Extracts from the Branch Newsletters

Articles are re-printed from Grampian branch newsletters and the editors of this website take no responsibility for their contents.

Thanks To ...

Pat Dorward and Marlene Arthur who put in a lot of work into trying to arrange an

early season ride for us at Loanhead- weather conditions in the lead up, work in the

forestry and on the tracks and a lack of entries unfortunately their hard work is not

resulting in a ride- but there work is not unnoticed!

Thanks also to Carola McCallum who has arranged fellow member and Instructor

Viv Law to come along to Loanhead and let a few of us have a leg stretch with the

horses to some music in the indoor school- hopefully letting us learn how to make

schooling a bit more fun and working on the horses rhythm with the music.

VALEDICTORY

It is customary at the end of a long stint to comment on the task being passed to a successor. After more years that I can remember it is now time to lay down my pen, or more realistically close down my lap-top and pass the role of Newsletter Editor to Lorna Hogg.

It is with mixed feelings, some sadness at no longer being able to contribute to our Branch in such a way, but also a certain sense of relief at not having to give up for two or three days every couple of months to bring it all together. I would also like to thank Leon, for his help with lay-out, conversion to pdf and dispatch, as well as printing and postage to our “paper” members. One way or another I find I will have a whole fortnight of found time – Yipeeee… although this may not please my under-ridden horse!

The greatest help that you, as a member, can give Lorna is to send her (in good time) lots of articles, ride results and reports and stories to fill the pages. I am sure she will bring new ideas and excitement to your Newsletter and I wish her every success.

Mary

Congratulations to Clive Pollitt who has been accepted as a 3* FEI Judge and Chief Steward.  We are aware of how much time and effort this training entails.

Helping Hands - an open letter from Jenny Milne

Dear Leon, Mary and Arlene

I first must apologise. Why might you ask, well because I promised to do something and didn't and it wasn't due to not wanting to do it, but just forgetting with all that is going on. What am I apologising for? Well, when there were emails doing the rounds about the Helping Hands trophy, I said to Jane that I would write a little ditty for the AGM to be read out before this trophy was presented, and as history retells, I didn't do that. So I'm sorry. I still wanted to write my thoughts and stories and send it to you, so I hope you are all sitting comfortably.

The Helping Hands Trophy is tonight presented to three very deserving individuals who don't think they are deserving. They will be sheepishly sitting in their chairs and believe that there are others in the room, more worthy.  This is not true. Tonight the Helping Hands Trophy is being presented to Leon and Mary Stelmach and Arlene Killoh.

For those of you that haven't seen them in action, or been involved with the behind-the-scenes work that has taken place over the last year, these three individuals have been a power of strength to many in this room. For a start on the committee, their support and enthusiasm has been well documented and infectious; our outgoing chair, I know personally has valued Leon and Mary's input and advice along the way, and finally for us ride organisers out there, these three have been a god-send. Not only have Leon and Mary run their usual event this year, but helped out at many others and from a personal perspective were the guiding hands and heads when pulling Mackie's together and solving many a crisis. (As an aside a big thanks also to Douglas and Jane for all their help!). Arlene hasn't had the opportunity to ride much this year so has given back much of her time to help with vetting, organising routes and being a part of my Mackie's team that finalised the Southside section of the ride. The three of them came together to organise, at short notice, the Archaeolink ride and what a success they made of that. If you want to call the A-team, they should be there.

How many times have people in this room heard, either Leon or Mary say, "but we're retired folk, we have time".  I for one have heard it several times but one occasion sticks in my mind.  It was the Monday before Mackie's and we were joined by Sue Duncan to go and mark out the route.  Mary and I were in my jeep, and Leon and Sue on her quad, in what can only be described as horrific rain and wind. Leon was jumping off and on the quad, Mary in and out of my jeep.... later over a cuppa both come out with the "but we're retired folk, we have time" line, to which my reply was "retired, so you have full diaries and better things to be doing". Arlene on the other hand is very good at saying that she doesn't want to be involved in something, but then is very happy to help and will text or call accordingly.  I'd hate to clock up the number of hours these three have dedicated to the branch this year but I know from Mackie's alone, Leon and Mary won't have change out of 60hrs a piece and Arlene won't be far behind.

So - a heartfelt “Thank You” from me and all the others that are sitting in the room that you have helped, and I challenge you all to see how many times you hear Mary and Leon's sound bite next year and how many times you see Arlene helping at events!

Jen

Hydration, it’s more than a drop in the bucket

by Lucinda Stapleton

Hydration is very easy to balance in humans but is not that easy to balance in horses. Every one of you who has taken your horse out for a long day’s ride or put him/her in your trailer and tried to get them to drink away from home, knows the problem all to well! We’ve all been there – horses can be difficult.

Some horses are like pigs: they drink up anything. Others seem to have a more delicate palate and little interest in drink altogether. Some horses are too wound-up during and after hard exercise to drink water in unfamiliar surroundings, their attention is elsewhere. Some might be fussy about the taste of the venue’s water or they might be stressed from the journey.  In these situations your horse may not think he is thirsty and therefore it does not occur to him to drink. But in situations such as these it is very important to get your horse to drink.  If your horse won’t drink water when he needs to, you can run into serious health problems with dehydration, loss of performance, fatigue, tying up – and even colic.

Dehydration prevention is especially important during the warmer weather of spring and summer. Serious cases of dehydration have killed horses in as few as two days, and dehydration losses of as little as 4 per cent can impact your horse’s health. The difference between a horse with 4 per cent dehydration and one with 10 per cent dehydration (in very serious trouble requiring immediate veterinary attention) is just 30kgs bodyweight loss or 30 litres of fluid --- a difference of 3 hours sweating in an endurance ride.

