#DancePonyDance - From ThreeUK.

Early this week I received a lovely parcel in the post containing a chocolate horseshoe and a small bucket full of a variety of sweets.

Originally I had no idea who the very thoughtful parcel had been sent by. All I knew was, a company had emailed me and asked for a postal address so they could send me a gift.

As I eagerly unwrapped the parcel I opened it to find a gorgeous handcrafted chocolate horseshoe, along with a bucket of goodies that didn't last long once opened.

Included in the parcel was a postcard of a Shetland pony and on the back it said: "This plucky little pony can't wait to show you what he can do. On March 1st he'll do just that. #DancePonyDance." There's nothing like being secretive.

Eager to find out more I googled the hashtag #DancePonyDance to realise it was the mobile phone company, Three UK, that had sent the parcel and they were sending them to all journalists and equestrian bloggers.

Three aren't revealing what they are up to but hopefully tomorrow, on March 1st, we will find just exactly what they have got planned. If they promise to send goodies out like these then I think I will change my mobile phone network!

Don't forget, type #DancePonyDance in to Twitter or Google tomorrow to find out what this pony has planned for us!

#DancePonyDance

#ThreeUK

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Is equestrianism all doom and gloom at the moment - Guest post.

As you all know I am a guest blogger for the new website, Pony Chit Chat. Here is the latest article I have created for them. Can you guess what it's about?

With all the doom and gloom news within the equestrian community lately we thought you could all do with a little bit of something to look forward to and a positive outlook on equestrianism as change. 

Those that have been keeping up with social media within the equestrian news will know that this week is ESMA week, and don’t we know it!

The Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMA) are innovative for getting the equestrian community together to promote the big sport and lifestyle we all love socially. 

Being nominated in the first place is a fantastic achievement, but to then be a top 10 finalist - its nail biting stuff!

To read the rest of the article click this link.

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Dressage arena letters and what do they mean: A,K,E,H,C,M,B,F

I remember, quite a few years ago now, when I was learning to ride and how tricky I thought remembering everything was. My instructor bellowed across the arena "Change the rein across the diagonal please, K, X, M."

My instant reaction was: "WHAT?!" and on I trotted with a confused look across my face.

Learning to ride can be a challenging hobby, but remembering the letters of the arena can be just as tricky - however, if you want to do dressage then it is a must and all instructors will advise learning them as soon as possible to help your riding improve quicker.

Why do we have letters around the arena?

A dressage arena is marked around the edge with letters and you will find most riding schools and riders use these letters around their arena too.

The variety of letters are used during a dressage test or riding lesson to instruct the rider where to perform different movements such as changing the rein from K, across the diagonal to M!

In a standard dressage 20 meters by 40 meters arena, there are 11 letters used. 8 of these are around the edge, whilst 3 are "invisible" to the eye and along the centre line. A long dressage arena which is 20 meters by 60 meters has 17 letters. 12 of these are around the edge and 5 are invisible along the centre line.

How do I remember the letters?

The most common way to remember all of the most common letters in a 20 X 40 meter school, around the arena is to start off by remembering a simple rhyme. Still to this day there is speculation as to where and when the dressage arena letters were created and first used.

A - All
K - King
E - Edwards
H - Horses
C - Can
M - Manage 
B - Big
F - Fences 

A is situated at the bottom of an arena, whilst C is at the top.

Once you start to look at doing more complicated dressage tests then you will find they use a "long" arena, which is your 20 X 60 meters one. When this happens your arena letters become AKVESHCMRBPF.

"X" is one of the invisible markers but marks the exact centre of the arena in which you are riding in. If you struggle to remember where X is then think of it as the point that marks the treasure, the centre. In a standard 20 X 40 meter arena D and G are also invisible and either side of the X marker.

Where do the letters originate from?


It is believed by most that the letters were chosen because the German cavalry had a 20 X 60 meter area between the barracks which had letters posted above the doors.

Other theory 1:

It is also believed that markings found on the walls of the Royal Manstall (stables) of the Imperial German Court in Berlin suggests that the letters indicated where each courtier or rider's horse was to stand and wait for their riders.

