Bitting Dilemmas!

At Tictac Equestrian, we are all strong believers in starting a horse’s ridden career in very basic tack. “Over-bitting” can cause more problems than necessary when starting to train a young horse, often masking problems and making them worse! Choosing a suitable bit for your horse can be a mind wracking task and our Tictac Equestrian team would like to try and help you J

I myself, believe that when a horse has any issues such as being too strong or forward, leaning on the bit, locking their jaw, putting their tongue over the bit or any other issues; this may be caused by some training or schooling issue. Throwing a stronger or more severe bit in your horse’s mouth is definitely not the answer! This can make your horse’s problem even worse and cause them a lot of discomfort. My new horse Honey is very hot headed and nervous, she has a very sensitive mouth and I found it very difficult to find a bit that she would accept and happily chew away on. I found the answer with a Nathe Pelham. I think these bits are absolutely amazing and would recommend anybody who has a horse with a sensitive mouth to try one. They are made of soft and flexible rubber which Honey absolutely loves! She is so much more relaxed and accepting than when I ride her in a simple linked metal snaffle. The Pelham is definitely not as severe as a pelham with a steel mouthpiece as the soft rubber is so flexible and forgiving and it gives me just the right amount of pressure and control for my hot headed little thoroughbred. The Nathe bits come in a large variety of styles and sizes and I would encourage everybody to have a look.

Do you have any issues with choosing a suitable bit for your horse? If so, we advise that you seek advice from your regular instructor or a reputable instructor that you trust. Often a second opinion from a trusted person can mean the world and we are sure your horse will thank you for it J Check out our full range of bits on our bit section on our Tictac Equestrian website. If you have any questions for our team or any advice you would like to share with our customers, we would love to hear from you! Contact us through our Facebook or Twitter. 

Keep Your Horse Hydrated This Summer

As the warmer weather slowly creeps in, it is important to ensure your horses are kept well hydrated. Our Tictac Equestrian team all feed our horse’s additional supplements onto their regular diet and in the summer months we all agree that feeding our horses NAF Electro Salts helps to keep them hydrated and healthy.

When horse’s work and during warm weather they regulate their body temperature by sweating. Excess sweating can not only dehydrate a horse very quickly but as they sweat, they lose essential body salts called electrolytes; sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium being the main four. If we do not replace these electrolytes, it can result in fatigue and damage to muscle, bone and cartilage. NAF Electro Salts is a balanced combination of plasma salts:

• ·         Sodium
• ·         Potassium
• ·         Calcium
• ·         Chloride
• ·         Magnesium

Combined with dextrose to optimise absorption of the salts, NAF Electro Salts is an ideal supplement for horses in any level of work or for any horse during warm weather when excess sweating can occur. It is also recommended to give your horse a Himalayan rock salt lick to help them obtain their daily salt requirements. NAF Electro Salts can be fed in your horses feed or dissolved in their water.

Lauren has fed her horses Electro Salts every summer for over four years as they are all in high levels of work. Combined with the warm summer weather it makes it essential to keep your horse well hydrated. Even her three retired ponies have Electro Salts add

ed into their water in the field J NAF Electro Salts are available in 1kg and 4kg containers.

If you have any questions for any of our team, we are more than happy to help. Contact us through our Facebook or Twitter. 

Rachael's Corner: Get a Grip on Grass!

At Tictac Equestrian, we all decide to have our horses fitted with shoes with stud holes over the summer months whilst we are out competing on grass because let’s face it, even over the summer months, in this country the ground is never suitable! I personally think it gives you a little bit more confidence knowing that your horse isn’t as likely to slip and injure themselves or you, making it a much more enjoyable experience (as competing your horse should be! J)

On our Tictac Equestrian website, you will find a large range of stud kits, individual sets of studs, rubber and felt stoppers, hole cleaners, spanner taps etc.; Everything you need to keep your horse’s footing on soggy grass this summer and all at amazing prices of course. I think that for the best value for your money, the Mark Todd Stud Kit is definitely the one to go for! It has everything that you need to get you started including a tap spanner, a brush and pick cleaner, eight show jumping studs, eight eventing studs, screw-in hole plugs with key, plastic push-in plugs – all in a handy storage case to keep everything together. At our amazing price of only £22.49, we believe that this is the best product to get you started J

To view or full range of studs, taps and stoppers, visit our stud page on our Tictac Equestrian website. If you have any questions for us, or any advice for our customers; we would love to hear from you! Contact us through our Facebook or Twitter.

