Show Circuit Magazine - December 21 / January 22 by Show Circuit Magazine

NEW ZEALAND’S ULTIMATE EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

SHOWCIRCUIT DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022

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WE VISIT

VICKI BROWNE-COLE MADDI THOMPSON VICTORIA WALL GREG SMITH SANDI JOHNSTON STEFFI WHITTAKER SOPHIE DE CLIFFORD MAKENZIE CAUSER GEORGIE DORMER

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FROM MY DESK #DEFLATED Sometimes it's hard to know where to begin. What a $%^&* of a season. The poor committees, volunteers and, of course, competitors. While some regions have been fortunate to have events take place, the upper North Island has been slammed with cancellation after cancellation. I certainly hope that after Christmas, things start to settle down. So, once again, this issue had a 'duck and dive' feel to it when we were planning during yet another lockdown. With the Auckland borders still locked down and a waiting game in the Waikato that seemed endless, we were lucky to have photographers in other regions which haven't been affected so much. So, we got there! That brings us to our gorgeous cover girl, Sue Reynolds. Belinda Pratt travelled to take this beautiful image. I am so proud to have her on our cover - I have been trying to have Sue agree to an interview for about five years! She is well-known in showing circles and is hugely accomplished, having produced many drool-worthy horses through the years. We hope you enjoy Caitlin's interview with her. Greg Smith is well-known to many in dressage circles and is undoubtedly a man of many hidden talents. When it comes to his equine passions, film work sits alongside dressage. His story is so interesting, and I enjoyed reading about what goes on behind the scenes. Enter Vicki Brown-Cole, who most of us have admired on the eventing scene. She allowed me to visit her with camera in hand to see what she has been up to. What fun we had photographing her stunning mare, Cutting Edge! By the time I was finished, my conclusion was that she and Delilah were equally obsessed with each other! Bliss! Sandi Johnston has to be one of the nicest people we deal with at Show Circuit. Always cheerful, helpful and downright kind. Pip had such fun travelling to interview and photograph Sandi at her home. While in typical Wellington fashion, the wind blew, the tuis in Sandi's gorgeous garden obliged by showing up and posing!! When I was designing it, Georgie Dormer's article certainly made my eyes leak a bit. It's a 'must-read', but get some tissues handy. Georgie is incredibly hard-working and very successful, but the one thing she and her husband Ben wanted, they were gifted by an extraordinary woman, Pip Wylaars. Isn't it funny how, when looking from the outside in, people can seem so lucky, and their lives can appear to be so perfect until you hear of their struggles. I think the takeaway is; life just isn't smooth sailing for anyone. Emelia Forsyth's new horse Molly (Wallflower) features in her incredibly comprehensive training clinic, which takes in all aspects of a training programme. It sets out an example oneweek timetable for training show jumpers - and yes, it takes in quite a lot of flatwork. I hope you all read it and benefit from Emelia's down-to-earth and practical approach. We have a range of other interviews that will give you a great read - hopefully during your downtime between competitions! Until next time x

Sheryll Davies - Publisher

WAIATA PUBLISHING LTD 111 Stan Wright Road, RD1, Papakura, Auckland 2580

EDITOR Pip Hume

editor@showcircuit.co.nz

FEATURES WRITER Cheyenne Nicholson

DESIGN Sheryll Davies

CONTRIBUTORS Ashleigh Kendall Belinda Pratt Photography Caitlin Benzie Photography Christine Cornege Photography Michelle Clarke Photography Melissa Sim Rebecca Greaves Sally Newcomb Take the Moment Photography www.kampic.com

ADVERTISING Sheryll Davies

sheryll@showcircuit.co.nz

MAGAZINE ENQUIRIES enquiries@showcircuit.co.nz

WEBSITE www.showcircuitmagazine.com

ABOUT US

COVER: Sue Reynolds and CLEAR CHOICE Breeder: Maurice Beatson (CLEARWATER X THREE TIMES) Image - Belinda Pratt Photography

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Show Circuit magazine is published bi-monthly. The articles reflect the personal opinion of the author and not necessarily the view of Waiata Publishing Ltd. This publication cannot be reproduced in whole or in part in any way without the publisher’s express written permission. All contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk. Waiata Publishing Ltd accepts no responsibility for loss or damage.

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SUPA JOINT

IN THIS ISSUE DECEMBER 2021 | JANUARY 2022

SUE REYNOLDS A Passion for Showing

20 GREG SMITH A Man of Many Hidden Talents

28 VICKI BROWN-COLE Pure Passion

36 SOPHIE DE CLIFFORD Looking to the Future

MADDI THOMPSON Finding her Stride

VICTORIA WALL Letty Lei’s Life-Saving Surgery

STEFFI WHITTAKER Jumping at Every Opportunity

MAKENZIE CAUSER Evolution of a Show Jumper

SANDI JOHNSTON Retail on the Road

GEORGIE DORMER Positivity Pays Off

88 EMEILA FORSYTH Training with a Weekly Plan

100-107 PHOTO ESSAYS

Marlborough

Show Jumping & Dressage

108 OUR SHOPPING GUIDE What's Hot!

110 THE ART OF SELLING HORSES The Do's and Don'ts

116-122 HEALTH Blink Rate Imperfect Feet

Windsucking

128 MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

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RIDER spotlight

14 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

DRIVEN BY

a passion

FOR SHOWING WORDS - Caitlin Benzie IMAGES - Belinda Pratt Photography Dreams don’t come true overnight, but golden ticket possibilities are endless with a lot of hard work and perseverance. After many years

competing in the show ring, Sue Reynolds’ passion has never wavered, no matter the obstacles she has had to overcome.

Growing up on a horticultural property in

Pakowhai, Hawkes Bay, Sue began her riding journey at around ten years old when her Dad bought her an ex-racehorse. “He wasn’t the ideal horse to have as a starter, and I don’t think I ever picked out his hind feet in the short time he was with us - I was too terrified to go any further back than the girth,” she laughs. “He did teach me a lot, though, and he got me started and ready for the next horse.” Sue’s next equine partner, again found by her Dad, was a lot more suited to someone new to riding. Fritz was a lovely full height pony and had previously been used as a droving horse. He was the perfect mount for Sue to join the local Pony Club, where she progressed right through to achieving her A and H certificates. When Sue was 15, her Dad found her another horse to produce, a chestnut Thoroughbred mare! “She was another ex-racehorse. By this point, I think Dad was definitely trying to put me off riding by getting all these horses off the track! However, she was a lovely flashy mare who gave me my first taste of proper showing. After a season of competing with her, we put her in foal so that Dad could breed some nice racehorses. I was lucky enough to be offered another horse -

off the track, of course!” laughs Sue. “I produced him all the way through to competing at the Horse of the Year Show, back when it was held in Karaka at the Bloodstock grounds.”

In the following years, many of the

Thoroughbreds Sue’s Dad bred for racing “didn’t quite cut the mustard as racehorses”. However, for Sue, this meant that she had always had a paddock full of failed racehorses that were quality Thoroughbreds to introduce to the showing world. Along with super-supportive husband Paul and three loveable dogs, Sue is now based in Pakipaki at Oaklane Stables, just 15 minutes down the road from where she grew up. She has become one of the most well-known show riders in the country, with a list of accolades that on their own could fill a few pages. While she has achieved 14 Horse of the Year titles, to date, Sue’s most successful horse has been Seattle (Hamish), a Thoroughbred by Turffontein that she purchased sight unseen from Adelaide in 2017. Their first big success came at Horse of the Year in 2018, where they took out Thoroughbred Show Horse of the Year, Hack of the Year and Reserve Rising Star Hack of the Year.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

I P R E F E R N O W A D AY S T O

PRODUCE ONE PROPERLY, AS DEALING WITH ADDISON’S DISEASE MAKES

DAY TO DAY LIFE A LOT MORE CHALLENGING.

Other photos - Sue and Conrad at home enjoying a very easy season. Below left- At the Land Rover Horse of the Year Show 2020 Sue and SEATTLE won the Hack of the Year and the Livamol Thoroughbred Horse of the Year, with Sue also winning Senior Rider of the Year. Pictured with judges; Alan Windle and Daniel Park. Image - Avedon Photography

“I watched a video of Hamish in Australia, and I could see that he was a super type and very elegant. When I first got him, he was so green, and he couldn’t even canter left. We had only been together for five months when I took him to Horse of the Year with the hope of winning the Rising Star class. We missed out on that title, but the rest of the show more than made up for it! “Over the years, Hamish and I had many successes together. We won the Sue Yearbury Memorial at the Royal Easter Show, the Gee Whizz Memorial at Horse of the Year, two Hack of the Year titles, three Livamol Thoroughbred Show Horse of the Year titles and he gave me the most glorious ride I had ever had to win Senior Rider of the Year. I absolutely love Horse of the Year. You work so hard all season to get there, so to have success there is just the best feeling. Of course, all of these successes wouldn’t have been possible without the wonderful coaches I’ve had around me, including Geoff Lyell, Les Friend, Holly Leach and Cooper Oborn.” When she’s not winning garlands galore, Sue is the co-Director of Oaklane Stables Premium Chaff, a business that she runs together with Paul. “We wanted to provide our horses with the best feed we possibly could, so in 1998 we started to grow our own lucerne and make chaff. The business has continued to expand from there, and we now sell lucerne, lucerne/meadow mix, and meadow chaff. The

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LOOKING TO

THE FUTURE, I D E F I N I T E LY W A N T T O QUALIFY AGAIN TO

REPRESENT NEW ZEALAND IN AUSTRALIA.

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

I T W A S FA N TA S T I C

HAVING HIM QUALIFIED TO HEAD OVER TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE

SHOW HORSE COUNCIL G R A N D N AT I O N A L S A N D

THE SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW. business takes up a lot of my time, but when I’m not dealing with the chaff shed or riding, I have a lovely clientele of show riders that come to me for weekly lessons.”

In previous years,

Sue competed a relatively large team of show horses; however, she now limits her numbers due to being diagnosed with Addison’s Disease. Addison’s is an adrenal gland disorder in which the body can’t produce enough cortisol and aldosterone, often resulting in muscle weakness, fatigue, fainting spells, and decreased heart rate or blood pressure for sufferers. Due to her Addison’s, Sue is currently competing with only her gorgeous dapple grey Clear Choice, otherwise known as Conrad. Conrad is a 10-year-old, 16.3hh New Zealand Sporthorse by Clearwater and out of Three Times (Defensive Play) and was bred by successful show jumper Maurice Beatson. Before Sue purchased him in 2020, Conrad was a show jumping horse and competed mainly at Junior Rider level, with a few showing classes in between. “Nowadays, I prefer to produce one properly, as dealing with Addison’s Disease makes day-to-day life a lot more challenging.

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The stables are adorned with photos of Sue’s previous title winning horses. Sue is pictured with one of her trusty little mates, Spot. Below left - Sue and CLEAR CHOICE have already qualified for Land Rover Horse of the Year 2022. Pictured here at Wairarapa A&P Show, the combination won Champion Riding Horse then Supreme Horse. “Conrad and I are fortunate to have the support of Bramble and Burr Saddlery, Parkhill Stables Browbands, The Horsewear House and Animal Feed Solutions. Everyone loves him, so I often call them Conrad’s sponsors rather than mine!” In November 2020, the New Zealand Show Horse Council held their Nationals at the stunning Takapoto Estate in Maungatautari. Here, Sue was vying for another ticket to Australia, this time with Conrad. The goal was to qualify to compete at the Australian Show Horse Council Grand Nationals, so Sue had to win her class and be awarded a champion or reserve title. The combination was successful, with wins in the Led Hunter Hack and the Large Show Hunter Hack, finishing the day with another magnificent garland and a golden ticket to Australia. Unfortunately, that trip to Australia wasn’t to be. Still, Sue remains positive for her future endeavours with her beautiful grey equine partner. “Qualifying Conrad to head over to Australia for the Show Horse Council Grand Nationals and the Sydney Royal Easter Show was fantastic, but heartbreakingly, as with many things in this Covid-19 climate, we weren’t able to go. Looking to the future, I definitely want to qualify again to represent New Zealand in Australia. Hopefully, Covid-19 will have disappeared by then. But ultimately, my big goal is to stay healthy and continue riding my gorgeous horse for as long as my body will let me!” C

4CYTE NZ

RIDER spotlight

20 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

many A MAN OF

HIDDEN TALENTS WORDS & IMAGES - Caitlin Benzie

Growing up in a non-horsey family couldn’t stop Greg Smith from discovering his passion for horses. Since his early days at the local Pony Club, he has built a career with horses which has not only seen him travel all around the globe, but also feature in some of the world’s biggest movies. “I used to spend all my time down the road at the Pony Club, and when I wasn’t there, I was either swimming or at school. I began eventing, but the two sports started to clash. I have a distinct memory of falling off on cross-country and Mum screaming about how I was about to go to swimming nationals and couldn’t be injured,” he laughs. “I finished school, gave up the swimming and worked in fashion for a few years as a merchandiser, intending to become a fashion designer.”