The "hof" (stable yard) was believed to be large enough for the horses and riders to parade around for their morning exercise or to assemble for ceremonial parades.

The markings found on the walls of the Manstall were:


A                Ausgang                      (Exit).

K                Kaiser                           (Emperor).
F                 Fürst                             (Prince).

P                 Pferknecht                   (Ostler or Groom).

V                Vassal                            (Servant/Squire/Equerry).

E                 Edeling/ Ehrengast   (Chieftain or Honoured Guest).

B                 Bannertrager              (Standard Bearer).

S                 Schzkanzler                 (Chancellor of the Exchequer).

R                 Ritter                             (Knight).

M                Meier                             (Steward).

H                 Hofsmarshall              (Lord Chancellor).

Other theory 2:

The German Cavalry is also known to have had the arena letters. The space between the stable blocks in many Germany Cavalry barracks were measured and believed to be 20m X 60m. This space would be used for similar activities mentioned above and it is thought the Cavalry would adopt similar markings as used in the Kaiser's Manstall. 

Don't worry if you're struggling to remember the letters around the arena, you wouldn't be the first and definitely won't be the last! If it helps then make up your own rhyme for the individual letters or follow the one mentioned above. 

The video above shows me performing a Novice level dressage test in 2012 for my universities equestrian team. All the dressage markers are shown and clearly visible. 

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Top 10 songs about horses

The horsemeat scandal has made it into the media for quite a few weeks now and it seems more and more companies are joining the bandwagon of removing their products from shelves.

An old friend from university sent me this link as he knows how crazy I am about my horses and yes, I have been on the receiving end of the "have you got the trots now" like jokes.

According to the source, which mentions horses have made into our consciousness without us knowing, they are "hoping the horses rein wont last furlong". - Oh that was bad! Anyway here's the link for those interested.

Top 10: Songs about horses.

And....Thank you to my twitter follower, Alexandra Jenks for tweeting that they had forgotten this one!

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Vicky Evans Equine Art competition winner - Amy Tickle!

A HUGE well done goes to Amy Tickle who won the most recent competition on here to win a drawing or painting of your much loved animal.

Amy provided us with the biggest laugh with her entry to create up with a funny caption for the photo of Ceaser sticking his tongue out.

Vicky Evans kindly donated a free drawing of Amy's choice and what a stunning drawing it is!

To view more about Vicky and the type of work she does please have a look at this blog post, where you can see her prices and more examples of her work.

I hope you will all stay tuned for another competition soon.

Thank you

I love this drawing of Max - Vicky is very talented!

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At 'A' enter in working trot and proceed down the centre line

Those that read my blog on a regular basis will know the trouble I have been having lately finding a bit suited to Ceaser and one that he works nicely in for dressage. This week has been just as difficult as I was away last weekend for a few days, which meant Ceaser had a mini 5 day holiday and was a little fresh when I returned home Wednesday to ride.

In-fact he was so fresh, that on Thursday I was wondering why on earth l I had made the 'clever' decision to book in for our first dressage competition in over 4 months for the coming Saturday; and not just any dressage, but our affiliated debut of the season!

The problem I am encountering at the moment is that because of Ceaser's repeated mud fever last year he is confined to a small turnout area this year, that has no mud and is closely monitored in terms of being regularly poo-picked. I think that because he isn't getting a large area to run around in when turned out and somewhere to burn his energy, he is attempting to do it when ridden because the arena is so big!

On Thursday evening after a quick chat with my vet I decided a day out in some mud couldn't do much harm and so whilst I was at university on Friday he spent the day in a big field and did plenty of running around!

When it came to getting him in to ride he was plastered from head to toe in mud so it was quite obvious a day out is just what he needed. Additionally, he was a lot more relaxed and worked lovely through some of my dressage test movements. A nice, promising ride after two very tense ones was just what I needed and I felt a lot more confident for the following days two tests.

**

Ceaser has also been working much better since I invested in the fantastic Equilbrium Massage pad. He now has it on for 30 minutes before I ride on the medium setting and then again after I have ridden for 15 minutes on the low setting to cool him down.

So, as soon as we arrived at the competition an hour before my first test, I got him off the lorry and put the massage pad on him to warm him up whilst I got dressed.