It's Time to Look Out the Lightweight Rugs!

It’s getting to that time of year again when our horses get to shed their heavy winter rugs and wear a nice light rain sheet or fly rug. In the Tictac Equestrian office, we have been chatting about our range of lightweight rugs and which ones we prefer. With brands like Mark Todd, JHL, Fal Pro and Coolex, all at amazing prices you’ll be spoiled for choice!

I have several Mark Todd rugs for Honey and can’t recommend them highly enough. They don’t rub shoulders or manes, slide around and stay remarkably clean! Honey has her Mark Todd lightweight rug for summer time if there are some showers, her Autumner turnout with 150g filling for those chillier summer nights and her Heavyweight Combo to keep her nice and warm in our miserable winters!

To view our full range of summer rugs, visit our lightweight rug section on our Tictac Equestrian website. If you have any enquiries or advice for our team or customers, we would love to hear from you! Contact us through our Facebook or Twitter J

Rachael’s Corner: Overweight Rider Survey Results!

In the Tictac Equestrian office today, we have been chatting about the recent survey that has been published in some major newspapers such as The Daily Mail about how only one in twenty riders are within the optimum weight for their horse! Wow!

The survey assessed 152 adults and their horses from the Devon and Cornwall area. Vet guidelines state that a rider should weigh under 10% of their horse’s weight to avoid injury to the horse. A study by Duchy College in Cornwall showed that only five per cent of the people surveyed fell within this bracket. Pretty scary! Thirty two per cent weighed more than fifteen per cent of their horse’s weight and the remaining sixty three per cent fell within the ten – fifteen per cent bracket. Vets state that if you weight anymore than fifteen per cent of your horse’s weight then you are putting your horse at high risk of injury or developing bad behaviour due to pain or discomfort.

A lot of people are under the misconception that “horses are big animals and should be able to carry large weights,” - However, this is not always the case. Some people do not take into consideration the age or breed of the horse, and do not realise that the standard of riding can largely contribute to this issue. Our horses are all suffering from the soaring rate of obesity in the United Kingdom and we have to do something about it.

Keith Chandler, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association, stated that last year they saw an increase in lameness and back problems in horses caused by “the wrong riders on the wrong horses.” Pretty frightening really!

If you have any worries about being too heavy for your horse, we recommend that you contact your vet to give you some information on the matter. At Tictac Equestrian, we would love to hear any stories or advice you might have for our team and our customers. Contact us through Facebook or Twitter J

Rachael’s Corner: Be seen on the Roads This Summer

With the light summer nights approaching, more of us will be taking advantage and venturing onto the roads with our horses for some nice relaxing hacking. At Tictac Equestrian, all of our team are all strong believers in wearing reflective clothing whilst on the roads to keep ourselves and our horses safe and seen!

It has been proven that horses and riders wearing even one item of reflective clothing can be seen by motorists up to three seconds sooner than if they were to be dressed in regular clothing. Three seconds may not sound like a long time, but for a speeding motorist, it could be the difference between them hitting you and your horse or having the time to react efficiently!

With such a wide range of quality and affordable reflective clothing for you and your horse currently on the market, there really is no reason for you not to be keeping you and your horse safe and seen! At Tictac Equestrian, we stock lots of the latest products from brands like Mark Todd, HyVIZ, Luna Rider and many more.  To View our full range of reflective products, visit our road safety page on our Tictac Equestrian website.