During his eventing years,

Greg became close friends with Heelan Tompkins, and when she decided to take Crusader and Glengarrick to Badminton in 2002, she asked if Greg would come and groom for her there. He agreed without a moment’s hesitation, took time off work, and spent the next six weeks in England with Heelan and her horses. On his return to New Zealand, Greg continued his work in fashion but soon had another call up from Heelan to groom for her at the World Equestrian Games in Spain. “After the World Games, I returned home but received a call completely out of the blue from Derek Harrison, telling me that he had heard I was coming to Ireland to work for him. At the time, I wondered who this crazy Irishman was! A few emails later, I realised he was offering me a full-time job working for his two daughters who were Eventing for Ireland. I thought, ‘what have I got to lose?’ I quit my job and got on a plane to the UK. “I landed in Ireland to find Sasha at the airport with my name on a board, because of course, we’d never laid eyes

on each other. Immediately, it was like, ‘let’s go hacking’. Arriving at the yard and not knowing there was an office behind all the huge windows, in true kiwi style I down-troued in front of the windows with all the office staff in there watching me get changed. It was an interesting first impression,” laughs Greg. “I worked for Sasha and Jayne for five years altogether, accompanying Sasha to Burghley Horse Trials and the Athens Olympics, and also riding the young horses.” While participating in the famed clothing and pin swap at the Athens Olympics, Greg came across Carl Hester and quickly struck up a great friendship. Upon returning to Ireland, Sasha had married and began looking at starting a family, so she decided to move away from eventing and towards dressage. Who better to find her a horse than Carl himself? “Carl found Uthopia, but when he called Sasha, we were at Boekelo Horse Trial, and with how busy she was, we nearly didn’t go and look at him. Luckily we did because she absolutely loved him and immediately bought him. The first day home, he threw her off and galloped all over the place, including jumping a huge hedge. They were paired together for about a year, but then Sasha got pregnant, and so Uti, and as it turned out myself too, headed to Carl’s.”

After basing at Carl’s yard, Greg decided to leave eventing behind and focus on dressage. He rode many young horses at the yard and was often called “the human cannonball” by Carl. During his time in England, Greg also became firm friends with Charlotte Dujardin, spending a lot

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Greg was a real sport during our photoshoot and showed us he has a great sense of humour. Pictured above with his gorgeous dog, Buddy. Right - Pictured here with Mike (RIVER PARK WYOMING). of time riding and travelling to shows together. However, after nearly eight years in the UK, getting a visa was becoming ever more complex. With his family beginning to get married and have kids, Greg began to feel he was missing out on some of the milestones in life and with the added visa issues, he decided to head home to New Zealand. Although, there was a little stopover in Los Angeles where he worked for a party planning company - with a highlight of meeting the Kardashians!

On his return to New Zealand, Greg started GJS

Equestrian and went back to eventing for a season. However, in 2011 The Hobbit began filming in New Zealand and riders were needed to complement the 2,000-strong cast and crew. “I had a call saying they were looking for tall, male riders to play elves. My first thought was asking about the audition

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I WAS RIDING A

FEW BREAKERS A S

THEY

W E R E G O O D M O N E Y. O N E O F T H E M M A N A G E D TO

SERIOUSLY BUCK ME OFF,

R E S U LT I N G I N A D I S L O C AT E D S H O U L D E R , SMASHED HUMERUS AND A BROKEN NOSE.

process, but they said, ‘no audition, we know you can ride, so if you want it, you’ve got the job’. Filming was in Wellington, so I spent four weeks based there. It was a great time with many of the eventers that I knew. After my four weeks were up, I came home but got another call asking if I wanted to come back and work full-time as a wrangler, so I spent the next nine months based in Wellington. As well as the wrangling, I was also the riding double for Luke Evans, who played Bard, and Richard Armitage, who played the dwarf king, Thorin. It was my first taste of the film industry and a pretty amazing place to start.” In 2014, Greg’s New Zealand dressage career began in earnest when he and Renai Hart purchased a half-share of JL Champs Elysee, who, at 18.2hh, was aptly named Tallie. The aim

was to spend the 2014/15 season competing at Prix St George level; however, unfortunately for Greg, 2014 wasn’t to be his year. “In July, I was riding a few breakers as they were good money. One of them managed to seriously buck me off, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, smashed humerus and a broken nose. A few surgeries later, I now have a metal plate and 15 screws in my shoulder, which hold my arm to my body, and a reconstructed nose. I don’t recommend a nose job to anyone; they’re very painful! Tallie and I managed to have a season, though, and we finished with the Level 7 Championship at the Bates Dressage Nationals in 2015. He then went to Mura Love, and together they went through to Grand Prix. “I then got a message to say that Avante

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

Greg’s horsemandship is sought after, shown by his Involvement with filming The Letter for the King in Prague - a highlight of his career. Bottom right and left images From the film Mulan - South Island, NZ.

Garde was coming up for sale. I didn’t even go and try him; I just bought him with my fingers crossed and had him sent up on a transporter! Our first show was the Prix St George invitational at Equidays, which we won, and he continued his success streak. Between Corey Miln and I at Horse of the Year, he was Champion and Reserve in dressage, Champion Paced and Mannered three years in a row, and we both won Rider of the Year on him. He was such an important part of my dressage story that we even have a jewellery line with Helen at Fabuleux Vous named after him; the Breeze Collection. He was just amazing and is now enjoying a very happy retirement.”

The next few years

were a mixture of dressage, showing and movie work for Greg. The Budlight Superbowl advertisement was filmed in New Zealand, and Greg was cast as the Bud Knight, where he rode through a battle scene on a Friesian. Next was the Shannara Chronicles, where he was a wrangler and a riding double, followed by Spartacus and a short speaking part in Kiwi. Greg then spent eight weeks in the South Island wrangling on Mulan, his next big break just around the corner. “I was offered to switch from Mulan and work on The Letter for the King. Justin Cooney was the Horse Master, but when we had split units, I would become almost like an assistant Horse Master on the second unit. It was my first taste of being in charge and was an eye-opening experience. When they finished filming in New

24 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Zealand, eight of us got to go over to Prague and shoot the castle and studio scenes, so Justin and I moved over to the Czech Republic for four months. Once filming had finished, I stayed in Europe and travelled around Germany, visiting the studs and meeting Secret, Floriscount, For Romance and Dante Weltino. “Returning home, I was asked to do some riding double work on the Lord of the Rings television series, but at the same time, the opportunity to be the Horse Master on Mystic came up. Mystic was right up my alley as it was centred around Pony Club, eventing and English riding in general, all things I was very familiar with. It was a great show to have as my first as sole Horse Master.” Mystic, a British-New Zealand environmental teen drama based around New Zealand writer Stacey Gregg’s Pony Club Secrets, features a cast of Kiwi actors mixed in with two Brits and horses galore. Not only is Greg the Horse Master for the award-winning series, but he is also the riding double for well-known New Zealander Kirk Torrance. The series hasn’t been without its issues, however, as Covid19 has provided plenty of hurdles. “Mystic’s filming has been split up thanks to dealing with the Covid lockdowns. I was living in Christchurch when we started work on it, so I moved to Auckland, where we managed to film half of the first season before going into lockdown. It was then back to Christchurch for the lockdown and then back up to Auckland to film the rest of the first season. “I’ve now moved to Auckland permanently, and season two

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

started filming this year. We came back from a week’s hiatus on 16th of August - the reunion was very short-lived though with lockdown announced that night,” Greg laughs. “With a few loose ends tidied up and a skeleton crew, we’ve managed to finish season two, and we’ve now pushed back season three to January when we will hopefully be able to film relatively easily again.” While Mystic and the film industry are currently taking the front seat, in no way does this mean Greg has forgotten about his dressage goals. Now based on a gorgeous property in Taupaki and operating as Greg Smith Dressage, Greg spends his spare time teaching all around the country. He also has a trio of gorgeous young horses in his paddock at home, with River Park Wyoming, a five-year-old by Worldly and out of an Anamour mare, leading the charge and looking to come out at Medium this season. “Horses have given me a life that has seen me travel all around the world and meet a lot of cool people along the way, but I definitely feel like I’ve got some unfinished business with dressage. I’ve managed to end up back at square one a few times over the years. To survive in this industry, you do have to sell horses that you ordinarily wouldn’t. I’ve now built up my team again and have two four-year-olds and a five-year-old in work, with big plans for at least one of them to achieve the ultimate goal and travel through to Grand Prix with me!” C

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HORSES HAVE GIVEN ME A

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SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

RIDER spotlight

28 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

PURE

PASSION WORDS - Ashleigh Kendall IMAGES - Show Circuit Magazine

Since she got her first hack, Nicolas Nickelby, when she was 13, Vicky Browne-Cole has been steadily climbing the ranks on the eventing circuit. Now 22, she has her sights set on achieving some vast milestones over the next few years, including taking a shot at a spot for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Growing up in Waiuku, Vicky enjoyed life with her mum and dad,

Nick and Rachel and three siblings, Emma, Ben and Becky. “I was the baby of four, so I got dragged around to all the other kids’ sporting events.” Vicky confesses that she was that weird horsey kid right from the get-go. Still, her dad’s family, particularly Nicola and Sally Essex, got her into it properly. “I was pretty quiet as a kid, but I always loved being outside with the animals. I would hide in the hedge and watch my neighbours with their horses, but I was always too shy to say hello! One day they caught me and let me ride their horse, and I remember thinking it was the best day of my life,” she reminisces. Despite Vicky’s obsession with horses, her parents thought it was just a phase until an unfortunate accident with her pet cow Chocolate (who she used to ride) spurred them into investing in her first pony. “That pony was called Shy when we got her, but we renamed her Star. It became apparent early on that she was called Shy for a reason! She was the worst first pony you could have

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Vicky and CUTTING EDGE making cross-country look easy at Kihikihi Waikato Eventing 2021. Image - Take the Moment asked for!” Vicky laughs. “Then we got a little pony called Travis, and he would buck me off every day. I remember coming inside every night defeated, and Mum would ask what was wrong. I would tell her, ‘Travis bucked me off again,’ and she would tell me to forget about it and go ride a bike or play with the other kids. But I had heard that you needed to fall off a hundred times to be a good rider, so I would get back out there and try again.” Vicky attended Waiuku Pony Club, and without transport, she made friends with Tyla and Crystal Hackett, who were so good to her and picked her up and took her each week. At Pony Club, she discovered her love for eventing and represented Franklin-Thames Valley at Timberlands in 2012 and then Pony Club Champs in 2014. “We did all the Pony Club stuff, much to my poor mum’s dismay at the idea of it all. It was a big commitment, and I would enter everything,” she laughs. “I just always loved cross-country. Dressage has

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always been a bit of a struggle, but the adrenaline of cross-country is what lights my fire.” Nicholas Nickelby was Vicky’s first hack and continued to fire her up for eventing. “I went from a crazy pony to Nick, and he was amazing. I went from never doing more than 95cm to old 2*/ new 3* when I was 15, and I won the Junior One Day Champs on him,” she says. “He was a machine and such a crucial horse for me because he was the most amazing cross-country horse, so having a start that good made a huge difference.” Vicky found success on her next horse, Eli, with whom she represented New Zealand in Australia and won her first Junior Three Day Champs. “Eli was six when I got him from Kim Berry. He had done a bit and was quite established at 95cm, and I brought him up through the levels. He is semi-retired now and has gone back to Jessica Brosnan, who had him when he came back from Hong Kong, and he is loving life with her.”

