HubVibes July 2017 by Equestrian Hub Magazine

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NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB

July 2017 The Amazing Story of

Victoria Davies HUB HERO John O'Leary YOUR CLUB IN PROFILE Follow the Leader

Harness Racing Plus plenty more!

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

HARNESS RACING

4 VICTORIA DAVIES

PRODUCT REVIEW

YOUNG RIDER OF THE MONTH

REACHING FOR THE STARS

CHARITY HIGHLIGHT

JOHN O'LEARY

HUB SADDLE REVIEW

CANDIDLY SPEAKING

12 NSW INTERSCHOOLS

IS YOUR VEHICLE SUITABLE TO TOW YOUR FLOAT?

YOUR CLUB IN PROFILE

BREED SPOTLIGHT

NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB HubVibes Editorial & Advertising Enquiries: candida@equestrianhub.com.au The Saddle Hub Sales Enquiries: Fiona Todd: 0414 760 067 Graphic Design: Joanna Reid: 0408 773 851 Published by Equestrian Hub PO Box 13 • Tintenbar NSW 2478 Phone: 0414 760 067 • Email: info@equestrianhub.com.au www.equestrianhub.com.au

Proud supporters of

Who would have thought that this month would mark a whole year of bringing HubVibes to your mailboxes? We hope that you’ve loved the magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it for you. We’ve bought you stories of Olympic riders, horse charities, featured breeds,

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Horseware Australia rug up for grabs.

given gifts to young riders, and been inspired by so many stories of courage and determination. We’ve learned so much and been encouraged by your feedback –

thank you for following us, and do please continue! During this year we’ve survived through demoralizing floods, and been traumatized by an horrific riding accident to one of our own team – and yet we have still enjoyed unprecedented growth. To celebrate, and to thank everyone who has supported us, we are giving away a fantastic gift to one lucky subscriber to HubVibes. Horseware have kindly donated us an amazing SportzVibe massage rug, valued at an incredible $799. Spread the word to your friends and bring on the next episode in the exciting world of Equestrian Hub. Please continue to message us and let us know what is going on in your Equestrian Hub. As a final thought, Penny, my

Our very first HubVibes issue from July, 2016. friend, this one is for you. Thank you for helping create this adventure and for coming along on this ride. You are constantly in our hearts and we are working hard to be everything you imagined. Many thanks, Fiona Todd Director, Equestrian Hub

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Victoria with her stallion Celere.

Victoria Davies - riding for her life

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Inspirational Para Equestrian Victoria Davies talks to Candida Baker about the tragedies and triumphs of living – and riding – with a life-threatening condition.

By the time dressage star Victoria Davies was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the tender age of nine, she was already addicted to horses, and there was no way the plucky youngster was going to let the painful disease stop her from riding.

Last year, though, things almost came to a grinding halt for Victoria, 31, when she was travelling back and forth from Europe preparing for the Rio Paralympic European qualifiers. “I suddenly started getting a whole new set of neurological symptoms,” she says. “I was on a trip back from Europe and my balance was terrible, I wasn’t sure what was wrong, my limbs were tingling, and it was as if I was giving myself random electric shocks – between that and the balance I felt as though I was going almost insane.” As soon as Victoria arrived to her home in the

Shoalhaven, she was booked in for an MRI, and was given the devastating news that part of her spinal cord had actually migrated up into her skull, missing the brain by 0.5mm. “The first neurosurgeon I saw told me that with or without surgery I was going to be a quadriplegic pretty soon,” she says. “He explained that the surgery was high-risk and basically I would never – and should never – ride again.” Yet another example of Victoria’s absolute determination to keep going, she dug deep into herself, and decided that she wasn’t happy with the diagnosis. “I’ve learned over all the decades of my illness to fight be very mindful with my doctors and to trust my intuition. I only go with the people I connect with, and I wasn’t happy with what I was being told,” she says. “I wrote to three of the best neurosurgeons in Australia and they replied straight away – I mean, literally within a few hours!”

and I’ve gone with one of them. The neurosurgeon believes that my C1 and C2 vertebrae have naturally fused which is a bit of a miracle as this suggests my neck is stable. I’m hoping that the spinal cord stays safe and that it doesn’t migrate any further as this may lead to emergency surgery. It’s a 50/50 chance.” Despite the pain from the Rheumatoid Arthritis and the difficulties of working with an immune system which is basically shut down by drugs so that the Rheumatoid doesn’t flare

Partner Michael with Celere and Victoria.

