Robinsons Blog

There is a wide range of leg protection available for your horse, but it can be difficult to know which if any is best suited to your horse’s needs. Although many horses do not need any extra support for the level of exercise they do, boots can offer protection from accidents that can happen to anyone. It is extremely important to ensure any boot or bandage fits correctly so it can’t rub or slip on the horse’s leg.

Brushing boots are an excellent all round boot, they offer minimal support to the leg but are perfect for horses with a close action or times when the horse may move his legs too closely together. The striking pads offer protection to the horse’s vulnerable fetlock joints, this can be especially useful for young horses who haven’t perfected their balance under the saddle. Brushing boots are an excellent boot also for lunging, the constant bend that the horse is working on can mean he catches one leg with the opposite hoof. Teaching and riding lateral work is also a time when it is advisable to provide extra protection to your horse’s lower legs. Confusion in aids and resistance can result in the horse striking himself as he moves, the use of brushing boots again on all four legs can protect against painful knocks and grazes.

Competition boots offer support or protection and sometimes both to a horse’s legs whilst jumping or competing. The most popular boots for show jumping are tendon boots, these offer protection and support to the tendons but still allow the horse to feel the pole if he knocks a fence. Eventing tends to require more protection for a greater proportion of the horse’s lower leg. Sports Medicine Boots and Eventing Boots are a popular choice by many riders to support their horse’s legs. Although not allowed in competition, dressage horses are usually schooled in bandages as their riders often believe these provide better support and protection than boots.

Some horses have a tendency to over reach with their hind legs, meaning they can inflict injuries on themselves by striking their coronet band with their hind foot. To prevent this you can fit over reach boots to offer protection to the vulnerable area. These boots come in many styles, the cheapest being pull on rubber but these can be difficult to put on and have a tendency to invert rendering them useless. More technical styles are also available ranging from velcro fastening rubber to carbon reinforced, anatomically designed boots.

Horse’s legs are particularly vulnerable whilst travelling, they can easily knock themselves in the loading process or during transportation. It is essential therefore that we use some form of protection to the lower legs to guard against injury. Travel boots provide a quick and easy padded covering to the horse’s legs, usually from above the horse’s knee to below the coronet band. They usually have a tough outer fabric to prevent tears and a reinforced bottom section to give extra protection to the heel and coronet area. Most travel boots have wide velcro straps making them easy to put on and remove. Some people feel that travel bandages offer better protection and support to their horse’s legs so use padding secured by bandages. Care must always be taken to ensure there is no uneven pressure on the legs and that they are firmly secured so the bandages can’t become unravelled during travelling.

Whilst providing your horse’s legs with extra protection is always a good idea you must consider whether your chosen boots are appropriate to your horse’s needs and most importantly that they fit correctly. No boots should be left on for a prolonged period of time and care should be taken to remove dirt and grease by regular brushing or washing. Any signs of wear or damage should be swiftly identified and repaired to prevent accidents or injury.

Buying a horse is an exciting but often daunting time, there are many pitfalls and even the most experienced horse person can find themselves the owner of an unsuitable horse, by using the information provided anyone looking to purchase a new horse should be able to avoid any major problems. Wherever possible take your instructor or knowledgeable friend with you for a second opinion and moral support.

Field Behaviour and Catching

Ask for the horse to be in her normal field when you arrive.

A          Observe how she behaves in the field with other horses

            She and all the other horses should be grazing or resting and looked relaxed, there should be

no running around apart from the odd bit of playing or if something spooks the horses but even then it should only be for a short period of time.

Look for signs of aggression either from her or towards her

B             What is she like to catch.

Just being turned out in a small field or sand paddock won’t give you a true sense of this so specify you want to see her being caught from her natural surroundings.

When going to catch her, ask if you can do it as she should accept being caught by a stranger. Don’t be too strictly correct in your catching method though, let her see the headcollar and realise you mean to catch her. Put the headcollar straight on without putting the leadrope round her neck so she does have the chance to run away from you.

Grooming

How does she behave whilst being groomed, and ask for her to be tied outside her stable or on the yard whilst this is done.

A             Observe how she feels about being tied up for a period of time

She should stand quietly without fidgeting or showing any signs of anxiety, she shouldn’t need to have a haynet or any other feed in order to stand still. Check that she will stand for periods of time on all four feet without continually resting one foot.              

B             Does she pick all four feet up easily and in the same manner

She may be difficult with just her back feet or just one foot, possibly because of an injury or just ill manners. Watch someone else do it first, then ask to do it yourself too and check that she supports her weight herself and doesn’t lean on you.        

C             Is she happy to be brushed all over, especially any ticklish areas like between her back legs

                She may try to kick or bite if she is sensitive or has had any injuries or ill treatment.

Movement

Observe her being led in a headcollar and loose lead rein in a straight line away from you and back towards you, then the same thing in trot.

A             Can she move in a true straight line,

The back feet should follow the front and should land in the same place or slightly in front of where the front foot landed (tracking up).

