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.

Showjumping

Photo: Tomer Arazy

It's a joy in itself to own and look after horses, but for many people, there is a lot more fun to be had! 

The feeling of working hard and training your horses to the best of their ability to become athletes in their own right and enjoy the thrill of competition is a feeling unlike any other, and one of the most challenging, yet rewarding aspects of this is competitive Show Jumping.

We know most of you are likely familiar with Show Jumping - if not experienced jumpers yourselves! - but as we'll be posting about upcoming shows, trials and competitions, we thought we'd give you a little introduction, just in case!

Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping", "open jumping", or "jumpers", is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. 

Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers, sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events, and sometimes show jumping is but one division of very large, all-breed competitions that include a very wide variety of disciplines. 

Jumper classes are held over a course of show jumping obstacles, including verticals, spreads, double and triple combinations; usually with many turns and changes of direction and the intention is to jump cleanly over a set course within an allotted time, avoiding any faults or disqualification. 

In most competitions, riders are allowed to walk the initial course beforehand to plan their ride. This gives the rider a chance to walk the lines he or she will have to ride, in order to decide how many strides the horse will need to take between each jump and from which angle. Going off course will cost time if minor errors are made and major departures may result in disqualification, so any opportunity to stay sharp and on top of your game is a must for all competitive jumpers!

Now, these are just the basics - there is a whole lot more to Show Jumping! But why not see for yourself at an event near you?

And of course, for all your horse riding and eventing accessories, be sure to check out the official TicTac Equestrian store

Badminton Horse Trials 2013

Competition Season is soon to be upon us, and what a season of horse riding it promises to be! 

Among many fantastic, and vital, dates on the horse show calendar is the annual Badminton Horse Trials. Nothing to do with rackets or shuttlecocks, the Badminton Horse Trials get their name from their location in the beautiful English country surrounds of Badminton, Gloucester.

This year's Horse Trials take place from Thursday 2nd-Monday 6th May and are sure to be full beyond measure of thrills and equine athleticism; among the highest quality of which in the UK, if not, the World. 

From Dressage and Show Jumping to Cross Country, some of the finest riders today will take their place in the arena to strut their stuff atop some of the most impressive and beautiful horses on the competitive circuit. 

SO, be sure not to miss out and get over to the official Badminton Horse Trials 2013 website for tickets and information. 

Cross-country Equestrian Jumping

When it comes to Horse Riding and competitions, there is a lot to take in, and  lots of different ways to get involved and demonstrate your skills behind the reins. So we thought we'd give you a quick run-down of the basics of Eventing.

In the Equestrian Sport of Eventing, there are various different practical components involved, each one tailored to test a different skill set. Cross country equestrian jumping is an endurance test, and is one of the three phases of eventing.

The object is to prove the speed, endurance and jumping ability of a cross-country horse when he is well trained and brought to the peak of condition. At the same time, it demonstrates the rider's knowledge of pace and the use of this horse across country.


A cross-country course is usually between 2.75 to 4 miles long; comprising between twenty-four and thirty-six fixed and solid obstacles. Most X-country courses are made to look 'natural', so featured obstacles can include all those that might be found if riding across the countryside, including water, trees, logs, ditches, and banks; and obstacles or compulsory pathways are flagged (a red flag on the right and a white on the left, with a black mark on the red flag if an obstacle is optional).

Cross-country courses for eventing are held outdoors through fields and wooded areas and the terrain is unique for each course, depending on the location, meaning that some courses, depending on the country and natural terrain can range from predominantly flat land to steep, and often strenuous hills.

Good course designers might use the natural terrain of a cross country course to either help an inexperienced horse or rider at a lower level easily prepare for an obstacle, or create a more difficult challenge for more experienced competitors. 

Thoroughbred Horses

We Photo: Five Furlongs

We love everything about horses and one of the most fascinating aspects of horse care and any interest in Horses and professional riding, is horse breeding. 

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word 'thoroughbred' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of pure-bred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. 

Thoroughbreds are known for their agility, speed and spirit and, the breed, as it is known today, originally developed in 17th- and 18th-century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Oriental stallions of Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman descent. 

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thoroughbred spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds exist today, and more than 118,000 foals are registered each year worldwide.

Thoroughbreds are used mainly for racing, but are also bred for other riding disciplines such as show jumping, combined training, dressage, polo, and fox hunting.

Thoroughbred racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which can resulted in high accident rates and health problems. There are several theories for the reasons behind the prevalence of accidents and health problems in the Thoroughbred breed, and research continues. However, Thoroughbred horses are still highly sought after for both their aesthetic qualities and athletic brilliance. 

Dressage - The Highest Expression of Horse Training

Dressage in Action Photo: Just Chaos

Many of you may have already been glued to the screen last year to watch the London 2012 Olympics, and in particular the equestrian eventing. But although most people are familiar with show jumping and horse racing in the UK, there are many viewers and sports fans unaware of some of the other fantastic traditional horse-led events, in particular 'Dressage'. 

Now, if you're already investigating us here at The Equestrian Blogger, you'll likely have some idea of what Dressage is, but for anyone new to the sport, or for tips on how to explain it to confused loved ones who want to learn more about horses, here's a brief look at the wonderful world of Dressage!