Even minor dehydration can have a negative impact on performance. For human distance runners, running pace is slowed by 2 per cent for every 1 per cent loss of body weight due to dehydration. A runner capable of running 10,000 metres in 35 minutes may be slowed by 2 minutes and 48 seconds. That’s well out of the top ten! If this decrease in running performance is applied to an endurance horse capable of a nine-hour 100-mile ride, then a 4 per cent loss of body mass (an average loss seen on most rides) could increase ride time by about 45 minutes. Many horses are dehydrated by 5-8 per cent, so this could increase ride time by over one hour.

Fluid losses tend to occur early in the ride, even though your horse might look normal. Research conducted at endurance rides has demonstrated that many horses experience the greatest loss of fluids and electrolytes within the first 20 miles of exercise. During a 32-kms ride, or trotting the first loop of a longer ride, your horse will generate enough heat to bring 15 gallons of water to the boil. This is true regardless of weather, it is internal.

Signs that you should look out for are dry mucous membranes, sunken eyes, fatigue, high heart rate and respiratory rate that doesn’t come down with proper cooling-out measures, or colic. It may not be that obvious there is a problem especially as dehydrated horses have been shown to sweat less than normal animals.  While a person might shed two litres of sweat in an hour, a horse has the potential to sweat 15 litres in an hour. Add to this the potential for your horse to not drink well on the journey to the ride, or when corralled or stabled, then his water intake might be considerably reduced and dehydration started prior to the first drop he sweats.

In no instance is the adage “you can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” more appropriate than with horses in a state of dehydration. This is because a horse’s thirst response hinges on the salt concentration in his blood. In instances of heavy or prolonged sweating, the horse loses water and salt equally but because there is no build-up in salt concentration in his body, the horse’s thirst sensors fail to recognise this loss of water. So, even though your horse is clearly dehydrated, he will not drink. He’s not stubborn – his body is just not giving him an early enough warning signal.

This problem is compounded by the fact that horses are more susceptible to dehydration than other animals because they have significant muscle mass which generates a tremendous amount of heat, making them sweat profusely when worked hard in warm temperatures. This causes the horse to lose body fluids and the salts that they contain. The horse usually

sweats in an attempt to cool himself. When faced with the choice of overheating or dehydrating, your horse chooses to dehydrate, using up water to keep cool. But there is a limit to your horse’s water reserves, and as he begins to run out of body fluid, his temperature climbs. A dehydrated horse without sufficient fluid to stay cool may suffer a three degree increase in temperature per hour of moderate exercise. Your horse can lose up to four gallons of fluid per hour when he works hard in hot weather. If the air is dry, sweat evaporates quickly and cools the horse. But if the air is humid, sweat won’t evaporate.  Your horse stays hot and clammy and sweats even more in an attempt to cool off.

Whether your horse turns his nose up and won’t drink water or acts like an eight-year old child refusing to take his medicine, the good news is there are water-enticing strategies that you can use to try and encourage your horse to drink, enabling you to relax and enjoy your ride instead of spending the entire day stressed out and worrying about dehydration.

One way is to bring your own water, although this isn’t always practical given a horse can drink seven gallons a day! Add to this the excitement of the away day and even home water can be refused. Instead try offering sloppy sugar beet water or putting an apple, carrot or peppermint additive in the water. Senior and Supreme Champion Thay Stephenson used new product Horse Quencher as part of her 2009 campaign. She says: “Bull has always avoided drinking for 25-30kms no matter what concoctions we offered but since using Horse Quencher, he simply cannot resist and will drink whenever it is offered. I believe this has effectively kept everything so much more in balance, he has finished even strenuous events looking fresh and without any loss of condition, and therefore it has been so much easier to go on to the next competition with confidence and conviction.”

Other strategies include offering your horse water in a quiet area, where he will not be disturbed by all the action around him.  Always wait for your horse to drink – give him a minute or two to relax. Hold the bucket manger-high. Horses in strange environments don’t want to hide their head in a bucket, they want to keep a watch out for danger. If it’s a cold day, bring a thermos and add some warm water to his bucket. Recent research has shown a 40 per cent increase in water intake when horses are offered warm water on cold days. In general, fussy drinkers tend to be more nervous and highly-strung so try to keep everything as similar as possible to the routine at home. Use the same containers and if you are going to use new additives or products, try them at home first. Electrolytes can also be given but they are only useful when your horse is already hydrated.  Try and get your horse to drink before you leave home and again 30 minutes before the ride so that he can stay hydrated throughout the event. At water stops and crewing areas, try to wait until all horses close to you are finished drinking before leaving the watering place. The herd instinct is so strong that some horses won’t drink if they are distracted by the fear of being left behind. Don’t give your horse dry hay after competition – it will soak up water that the horse needs elsewhere in the body. And if your horse is stiff after a day of severe exertion, hold his water up to him.

Water is the most important nutrient that horses need to consume daily and regardless of your level of endurance, keeping your horse hydrated throughout the season is an important consideration. He will run faster and for longer and he will have fewer health problems with all the fresh water he can drink. Even the slightest dehydration affects your horse adversely and prevention is the best medicine.

Lucinda has very kindly offered to send a free sample to anyone who cares to get in touch. Contact her at info@horsequencher.co.uk or 01842 879161. For more information www.horsequencher.co.uk

There is also a very interesting and useful item on HQ and electrolytes on the FAQs on the website.

On Hogmanay 2009 Arlene had to make the awful decision to have Prince put to sleep. He was very ill with an infection which had led to internal damage and despite Arlene’s loving care and the hard work of the vets at Ardene Veterinary Hospital he would not have recovered and so wee Prince has crossed the Rainbow Bridge…

I was lucky to get to know Prince this year and got really attached to the hairy grey Highland pony who became a wee project to keep me busy after Jack’s injury at Ludlow and this year’s chaos in my personal life. Thanks for that Arlene; it’s amazing how your friends know what the best therapy for you would be!