SHE HAS THE BIGGEST HEART OF ANY HORSE I HAVE EVER MET, AND I HAVE A TEAM FULL OF MARES NOW BECAUSE OF HER.

Above - There is no denying the mutual devotion between DELILAH and Vicky. Left -Vicky riding CUTTING EDGE to win overall Best Mare and Runner Up in the CCI3* L Championship at the Taupo 3DE. Image - Take the Moment

Cutting Edge, or

Delilah as she is known at home, is Vicky’s big star and the horse she rests her hopes on at the moment. Delilah was four years old when Vicky got her; she is now ten and is going well. Depending on COVID, Vicky plans to step her up to 4* this season. “I would like to take her to Australia and then on to England, base myself there and eventually aim for 5*,” Vicky says. “She has the biggest heart of any horse I have ever met, and I have a team full of mares now because of her. Mares are so special. She is such a little lion. My biggest issue with her is that she wants to jump jumps that aren’t hers out on the course, and sometimes I even have to pull her off fences too!” Aside from Delilah, Vicky has built a team of seven young horses she is producing, two being projects that she plans to sell and the rest she intends to keep. “Zulu is a seven-yearold I am really excited about. He is super talented, Emerald is a five-year-old mare, and I have two nice four-year-olds. - all Thoroughbreds. I do love the Thoroughbreds, and I don’t have a big budget, so they are a lot more accessible for me,” she explains. “They have the most amazing work ethic. You give them a job, and they thrive. They constantly amaze me. They go

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IT CONSTANTLY

BLOWS MY MIND WHAT THEY GIVE US AND HOW QUICKLY

THEY ADAPT JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO DO

THE JOB YOU GIVE THEM.

from knowing only racing, and then we put them into the sport horse world where they try so hard and are so athletic. If you can find one that is typey and can jump and move well, I don’t think the breed matters. It constantly blows my mind what they give us and how quickly they adapt just because they want to do the job you give them.”

Despite being super

competitive and with big dreams, Vicky says that when it all comes down to it, the most important thing for her is her love for the horses. “These animals are so beautiful, and I love working with them every day. I am very competitive, and I like to win, but I love horses more. Everything else is the cherry on top. There is nothing I love more or that I want to do more, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to where I want to be with them.” Vicky isn’t shy of her goals either. “I want to be one of the best in the world. I would love to represent New Zealand on the world stage, and I know it is an ambitious dream at the moment, but I would love to aim for Paris,” she explains. “Of course, I would love to win the Grand Slam of eventing one day. To be that

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THESE ANIMALS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, AND I LOVE WORKING WITH THEM EVERY DAY. I AM VERY COMPETITIVE, AND I LIKE TO WIN, BUT I LOVE HORSES MORE.

good and consistent would just be incredible, and of course, a gold medal would be nice but mainly just a life of doing what I love.” Speaking about her future, as much as Vicky would love to base herself in New Zealand to achieve her goals, she realises how difficult it is. “I don’t have a big bank balance to be flying back and forth, but it has been cool to have seen what Clarke and Bundy have been able to do while being based here,” she says. “I did a stint with Jock when he was still over in England. The lifestyle is full-on, and you don’t stop, but it has been all I have ever wanted ever since.” When speaking on fear, Vicky is pragmatic. “I want this more than anything, so fear of failure and not being good enough does play on my mind now and then. But at the end of the day, I know that I just want it so much that I am sure there is a way through every obstacle,” she reflects. “Life gets thrown at all of us left, right and centre, and you have to weave your way through. I will be okay no matter what happens because I

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love what I do, and I always think about the saying that ‘everything always works out in the end. If it hasn’t, then it’s not the end’ so I take comfort in that.”

Like most competitors,

Vicky sometimes does reflect on others’ progress. “I do look at others my age, and we are all at different stages. Some are ahead of me and some not, but I have been lucky to have had a good journey so far. I’ve been able to build confidence on the highs and lows,” she says. “The lessons that have sunk in the most for me have normally come from nearly getting there or when something hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. I am competitive, but as much as it isn’t fun when it doesn’t go so well, it is these times that fuel me to get better. I hate losing, but I learn so much.” Vicky credits her coaches in her confidence, too, as she knows that she is always well prepared before any event to manage and thrive on what happens on the day. Vicky feels fortunate to have had many

sound mentors throughout her career so far. She began training with Jock when she was 12 years old, and he has never been more than a phone call away ever since. “Penny Castle has always been good to me, of course, my parents - Mum comes to nearly every show, and Dad comes on the longer trips, so I don’t have to do so much driving.” Now Jock has moved into his role at ESNZ, he isn’t doing so much coaching, so Vicky has been training more with Lizzie Green. “She has helped me to pick quality young horses, and I got to ride some of hers last season. I have learned heaps from her. I have also been training with Blyth Tait and Jeff McVean, who have been great.” Most of all, Vicky likes to stay humble and remember that everyone is on their journey. “We all get to different places at different times, reflect on where we have come from, look to where we are going, and focus on our journeys. It’s a rollercoaster, and everyone else is on their own rollercoaster too.” C

LIFE GETS THROWN AT

ALL OF US LEFT, RIGHT

AND CENTRE, AND YOU HAVE TO WEAVE YOUR WAY THROUGH.

Vicky says that CUTTING EDGE has the ‘heart of a lioness over cross-country’. Kihikihi Waikato Eventing 2021. Image - Take the Moment

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RIDER spotlight

Sophie de Clifford

IS LOOKING TO THE

future

WORDS - Pip Hume IMAGES - Christine Cornege Photography

Anyone who has had a young family understands the constant juggling of commitments. But when you add to the mix a full-on 24/7 business with husband Leigh and a career in the dressage arena, it becomes clear that Sophie de Clifford is actually Superwoman!

As one of the well-known Akers

family, Sophie de Clifford grew up on their Manawatu farm, where she and her four sisters all enjoyed carrying on the horse tradition. Their mother, Jayne, is an accomplished horsewoman who has ridden all her life and has been a member of the Manawatu Hunt Club for over 50 years. Sophie’s sisters Lucy and Chloe went on to excel in the jumping arena, with Lucy twice the show jumping Lady Rider of the Year and Chloe amassing multiple national Show Hunter titles. But for Sophie, it was the sport of Dressage that claimed her. “It’s a funny thing,” admits Sophie. “My sisters used to tease me and say I was adopted! Mum was more of a jumper and into hunting, and back in our Pony Club days, I had a jumping pony and did Show Hunter. But I was the one who would always do the turnout classes and wanted to ride around the course with my pony on the bit. I think the more disciplined approach of dressage suits my personality. I have an eye for detail, and I like everything perfect - that works for a dressage rider! “Lucy and Chloe still live in the Manawatu and are flat out show jumping. They each have two children - a girl and then a boy - and they all go off to shows with Mum -

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and a caravan to hang out in.” Since moving to Waikato with her veterinarian husband Leigh, Sophie has also had two children - Hugh, now three years old, and one-year-old Darcy. “Hugh is our olive-skinned blondie, and Darcy takes after me and is our little redhead,” laughs Sophie. The boys don’t have a pony yet, and Sophie says they don’t seem too fussed at this stage. “They will learn to ride, but I never really wanted to be a pony mum. With a bit of luck, they will be more interested in doing motorbikes with their dad,” she laughs. There are so many different things happening at Leigh and Sophie’s property, five minutes out of Matamata. Leigh’s hectic veterinary practice, Matamata Veterinary Services, focuses on management and support for all types of equines, from racehorses through to all forms of equestrian sports. To support that, Leigh and Sophie have facilities for the care and rehab of patients. “The rehab horses that come through from Matamata Vets are quite interesting,” explains Sophie. “They generally need ongoing follow-up care, for example, foals with crooked legs, or care after surgery, bandage changes and that type of thing. Often the horses belong to owners who live

HER MOTHER, A LT H O U G H MAYBE W I T H FA N C I E R M O V E M E N T. S H E I S V E R Y TA L L , T H O U G H . I’M RELUCTANT T O A C T U A L LY M E A S U R E H E R , B U T I T H I N K SHE’S AT LEAST 1 7 . 3 H H A N D POSSIBLY 1 8 H H . SHE’S VERY LIKE

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Top image - The striking five-year-old mare LIMOGES is part of Sophie’s expanding team. Above - Sophie riding RIVERROCK NIGELLA in the Eye Opener Preliminary Class at Oro Dressage by the Lake 2021. Below - The tree lined lane ways around the farm are breathtaking for hacking out.

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a distance away or don’t have the facilities. We have seven loose boxes in use, plus a fair number of outdoor yards, but we try not to have too many at any one time.” The property also has a crush for breeding and scanning of mares. Alongside the rehab enterprise, Sophie has established her own equestrian business, selling horses on behalf for clients, and teaching. “I only take on four horses at one time because I can only ride six a day - four client horses plus my own two. I get the riding done in the morning, then give lessons at my arena in the afternoon. I don’t travel to clients as I just don’t have time! We do have a groom/working pupil, which is a huge help; she’s great and does whatever we need. The boys are at daycare three days a week, and she keeps an eye on them on the other days. She keeps her horse with us and has a lesson a day; there’s a lot to be learnt here, with the spellers, rehab horses and breeding.” Leigh, too, is a hands-on dad, although, of course, his work is extremely full-on. Sophie has become a breeder by default. “My lovely retired Advanced mare, Ashbury Dolly, had a Lingh II foal, Limoges. She’s five now, and I’ve just started competing her - she’s a late starter because I took time out to have my family. “She’s very like her mother, although maybe with fancier movement. She is very tall, though. I’m reluctant to actually measure her, but I think she’s at least 17.3hh and possibly 18hh. She’s really fun to ride and just had her first outing at BOP Champs at Labour Weekend, where she didn’t put a foot wrong and was Prelim Gold Champion. Because it’s tricky with the kids, I had to just throw her in the deep end, and she was foot perfect. It was so rewarding to trot down the centre line on a horse I bred myself - I’m a little bit addicted!” Sophie is also breeding from Riverpark Florentina (by Fisherman’s Friend) who sustained a paddock injury after winning the Preliminary Champion at NZ Nationals 2019. She has a yearling by Negro and is due to have a Glamourdale foal this season. Sophie’s ridden team also includes Riverrock Nigella, a six-year-old mare by Negro out of a Salutation mare. “She’s really cool and very talented as well. She has an outstanding temperament, is quite confident, and everything is all about her! She’s really trainable, with that fantastic Negro hind leg.” Sophie admits that she loves mares. “All of my best horses have been mares. You have to have an understanding of them, though. Also, there’s that built-in backup plan if things go wrong and you have a nice mare that’s worth breeding from.” Both horses are co-owned with Jane Goer, who has been a long-time supporter. “Jane is the mother of a very close friend, who sadly passed away. We have a special relationship because her other children don’t ride now, and she still has that interest in the sport. It’s a way to stay involved. I couldn’t do it without her - she’s fantastic and takes me to shows and generally looks after me. “

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Sophie recalls that in Europe, the owners are treated like royalty, whereas here, it’s more a labour of love.