If you have any questions you would like to ask us, please do not hesitate to contact us on our Facebook or Twitter page. We would love to hear from you J

Mark Todd Acupressure Pad

Our Tictac Equestrian boss Jenny has recently bought a Mark Todd Acupressure Pad for everyday use on her horses and is very impressed overall with the pad and recommended myself and Lauren to give it a try on our horses J

The pad is made up of three layers of 100% natural latex which ensures optimum weight bearing and shock absorbing qualities and also ensures that it moulds perfectly to the shape of your horse but will still retain its original shape (making it ideal for Jenny and her five horses!J) It has little tunnels through the latex which act as a vacuum to suck the hot air away from your horse’s back and replaces it with cool air which evaporates sweat more efficiently than a regular cotton or gel pad.

The pad is carefully designed to gently massage your horse’s muscles, increasing blood flow, making riding a more pleasant experience all round for your horse. This makes it especially effective for a young or more sensitive horse. Having a non-slip lining and also wither relief makes it suitable for any shape of horse, whether it is for a high withered thoroughbred type or one of the rounder variety that you have trouble keeping their saddle in place.

You can read more and purchase the Mark Todd Acupressure Pad at www.tictacequestrian.com for the special price of £59.99, down from our regular price of £69.99. You will also receive a free gift with your order - bonus!

If you have any questions you would like to ask our team, we would love to hear from you! Contact us on or Facebook or Twitter.

Grooming Tips & Tricks

In the Tictac Equestrian office today, we have been swapping advice on how to keep our horses squeaky clean and looking lovely for upcoming shows. Ever wondered how to get your horses socks white? Or even their body if you own a grey J Well we’ve put together a few of our tips to help you out!

At Tictac Equestrian, we stock a large range of quality shampoos and sprays to help you take those nasty stains out of your horse’s coat and make the most of their natural colouring. One of my favourites that I use on Honey’s socks is Carr & Day & Martin Stain Remover Spray which is very effective in removing those stubborn yellow stains, yuck! I also use Gallop shampoo by Carr & Day & Martin that you can buy for greys, chestnuts or black horses which is specially designed to bring out the natural shine and highlight the tones in your horse’s coat.

If you’re looking for something that you will have at home to use,  I really like using green Fairy Liquid on white socks to get them sparkling white. A girl that keeps her horse at our yard uses vanish soap bars on her skewbald! It does work but I would definitely advise testing it on a leg first to make sure it isn’t going to irritate your horse’s skin J

To view our full range of grooming products,visit our coat and skin care or mane and tail care section on our Tictac Equestrian website. If you have any useful tips or advice for our team and customers on some ways to get your whites white, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us through Facebook or Twitter.

Rachael’s Corner: Coat, Mane and Tail Care

All of our Tictac Equestrian team love Carr & Day & Martin Mane and Tail Conditioner to keep our horse’s tails in perfect condition and very easy to maintain. The results last up to two weeks which means that it makes it a lot easier to brush through between uses, preventing you from damaging the tail anymore than necessary.

I’ve used Canter Mane and Tail Conditioner, along with Canter Coat Shine on my horse’s for years and would highly recommend it to keep your horses looking healthy and shiny (even in the miserable winter months! J) It also contains citronella so repels flies and smells

- amazing!

We stock a large range of Carr & Day & Martin products on our website at www.tictacequestrian.com at low prices. If you have any tips you would like to share with our team and our customers, we would love to hear from you either on our Facebook or Twitter.

Rachael’s Corner: Travelling Horses – Partition versus Full Length Bar

In the Tictac Equestrian office today, we have been chatting about how we travel our Tictac ponies to and from competitions, the vet or the beach. I have a trailer but Lauren and Jenny both have a lorry. When I bought my newest horse Honey, we had a nightmare of a time trying to even get her home. She definitely didn’t like the look of Lauren’s big scary lorry! When we eventually calmed her down enough and got her home, I started to try and get her used to walking in and out of the lorry with no luck for the first while, until it came to the day we moved yards and I tried her in my trailer without the partition and just a full length breast bar. The box was a lot less scary with a little bit more space to move around for Honey the worrier! Sometimes loading a horse is just that little bit less stressful on us and the horse if they feel comfortable after a little bit of practice.

