Robinsons Blog

We all love riding and caring for our horses and thankfully mishaps are few and far between, but riding and being involved with horses, is a risk sport and accidents can and do happen. Its easy to be complacent, and think that a serious accident will never happen to you or your horse but what if it does? Are you prepared? Do you know how to treat a cut on your horse? Do you know what to do if someone falls off whilst on a hack?

PLAN!

Knowing what to do in an emergency and having a plan of action already set up can mean you are less likely to panic. There are many organisations around that run First Aid courses, and attending one of these will give you all the knowledge you need to cope in any emergency situation. The BHS run Equine Specific First Aid courses, which are designed to deal specifically with the sort of injuries you are likely to encounter when dealing with horses and riders.

Any first aid course you attend will always tell you the first priority is to assess and minimise any risks. When an accident involves horses you always need to be sure that more complications aren’t going to arise from a loose horse, so ensure that someone immediately gains control of it to prevent further accident or injury.

PREPARE!

A human first aid kit’s contents depend on how many people you need to cater for and where you are keeping it, but always make sure you keep supplies regularly checked and topped up. If you know where your first aid kit is, and how to contact the required emergency services you are far more likely to be of valuable assistance to those in need.

Having a first aid kit will mean you know where all your medical equipment is and you won’t have to run round looking for things in the event of an accident. You may decide to have separate kits for horses and humans or just one kit that has supplies for both (first aid equipment does tend to lend itself to man or beast!) A basic equine first aid kit should include the following

1. Vet’s telephone number
2. Cotton wool
3. Antiseptic solution eg Hibiscrub
4. Sterile non adherent dressings
5. Bandages
6. Scissors

It is advisable to also keep a clean bucket that is only used for cleaning wounds so you can avoid the risk of infection and contamination.

SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

Whilst most falls and accidents around horses incur only minor injuries, it is important to remember that a horse is a very large, powerful animal and any kick or fall can be serious. If you feel at all unwell after an accident it is always advisable to gain professional, medical advice.

If a horse is injured, it is important that you know how to treat the injury.  Try to gain assistance so you have someone to hold the horse whilst you assess and treat the injury. Even the most placid horse can react violently when in pain which could result in injury to those around. Initially assess the wound and contact your vet for advice if you are at all unsure. Advice can often be given by them over the phone once initial information has been provided.

Veterinary assistance is essential if:

1. there is no one on scene with sufficient knowledge to assess the wound or injury
2. there is excessive bleeding
3. the wound is more than skin deep or more than a few cms long
4. the injury is close to joints
5. the wound is very dirty
6. the horse is not vaccinated against tetanus 

If you do not feel that veterinary attention is required, or whilst you are waiting for him to arrive you can clean the wound using clean water or a very dilute solution of Hibiscrub (approx 1:20), cover the wound with a clean non absorbent dressing, cover the wound with a firm bandage which isn’t so tight as to restrict circulation. When applying bandages ensure that this is done over padding and the pressure is even throughout, there must be no wrinkles in the bandage and all fastenings should be at the same tension as the bandage itself. Take care not to position the fastening over the injury itself.

AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST!

There are many ways to limit the risk to you and those around you whilst dealing with horses. Always stay responsive to potential dangers, don’t leave a horse unattended on the yard even when tied up, accidents happen in an instant.  Don’t leave any avoidable hazards on the yard, ie pichforks, wheelbarrows, empty bags. Remember to always wear a current standard hat whilst riding or handling horses and a body protector, if appropriate, as these can help reduce injury in the event of an accident. Most importantly, treat all horses, no matter how quiet or how well you know them, with respect, as they can ALWAYS take you by surprise. Even the smallest shetland pony is stronger than any man.

It is well known that springtime brings with it the threat of laminitis, there’s lots of information available on this disease along with supplements, and gadgets to help limit the risk of your horse suffering from it. As an owner of a horse who suffers from this condition myself, it is a subject close to my heart. My aim with this blog is to explain laminitis in a simple easy to understand way, whilst giving you links to investigate further.

Laminitis is a disease of the digital laminae of the hoof (foot of an ungulate). It is commonly thought of as a disease of small, fat ponies who have access to too much rich spring grass, and not enough exercise. This is not the case, it is a serious condition that can affect any equine (or cattle) at any time of year. My own horse is a lean thoroughbred cross, who at 19 contracted laminitis for the first time whilst in medium work on sparse grazing.

