Recent content by Hersom

It's also worth saying that early season hunting when the horses are less fit differs from this end of the season when it's a steeplechase. When we first went out we cast disapproving looks at these hunting types arriving with their horses ready saddled. Risky to the horse and to the kit, we...

Bad, rude and dangerous It also ain't any fun to be the guy with the 17hh IDx who gets used as a braking system by others.

Pelham with double reins then the curb actually works only when you want it.

If a body protector is uncomfortable it will be unsafe either because it stops your movements or you get hot and don't concentrate or whatever. Chuck the slabby ones out Look at the Racesafe range which are made from lots of panels, to allow air movement and are really really light

I'd love a lorry and I could afford it and I could park it at home. I've looked at the Equitrek too. But I'm going to stick with my Ivor Williams 510. Vehicle regulation is getting tougher each year. There are more and more rules, and more of them cost money to meet. Old lorries are going...

Just checked the excellent BASC website (I'm a member but there's lots of public info available) including the code of good shooting, a guide to risk assessment and a safety code for shooting and horses. Think I'll print them off and post them to the good ol' boys...

[ QUOTE ] You're all kicking off because you're horse riders, how many other countryside users detest you? How many road users? The guns were stated as being 25 meters away, so well out of the 50ft quoted. You had warning, if you know your horse dislikes gun shot, like many do, be sensible...

We went out for a hack on Saturday down a public bridleway and saw signs that there was a shoot in progress on adjacent land, followed by quite a few shots. The horses were getting a bit spooky but were under control. We then saw a guy waving a flag on our left and shortly after saw a line of...

Good idea in theory but so was the horse passport. The bad guys would evade it/ignore it/sell certificates and the rest would pay through the nose. Why only horses when one could also cover cats, dogs, gerbils and goldfish through a raft of regulatory bodies and fee-charging bandits.

1 Ask your lawyer 2 Ask the farrier for his version of the story. It all depends on the depth of your pocket. The farrier will have professional insurance. Negligence would be a serious issue. Don't shout at him and don't tell everyone - that could put you in the wrong. Yet. Be...

We just changed from free straw to paid-for shavings on rubber mats because we have to muck-out at weekends and three horses take a ton of time. We now just sprinkle the shavings into a thin layer and sweep out the whole lot every day. We don't use a lot of shavings (are thinking of trying...

We follow ILPH practice and use rubber mats with a good sprinkling of shavings at the back of the stable. Its hugely easy to muck out because the whole lot is swept to one side and shovelled out rather than sifting through a deep shavings bed. We're using 2 bales a week for three horses but...

If you can't find a wheelclamp that fits you could still go to a motorcycle shop and get the hardened heavy duty chain that is used to make theft harder. You also need a hook to padlock to, preferably concreted into the ground. Immobilisers are great because they work when you are too tired to...

Such a law would have to be carefully drafted only to apply to fluffy warm-blooded mammals of the sort that appear in childrens books wearing mittens. Right-minded people should continue to be able to mutilate rats, mice and creepy crawlies using anything blunt that comes to hand

Depends whether you really want to keep them out or just to be able to claim on the policy when it happens. If the latter then hanging the key on a nail in the next building probably doesn't count as security. I take my kit home cos the security on the tack room is so half-hearted.