Also watch for any signs of brushing (inside of one set of legs rubbing the inside of the other).

There should be no dishing (quite common in cob types) as she trots towards you her front feet should not flip outwards

B             Does she nod her head as she trots

If there is any lameness she will raise her head up and down as she trots in a nodding action, this can be masked by holding her lead rein very short and keeping her head up so make sure there is a big loop in the lead rein whilst trotting.

Tacking Up

Ask if you can tack her up

Again this should pose no problem in her accepting a stranger tacking her up, you can then check that she opens her mouth easily to accept the bit.

Observational Riding

Check she’s safe to ride

A             Watch her being ridden by her normal rider for at least ten minutes

You want to see the horse and rider looking relaxed and comfortable with each other, explain to the owner that you would like her to be ridden for at least ten minutes by someone else so she has time to warm up gradually and you can see plenty of work on both reins.

Make sure you see her walk, trot and canter on both reins for a sustained period of time. Watch how much work the rider has to do with their legs or hands, especially in faster work.

B             Will the rider pop her over a few small jumps

This shouldn’t be a problem as they did initially buy her to do jumping. Even if she’s not cut out to be a show jumper she should still jump willingly without too much effort from the rider and without getting over excited about jumps.            

She shouldn’t clear the jump by much more than a few inches but should go over with an alert expression and a calm willingness.

C             Is she spooky

Try to get a feel for her personality by making a few loud coughs or laughs just as she goes past to see if she spooks. This is a little difficult to do without looking crazy but it should be possible. Maybe even ask if you can see what she’s like going past an umbrella as many horses are extremely upset by these.                               

D             Does she get out of breath quickly

You can get an idea of how fit she is by how heavy her breathing is after fast work, and how quickly she recovers.

E              Watch her being ridden on the road, in the heaviest traffic that’s reasonably possible

Its probably best just to watch someone else doing this in case something too big and scary goes past.

F              See her ridden in a field or open space in fast canter and gallop

                Does she behave calmly in the big, wide world, its acceptable for her to be a little excited but she should still be well mannered.

                Does she gallop willingly and stop without too much difficulty, expect for stopping to take a little longer as her blood will be up and she should be enjoying herself so will take a little longer to respond. You want her to have a little fun in her so she enjoys moving at speed when asked.

Practical Riding

Is she safe for you to ride and is she comfortable

A             Can you get on from the floor and a mounting block

You need to physically be able to get on her from the ground in case you have to get off on a ride. You need to be able to do this with no help from anyone else and no one holding her still.

Its also worth knowing whether she will accept you getting on from a mounting block and stand quietly while you do so without assistance.

B             Does she stand quietly while you adjust stirrups

                Purposely take your time with this and checking your girth to see if she fidgets or stands still

                for a period of time.

C             Does she respond promptly to your aids, in both upwards and downwards transitions

Spend some considerable time doing transitions in slower paces and halt to see how she responds to your aids.

D             Does she canter on the correct lead on both reins, and maintain the canter around corners and straight lines

                Does she strike off on the correct leg naturally or do you have to get your aids accurate in order for the correct lead? If she canters easily on the correct leg when asked on a corner, try asking on a straight line with the correct aids and see if she still canters on the correct lead.

E              Try a small jump maybe

                Don’t be too worried about having to jump yourself on her, if you’ve seen her jump competently with someone else she’ll be fine for you when you want to.

F              If possible ask to ride her a short distance on a quiet lane or road

                She may feel completely different outside the confines of a school and be much more forward going or maybe much more spooky so if you are happy with her in the school its worth going outside too. If you have doubts in the school though don’t even bother going outside with her.

If you are completely happy with everything you’ve seen and heard, you may well have found the right horse for you. You should always arrange a thorough vetting of your potential purchase and have a written agreement of what is and isn’t included in the sale detailed on your receipt. Remember no horse is perfect, but it should be right for you and your current riding capability.

Its time to prepare for summer and the flies that come with it!

We all love to tack up our horses and head out for a relaxing hack when the sun starts to shine after a long, cold winter but it seems flies and midges also love to follow us and our horses wherever we go. The flying insects at best can be a nuisance but at their worst they can result in utter misery for your horse. Don’t despair though, there are lots of ways you can repel these pests and make your horse more comfortable and happy throughout the summer months.

There are lots of products available on the market to help alleviate the irritation from insects and repel them from landing on your horse’s skin. Fly sprays and repellent wipes are a good start to helping reduce the amount your horse suffers from flies. There are also physical barriers, in the form of rugs, masks and nets which actually stop the fly from landing on your horse’s skin. A fly sheet will help to protect your horse, there is a large range of styles available and they range in price depending on coverage and the level of protection your horse needs. Basic fly rugs are often made from a nylon mesh and fit in the same way a summer sheet would, these offer general protection from flies by creating a barrier between your horse’s skin and the flies. The soft mesh will allow your horse to stay cool in the summer and won’t hold water if there is any rain. More specialised fly rugs are also available which often give more coverage and some even have insect repellent treatments impregnated into the material to help further repel unwanted flies. Deciding what kind of rug you buy depends on your budget and your horse’s needs. Bear in mind that these types of rugs are all a mesh type fabric so they do tear more easily than a turnout rug, although the mesh material does make them easy to repair yourself.