Victoria found herself talking with three neurosurgeons who had all operated on high-performing athletes, who understood what her life was about. “One of them said he believed I needed surgery,” she says, “The other two wanted to monitor the situation,

“There’s my FEI PRE Spanish stallion, Andaluka Elegido (Eddy); Celere, my imported Lusitano Stallion; Hanna Poderoso, another imported PRE Spanish stallion, and my younger imported PRE mare,. Simpatica XXVIII who is at my trainers, Jim Collin’s place,” she says.

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Andaluka Elegido - 'Eddy'.

and attack her, Victoria continues to ride four horses, almost every day of the week. A passionate advocate for the Spanish breeds – the Andalusians, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Espanõla) and the Lusitanos, both prized for centuries for their conformation and temperaments, Davies, as well as having a breeding program, has four horses at the heart of her riding operations.

At the moment Victoria is working towards the FEI World Equestrian Games qualifiers which will be held at the end of the year and towards the NSW Dressage Championships at the end of August.

she says. “The only time my confidence was shaken was when I was diagnosed with the neck condition as falling off could potentially lead to death or quadriplegia. For the first time ever I did doubt myself at times; fortunately I have such a great support system from my fiancé Michael, coach Jim Collin plus my small army of health professionals that I was able to overcome those doubts, however, it wasn't easy for a while.” One of the things that pulled Victoria through was being able to bring Celere back home to Australia from Europe. “Once Celere arrived I began to feel much better. Also, I can’t really think about falling off, as it’s essential for me to keep moving,” she says. “I’ve had many joint replacements and most of my joints are bone on bone so If I don’t move then my body will cease up, the pain is worse and to be quite frank riding is my complete passion.” There is, however, a big condition around staying ‘safe’ on a horse that Victoria feels many people don’t credit as being vital. “It’s all about building the connection,” she says. “You must build a connection with your horse, and it takes a long time to build a strong one where you know you both trust each other. I trust my horses and I don’t put them or me in dangerous situations. Often people rush the connection, and that never works.”

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Victoria with Celere and 'Eddy'.

It sounds like a punishing program for someone who is almost constantly in high levels of pain, and I wonder if she’s ever worried about falling off. “I think because I was diagnosed with the Rheumatoid at such a young age and I was very fearless rider, the idea of falling and hurting myself really never entered my mind,”

Growing up with parents who owned a horse stud, Victoria was introduced early to the strength and solid comfort of the Spanish horses. “I rode before I could walk,” she laughs. “My first competition was tiny tots when four, and I have photos of me when I was only two on a 16hh part-bred Andulusian.” For someone who has endured a staggering 41 operations since her first hip replacements at the age of 19, with more coming, the Spanish and Lusitano horses offer Victoria at least some level of comfort. “I’ve tried to ride

Warmbloods,” she says, “but to my body they have no shock absorbers! I get a lot of pressure to ride Warmbloods and it’s true that the Spanish horses struggle with certain movements – particularly the lengthens, but for me the fact they’re short in the back and I’ve ridden them for so many years means that I’m much more comfortable on them. I also think they are very easy to connect with emotionally.”

ship, National and International level. Originally recognised as an FEI Grade IV (least disabled) Para-Equestrian, she is now FEI Grade II, due to her body’s deterioration over the years. This is the second most severely disabled classification, and in this grade she

Victoria and her fiancée Michael have been engaged for sometime. “It’s not easy to fit in getting married to our schedule,” she says

Riding Hanna Poderoso.

Victoria has won endless titles at Champion-

competes against riders with disabilities that range from amputations, paraplegia, or severe joint destructions and replacement. “All my horses work on voice command, and they are taught to stop any moment my joints dislocate or lock,” she says. “They don’t move again until I get help.” Despite her physical decline over the past few years, she is still harbouring the dream of competing at Grand Prix level on a Lusitano or PRE. If anybody can do it, it’s Victoria Davies and if a Gold Medal could be awarded for sheer gutsiness, she’d be an obvious candidate.