Knowing what triggers laminitis can help you to prevent the onset or deal with the early stages effectively. Although it is not known for certain what causes laminitis, there are common situations which seem to bring laminitis on in some horses; prolonged hard work on unsuitable surfaces, some corticosteroid drugs given to susceptible horses and most commonly overeating. Trying to prevent any of these triggers will help to keep laminitis at bay.

Knowing your horse and what is ‘normal’ for him is your biggest tool in helping to prevent and catch laminitis at its earliest stage. If your horse seems to be not quite himself, unwilling to walk or turn in his usual way, showing slight colicky signs or just generally uncomfortable on his feet he could be experiencing early signs of laminitis. These indicators will all usually present themselves before you notice the typical ‘laminitis stance’, heat in the feet or change to the digital pulse.

If you even suspect laminitis act immediately as delay can seriously hinder your horse’s recovery. If possible stable your horse on a deep bed of shavings, but don’t force him to walk. Allow him to lie down if he wants to as this will alleviate the pressure on your horse’s feet. Seek veterinary advice as soon as possible, laminitis should be considered as much an emergency as colic to prevent the condition worsening.

Preventing laminitis by careful management of your horse and his environment is vital. Slowly introduce him to the spring grass, starting with just an hour at first and gradually extending the time. Try strip grazing if you have a large field as this will limit the amount of grass your horse has access to. Make sure you also adjust your horse’s hard feed to allow for the extra nutrition they are getting from their grazing, many horses won’t need any more than grass at this time of year. If you do feel that he needs his diet supplementing be careful to choose a low starch, high fibre diet which is appropriate for his level of work. 

The Laminitis Trust provides detailed information on the disease, look out for their Approval Mark on your horse’s feed bags. By being vigilant and with correct management your horse should stay healthy and happy throughout the summer months. Act quickly if your horse starts to show signs of weight gain by restricting his grazing or fitting a grazing mask. If you are at all worried about your horse’s health or you suspect the onset of laminitis ring your vet straight away. Laminitis is a serious disease which can cause long term damage to your horse’s feet. Careful management of your horse’s welfare will help to ensure that your horse stays safe and sound throughout the year.

Now summer is approaching we start to think about hacking out for longer and further, even visiting places further afield for a change of scene. There’s nothing better than tacking up your horse and going for a relaxing hack with friends, or even just out on your own. The happy chat on horseback, or exhilarating gallop makes you fall in love with riding and horses again, and forget all about the chores waiting for you back at the stables.

Load your horse up and go for a day out with friends somewhere further afield when you have the time. Living in the Northwest means I have loads of places to choose from, the Lake District has some fantastic places to hack whether you have your own horse or want to visit a trekking centre.  There’s also the Yorkshires Dales and plenty of beaches to choose from. Wherever you live there’s sure to be somewhere that you can visit that has great off road riding.

You can still have fun hacking in your local area, bridleways are a great place to ride but are often not maintained as well as they should be and aren’t well documented. Many ancient bridleways are becoming lost, riders everywhere can help to keep these rights of way, contact your local Bridleways Agency to find out how. Remember that bridleways often cross private land so be responsible when using them by ensuring gates are securely closed again if you’ve had to open them to ride through. Keep to the bridleway and avoid soft land so your horses hooves don’t cut the surface up. Always make sure you ride slowly through land that has livestock in and stop if they appear disturbed and start to run.

If you are keen to ride out but don’t have anyone to accompany you why not try asking for a riding buddy on horse forums, there may well be other riders locally who have the same problem. Its always more fun and safer to ride with someone else.

Wherever you are riding it is highly likely that you will have to encounter a certain amount of road work at some point. Always make sure that you and your horse wear reflective high visibility clothing so you are easily seen by other road users. Take a look at this photo taken in daylight when you’d normally think there’s no need for reflective gear. How long does it take you to see the second horse and rider?Finally, refresh your knowledge of the highway code, paying particular attention to any parts relating to horses. Riding two abreast is fine but you should only do so when the road conditions make it safe. Ensure you know all hand signals and use them appropriately, if you can’t take a hand off the rein to thank drivers, try to at least smile in acknowledgement.

Happy hacking always comes as a result of riding responsibly and making sure you stay safe in the saddle!