Some horses suffer more than most through the summer, sometimes developing sweet itch, which is an allergic reaction to the saliva in the bite of a species of midge called Culicoides. Horses who suffer from this condition can significantly harm themselves as they scratch to try to alleviate the irritation caused by the bite. Although there is no absolute cure to this condition, there are several treatments which can offer the horse some relief.

1. Try to limit the horse’s exposure to the midge, stabling one hour each side of sunrise and sunset, as this is the time when flies are most active.
2. Kill the flies that are attacking the horse using insecticides that contain pyrethrins or pyrethroids.
3. Prevent the horse from itching; specially designed sweet itch rugs stop the fly landing on the horse’s skin. This will mean the horse won’t scratch as much as the irritation will be less.

Following these preventative measures should help to relieve your horse’s symptoms, whether it be sweet itch or just flies in general. Some supplements, garlic, for example, are known for their fly repellent qualities but these don’t always help all horses. Try to keep muck heaps to a minimum and situate well away from any areas that your horses spend much time. A clean yard and horse will always mean that there are less flies in the area so regularly bath your horse and disinfect as much of your stable as possible.

To mark our 25th Anniversary in Mail Order, we’ve written a short presentation to explain how and why we started to offer our products this way, the challenges we’ve faced over the years and our thoughts for the future.

You can find it at www.robinsons-uk.com/25 and I hope you’ll find it as interesting to read as we did to write.

If you’re having trouble with the flash version or if you just want to read the transcript, here it is:

Believe it or not, 2009 marks a quarter of a century since Robinsons – then Robinsons Equestrian & Country Sports – first ventured into the world of Mail Order.  Back when Phil Collins was in the charts, singing “Take a look at me now”, our own journey to becoming ‘The UK’s No.1 Equestrian Provider’ really was Against All Odds…

The year was 1984.  The Cold War was in its final days, the world was just becoming acquainted with a singer called Madonna – and Cristiano Ronaldo was still a glint in his parents’ eyes.  The Terminator and Ghostbusters were the big films of the year and ‘Frankie Say Relax’ T-shirts were all the rage.

In the equestrian world, Britain won team silver medals in both Showjumping and Eventing at the Los Angeles Olympics.  Ginny Leng, Lucinda Green, Ian Stark and Michael and John Whitaker were part of the medal-winning teams.  Hallo Dandy won the Grand National and Nelson Pessoa won the Puissance at Wembley at the Horse of the Year Show.

It was also the year that the very first Robinsons ‘Bulletin’ appeared, a two-colour A4 leaflet given away free at county shows such as the Bath & West, Great Yorkshire and Royal Highland.  Visitors to these shows who were often once-a-year Robinsons customers were invited to place telephone orders and have their purchases posted to them as often as they liked.

Over the next two years, the popularity of this idea began to grow.  So much so, that by October 1985, we decided not to continue to exhibit on the show circuit and to concentrate our resources into Mail Order.  In 1987, we launched our first full-scale catalogue, inserting it into Horse & Pony magazine.  Inexperienced as we were, we had agreed to have the catalogue stapled into the magazine, not loosely-inserted.  As many readers considered it to be part of the magazine, its publishers received as many orders as we did! 

Thankfully, we learned from our mistakes and our sales continued to grow.  We began to produce Spring catalogues and started to do our own photography wherever possible.  For many years, we were unable to handle the demand we created and if we felt we would be over-stretched, the only way to manage the situation was to print fewer catalogues!  We were still operating our service from the back of our Ashton store.

By the end of the 80’s, we had already begun to develop our own products and we are proud to be one of the very first companies to offer high-visibility riding wear.  We were also among the first companies to feature innovative new products, like the exciting new Rambo rug from Ireland and the Wintec saddle from Australia.

In 1992, we had outgrown the store and we moved our Mail Order operation to a much bigger warehouse in nearby Haydock.  With more space for more stock, we were able to increase the size of our catalogues – although keeping on top of the orders was still harder than winning them! 

In 1993, one of the many new products we introduced to the UK was an idea we’d seen in the USA – a pair of novelty antlers that attached to a bridle or headcollar.  Since then, we’ve sold tens of thousands of this item, now a staple product of any horsey Christmas!

In 1995, at the first-ever Your Horse awards, we won the category for ‘Best Mail Order company’, a feat we repeated each year over the next nine years, for as long as the category was awarded.  We had the biggest catalogues, the best prices and every year we invested more into our systems. 

1995 also saw us create a few online pages of information which hardly anyone ever saw – before many people had even heard of the internet.  Eventually, this became www.robcl.co.uk, our first website.