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with a laugh, “but he is absolutely my main support. Michael is a private financial client adviser and we’ve been together for seven years. Michael was born into a family with a house that had fake grass, and when I met him was very much a business man - the closest he’d got to livestock was a little foxy his parents owned! Now he does everything with the horses, he’s very determined, and if he can’t do it, he’ll find a way, he helps with the breeding season, he handles the stallions, everything I do he does, except for riding. Everyone always tries to steal him at major competitions because he’s such a good groom!”

Victoria with her coach of 7 years, Jim Collin. "We were at the Sydney CDI 2017 and he did a 70s night display with his young horse Kip."

Reaching for the Stars It’s a rare occasions when a magazine can boast about one of its own, but this month we are delighted to introduce you to Shae Herwig, who has worked with Fiona Todd building up the Saddle Hub, which is part of the Equestrian Hub brand. Shae has been involved in equestrian activities all her life, but had a tough time in the past year when her beautiful Andalusian mare Barbie had to be put down because of on-going health problems.

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The Saddle Hub's Shae Herwig has just been given the chance of a lifetime with her purchase of Victoria Davies's mare, Andaluka Diva.

Some time before Shae had spoken with Victoria Davies, the subject of this month’s cover story, to enquire about the possibility of putting Barbie into foal, but it sadly wasn’t to be. However, when Shae saw an ad pop up on facebook advertising Victoria’s mare Diva, she knew it was time to investigate.

says Shae. “Victoria is inspirational, and she’s also an amazing teacher, and I was privileged that out of all the people that Victoria had enquiries from, it was me she chose.”

A few months later, and Shae and Diva have just walked with first and champion in their local club’s led classes and Shae is looking forward to many years of successful competition.

They’ve started off slow – building the connection as Victoria advises. “We’re doing trails and introducing her to the environment and taking it step by step,” says Shae. “My goal is to get her to the AHAA National Champonships Caboolture next year to take her into led, ridden and dressage.”

“This is really the chance of a lifetime for me,”

As they say, watch this space.

John O'Leary We can’t think of a better Hub Hero to celebrate HubVibes first year anniversary with than John O’Leary, a man who has dedicated his life to helping horses and their humans, writes Dannii Cunnane.

John O'Leary is well known for pushing everyday horse enthusiasts to be better horsemen and women, working many hours a week helping people behind the scenes – and all for free.

Affectionately known as Mr HP (Horse

Problems), John dedicates his time to teaching everyday equestrians how to safely handle horses and dangerous situations. "I've found it inspirational to see people interested in learning the correct way to handle horses and using my methods, with women around the world now starting their own young horses,” he says. It’s his love of horses that drives him on, and the knowledge that in the wrong hands things can go badly awry. With his no-nonsense and common sense approach to horsemanship, it's little wonder John has such a huge following of equine enthusiasts both nationally and internationally. "People are able to read my advice online, view my videos as well as participate in live sessions with me - it's all about education and keeping both human and horse happy and safe." Why not visit John's blog where his information is widely available and step-by-step common sense horse methods are available to purchase.

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With what seems now to have been an amazing amount of foresight, John started the world's first dedicated horse blog in 2001. "I started my online blog and videos to educate people," says John, "and I haven’t looked back. I was frustrated with peoples’ general lack of knowledge, and horse owners saying they had ‘problem’ horses. Of course, what we know is that there are no problem horses, only horses with veterinary, psychological or ‘learned helplessness’ issues.”

John and his wonderful wife Linda are known for their horsemanship methods that work.

C A N D I D LY S P E A K I N G

Follow the Leader

You can start to become a 'leader' at any age! Pictured Anna, aged 10, with Sarah.

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As a proponent of natural horsemanship – brought to it, I might add, by a late-gelded badly behaved Arabian – I’ve found that one of the most basic tenets of understanding horses is often misunderstood or neglected in more traditional horse-riding methods.

If you ask almost anybody with a general interest in horses (other than experts of course) what is the most important thing a horse is looking for from its human, the answer is generally love, or food, or kindness, or something of that order. And of course, all those things are true, but what a lot of people forget is that the quickest and surest way to get a horse to bond with you is to become their ‘leader’.