At first I was worried about travelling her without the partition in case she lost her balance and toppled over, but it was the complete opposite. She was so much more relaxed and content in her spacious trailer and managed to balance herself a lot more easily than in the lorry or the trailer with the partition. My other horse that was sadly put to sleep in October was the total opposite of Honey. She loved feeling secure with either the lorry or trailer partition there to lean on if she did lose her footing (she was a little bit clumsy sometimes!)

If your horse is very nervous about travelling or loading, I would recommend trying NAF Instant Magnesium Calmer which you can buy from our website. It is an effective, affordable option to consider to make the experience a lot less stressful on us and our horses. It helps to relax them and over time it definitely pays off. I have used it a few times and would highly recommend it. It made Honey relax and realize that a horse eating monster didn’t actually live in my trailer!

How do you travel your horses and ponies? We would love to hear your opinions and experiences about this. When I was asking some of the girls’ at the stables about this, their opinions were very varied. Would you travel your horse without a partition? Let us know on our Facebook or Twitter.

Rachael's Corner: Magnetic Therapy for Horses

All of our Tictac Equestrian team are strong believers in how effective magnetic therapy can be. Whether you use it to aid the recovery of an injury, to help reduce swelling for an older horse or even just before and after exercise to help promote circulation, we would definitely recommend giving it a try!

Magnets work exactly the same as a copper bracelet would work on a human, they can help repair scar tissue, reduce inflammation, swelling, stiffness, muscle cramps and even ease arthritis pain. Equine magnetic products range from stable chaps, tendon or brushing boots and even rugs!

I have used the Equilibrium Stable Chaps and would highly recommend them to anybody looking to try magnetic therapy. I used them on my thoroughbred mare with arthritis for years and they helped her tremendously! Her legs got very swollen and she was very stiff after being stabled for a short period of time. Using the chaps at night time reduced her swelling and she was a lot less stiff too! Lauren also uses the chaps on her little 14.2 who has previously broken both of her back legs in separate incidents so she also suffers from severe arthritis and swelling. These chaps also helped her out dramatically too! J

If you’re looking for something that you can use whilst you are riding, I also use a magnetic therapy band. This is a thin magnetic band with a Velcro strap that fits comfortably around the fetlock and comes in black and fluorescent yellow (which is very useful for hacking!) My mare had an injury to her right hind leg before I bought her and she always seems to be very stiff through this leg. I find that using the band helps to loosen her off a lot more quickly than without.

At Tictac Equestrian, we stock a large range of quality and affordable magnetic products, including the Equilibrium chaps and fetlock bands J To see our full range, visit www.tictacequestrian.com

 If you have any questions or any advice you would like to give to our team and our customers, we would love to hear from you!

Rachael's Corner: Does Your Horse's Saddle Fit?

Coming into the summer months, when we will hopefully be able to ride our horses more as our miserable UK winter weather improves, it is very important that your horse’s saddle fits well. Uneven pressure or pinching can make for a very unhappy and uncomfortable horse so keeping your tack in working order and fitting well will keep your horse pain free and happy throughout the season.

Your horse will change shape throughout the year as they gain and lose weight, and also as they grow if you own a youngster, so it is advised that you have your saddle checked at least once per year by a qualified saddle fitter to ensure it fits well and also to check for any damage to the tree.  Your horse will also benefit from having their saddle re-flocked every two to three years if you have a wool flocked saddle, this will ensure that your saddle is able to mould to the shape of your horse as they move.

I, unfortunately, bought a felt flocked saddle for my horse which means that if she changes shape then I will have to sell it on and buy a different one as these cannot be adjusted. Felt flocked saddles are also very expensive to re-flock as the saddle has to be taken apart to do it.

I’ve owned several Wintec saddles over the years, all of which have had Cair panels. This means that instead of the panels being flocked with wool or felt, they are filled with air which can be adjusted to suit your horse’s shape and moulds to the shape of your horse as they move a lot more effectively than wool so it doesn’t need to be re-flocked! They also have the adjustable gullet system, allowing you to quickly and easily adjust your saddle at home as they change shape, saving time and money! J

At www.tictacequestrian.com, we stock a wide range of quality tack from brands like Mark Todd and many more!

