cheeks in some form of another
• A curb chain is a piece of fine metal chain which attaches to either side of the bit and then lies in the chin groove.

Double bridles apply pressure to two further parts of the horse, the chin groove and the poll, which can encourage a more advanced head carriage and/or improved control. For this reason, they are used when the horse has reached a stage in his training where he requires further refinement, such as advanced dressage. Doubles can also be used when showing, hunting or jumping.

Pelham

A Pelham is a rather cunning bit where the two bits of a double bridge have been combined into one. Pelham bits can be used with one rein (with roundings) or two reins to encourage further refinement. This type of bit has the following variations:

• Straight bar or gently curved (mullen)
• With a port (a raised section in the centre of the bit)
• Jointed
• Kimblewick, which is a single reined bit with two rein positions, This is a strong bit.

Rugby Pelham can be used with a sliphead, like a double bridle, and can be made to look like a double for the show ring.

Pelhams are generally quite severe and should only be used by experienced people. They are not acceptable in dressage.

Gags

Gags are related to snaffle bits but are more severe.

They usually employ a lever action which works on the poll and are commonly seen when horses are going cross country, show jumping or playing polo. They are illegal for dressage.

There are many variations. Like the snaffle, they can have straight bar, single joined or double jointed mouthpieces in addition to a variety of different rings/cheeks, but these are often specific to that type of gag.

Gag snaffles should be used with two reins in a similar style to a Pelham. To use a type of bit like this with one rein does not allow any reward for the horse if he behaves, or give the rider any other option than employing the lever action. If a rein is attached to the snaffle ring and then a ring below, the rider has the best of both worlds.

Gags are very severe and if used inconsiderately can cause a lot of problems. That said, if used correctly and sympathetically, they can provide the rider with a further degree of control. Gags should only be used by very experienced riders.

Bitless

A bitless bridge or Hackamore is not technically a bit (hence, bitless) but a special attachment is available to provide the rider with control without the need for a traditional bit. These ‘bits’ rely on points of control outside the horse’s mouth, especially the nose. Bitless bridles have difference degrees of severity depending on the length of the shank between the nose and reins, and the paddying/width of straps around the head.

Bitless bridles are great for horses that do not like traditional bits or have damaged mouths, but they are not allowed in dressage competitions. Don’t be fooled … bitless bridles can be very severe and should not be used by inexperienced people.

A "BIT" Special - part 1 of 3 - Snaffles.

Introduction.

There are many factors that should be considered when choosing which bit is appropriate for your horse, for advice on which is most suitable for your needs, someone with lots of experience who knows you and your horse should be consulted.

Bits work on many different areas of the horse’s head: the tongue, bars, corners of mouth and lips, roof of mouth, side of fact, chin groove, poll and nose.

There are essentially five difference types of bit. All work on different areas of the horse and therefore have a different result. Within the different types, bits have varying severity, for example, in the snaffle family, a Dr Bristol is far more severe than a French Link, even though they are both snaffles. To help explain how this works, we have had a look at the different families of bit to help you decide which one is right for you.

Snaffles.

Snaffles can be used for all sorts of equestrian activities and can be straight bar, single jointed or double jointed. The number of joints has an influence on which areas of the mouth the bit works on, for example:

A straight bar will work on the lips, the bars of the mouth and tongue.

A single jointed has what is known as a ‘nutcracker’ action which means that when the reins are pulled, the tongue is squeezed as the bit closes. A single jointed also works on the bars of the mouth and the lips.

A double jointed has no nutcracker action but works on the bars of the mouth and the lips.

There can also be a variation on the types of rings which link the bridle to the bit. These can be:

• Fixed to prevent pinching
• Loose to allow more movement
• D Ring to help to prevent the bit being pulled through the mouth and aid steering
• Full Cheek which has full sides to help with steering and a fixed ring to prevent pinching
• Fulmer which has full sides to help with steering and loose rings to allow more movement
• Hanging cheek to prevent the horse getting his tongue over the bit due to the fact that the bit is suspended in the mouth.

As you can see, there are a myriad of difference options, but there are also some general guidelines regarding snaffles, for example:
 - the thicker the mouthpiece the milder the bit, and
 - any uneven surface inside the mouth increases the severity.

Part 2 will cover: Double, Pelham, Gags and Bitless.

The Right Rug Fitting

It is necessary when buying and using your outdoor rugs to bear the following points in mind. Fit is all-important. Rugs are usually sized in three-inch increments.

The measurement refers to the centre of the chest of the horse along the body to the rear of the quarters where you expect the rug to finish. As horses of any given size vary so much in girth and build, it is essential to take these measurements before purchasing your rug.

A rug will not stay in place unless it fits properly. A badly fitted rug will slip and be strained to breaking point.

Horses come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If a horse is exceptionally broad in the back it may be necessary to buy the next size up in relation to its height. Alternatively, it may be necessary to look at several different styles.

It is essential that a rug should fit well on the withers and shoulders so that the horse can move freely underneath the fabric without the rug slipping back. If this happens the rug is put under strain and can cause sore areas.

Once you have ascertained that the rug fits well around the neck, pull the rug into position along the horse's back so that the coat lies flat.