Prince was only 4 years old and he was a cracking pony with so much promise. In the summer we had fun hacking out, fittening him and bringing him on. He had a great character, cheeky and stubborn but also intelligent and affectionate. His first outing was to my Drumtochty ride in August. Poor Prince got the shock of his life at his first endurance ride and the stubborn streak came out in full force! When faced with the hilly course he planted his feet and said NO WAY! I had to get off and pull him up all the hills and we were hopelessly out of time. When I got back I announced that riding Price for 10 miles was more exhausting than riding Jack for 50!

However, with his first Pleasure ride under his belt he began to blossom, going beautifully round Forest of Deer and Blairgowrie, his determined wee legs going 19 to the dozen! Arlene and I were very proud of him as he began to show his potential. In October we had a lovely day out in Blackhall forest with Arlene riding Nicky and wee Prince going along behind him in his own sweet time! He came with me to Riding Club training with Hamish Cameron, who was very admiring of him. It was his first lesson and his first time in an indoor school, he was understandably a bit puzzled, but we laughed and enjoyed ourselves loads!

The last few rides I took him on were round the stubble fields as the evenings grew shorter. He was a forward going Highland and liked to canter through the stubble, putting in the odd cheeky buck out of sheer joie de vivre!

I made plans to take him to Intro dressage at Riding Club and to take him and Jack to pop some cross country jumps in the New Year. Arlene rode him three days before he died and said he was his usual cheery self, slithering a bit in the snow but happy to be out.

Dear Prince, you gave us happy times in your short life and you were very, very loved. Sleep tight wee man, we will all miss you.

‘TIS THE SEASON TO DRINK MERRILY BUT DOES YOUR HORSE?

A well-written and informative article from Lucinda Stapleton (Horse Quencher UK)

<info@horsequencher.co.uk>

It’s a little known fact that horses can actually be thirstier in the winter than they are in the summer. A horse’s drive to drink is dictated by his thirst. This thirst mechanism doesn’t always function as efficiently in the winter as it does in the summer. In fact the colder it gets, the less your horse feels like drinking – even when his body really needs fluid. 

Yet it is essential to keep your horse well hydrated during winter. Water is your horse’s most vital nutrient. Without it, horses die within a few days, whereas they may be able to go weeks without food.  Proper hydration is the first line of defence against minor issues becoming major. In competing horses, dehydration can cause loss of performance, fatigue, colic, seizures, azoturia and kidney failure.  Water is lost from a horse’s body every day through urine, faeces and moisture in breath exhaled from the lungs. If a horse is performing during cold weather, significant water can also be lost from sweating.  Dehydration occurs if a horse loses too much water from its body and does not replenish it, or is just not drinking enough daily to meet its bodily needs. A 3 to 4% loss of body water will cause mild dehydration.  An adult horse’s body is roughly three-quarters water. Horses need at least seven gallons a day to stay on form, and up to four times more in hot weather. In cold weather horses will occasionally eat snow and cut back on drinking water. A horse cannot get the water he needs simply from eating snow. What’s more, the forage beneath that snow is primarily dry matter. Without a readily available source of ice-free water, this is a recipe for colic. 

A horse’s nutritional water requirements are influenced by body condition; the amount, type and quality of feed consumed; environmental conditions; and the level of activity or work the horse is doing.  There are two common complications resulting from inadequate water consumption during cold weather.  The first is decreased feed intake. Even if good-quality feed is offered, the horse will cut back on consumption if it is not drinking sufficient water. One reason for this is the lack of saliva to mix with the feed as it is being chewed. A normal adult horse in a state of good hydration will secrete up to 10 gallons of saliva per day to help soften its food as it is chewed and swallowed. If the appetite is affected and less feed is consumed, the horse might not consume enough energy to tolerate the cold weather. This may result in weight loss despite adequate nutrition.

The second, and potentially more harmful complication, is impaction colic or constipation. Both the feed material during digestion and the faecal contents after digestion must maintain adequate moisture levels. If they become drier, they are not moved along the intestinal tract in a timely manner and may cause an intestinal blockage (impaction). Impactions do not only occur in the winter, but any time a horse is drinking insufficient amounts of water to meet its requirements. A horse will not become impacted in one day from decreased water consumption. The process usually happens over several days to weeks. If the horse becomes chronically dehydrated over a period of time, the body reserves are lowered and an impaction can occur. By encouraging increased water consumption, you may be able to prevent this.

We’ve all heard the adage, "You can lead a horse to water…" But what can we really do to encourage our horses to drink?

One thing is to make sure the water is a comfortable temperature. Studies show that horses consume more water when it’s tepid – cool but not cold. Think temperatures in the mid-60 degree Fahrenheit range. It is probably not necessary to greatly increase the water temperature for every horse, but it would be worthwhile for older horses whose teeth can be more sensitive to cold water, for horses whose consumption is below normal,

or for horses that have a history of impaction.

We all know that salt consumption increases thirst. The idle, adult horse should be consuming about two ounces per day. Salt is added to commercial mixes but you should offer additional free choice salt in the form of a salt lick. As long as free-choice water is available, consumption of additional salt will not result in health concerns.

Dampened feeds can also be welcome in the winter when dry matter intakes are often high due to decreased turnout and increased forage intake. The feed will retain its appetizing smell and as long as you make the change to adding water gradually, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Whilst there are no guarantees in life, an exciting new product now available in Britain gets horses drinking immediately. Horse Quencher, an all-natural blend of ingredients, looks like muesli and causes most horses to dive right in when added to a bucket of warm or cold water and makes a great winter tipple, available online at www.horsequencher.co.uk.

Keeping his body fluids at optimum levels will be your horse’s best defence against the cold — and colic. It is essential to keep your horse drinking during winter. Water is one essential nutrient you never want to skimp on.