Rachael’s Corner: Tasty Homemade Horse Treats

In the Tictac Equestrian office today, we have been looking at some interesting recipes to make your horse some yummy treats easily and with minimal cost!  One of the easiest ones that we found is called carrot and apple cake. Yum! J

You will need:

·         1 carrot

·         1 apple

·         1 cup of molasses

·         2 ½ cups of oats

·         2 tablespoons of oil

To start, preheat the oven to 300 degrees, grate the carrot and apple then mix with the oats, molasses and oil. Divide the mixture into bite size balls and place the mixture on a baking tray. Put the tray in your oven and bake for forty minutes until golden brown then cool for at least four hours in your fridge to make sure they’re nice and cool for your horse to munch.

There are lots of homemade horse treat recipes online to save you money and also give your horse something a little different from the norm. Most of them you can make with things that you just have in your house. A lot of them sound good enough to eat yourself J If you prefer to choose the easier option and buy your horse some treats, at www.tictacequestrian.co.uk we stock lots of treats, licks and stable toys to spoil your horse or pony from brands like Likit, Gold Label, Equiglo, Spillers, Uncle Jimmy’s, Pettifers and Stubbs.

Do you have any recipes you would like to share with our team and our customers? We would all love to hear from you.

Rachael’s Corner: Protexin Probiotic Gut Balancer

Does your horse suffer from colic, get grumpy, need antibiotics, shy from food or lose weight easily? Well at Tictac Equestrian, we think we have the answer!

Protexin Gut Balancer is a formulation containing high levels of probiotics (protexin’s highly concentrated probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae), prebiotics and yeast on a new and improved palatable grass meal base to encourage normal digestive function and efficiency. It is ideal for:

·         Promoting general wellbeing

·         Improving digestibility

·         Horses prone to losing condition

·         Horses or ponies susceptible to colic

·         During periods of stress (e.g. travel, competition)

·         During periods of antibiotic usage'

 

Our Tictac boss Jenny uses Protextin for her little two year old filly who has a weakness in her gut and Is susceptible to colic. Since Jenny started supplementing Filly with Protexin, she has not had colic since! J Have you used Protextin Probiotic Gut Balancer before? Would you recommend it to our customers? We would love to hear from you! 

Rachael's Corner: Spotting and Treating Equine Herpes

After the recent outbreak of the Equine Herpes virus down South, our Tictac team have been researching the signs and symptoms of this horrible, infectious virus to help spread the word to all of our customers and keep your horses safe and happy during the upcoming show season. After some researching, we found out that you can have your horse vaccinated against the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) and it can be given at the same time as their Tetanus and Influenza Virus Injections; prevention is better than cure after all! You are advised strongly to have broodmares vaccinated yearly, and if your mare is in foal, they should be vaccinated in the fifth, seventh and ninth month of pregnancy to reduce the risk of abortion due to the virus.

There are five strains of EHV, the two most common being EHV1 and EHV 4 which can cause:

• Abortions
• Paralysis
• Respiratory and neurological disease

After reading this, all of our Tictac team are definitely booking all of our horses in to be vaccinated. Don’t just shrug it off and think that it won’t affect your horse: you never know where the next outbreak may be.

Educating ourselves a little about EHV could reduce the risk of a massive outbreak and keep our horses safe. Some of the symptoms of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) are:

·         A high temperature

·         A watery nasal discharge

·         Ocular discharge

·         Enlarged lymph nodes

·         Coughing

·         Loss of appetite

·         Depression or looking lethargic

If you are worried that your horse might have EHV then phone your vet as soon as possible to have it officially diagnosed, treated and contained. If you have any stories or advice for our team or our customers, we would love to hear from you J

Rachael's Corner: The Pros and Cons of Rubber Stable Matting

In the Tictac Equestrian office today, we have been chatting about rubber stable mats and how they can dramatically reduce the cost of keeping your horse, both in the winter and also over the summer months.  Saving a little bit of money each week adds up over the space of the year! Most stable mat retailers estimate that it will take just under a year to pay for them in the money you will save in bedding. A cost effective investment! J

Personally, I would highly recommend stable matting.  I have used it with all of my horses. It is particularly cost effective if your horse is very wet or dirty in the stable as it allows you to use a small amount of bedding and you don’t have to worry about your horse hurting themselves if they lie down on the rubber instead of a concrete floor.  It does help if you use shavings or another absorbent bedding though, if you use straw it can get a bit smelly underneath the mats. It also helps towards keeping your horse nice and warm in the winter months!