To ensure he didn't cool down before I got on, once the pad had finished we quickly tacked up and I jumped on to get him ready for our first test.

As soon as I asked for trot I could feel a huge difference in him compared to the previous few days. He was much more relaxed and working properly rather than rushing and pulling. For once I was actually quite excited to go and ride a dressage test in a snaffle - which is a very different story to this time last year!

Prelim 13 was our first test up and quite honestly it passed by in a rather big blur. The snow was pelting down throughout the whole of our test, however not once did Ceaser rush or pull me. I'm not sure how I managed to get through the test squinting and shutting my eyes when a snowflake fell on my face, but we did! Both of our canters were spot on and the whole of the test felt like it had gone well. He was responsive to leg, hand and seat aids and all too soon we were going down the centre line to halt between X and G! A huge pat for Ceaser and grin at the judge finished off my test nicely as I squinted my way through the snow to leave the arena in a free walk on a long rein.

At that moment I didn't care what my score was, for once we had produced a lovely test and in a simple snaffle! Finally!

Our next test was Prelim 14 and with only 20 minutes to go I kept him warm by walking in the indoor arena. Despite being the smallest pony there and lots of big warmblood types cantering past him, he was an absolute angel. Not once did he spook or get tense and when it came to warming up for our second test, did so without any bother.

Our second test went just as well as the first to be quite honest. However, if I was being picky, he did rush a little in one of the canters and fell into trot for a stride, but instantly he cantered again as soon as I asked.

Again, the test passed by in a blur, but fortunately it was a nice blur! Too soon we were leaving the arena in a free walk on a long rein again and on our way back to the lorry.

As promised I untacked and put the massage pad back on him to cool him down after being such a superstar for me. The walk to the results board was agonising and as I walked towards it I couldn't believe my eyes - we had won!!

As I squinted some more and looked closely I was absolutely over the moon (and in shock) to see we had won Prelim 13 with a whopping 70.83%!!! We have only ever got 74% at unaffiliated, so to get just 4% lower at affiliated was an amazing feeling. After close inspection of my test sheet I noticed I had quite a few 8's and mostly 7's.

Not too long later Prelim 14 results were announced and although I knew it wouldn't be quite as good because we broke into trot during one canter, I was not expecting 65%! Ceaser certainly showed that your pretty "average cob" CAN do dressage and be up there with the big boys!

The judges comments were more than fair and said that Ceaser needed to work from behind more - however I know that as this is one of the issues we have been having! Apart from that she commented that my transitions were absolutely spot on where they should be and Ceaser looked a lovely, obedient little horse to ride. You can't get better than that!

What a fantastic way to start our season and it certainly was with a bang! I am over the moon and cannot wait to go out for our next affiliated tests in a couple of weeks. Usually affiliated results are published in Horse & Hound magazine so I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed they publish these results - that would be a brilliant start to the season!

Hopefully we have turned a corner now with our bit issues and on the road to better things!

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Ceaser gets to be a model for the day!

Over a year ago a lovely friend of mine got in touch and said her sister in law was looking to build her  equine photography portfolio having just graduated from university.

At the time I had been looking for someone to capture some special moments of my horses that I could both keep and cherish forever. One of my biggest regrets is that I do not have enough photos of the two very special horses I have lost and often find myself wishing I had got the camera out just that little bit more.

So, I was put in touch with the lovely Gemma who I instantly liked as soon as I met her. She is one of the most genuine of people I imagine I will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Straight away she made me feel at ease whilst frantically clicking away and after a couple of hours I had some stunning photos that will always be treasured.

Gemma is a brilliant photographer and has since became a very good friend. When my sponsor, Charles James Fox, asked all of his sponsored riders a few weeks back to take some photos for his brochure of us all in his clothing I couldn't think of anyone else to call but "the lovely Gemma" (as she is known in our family!).

She offered to take the 'serious' photos and then have a play with taking some nice shots of Ceaser and I again, dressed in my everyday going out clothes - if I had time. Of course I couldn't turn that offer down, so I took the day off university and what fun we had! I cannot wait to see the end results, but here is a sneak peek to keep you all going before Gemma sends me the rest of the photos.