Holidays on Horseback

Carola & Judith spent some fun days at Mar Lodge

My new year's resolution, amongst many other more boring ones, was to have as much fun with my new horse,

Stazi, as possible. So I decided to take him on holiday with me. The initial idea came from the BHS Scotland

newsletter which advertised that Mar Lodge Estate, which is run by the National Trust, has 4 semi-permanent

paddocks (10m x 10m) to rent for guests who want to bring their horses. The plan really took off when I mentioned it at our Club Dinner in April. Judith was keen to come along with her Highland gelding Bruce and we picked Roger Searle’s brains for information on routes. A couple of weeks later we and our mounts were booked in for a 4 night stay at the end of July. Joan and her Exmoor pony gelding 'Furze' were going to join us for 2 days as well. Then the planning really started, maps were consulted, gear was discussed, borrowed and lists written and re-written. The planning, so they say, is half the fun.

Finally the big day arrived and the weather forecast for the weekend ahead was awful but we set off with great excitement Roger marked a selection of routes for us - from easy half day hacks to day rides with some challenging terrain.

In the morning our fears were confirmed it was blowing a gale and the rain was lashing down. Definitely not a day to go riding in the hills. We had a lucky break - Mar Lodge had one of their Open Days so we had the rare chance to see the amazing Ballroom with its ceiling covered in antlers the deer larder and we met one of their beautiful Deer Ponies. In the evening we had a brief respite from the rain and quickly tacked up the horses for a wee round trip to Linn of Dee via Inverey. After all that rain Linn of Dee was a spectacular sight (though all four of us were slightly spooked at having to cross the bridge!).

Joan and Furze arrived and the following day brought a mix of sunshine and heavy showers. We found that very workable as the wind kept the horseflys at bay and managed to dry us out in between the showers. We decided to go down Glen Ey which Roger had recommended as an easy ride amongst beautiful scenery. The changeable weather added to the appeal of the rugged mountain scenery. The horses were striding out happily and we had a fabulous time. We rode along Ey Burn to Altanour Lodge, now a ruin, where we had lunch. We had had such a good time that we decided to ignore Roger's warnings and tried to continue on after the Landrover track finished.

Bad mistake ! Within 50 yards it was clear that the ground was not sound. Furze and Bruce being savvy natives

skidded across the boggy ground but my desert pony just sank. People who ride in the wilds of Scotland regularly had warned me how scary such a situation can be and they were absolutely right. Stazi utterly panicked, I jumped off but tried to hold onto him but he struggled so fiercely that I had to let go. He freed himself, galloped off but luckily stopped at the last bit of hardcore track. Clever pony! We were all shaken and I promised myself never to go off the beaten track again. Lesson learned, luckily with no injuries to my horse apart from a few scratches.

The next day the weather was still blustery but a bit drier and we decided to ride the loop round Glen Quoich which involved crossing a ford. Furze and Bruce took my watershy wuss of a horse, who normally even avoids puddles, tightly between themselves and just walked on through the water. Surprisingly Stazi just went along with them without any question. Clearly the desire to be with the herd is stronger than the dislike of cold water. We were proud ! It might seem like a small thing but for me and my land rat it was a great achievement!

Our five days at Mar Lodge were fantastic. The facilities for the horses were perfect, our accommodation very suitable for what we needed, the Lodge and Estate are beautiful and the staff were bending over backwards to help us. I can highly recommend it to anyone who would like to take their horse on a wee holiday. We are already planning to go back next year. Places that are so welcoming to horse riders are rare and it would be great if we could support them and thus keep the facilities open. If you want to find out more about our trip please feel free to contact me and here is the Mar Lodge homepage www.marlodgeestate.org.uk if you want to get in touch with them directly. The Club is also planning an evening with talks from our members about their adventures on horseback and we are planning on showing the pictures from our trip. So, if you are interested come along, the date and times of our winter programme are on the website.

Update on Endurance & the Pony Club
Pony Club UK has recently announced that it is launching endurance as one of its official disciplines in 2009. Work is currently ongoing on this proposal, which includes Pony Club having its own UK committee, established rules, distances and end-of-season national championships in the future, in conjunction with the national governing body Endurance GB (EGB). 

It is, as yet, not clear how the roles of EGB and SERC will relate to Pony Club in Scotland. Meantime, Pony Club in Scotland is happy to continue with the support it has received from members of SERC at local levels on the introduction of endurance at grass roots level through local branch rallies, camps and training events. There are several proposed rule changes being put forward for the Club AGM in the light of this, to bring SERC into line with EGB.

Health Exemption Certificate
It has been agreed to introduce Health Exemption Certificates as we have members and ride participants who have a health problem of a chronic or long-term nature (e.g. MS), which make it difficult for them to know until close to the ride whether or not they will be fit to participate.  Equally the Committee know that to continue to participate in physical and social activity is beneficial for some of these conditions in so far as it is possible. The Club has a clear ‘equal opportunities’ policy which encourages us not to discriminate against participants on grounds of health or disability.
Therefore the Medical Exemption Certificate will be issued based on self-certification that the member has a chronic or long-standing condition which makes their health unpredictable, production of a medical certificate is not required.
Once issued, the certificate will enable a rider to routinely request refund if their health condition at any point in the 14 days prior to the ride prevents participation.  The ride entry form has been adapted to include the provision of a tick box so that holders of a MEC can make the ride secretary aware at the time of entry and should the rider have to withdraw, their entry will be refunded.
To apply for a Medical Exemption Certificate [MEC], members should write with their details to the Club General Secretary.  All applications will be dealt with in total confidence.

Membership renewals run from 1^st January – Membership forms were sent out with the Club newsletter – please pay up!  They should be returned to our Membership Secretary, Katie Keith. Your membership should have been renewed by 1st January and this is the last newsletter you will receive if you have not done so.

