The eQUESTRIAN -

Pressy time

Having problems thinking of Christmas presents for your horsey friends this year or just having problems making your money stretch, then the solution to this is to give the gift of time.

Perhaps you can give your friend 5 days of mucking out and bedding down, the luxury of not having to come to the yard and have a break on a cold wet windy day will be appreciated far more than a box of chocolates.

You can offer to look after a horse free for a week to let its owner go on holiday

Perhaps your friend has ponies out at grass – maybe you can take their morning hay out to them and check the water trough every day for a week ?

Five dog walks will get you some exercise and give the dog owner a break

Perhaps your friend has their own yard but has a list of to do jobs around the yard that never seem to get completed – offer as your gift one days helping to fix the fencing, or poo picking the paddock – or clearing weeds out of the drains and gutters.

The opportunities are there, just consider what your friend would value most – they will certainly remember your gift if you hit the right spot and it wont have cost you a penny.

Congratulations...

to Rebekah Walker (UK) and Gil Rossetti (Brazil) who are the winners of the Mary King autobiography competition.

You snooze, you lose in this market

You would think that while things were tight one of the pleasant side effects of a dull economy would be that customer service levels would soar as companies attempt to win a higher percentage of a smaller market.

Well we at equestrian are seeing very mixed results with our suppliers, we have one excellent company who always reply to emails within the hour, ship our goods same day without fail for a next day delivery and they have a live online stock system so we know exactly what we can have today or what we will have to wait for.

Sadly this company is in the minority.

I placed an order with another supplier last Friday, yes they responded by email within the hour however its now the following Thursday and it has taken me a further email and subsequent telephone call to find out that our goods have still not yet left their warehouse. We are probably going to have to stop using this company because we cannot pass on this level of uncertainty to our clients.

You being late makes us late for our customers and this simply is not acceptable.

I think the only way forward is to cut the poor performers adrift, streamline our range to items we can rely on and be much stricter when we recruit new suppliers.

If you are a supplier in the equestrian world and think you can supply exceptional service then email me helen@equestrian.co.uk and we will talk, snoozers need not apply.

Busy week...

Well its been a busy week or so, four days at Hickstead and then two days setting up our our new video recording studio so that we can give you video news updates and maybe even video blogs.

You can see our first news broadcast on the main site now, please bear with us while we get to grips with the new technology we will get slicker over time but at least we have made the jump into video and we wont be turning back. We hope to be bringing you weekly video news bulletins for now, while we see how it goes, if you have anything you want us to cover please email news@equestrian.co.uk and if you have some news video clips of your own please feel free to send them to us as well and the good ones will get included in our broadcasts.

Just received the manuscript for Mary King’s autobiography to review which will be released later in the year, so that’s my reading material sorted out for this weekend, we will be running a competition shortly to give away one of the first copies to be printed.

What will you be wearing on Ladies Day?

This Saturday is the first ever Ladies Day at Hickstead at The Longines Royal International Horse Show.

Not being a regular race goer I have not had experience of what to wear to ladies day. Normally when out covering events I am to be found in my trusty wellies and faux outback waterproof. Dare I say it but showjumpers and showjumping supporters are not generally known for their dress sense so I suspect it will be challenge for not just me!

The equestrian.co.uk team will be there with video cameras to capture some of the best outfits – so you have been warned to make an effort as you may end up on You Tube.

The best dressed lady at Hickstead’s first Ladies Day will be treated to two places at the exclusive Jemma Kidd Make Up School’s Masterclass Day as well as a weekend break anywhere in the country. Judges will tour the show ground to find ten finalists, who will be invited into the International Arena for the final judging.

As for me well I have decided that weather permitting I shall plump for a seasonal flowing white dress with staw hat and matching accessories – and if it rains I will stick my old faux mac and wellies over the top for good measure.

See you there - helen

Root out Ragwort

Its that time of year when the ragwort shows itself so can be dealt with.

Ragwort is very dangerous to horses especially when dying – so do not break the ragwort off its stem always try to pull the whole roots up out of the ground.