From a young age, Sophie always said she would go to

Germany and learn to ride. “I used to watch DVDs of Anky van Grunsven and Isabell Werth, and I wanted to be able to ride like that. When the opportunity came, it was through Kallista Field’s trainer and friend, Clemens Dierks. “I was with Kallista as a working pupil while I was at University, doing a Degree in Sports Science. When Clemens said he had arranged a place for me, I had a couple of papers left to finish, and Mum worried I never would! But it was such an honour to go to Isabell Werth’s - she is a very private person and doesn’t have people just come in. I was also lucky that Kallista had done her time in Europe, so the basics - how to bandage correctly, lead a horse professionally, sweep the aisle properly, and so on - had been drilled into me. “When I got to Isabell’s yard in Germany, the other grooms weren’t keen on letting me touch the horses. It was just through luck that one of the grooms got sick, and I picked up the slack and started bringing in the horses, doing bandages and so on. They saw that I could do the work and that I could work hard. Then, the harder I worked, the more I was noticed and the more horses I got to ride. I think it would be pretty daunting if you landed there without that foundational training,” During her two years with Isabell, there were plenty of highlights. At that time, Australian Olympian Hayley Beresford was Isabell’s head rider, and the pair became firm friends. “I groomed for Hayley at the Beijing Olympics, then after I had returned home, I flew to Kentucky for the 2010 World Equestrian Games,” Sophie recalls. “That was a fantastic experience. I also went to CHIO Aachen with both Isabell and Hayley. I was treated as part of the German team and got to go out to dinner with them.

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It was amazing.” When her time at Isabell’s came to a close, Sophie found herself at a loose end. “I thought about staying on in Germany, buying a horse and competing, but during my time in Europe, I had been to the shows and seen what’s behind the scenes. It’s 100% a money game over there. I realised that we have such a nice lifestyle here, so I decided to come home, complete Uni and continue riding as my hobby.” With a completed degree, plus one-year post-graduate teachers’ training, Sophie found relief teaching work but struggled to find a permanent role. “And while Isabell is amazing, and I will always admire her training system, I found it challenging to bring that home and carry on without her support,” she remembers. It was shortly after her marriage to Leigh that everything changed. “After our wedding, Leigh headed off to Britain to spend the summer season (our winter) as a private vet at Qatar Bloodstock and Qatar Racing, based in Gloucestershire, UK. The day after he arrived, he phoned me and said, ‘Carl Hester lives just down the lane!’ So I packed up and got myself over there. Hayley gave Carl a call, and I showed up at the yard. I hung around for long

ANKY ISABELL

I U S E D T O W AT C H D V D S O F

VAN GRUNSVEN A N D WERTH, A N D I W A N T E D T O B E TO RIDE L I K E T H AT.

ABLE

enough that they decided I could hack out - the horses all go hacking on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and it’s a case of ‘bums on seats’ on those days. The first time I rode out, I was on Valegro, who was all set to star at the London Olympics. All the way around the lanes, I was terrified that something would go wrong and I would break him. Riding Valegro was like sitting in a Ferrari! It was terrifying - there is so much power. Charlotte makes her horses so sensitive I felt like a bull in a china shop. “Carl was very generous, and I wound up riding two or three horses a day. We went back to Gloucestershire for two seasons, and each day I would go down to Carl and Charlotte’s. That’s definitely a place I will go back to. “On that first trip, Vanessa Way was also at Carl’s; our friendship developed, and Vanessa has been friend, trainer and mentor to me over the subsequent years. It makes all the difference that we both follow Carl’s training. It makes so much sense to me; it’s so fun and friendly, and the horses are so happy. They are only in the arena four times a week; they go hacking and spend time out in the paddocks. I fell completely in love with the sport all over again!” C

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RIDER spotlight

JUMPING AT

every OPPORTUNITY

WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

This young show jumper has packed plenty into her 21 years, with numerous titles to her name. She has already experienced the exhilarating highs and absolute lows of equestrian sport. In typical Steffi fashion, rather than dwell on the negatives, she chooses to focus on the positives, like the opportunity to groom for Daniel Meech at the Tokyo Olympics.

Steffi Whittaker finds it hard to sit still. As she says,

hard work beats talent – though she has both in spades if her track record is anything to go by. She’s had a glittering career on ponies and at Junior and Young Rider level, winning Pony of the Year and Junior Rider of the Year titles at Horse of the Year Show and jumping her first World Cup at the age of 18. Getting up between 4.30 and 5 am every morning to get to her main job as a stable hand at Andrew Carston Racing, followed by working her team of jumpers and schoolers, she then teaches lessons until about 7 pm most days. “Andrew has 50 horses in; it’s crazy busy but good. I go to the races a lot when I’m not riding, and I tell him I’m the lucky charm because when I go, we often seem to have a winner.” Hard work and horses are second nature to Steffi, who lives on the family property at Springston, near Christchurch, where they operate the family business, Whittaker Equine Stables. Along with her dad’s harness racing stables, there is a breeding operation and the show jumpers. Horses bit the entire family hard. Steffi’s twin brother

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Luke is a junior driver on the harness racing scene, and her other brother Josh is an equine dentist. “With the harness racing, we always had ponies around. I did everything, from the Shetland steeplechase to showing and eventing.” When she had to choose a discipline to focus on, there was no question it would be show jumping. “It’s everything. It’s black and white. It’s my love and my passion.” Steffi loves the adrenaline that comes with show jumping, especially the bigger tracks. “You feed off it; the bigger, the more exciting. The competition and the pressure make you want to be there even more. Dad was a New Zealand league coach, and he always says ‘the top five inches’, which it always is at the end of the day.” Her days are hectic, but Steffi thrives on the work. “I’m quite a fidget person and thrive on keeping going and going. I can’t sit still for long. I like to do as much as I can in a day. Normally I go to the gym as well.” She is also on the committee for NZ Nationals as assistant show director and looks after sponsorship.

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Above - WHIMSICAL WDS is currently Steffi’s top horse. Above right - Eros K’s legacy lives on through one of his progeny, Pedro (EROSINNI). An exciting future for this baby is planned. Right - Steffi’s experience grooming for Daniel Meech from Johnson Horses at the Olympics was ‘surreal’ and an image with the Olympic rings felt right! Image supplied.

It hasn’t been smooth

sailing for the past three years, and Steffi has suffered many setbacks, notably the loss of her striking stallion and World Cup mount, Eros K, leaving a hole in both her team and her heart. In her rebuilding phase, she is grateful for the support of her family, friends and owners who have stuck by her. Her current top mount is Whimsical WDS (Hiccup), a nine-year-old gelding out of a Voltaire mare and by dressage stallion Whisper V, owned by Steffi and Katie Hercock. “I was lucky, when I lost Eros, to be offered Hiccup. The biggest thing for me has been the owners and people backing me through the hard times.” Hiccup has been competing in Mini Prix and the Young Riders, and Steffi hopes to step him up to Grand Prix this season. Then she has Carpe Diem (Skye), an eight-year-old mare who has had two Eros foals. This is her second season of jumping, and she has stepped up to 1.20m. Sky is by Cassini de Clipse out of Miss Lindeur,

and the Whittakers own her. “I have just started riding one of her Eros babies. It’s a weird feeling but so cool at the same time. He’s so like Eros, which is nice.” Schooler nine-year-old gelding Chalo ECPH (Halo) is by Cassiano and is owned by the Fisher family. He is jumping 1.30m and has only been with Steffi for a few weeks. She hopes he will step up nicely this season before being sold. Six-year-old Claravos (Clara), by Centavos and out of Lara, is a halfsister to Katie Laurie’s Olympic ride, Casebrooke Lomond. She is just coming back into work, and Steffi is taking her time with the mare. “She’s very little, and we’re giving her time to mature. We own her, and she’ll be out after Christmas, hopefully to do some Six-Year-Olds. But I’m not putting pressure on her as she’s still green. I’m in no rush.” Finally, Glenbrooke Rosarno (Rossi) is a seven-year-old by Cassiano out of Glenbrooke Forever Roses. Rossi almost died while Steffi was in Tokyo at the Olympics and is also coming back into work. She was

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BEING WILLING TO LEARN

IS IMPORTANT. I ’ V E A LW AY S H A D A N O P E N MIND. WHENEVER I

HAVE A

LESSON, I ’ M T H E R E T O G E T S O M E T H I N G OUT OF IT. Below centre - One of Steffi’s dreams was to meet the amazing Scott Brash, and that dream was realised at the Olympics. Image supplied. Below right top - Let’s not forget about Pixie the Jack Russell, who is always close by. Below right - Steffi with Daniel Meech’s Cinca (Johnson Horses) in the water walker. Image supplied Far right - Pinky the Mini is front and centre in the stables. Dre (the family GSP), got in some of the action as well.

hoping to jump the Seven-Year-Old series this season but is counting her blessings to still have him. “We own him, and he was my Eros replacement. He’s here, and he’s happy, which is the main thing. He jumped the Six-Year-Olds last season and was fifth in the New Zealand Championships.”

Steffi is aiming to get

back on the new NZ High Performance pathway. Long term, she has her eye on the Paris Olympics as the ultimate goal and making a senior New Zealand Nations Cup team, but she knows horsepower is everything. “Hard work definitely always beats talent. Hard work is everything. Being willing to learn is important. I’ve always had an open mind. Whenever I have a lesson, I’m there to get something out of it. I always watch people and wonder what I could do better. The desire is there.” Steffi is big on grabbing opportunities with both hands and making

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things happen. When she saw New Zealand would be sending a team to the Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi in 2019, she knew she wanted to be there. “I thought, any way I can, I’m going. I had already been overseas to work for Daniel (Meech), and I knew Tom (Tarver) was going, so I messaged Tom, and they needed someone, so I got the ticket. It’s special to be behind a New Zealand team, especially when we win. It was unreal – I would pay anything to go back to that moment.” Seeing the Kiwi team victorious on the podium only fuelled Steffi’s fire to one day be there too, as a rider. “Having that experience makes you want to work harder and gives you more ambition.” Steffi’s first taste of overseas experience came in 2017 when she travelled to Australia to groom for the Evans twins on the Aquis Champions Tour. Daniel Meech then messaged her to ask if she was interested in coming to work for him. She had a travel scholarship from Alan Hampton and used that to fund her trip in 2018, spending

three months based in Germany, attending the Nations Cup in Norway with the New Zealand team. “That was pretty special. Daniel jumped clear, and that was very exciting. That was the start of it all. He gave me the horse to trot up, and that was incredible.” After attending the 2019 Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi, Steffi headed back to Daniel’s again before Covid spoiled her plans and she decided to come home. On her way to work at 5 am one morning, the call up for Tokyo came. “I was like, ‘are you serious?’ I got my vaccinations, and I was off.” The whole experience was surreal. “The stable facilities were unreal. I really enjoyed Aachen, the quarantine for the horses. At one point, I turned around, and Scott Brash was sitting there, and we had a chat. I realised the top riders are just normal people – but in our eyes, they’re not. They were everywhere you looked. We were at the closing ceremony with Martin Fuchs, and it was a bit mind-blowing. “Watching the team final and seeing that riding gives you a different outlook on how to ride and what you need to do differently. I was so lucky to have that opportunity at 21.” One of her biggest takeaways has been the importance of speed in the ring. “Last year, my focus was my clients and producing young horses,

W AT C H I N G T H E

TEAM

FINAL A N D S E E I N G T H AT R I D I N G G I V E S Y O U A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK O N H O W T O R I D E A N D W H AT Y O U N E E D T O D O D I F F E R E N T LY. I W A S

LUCKY T O H AV E T H AT OPPORTUNITY AT 2 1 . SO

being slow and wanting to make everything look good. But at the end of the day, you have to be fast. Now I’m doing a lot of training to make inside lines at shows, getting my schooling up and having more lessons. Overseas, they travel so much faster than us, and I have been worried about making everything look perfect in the past with clients’ horses, but I need to be quicker.” Daniel has been an influential figure for Steffi in recent years, and they talk often. She likens him to a big brother and says his level of schooling is something she tries to emulate as well as his speed in the ring. “I learnt so much from watching him, including about horse care and management. I think you can always learn one thing every day to make something better, even if it’s the smallest thing.”

Losing Eros and having a gaping hole in her horsepower was

tough for Steffi. Still, at the same time, she says the experience has been one of her biggest learnings. Displaying remarkable resilience for her age,

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

Y O U H AV E T O TA K E I T

IN YOUR STRIDE, J U M P AT T H O S E

OPPORTUNITIES AND GRAB THEM WITH

TWO HANDS.