Occasionally referred to as "Horse Ballet", Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as: "the highest expression of horse training", where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements." 

The rider, dressed in smart, formal eventing apparel, will usually be relaxed and appear effort-free while the horse willingly performs a requested movement. Although the discipline has ancient roots in Europe, dressage was first recognized as an important equestrian pursuit during the Renaissance. The great riding masters of that period, particularly in Europe, developed a sequential training system that has changed little since then, and this method of 'Classical dressage' is still considered to form the basis of modern dressage.

In modern dressage competition, successful training at the various levels is demonstrated through the performance of "tests" - a prescribed series of movements ridden within a standard arena. A panel of Judges evaluate each movement and assign each movement a score from zero to ten – zero being "not executed" and 10 being "excellent". A score of 9 is very good and is a high mark, while a competitor achieving all 6s (or 60% overall) should be considering moving on to the next level.


For more information on Dressage, feel free to visit the official British Dressage website.


And for great quality riding gear and apparel for equestrian eventing, including dressage - please visit TicTac Equestrian

Olympia International Horse Show - London 2012

This year's Olympia Christmas show promises to be a big one!

The London International Horse Show Olympia, or as it's known simply, 'Olympia', is the UK’s biggest Equestrian Christmas Party! It takes place this year at Olympia Grand Hall, London, from 17-23 December.

The show is one of the most renowned worldwide, attracting over 80,000 visitors every year. Olympia is the only event in the UK where you can enjoy the FEI World Cup ™ Legs for Show Jumping, Dressage and Carriage Driving all under one roof.

Each performance is packed with top class sporting action, outstanding equestrian displays, and the classic crowdpleasers – The Shetland Pony Grand National, The Kennel Club Dog Agility and The Christmas Finale which has a Circus theme this year.  There is also a great Shopping Village with over 200 shops where you can fulfil all of your equestrian Christmas wishes.


Here is the schedule for this year's show. 

• Monday 17th – Reem Acra FEI World Cup ™ Dressage Qualifier (evening)
• Tuesday 18th - Reem Acra FEI World Cup ™ Dressage Kur (evening)
• Wednesday 19th– Pony Club Mini Major and Christmas Pudding Stakes (afternoon)
• Wednesday 19th - FEI World Cup ™ Driving Qualifier and Speed Stakes (evening)
• Thursday 20th - FEI World Cup ™ Driving Qualifier and Christmas Cracker (afternoon)
• Thursday 20th - Alltech Christmas Puissance (evening)
• Friday 21st – Team Murka World Class Performance Under 23 British Championships and The Renault Christmas Masters (afternoon)
• Friday 21st – The Christmas Tree Stakes and Santa Stakes (evening)
• H&M Saturday 22nd – The Rolex FEI World Cup ™ Qualifier (afternoon) and Veteran Horse Showing Championships (morning)
• H&M Saturday 22nd– The H&M Mini Stakes and The H&M Ivy Stakes (evening)
• Sunday 23rd– JJ Jumping Junior Stakes, Six Bar and BSPS Ridden Mountain & Moorland Championships (afternoon)
• Sunday 23rd – The Olympia Grand Prix (evening)

For More Info go to the Olympia Site

Equiport Show Jacket

I am so excited as I have just received my very own, made to measure and made to order Equiport show jacket. With these show jumping jackets you can select the material type and style, buttons, colar style and colour, lining colour, number of pockets and have the show jacket made to measure. The Equiport show jumping jackets are stunning and very sought after. Each jacket takes around 2 months to order and make. You can see mine here and me show jumping in my Equiport jacket here. I selected a wool jacket but TicTac Equestrian also have sell the technical jackets – which you can throw in the washing machine!

Buy yours from only £359.99 at TicTac Equestrian or Equestrian Discounts.

Hy Guardian Fly Rug & Fly Mask

Now that the summer months are here, the flies are kicking in, this Hy Guardian Fly Rug and Fly mask is the perfect treat for your horse that offers maximum protection. This rug has the added feature of having a neck cover which attaches onto the ears this will prevent the rug slipping down which adds to the comfort and style of the Hy Guardian Fly Rug.

The rug includes anti-rub lining on the mane, shoulders and tail, which is so important for the up and coming, show season ensuring manes are left in perfect condition. There is a fully adjustable Velcro neck strap, which add to the comfort and correct fitting of the rug to your horse or pony. The Hy Guardian Fly rug comes complete with a fly mask, which adds to the protection to ears and eyes. The additional advantage of being able to chuck it in the washing machine at 30 degrees. This rug for me comes complete with everything I would expect from a fly rug and more, this is defiantly at top buy for the summer months to keep the fly’s at bay, this rug is available at TicTac Equestrian for £54.99

Equiport Show Jackets

I am so excited as I have just received my very own, made to measure and made to order Equiport show jacket. With these show jumping jackets you can select the material type and style, buttons, colar style and colour, lining colour, number of pockets and have the show jacket made to measure. The Equiport show jumping jackets are stunning and very sought after. Each jacket takes around 2 months to order and make. I selected a wool jacket but TicTac Equestrian also have sell the technical jackets – which you can throw in the washing machine!

Buy yours from only £359.99 at TicTac Equestrian or Equestrian Discounts.