New Web Site Launch Countdown

It's been a long time coming but we are pleased to say that our new web site with on-line shop will be launched sometime in the next few weeks, we are aiming for end of November.

Sherwood Equestrian will launch the site with a select number of items, ranging from horse-care products to clothing - men's and ladies' underwear and popular good quality equestrian clothes.

We hope to see you in our 'shop' and in the meantime, please see our eBay store for end-of-season equestrian boots & riding wear bargains.

THEFT OF FOAL FROM CALDECOTE ROAD, BALDOCK, HERTS.

This is a message from Karen Broad the Police Community Support Officer for Hertfordshire Horse Watch.

"Between 06.00 and 13.30 hours on 26th July 2010, a mare and 2 month old foal were stolen from a field in Caldecote Road, Baldock.

The mare was later found a few fields away minus her foal; the foal is 2 months old, dark Brown in colour with no marks (we are still awaiting photos and more details).

Please keep your eyes peeled for this little foal as her mother is desperate for it back and I am sure the foal is missing its mother.

Please keep your foals safe as you cannot micro chip them till they are a bit older it makes them very vulnerable."

If you have any information on the above foal please call 0845 33 00 222 and quote ref G4/10/567

The Welfare of your Horse

Herts-based CleanRound has launched a new product range that:

• Prevents Strangles -- Clean Round's potent ingredient, DuoMax E10 kills the Streptococcus Equi bacteria
  
• Kills Ring Worm -- DuoMax E10 in Clean Round kills a broad spectrum of Fungi, Bacteria and viruses
  
• Controls Sweet-Itch -- DuoMax E10 has been shown to alleviates the symptoms of Sweet Itch

We've not tried CleanRound equine wash products ourselves but we are following with interest. If you have any feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

Equestrian underwear that won't ride up!

Active equestrians, both male and female, are more comfortable with clothes designed for the rigours of horse-riding. This most certainly includes under garments that stay put despite all the activity.

Some of Sherwood Equestrian's most popular product ranges are men's and ladies' undies - bras as well as pants.

Here are some examples from our extensive Equetech range:

What is an English Saddle and why do they enjoy world-wide popularity?

The design of an English saddle has no horn nor other elements that protrude above the main tree of the saddle. Historically based on the English hunting saddle that developed to allow the rider more movement and flexibility due to its low pommel, the English saddle is now the standard for all of the Olympic equestrian disciplines.

The English saddle, designed to allow the horse freedom of movement, provided the basic design for show jumping, dressage and eventing saddles.

A show jumping saddle features a forward flap that allows for shorter length stirrups for controlled jumps.

For dressage, the pommel is slightly higher and the stirrups are longer. The seat is deeper and usually wider for a more comfortable position.

The English showing saddle is a direct descendant of the English hunting saddle.

English saddles are also used for polo. They are no longer manufactured only in England and many of the cheaper varieties are made in India. However, England-based English saddlery companies are held in high regard.

Sherwood Equestrian clothing is available at www.SherwoodEquestrian.com

Photographs courtesy of www.MoritzSaddlery.com, exporters of English Saddlery.

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.