Above - It feels a little strange to be schooling EROSINNI (by Eros K), but Steffi is up for new adventures and exciting times ahead. Below right - Steffi riding CHALO ECPH at Canterbury Showjumping to take 4th in the 1.30m Championship. Steffi has been able to turn the negatives into positives. As if Eros’ death wasn’t enough, her next top horse, On the Point Eve (Eve), who she won the Equidays Grand Prix on, got cancer in her eye and had to have a sarcoid removed, then decided she no longer wanted to jump. She’s now in the broodmare paddock, in foal to FF Lisandro. “I had to cut my losses. It wasn’t helping my riding because, at the end of the day, she didn’t want to be there. It was always the plan for her to be a mum, and she’s due in January, which will be special.” As well, the family had foals die. Week after week, it just felt like there was something else going wrong. To top it all off, Steffi’s nana passed away while she was in Tokyo, and Rossi almost died. “It was a very tough time for me emotionally, but I had to get on with my job of making sure Daniel and Cinca’s every needs were met, as it was a very crucial time for him. “I’ve had a rough three years. But without that bad luck, I probably wouldn’t have gone to Tokyo. I haven’t had the horses, but people have still backed me, and I’ve had opportunities because of it. You have to take it in your stride, jump at those opportunities and grab them with two hands. “Someone is always having a worse day than you, and you have to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. I had 17 years of great horses, success and winning. It’s slowly getting better again, but our sport is not always about winning – you have to go through the bad days. It’s tough, but you’ll be a stronger person in the end. “Work hard, and it will come. You do realise who your friends who have your back are. I have great friends and owners, and I’m grateful to have those people in my life. I’ve got some nice horses, and that’s a positive.” Steffi is grateful to be sponsored by NRM, Equissage, Leg Up Oil and Josh Whittaker Equine Dental NZ. C

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RETAIL spotlight I HAD MY 30TH B I RT H D AY I N N E W ZEALAND AND H A D O N LY B E E N I N THIS COUNTRY FOR AROUND

SIX MONTHS WHEN I MET GLENN (MY HUSBAND). AFTER ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, I WASN’T SURE I WOULD R E T U R N T O B R I TA I N .

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A CHAT WITH

SANDI JOHNSTON Wellington’s Sandi Johnston is a familiar face on the southern North Island dressage circuit. With her mobile shop doubling as accommodation, she travels far and wide during the season to bring her Classic Equestrian range to competitors. WORDS - Pip Hume IMAGES - Dark Horse Photography

In a typical equestrian season,

Sandi Johnston will travel away from home to at least one event each month with her Classic Equestrian line of equestrian wear. However, with the whole Covid crisis of late, things have been far from normal. “I try to limit myself to attend one event a month, and I keep to the lower half of the North Island, from Taupo south. Otherwise, it gets too intense,” explains Sandi. “But this season, so many events are being cancelled due to Covid restrictions.” However, while travel has been curtailed, many riders have taken the opportunity to order that new pair of boots they’ve been dreaming of. “I’ve got filing cabinets full of all the measurements we’ve taken over the past 25 years,” laughs Sandi. “If you’ve been measured, I will probably still have your measurements. Often I will get people to measure their calves again, as that’s the measurement that can change over time,” she adds.

The Cavallo line includes equestrian casual, competition wear, and of course, those gorgeous Cavallo boots - and the socks! “Four years ago, the German business changed ownership, and the new owner, Brigitte Weeke-Therling, is not only a fashion designer but also an equestrian sports competitor,” explains Sandi. “In fact, she liked the Cavallo brand so much she bought it - a bit like the Victor Kiam -Remington brand story!” The fashion house that is Cavallo releases two collections each year - summer and winter. Sandi orders from those collections and explains that it can sometimes be a bit of a gamble. “For example, in 2020, there was no competition season in Europe due to Covid, so Cavallo cancelled their competition collection. That meant I had very little stock for our summer season that year,” she recalls. More recently, Cavallo has moved into horse fashion - halters, lead ropes, saddle blankets, rugs, and bandages - which coordinate with their equestrian casual wear line. And while those products are fun,

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Sandi says she stocks Cavallo purely because of their product quality and functionality. “The Cavallo brand has always been about looks and style, but it’s also about functionality and quality. The attention to detail is phenomenal,” she reiterates. “The central part of the business is the boots. It can be quite involved dealing with each customer, sorting out their measurements and what they want exactly. It’s not an off-the-shelf product - Cavallo boots are like Subway (made fresh)! The boots are all individualised, and there’s no compromise. I can spend maybe two months sorting all the various options for a customer. I don’t stock a huge range, as there are so many variables. The stock range is so that people can do the ‘sniff test’ and get an idea of what they would like. We do made-tomeasure as well.” In her early days in the business, Sandi travelled to Cologne in Germany to attend the largest equestrian retail trade show in Europe, SPOGA. “It’s massive - it’s THE equestrian retail trade show! There were floors and floors in the Exhibition Hall dedicated to everything equestrian. There were manufacturers from all over Europe and other manufacturing centres such as India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh. I really wanted to do the research and have a good look at everything on offer. But I’m most interested in value for money and quality, and, after looking at everything available, I felt that there was no brand other than Cavallo I wanted to be involved with.” Another factor in running the business is the time difference between New Zealand and Germany, which means there’s quite a bit to be done at night. Locally, too, people often shop online in the evening,

IT’S NOT AN OFF-THE-SHELF PRODUCT -

CAVALLO BOOTS

A R E L I K E S U B WAY ( M A D E F R E S H ) !

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THE

CAVALLO BRAND H A S A LWAY S B E E N A B O U T

LOOKS AND STYLE, BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT

FUNCTIONALITY AND QUALITY. T H E AT T E N T I O N T O D E TA I L I S

PHENOMENAL. and there’s a significant amount of time spent coordinating orders, so Sandi must be disciplined to work to her self-imposed cut-off of 8.30 pm. However, Sandi is firmly of the opinion that customer service is what sets a business apart. She explains that her friend Judy Alderdice, who she purchased Classic Equestrian from five years ago, shared the same approach to business. “The ethos of quality and service has been fundamental to the business all along the way. Susie Wall originally started it in 1996, then 17 years ago, Judy took it over. Judy and I had been friends for years - our husbands were co-Directors in their company - and when Judy’s husband retired, and she decided she was ready to do the same, she thought that I would be a good fit. I wasn’t quite ready at that time, so Judy’s daughter Kathrine ran it for a couple of years. But it didn’t really fit with what she wanted to do, so she got back in touch with me. By then, my daughter, Brontë was overseas, and I found myself wanting to keep in touch with the friends I had made in the equestrian community, so everything fell into

place,” Sandi recalls. “Right from the time I worked for pharmaceutical company Glaxo, I have always felt that I want to be able to stand behind everything I sell - and I like to treat others as I would like to be treated. These days I am competing with online retailers, and there’s a place for that, but there’s also a place for face-to-face shopping. People like that experience - and I try to make it a pleasant experience! I always enjoy catching up with friends at shows, and the mobile shop means I have an independent set-up.”

Scottish-born Sandi

landed in New Zealand after a chance meeting. A trained research chemist, Sandi worked for the industry giant Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in their Sales team. At a medical conference in Rome, she met the New Zealand General Manager for Glaxo, and after a conversation, he invited her to New Zealand. With the agreement of Head Office to a stint for a couple of years, and her role in Britain to return to, Sandi took the opportunity. “I had my 30th birthday in New Zealand and had only been in this country for around six months when I met Glenn (my husband). After another six months, I wasn’t sure I would return to Britain,” Sandi laughs. “Eventually, my mother also immigrated and spent her final years here.” Sandi’s husband Glenn grew up on a Canterbury sheep farm and is a chemical engineer by training. These days, he’s Director of energy company Smart Power, which mainly handles energy management for large, multi-site commercial entities. Their son Jack has completed a degree in Digital Design at Whitireia Polytechnic and currently combines his ongoing studies with part-time work. Daughter Brontë is pursuing her equestrian dreams in Britain.

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“Horses are Brontë’s passion. She rode as a child and never outgrew that passion or her dream of becoming a professional rider,” explains Sandi. Through a chance conversation with friend and dressage rider Caroline Simpson, Brontë heard about an opportunity with Australian horseman and one-time NZ Dressage team coach Clemens Dierks. Before her final school year, she spent her summer holidays at the C & J Dierks Dressage Training Centre in New South Wales. That experience confirmed that horses were what Brontë wanted to do. With limited opportunities available within equestrian sports in New Zealand, the obvious course for Brontë, who has dual citizenship with Britain, was to look in that direction. “Through her dressage coach, Vanessa Way, we heard that Katie Bailey in the UK, who had worked for Carl Hester for around five years, was looking for a working pupil, and Brontë was lucky to be successful,” explains Sandi. “She was with Katie for 18 months and then moved to the stable of British-based international dressage riders Henriette Andersen and Ulrik Molgaard. She went to them for the opportunity of international experience, but unfortunately, Covid put an end to that,” adds Sandi ruefully. Since December 2020, Brontë has been based at

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Shannon Equestrian with young horse specialists Ryan Shannon and Calum Whitworth, who breed and buy young dressage horses with potential to produce and sell. Ryan is renowned as a piaffe/passage specialist, and Calum competes very successfully in the Young Horse classes. “There’s a lot of breaking and training the young horses which Brontë is involved with. It is great experience for her.” Being based at Shannon Equestrian also allows Brontë to compete. Sandi explains that while based with Katie, one of the owners, Hannah Dovey, took a shine to her and offered her the ride on a horse called Thomas Flaviano, by Florencio (Oldenburg), out of Die Walda. “He’s very special to Hannah. He broke his pelvis in his younger years, so he was a late starter and had his first outing in December 2020, where he scored 70%+ in his first tests. He’s now competing at Elementary level, moving up towards Medium.” With dual citizenship, being based in England poses no problems for Brontë, and she was able to spend the Covid lockdowns in the scenic and beautiful Cotswolds - “as safe as she could be,” her mother comments. And with

modern communications, the family can stay in touch on an almost daily basis. “We visited Brontë when she was with Katie but obviously haven’t been able to go back again. So we’re looking forward to the Covid situation settling down,” admits Sandi. Sandi’s other interests are mainly centred around the family property at Pauatahanui, Willowglenn. Along with the Classic Equestrian shop, Sandi hosts an AirBnB - although she comments that Covid has meant less demand for accommodation. She is an avid gardener and has created expansive spaces which give way to more intimate settings around the property. She loves the abundant native birds which visit, and especially the raucous tui who flock to the feeders she fills for them. In the rolling paddocks around the house, Brontë’s former mount Buddy (aka Kiwi Buddy, bred at Graham Hart’s Fernhill Stud and the final foal by the original Kiwi Gold) grazes with his mate Badger - and then there’s the elderly Labrador, King. She is also a volunteer writer at dressage events hosted by Horowhenua, Wellington and Wairarapa Dressage groups. C

ON THE COVER

Positivity

PAYS OFF WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

They say you make your own luck. Canterbury show jumper Georgina Dormer has set about building the life she dreamed of, enabling her to ride horses on her terms through sheer hard work. Now, she and her husband Ben are entering a new chapter of life, with the arrival of a precious and much longed-for baby, thanks to a selfless surrogate.

