Recent content by EstherYoung

A few things that may help (and remember that if they're not drinking, they're likely already dehydrated): - Practice asking them to drink from a hand held bucket at home - Preload with soluble fibre in the days before the event so that they're not starting off with a deficit and they have...

The ideal endurance horse is around 14.2-15-2, light to medium build, sound with good legs/feet, with easy comfortable paces and with a curious mind to want to know what's round the next corner. Don't assume that all Arabs make good endurance horses - they don't. (And don't get me wrong, I...

This. We had a dealer contact us once, asking if we knew anyone who wanted 'an endurance horse'. Turned out the mare had belonged to an acquaintance of ours - she'd come to the end of the line with the mare and had trusted a good friend to sort out PTS for her as she was too devastated to be...

This is what we're in the process of setting up. Cats Protection do something similar for cats, too. While we're on the subject, if you have young kids please please make sure that you have your 'plan B' and your 'plan C' in respect of caring for them is laid out in your will. It's so important.

A few points: - I'm too fat ATM. As is my pony. Menopause really doesn't help. I've never struggled with my weight before but it's just floored my metabolism. But, not riding isn't helping either of us so at some point I'm going to have to jfdi or I'll be shortening both of our lives - You can't...

A fun fact about one of the 1994 team who competed in the Hague. One of that team's horses was part Welsh too, but the Welsh part was Welsh Section A. My friend had a very close relation who also was an advanced horse - I think you could see the Welsh A a little more in her mare (certainly in...

To pick up on a few points: - There were all shapes and sizes of horse at Dragon. Endurance in the UK is very much horses for courses, and a good dose of native blood will help with hills and bad weather 😉It's no accident that the further north you go, the more natives you see. - Do not...

My old boy went through a spell of this following a bad trip. After a couple of years getting his confidence back with the partition out, and then he ended up ok in the smaller trailer with the partition in if I had it in the normal place at the front and pinned back into the corner at the back...

Re the comparison with human ultra marathons - I think if the humans had to pass strict health checks eight times throughout the race and had to return to their normal resting pulse and hydration parameters at each check and only got awarded their final completion if they passed a final medical...

If you fancy going a bit further afield, try HHCrystal Horses in the North York Moors. You can find them on Facebook. Bridget & Nikki know those moors like no-one else.

What a tragic outcome to what should have been a fun horsey day out. I do think this will have some wider implications. Not least around affiliated riding clubs and their governing bodies. In this case it looks like the incident happened at an event organised by an independent but affiliated...

You'll be in the area covered by the West Riding Group of Endurance GB. Between us and the neighbouring groups there are plenty of organised rides in your catchment area. And plenty of people to meet up with and ride out with if you're not looking for organised rides. Drop me a private message...

When you sign up to donate to medical science you have to be very specific about what you want to happen, and what you don't want to happen. There are options. Your family can get the remains back (via undertaker) so that they can have a 'normal' burial or cremation, or you can have a cremation...

Ours does this - she did bite off the end of her tail at one point. The cone of shame doesn't really work as tails are long and bendy. The vet said it becomes a vicious circle - once they've got a scab, it itches as it heals which means they chew it more etc etc. Once she had actually properly...

Proper endurance riding rights with a padded bum and knees are ace, much better than jods or breeches. Very hard-wearing, no annoying seams in the wrong places and much more comfortable. Plus bright funky colours.