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It is well and truly show time, our horses and ponies are being preened and polished, and stress levels are at an all time high. You spend all day before the show cleaning tack, boots, stables, and horse. You try to cover every square inch of your horse so he stays clean overnight, especially if he’s grey, only to get to the yard in the morning to find a huge stable stain on his face or his coat all ruffled and refusing to lie flat. If by chance your horse has stayed clean you can be sure that the weather is now appalling, so all your hard work and effort is totally wasted as he will be filthy again as soon as he steps out of the horse box.

How do you get your horse clean for a show and then keep him that way?

My advice after competing with a grey pony and then a horse with four white stockings is start early, and be prepared to finish late! However long you estimate your preparations will take, they always end up at least double that amount of time!

Try to ride and then turn out your horse in the morning so he is worked and then had some relaxation time after. There’s nothing worse than fighting with an anxious horse thats been stabled all day, keep your riding relaxed and just go through the basics of making sure he responds to your aids and is obedient. Any other schooling will make you both tense especially as you are thinking of the show, you can’t make any massive improvements in your horse on the day before the show.

Whilst your horse is turned out do all your usual stable work, and have a bit of a general spring clean of any equipment you intend to take with you. Make sure you take a break and have something to eat yourself so you don’t get over tired and hungry. Remember that you have to keep yourself calm in order for your horse to behave in the same way.

Once you have everything ready, bring your horse in from the field and give him a good groom. This will remove any surface dirt from his coat and make bathing easier. Don’t forget to thoroughly pick his feet out, there’s no point having a spotless lame horse because of a stone in his foot.

If you’re intending to plait up and you’ve time, wash your horse’s mane a day earlier as this will avoid it being too slippy. Otherwise wash his mane before anything else as this will give it a little extra time to dry before you need to plait it. Try adding a little hair gel to your horse’s mane whilst still damp as it will help to keep it tidier. If you’re leaving your horse’s mane and tail natural add a little Cowboy Magic Detangler, it helps keep the most unruly hair tangle free and shiny.

Next wash your horse all over using a good quality horse shampoo, Gallop shampoos come in a range specially designed to enhance your horse’s natural colour. Always saturate your horse’s coat thoroughly before applying shampoo, this ensures the shampoo penetrates the surface of your horse’s coat and gets all the scurf and dirt out. Remove all traces of shampoo completely using plenty of water, there should never been any bubbles left in your horse’s coat after rinsing as this can irritate your horse’s skin and make him itchy. Remove as much water as possible using a sweat scraper; the hard plastic side is ideal for fleshy parts of your horse, whereas the softer rubber section can be used on legs and more sensitive parts. Once you’ve removed any excess water, spray your horse with coat gloss but be careful to avoid the saddle area if you will be riding as it may make your saddle slip. This initial coverage of show shine will help to keep your horse’s coat soft and smooth, it will also make grooming easier on the morning of the show as dirt won’t stick to your horse’s coat as easily.

If your horse has any white on his legs use a shampoo designed specifically for white horses, take care to follow the user instructions though as they can irritate your horse’s skin or cause staining of your hands if used incorrectly. Rinse thoroughly, then dry his legs using a towel, whilst the hair is still damp use a chalk block generously on all white parts of his leg. Immediately cover as much of your horse’s lower leg as possible. Stable boots are a quick and easy way to do this, alternatively you can use leg pads and stable bandages but you need to be sure that you apply them correctly, as incorrect use can cause injury. They can also leave unsightly creases on your horse’s legs which are almost impossible to get rid of before a show.

Finally, I would always advise to rug your horse before a show, not only to keep him clean but also because his coat will have lost some of its natural oils after bathing so he won’t be able to keep himself as warm as usual. Make sure your rug is clean and dry though otherwise any dirt will be transferred back onto your horse. I always keep a rug specially for show nights which I can easily wash after each use so I can be sure my horse stays as clean as possible.

Although these tips will help you to get your horse clean, there is no way of guaranteeing he will stay that way overnight! Horses seem to have an inbuilt desire to get stable stains only on their white parts and often only on the night before a show. Remember that you’re not alone in your struggle to get your horse clean and the way your horse behaves is much more important. Keep calm on the morning of a show, as a worked up rider will result in a badly behaved horse who will never win a class no matter how clean he is.

It’s been another interesting week surfing the web for horse-related items of interest.  You may have heard the term ‘Web 2.0‘ before, a term to describe not just the growing complexity of the technology available online, but the way it has become much more integrated into day-to-day life.  As this happens, we all benefit from the online resources that others have taken the time to create.