Sometimes horse people think this is important because in herds of horses the stallion is the leader, but in fact it’s more complex than that. In a herd, the stallion is indeed a leader – the General, if you like, on the look out for trouble and leading the herd to safety, but within the herd there are also one or more leaders – the matriarchal mares who chivvy, boss and cajole the other horses. They will chastise the young ones if they misbehave and exclude them from the herd for a while – and outside the herd is nowhere a horse wants to be; they also watch out for danger and they can be quite dominant and pushy with the other mares and young ones. Anybody who has ever watched horses graze will have seen how sometimes one horse will simply walk over to another and push them away, and then quite often simply walk away from what seemed to be a desired piece of grass themselves! To human eyes it’s a bit erratic and random to say the least, but after years of thinking about it, I’ve worked out that it’s their way of reinforcing leadership from time to time. You move because I’ve told you to. The horse that moves is the submissive horse, but also the horse – and this is vital – that feels SAFE. So once a horse feels safe with you, and responds to you as their leader, that is when

the relationship can truly begin to build whether it’s on the ground or riding, and it’s when they feel safe that often the ‘naughty’ behaviour, pushing or shoving, or head-butting, or dragging on the lead-rope or dragging you on the lead-rope, stops. Now, of course for most experienced riders this relationship unfolds with the horse without them really thinking about it – they know what they’re doing with horses even if they don’t really question what they’re doing, and as the horse begins to see their human as their horse-leader they begin to trust them and to do what they want, just because they ask. A difference for instance between humans and horses is that if you walked up to a friend and randomly pushed them away, they’d be surprised. Do it to a horse, and they take as completely normal horse behaviour.

Putting these building bricks in place takes time and patience – but one way to help this process along is, believe it or not, to simply make your horse move away from you, and then after a few moments invite it in and give it a scratch. You’ll be amazed if you simply do this one simple thing how quickly your horse will want to be with you, and wants to what you’re asking. In natural terms, the horse that moves least is the boss horse, and in terms of your relationship with a horse – particularly with a new, difficult horse or even traumatized horse – you need to establish yourself as the boss horse.

HubVibes editor, Candida Baker is the President of Save a Horse Australia and also runs a facebook page, The Horse Listeners.

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NEW SOUTH WALES INTERSCHOOLS

Georgie Attard on Rosebrook Lily of the Valley in 45cm Primary Combined Training.

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Angelina Thompson, 2nd in her Show Horse Primary Open Rider on Bamborough Fairy Tale.

Ella Fin on Eagle Park Ceasar in the Show hunter Primary Ridden.

Saskia Kennett on Kingston Park Warrior in the SJ-90cm-Secondary.

Jazz Kennet on Mr Darcy after completing the Cross Country EVA60.

Ella Stringer on Somerfield Sound of Music, 2nd in Led Show Horse Open Primary.

Holly Balfour Brown with her pony Moments of Bliss.

S NEW SOUTH WALES INTERSCHO

Clockwise from top left: Ella Fin competing on EP Morgan in the Individual Pre Novice class. Bronagh Miskelly and Caitlin Fraser competing on Kingston Legato in the Intermediate Pas De Deux. Charlotte Lee competing on EP Morgan in the Individual Intermediate class. Orlagh Fitzgerald competing on Macquarie View Jamal in the Individual Intermediate class. Photo Credit: rodneys photography

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY www.equestrianevents.com.au

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HubVibes Pix

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Your Club IN PROFILE

SYDNEY EVENTING

Sydney Eventing is privileged to call SIEC home! Formed in 2002 we run several events each year offering riders the exciting opportunity to compete on the very course where our Olympic Eventing Team won gold in 2000. Sydney Eventing is run by a team of volun-

teers, with 3-4* Eventer Christine Bates at the helm, and Vice President Sandy Lucas who also designs the courses for the lower levels. Our events are world class and junior and amateur Eventers often find themselves competing alongside Olympians! The cross country course is regularly upgraded and always offers riders new challenges.

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Harness Racing Harness racing may not have quite the profile of thoroughbred racing, writes Dannii Cunnane, but its origins go as far back as chariot racing.