In a moment of clarity,

Georgina (Georgie) Dormer realised that if she kept doing what she’d always done – taking on other people’s cast-offs or producing cheap and green horses, only to have to sell them to stay afloat – nothing would ever change. She decided to take charge of her destiny. Starting with her decision to import the Cavalleria Toscana clothing line from Italy in 2014, selling through her boutique equestrian business, The Rider Shop, it soon grew to include other prestigious brands like Tucci and Devoucoux. Eventually, that led to the purchase of local saddlery Rangiora Equestrian Supplies in partnership with her mum. With such glamorous brands to her name, it might look like Georgie has it made, but it hasn’t come easily. And the past five years have also brought a heart-breaking struggle to have a baby - a roller coaster of miscarriage, IVF and surgery, ultimately bringing the couple no closer to their dream of starting a family. The day after our interview, Georgie and Ben welcomed baby Angus, thanks to the love and generosity of surrogate Pip Wylaars, along with the support of Pip’s husband Pedro and five children. “They are such a beautiful family. It’s like the baby already has five older siblings, as well as godparents Pip and Pedro. It’s quite overwhelming for someone to bless

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us so much with such a special gift. It means everything. “Children are important to both of us, and it was hard to consider being without them. We can never do enough to thank Pip and Pedro. To have someone give you that gift and not want anything in return is really special.” While there’s a long way to go on the business front, Georgie is starting to reap the rewards of her hard work. She’s finally started paying herself a wage and has a string of quality young horses. She has the ability to say ‘no thanks, I’ll be keeping it’ if someone offers to buy a nice horse she’d rather not sell. And, most of all, they have Angus. The family lives in central Christchurch, but the horses live at Ben’s family property, The Willows, in Loburn. The Willows is home to the renowned Willows Cricket Club. With the passing of Ben’s dad earlier this year, Ben has taken over the mantle at the private cricket grounds, which has the purpose of fostering youth cricket. The 100-acre property is something special. Ben and Georgie hope to uphold and enhance what has been achieved already and, one day, build a family home there. “We have developed six acres for the horses, and there’s an arena and cross ties, paddocks and avenues and tree plantings. There’s a place for stables to go one day. We take a lot of pride in growing something special for the future – it’s about adding to the beauty of the place.

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CHILDREN ARE

IMPORTANT

TO BOTH OF US, AND IT WAS HARD TO

CONSIDER BEING

WITHOUT THEM. WE CAN NEVER DO ENOUGH TO

THANK PIP AND

PEDRO. T O H AV E S O M E O N E G I V E Y O U THAT GIFT A N D N O T W A N T ANYTHING IN RETURN

IS REALLY SPECIAL. There’s a really special feeling here, it’s like horses take a deep breath and relax here, and that’s how people feel too,” Georgie explains.

Starting with poor Mary, the pet sheep, Georgie was dead

keen on riding anything she could get her hands on from a young age. Georgie grew up on the family farm at Waikari. However, her family moved away when she was six after her dad had an accident on the farm that meant he was no longer able to farm. “Waikari always felt like home to me, even when we moved to Ashley, where they are now. I’m a farmer’s daughter through and through.” She thought, if she asked every day, her parents might give in to her pleas for a pony. The deal was, she wasn’t allowed her own pony until she was old enough to push the wheelbarrow and pick up poo. “Mum wanted to be sure I really wanted to ride, and she wouldn’t be doing all the work. I had to muck out, catch the pony and saddle up. It had to be something I was passionate about. Mum was supportive but never pushy.” While her mum rode in her younger days, Georgie’s great-aunt Jenny Lamb really fostered her love of horses. “Jen was the real horsewoman of the family. She always had beautiful hacks, saddle hunters and field hunters, and show jumped. I was obsessed from the word go.”

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Above left - And baby Angus makes three. The safe arrival of this bundle of joy is a credit to people who believe in miracles. Photo supplied. Right hand page - Georgie with GOOGLE NZPH, one of the talented young team that Georgie is competing currently. Georgie’s first pony lived at Jen’s farm, and Georgie would visit and spend hours riding her pony around the hills. When she got her third pony, Basil, she discovered the world of show jumping, and she was hooked. “I thought I was going to be a steeplechase jockey because that looked fun. Then I was going to be an eventer because, you know, Mark Todd.” The penny dropped when she attended a show jumping clinic with Tracy Kovacs, who had the lovely Billion. Despite both Georgie and Basil being completely green to coloured rails, they finished up jumping a course of 1.20m. “Tracey said, ‘this pony could do Pony Grand Prix,’ and I said, ‘what’s that?’ Ever since then, I’ve had the bug, and it just escalated. “I was basic. We didn’t have the funds to buy a nice pony and all the gear. I had Mum’s bridle from when she rode ponies, a Wintec 500 saddle, suede chaps that velcroed up and a jacket that belonged to my great-aunt Jen. I went to Christchurch A & P Show that year and had an absolute blinder. We were first or second in every class we entered and came second in the Pony Grand Prix in my first start. Everyone was like, who is that random kid? I just came out of left field.” Basil is now 31 and retired in Georgie’s paddock.

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A S M Y H U S B A N D S AY S , IF YOU DON’T

HAVE DREAMS, A L L Y O U H AV E A R E N I G H T M A R E S . I THINK IF YOU

DREAM BIG A N D W O R K B L O O D Y H A R D , M AY B E YOU

HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING THERE.

Progressing on to hacks at 14 because she was so tall, Georgie had a succession of Thoroughbreds, usually free or cheap. “I did get one horse with a bit of promise from Tim Price when he moved to England. He was really naughty and would buck as you got in the saddle. Every day for a year, Mum had to leg me on in a yard. I did a couple of Young Riders on him, but not with particular success.” When she got a lovely grey called Celtic Grosve and started training regularly with Penny Stevenson and Vaughn Jefferis, Georgie began to make a name for herself. She made a New Zealand team and rode in New Caledonia in 2009 and then spent six months working for Sam McIntosh in Europe. She represented New Zealand again in 2011, riding in South Korea on a Senior team. “I think it was more that I was seen to be able to ride whatever came my way. For these competitions, you didn’t take your own horse. I was always on green or naughty horses, and I think I showed I had the ability to get on a horse and get a tune out of it, rather than having been a young superstar rider.”

Heading overseas to gain more experience and learn from 60 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

top riders has been influential, which Georgie believes is essential. She returned overseas twice - in 2012 as a rider for Holsteiner Verband for six months, and later to work for Brazilian Nations Cup rider Thiago Ribas da Costa. “I normally go to Italy in May to see the new collection for Cavalleria Toscana. We had a wedding in Europe not long after, and I didn’t see much point in flying home only to turn around and come back, so I stayed and got a job riding for eight weeks.” Georgie says these stints were hugely important to her development as a rider and believes that riders need to go overseas to be successful. “Everything is further ahead overseas. The competition is more robust, the training is more structured, as are the routines with the horses. You learn everything from horse management to feeding and preparing for shows and get the opportunity to train with amazing people. “Being surrounded by outstanding riders every day lifts your riding too. It’s so important to ask questions, watch, learn and soak it all up.” Being away from home and not knowing anyone or speaking the

language does come with its challenges. Georgie recommends talking to others who have been overseas, so you have realistic expectations. “It’s not about the work; it’s how to survive the social side of things without friends and family and trying to meet new people.”

Georgie’s current team

of horses includes Google NZPH, a sixyear-old gelding by Orlando out of Questions NZPH. Google is jumping the six-year-old classes and last season won the Five-Year-Old prize at the Easter show at Taupo and placed in the style class at Takapoto. He was first equal in his most recent Six-Year-Old start. “I briefly thought about selling him and was quickly talked out of it. He’s lovely because he’s the easiest horse to have around. He has a great attitude, loves his job and is talented as well. We love him, and he’s my groom Dani Chambers favourite – apparently, if I sell him, she goes too!” Then there’s six-year-old G Force NZPH, who she is riding for NZPH. He’s by Air Jordan Z out of a Cabdula du Tillard mare, Paparazzi NZPH. “He will take a bit of time, but he’s scopey, careful, wants to do the job and is beautiful to ride. He’s just a bit weak. I think by Young Horse Show, he’ll be starting to look pretty fancy. I think he will be a Grand Prix horse.” Rounding out the ridden team is five-year-old Hugo Boss NZPH, a big

grey gelding by Untouchable M out of du Jour NZPH. “He’s super-talented but tricky, like his mum. He is the most incredibly talented horse and jumper, but he’s also the sharpest horse I think I’ve ever ridden.” In the paddock, she has two-year-old LT Holst Kingsbridge, out of LT Holst Elizabeth. His grandmother is Olympic Cup winner LT Holst Andrea. Georgie is excited about his future. “He’s beautiful but has two white eyes, so he always looks quite alarmed.” All up with schoolers, there are nine horses in work, including lots of lovely Warmbloods. “It’s a bit crazy. I have horses everywhere, and it’s completely mental, really. I like to take on things and somehow make it work.”

The catalyst for her boutique equestrian clothing business, The Rider Above - GOOGLE NZPH is jumping six-year-old classes and last season won the Five-Year-Old at the Easter show at Taupo and placed in the style class, pictured here at Takapoto Show Jumping 2021 Right - Not to be outdone by the horses, Dougal has his own bag of tricks to draw attention to himself during the photoshoot.

Shop, came in 2014. “I was making my living out of horses by riding for other people and coaching. I went to Europe to work for a British Amateur rider on the Sunshine Tour for three months. While I was away, I realised that if I wanted to compete in Europe one day, or at a high level in New Zealand, I needed to find another way to make money. Otherwise, I’d always be relying on other people. “Everything was always for sale, and I could never afford to buy anything

SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

BEING SURROUNDED BY

OUTSTANDING R I D E R S E V E R Y D AY

LIFTS YOUR RIDING TOO. IT’S SO

IMPORTANT TO ASK Q U E S T I O N S , W AT C H , L E A R N A N D

SOAK IT ALL UP.

Georgie loves dressing in the range of clothing she sells through her business; Rangiora Equestrian Supplies. nice. I needed to be able to paddle my own canoe.” While she was away, she went into a tack shop that stocked Cavalleria Toscana. “I thought, goodness, that’s really nice, and I haven’t seen it in New Zealand.” Long story short, Georgie contacted the company and six months later received her first shipment of clothing. She kept riding to make money, even putting two rooms in their house on Air B&B to make it all pay. Eventually, she picked up other brands, like Tucci, and it grew slowly from there. The business was online, and they attended horse shows too. Two and a half years ago, an opportunity came up to purchase Rangiora Equestrian Supplies when the owner retired, which they did. “This year, I’m finally paying myself. The Air B&B, until now, has paid my horse bills, and my husband has been very tolerant. This year we have finally slowed growing so much, and I’ve been able to take a small wage. “It’s funny. There are a lot of rumours that go around about how I have nice horses and this business, and assumptions as to how I’ve got it. Actually, I went to the bank and got a massive arse loan, just like anyone else. “As my husband says, if you don’t have dreams, all you have are nightmares. I think if you dream big and work bloody hard, maybe you have a chance of getting there.” In the long term, the goal is for Georgie to have beautiful horses, compete at a high level, and be the best rider she can be. “I don’t necessarily want to go to the Olympics, but I’d love to jump good classes and get good training. It’s what I love and am absolutely passionate about - the love of show jumping, our sport and horses. The inspiration to start my own business was to ride

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but on my own terms.” Georgie makes special mention of her mum, who does so much for her, even leaving a job she had been in for 20 years when they bought the saddlery. “She is a shareholder and effectively runs the business, allowing me to focus on my strengths. It works so well, and I’m fortunate to have her. She works seven days a week like a lunatic; she’s impossible!” Georgie is also grateful for her sponsors BetaVet and Mitavite. C

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RIDER spotlight

FINDING HER

stride WORDS - Ashleigh Kendall IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

Horse-obsessed for her entire life, Maddi Thompson has her sights set on big goals. Based in Darfield, Canterbury, she rides full-time, building a formidable team for her show jumping future.

Maddi’s childhood was

filled with horses shared between her family. Her parents, Andy and Lisa, shared their horse bug with their four daughters, Chris, George, Maddi and Gus. Together, the family enjoyed a variety of equestrian-themed adventures every weekend, with hunting, show jumping, and eventing high on the agenda. “I have always loved horses. I could ride before I could walk and always had the love for it. My whole family all ride, but I do it fulltime, and my sisters ride more for fun,” Maddi reports. When Maddi was younger, she wanted to be a jockey. Still, when she was 15, she decided she would channel her energies into her love for show jumping. “There’s a lot of hard work in show jumping. I love the commitment and dedication. I don’t know what else I would do if it weren’t for horses!” she laughs. Maddi is always up for a challenge. “I will always take on a difficult horse,” she says. “I love them, and it’s the only way I can do it. There’s a lot of money involved in show jumping these days, so I am fortunate that I can ride almost anything and make something of the more tricky horses.” She began her competitive life in the Show Hunter ring on board her formidable pony Darvel Domini.