As the new millennium dawned, we realised that we had to move to a bigger warehouse once again and we relocated to Mill Lane in Rainford.  At around twice the size of our previous Haydock home, this site also offered better facilites for our in-house catalogue design team, our call centre, our new IT department and it also allowed us to create a fully-equipped photographic studio.  In less than five years, our three web pages had developed into a professional website, offering product listing, photography and order processing

While we always knew that the long-term future of Mail Order would lay on the web, it was not obvious how long the transition would take.  Whatever was to happen, we knew we would keep producing catalogues for as far into the future as we could see – and that’s still the case today.  In 2001, we took our millionth order, fittingly over the web, although challenges of a different nature lay around the corner…

After another 6 years of growth at Rainford, interrupted by the fire and subsequent rebuilding of our Ashton Superstore, our Mail Order requirements once again left us looking for a new home.  In 2005, we moved to our current location, the 100,000 sq.ft. facility at Ashton, just a couple of miles from our Superstore.  Crucially, the first department to move in to their customised area was the IT team, with all our servers and equipment.

The internet has brought us more competition from the thousands of ebay sellers to the might of Tesco.  More international trade and other competitors have given much more buying choices to the equestrian consumer.  As a result of that and due to our own improvements, we’re now handling orders much more easily than we are winning them, which is far more appropriate for a company that you’d be happy to use again and again.  If you’re waiting for your order, we know you expect it to arrive as quickly as possible – however busy we may be.

Over the last few years, we have made great efforts to ensure that we can handle our huge Sale campaigns as easily as possible – the only times when we were unable to keep up with the demand we created.  On first day of the last Winter Sale, we proved that we could even manage to do that.  That day, we made more sales than our Ashton Superstore took in the whole month!  Just as we had promised, every order taken by 7pm that day was sent in time to arrive by Christmas! 

As we continue to grow, we now have contacts all over the world.  We compare our performance against much bigger companies from other industries and we continue to aspire to their levels of service.  It’s not enough for us to make our website better than any other equestrian site – we measure it against sites like amazon.co.uk.  The same is true in every other area.  We have for many years held the view that if we can match the standards of the biggest and the best in the world, we have no need to worry about what our direct competitors can offer. 

We’ve come a long way in 25 years.  We’ve learned so much about the processes involved and we’ve watched many, many companies in our industry come and go.  

Of course we’ve made mistakes over the years and it’s fair to say that we’ve annoyed our fair share of people along the way.  When we’ve done something wrong, we’ve always endeavoured to put it right because we’ve always appreciated that keeping the customer is more important than winning the order. 

We’ve seen recessions and booms before and we’ll be around to see them all again in the years to come and we will not compromise on our ethos of fairness and honesty in our dealings with customers and suppliers

What will happen in the next 25 years?  If we knew the answer to that, we’d be preparing for it today but you can be sure that we never take our eye off the future.  We have made a reputation within our industry of being at the forefront of change and we will continue to adopt the pioneering spirit that has served us so well, so far.  Whatever happens, we hope you’d like to continue to be part of our journey over the next quarter of a century.

We hope we’ve impressed you at some point in the past and we’d very much like the chance to do so again some time.  We’ve spent a long time getting to know just what it is you’re looking for, in our product range or in the way we deal with you and we’re always here to prove our abilities to you.  With apologies to Ronald Duncan’s ‘Ode to The Horse’, the verse read out at the Horse of the Year Show each year, all our history is in your industry.  We are your heirs, your custom is our inheritance.  Where in this world can you find anything to compare?

On behalf of everyone in the Mail Order team, Thank you!

A vital piece of tack to any horse rider is their bridle, it offers you greater control either from the ground or whilst riding. Traditionally, bridles are made of quality leather but there are increasingly large numbers of synthetic nylon and leather look styles on the market which can be significantly cheaper and arguably are easier to maintain. It is always worth bearing in mind when purchasing a new bridle that synthetic tack has a much higher breaking point than leather. Once you have decided on your budget and material for your bridle it is worth considering the shape and type of head your horse has. A chunky, cob type horse tends to have a large, broad head which is best suited to a bridle with wide straps and noseband. Similarly a fine arab or show horse’s head will be complimented by a more delicate bridle with thinner, more detailed leather.

Most horses will need nothing more complicated than a simple snaffle bridle with a cavesson noseband. This bridle whether leather or synthetic provides control of a well schooled horse without any complicated noseband variations. Some riders feel they need a little more control and choose a flash bridle, it is worth remembering that a flash should only ever be used when it is needed to prevent a horse opening his mouth and thus evading the contact with the bit. If your horse doesn’t open its mouth when riding, remove the flash strap from your bridle. You should never use a piece of tack just because it happens to be part of your bridle or because you think it makes your horse look nicer.