Do not leave the ragwort lying around or under a bush – this is when it is most deadly, ideally bag it up and dump it.

Too many obese ponies...

As I drive around Sussex at the moment I am surprised at just how many happy contented ponies are munching in fields - don't see many working farms anymore, mostly ponies. And for many owners, this is a cheap time of year as they can turn their ponies away and not have to pay for stables, feed, hay and bedding.

However, what it seems many do not realise is that obesity is the highest killer of ponies and horses at permanent grass. By allowing your pony get fat you are leaving it susceptible to laminitus and putting immense strain on the ponies organs and joints which can lead to a slow and painful death.

In the wild ponies are constantly on the move so get constant exercise, they generally drop weight in the winter when grazing is poor and regain their condition in the summer - they do not in general suffer from obesity.

Our ponies in small paddocks do move as much as wild ponies so do not get sufficient exercise. We feed then through the winter so when the summer grass comes they just get fatter.

Please take a good look at your ponies and horses if they are out at permanent grass, when they start to put on weight bring them in at night, if you dont have a stable fence off a section of paddock that they can graze down and stay low, and if you cant do that buy a muzzle which slows down how much they eat.

And finally it is more important than ever to get your ponies feet checked regularly by the farrier as he will be he first to notice if there are any problems brewing.

Badminton is coming and the hogs are getting fat...

My green fluorescent Badminton Horse Trials press car park pass landed on the mat this morning which is a sure sign that at last the competition season has well and truly kicked in. This event is definately in my top five. A stickler for tradition, the trade stands determindly hold onto their pitches in the shopping village year after year so you always know exactly where to find them and its a great opportunity to catch up with old freinds and see whats new. The hog roast rolls complete with stuffing and apple sauce in the concession stands are just sublime and worth driving the 250 miles alone. Walking the cross country course is compulsory for all to appreciate the beauty of the Badminton Estate.

The competition itself is organised with military precission, with no details left untouched - hey we even have a chandelier in the press marquee!

The marshals manage to keep every person and horse on their designated side of the ropes without being at all intrusive which allows all the excess of 250,000 spectators to really appreciate the excellent demonstrations of horsemanship.

I have been attending Badminton for the last 24 years, and although we do tend to have to play russian roulette with the rain sometimes I would still recommend that everyone should go at least once for a fab day out.

If you want me to ask any of the riders any specific questions while I am there this year then email me helen@equestrian.co.uk

Death of the email newsletter

I was a given a business card this week - nothing unusual in that - I have a jar full of them cluttering up my desk. However on the back of the card I found the following: "please do not add me to your newsletter mailing list - that is so 1990s and I will not read it"

Which got me thinking. It is true I never subscribe to newsletters anymore and I rarely read the ones that come into my inbox that I haven't been bothered to unsubscribe from yet. A few newsletters that seemed like they had good content were fine at first but have now deteriorated into glorified adverts for seminars, services or worst of all get rich quick schemes that seem to revolve around you sending newsletters to more unsuspecting punters.

Then I found out that 16-25 year olds don't do email because its so not cool ! ( so they certainly won't be reading them)

As a 43 year old I haven't been cool for a while, and even if I was cool it would not be cool to be cool so my 13 year old son and his mates would have to invent the new cool purely for the purposes of excluding me.

So I have been merrily glued to my inbox thinking this was the way to communicate only now to realise that the world has moved on and left me behind.

Now it seems, I am supposed to be tweeting, video podcasting, building facebook clans and developing my linked in reputation.....

Feel free to follow me on twitter - helencharnock. Radio podcasts coming next month. Don't sign up for our newsletter anymore as it is about to be made redundant - sign up to receive our podcasts instead. Invite me to your network at Linked In. As for facebook - I will probably just lurk for a while to see what the protocol is.

Feel free to email me too helen@equestrian.co.uk - I'm not ready to give up my inbox quite yet.

Rate of change and recession

I have noticed a couple of really good things about recession.