Races are conducted in an anti-clockwise direction and tracks range from 700 to 1000 meters. Race meetings are usually conducted at night, with many major metropolitan meet-

Where did harness racing originate? Harness racing, as we know it, originated in America, but early records indicate that in fact it was linked to chariot racing. Assyrian Kings in 1500 BC kept stables for horses used to pull chariots, both in war and sport hunting. Homerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous account of a chariot race in The Iliad remains one of the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crowning tales. The ancient Greeks even included four-horse hitch chariot races in their Olympic Games, dating back to the 7th century BC.

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Harness racing is a popular horse sport in Australia, where Standardbred horses are raced around a track in harness while pulling a driver in a twowheeled cart called a sulky or a gig. Standardbred racehorses compete in two gaits - pacing and trotting.

ings held on Friday and Saturday nights. This was introduced to increase in attendances and the development of a major racing industry.

In Greece, chariot racing was limited to rich men. But by the time it came to Rome, the sport involved people from all levels of society, with each competing horse-drawn chariot distinguished by colour.

most people are unaware of the fact that the record for the most Olympic Gold Medals ever won in showjumping is still held by a Standardbred mare, Halla, who won over 125 jumping competitions during her long career. Harness racing isn't just popular in Australia and America; countries such as France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Malta, New Zealand, Canada and Russia also have a large following of harness racing fanatics.

Trotting or pacing what's the difference?

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In 1840 trotting was officially a sport in America where it was a staple event at the state fairs. Eventually 23 tracks were built and the races moved from fairs to commercial harness tracks where droves of people met to enjoy the sport, race against each other and place bets.

In the 1890s the sulky, which was once no more than a cart, developed into what is basically a U-shaped shaft mounted on two bicycle wheels with an accompanying seat. This is what we see in today's races. While any breed of horse was used in the early trotting races, the circuits eventually featured Standardbred horses, an American horse breed with bloodlines going back to 18th Century England. The Standarbreds are solid horses, generally with calm temperaments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more like the English hunter horses than thoroughbreds. They are also used for a variety of other equestrian activities. In fact

Although Standardbreds are used for harness racing, there is a difference between their gaits. Trotters use the natural gait of the trot to race - although it is at high speed rather than the usual trot we ask for under saddle. The horse moves its legs forward in diagonal pairs (right front and left hind, then left front and right

Three images taken at Albion Park, Qld. Owner Nikki Chalk racing Glenburn Red (stable name Kielan). Photo Credit: Dan Costello Photography

Continued on page 29

PRODUCT REVIEW

HORSEWARE SPORTZ-VIBE Massage Horse Rug HubVibes writer, Dannii Cunnane, was lucky enough to test the Horseware Sportz-Vibe massage rug on her noble steed Dexter. Dexter is an off-the-track Thoroughbred who suffers shoulder and sacroiliac pain.

Horseware rugs have been some of the best quality rugs available on the market for years, and they have gone one step further by producing a wonderful massage rug called the Sportz-Vibe. Let me tell you horse friends, your horse will not be disappointed. Just as we do, horses often become sore in their muscles and benefit from massage or physiotherapy of some kind. Not only can massage improve a horse’s performance, wellbeing and movement by increasing blood flow and alleviating tension, it's also relaxing for them.

The rug itself is made out

There are two settings on the battery, low and high. I’ve found that the low setting is ideal for a pre-work relaxation treatment and the high setting is a little more intense, perfect to relieve tension in sore and tired muscles after a ride. Tthe battery will turn itself off after its 20 minute cycle. While Dexter doesn’t like being poked or prodded to alleviate pain, he certainly enjoyed the Sportz-Vibe massages. Being simple to use it was a matter of throwing on the rug, buckling up the straps and choosing the setting. I used the rug pre-ride and noticed that Dexter felt more supple after his session, and really relaxed. Flexion to the left (his stiff side) seemed to

be a little easier for him and he was able to go about his work without a huge warm-up. The post-workout session was also well received, with Dexter stretching out and falling asleep while I was plaiting his mane for a competition the next day. My plaits were amazing - for a change! I was so happy with the results that I took it to the local dressage competition to try out on other horses between their tests. Their reaction was the same as Dexter’s - the test subjects relaxed, spread themselves out and really enjoyed their 20 minutes of vibrating bliss. I highly recommend the Sportz-Vibe rug to all horse owners. It has been brilliant to maintain my own horse’s health and the testimonials speak for themselves. For more information on Horseware Australia, visit their website.