In the winter, I still give Honey a nice deep littered bed on top of the mats. It still means that at the front of her stable where there is no bedding, there is less of a chance of her slipping on the concrete when she comes in all wet and soggy from the field on a miserable day. They are equally as beneficial in the warm summer months when you can throw your bed up and let your horse stand on the mats instead of a cold, slippery or uneven concrete floor.

Lauren doesn’t like them though and likes giving all five of her horses a nice deep littered bed all year round, because it is a very smelly and unpleasant job lifting and cleaning the mats come spring time. Yuck!

Do you use rubber matting in your stable? If you do, would you recommend our customers and the rest of the Tictac team to use them? We would love to hear your opinion.

Fitness for Your Horses

Whether your horse is competing at high levels or just being used for the occasional trail ride, it must have a certain level of fitness to perform well and endure the activity without injury. Asking the horse to do too much, too soon, can spell trouble. This is especially true for those pasture potatoes that have had little in the way of regular exercise, and are then suddenly expected to carry their equally unfit owner on a two-hour trail ride. Regardless of the discipline the horse is used for, they should be gradually adapted to greater workloads over time. But how do you know when your horse is fit enough?

Top-level athletes are put into rigorous training programs and are often in training year-round. However, the training program of most horses is usually interrupted. In Alberta, winter often means a substantial decrease in activity level because adverse weather may prohibit riding. Other horses may be given time off after the show season. Injuries may also require a period of lay-up while the horse recuperates. The question then becomes, how much fitness is lost and how fast does it disappear?

Training involves a combination of physical conditioning and task-specific schooling (i.e., schooling in the various tasks required of a specific event or competition). A discussion of schooling techniques for the various equine disciplines is beyond the scope of this paper. Rather, we will focus on how the horse's body adapts to the rigors of regular exercise, with particular attention to the time course of these adaptations. This paper will also cover the principles of conditioning used to obtain and maintain fitness.

Basic Energetics of Exercise

In order to understand the adaptations that occur with physical conditioning, we must first understand the energy-generating processes involved in muscle contraction during exercise. An appreciation of these processes will also help you to design an appropriate training program for a particular event.

The immediate source of energy for muscle contraction is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The energy released when a phosphate bond is cleaved from ATP is used directly by the contractile mechanism in the muscle. However, the concentration of ATP in skeletal muscle is very limited. If muscle contraction is to continue for more than a second or two, then ATP must be resynthesized. The replenishment of ATP is achieved by two distinct processes: 1) Anaerobic and 2) Aerobic mechanisms.

The generation of ATP by anaerobic processes occurs in the absence of oxygen. ATP is resynthesized anaerobically in the muscle from creatine phosphate or from carbohydrate, such as blood glucose or muscle glycogen. Breakdown of carbohydrate by anaerobic mechanisms is known as glycolysis, and results in the production of not only energy, but also lactic acid.

In contrast to anaerobic metabolism, ATP generated by aerobic mechanisms requires oxygen provided by blood circulation through the muscles. Carbohydrates and fats serve as the primary fuels for aerobic energy production. Carbohydrate sources include blood glucose and muscle glycogen. Sources of fat include fatty acids released from the adipose tissue, as well as triglyceride stores within the muscle. Another aerobic energy source is protein. However, the break down of proteins for energy is very inefficient and, therefore, does not contribute greatly to energy production during exercise.

Energy is generated more efficiently with aerobic metabolism. The net yield of ATP by aerobic metabolism is 36 ATP for each glucose molecule, whereas anaerobic metabolism of glucose produces only 2 ATP. Even more impressive, aerobic metabolism of a single fatty acid yields 138 ATP. Fats cannot be used as an energy source by anaerobic metabolism because the breakdown of fat requires oxygen.

