t does not matter how experienced you are as a rider, taking all the necessary precautions when riding could be crucial should a riding accident occur. Though air jacket is relatively new to riding, the hi-tech safety item is already making a difference to riders’ lives. One good case in point is the accident that happened to Laura Collett.
Ms Collett, 23, event rider, said she owes her life to a air jacket after a heavy fall which left her with spine, shoulder and rib fractures. She was in a coma for six days. She is now back on her feet and want to resume riding in the hope of represent Team GB at the 2016 Olympics.
“Paramedics said the air jacket I was wearing [works on the same principles as a car air bag] probably saved my life” Laura Collett told BBC.
“Any horse falling on you is a pretty serious thing. To come away with hopefully no serious injuries is pretty lucky really. The horse was a bit stiff but she’s fine apart from that. I’ve been up to the yard and seen all the horses,” she added.
“There’s nothing really that can’t be fixed. I’ve got a few fractures, but they are all on the mend. Hopefully, it won’t be too long. The plan is to get back to normal, and get back to eventing as soon as I can.”

You can read the full article on this page at BBC website: bbc.co.uk/sport/0/equestrian/23466911

Horse Lovers Dating Air Jacket, horse riding safety, Laura Collett

Its amazing the stuff some horse owners get up to with their horse or pony. It was not long ago that a man tries to board a train with his pony. A young adult who lives on high rise building once found an abandoned horse which she tried to take in a lift to her 9th floor flat and the latest in this interesting things people get up to with horses and Ponies saw a woman try to ride-thru a McDonald drive-thru restaurant on a horse, in Greater Manchester.

The woman was initially turned away from the drive-thru section of the restaurant, she seem quite determined to get his McDonald fix so she got off the saddle and walk with her horse into the restaurant. Apparently her presence in the restaurant with a horse was distressing to other customers and to make matters worst, the horse seem to show what it thinks of the restaurant by living a big pile of horse dropping. McDonald said it it not able to serve customers on Horse back. It was also said that a girl riding a pony also went through the McDonald’s ‘drive-thru’ with the woman.

The woman who was not named by the Police was latter fined for taking her horse into the restaurant. A spokes person for McDonals said:
“The health and safety of our customers and staff is our top priority, and for this reason we are unable to serve pedestrians, bicycle riders or customers on horseback through the drive-thru.”

Have you ever taken your horse or pony to an unusual place?

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Appleby horse Fair is a traditional, annually held fair where Travellers from around the United Kingdom buy and sell horses, meet with friends and relations, and celebrate their lifestyles.

It is one of the oldest horse fairs in existence, as it has been around since the reign of James II who allowed a horse fair to be held near the river Eden by Royal charter.

It is held every year in early June. It is currently under way, with the 2013 dates being the 6th to 12th June. It also sees many thousands of visitors.

The tradition continues until this day. Many people welcome, and visit the fair, however many people also cast a negative light upon the fair, giving the whole setup, and the travellers who attend it a bad name.

Recently, twenty men were arrested on their way to Appleby Horse Fair, by police, who claimed that they had the intention of ‘causing grievous bodily harm’.

Some people living in the area shut themselves away, or even leave temporarily in order to escape the fair, others exploit it as a business opportunity. All in all, those who are not fans give the fair a bad name, and cast the fair in a negative light.

People have created a petition to ban the horse fair, as they have reported incidents of abuse, where people have supposedly whipped, kicked and manhandled terrified horses into the river.

Other people report great experiences from the fair, having viewed, or even been involved in, the transaction of a horse or two. Over all, the fair is a long standing Traveller tradition, which is often given bad press by judgemental outsiders.

Countryside Blog

Welsh Pony and Cob Breed Information

The Welsh pony and cob is very interesting. Not only is it one of Britain’s original native breeds, it also has a stud book that is divided into 4 sections! These four sections are called Section A, B, C, and D, because the different sections are of various heights and physiques.

Welsh Ponies and Cobs are used for a wide range of equestrian disciplines, such as showjumping, cross country, showing, driving, trekking, and pleasure riding.

Native ponies lived in Wales prior to 1600BC, and it is thought that an earlier type of the Welsh existed at the time. Over time, the Welsh has been influenced a lot by Arabian blood, and it is thought that Hackney and Thoroughbred blood may also have played a role.

Section A
The section A , also known as Welsh Mountain Pony is the smallest Welsh type. Average height is about 11-12 hands, not exceeding 12 hands. The faces are small, and dished (from Arab influence), leg conformation is refined, but with good bone and the tail is high set.

Section B
The Section B is taller than the Section A, standing at about 12-13 hands, not exceeding 13.2 hands. This is a popular children’s pony, often involved in pony club activities. There is no minimum height restriction. They are more refined than Section A but without loss of bone.

Section C
Section Cs are more compact and cob like, but they cannot exceed 13.2 hands. They were first produced from a Section A-Section D cross. They compete in jumping and eventing, and in harness.

Section D

Section D’s must exceed 13.2 hands, but have no upper limit. They are the largest Welsh in the Welsh stud registries. Unlike with other Welsh ponies, Grey colouring is rare. They can be ridden and driven, but are most commonly associated with harness work.

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There are many reasons why grooming your horse on a regular basis is essential. As well as giving you the chance to check him for injury, you’ll be stimulating his blood flow and his endorphins as you bond with him. In essence – if you want a happy and healthy horse then you need to groom him every day. Ensure when you are looking for a horse to buy or horses to loan you ensure he has been well looked after.
Many people now find themselves with less time than ever on their hands and if you’re one of them and the thought of an hour long grooming session on a daily basis fills you with dread then you might want to consider some of the following, which are super-fast and efficient ways of giving your horse the exact same benefits but leaving you more time to exercise and ride him.

1. Ask your vet about adding vegetable oil or an essential Omega-3 fatty acid supplement to his diet for added shine and texture to his coat.
2. Sponging his face clean after his exercise will help prevent any hair loss and a different sponge for every part of his body will prevent any cross contamination.
3. Use a tail bag to keep his tail thick, long and protected. Washing, conditioning, detangling and rebraiding him once a week will also keep his tail looking glossy.
4. Clip his bridlepath and whiskers once a week. If done regularly, this should only take a few minutes but could make a huge difference.
5. A de-tangler or a wide toothed comb (or even your fingers if you forget to buy a comb) is a great way of remove any large snarls from his mane and tail.
6. The sunlight can cause fading or bleaching if you’re not careful so shade and a sheet could stop his coat greying or fading. A further good idea is to rinse him after work to remove any sweat and make the sun’s rays less likely to take effect.
7. Regular use of coat polish after bathing will prevent dust and/or dirt from clinging to his coat.
8. Regular disinfection of brushes and combs will help prevent against skin infections or diseases and will get better results than dirty or dusty brushes. Furthermore, you’ll get much better results if you rinse in between brushes. Tucking a towel into the top of your jodhpurs and wiping your brush on there every five (or so) strokes can get rid of any build up on the brush.
9. Brushing from the front to the back, and the top to the bottom is the most efficient and comfortable way for your horse.
10. Why not multi-task and have a brush in each hand – just try not to go too fast or you risk spooking your horse.
11. Grooming wipes are a great way to a fast and effective finish and your horse will love them too!
12. Check for any infections or imperfections in his skin as you groom as this will save having to perform a lengthy and time consuming exam later on.
Linda Carter enjoys blogging on horses, family farm life, horse trailers and animals.

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