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The Sportz-Vibe is not only stylish, it’s light and portable, which allows your horse to have the benefits of massage every day. It fits snugly into its own cute backpack that still has room for your equine bits and pieces. Everything about it is super-stylish!

of lightweight quality cotton that comes in three sizes. The underside of the rug has room for eight massage panels which spread across the horse’s body. Additional massage panels and battery can be purchased separately.

Where to Find Us

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Come and have a chat about our pre-loved saddle division, The Saddle Hub. We can also answer all your questions about HubVibes E-zine, Hub Directory, Hub Property, Hub Horses and our new addition Hub for Clubs. J U LY 2 0 1 7 12-16 July 27-30 July

Brisbane CDI and Charlotte Dujardin Masterclass Glen Haven Park Showjumping @ Kilcoy

3-6 August Gatton world Cup 9-10 Sept. The Sydney Eventing Summer Classic

JULY Young Rider of the Month

Milly Mathews At the age of 12, Milly is already a seasoned competitor with an impressive number of wins under her girth! Milly competes on Freeling Heights, a 13.3hh Welsh Pony/Thoroughbred cross. “We call him Nelson,” Milly says. “We recently started eventing together and at our first two events this year we placed second and first.” Milly and Nelson belong to the Murray Horse and Pony Club in Coolup, Western Australia and have represented the Club at State showjumping, dressage and PPMG (Prince Philip Mounted Games). “One of the things I enjoy about competing is making new friends,” Milly says. “I’ve also competed in Interschools Equestrian and I was lucky enough to be picked to represent

W.A at the National Championships at SIEC last year.” Milly’s short terms goals are to move up a grade in eventing and progress with her new horse, Deep Fields (otherwise known as Holly). “I’d love to represent WA again,” she says, “and to continue having fun with my horses. My ultimate dream is to ride at the Olympics.” Keep an eye on Milly as she works her way towards her dream.

If you are a young competition rider and would like to be considered for HubVibes Young Rider of the Month, send us a pic of you and your horse and 150 words about who you are, what you want to achieve and why you love your sport to info@hubvibes.com.au.

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• • •

CHARITY HIGHLIGHT

• • •

Windamere Horse Haven WINDAMERE HORSE HAVEN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013 AS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT RESCUE SHELTER FOR HORSES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. WINDAMERE OFFERS A SANCTUARY FOR ABUSED, NEGLECTED AND ABANDONED HORSES, DESTINED FOR THE KNACKERY BUT GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE.

How you can help

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As a not-for-profit charity, Windamere Horse Haven relies on material support and financial assistance from its supporters. This provides the rescue horses with food, health care, training and everyday comforts essential to their rehabilitation.

With a wonderful team of devoted volunteers and support from local vets, equine dentists, physiotherapists and farriers, the horses at Windamere are in terrific hands and can live out their days on the rescues properties. The horses live at two properties - Monarto being the main training establishment

and Echunga the spelling, retiree and overflow property.

See the horses up close Windamere hosts open days which allow visitors to see the animals and property up close. You can experience what happens behind the scenes at the sanctuary as well as meet all the horses in their care.

To support with finances, cash donations are gratefully accepted. Some horses are available for adoption, but only after training and assessments have been completed. For more information, visit the Windamere Horse Haven facebook page.

Saddleworld Saddleworld 2017 Brisbane CDI Featuring:

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE

QLD's Premier Dressage Event

* CDI 3* Grand Prix, Grand Prix Freestyle, Grand Prix Special * CDI-J (14-18yrs), CDI-Y (16-21yrs) & CDI-Under 25 (16-25yrs) * CDN Small Tour, Medium Tour & Big Tour classes including Freestyles * Advanced classes and Freestyle * Qld State Young Dressage Horse & Pony Championships * State of Origin Teams Competition * Saddleworld Novice Club Team Challenge * Para Equestrian Classes * Medium & Preliminary Classes

Gala Ringside Dinner Saturday Night

Enjoy fine dining & beautiful wines & be captivated by the horses and riders dancing to music on freestyle night

Welcome Party Wednesday Night E QU E S TRI AN AUSTRALIA

CDI

Extensive Trade Village: * Extensive shopping * Free entry Wed-Fri, $15 General Admission Sat

E QU E S TRI AN QUEENSLAND

DRESSAGE QUEENSLAND

Tickets: www.qsec.com.au/buy-tickets Event Enquiries: Leesa Murray - Event Director 0402 033 716 - leesa_murray@optusnet.com.au www.equestrian.qld.org.au/dressage/brisbane-cdi

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12-15 July

Come along and be a part of this celebration of Dressage in Qld!