Firstly I don't get anywhere near as many unwanted telesales calls as I used to - which is strange - surely you would think that when times got tougher companies would be employing more telesales people to drum up business. I suspect though that it is those businesses that do not have a sound business offering behind the sales team that are now falling by the wayside. In the last month I have had two salespeople ( ok men! ) who had obviously been through the training as they were saying all the right things, however I have also been through the training so can see straight through it and when I questioned them on the core value of their proposition to my business their response was simply to get aggressive. I am pleased that these types are bothering me less and less.

tip of the day - if you want my attention I suggest you email me on helen@equestrian.co.uk - just don't phone - I will contact you if your email is of interest to me - I read them all - honest !

Secondly and more interestingly I have noticed that businesses are starting to take the time to see how other digital medium can help keep them in the loop, increase their networks and created more business. A friend of mine ( Thomas Power of The Ecademy) once told me "conversations create transactions" well I have extended that in my own mind to "information creates knowledge, knowledge creates conversations, conversations create transactions and transactions create profits" and a good way of generating this motion is in small bite size pieces, blogging is a good example as is tweeting - I have just started my twitter career :-) and momentum soon gathers - I also have a Linked In account and last week I was invited to join another horsey member in the States who it turns out has an excellent network of influential equestrian contacts in America that we can now draw upon - how cool is that !

Problem is I now have to find time to drag myself off the laptop to go and feed my two girls who are up to their fetlocks in mud in the paddock at the moment ....

Responsible breeding and responsible ownership

The BHS have today launched a campaign to make British mare owners think twice before breeding more horses in the present economic conditions.

"The horse market has slowed down and rescue centres and sanctuaries are full to bursting. With an estimated 1.35 million horses and ponies in the UK, there are simply not enough experienced and knowledgeable homes to cope with our current equine population. The BHS is urging everyone involved with horses to think very carefully before breeding a foal and adding to the problem"

Taking horse ownership through to its natural ending, owners must also take the responsible view about when to end your horse's life. Even though a horse is classified as "aged" at 15 it is not uncommon for horses to live in excess of 30 years, so in a 30 year lifespan you are lucky if you get more than 12 or 13 ridden years - assuming they stay sound.

I urge all owners to take a realistic view about "disposing" of your horse when it comes to the end of its riding days. By sending it to a market you are just putting your head in the sand and hoping that someone else will care for your horse. If you really cannot afford to support your horse in its retirement and as the sanctuaries are over-full with dropping charitable donations - you would be more responsible by having your horse put to sleep in his stable or in his field quietly by the vet and not inflict him with a retirement of deprivation and uncertainty.

Credit Crunch for the Horses

I know we are all tired of reading yet more credit crunch articles however we need to consider how much horses can suffer when money is tight - already we are seeing the numbers of horses being sent to rescue centres increasing because their owners cannot fund them anymore. And this is not just a problem with family ponies whose families are on a tight budget, having spoken to a competition horse breeder recently they have taken the conscious decision not to breed any youngstock this year as the demand simply is not there. This is a very sensible action as it not only keeps the number of horses going into the market down but it also preserves the value of their existing stock and breed name.

Transactions in general are down also, I am hearing that vettings are becoming more and more important and if there is any hint of a possible problem the transaction simply stops - nobody wants to invest in an animal that may not be 100% sound.

So if you have a horse, like your house or your car, you cannot simply sell it in the present market you have to look at ways of keeping control of the costs.

Here are some of my suggestions:

Shavings are very expensive at the moment, £7 per bale in my area so instead of completely mucking out your shavings bed every day try a semi deep litter. Just take the droppings out every day and a full muck out twice a week allowing the floor to dry out on those days. In this way your horse will still be able to keep warm and you wont need to use as many shavings - remember you don't need to sleep in their stable and they really wont notice !
Feed - we notice in the shop at this time of year that we sell a lot of correction aids, draw reins, side reins, martingales, breastplates etc and I wonder whether sometimes these are just required as the horse seems to be getting fresh. If you don't have much turnout and they are standing around in their boxes more at this time of year horses simply do not need as much hard food. If you are over feeding you are only making things more difficult for yourself so take a good hard luck at your horse and how much you are feeding him - does he really need those top of the range supplements and concentrates - is he overweight - can you cut back even 10% of hard food - your feed will last longer and he may be a quieter, slightly thinner but happier horse.
Shoes - if money is getting tight and you don't do any road work then ask your farrier if your horse would be ok without shoes for a few months, if he needs them on can he go six weeks instead of five before he needs a new set - I find our horses feet do not grow so quickly in the winter so we can go a bit longer each time between visits - do consult your farrier though to make sure your horses feet are hardy enough to do this.
Petrol - If you are at a DIY livery yard where everybody visits twice a day can you buddy up with somebody doing both horses on alternate mornings or evenings - this way you will save on petrol by not having to drive to the yard twice a day.
Buy in bulk - you may be able to get volume discounts on shavings/straw/hay so consider clubbing together to buy in bulk and get the discounts.
Rugs - cant afford all the expensive rugs - then just invest in a decent quality outdoor rug and he can keep that on in the stable overnight as well.

Why not share your money saving tips with me email helen@equestrian.co.uk and we might just be able to save more ponies from being abandoned or neglected.

... snow snow snow ....

Isn't it strange that both my children's schools are closed today; there appear to be no buses or trains running; the UK as come to a halt and yet the owners of the horses on my yard still managed to happily pitch up and care for their horses? Are we a tough breed ? No. Failure is simply not an option!

Anyway a couple of quick tips -

the pipes might be frozen so fill a large water trugg and put a small ball in it - it will bob around in the water and prevent if freezing over - a small football will also work in a water trough.

don't forget to pick your horses feet out after they come back in from playing in the snow - impacted ice round the frog if left there will be uncomfortable
snow socks and a warm hat are perfect for keeping you toastie while pottering about the yard.
cut down on heating feeds and add bulk if your horse cannot go out - this will stop him getting cabin fever

Equestrian radio

I have been dragged kicking and screaming onto the world of podcasting recently, and while to be fair most of my exposure is related to technology related podcasts I have come across some horsey podcasts and video casts. Most of my finds have come from USA, which although interesting, do have – not surprisingly – an American flavour – for two countries that are supposed to share a common language we certainly don't seem to share the same terms when it comes to equestrian related styles of riding and riding equipment.

In terms of videoclips a new website launched this year – www.horsehero.com is very British, giving an insight into how some of our up and coming professional riders care for and compete their horses, which although very instructional and very professionally done does not have the immediacy of up to date news that pure podcasts in a warm front room type radio environment can bring.

The major events, e.g. Burghley Horse Trials this year have started to include daily diary podcasts, and there were some interesting ones sent back from Beijing but I have yet to find a permanent home where you can access items via rss feed for download on a regular basis. So in true Richard Branson fashion we are going to set up Equestrian Radio here to collate and talk about the best podcasts we find in the UK.

This is where you can help. If you are involved with creating podcasts and want to get involved with Equestrian Radio then email me helen@equestrian.co.uk

Alternatively if you want to be on our review panel to talk about podcasts that we are sent then send your email, telephone number and a few details about yourself and how involved you are with horses – helen@equestrian.co.uk

A lesson from China

Disregarding my views on the human rights situation in China I have been very impressed with what the Chinese have done for sport over these very impressive Olympic Games. When we first received the media accreditation terms and conditions I was very worried, it appeared that you would need to get express permission even to sneeze. As it turned out, the press that were there to report on the games were indeed allowed to report on the games – both good and bad. In the equestrian events the positive drug test were clearly reported early on and where discontent reigned (notably the moving of rocks on the cross country course and unusual late night meetings of some teams with officials) this too was aired and not brushed under the carpet. The implications for equestrian sport in the Olympics moving forward will be openly debated but they were given every opportunity to succeed.

I offer my thanks again to the Hong Kong Tourist board for their hospitality to our Editor – Sarah.