The greatest advantage of anaerobic metabolism is that it is quite rapid, with glycolysis reaching peak energy production in about 30 seconds. By comparison, aerobic metabolism of substrates is a slower process because of the complexities of the reactions and the cardiovascular lag in supplying oxygen to the muscles. Nonetheless, aerobic processes are in full production within 60 seconds.

The relative contributions of aerobic and anaerobic pathways to the regeneration of ATP during exercise depend on both the intensity and duration of exercise. In general, as the intensity of the exercise increases, so does the contribution of anaerobic energy production. Conversely, as the duration of the exercise bout increases, the more muscles utilize aerobic energy. Trot and slow canter exercise on level terrain can be regarded as primarily aerobic. This means that ATP generated by aerobic metabolism can support almost all the energy demand of the exercise. There is very little contribution of either creatine phosphate or glycolysis, and the exercise may be continued for hours. At the other extreme, sprint exercise lasting less than 25 seconds, such as Quarter Horse racing and timed rodeo events, rely principally on anaerobic energy production.

It is important to remember that although one pathway may generate the majority of the energy at a given exercise intensity, both aerobic and anaerobic pathways are probably utilized in the muscle to some degree at all workloads. For example, most Thoroughbred and Standardbred races last between 100 and 200 seconds. Even though these are high-intensity events, anaerobic energy sources probably contribute less than 30% of the total energy output, leaving the majority of energy to be supplied aerobically. Submaximal events that involve intermittent bursts of activity, such as jumping and cutting, also involve significant energy production by both aerobic and anaerobic pathways.

Adaptations with Training

Five major systems are affected by an adequate period of physical conditioning:

1 Cardiovascular system - improved capacity to deliver oxygen to the working muscles.
2. Muscular system - improved capacity to utilize oxygen and more efficient fuel utilization.
3. Supporting structures (bone, tendon, ligaments, muscle) - an increase in the size and/or strength of these structures.
4. Temperature regulating system- greater ability to lose body heat during exercise, thus avoiding excessive increases in body temperature.
5. Central nervous system - improved neuromuscular coordination, which means the horse is better able to complete the skills required for its particular discipline. All of these adaptations allow the fit horse to exercise more efficiently, as well as perform more work before fatiguing. Tired horses are more likely to take a misstep or overextend themselves; so proper conditioning may also prevent injury to muscle and supporting structures. The average amount of training needed to elicit these adaptations is presented in Table 1.

White Line Disease and How To Prevent It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lnk9RWP2nU


Horses don't get sick as often as other animals. However, a horse's hooves are a breeding ground for most of the common horse diseases. The reason why is because horses spend most, if not all of their lives, standing and aren't able to lie down for any length of time without getting sick. This is why horse shoes are very important, and taking care of your horse's hooves and making sure they can withstand normal wear and tear is the most important part of horse care.
One of the most common problems in a horse's hooves is white line disease. This disease attacks the part of the foot where the hoof actually meets the foot, the inner hoof wall. If left undetected, it'll eventually cause the complete separation of the laminae and hoof wall and cause the coffin bone of the horse to rotate. It starts as a simple white line that may not look very serious, but as it deteriorates and eats away at the hoof, your horse will experience a great deal of pain. If you don't catch it and treat it, your horse will go lame and you may be forced to put him down.

The actual disease is a bacteria and fungi combination that usually lives around the barn or pasture but really thrives in a non-oxygen environment, like a cracked hoof. Horses become more likely to contact the disease if their hooves are cracked, have chronic infections like abscesses, are unbalanced, or have suffered some major trauma. It doesn't matter what horse breed you own: it affects all breeds and can be found in one or all four hooves.

The early signs of white line disease infestation are: a bulge shape in the hoof, a hollow sound when the hoof is tapped with a hammer, tender soles, and of course, a white line that's soft and chalky. If your horse has lost a shoe and piece of hoof, that may also be a sign of infestation. To figure out what the best treatment is, you should consult a veterinarian and a farrier. They may need to x-ray the horse's hoof to determine how extensive the damage is. The farrier will need access to these x-rays if s/he needs to shoe the horse therapeutically to support the weakened hoof wall.