My thanks go to three people who have all done their bit for their fellow riders (and us) in recent weeks:

First, I’d like to nominate Dave Gibson for taking a picture of our Superstore and uploading it to Panoramio, which is then fed out as a layer into the Google Earth satellite photography mapping software.  These embedded ‘on-the-ground’ images within Google Earth are very useful, because even though the satellite imagery works very well as a sophisticated map, if you’re using it to find somewhere you’ve never been to, it’s so helpful to have a picture to use as a guide to help you know what you’re looking for.

In second place, I’d like to mention Alison Greenhalgh and her friends who started the Facebook group We LOVE Robinsons Country Leisure Superstore!  I hope she doesn’t mind that I joined the group and if you feel the same way as Alison and her friends, I encourage you to join it too!

My favourite example this week is an idea by RachelFerd from the Horse & Hound Forum for her Horse & Hound Online Collaboration, a Google Map which aims to show every type of horse-related resource on a single map.  Both graphical and practical, it has been developed enthusiastically by the fellow forumers on HHO, thanks to her thread on the subject.  You can imagine that once completed, you’d never need to be lost again!

It’s great to see the idea of collaboration really beginning to become part of our daily lives.  Who knows what ideas we’ll be taking advantage of in the near future?

Recently, I wrote a blog entry about the difficulty of knowing when to embrace the new ideas that have come from the growth of the web.

With so many people talking about ’social networking sites’, I decided to spend a little time getting a little better acquainted with them.  Unfortunately, being the wrong side of 30, this was a revolution that had taken place outside of my normal world, so I had to take the plunge and create my own profile somewhere. 

After settling on facebook, I have to say I found the whole thing quite addictive and I can certainly see why the idea has caught on so strongly.  In no time at all, I seemed to find a number of friends on there, as well as people who I hadn’t heard from for years.  Overnight, it becomes possible to become re-connected to friends you’d almost forgotten you had.  You have to say, it’s a pretty powerful tool.

In the meantime, I’ve had all sorts of emails from companies who hold seminars on ‘Social Networking for Business’ and the like.  Inevitably, where there’s a social phenomenon, business is never far behind it and it raised once again a question we’d already debated here: should we create a Robinsons page? 

While this is supposed to be contrary to the non-commercial ethos of social netwoking sites, it’s not necessarily true to say that no companies should have a presence.  Of course, many companies of all sizes do have pages of one form or another.  As a customer myself, there are plenty of brands that I would be interested enough in to have a look at a page which represents them.

To my mind, it’s about how you do it, though.  If we were to just blunder in and start trying to just sell things on there, I don’t think it would work very well.  It has to offer something that makes you want to visit - and then visit again.  In the end, we decided upon ‘The Robinsons Online Riding Club’.  It’s a great way to allow interaction between visitors and it’s good for us to keep visitors up-to-date with what’s going on here.  If everybody gets something out of it, why shouldn’t it be a good idea?

So, follow the link, have a look and see what you think.  Of course, you’re very welcome to become a member, too.  After that, we’ll wait and see what happens next because your guess is as good as mine!

Following on from my previous blog about basic horse riding equipment, I have some more hints on extra gear that may prove helpful in your riding and help to reduce injury in the event of a fall. These aren’t essential items of riding gear but can help your comfort in the saddle. It’s always important to make sure your clothing and equipment fits correctly, otherwise they could prove inneffective or unsafe.

Half Chaps - what are they?

Half chaps or gaiters are basically a shaped piece of material, leather or suede, they fit around your lower leg and over your short boots. Wearing these can help to keep your lower leg more stable and help prevent it slipping against the saddle or horse’s side.

 Half chaps usually have a reinforced, shaped panel designed to be worn on your inner calf. They often have an elasticated strip to allow a snug fit , this goes around the back of your leg and a full length zip fastens along your outer calf. Half chaps either made from suede or synthetic suede will help reduce the amount your legs slide against the saddle.  

Gaiters are very similar in design to half chaps but tend to be made from leather and give a slightly more refined look. When worn with jodhpur boots they are similar in appearance to long riding boots.

Body Protectors - extra protection

It is well worth considering investing in a body protector, these will help to reduce injuries sustained from a fall, however no body protector can prevent serious injury in certain accidents. Although there are 3 levels of protection available I would always recommend that riders choose the highest standard - level 3. These give a level of protection that is considered appropriate for normal horse riding, competitions and for working with horses. Protectors to this level should:

1. Prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain.
2. Reduce significant soft tissue injuries to the level of bruising.
3. Prevent a limited number of rib fractures.