Some riders who are at a higher level in their training or competing in showing classes will wish to ride in a weymouth or double bridle. This bridle differs from a snaffle bridle because it has an extra strap called a sliphead, this allows for two bits and reins to be attached to the bridle at the same time. This type of bridle is for experienced riders only and will require some practice in perfecting the use of two sets of reins independently. Again, you may wish to consider the type of horse you will be using the bridle on before purchasing, elegant heads will be suited to finer bridles and cob type horse will be set off by a more chunky bridle. It is possible to convert a snaffle bridle to a double by buying a converter set, consisting of a sliphead and extra set of reins, this allows you to then attach the second bit to your normal bridle.

It is always essential to pay close attention to the condition of your tack as worn stitching, or rusty buckles can cause an accident if they break whilst riding. Leather tack needs to be regularly cleaned and oiled to keep it supple, synthetic nylon tack should be routinely washed to prevent deterioration of the material. There are a wide range of products available to care for your tack, from quick, convenient wipes which are great for day to day cleaning, through to saddle soaps and tack conditioners for a more thorough clean. Specialist synthetic tack cleaners are also available designed specifically for leather look tack.

UPDATE:  As of 9:40 this morning (30th Jan), our phone lines are back on!  Our Call Centre team are now ready and waiting to hear from you.  We offer our sincere apologies to anyone inconvenienced by this failure, caused by a traffic accident in our local area.  

This being a technical matter, experience tells us that services may still take time to stabilise.  If you continue to experience any difficulties on any of our telephone lines, please contact customer.service@robinsons-uk.com and we’ll take the appropriate action.  Thanks for your patience.

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If you’ve been trying to call us this week, wondering why we haven’t picked up, don’t worry – we’re still here!

On Tuesday afternoon, a car crashed into one of those metal cabinets you often see by the side of the road, a telephone substation which just happened to contain the circuitry that carries all our telephone lines.

Despite repeated assurances that the service will be resumed, we are still unable to make or receive external calls from our Head Office and Call Centre in Bryn.  Furthermore, as we operate the lines to our stores from here, this outage also affects the lines at Ashton and at Cannock.

Please bear with us while we wait for service to return.  We are naturally as keen to return to normal connectivity as you are.  We appreciate that this situation has been caused by an accident but we are increasingly frustrated by the network operator’s continuing difficulties in returning the service to normal.  It would be churlish to name them, but let’s just say that we won’t be buying any train or airline tickets from them anytime soon!

I promise that we’ll do all we can to get make our phones available to take you call.  In the words of Blondie (now touring again, according to their website), I’ll leave you with these words for now: 

Oh why can’t we talk again
Oh why can’t we talk again
Oh why can’t we talk again
Don’t leave me hanging on the telephone
Don’t leave me hanging on the telephone

A horse with good conformation should be the aim of every person who intends to breed a foal. Breeding from a stallion or mare with anything more than minor faults in their conformation should be avoided. Correct conformation enables the horse to carry out the work required by humans with the least amount of stress on their bodies and joints. They will be less prone to lameness and give a more comfortable ride.

Assessing whether a horse has perfect conformation can be a difficult task, but it is in every horse lovers interest to be able to ascertain an overall impression of good conformation in a horse used for general riding activites.

Initially look at the horse as a ‘whole’, does he look like he has been built in proportion? There should be no one part of the horse’s body which looks too be greatly over or under sized in relation to any other. The horse should have an alert expression with bright, wide set eyes, the neck should be proportional to the body and a convex arch between the withers and poll. Look for a good, sloping shoulder as this will give the horse a longer, flowing stride, the horse should also have well defined shoulders which form a widening V down into the shoulder.

The chest area should be MEDIUM WIDTH allowing plenty of heart room and allowing the fore legs to be far enough apart to prevent brushing.The fore legs should run in a vertical, straight line from the top of the leg down to the foot, whether looked at from the front or the side. The horse should have a deep body, allowing plenty of room for the heart and lungs, the back should be of medium length to carry the rider’s weight comfortably and without strain. Well rounded quarters and broad hips provide power and allow the horse to move forward with good impulsion. The horse’s hind legs should be formed so it is possible to visualise a straight line running from the point of buttock, through the point of hock, down to the fetlock and the ground.

The forelegs should be straight from the top of the leg to the foot when looked at from the front, and also from the top of the leg to the fetlock when viewed from the side. The forearm should have well developed muscles, and be longer than the leg below the knee. The leg below the knee is preferably fairly short as this minimises the strain on the ligaments and tendons. The knees should be in proportion with the rest of the leg, they should be broad, flat and deep as this then gives enough room for the attachment of tendons and ligaments.

Cannon bones should be short and straight, this again allows room for tendons and ligaments meaning they are less liekly to become strained. The fetlock should appear flat rather than round, any lumps are usually a sign of work, age or brushing. Pasterns should be neither too long or too short; long, sloping pasterns give a springy ride but can be liable to strains. Short, upright pasterns tend to be strong but give a bumpy ride, this extra concussion can cause lameness.

With the horse’s hind legs it should be possible to draw an imaginary straight line from the point of buttock, through the point of hock down to the fetlock joint. The hocks should be fairly large in size, with a flat, clean point at the back of the joint. Any lumps or swellings are a sign of injury. Sickle shaped hocks have a more acute angle to the hocks.