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HUB SADDLE REVIEW

Saddle r e v i e w : Jane Thompson Jane Thompson recently purchased her Kieffer Innsbruck all-purpose saddle from the Equestrian Hub and couldn't be happier. "I was over the moon with the saddle," Jane says. "I tried more than 20 saddles and none of them actually fitted my horse as she has a bit of an awkward shape. I found the Kieffer on The Saddle Hub and I was ecstatic to not just find a saddle that was a fantastic fit for her, but a saddle with

exceptional quality as well.” Kieffer is of course renowned for quality workmanship and the leather will last for years, as Jane knows. "It’s a beautifully made saddle – and not only is it comfortable for my horse, it's really nice for me to ride in. I'm super happy with the investment." The Equestrian Hub has a huge selection of saddles to choose from so why not check out our extensive range? With payment options and our famous two-week trial you’d be mad to shop elsewhere.

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Vehicles raised suspension too high for float

Float front down.

Is your vehicle suitable to tow your float? Just because your vehicle has a towbar doesn’t mean it can tow a horse float!

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What to consider

loaded. This will ensure your float tows at its maximum efficiency and will be at its most stable on the road. It will also break and corner at its best and provide your horses with the best ride possible.

There are many things to consider when selecting the right vehicle to tow with, towing capacity being the first consideration. In order to tow a two-horse float your vehicle should have an absolute minimum towing capacity of 2500kg (3000kg preferred). Never mind if your float’s compliance plate says that the float is less than 2500kg, you need the extra capacity to tow a float of that size safely. For a threehorse float you’ll need a minimum of a 3500kg towing capacity.

Why are axles important?

Next, what is the capacity of your vehicle’s tow bar - not the ball but the bit that the ball is fixed to? You also need to determine what is the allowed down-force on the towbar and vehicle. A well-designed and balanced float should impart about ten percent of the float’s gross (loaded) weight as down-force on the tow ball.

Regardless of the make of float it should be just forward of mid-way between the axles to ensure about ten percent of the float's weight is on the tow ball.

Remember that all floats should have electric brakes on all four wheels for safety, the horses comfort and ease of towing. The next item to think about is the height of your vehicle’s tow hitch in relation to that of your float. Ideally, when connected to your vehicle your float should be level when

Most two axle floats use a load sharing setup such as roller rocker suspension which is great at distributing the load between the axles. This type of suspension while very suitable for horse floats still requires your float’s load to be distributed as near as evenly as possible either side of the point that is the float’s centre of balance. So where exactly is this point?

Too many floats are designed with the centre of their weight distribution in the middle of the axles which imparts no loading on the tow ball. This makes for a very uncomfortable ride in which the float can swing which can be extremely dangerous under some conditions. The attached images show example of floats that are either not properly loaded, the tow vehicle is not suitable, the tow vehicle is not set up correctly or, more worryingly, the float is badly designed and/or built.

Vehicle and float set up correctly for safe and comfortable towing.

Float front up.

Float front down: Possible causes - too much weight forward of the float’s centre of balance; or the tow vehicle is not capable of carrying loading on tow hitch.

Float front up: Possible causes - too much weight behind float’s centre of balance. Possible problems caused; trailer sway, reduced contact between rear of tow vehicle and the road, reduced brake effectiveness of tow vehicle rear wheels and float’s front; increased chance of excessive trailer sway or jack-knifing.

If the tow vehicle is level and float is nose down, then the tow vehicle’s tow hitch is probably too low. Possible problems caused; reduced steering effectiveness causing understeer; reduced brake effectiveness on tow vehicle’s front wheels and float’s rear wheels; uncomfortable ride for horses and tow vehicle occupants.