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The pair won the national Show Hunter title three years in a row. “Show Hunter was great for me. It is so important to learn all the basics, including striding and riding good lines. But most of all, I loved it. It was all I did when I was little.” She also found a fantastic relationship with Hugo, a horse she sadly sold recently. “I broke him in as a four-year-old, and he won everything,” she remembers. “He was good at everything, and it was so hard to sell him. I will probably never be able to replace him, but the people who bought him love him, which is rewarding too. Unfortunately, selling horses to raise funds to keep going is part of the sport.”

Mavis Harris has

proved to be a fantastic mentor and foundational for Maddi and her riding. “She has done a lot for me as a young rider. I learnt how to jump off so well because of her,” she explains. “Dad trains me now. He lost his leg in a building accident about four years ago, and ever since, he has been my full-time coach. He is an absolute legend,” she reflects. “He was on the ladder when a strong wind came, and a bit of iron came, knocked him off. His leg broke on the way down. I was with Mum

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at the time when the workers rang me to say Dad had broken his leg, and we didn’t think much of it, but they told us to be quick. When we got there, we knew it was a lot worse than just a broken leg. They tried all they could to save his leg. He was in a moon boot for a year and endured four surgeries. However, he became very unwell on New Year’s Eve 2018 and was rushed to hospital. The next day they amputated his leg. Maddi currently has an up-and-coming team that looks impressive for the future—led by the grey seven-year-old mare Silver Moon she got two years ago. “She came to me as a bucker, and she has turned out to be one of my best horses. She is so brave and bold, we have a great relationship, and we trust each other,” she says. Maddi is hoping to compete the mare at Mini Prix this season. Above right - SILVER MOON taking on a gorse hedge. Nothing is ever a problem for her. Below and lower right hand page - Maddi and TH CENTRESTAGE during her 1.15-1.20m round at Marlborough Showjumping 2021 where she won the Teschmaher Trophy.

Maddi’s dad (Andy) collects horseshoes and carefully crafts just about any shape out of them. It really helped with his rehabilitation after his terrible accident. She also has 11-year-old TH Centrestage, another mare who came to Maddi as a naughty horse. “She can be quite pushy, on the ground especially, but we work around her, and it works well,” she explains. She also has some young horses coming through behind her two top girls. “I do ride anything, and I always look for mares. They are a little bit trickier but try harder, and I love a bit of sass,” she laughs. She always has a basic plan when working with each horse. They all jump once a week and are schooled on the flat. “Depending on the horse, it can change. If they are quirky, we might start in the arena and then go for a hack down the road or work in the paddock. I do like to keep it interesting for them, and most of all, to keep them happy.”

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SHE IS SO

BRAVE AND BOLD, WE H AV E A G R E AT R E L A T I O N S H I P, AND WE

“

TRUST EACH OTHER.

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Maddi has found a routine in her competition preparation.

“Going out most weekends makes it all quite routine,” she explains. “I like to have it all organised, so it’s not stressful, and I have happy horses. We normally take around six or seven horses to the shows, so everything must be well organised.” Typically Andy and sister Gus also compete at the weekends, and Maddi has a fantastic groom in Mckenzie Morgan, who accompanies them as well. “Mckenzie is amazing and such a huge asset to the running of everything, at home and when we are away,” she says. While she does love to win, success to Maddi is far more profound. “Having a good team of happy horses is success to me. Even if it doesn’t go well, I know there’s a good team behind me. There’s always another day and another horse. It’s never going to go 100% all the time,” she reflects. “I find so much reward in producing young and problem horses, taking them through the grades and selling them

HAVING A GOOD TEAM OF HAPPY HORSES IS

SUCCESS TO ME. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T GO WELL, I KNOW THERE’S A

GOOD TEAM B E H I N D

ME.

T H E R E ’ S A LWAY S A N O T H E R D AY AND ANOTHER HORSE. IT’S NEVER GOING

TO GO 100%

ALL THE TIME.

on. Seeing them doing well with their new riders is a real thrill.” When it comes to funding the dream, Maddi and her sisters got creative. “We first started school holiday camps in 2010, and we had a whopping four customers. Most were our friends,” she laughs. “Over the past ten years, our camps have grown to become a school holiday favourite with kids from all over Canterbury and further afar.” Most of their camps now have a waiting list, and their customer base grows year on year. “We have so much fun running these camps, and we meet so many awesome talented kids. Parents love it. Often they are at work over the school holidays, and it gets their children outside and entertained away from phones and iPads, and spending quality time with their horse, or ours,”

When she was 17, Maddi headed away overseas for six 68 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

Above - SILVER MOON came to Maddi as a bucker, and has now turned out to be one of her best horses.

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Maddi and very scopey SILVER MOON, competing at the South Canterbury North Otago Show Jumping in Waimate.

months. “I was probably a bit young to go away, so it was tough, but it was also advantageous, and I learnt a lot.” She is pragmatic when it comes to embracing the highs and lows of the journey. “Mistakes are made to learn, and I don’t let challenges get me down. I just carry on.” She plans to make the trip again in the future, “I would love to be based overseas with a good team of horses in the future. I love it here, and it won’t be easy, but to be competitive at the top of the sport is what I need to do. I’m very competitive, and I love to win!” She says there is a lot of negativity in the show jumping world. “I just ignore it as best I can, but it is my biggest fear when it comes to the sport. It is hard to cope with sometimes, but I just try to remember that you will never impress everyone and let it go.” “Work hard because it pays off; try your best and watch and learn,” she encourages. “That’s what I’ve done my whole life. There are moments when I make mistakes and think, ‘I should not have done that’, but you can’t be too hard on yourself.” C

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RIDER spotlight

72 - SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

A HORSE WITH

heart

WORDS - Cheyenne Nicholson IMAGES - Christine Cornege When Victoria Wall talks about her Grand Prix dressage mare Letty Lei, you can tell straight away that they have a special bond. The pair have been going from strength to strength in the arena over the past year, and in January, they will head to Europe to gain more international experience.

While you wouldn’t

know it now, last year, Letty’s future was uncertain when it was discovered she had a distended small intestine and possibly had done for years. The cause is unknown, but it’s suspected that this rare issue had been building up for some time. “Letty has a huge heart, and I think looking back on the past year, I’ve only now realised how big a heart she has. She has always been destined for dressage. She’s not brave with water and isn’t fussed on jumping. We had a smooth work up to Prix St George level, but we started having some minor issues after that. “She had always struggled with her tempis because she couldn’t compress her body enough. Her piaffe was more of a shuffle, and she just lacked that impulsion and power needed at that level. I went to many trainers to get ideas on how to get her to push with her hind legs. While she has always been beautiful and elegant in her movements, getting her to push within the collection was always our nemesis,” says Victoria. While she pulled off good performances in the dressage arena, Victoria knew she could achieve higher scores, so she persisted with focused training sessions. Last August, everything got turned on its head when Letty stopped eating. “Leading up to that, she was actually feeling reasonably well. Her performance didn’t drop, but she just up and stopped eating and started losing weight. She wasn’t colicking and wasn’t under any pressure, so it was all a bit weird.” Veterinarian Dr Noel Power from Waikato Equine Vets came to assess Letty and went through a range of things to figure out the problem. The initial thought was that sand in the gut or ulcers were the culprit, but both were quickly ruled out.

“I hyper-manage my horses gastrically, so if they get to the point of having ulcers, then I’ve really failed. Sand ingestion colic was the only thing that seemed viable, but that came to nothing.” Everyone was left scratching their heads. While Letty has always been a notoriously picky eater and has dietary restrictions like grain and soy intolerances and grass sensitivity, Victoria is well-versed in getting her to eat. But nothing worked. After a few more days, Letty stopped drinking. Victoria quickly loaded her and took her to the clinic for further investigations. Healthy adult horses can tolerate many days of feed deprivation as long as they are kept hydrated, but without water, things can go from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. “She started to mildly colic, it wasn’t anything dramatic, but we acted promptly enough to get on top of it quickly.” The team assessed Letty, including a gastroscope, abdominal ultrasound and general clinical exam. The ultrasound showed multiple loops of a very distended small intestine. “In a normal horse, you can imagine the small intestine as having loops that are about 4cm in diameter and moving actively. In Letty, her small intestine was very large and distended, and those loops were about 15cm in diameter, which are remarkably enlarged for small intestinal loops. It’s something I’ve seen about five or six times over my career,” says Dr Greg Quinn. The cause of the distended small intestine was an obstruction at the ileocecal junction. Usually, masticated and partially digested food travels from the stomach through to the last part of the small intestine, called the ileum. The ileum is a muscular tube that propels the ingesta through the ileocecal junction and into the cecum.

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This is a one-way system, so it can’t re-enter the ileum once food enters the cecum. Letty’s ileocecal junction was severely scarred and fibrosed. The valve that normally should have been muscular was mainly scar tissue. It was so tight you could barely fit a pipe cleaner through it. Because of this blockage, she was getting very little energy from her feed because it wasn’t absorbed and digested. The small intestine was working extra hard to force food through the system, which caused the small intestine walls to become markedly thickened from the smooth muscle in the intestinal wall becoming considerably larger, which further hindered its ability to function. “The small intestinal contents were becoming so backed up because the food wasn’t getting downstream to digest in the cecum. The food was then starting to ferment in the small intestine, which resulted in an overgrowth of bacteria. The small intestine does not normally contain a significant flora of gut bacteria. This all culminated in her feeling rather poorly,” says Greg. In terms of treatment options for this type of issue, surgery to bypass the defective valve is really the only option. Once diagnosed,

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surgery was recommended, and Letty went under the next day for the surgery. “Any major abdominal surgery is not without risk. Bowel surgery resulting in effectively new plumbing of the intestines carries additional risk. Long term survival rates from uncomplicated colic surgeries are in excess of 80%, but once you are required to create a new conduit for ingesta, the prognosis becomes less,” says Greg. With any abdominal surgery, getting in and out of theatre quickly is essential to reduce the risk of infection and complications, especially with a larger-framed type of mare like Letty. In her case, the total length of surgery was around 1 hour 20 minutes. The surgery consisted of creating a hand-sewn side-to-side anastomosis. “For the anastomosis, we attached the last bit of ileum to the neighbouring cecum, creating a new stoma (digestive tract opening). We then emptied the small intestinal contents (fluid containing all the foul fluid from the bacterial overgrowth) into the cecum. We then emptied the contents by carefully lifting the tip of the caecum off the side of the surgery table - emptying the contents by creating a small hole in its apex.

I DIDN’T WANT TO

OVER-FACE HER WHILE SHE WAS

GETTING USED T O H E R N E W B O D Y.

Above - Victoria and LETTY LEI during the evening Grand Prix Freestyle class at Oro Dressage By the Lake in 2021

This is done by draping off the rest of the surgical site before carefully draining the caecum of the intestinal fluid. The drainage hole (enterotomy) is then closed before thoroughly rinsing the caecum, re-gloving and re-gowning, and then replacing the bowel into its allocated position in the abdomen. We didn’t want Letty to absorb those toxins that were in the small intestine,” says Greg. Because the small intestine was so enlarged, it was quite floppy and not used to moving things downstream because it had adapted to cope with the damaged anatomy. Over time, because it now doesn’t have to work so hard, the smooth muscle part of the intestinal wall will reduce back down to its normal size and function. The only downside to Letty’s new adapted anatomy is that the new hole cannot act as a valve, meaning that the caecum contents could backflow to the ileum, i.e. ileocecal reflux. “For this reason, we put the new hole as close to the base of the cecum as possible. The meant that

while standing up, the hole is in the highest point in the abdomen so that the small intestinal contents have to travel uphill before dropping into the caecum. I feel that there is then less chance of caecal contents flowing in the wrong direction - we are working with gravity to reduce that risk.” The prognosis after this type of surgery is variable depending on the horse and the severity of the issue. Greg says that Letty’s had everything working in her favour for a good recovery. Letty was gradually reintroduced to a normal feed over a few weeks. Greg and the team wanted to give her a highly palatable and digestible feed for the first few weeks to get her eating well and to help give her the energy to recover from the surgery. The small intestinal function would have taken time to get back to normal. “Her diet was fairly standard with a good fibre source, high protein mix with the addition of some probiotics, and an Amino acid supplement. Lots

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the all-clear to start bringing Letty into ridden work. She wasn’t used to Letty having so much power, and it took some time to harness it. Work was introduced slowly and in a more traditional way to how Victoria would usually bring her dressage horses back into work. Weeks of long walks and gradually building up the gaits was a tactic that worked well for Letty. “She didn’t need a lot of pole work or strengthening work. When you’ve avoided pushing for potentially years, just the fact you’re able to start pushing with every stride is enough of a strengthening exercise. I didn’t want to overface her while she was getting used to her new body. The water treadmill was another great tool in the process of bringing her back into work.”