Hocks out behind can indicate that the horse is a good jumper but they will struggle to gallop or perform dressage well. Straight hocks will often give a horse the ability to perform dressage well but there is less leverage for jumping. Some horses with straight hocks can suffer from a slipped stifle especially at a young age.

The hind quarters when viewed from behind should give the appearance of being rounded with plenty of mucle providing power. If the hind legs are placed too far apart the horse may be limited in its length of stride, in rare cases this can lead to increased concussion and ringbone. Hind limbs that are close together can be underdeveloped, making them weak and prone to strains, the closeness can also cause brushing injuries.

Bowed hocks have the points of hock wide apart, the toes are turned out and the foot is likely to screw as it comes into contact with the ground. This conformation can lead to bone spavins, bog spavins ot thoroughpin. A horse with cow hocks is often a good jumper but is liable to brush, the points of hock come close together, and the toes are turned out.

When assessing conformation it is essential to judge the horse as a whole and develop an ‘eye for a horse’. Try to look at many different types and breeds of horse to compare the variations. Remember there is no such thing as perfect conformation, but you should avoid any serious deviations from the ‘norm’ as they can lead to excess strain and injury.

Happy New Year! We’re all hearing how difficult a year 2009 will be for consumers and businesses alike and I have to say that we’re a little concerned about it all.

We’re concerned that you may think we’re suffering from the ‘credit crunch’ like everyone else. In fact, this is year of optimism for us, especially as this year, we celebrate 25 years in Mail Order.

That’s right. In 1984, we took the first steps into distance-selling, primarily to the once-a-year customers we’d meet at the many shows we were exhibiting at back then. Over that time, like most mail order companies, we’ve made plenty of mistakes – some of them horrendous. Importantly, we learned from our successes and failures and here we are, a quarter of a century later, still the largest in the country at what we do.

I heard an interview this morning with Sir Stuart Rose, the Executive Chairman of Marks and Spencer – a man who always seems to say what I’m thinking and he was doing the usual PR that’s required when disappointing results are announced to the City. During the interview, he sought to reassure those concerned about the future of M&S. He said “We’ve been going for 125 years. We’re still here, we’re still breathing and we’ll be here tomorrow”.

Once again, he’d said what I was thinking. That’s exactly how I would describe Robinsons. We’ll be here tomorrow – even if some of our competitors may not be. In uncertain times like these, that’s not a bad way to describe yourself. Then, another thought occurred to me. He’d said that M&S, arguably the most respected name on the High Street, are 125 years old this year – fully 17 years younger than us! I checked it out on the internet and it’s true!

When the economy is buoyant, you wonder if anyone cares about the age and stability of the companies they deal with. In truth they probably don’t – and why should they? As customers, we are told we are the ‘King’, making all the choices in our own interest, concerned largely with price, quality, service and image. As a company who seeks your custom, we must treat you thus or bear the consequences of disappointing you. For many, that is the depth of the relationship and generally, we all accept that status quo.

In financially darker times, particularly those with longer memories may perhaps give a little more thought to the credibility of those to whom they choose to give their money. Now it’s perhaps a little churlish to portray a company with a £9bn turnover like M&S as comparative ‘Johnny-come-lately’ types, so I won’t do that. What it does invite you to think, however, is that we’ve both lasted through recessions, depressions, World Wars and everything else that the 20th Century has inflicted on the world.

Such heritage doesn’t give us any magical powers and it doesn’t guarantee that we’ll fare any better than anyone else – as we’ve seen with Woolworths recently. What I believe it does give us is the credibility to reassure the customer who is deciding where to buy the item they want. In Mail Order in particular, trust is a huge part of the decision-making process. We appreciate that you’re in effect paying for items that we’re promising to send to you at some point.

If you’re fortunate to be young enough not to remember the last recession, please bear this in mind. It’s much easier to keep your promises in the good times. When things are not so good, the companies under the greatest pressure tend to be those who break their promises most. In this and other industries, be careful who you pay to keep their promises this year.

I look forward to wishing you a Happy New Year in 2010. Believe me, that’s another promise we will keep…

If you’ve received your Sale Catalogue and you’ve found something you like, I invite you to go to bed early tonight, just like I’ll be doing. As you’ll no doubt already know, our Winter Sale starts online tomorrow morning at the less-than-Godly hour of 3am and we all need to be up and fresh in time for it.

Why on earth do we put ourselves (and you) through this inconvenience? The simple answer is that we’ve found over the years that it’s the safest – and fairest – time of day for us to start a sale. Here’s a little of what we’ve learned over the years:

I’m afraid to say that starting an online Sale in working hours has proved to be a complete ‘no-no’. We tried it one Christmas Eve and it instantly killed all our systems. It meant that I had slightly depressed Christmas that year and I’m sure lots of customers were disappointed. Unfortunately, the fact that it was so easy for everyone to access the Sale was precisely the reason it was so difficult for us to handle. We had to find a way of ‘frightening off’ some of the initial surge in demand.