You must always be very careful to check that a body protector fits correctly, the red parts of velcro always need to be completely covered, this ensures the fastenings are secure.

Gloves - not just for warmth

Gloves will help to protect your hands if a horse pulls against you. Rubber reins especially, in small hands can hurt the delicate skin around your fingers often resulting in painful rubs. Invest in some specially designed riding gloves which are reinforced where the rein sits in the hand. Lightweight gloves are available for summer, which allow your hands to stay cool but still protect them from the reins.

Training Reins - for even rein contact

It can be very difficult to make sure your reins are the same length whilst riding. Multi coloured training reins have different coloured sections of rubber along their length, these make it much easier, especially for small children to see where they are holding each rein.

Riding Jackets - more comfort in the saddle

Although it will hopefully soon be warm enough to ride without a coat, there are often times in summer when you need an extra layer. As soon as you try to ride in an everyday coat you will find that they can cause some major problems when you are on a horse. A normal loose cuff can slide over your hands making it difficult to have full control of the reins. Any coat or zip more than waist length will immediately cause excess bulk around the saddle area. Hoods are potentially dangerous especially on a nervous horse if they flap suddenly. 

Specifically designed riding jackets allow for all of these issues. A two way zip will let you keep your jacket fastened just to the required height, Adjustable velcro or elastic cuffs keep your sleeves comfortably around the bottom of your wrist. Hoods if present at all can be secured away in your collar. Longer length riding jackets have vents in the lower portion letting you undo them whilst riding which allows your coat to fall comfortably over the saddle.

Safety Stirrups - extra safety

Whilst still learning to maintain their balance in the saddle, many novice riders struggle to keep their feet in a secure position in the stirrup. It’s often tempting to push your foot as far in as possible in an effort to keep it in the stirrup, you may well then feel that there’s one less thing to have to concentrate on. As soon as you do this though why does your Instructor start shouting at you to move them onto the ball of your foot again, is it just so you look pretty? The answer is simple, it is extremely dangerous. If you were to fall off with your foot in this position, you can easily trap your foot in the stirrup and then potentially be dragged along the floor by your horse. Although saddles do have safety features built in to release your stirrup these don’t always function immediately possibly resulting in serious injury. Take heed of what you’re told and constantly work to keep your stirrups in the correct position.  

There are specially designed stirrups which can help to ensure your foot is released as quickly as possible in an emergency. Children can ride with peacock safety irons, these have one metal side of the stirrup replaced by an elastic and leather strap secured on a hook, this releases when pressure is applied from the foot in the event of a fall. This type of stirrup is not suitable for adults though as the stirrup iron itself is not quite as strong because of its design; the metal can bend under the weight of an adult rider overstretching the elastic and making it more difficult to release when necessary. Adults should instead choose a bent leg iron, this is an all metal stirrup iron with a bend in one of the legs, this ensures your foot doesn’t become trapped in a fall.

Both of these stirrups need to be fitted so the safety feature is on the outside of the foot.

Any stirrup should always have 1/4″ clearance on each side of the foot to ensure the correct fit.

Make sure you always check all your riding equipment on a regular basis to ensure there is no excessive wear or damage that could make it unsafe to use. Although safety equipment can help to reduce injury, qualified instruction is the most effective way to reduce accidents and falls. Riding in the correct position with thorough control of your horse at all times will avoid injury to yourself or your horse.

As seasoned readers of this blog may attest, much of my information from the outside world comes from the BBC website.  On one of my many forays there recently, I came across a story which made me grimace.

The story was (believe it or not) ‘Riot Fears Absent Ahead of IKEA Sale‘, which on the face of it seems quite a departure from the concept of news.  Aside from the quite blatant (for the BBC) commercial nature of the story, this story tells you not what has happened, but what was unlikely to happen.  Of course, the reason why the absence of riot fears was news is that in 2005, that’s precisely what happened when IKEA opened a store in Edmonton, North London.  It was this story that was the reason for my cold sweat as it reminded me of the day we re-opened our Superstore on Sunday 3rd November 2003…

As you may or may not know, in September 2002, we lost our retail store in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire after it was destroyed by a fire.  Happily no-one was injured, but it meant that we had to take over a year to clear the site and custom-build a brand new Superstore as a replacement.