A rare occasion where Ceaser actually stood still!

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Latest addition to the blog; how to!

Firstly I would like to apologise for my absence on both here and Twitter over the past few days. I have been thoroughly spoilt over the weekend by the lovely other half, Mark.

For my 22nd Birthday back in January he produced an envelope that said we were going for a weekend away in the New Forest in February. My Mum couldn't understand the attraction and simply stated: "What, to look at yet more horses?"

Anyway, we had a lovely and rare weekend off relaxing in the Hotel and walking through the forest as much as our legs would allow. On our last day we also booked ourselves in to go for a hack through the New Forest and I was quite surprised when they asked if we wanted to trot Mark accepted and along he bounced giggling away behind me.

Unfortunately he did end up in the middle of a tree at one stage with his horse doing a fantastic Giraffe impression eating the branches as far up as he could reach. Mark looked quite a picture sat there with his jeans half way up his legs, arms out and in the middle of some rather large branches with a worried but confused look on his face, saying: "What do I do?". Of course us girls were in hysterics!

Trust Mark to provide the entertainment!

Anyway, luckily the weekend away fell perfectly between the dates of the widely known BETA International convention at the NEC in Birmingham. I had put my name down to go quite a few weeks ago as it is the perfect place to make all kinds of contacts throughout the equestrian community. So, we travelled the 4 hour journey to the New Forest on Saturday, had the weekend there and then travelled to Nottingham to stay at my sisters on Monday evening where we then left to head to BETA early Tuesday morning.

However, enough of that - I will find some time over the next few days to blog about the New Forest and BETA. Right now I want to announce a brand new feature I have decided to have a go at on here.

On two separate occasions today it occurred to me that whilst there are a lot of tutorials online to help all types of riders learn a new dressage movement, exercise, or difficult task with their horse, they all lack something.

A livery mentioned today that her daughter was going to look up online how to get her pony engaging his hindquarters more and working from behind rather than trudging along. Then, early this morning I helped a young girl who is house and pony sitting with me for a friend lunge her new (very cheeky) pony when he was being a little difficult and I realised; yes there is a lot to read and watch, but what is out there for children or those, like the liveries daughter that does not enjoy dressage as much as jumping?

Over the years of owning a livery yard I have watched many young liveries "schooling" their horses. Often the warming up and cooling down exercises are forgotten, circles are more egg-shaped and rather than doing equal amounts on both reins, they pick the most favourable and stick with that one.

I can fully sympathise, as when I was young and found any schooling exercises a bit of a bore, I used to be guilty of the above. However, I think this is only because I didn't know how to get my pony listening more, respecting my leg aids or working from behind. More so, I also didn't know how to make it less complicated and boring.

How can we make simple, 'boring' exercise more appealing to the younger generation that may prefer jumping to dressage. Or, how can we get them setting up jumping exercises in stead of only one or two simple jumps?

So, because I enjoy giving myself a challenge and I haven't got enough work on already (haha...can we have more hours in the day please?) I have decided over the new few weeks or months, I am going to do a "how to" once a week. This could be how to shoulder in, or how to make dressage training more fun, or even how to warm up and cool down properly without finding it boring. For those who are still learning I will be throwing in the more simple things like how to pick feet out or how to put a bridle on.

A written explanation will accompany a videoed example and I am hoping it will be successful. Over the next few days I will be creating a tab especially for these posts at the top of this blog, so keep an eye out for that addition.

I hope you will find what I post useful and if someone has done something similar to this, but with jumping then I would be interested to have a read. I am guilty of finding any form of jumping boring and would much rather be found schooling!

Have a lovely weekend.

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Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines day everyone! 

Whether you're single, partner is working away, in a relationship or even married - have a lovely day!

I am off out for a meal with Mark now after being spoilt. Let me know how you spent your day!

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Update on Ceaser and introducing the lovely Chester

It occurred to me this morning that I haven't done an update on Ceaser for quite some time now and rather rudely I haven't introduced the lovely new addition; gentle giant, Chester.