The obvious solution is, I’m afraid, unsociable hours – which is why we’ve started our Sales overnight for the last few years. In fact, midnight used to be our preferred time but even this could lead to problems. If the site still ran slowly over the first hour or so, customers who had planned to stay up until midnight to spend half an hour shopping online were still up at 2am and starting to complain that they hadn’t been to bed yet. We felt that not only was 3am even more inconvenient (and therefore even safer), it also meant users are more likely to have had some sleep and therefore any delays (perish the thought) should be less troublesome – we hope…

There’s also an inherent fairness in making things really awkward for everybody. It means that those who inconvenience themselves the most are most entitled to the deals which are least commonly available, so morally, it seems to work well. It’s the same ‘law of the jungle’ that governs other areas where demand hugely exceeds supply, like tickets for Cup Finals or Glastonbury. It sounds like Customer Service heresy to say so, but it’s the simple fact that few retailers will admit – even though everybody knows it: If you want something enough, you’ll do what it takes to get it. There, I’ve said it. Please don’t think less of me. I’m just trying to be honest with you!

All Sales are naturally very busy times and to an extent, we as customers do with in reason accept that fact – don’t forget, we’re all somebody’s customer, so I feel I can say that. When Next (for example) hold their retail Sales (ususally from 5am), there are almost always long queues at every store. The thing about Sales at retail is that it’s obvious to all how many people are there – because you can see them all. While each person has made the effort to travel there, I’m sure that if the event was ridiculously over-subscribed, the fact that such a crowd would be obvious to others often serves to make some of them think again and drive straight back home. Retail Sales are therefore self-limiting to some extent.

On the web, it’s not that straightforward – for anyone. We have a good idea of the number of people who visited the site on the first day of each of our previous sales, so it would be inaccurate to say we don’t know what to expect, but that doesn’t mean to say our estimates will be right this time. It’s also a lot easier to join in as a customer, because you don’t even need to leave your bed, so even our best estimates could be way out.

Of course, this has a bearing on the amount we invest in our systems to accommodate this expected demand. From the customer’s viewpoint the unpredictability will be even more frustrating. Over-subscribed websites work slower (or fall over completely) and items sell out sooner, all things likely to frustrate people and understandably so. At least the company holding the online Sale will know why things are slow – or worse – because they can see the visitor stats. The poor customer may appreciate it’s busy but they won’t know the just how many people are also online’, so there’s a chance they’ll get even more frustrated. Unlike with retail, this self-limiting factor just isn’t there.

I should pause here to point out that I appear to be painting a very negative picture about the process. That’s because we try wherever possible to bear in mind a ‘busiest day imaginable’ scenario – so we can prepare to handle it. I refer you to my earlier blog about store openings The Perils of Success, in which a similar theme is explored: being too busy can be worse than not being busy enough.

Yes we’ve had our moments over the years where our online Sales have sailed close to the wind of disappointment in some quarters and I’m also sure it’s impossible to impress all of the people all of the time – although we’ll never stop trying to do that. Over the last two years, I feel we have got a lot closer to the kind of infrastructure that allows us to deal with such a vastly inflated demand. This year, I believe we’ve been able to improve our capability even more, so I’m optimistic (make that cautiously optimistic) that this Sale will be our best ever – for all of us!

In recent years, we’ve been let down firstly by hardware (the boxes of physical kit we have) and then by bandwidth (the ’speed’ of our web connection). Consequently, it’s required us to add more web servers and a load balancer to ensure that more people can interact with the site at the same time. We’ve also freed up our systems by removing functions like ‘WebChat’ and ‘Others also bought’ for the busiest times. The other big difference this year is that we’ve been able to increase our bandwidth by a factor of 12. Does this mean we can handle 12 times the demand? In theory, yes but in practice, we’ll have to wait and see…

Eventually, if our IT team have done all they can do and we’re still busier than expected, we will at some point run out of things to sell. In effect, our stock levels will have become the ‘weak link’ in the system. We buy and make available ever more stock for our Winter Sale each year and we’ve done that again this year but obviously no seller expects to hold significantly more than they believe they can sell. Again, to the frustrated customer, a problem here may look like we don’t know what we’re doing – but that’s because they can’t possibly know how many other people are online – or what they are buying.

To give you an idea of our online Sale stock this year, it’s more than we currently have at our Ashton and Cannock stores combined. Will that be enough, just right or too much? My answer today, the day before the Sale is that I think it will be about right – although I’m sure that some of the lines will sell out very quickly.

I will however know a lot more by this time tomorrow – if I’m still awake!! If you’re planning to go online tomorrow at 3am, good luck and email me with your comments either way.