If you are wondering “Why join?” and what do you get for your money, we offer the opportunity to ride in many diverse places. Members get a discount on entries, third party insurance, friendly advice and the opportunity to have your horse assessed by an experienced vet, who often will take a great deal of time to talk to you after the ride if you have a problem. 

If you have a friend who is dithering about the discipline, then “Starting Endurance Riding” by Claire Wilde is an excellent little book published by Threshold Picture Guides No 41.

Birham Trophy

Brenda Searle, who donated the Birnham Trophy, has been in touch concerning the qualifications for this award which, you will remember, is currently for the most senior member with the highest points for the year. She feels that with the experience of the past two years this is too restrictive and perhaps militates against older riders who do shorter distances of pleasure rides.

She has asked that the conditions of qualification change to  "The senior rider 60 years or over having ridden the greatest accumulated distance in the season"

 Those wishing to be considered for this award would need to have had their sixtieth birthday on or before the 1^st January in the year in which they qualify, and to notify the archivist.  This is a handsome trophy and well worth winning!

SERC on Facebook!

We now have a facebook group called grampian scottish endurance club – so if you are on facebook – join in!.

Club Fleeces

We have several very smart fleeces still available (excellent Christmas presents!). They are medium size in navy or black, with the club logo. Price £20, contact Jane Hollstein or Jenny Milne

No Passport, No Rescue!

Should you have the misfortune to be stranded by breakdown or accident - professional transporters may refuse to carry your horse if you cannot produce the passport. So it is wise to carry the correct documentation, even if you are just taking your horse out for a few miles for a lesson or hack in the forest!

BHS GRAMPIAN Presents

Graeme Hunter MCVRS With a talk on WORMS AND WORMING

on Tuesday 9^TH December at 7.30 at the Torryburn Hotel, Kintore.  Price £5. Everyone welcome.

Any queries, contact Julia Gourley at nethertulloch@hotmail.co.uk or 07789 094021

Le Trec
Our next practice day is on Saturday 13th Dec at Cobblehouse Stables near Turriff, starting at 11am. Please let me know how many of you are coming as we may have to split into groups if there are too many for the school. Cost is £10 per head. We will be doing bending, ridden "S" bends, ridden corridors (they are as narrow as the led ones) and control of paces.

Bring your own snacks etc

Liz Watts.  07800 608385

BHS Scotland warning - please pass on - Helicopters!

Horse Riders be warned - Low flying helicopters in all areas of Scotland over next fortnight.  The RAF has 4 Puma Helicopters based at Leuchars in Fife for the next 2 weeks on exercise, they will be flying in all areas, both day and night.

The BHS advises in order to give the pilots a chance to avoid flying directly over you while out hacking please wear HI-Viz gear at all times, as usual on the public highway but also while hacking off road and even schooling.

Any Queries ring Helene in 01764 656334

Helene Mauchlen
BHS Scotland, Woodburn, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 3RG

Arlene Parvin has some ponies for sale

Contact Arlene on  Tel: 01224 733878 Mob: 07961697912

COPPERVIEW STORM

13.1hh Cob x Highland gelding 3 year old delight to own, backed & ridden out nice jump will make good 1^st/2^nd pony, laid back fun pony been ridden by 12 year old. Good with farrier, travel etc.  Sad sale to loving home only.  £2000 ono

 COPPERVIEW PRINCE

14.2H Highland Pony Gelding (Nashend Buzzard x Xeta of Caenlochan)3 yo. Grey, delight to own backed & ridden out, nice jump will make good competition pony. Successfully shown, good with farrier, travel etc. To loving home only.  Sad sale due to new baby and full time job.  £3000 ono

ROSALLAN MISTY MORNING

Lovely 3yo Grey Filly 12hh, will make Show/ Competition pony good paces will make it to the top with the right jockey. Backed and ridden fun fast ride.  Good with Farrier, easy to handle. To loving home only.  Sad Sale due to rider grown to big for her. £1500 ono

COPPERVIEW Blue Moon

Lovely Laid back 2yo coloured Cob gelding (cob x Highland Belivat Muldoanich). To make 14.1hh. Good with Farrier, easy to handle. Sat on by light weight 12 year old. To loving home only.  Sad sale due to new baby and full time Job. £1500 ono   

Photos available on application.  All contact details above.

The Scottish Equestrian Association is conducting research into equestrian participation in Scotland and equestrian associated activities. This will help improve understanding of participation levels and aid support and funding across the equestrian sector in Scotland.

Please spare a few minutes to fill in the short survey. All input is important in order to appreciate the breadth and depth of equestrian activity in Scotland. Please also pass this around to as many people as
possible in order that we can get as many responses as possible. The link to the online questionnaire is:

http://www.sportinginsights.com/sea08/sea_survey.htm

Glenariff Endurance Festival, 9-10 August 2008

Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland

A Scottish flying finish was the triumphant end to a weekend that saw Scotland sweep the board at the Glenariff endurance festival in Northern Ireland  ....more

Congratulations!

For anyone who hasn't heard, Katy Hazel Parvin was born on the 11th July 2008. Arlene and her husband Kevin are having lots of sleepless nights and yes the horses are not getting exercised as much as they should be!

Team selection!

Grampian has 3 members selected to go to Ireland next week for the Home International and Celtic Challenge. Congratulations go to Lisa Maitland and Aztec, Lorna Hogg with De Marco, and our chairman Jane Hollstein, with Polmailys Lord Abu.

We wish them a safe journey and a successful event. You will be able to follow team updates and progress on the forum.

Capercaille Interbranch Challenge and Perth Weekend

A team of four Grampian riders took part in the Capercaille Interbranch Challenge at Perth on Saturday 28th of June. They were:-

Morven Lawson - Pleasure

Lisa Maitland - 30km

Lynda Keeler - 50km

Kate Robertson - 60km

Everyone of the team performed exceptionally well and as a team finished a close 2nd just pipped at the post by Dumfries branch.