Ceaser is going absolute fantastic, I cannot wait to get him out doing some dressage and showing now the weather has cleared up a little. Whilst the initial plan was to dressage him over the winter in preparation for more veteran classes throughout the summer, the snow caused some disruptions and so I decided to give him a couple of weeks off competing and allow us both to have some fun.

As a result of this we have been doing a lot more hacking, jumping and pole work on top of our usual schooling sessions. However, we are now on track - providing the snow stays away - and our season is due to start in 2 weeks time once I return from my Birthday treat, a weekend away in the New Forest!

I was rather surprised on my Birthday to receive the lovely news that I was in the top 10 of the Equestrian Social Media awards nominations and through to the second and final round. This has been an amazing achievement for me and to be quite frank, I don't think it has even sunk in yet!

Mark and I have been having great fun with Ceaser, recording my required acceptance speech should I win. Whilst the creating of the video caused endless amounts of blood, sweat and tears (well not exactly, but still...) I think it is safe to say all three of us had an enjoyable time having a play with the camera and have some real good 'bloopers' to share with you all in a few weeks time! They are, simply priceless.

Ceaser's schooling and summer showing preparation is going well. Those that read my blog will know I was having a difficult time a couple of months ago deciding what type of bit to put him in for any level of dressage. For showing he is in a showing type Pelham and usually for dressage he was in a snaffle, for all levels. However, I was finding I wasn't able to get enough collection from him in a snaffle as he had a tendency to take a hold and almost say "I don't need you Mum, I can do it..." which meant we weren't reaching 8's in our collections in tests, yet in a clinic when the pressure was off he was - and I was told he had the ability to go higher!

So, after trying a snaffle and a flash - and rearing our way around the arena, that idea went out the window as it became evident Diva, Ceaser doesn't like a flash on and so I purchased a double bridle. He goes beautifully in this and just like the showing pelham it allows me to really get a super collection before an extension so I can show off his paces perfectly.

Still, this didn't sort out my problem that double bridles are not allowed in any tests under Elementary level. Upon asking my riding instructors advice she asked what bit I school him in at home when I'm just having a "play". When I'm not schooling for anything particular he is in a 3-ring-gag on the second hole because he can be strong when jumping, hacking or sometimes coming down from a canter to trot.

Evidently this is where our problem was and I needed to start and do everything (apart from hacking!) in a snaffle. Easier said than done at first when as he spooked I had nothing to pull him up with and for a few weeks it caused onlookers quite a laugh. However, I have learnt to use my bum a little better, sit deeper and as he goes to take a hold, remind him I am there and we are here to work.

 He has been in the snaffle almost 2 months and schooling beautifully in it. So much so, I think we are ready to go out and do our first dressage test of the year once I get back from my weekend away with Mark. The double bridle will be staying at home so I can see just how much he has improved and get critical feedback on areas that still need time spending on them.

In addition to changing Ceaser's bit I decided to buy him an Equilbrium Massage Pad just incase he did have any underlying problems that was causing him to not want to collect when asked. I talked myself into spending the money by arguing he was 17, was worked most days of the week without many days off and so not only deserved the Massage Pad but it would do his joints and muscles good too.

The pad is clinically proven to promote relaxation and back flexibility as well as helping to increase stride length. It could be an absolute fluke, but since using the pad Ceaser has really started to lengthen a lot more when asked. Whilst he was known for his "flicky toes" before, he is now also striding out into the extension and using his back end much more.

I like to think the pad is working wonders and I ensure I put it on the low setting both before and after I ride to warm up and cool down his muscles. For anyone in two-minds whether or not to get one I would recommend it any day! They are well worth the money.

Now, onto the lovely new addition, Chester. Again, if you are an avid read of my blog you will have noticed that almost a year ago I went to ride a very old friends new horse and we had such a fantastic day reliving our younger years I blogged about it.  So, you can imagine my surprise when almost 12 months later, Chester's owner got in touch and asked whether or not we would like to take Chester on for a while whilst her son was undergoing surgery.

I don't even know why she bothered to ask, who could turn down such a lovely boy! And so...Chester travelled all the way from Leicester to his new home with us in Lincolnshire a few Saturday's ago where he has settled in rather quickly and became very good friends with my dads ex-racehorse, Khalisa.