Another area that impressed me was the Chinese attitude towards selecting their own competitors. Two years before the games they looked at their athletes and selected those that were improving to be fast tracked through training to compete. This meant that some athletes who were actually the best two years ago did not get selected because they were not improving. If you want to break records and win gold medals then this is the way it has to be. Complete professionalism. If we are to raise our game for 2012 there are some clear lessons we could learn from this regime. I do think that the British Showjumping model at the moment is too much about rattling young horses against the clock to win prizes to upgrade rather than a steady long term approach of training – but the state of British showjumping is a discussion for another day.

On a final note the Paralympic Games – a celebration of ability not disability – a life lesson for us all here to – celebrate what you can achieve rather than worrying about what you can't.

There's no such thing as bad weather …

“There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing” is a mantra at my daughters nursery school as they play out every day no matter what the weather splashing merrily in their wellies and waterproofs.

Having just watched one of the wettest Burghley Horses trials on one of the wettest weekends of the year (so far!) this can also be applied to eventing.

“There's no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate riding”

When the weather is dry with a mild breeze and the going is perfect the cross country becomes a race against the clock and a bit of bravado can pay dividends when many horses are expected to come home inside the time. When its wet and the ground is sticky the horses have to work much harder to pull themselves out of the mud at each fence and can easily slip on landing – this is not the fault of the coursebuilders who make sterling efforts every year to make sure the going is as safe as possible, - just the effects of huge amounts of rain.

This changes the game radically so that a clear round is the aim and not getting inside the time – and the better the rider adapts to these conditions the more chance of success. A bit of bravado here and you are likely to come a cropper !

I was heartened to see a display of mature riding over the weekend. Where horses were struggling with the going they were pulled up before having an accident, thoughtful riding was rewarded, whereas careless riding was, eventually caught out and where tumbles were evident at least the mud provided a soft landing for both horses and riders.

In this sport you cannot get perfect going on every track all year round – this is Britain – get out there and feel the rain – I just hope that lesser experienced riders took the opportunity to watch and learn from William and Mary just how they should tackle a wet course – remember the weather is just another obstacle and not something to complain about

Shaking out the winter rugs

Well its July and summer has not even kicked in yet, but here at equestrian we are working our way through this years selection of new winter rugs.

It occurs to me that not just picking a selection that we think are great value for money to put in the shop, we are starting to see a clear shift change in the equestrian rug industry and that is … manufacturers are doing it for themselves.

There was a time not too long ago (I am showing my age here) when we all made do with a green New Zealand for outdoors and a brown Jute rug for indoors – if it got cold you also invested in a Newmarket blanket if you were rich or an old duvet if less so. All bought from the many small tackshops dotted around the countryside.

Well shift happens!

This year we have had many press releases from small UK based manufacturers who are bringing out their own innovative range of rugs of all types and sizes. For example it used to be nigh on impossible to buy a rug for a mini Shetland – now there is a wealth to choose from in many styles and colours. And far from having to hope that your local tackshop (if you still have one) will stock it you simply buy online direct from the manufacturer's website. Choice is growing, prices are coming down and margins are being squeezed but its not the manufacturers that are being squeezed as they are selling direct to the public; it’s the retailers who are being squeezed out of the market. It costs a lot in storage space to stock a wide range of rugs in all the sizes and all the colours and if the margins are simply not there then its simply not worth doing.

Even my local rug repair shops are now manufacturing high quality made to measure rugs at great prices.

And its not just the small manufacturers either doing this just to break into the market – one of the major UK brand names have also had a policy shift to start retailing direct to the public. That’s not cricket I hear the traditionalists cry; manufacturers never sell direct, always through a retail distribution channel – that’s the way it has always been. Well happily for us, the consumer, that’s not the way its going to be moving forward.

If this sea change is so obvious with rugs this year I predict it will mushroom through other products next year and I say bring it on …

A lot of lather over leather…

One of the currently held myths permeating the equine industry is that “english” leather is best and everything else is second rate and should be avoided.