With rugs using leg straps, take the left leg strap, pass between the hind legs and fasten it on the left-hand side. Take the right leg strap. pass it between the hind legs and through the loop made by the first strap and fasten to the right hand side.

Adjust the leg straps equally until there is room for the width of one hand (4-5") between the leg straps and the horse's thigh. This is to allow freedom of movement.

The leg straps are linked to prevent rubbing and act with each other to pull the rug into place. When the horse is grazing, the leg straps should be close to its thighs to keep the rug in position. If the rug is fitted as described it will have very little through movement and rolling. If the leg straps are too loose, the rug will slip.

When fitting a rug with cross surcingles,  care should be taken to ensure the straps of the cross surcingle cross in the centre of the horse's belly well forward of the horse's stifle. i.e. so that the crossed straps are on the roundest part of his body. Again there should be a hand's breadth between the straps and the horse.

photographs by kind permission of Shires

POINT TO POINT RACING

The first recorded and now legendary match, took place in Ireland from Buttevant Church to St. Marys Church, Doneraile, in Cork in 1752.

The riders raced from the steeple in one church to the steeple in the second church, hence the name steeple chasing was born.

During the 19th Century, steeple chasing became more sophisticated with enclosed courses and professionally trained horses and the traditional amateur was not able to compete at this level.

Therefore attempts were made to stage races for amateurs, from which professionals were excluded. Local Hunts undertook to organise amateur races and the Atherstone Hunt was the first hunt to organise a meeting annually from 1870. This hunt still has a meeting today usually at the end of each April.

There were no accepted rules for these races until 1913, when the Master of Hounds Point to Point Association formulated a list.

In 1935, Point to Point racing was brought under the umbrella of the National Hunt Committee which runs professional jump racing, who brought in a new set of regulations which generally still stand today.

Point to pointing has often led the way for National Hunt racing to follow. Ladies were allowed to race against men in all races except Mens’ Opens in 1974.

Sunday racing with betting started with point to points.

As point to point fences are six inches lower than National Hunt fences, many of the top horses like ‘Best Mate’ and ‘Denman’ began their careers in point to points. It is an invaluable training ground for young horses and riders.

Each year there is a limited number of races at National Hunt courses between February and May that are confined to point to pointers.

They differ from normal races as the horses are not handicapped by weight in order to equalize their abilities - so the best horses tend to win.

These are good betting opportunities but you have to know a lot about point to point form.  One effective method is to click on to www.hunterchasetips.co.uk where The Colonel will show you a way to win money on these races.

Content submitted by The Colonel.

The pros and cons of Haylage feed for your Horse.

Haylage is growing in popularity as the way of feeding roughage during the winter. This growth in popularity is partially due to the difficulty of finding dust free hay.

WHAT IS HAYLAGE? Like hay, Haylage is preserved grass. The grass is ensiled, or pickled, to create Haylage rather than dried to produce hay. The process does in many ways produce a product closer to natural grass. This is considered more beneficial than dry hay. It does however have some drawbacks.

Haylage tends to be richer than hay. Gut issues such as recurrent loose droppings can occur when Haylage is fed to the horse and it is felt this may be partly due to an increased acid nature of Haylage when compared with hay. The lower dry matter may also be a factor. Recent awareness of gastric upsets such as ulcers coincidently seems to tie in with the increased usage of Haylage.

Whilst there seems to be no confirmation of this as yet, it is strongly felt there is a need to balance the Haylage rich diet fed to your horse.

Some of the Feed Suppliers and manufacturers are producing natural balancing formulas to add to the Haylage to help overcome these problems. These balancers contain key active ingredients including: Antacids, Live probiotic yeast, Herbs including such items as ginger, liquorice and mint plus Vitamins and Minerals.

Ask your local feed supplier for advice. It is highly recommended that your local feed supplier be consulted on appropriate products to keep your horse healthy and happy.

Riding-wear for Dressage

Equestrian sports are steeped in tradition. Hunting groups are resplendant and Dressage riders no less so.

As a strictly governed sport, Dressage riders have a number of rules to follow regarding how they dress and behave. Dressage is judged subjectively, therefore correct turnout conveying the right impression are important.

For Dressage competitions, riders will wear white breeches, never jodhpurs. The breeches often feature slip-resistant leather 'seats' which creates friction with the saddle to keep the rider in place. Breeches are worn with a belt and are complemented with a white shirt and a stock tie with a small pin, worn under the Dressage Coat.

Dressage Coats are similar to Hunting Coats, usually solid black or occasionally navy, with metal buttons. The traditional Dressage Coat takes the form of a long jacket. In upper-levels of Dressage, riders wear a shadbelly or tailcoat with a colour vest or vest points at the front of the waist where the coat is cut short.

Gloves should be white or a light colour, enabling judges to see subtle hand movements.

Tall boots or field boots are acceptable although upper-level Dressage riders will choose tall dress boots. Spurs are required at the upper levels and a whip may be carried in some competitions but are not permitted in Eventing Dressage.

Long hair is usually secured with a hair net or show bow. A hair net will generally be chosen to blend with the hair colour of the Dressage rider, whereas a show bow is generally black.

Lower-level riders will be required to wear an approved riding helmet. At the upper levels, a top hat to match the Dressage tailcoat is more traditional when show rules allow.

Dressage tailcoats photographs are courtesy of Equetech and Shires.