Rather tall at, 17hh, he is a lot different to what I am used to but it is doing me the world of good schooling something very different to Ceaser! Chester's owner doesn't know much about his past, apart from that he hurdle raced and because of that absolutely adores his jumping.

The plan is to take him out to a few dressage competitions, firstly at Intro level and then move up accordingly. He gets a little stressed when travelling, but nothing too bad, so fingers crossed he soon realises that going in a lorry doesn't mean going to race.

Chester lost a little condition whilst travelling to us as he sweated a little, so upon arrival we straight away put him onto Chestnut Horse Feeds and the difference in him is incredible. Already he is building muscle up in all of the right places and schooling beautifully. His owner, Sam, still comes to visit him most weekends and has allowed us to use him for the advanced riding lessons if we need to. So far he has been a hit with all of our clients!

I hope that in just a few weeks time we will be ready to make our debut on the dressage circuit - watch this space!

Chester showing he is a gentle giant and not phased by anything! Only 2nd time ridden at his new home. 

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Round up of Equine News - Guest blog.

Pony Chit Chat got in touch with me last week to see if I would write a guest blog for them - about anything I thought worth a read. Of course, what better to discuss than the recent outbreak of Equine Herpes and horsemeat found in lasagne! 

With the recent outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV 1) and the news that ready meals have been found with traces of horse meat in, it has been a frightening week for horse owners across the country.

Equine Herpes Virus (EHV 1)

The British Horse Society (BHS) announced this week that two horses in Gloucestershire have been shown to have the neurological form of the disease and one the respiratory form. Other horses have also been reported to be showing signs, but as of yet have not been diagnosed. 

Whilst EHV 1 is not a disease deemed legally notifiable, it is still contagious and in serious neurological cases can lead to paralysis. Affected horses can pass this disease through respiratory transmission as well as contaminated clothing and equipment. 

The BHS have released this information in an attempt to provide a short refresher on EHV 1 and its signs. For the majority across the country this information will be precautionary but it is recommended that if you think your horse has been in contact with or near the horses infected then you should seek immediate veterinary advice. 

Signs:

• A high temperature is one of the most prominent and key factors when recognising your horse has an underlying disease or infection. It is recommended that you keep a close eye on your horses temperature if you think they may be at risk. 
• Affected horses will also tend to be disinterested in their food.
• Coughing and nasal discharge is also a common symptom. 
• Horses affected by the neurological form of this awful disease may also seem “wobbly” and/or disoriented. 

Anyone with any concerns should contact their vet immediately whom will be able to offer suitable advice.

The BHS is part of the group that produces the HBLB Codes of Practice. There is much helpful information about EHV in the Codes which you can access here.

If anyone has any further concerns about EHV or would like more information, please contact the BHS Welfare Team on 02476 840517 or email welfare@bhs.org.uk

Horsemeat found in ready meals - Just what can we eat nowadays?

Over a decade ago, people all over the country went in to shock over the mad cows disease revelation. Some even declared they would never eat beef again. 

In January of this year almost ten million burgers were removed from shelves of various supermarkets after it was found roughly 29% of the “beef burger” contained horse meat. 

A mere few weeks later it has been revealed that some beef lasagnes sold in shops are found to contain up to 100% horsemeat. 
Whilst this shocking discovery initially poses no threat to human health because horsemeat is a common cuisine in many European countries, questions do remain about the consumption in the UK due to traces of bute found.

Phenylbutazone, most commonly known here as “bute” is a drug given to horses to relieve pain, treat fevers and reduce swelling. Bute, which was at one stage given to humans to tackle serious cases of gout and arthritis has since been found to have serious side effects if consumed. As a result of this, Phenylbutazone was banned as a medication for humans by drug companies many years ago. 

Whilst we can all rest assured in knowing that the Food Standards Agency are doing all they can to rectify this current situation it doesn’t stop the general public in panicking about what they can and cannot eat. 

If you have been put off meat since the outbreak of this story then comment below or tweet me @FurryMane.