Let's explore this a little bit. Historically all you could get was english leather, handcrafted by english craftsmen, and as long as you looked after your leather it should last you a lifetime Then came the cheap Indian imports at a fraction of the price and a fraction of the quality. The Indian leather was not durable to our climate so if the leather was not looked after it would decay and snap; potentially causing an accident.

However times have moved on and imported leather has improved. You can now buy English leather items that have come from India; you can buy German leather items that have come from India and you can buy items made in England but from Indian sourced leather!

In reality English leather really means it was made from cow hide and imported leather is made from buffalo hide (as we don’t have a huge population of buffalo in the UK so that is understandable). However in the same way that you can get good and bad quality cow leather you can also get good and bad quality buffalo leather – if either leather is of poor quality or cut from the edges of the skin it will be weak and brittle. Put it this way – I would much rather have good quality buffalo than poor quality cow and there is a lot of excellent quality buffalo leather in the market now.

As an aside I wonder how many vegetarians ride and wont wear leather shoes but still put cows and buffalos of their horses – perhaps I will leave that one for another day.

So what is a responsible parent to do if “English” does not necessarily mean good quality any more?

At the end of the day the adage you get what you pay for is a fair one; if you have a fat pony in a field that you bring out once a year to attend the village show then buying a cheap but smart inhand bridle will be perfectly sufficient – the bridle does not need to be durable so a smart looking low cost one will be absolutely fine.

If, on the other hand, you are sending your daughter off cross-country then investing in good quality stirrup leathers – at a higher price – would be recommended to ensure her safety. Look to a name and a brand you can trust. In a shop you can feel the quality. If you buy mail order you are protected by the remote selling laws so you can return them if not happy for a full refund.

But really whether it is English, German, Italian, European or imported leather means nothing – let buyer beware.

Marketing, marketing, marketing ...

We have just taken delivery of our new exciting equestrian branded range of inhand bridles and lead reins in our brand new warehouse in Sussex

All we need to do now is launch them – and you know what is causing us the most grief – not price, promotion or positioning but the packaging!

By far the best way to package them would be “flat pack” style so the leather stays completely unmarked and the buyer makes it up on arrival. The concern here is that somebody relatively new to showing would not be confident to assemble the bridle correctly – so then we would need to include detailed instructions and hope for the best.

A more aesthetically pleasing way to package the bridles would be made up, surrounded in tissue and boxed – pretty much like an item of designer fashion, but this would add approximately £3.40 to the price of each bridle – which is an unnecessary cost when we are all being “crunched” at the moment – and wasteful – so not the most ecologically friendly of solutions.

Option three, make the bridles up but bag and bubble wrap them in disposable packaging – not as exclusive as option two – but at least you get a complete bridle with all the bits in the right places without the extra cost …

Option four, to send them in branded cotton tote bags for traveling, then you can use the bag afterwards (with our logo splashed all over it) – but we cant find bags quite the right size made up so we would have to revert to the flatpack idea

And here I am back at the beginning of the loop …

I actually found out that pizza boxes only cost about 56p - pity our bridles are not pizza shaped ! - all suggestions gratefully received – email helen@equestrian.co.uk

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed a new look to equestrian.co.uk – this is just the first of many new innovations we have planned for the months to come in our bid to play our small part in dragging the equestrian industry into the modern era.

This represents a complete overhaul to the website and I am aware that there are still a couple of bugs walking the corridors of the pages but I wanted to get the site new site live as soon as possible – as with all new IT stuff you could just spend forever in “test” and never go live. So if you find something wrong please do let me know and we will endeavor to iron out the creases.

If you like the new look let me know, if you have any suggestions to things you would like to see or do at equestrian.co.uk then let me know that too. Email helen@equestrian.co.uk

Everyone else is doing it, so we thought we would have a go a blog.

We plan to write about our lives running equestrian.co.uk, and The Tackshop; our plans and our problems. We aren't sure if this will be successful; or if we can even do it. And if we do, will anyone want to read it? Only time will tell.