Paul.
paul.bentham@robinsons-uk.com

Winter is well and truly here and you may be feeling that your visits to the stables are pure hard work and toil. Stable yards tend to be in quite exposed areas and so can be subject to severe weather, it is therefore wise to take as many preventative measures as possible to protect yourself, your horse and your stables from the effects of the wind, rain and cold. This time of year is always the most difficult, with wet, windy or cold conditions to contend with, and sometimes all three! We’ve come up with some handy hints and tips to help make your Winter easier and more comfortable for you and your horse.

Filling haynets and preparing feeds is a time consuming chore, why not buy some extra nets and feed buckets then, when you have extra time, you can bulk prepare hay and dry feeds to save time after work/school. Don’t add any water/sugar beet or other wet feed components though. Keep feeds covered and remember to store them somewhere that isn’t damp and where rodents can’t get to them. If you need to soak the hay you are feeding try to arrange for a water container to be left in a barn or feed room where it is slightly warmer than outside, this will help to prevent the water from freezing.

Keeping your tack room and feed room tidy and organised will help you to find what you need quickly and easily. It will also mean dirt and mud from the floor doesn’t end up in your grooming kit and on all your other equipment.  

Using an exercise rug will mean your horse stays warm when out on slower hacks, waterproof sheets are perfect to keep your horse dry if you get caught in a sudden wet weather, and will prevent you having to wait for him to dry off before you can put his stable or turnout rug on. Cut down on the washing of bulky rugs by putting a summer sheet under your stable rug, this will collect all the dirt and grime from your horse’s coat, then you can quickly and easily wash this thin rug whilst your stable rug lining stays clean.

Riding out in winter often involves a lot of roadwork, if you find your horse slips on the tarmac it may be worth asking your farrier about fitting stud holes to your horse’s shoes. You can then fit small road studs when you want to hack out, these will provide your horse with extra grip. You will have to take care to keep the stud holes clean and free of debris when studs aren’t fitted. Brushing boots and knee boots also provide protection to your horse’s legs in the case of an accident. Always try to avoid riding out if there is any frost or ice though, to limit the risk of injury to you or your horse.

When you are short of time, try putting lightweight, waterproof layers over your normal clothes. You’ll stay clean and dry but still be able to do all your horsey jobs with ease. Wearing the right clothes for the weather makes a huge difference to how warm and comfortable you are. In cold weather put a thermal layer under your usual stable or riding clothes, this will help to keep you snug no matter how cold it gets. Keep several pairs of spare gloves handy so you can swap if your hands get wet whilst doing your chores in the rain. Similarly you may find that wearing a pair of wellies or muckers will help to keep your feet dry on the yard, and then change to your usual boots for riding. Keeping some hand cream at the stables will mean you can replace the moisture lost in cold, windy weather.

Hot water is vital in winter time to help defrost taps and water buckets. Having a kettle on hand also means you can have a nice warm drink on cold days too! Prevent pipes being exposed to the cold weather as much as possible by wrapping all visible pipes with lagging (available from most DIY stores). If you find that the water in your field troughs keeps freezing, try leaving a football in the water, this causes constant gentle movement of the water and helps to prevent it from freezing.

Smooth concrete yards and paths can become very slippery in cold weather making it dangerous for you and your horse when you try to walk over it. Try not sweeping the straw and debris up, this will then freeze to the surface creating a more textured surface.

Heavy rain over prolonged periods of time can penetrate even the most waterproof of rugs, try to keep at least one spare turnout rug to use whilst your other dries out. Hanging your wet rugs somewhere they can be spread out as much as possible will help speed the drying time. When turning your horse out in snow, try greasing the inside of the hoof with Vaseline, this will help to prevent the snow balling up inside the hoof which can be painful for the horse and make it difficult for him to walk.

Take care when the weather does warm up as this can produce a flush of fresh grass which could trigger laminitis and colic.

Wet weather can mean fields become waterlogged and unsuitable for turnout, this often results in horses remaining in their stables for prolonged periods of time. Stable toys can help to relieve the boredom this creates, various designs are available. Some toys are designed for your horse to pick up and play with, others can be filled with treats or pony nuts which are slowly released as it is pushed around the stable. Various holders are also available which can have stable licks placed in them.

 A stabled horse provides a lot of extra work for you, regular skipping out of the stable can greatly reduce waste bedding, ask friends at the stables to skip your horse out if you’re not there and do the same for them. This prevents droppings being trampled in to clean bedding, you may also find that with frequent skipping out throughout the day you can then just do a full muck out at weekends or when you have time. In very cold weather it is possible that the water in your horse’s stable can freeze up, try carefully packing some extra bedding all the way round each bucket, this will help to insulate it and keep the water above freezing point.

 With some careful planning and a little help from your stable friends, wintertime doesn’t need to be all hard work, try to be as organised as possible to save your time and energy. I always try to make sure I don’t walk along the stable yard empty handed, this means I make the most of every second I’m there and get time consuming jobs done more quickly. I then have more time to do the fun things with my horse that so often get missed in winter. If you can make sure you and your horse are warm, dry and comfortable you are sure to enjoy your time at the stables more and the chores will seem less hard work.