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Cheltenham Festival 2013 - Guest post for Paddy Power

With just 34 sleeps to go until the start of the Cheltenham festival, it is that close we can almost smell the blood, sweat and tears of the jockeys and hear the sound of pounding hooves as they cross the finishing post.

Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest dates within the racing industries calendar. Throughout the four-day festival, 27 races take place and roughly 600million pounds is expected to exchange hands between the public and various bookies present.

For 2013 the fourth race on each of the cards will be the feature race and will be supported with grade one races and handicaps. Several horses are entered in to a variety of races throughout the festival but it will all depend on their weight, jockey and ground. To view the list click on to the Paddy Power Website. 

On the day, whilst we have a small idea as to who will pass the post first, anything can happen.

When deciding who to put your money on it is well worth having a look at the horses before each race and studying their form. If you're there then take some time to have a walk down to the Parade Ring and see how the horses are looking.

To give you a little help, I've put together some handy tips I always take into consideration when picking my winners:

- A good muscle tone is important. To be in top form, horses need to be in good condition.

- Look out for a horse that appears bright eyed, has a shiny coat, forward-pointing ears and an alert manner and you'll be well away. These are all signs of a happy, content and healthy horse.

- Has the horse previously ran well at today's distance? If it has already proved itself at that distance without any struggle then you're in with a chance.

- How long has it been since the horse last ran? 30-60 days is a reasonable break for any race horse to have. Think of the horse like a violin. If it has had a long break since its last run it may need a race to "tune" it up again before it runs a good race.

- Pay attention to the way the horse moves in the Parade Ring. Look for a relaxed, forward moving horse. Those that get overexcited in the Parade Ring tend to have wasted their energy before they actually race.

- Take in to consideration the ground. If a horse prefers a certain ground type it will always run best on that. For example, if a horse has good form on soft ground then it may struggle when the ground is classed as "heavy".

- Look at who your chosen horse is up against. Has it beaten or lost to any of the rivals in its race?

- Weight is important. Look at the weight your horse is carrying as apposed to last time. A significant increase could affect your horses way of going.

- Blinkers don't always mean stay clear! My ex-racehorse used to wear blinkers when he was running. This didn't mean he was scared, they were simply used to channel his attention on the race and nothing else.

*Tip from my mum: If the horse does a poo in the Parade Ring you know he's carrying a lighter load in the race - "I always look out for this when picking mine". Well, I don't know whether that is quite true but you never know, she could be the next Clare Balding with that tip!

Whilst horse-racing can be a tedious game, the most important thing to do is enjoy your day out. The atmosphere is simply second to none and you never know you may always back a winner.

To add to the fun I have selected who I think will pip the others to the post throughout the feature races of the four-day festival.


Day 1 - Champion Hurdle 2013

Rock on Ruby, trained by H Fry seems a strong contender in this race. This 8-year-old looked on fine form at his race early in February in Doncaster racing against Darlan who was his biggest rival. Sadly, Darlan suffered a fatal fall at the last fence leaving Rock on Ruby to take the top spot in the winners parade.

Nicky Hendersons, 9-year-old Binocular is another possibility in this race. With a strong form behind him, Binocular could well just do it.

However, if I was going on names for the fun of it and not form, I would definitely go with Hendersons, 6-year-old "Cash and Go".

Day 2 - Queen Mother Champion Chase

Sizing Europe trained by H De Bromhead seems the most likely contender in this race with his impressive form to date.

However, the French, Sprinter Sacre trained by N Henderson is proving to be on good form having won all five of his previous races. This horse has been described to "blow the field away" when racing and makes even the most difficult of races seem a storm. I predict this horse is one to watch, he could well just own this race.

Another I feel is worthy of an each way bet is Sanctuaire trained by P Nicholls. This horse is another with an impressive form card that may well just pull out all the stops on the day.

Day 3 - Ladbrokes World Hurdle

Paul Nicholl's is bound to be distraught that his consecutive winner of this race from 2009-2012, Big Bucks is out for the season with an injury.

Solwhit seems like a good one to watch, but an injury some time ago set him back and although he won his first race in over two and a half years just a few weeks ago, this horse is described as needing to go "better" if he is to be in with a chance today. Once a high class horse though, he may well just be on form if the ground is soft enough for him.