If you have a 4x4 with raised suspension do please get a tow hitch that lowers the ball to keep the float level. Happy - and most importantly - safe towing.

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Continued from page 18 Harness Racing hind striking the ground simultaneously). Pacers move the legs on the same side of their bodies together: It's a lateral gait rather than a diagonal one. Occasionally, you might see a free-legged pacer, a horse racing without hopples but most pacers wear hopples on all four legs to help with gait maintenance. Hopples are part of the racing harness and are located at the top of the leg and assist the horse in high speeds to not break their gait.

Standardbred facts The breeds that have contributed the foundation stock to the Standardbred breed include the Narragansett Pacer, Canadian Pacer, Thoroughbred, Norfolk Trotter, Hackney and Morgan.

Rio Romanico 17hh, 7yo, Bay Warmblood Gelding Sire: Byalee Romance (Regardez Moi x Lanthan) Dam: Salute x TB Price: $16,000 For more info click here.

The majority of Standardbreds are bay or brown, however greys, chestnuts and blacks occasionally occur and they range in height from 14hh to 17hh. The breed gets its name from a 'standard' time for racing one mile. The current standard for two-year-olds is 2 minutes 20 seconds and the standard for three-year-olds is 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Want to know more about harness racing?

6yo, 16hh Steel Grey Mare Sire: Regardez Moi Dam: Celtic Blue Diamond Price: $25,000 For more info click here.

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Rules and regulations in harness racing are set per state, but if you are looking for more information, Australian Harness Racing is a great place to start

Diamond Noir

BREED SPOTLIGHT

Akhal-Teke

THE GOLDEN HORSES OF THE WORLD

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The Akhal-Teke is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, a country bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The Akhal-Teke have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and their coats have a distinctive metallic sheen. The shininess of the palominos and buckskins have led to their nickname "Golden Horses".

The Akhal-Teke are a source of pride for the Turkmen people and they display the former President Saparmurat Niyazov's pet horse, Yanardag, on their national emblem and bank notes. The Akhal-Teke is considered to be one of the oldest of modern domesticated equine breeds in existence. The breed first appeared in Central Asia, in Kara Kum, a rocky, flat desert surrounded by mountains which played

a significant role in preserving the Akhal-Tekeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purity. Turkmenistan tribes originally used the horse for its speed and agility - it was perfect for hunting, raiding and fighting in wars. Today it is used for jumping, endurance and dressage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in which it excels, due to its long legs and fine build. Although the breed is not that well known in the Western horse-world, evidence suggests that Byerly Turk, one of the three founding stallions of the Thoroughbred breed was an Akhal-Teke. Another foundation stallion, Darli Arabian, is thought to have been a Muniqi Arabian who in turn is thought to be have been part Arabian and part Akhal-Teke. The Akhal-Teke stallions were brought to England by returning army officers from wars in Arabia. Breeding the English horses to the Akhal-Teke produced a tall, fast horse that

was vastly different to the stout horses originally used for racing and day-to-day activities. It is thought that by having Akhal-Teke in the gene pool explains the buckskin, palomino and perlino colours in the Thoroughbred. The metallic coat sheen of the Akhal-Teke is probably the best-known feature of the breed and is definitely its most unique. The high

gloss coat is fine and silky and the sheen is caused by the smallness, or even absence, of the opaque core that is typically at the centre of the hair shaft. The transparent part of the hair, or medulla, takes up the extra space and acts much like a fibre optic tube, bending light through one side of the hair and refracting it out the other side. Akhal-Teke horses average 15.2 hands high

and weigh around 500 kilograms on average. While the breed originally flourished, when Turkmenistan became part of the Russian Empire in 1881 the Soviet Union demanded that the horses to be slaughtered for their meat. Exportation of the horses was prohibited and as a result, the Akhal-Teke is now a globally rare breed with an estimated

population of less than 5,000. They are known to be very intelligent horses that respond well to sensitive training. The most famous Akhal-Teke was a horse named Absent, ridden by Sergei Filatov, who won the Grand Prix Dressage at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Want to know more about the breed? Check them out here.

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Rachel Smith

NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB Published by Equestrian Hub • PO Box 13 • Tintenbar NSW 2478 Phone: 0414 760067 • Email: info@equestrianhub.com.au www.equestrianhub.com.au