The only way to stop it is by applying medicine (like bedatine, merthiolate, or two-percent iodine) and making sure your horse's hooves are filed down to the point there they are no longer affected by it. If the disease has progressed, this might be even harder for you to do. One of the best ways you can prevent this is to follow the same path when preventing other common horse diseases: making sure your horse is living in a safe, warm, dry, and clean area where they don't have to worry about bacteria.

Of course there are other common horse diseases, like colic, to which your horse may fall victim. Be a diligent owner who takes the time to make sure bacteria doesn't have a chance to grown and infect your horse, and you and your horse will be enjoying many happy riding years together.

Too fat for your horse?!

Bearing excess weight can potentially
lead to health problems in horses

"Too fat for your horse?" Surely not?! Well, in a bizarre turn of events, recent research has indicated that the effect of a growing obesity crisis among U.K. citizens has far-reaching implications, putting additional weight on domestic horses - literally.

As detailed in a recent article in The Telegraph, almost a third of recreational riders are too heavy for their horses, and run the risk contributing to bad backs, arthritis and lameness in their animals. This recent study, which focuses on over 150 horses from the Devon and Cornwall area, also found that just one in 20 riders sat within the optimum weight range for recreational horse riding which, according to the research is less than 10 per cent the weight of the horse. To put it into the context of the average stable horse, which is though to weigh between 500-600kg (between 79 and 94 stone) this means a rider should weigh approx. 60kg (9.4 stone).

The issue originally came to light last year when it was reported that a US company announced that they had started producing “extra large”, 18-inch saddles for obese riders. This has proven worrying as there is growing concern from equestrian experts over the impact of the health and behaviour on horses ill-equipped to deal with the weight.

However, it has been suggested that heavier breeds should be used for heavier riders such as thoroughbred horses such as The Household Cavalry Horses, which according to the article: "are able to carry a 13 to 14 stone man, plus four stone of armour, when they are on parade.”

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties is bringing up a problem which can be quite personal and embarrassing. But it's not something that the equestrian community is taking likely, and probably not for very long. 

New safety guidelines to Slow down horses for the Grand National

There has been some concern over the
safety of courses such as Aintree (Photo: Carine06)

In light of recent fatalities and injuries sustained in major horse racing competitions in the U.K., particularly at the annual gathering at Cheltenham, there have been concerns about the welfare of participating horses with regards to hardness of the track and race speeds. 

According to an article in The Guardian, a set of new guidelines have been issued by Aintree ahead of this year's Grand National, which takes place next month, with the aim at slowing down participating horses during the initial run to the first fence, which has been known to be precarious during previous meetings. 

As also detailed in the article, "the start of the race has already been moved forward 90 yards further away from the grandstands in an attempt to keep the horses as calm as possible."

The issue of reducing the pace early in the race is among a series of new guidelines issued in conjunction with Aintree and the Professional Jockeys' Association, following a series of incidents during last year's event. During this one race alone, there were two false starts and two major fatalities, including the death of former Gold Cup winner, Synchronised.

Officials have voiced concern that slowing horses down for the initial portion of the popular race meet is 'easier said than done', due to the logistics of keeping 40 horses together prior to the beginning of the race.

Although these incidents are fairly rare in terms of statistics, it's sensible to try to impose new measures to prevent the repetition of previous tragedies, but is has been suggested that the natural unpredictability of circumstance and indeed that of the horses' behaviour themselves in these kinds of situations is part and parcel of the nature of the event, although measures to reduce the potential threat of difficult fences on this initial run has been welcomed.

However, it has also been reported that the RSPCA has suggested that the iconic Becher's Brook fence should be axed, although this isn't likely to happen. Again, there is concern over the employment of extraneous safety measures turning arguably the most famous competitive horse meeting in the U.K. into a 'flat race', with many arguing that there are more challenging fences and obstacles on other tracks, with some of the lesser fences being the source of several accidents in the past too, so there is no guaranteeing such a drastic measure would solve the problem. 

Either way, there appears to be a lot to think about in the lead up to this year's Grand National, which should be, regardless of apparent controversy, just as big an event as ever.