By November the following year, the anticipation amongst local riders had been building for weeks and at our Sunday opening time of 11am that day, hundreds of people were there to witness the official opening of the new Superstore which was then, as now, the largest of its kind in the UK and beyond.   As we were sponsors of The Pony Club’s Prince Philip Cup at the time, we decided to invite the holders of the Cup (Wylye Valley) to open the Superstore.  A stretch limousine, red carpets and a big ribbon were laid on, especially for the event.  As a finishing touch, we even arranged for two mounted police from the Merseyside Constabulary to escort the limo, a gesture we were very grateful to accept as it helped make our opening such a great spectacle.

After such a long time of being unable to serve our retail customers, we had been concerned that we needed to win this custom back as quickly as possible, so the fact that we’d managed to generate so much interest was, I remember, a great relief.  I also recall that weeks beforehand, we had decided after a fair degree of deliberation not to advertise the grand opening, just in case too many people turned up.  In retrospect, that was quite a wise move. 

Put simply, the day turned very quickly from being a dream to a nightmare.  Once the doors opened, more and more people continued to pour in, so that by late lunchtime, the Nosebag café was gridlocked, queuing time at the main tills had risen to 45 minutes and at least one customer had fainted while waiting to be served.  With so many people inside, we had begun to adopt a nightclub-style ‘one out, one in’ policy of admittance.  Everything we tried to do to maintain the safety of the situation seemed to have a knock-on effect elsewhere.

Outside, things were if anything even worse.  For at least half a mile in each direction along the A49, cars were parked both sides, nose-to-tail - many on yellow lines.  With only enough room for two cars to pass slowly in the space between, every time a bus or a lorry came along, they had to wait for a gap in the traffic coming the other way before they could pick their way through.  Very quickly, tailbacks began to snake back both north and south.  There was nothing else for me to do but to jump into the road and hold back the traffic in one direction every time a bus or a lorry was trying to get through in the other.  My abiding memory in all the gathering chaos was of standing on one of the Queen’s highways, directing the traffic, holding it back so the Police horsebox could pick its way out through the congestion!  I couldn’t help thinking that things were the wrong way round!!

Worse still, there was a Collectables Fair on at Haydock Racecourse that day.  Again, you may or may not know that the entrance to Haydock Park is approximately 400 yards south of our Superstore, along the A49 Warrington Road.  Their traffic was becoming caught up in our traffic and tailing back still further another mile south along the A49…    …where it crosses the M6 motorway!  It was, I believe at this point, where queues were affecting cars attempting to leave the M6 at Junction 23, that the police helicopter was mobilised!

Once you realise that you’ve lost control of a situation to that extent, you have to begin to worry about the consequences.  All I could think was how much more scary the day could have been if we’d advertised our opening properly.  Looking back now, I’m staggered and eternally grateful that it wasn’t worse.  With the ‘benefit’ of that experience, I now have every sympathy for all concerned when stories such as the IKEA opening happen.

The moral of the story?  In business, the vast majority of the time, you’re constantly guarding against failure.  It can become second nature to try to maximise every opportunity because if anything doesn’t work as well as one had hoped, the costs can be high, financially, to one’s reputation and - dare I say it - one’s ego.  With shop openings and high-profile promotions, it can often pay to spend a little time guarding against success.  Too much of it can be even worse than not enough.

The cold sweat’s gone now I’ve shared that with you. 

Thanks,

Paul.

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There is an amazing selection of equestrian clothing available now, however if you are a more novice rider how do you know what to buy? I often get asked why can’t I buy a cheap second hand hat, why do my legs slide on the saddle as I ride, why can’t I ride in wellies they look like riding boots, why do the reins hurt my hands? This and many other questions may seem extremely silly and have an obvious answer to the seasoned horse owner or experienced rider. For someone new to riding though, the equestrian world is daunting and often appears unfriendly. The obvious person to ask for advice is your Instructor, unfortunately it is often the case especially with children, that you are slightly scared of that person who stands in the middle of the school shouting at you at the top of their voice! Don’t be, they are only being loud so their instructions are clear and easy to understand. Try speaking to them after your lesson to get any extra tips or advice you feel you need, whatever problem your having, someone else will have had it too. Any good Instructor should be able to give you advice on equipment and clothing that will help your riding.