Some of the other branch achievements during the weekend were:

80K ER  - 1st - Katie Keith
4th - Jane Hollstein (GTF)

80km CTR - Tony Comerford (STF)

60km CTR - Fiona Munro (STQ)

As Perth racecourse is the front runner for next years championships, this event was a great warm-up and the venue, routes and organisation were all of a very high standard.

Branch Merchandise

We have the new club merchandise which is be available to purchase.  Jenny Milne has attached a link to show the style of fleece.  The colours available are either dark navy size medium & large, or black in XL with the Club logo. There is limited stock available and they are sold at £20 per garment.  The fleeces will be available at the caravan along with the rugby shirts (black and yellow) of a few years ago which are at a knock down price of around £5-10 each. http://www.scotcrest.co.uk/photos/1.668347SS58M-L.FIT-MIC-JACK-PR-HR.gif

BHS Grass Sickness Sponsored Ride, Run, Cycle or Walk

Congratulations to our Branch members who took part in Lothian’s Hillhead ride:

Kate Robertson with Lady Bathsheba won the 120 km ER, in a phenomenal 9 hours 46 minutes, at a speed of 12.90 km/ph with an amazing Heart rate of 52 bpm!!!!!!!

Lorna Hogg and De Marco came 5^th in the 120 km ER in 10 hours 16 minutes at 12.27 km/ph with a fantastic Heart Rate of 60 bpm! after only a few minutes.

Katie Keith and Jakhiri achieved their Gold Thistle Final in one attempt, a distance of 85km, at 13.53 km/ph with a Gold Heart Rate of 48 bpm!!!

Well done to you all - incredible achievements which take years of dedication, enthusiasm and commitment.

Sad news from Ruth
There’s no easy way to say this.  Samee died suddenly last month.  She was found dead in the field in the morning with no visible injuries or evidence of trouble in the field.  This was a huge shock as she was looking great the last time I saw her and she was only 22 (her mother lived to 42, not that I expected Samee to reach that age, but I did think she would make around the 30 mark).  This happened while Malcolm and I were away on holiday and I couldn’t get back to be there so it’s been hard to come to terms with it.  I bred her from Hameda who I had bought after knowing her since the '70's (before some of you were born!), so it's a huge chunk of my life.  Ruth Riddell
The Committee and members offer their condolences to Ruth at this sad time.

An enjoyable “Drop in”

Those of you who were unable to come to the “Drop in to Endurance” morning on Saturday missed an enjoyable and informative time. This was a very friendly and informal gathering and those who did turn up, ranging from newcomers to very experienced riders, all chatted freely and went away better informed. We can all learn from each other’s experience, and there was a great deal of swapping boots (horses), trying saddles, discussing the merits of massage therapy, heart monitors, how the new rules might affect you, etc. all on a one to one basis.

Our grateful thanks to Lorna who made it clear that the rules are not that difficult, Katie Keith who showed individuals how to use heart monitors, Arlene and Emma Parvin who brought (and sold) some lovely tack, Janice Thomson, who brought her car loaded with half her tack room and gave lots of advice; Kate Robertson who discussed the training of horses up to the highest levels, Leon who showed most of the stuff you may need in your crew car or back at the venue to get your horse ready for the vet; and Clive Pollitt who had a great deal of interesting (and often home-made) kit and gave advice on getting through vettings.  Jane and Douglas were on hand to answer and ask any questions and Douglas performed the essential office of catering with tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits.

Breaking news ..Argent of Ballydougan announces his retirement from Grampian Branch rides - at age 15 and a half.

Lizzy Thornton sent this piece last November,

Archie is sure there will be a few sighs of relief from various Officials and Clipboard Ladies as he was notorious for breaking loose, scattering all and sundry persons/equipment/articles in his wake. His usual excuse was to see what other equines had in their buckets...... more

The Versatile Quarter Horse By Susan Jacyna

Simon and I live in Keith and are lucky to have really beautiful riding country on our doorstep.  Orinoco (sire Venture Max, dam Waccabuc Jr) is now ten and I bought him from Joan Cadzow when he was a just-backed and very green 3 yr old....... more

My Versatile Arabian

Katie & Jack’s view of the SRGAHS Versatile Arabian Event

The summer of 2007 has been memorable for most people as incredibly wet, and for me, as one of many some amazing highs and crashing lows. The week of National Arabian week I should have been travelling down to Swindon to compete on the Scottish team at Barbury Castle....... more

Blackhall ride report  from Highland branch member Fiona Monro 

Fiona & Nico – intro to Grampian

Well our first Grampian ride has come and gone.  We were fortunate that the venue field was nice, big and flat and Nico found the grass very tasty!!  The usual nerves kicked in with me, from the moment I awoke that morning and by the time I reached the yard I had probably double dosed on Rescue Remedy as did Nico before loading.  Lorna came with me to support our first ride back to SERC after being off since July last year.  Nico’s pre-ride heart rate was 48 and I (or rather Lorna) found us fabulous riding duo in Donna and Sameh.  Their paces were very similar as were their spooky moments!!  Would have enjoyed the ride even more if there were more canter opportunities, but the ground was hard and very stony in part.  We managed a couple of canters passing by the river though.  Nico and Sameh found the ascending hills quite a chore towards the end, but soon perked back up when we were descending down the final section to the venue which was a particularly fine moment, given that Donna & I were both soaked through by this point.  Always nice to see a photographer on route and Nico suitably posed for her, so dying to see how that looks.  We came through the finish and averaged 10.7km/hr.  No need for cooling down as the dreach day managed to do that for us.  Post ride heart rate was 52/50 and if it hadn’t been for him straining himself to look at something else, we may very well have been down to 48!!  My horse was a little star given that he did the ride carrying more weight than he should be (he, not me, I was referring to his tum).  But I am just glad that the two of us enjoyed being back at SERC and it wouldn’t have been possible without Lorna, (not forgetting Monty), Donna & Sameh.  Topping off my day was Nico loading in his new trailer without too much hassle.  Big smiles all round.  Thanks very much Grampian Branch for making my first ride back an enjoyable one without the threat of getting lost on route due to fabulous marking.

