General Equestrian Advice

Owning a horsebox or trailer can be a huge advantage if you need to transport your horse regularly, be it to events, lessons or just to meet friends for rides. Not to mention if you need to transport your horse urgently. So, it’s important that your vehicle is ready and roadworthy when you need to use it.   Storing your transport at your yard   Many yards offer storage of horseboxes and trailers, but it’s important to make some considerations before this is arra...

In the equestrian world there are many people offering lessons, some describe themselves as instructors, others as trainers and some as coaches. But how do you decide who is right for you? And does what someone calls themselves really matter? If we took a straw poll of the industry we’d likely get the following general definitions: Instructor -  Someone who focuses predominantly on the rider and developing their riding skills and technique by passing on facts and knowledge. Of...

As a yard owner and at a time when the cost of running a business is increasing, it is important that you put changes in place to make sure that these are reflected in the costs of your services for your clients, yet many yard owners are unsure how to deal with what is often deemed a delicate situation.   Bills - particularly electricity and fuel- have been increasing rapidly in recent weeks with many yard owners finding that this is directly affecting the running costs of their equ...

Are you thinking about taking the leap from unaffiliated to affiliated showjumping? Or even just starting to try your hand at competing in the discipline? Then here are a few tips on what to expect and how to get started. Local, unaffiliated or affiliated shows – what’s the difference? There are several types of competition that are open to all riders; we’ll start off by looking at the ‘local’ and unaffiliated shows. “How do the two differ?” you ...

Going to a dressage competition can be stressful, especially if you’ve never been to one before or haven’t competed for a long period of time, but there’s plenty you can do in advance to ensure you’re as well prepared as possible. The first is to familiarise yourself with the rules. Most unaffiliated dressage competitions use the British Dressage rule book - here’s our quick guide to tack, equipment and wardrobe for you and your horse (the full rule book can be...

'My thoroughbred is not eating all of his food and has started malting by the handful. He has his teeth checked regularly. Any ideas?' Ensuring that you are providing your horse with a balanced diet - including the correct amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins and calories is essential if you're aiming to achieve the optimum level of health for your horse. The better health that your horse is in, the better their performance shall be, which is just another reason that you shoul...