How do you know what to buy when the time comes to get your first full riding kit though? The answer’s simple, request a Robinsons catalogue or browse online and buy jodhpurs, boots, and hat.

That’s all isn’t it?

If that was the case the Robinsons catalogue would be very small indeed! How on earth then can an enthusiastic new rider know what to select from the huge selection of riding gear on offer. Here’s how…

THE BASICS

Why can’t I buy a second hand hat?

Riding Hat

This is possibly the most important item of kit, but is often one of the last things a new rider will buy. Although jodhpurs and boots can make you look more like a rider I would always advise that the first item of equipment you buy is your own riding hat. When you learn that it is advisable to replace a riding hat after any fall that has involved the rider’s hat sustaining any significant impact, you start to realise that a borrowed hat from your riding school is not quite as suitable as you first thought. You don’t know anything about how many falls that hat has sustained, it is vitally important that the shell of a hat is not damaged in any way, as this can affect the protection it offers. Invest in your own hat as soon as you possibly can when you take up riding so you know its complete history. Check before buying your hat though to see what level of protection you will need as various organisations have different rules. Any hat you buy should have a three point under the chin harness with NO chin cup, it should meet at least one of the following safety standards; EN1384, PAS015, ASTM F1163/SEI and may also need to have a Kitemark.

It is worth knowing that although riding hats are a recognised piece of safety equipment they are still subject to VAT, although interestingly cycling helmets no longer are. The BHS are trying to change this, if you’d like to add your name to this campaign please write to BHS Safety Department, Stoneleigh Deer Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2XZ, or email S.Hardy@bhs.org.uk with VAT in the subject box.

Why do my legs slide on the saddle as I ride?

Jodhpurs/Breeches

Jodhpurs are designed to be worn with short jodhpur boots, they tend to be long in the leg and have a small turn up at the ankle which stretches over the top of your jodhpur boot. They will also often have an inbuilt elastic underfoot stirrup to help prevent the jodhpurs rising up. Jodhpur clips will also stop the leg of your jodhpurs slipping above your boot, this can be very uncomfortable, often resulting in rubbed and chafed ankles.

Breeches are shorter in the leg, normally mid to lower calf length, they should be worn with long riding boots. The shorter length means you don’t have excess material around your ankle which can be uncomfortable with long boots.

For a more novice rider I’d always recommend that they choose a pair of jods or breeches with a full clarino or ’sticky bum’ seat. All this means is the seat area is made from a special material that does not slide on the saddle quite as much as normal material. For someone learning to ride this extra little bit of security in the saddle is invaluable.

Why can’t I ride in wellies, they look like riding boots?

Boots

Although wellies and standard boots can look very similar to riding footwear there are some fundamental differences which seriously affect their safety. The main reason why these aren’t suitable riding wear is the depth of tread on the sole, riding footwear should have a fairly thin sole, with a small amount of tread to prevent the foot getting caught in the stirrup in the event of a fall. Also avoid any boots with buckles or velcro as the same can happen with these. Although a heel is required on riding boots, it should be no more than about 1/2″ in height.

You initially need to decide between long riding boots and jodhpur boots, this is mainly your own personal preference. Long boots offer more support to your leg but some people find them uncomfortable and too restrictive. Jodhpur boots allow more ankle movement but you may find you need some extra protection from the stirrup leather.

Long riding boots are available in economical rubber or quality leather. Both have advantages and disadvantages, rubber are cheap, hard wearing and waterproof but they can be inflexible and hot. Leather are expensive and high maintenance, but they allow easy flexion of the ankle.

Jodhpur boots are particularly useful in summer months as they tend to be cooler than long boots. However the lack of support around the calf and lower leg can result in bruising and pinching from stirrup leathers. This can eased by wearing half chaps or gaiters.

Technical stirrup systems have been developed which include the SCS3 system from Mountain Horse, this is a system of grooves built into the sole of the boot and on the SCS3 stirrup tread. When these grooves interact, they prevent the foot slipping forward in the stirrup but allow the rider to pull their foot back easily. Four grooves in the sole give a choice of foot position depending on exactly where you prefer the foot to sit in the stirrup.

There are many other items of riding kit available and I’ll go into these in more detail in my next blog but I hope this has helped you in your choice of essentials. Remember to always make your equestrian purchases based on the highest protection you can afford rather than the prettiest product. Whilst horse riding is an enjoyable hobby it can also be a high risk sport. �