A wonderful Surprise at Balmoral

A report from Yvonne Thomson

The BHS  Diamond Jubilee Ride at Balmoral this year turned out to be a real surprise....... (more)

For photos of the event, click here   For further information, contact www.bhsscotland.org.uk

Drummuir Ride report

By Mary Stelmach

Drummuir is always a popular early season ride offering distances from 80k downwards. It attracts riders from our neighbouring branches who are ready to try an early 80k or wish to use it as a training ride for the Golden Horseshoe. ...... (more)

Greens of Afforsk, Blairdaff (alias The Easter-Egg Hunt Ride!)

Ride report by Lynda Keeler

Little did I realise when Lorna said there would be a surprise for us at the Greens of Afforsk ride that it would be a hunt for Easter Eggs!  ....... (more)

March 2007

Australian Physiotherapy Pilates

Kate Robertson is restarting classes on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings at Kemnay, Alford and Huntly respectively, commencing 16^th April.

Pilates can improve your core stability, fitness, flexibility, improve posture and help you feel invigorated.  Do you think a fitter rider would benefit your horse? If so contact Kate on 019755 62436 for details. 

March 2007

Therapeutic Grooming

Eight lucky horses and their riders attended Pauline Kidd’s Therapeutic grooming session at Drumnagesk. Lucky, firstly because the weather was kind enough to allow it to happen, and secondly because it was such a unique and beneficial experience. Pauline began by observing each horse in walk and trot to assess its general well-being, i.e. stiffness or lameness, and then embarked on a process of all-over touch and light massage. Her infectious enthusiasm and practical hands-on approach, using a very laid-back demonstrator horse (unlike our jumpy Arabians) was a memorable way of getting to grips with each individual horse’s sensitivities and thus its aches and pains. As a point of interest I think all the horses exhibited at least one sore bit. Likewise most of the riders admitted to sore bits, often a mirror image of the horses’ problems. Therefore surely our individual imbalances greatly affect our faithful mounts – a point to consider and work to eliminate, maybe using this technique.

Therapeutic grooming is an all-over assessment and gentle massage of every muscle in a horse’s body – I would recommend it for every horse.

Of particular interest to endurance riders, this technique could be used during and post ride, at vet gates and pre-ride vetting as a way to identify any tightness in muscles, sensitivity or soreness.

Tony Comerford

Our thanks to Tony for organising this interesting and useful event.

March 2007

Glen Tanar Ride Report 2006

From Yvonne Thomson,  Ride Organiser, writes an interesting story on organising a new ride........ (more)

Kirkhill – A Great Success

Ride report from Ruth Riddell

Congratulations to Gundula and Lorna for a great success with the Kirkhill ride on Sunday.  We were very lucky with the weather, not only the wet weather beforehand to soften some of the hard tracks, but the wind during the previous week to dry off the surface to provide some of the best going we have had at Kirkhill for some time.  Then on the day, we had a nice cool wind which was excellent for everyone except the vetting team – I hope they have all thawed out now.

The new tracks seemed to ride well – no compulsory walk or industrial estate, less tarmac and in their place a few new “less well known” connecting tracks to give a bit of variety.  Added to that, one or two planes coming in to land and the occasional train going under the bridge all added to make the route a nice outing after what seems like a long winter.

We had lots of new faces (and some old – or should I say well-known – faces too) and lots of smiling faces at the end of the day which makes it all worthwhile.

But the main reason for the success of the day was the time and effort put in by both Gundula and Lorna beforehand and the attention to everything to ensure that the ride ran smoothly.  Well done to you both.

New Members

Grampian Branch would like to give a warm welcome to the following new members: Donna Hemmings, Angus Nesbit, Mark Nesbit, Iona McDonald, Arlene Killoh, Judith Barker, Claire Wallace, Freya van Midden, Christina van Midden, Katharina van Midden, Jenny Milne, Morven Lawson, Jacqueline Christie, Susan Duncan, and Mr & Mrs Duncan Hynd

And welcome back to Linda Taylor, Yvonne Monro, Kathy Meyer, Michael Lomax, Willie and Janet Keith and Angela Horrod who have all rejoined us after having had a break.

Please be assured that most members enjoy sharing experiences and advice relating to endurance so don't be afraid to ask- although preferably not if we're standing waiting to vet our own horse!

Christmas Fun Day on 28^th December

Our thanks to Tony and Karen Comerford who ran this enjoyable day.  A number of riders expressed regret at not being able to attend as it was a very icy morning.   Tony and Karen wrote the following report.  ....... (more)

New trophy

This new trophy is called the Schadow Trophy.  No, my wonderful Haflinger Schadow is not dead or sold on; she is still very much with me and still enjoying her endurance. 

I decided to give this trophy to Grampian SERC  to encourage and reward the riders that for reasons of their own do not do big miles or very long distances and have the pleasure of achieving a reward for their efforts and enjoyment.  Riders going the longer distances already have many trophies to aim for.

This trophy is for the most Golds for 30 miles  (48 km) and under.   The Golds can be from other SERC branches as well as Grampian.   It is surprising how many miles you can ride in a year just doing twenties or thirties. 

( I hope to win it myself some day!)

You may say that we already have a Gold trophy.  Yes, I gave that one too; the Cresta Lee Trophy, for the most Golds in a year for all distances.

Yvonne Thomson 

Strathdon Ride

Report from ride organisers, Karen and Tony Comerford.