French bred, Quevega, trained by W Mullins could well be a likely conetendor for this race. This 9-year-old has a decent form and is the David Nicholson Mare's Hurdle winner for the past four years at the Cheltenham Festival. Potentially another one to watch.

Day 4 - Cheltenham Gold Cup

This is what it all boils down to; one of the biggest races throughout the whole of the festival. Previous winners of this race includes Arkle, Best Mate, Kauto, Denman and Imperial Commander.

This race could well be anyones with some fantastic runners entered such as the lovely Imperial Commander, Long Run and Bobs Worth.

My Money may be on the double Cheltenham Festival winner and strong Gold Cup contender, Bobs Worth. With some good runs behind him, this may be another successful candidate for N Henderson.


Well, that is all from me - watch out for some more of my tips coming and to find out who my money will be going on. If you can't make the festival then be sure to tune in to the television to see all of the action.

Jargon (For those a little confused):

* Form - How a horse has previously ran. Usually shown on a race card as a series of numbers, for example: 115622. Each number represents a race and your horses position in that race. 
* Bookies (Bookmakers) - Found at all races. These take your bets and show you the odds for each horse.
* Odds - Odds are given to each horse before they run. Horses with a previous good form will be given odds of 1 or 2 and then the payback if the horse wins is double this. A horse with odds of 500/1 is least likely to win but if it does will pay out more. 
* Racecard - You can buy one of these when you attend a race-day. The race cards display all race information for that day, including tips.
* Ground - Soft, heavy.... Some horses prefer soft ground whereas others prefer heavy. Soft ground is what it says on the tin; spongy. 
* Parade Ring - This is the area in which horses are paraded round and warmed up before each race. It is a great opportunity for the public to have a look at their horse before they decide which one to bet on.
* Furlong - The distance in which the horses run is measured in.

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Eye on Equestrian 2013....the view so far

I have received several requests this week about allowing fellow freelancers to write a guest blog on here. 

Should you wish to submit a guest blog then please contact me at slequinejournalism@gmail.com

Vernon Holderness is a freelance writer who reviews equestrian gear from horse wear specialists like equestrianclearance.com. Here is his take on what is happening in the world of horses so far in 2013...

Eye on equestrian – what’s happening in the world of horses

Eye on equestrian – what’s happening in the world of horses

Foal play from Tesco

Probably the biggest story of the month relating to horses, the news that Tesco and other supermarkets were found to be making burgers containing up to 29% horsemeat was all over the media. Everyone was joking about it on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere on the web.

Even Bruce Haskell joined in the fun. The trainer joked on his Twitter account: ““I tried to call the PR person from Tesco. He couldn’t answer the phone as he had a sore throat – he was “feeling a little horse”!

All change in eventing

After initially re-applying for her old role, Irish Senior Eventing High Performance Manager Ginny Elliot has withdrawn her interest in keeping the job she held since 2008. She will be missed by those involved with Team Ireland Equestrian.

Henrietta Knight spoke candidly in an interview with Horse & Hound magazine about her career and a new partnership with Yogi Breisner, the Performance Manager for the British Eventing team. She also mentioned her tie-in with Chef d’Equipe.

Bruce Haskell talked about sweeping changes being made to the classification for event riders. The more experienced riders will be in A-D Level, while anyone below that standard will be classed as ‘national riders’. Bruce said this could make more sense as it helps the rider decide when they’re ready to step up.

Trotting on to TV

Viewers in Ireland and the rest of the world have something to look forward to: a brand new online equestrian TV channel! Irish Horse TV is set to launch next month, and will feature eventing, dressage, show jumping and other events. A joint initiative from Horse Racing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland, it promises to be a must-see for all things equestrian, so be sure to tune in!

Who’s going to win at the horse Oscars?

One of the highlights of the equestrian calendar, the Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs) are seen as hugely prestigious and mean the world to anyone who receives a nomination. The ESMAs are the equestrian Oscars, but unlike the Academy Awards, anyone can vote for their favourite in each category.

By clicking here, you can vote for whom you want to win, but you should make sure you take your pick by February 8^th. Various websites and publications from all over the world are hoping they can win an ESMA.

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