From the organisers’ point of view, the ride on 15^th October was a breeze! A small entry, all of the riding variations on a 36km loop, and we had lots of helpers. ....... (more)

A Happy/Warm day for Whitehaugh 2006

Ride Report from Kate Robertson (with a sigh of relief)

Happy – because we had strong, knowledgeable people in charge – including Dawn Saunders as first-time Chief Steward, Janice Thomson as Vet Writer, and my husband Hugh as essential background support. These three were the back-bone of the organisation on the day and proved a formidable team. The warm glow came from Mandy Craik’s Mum’s gorgeous chocolate cake, sampled by the majority!

Huge thanks go to Yvonne and Dawn for marking the pleasure ride, Robert Keeler for sense of humour and start/finish timekeeping; Kathleen Howie and Pat Williams for Caravan/results, sign-maker Anna Craik; typing expert Leona Whiteoak; Forest Enterprise for lovely riding tracks; and Hugh for all his hard work cutting back broom and gorse.  Apart from the memorable chocolate cake, Mandy found helpers, made all the packed lunches, and most important of all – boosted the morale of the fraught ride organiser – what a friend!

Hugh and I demarked all the routes ourselves – no offer of help with that task. Thanks also go to Raynet, vet Heather Simpson and Farrier – the special Ken Playle.

Perhaps new members and those who do not help with rides might realise just how many people we need to put on even a small ride – just 16k and 33k – making together a 49k.  Even though it is hard work, you make new friends and have good fun. 

Jack in the Box

Have you ever watched someone trying to load a difficult horse? Wanted to help? Felt sorry for them? Shaken your head in disbelief? Like many problems, it looks less complex from the outside looking in. ......... (more)

Coloured Tail Ribbons - by Marlene Arthur

I've always assumed most equine owners are aware of the "colour coding" of horses tail ribbons:

Blue for stallions ie. if you have a mare in season, you'd better steer clear of him.

Green for novices and youngsters ie. please pass wide and slow and at a reasonable speed.

Red for kickers ie. please look out and stand well back (my horse falls into this category)....... (more)

A Finnish Horse's First Year in Endurance - by Lynsey Gordon

The best thing I ever did was to buy Valittu, otherwise known as Dino, a 14.3hh palomino Finnish horse which I bought from Kirsi and Mika Malaska when they came over to Hayfield Riding Centre. He had spent his first years competing in trotting races ...... (more)

Helping at Rides - by Tracey Banks

Yes, these 3 horrible words that everyone loves to hear – helping at rides.  Our rides can only take place if we have enough volunteers to run them.  There are a number of jobs you can do so I’ve decided to give a brief description ........... (more)

20 Mule Team 100  by Clive Pollitt

In 1880 a team was established to haul borax from the Harmony Borax Works in Death Valley and the Amargosa works near Shoshone to the railhead at Mojave.  These 20 Mule Teams soon became a legend, .................(more)

GRASS SICKNESS – my part in its downfall – by Dawn Saunders

Like Tony and Karen (Comerford), I too lost a pony to grass sickness.  Within 24 hours of being diagnosed he was gone.  So five years down the line I was devastated to come home from holiday and find our little black Shetland, Magic, obviously in the throws of it too...... (more)

Mud Fever: Getting It Right by Kieran O’Brien MA MVB PhD MRCVS

EqWest Equine Veterinary Clinic, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8QA kob@eqwest.co.uk

Mud fever is very common in the Arabian breed, due at least in part to the high prevalence of white legs.....(more)

Equine Grass Sickness

Just over a year ago I lost my horse to Grass Sickness.  It has taken that year and a new horse before I felt able to write about it....(more)

Hitting The Wall and Electrolytes by Clive Pollitt

In a recent ride at St Fort, I had the pleasure or riding with a group of 40 milers, one of which was using the ride as a Silver qualifier.  This was to be her first 40 miler and she was full of confidence  that, based on previous rides, both rider and the horse were well prepared and would have no problem doing a 40.....(more)

Drumtochty 2004 Ride Report

(This was sent to your editor from a member of Tayside Branch)....(more)

Grampian Rider To “Go The Distance” For Scotland

The profile of Endurance Riding has been raised considerably recently as a local member of Grampian Branch of the Scottish Endurance Riding Club has succeeded in being selected to represent Scotland in October 2004.....(more)

75 Miles at Cirencester (76 actually)

Cirencester Park, is part of the 14,000 acre Gloucestershire estate owned by Lord Bathurst. It is home to the Cirencester Park Polo Club but on the 18^th of June it hosted a 75mile and 100mile FEI ride run under the auspices of Endurance GB....(more)

A Short Ride in the Hills by Simon Jacyna

The West Highland Pony Camp is an innocuous title for one of the most unusual and demanding challenges in Scottish riding. Started in the 70s by Teddy Gray of the Garry Gualach Outdoor Centre the challenge is simple – organise a horseback expedition in the Scottish Highlands covering at least 35 miles with one night away to finish at a given destination on the first Friday in June. .....(more)

And Finally, Some Thoughts From Rob Winmill

A Small Drama Turns Up Some Interesting Information By Elaine Wafer

If you are thinking of starting the 2004 ride season with a new riding hat you may find the following story of interest.

My preferred model of hat is the Advanced Tech Helmet made by International Riding Helmets who are an American company.....(more)

Afraid! Be Very Afraid (Riding on the roads)

For once the sun was shining and there was just a gentle breeze as I got ready to ride, the usual saga of white hat and fluorescent tabard and almost white horse surely I was visible.  So off we went hoping for a pleasurable couple of hours.....(more)

Horse and Pony Cremation

Disposing of the body of your best friend after the fateful day finally comes is not easy.  This service, offered by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), may be of interest to many Scottish horse owners now that on-farm burial of livestock is banned....(more)