Since her surgery, Letty has had three starts, the

of grass was provided by walking her out in hand several times a day, with meadow hay provided in the stable as part of her 5-week stable rest after surgery,” says Greg. Her appetite returned with gusto; she gained weight and was chomping at the bit to do some work. Letty’s enthusiasm buoyed Victoria’s hopes of a full and happy recovery despite a small blip with the development of a minor hernia which has all but resolved itself with careful management. Three months after surgery, she started getting back into light work. Her journey back to ridden work required Letty to figure out how to use her body correctly after spending a long time working in a way that evaded the discomfort in her stomach. “You could tell instantly that you could access more of her body, but there were years of evasions locked away in there too. A horse’s gut is mainly on the right-hand side, and she always tried to push her quarters to the left, which caused problems with straightness. We now know she was trying to create more room for the distended small intestine and find a way of moving that was more comfortable,” says Victoria. Victoria says it was like sitting on a different horse at times when given

first being last autumn. She has increased her personal best score by a whopping 5% since her comeback from surgery, and Victoria is over the moon with Letty’s progress. “I knew she had more in her. She’s stronger and more confident in the arena. The whole tempo of our tests is changing, and I’m so excited. “I didn’t realise how much heart she had until we found out what she was dealing with. Even with all her discomfort, she gave me everything she could, and now we’ve got her feeling good she’s finding life so much easier.” The changes haven’t been just physical. Since surgery, Victoria has noticed Letty has become more affectionate and interested in all the goings-on at home. “It breaks my heart a little because you realise how much weight she was bearing. As a rider, I’m always looking at my horses and asking, ‘are they happy?’. It’s my biggest focus. So to learn that despite me being open-minded about the comfort and emotional state of my horses, we didn’t know what she was going through, is hard.” Looking back at Letty’s history, Victoria suspects the issue had been around for a long time. While there is no way of knowing for sure, upon looking at old test footage, Victoria can now spot the subtle signs of evasion and small ways Letty was altering her way of going. “Looking at the piaffe, I’m like yep, I can see it now. She didn’t want to sit and carry herself, but she tried. The piaffe is probably the biggest thing I’ve noticed post-surgery. Suddenly she’s swinging her hind legs under her, she’s sitting, and she’s so active in the piaffe now. It used to be a shuffle, but the whole mechanics of her hind legs have changed now.” Long-term complications can arise from several factors, but after surgery, adhesions are the main issue. This is something that horses (like humans) are considerably more prone to when compared to other animal species. But with continued careful management, Victoria and Letty’s vets are hopeful for a long, happy life and career for the outstanding mare.

Left- Dr Greg Quinn preforming the delicate and complicated surgery on LETTY LEI. Images supplied.

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AS A RIDER,

I’M ALWAYS L O O K I N G AT M Y HORSES AND ASKING,

‘ARE THEY HAPPY?’

Victoria’s 2022 plans

had always involved heading to Europe. The ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 in New Zealand and the cancellation of many of the key events in the equestrian calendar made her think twice about the timing of her trip. “I had a few people say to me, why not go earlier? The original plan was to head over in May, but I’ve now decided we will head over in January. It was a swift decision. I made some enquiries and spoke to some friends, and everything started falling into place.” Along with Victoria’s stallion, Furst Hit EDH (Furstenball Old/Sandro Hit/Jazz), Letty will join her to make the most of the offered training opportunities, and she feels they will travel better together. While some finer details are yet to be decided, Victoria is

keen to base herself out of Germany, a central competition location. “Having two horses at different levels over there will be great, I think. It will be great as a rider to be switching it up, and I think it’s the best learning opportunity for my stallion.” Victoria has been overwhelmed by the help, support, and accommodation offers from friends in Europe, all of whom she’s very grateful for. “I’ll be continuing to work on my business while I’m over there and lapping up all the training opportunities I can. It’s one of those things you’ll kick yourself if you don’t do. I’m also taking my son Baxter as he’s on a GAP year, so it’ll be amazing. I’ll miss home for sure, but after everything we’ve been through with Letty and her incredible come back, it feels right.” C

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RIDER spotlight

EVOLUTION OF A

r e p m u show j WORDS - Rebecca Greaves IMAGES - Michelle Clarke Photography

Makenzie Causer is promising young show jumper loves to produce her own horses from scratch, knowing they are a product of her own hand. And with paddocks stacked with beautifully bred youngsters from proven 5* European bloodlines, the world is her oyster.

With a background in

riding Westerntrained horses, 20-year-old Makenzie still applies the fundamentals she learnt to every horse she starts, and the results speak for themselves. Aspen Park Performance Horses is based at the Causer family property at Tai Tapu, just outside Christchurch. Set on 200 acres of predominantly flat land, the farm also features a valley for riding and boasts an indoor arena, horse walker, and indoor and outdoor stables. The business is centred on the philosophy of producing welltrained young jumpers with the best breeding available. There are 15 show jumping horses on the farm, from weanlings to Makenzie’s oldest mount, a rising nineyear-old. She does all the handling of babies, training of young stock and training of the jumpers. “We buy young, very well-bred horses from New Zealand and Australia. The youngest was a day old – Mum saw it come up on her Facebook page from Australia while she was in the supermarket car park, and before she got to the frozen vegetable aisle, she’d bought it!” Makenzie began having lessons with her mum at the age of five and never stopped. Until recently, her mum was the only person she had ever received lessons from. “I started out riding very well-trained American Quarter Horses, and I used to barrel race. They gave me the schooling and riding foundation I have today. I

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apply a lot of what I learned with reining and barrel horses to my Warmbloods, especially groundwork.” It all started when her parents attended Methven Rodeo, and her mum decided she wanted to barrel race. “They jumped in the deep end and imported some Quarter Horses from America. Mum doesn’t do things by halves! Quarter Horses are just amazing; all they want to do is please you. They’re so kind, easy and talented.” Makenzie won many national titles, notably with Dawson. He learned to barrel race in just two weeks and won more titles than she can count. “He’s a superb all-round horse. The first time I asked him to jump, he jumped 1.30m! We still have him today; he’s now the farm manny. Mum, myself and my two sisters all did barrel racing. I wanted a new challenge and thought I’d give jumping a go, as it had always interested me.

Makenzie has an enviable team of young

horses with mouth-watering breeding, and she’s understandably excited about what the future holds. Six-year-old Lord Axel GNZ (Axel) took out the FiveYear-Old Championship at Nationals last season, and this season is contesting the Six-Year-Old series. By Lordano, out of a Corlando mare, Makenzie describes Axel as the barn clown. “He’s very busy and attention-seeking. He loves to be the most important man in the room. He’s very smart

H E ’ S V E R Y B U S Y A N D AT T E N T I O N - S E E K I N G .

HE LOVES T O B E IMPORTANT M A N I N

THE

MOST

THE ROOM. HE’S

V E R Y S M A R T A N D V E R Y TA L E N T E D –

HE KNOWS IT.

AND

HE LOVES GOING INTO THE

RING AND DOING HIS JOB.

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Above - Makenzie calls QUANTICO GNZ the barn clown. He always wants to be the most important horse, she also credits him with huge talent. Top right - Nine-year-old pinto gelding COPABELLA CAMOUFLAGE (Cam) is a worry wart. He loves food and is happy in his stable but is a showjumping superstar.

and very talented – and he knows it. He loves going into the ring and doing his job.” Quantico GNZ (Frank) is by Quantum out of Florence May XX. He is a seven-year-old purchased by Makenzie as a two-year-old, and she has carefully produced him since. This season he has won his first two out of two Seven-Year-Old starts. “Frank moves in slow motion unless he is in the ring. He loves food and sleeping. He’s talented and loves jumping, and he’s brave, bold, scopey and uncomplicated. As soon as he’s finished his job, he’s happy to go back to bed and finish eating. He walks very slowly and runs his own roster.” The oldest horse on the team is nine-year-old pinto gelding Copabella Camouflage (Cam), who is by Copabella Cadiz and out of Copabella Venice. “Cam is scared of life and is quite happy to stay in his box. Everything outside his box scares him. He’s not only scared of life, but he’s also allergic to life! He’s a worrier, but he’s the boldest, most confident horse to ride when he’s in the ring. He’s in the zone and like a machine. He’s got more scope than any horse I’ve ever sat on.” She’s buzzing over the recent purchase of a four-year-old Actionbreaker mare from France, who is in quarantine as we speak.

Makenzie’s approach to

training her horses is perhaps unconventional compared with others, but it is paying dividends.

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HE’S A WORRIER, BUT HE’S

THE BOLDEST, CONFIDENT HORSE TO RIDE WHEN HE’S IN THE RING. HE’S IN THE ZONE AND

LIKE A MACHINE. HE’S GOT MORE SCOPE THAN A N Y H O R S E I ’ V E E V E R S AT O N .

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“I think I do things in quite a different way to other show jumpers because of my Western background. I do a lot of handling and teach them to use themselves. I want them soft and supple through their neck, and I want good control of their rib and hip. I do all this in the round pen. They learn voice commands and have exposure to a lot of stuff before I get on them.” Her training is always done in stages. By six months old, all of her horses have been tied up, washed, covered and led. They come in every six months from then on and are exposed to all sorts – the saddle, buckets, noise, going on the walker. She builds on their education step by step from a young age. “I don’t get on them as a blank canvas. They can all bridle up, back-up, do rollbacks, do canter departures, and they learn patience. If they’re happy, love me and want cuddles and are relaxed with every step I take them through, then that’s a pretty good indication you are doing something right. “I don’t break in commercially, and I take each horse and do whatever they need for their size, age, maturity and how they are

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Top left - Makenzie and COPABELLA CAMOUFLAGE during the Young Rider class at South Canterbury North Otago - Waimate Show Jumping Below left - Pictured with her family dog, Indy. growing. I don’t have a specific plan and timeframe, and I take each day as it comes and work with each horse as an individual.” Her riding highlight to date is winning the National Five-yearOld title and seeing her hard work pay off. “Frank is the first horse I have ever produced, and I got him when I was still at school. To have him step up to the Seven-Year-Olds this season and win both his first two starts was very rewarding. I’m happy and proud of what I’m doing and proud of my horses.” The highs have also come with the lows, and Makenzie has suffered several injuries that have slowed her down. She broke her tailbone, which affected her back, hips and knees for more than two years. “I was in pain most of the time, and it took real determination to keep going every day when it would have been easier to sit on the couch.” Last year she broke her collarbone in a fall and found it frustrating being side-lined and relying on others to help keep the horses ticking over. “Managing the babies and broodmares still has to continue, and it was weeks where I couldn’t do anything.” Most heartbreaking of all was the loss of a promising fiveyear-old two months ago in a freak paddock accident. “He was showing all the signs of being a very special horse for the future. I had owned him since he was young and trained him every step of the way. I loved him very much, and losing him really did break my heart. I believed he was my horse for the future. “Losing him so easily did make me wonder if the long days were worth it, but I had to remind myself of all the other future superstars in the paddock that wanted their dinner, and I just got on with it.” In the long term, she sees horses as her career. She has a strategy in place to make Aspen Park a sustainable business that can support her riding ambitions. “I do have some other plans in my mind for the near future to help financially. I’m going to get more involved with the

Main image - Aspen Park is what most people dream about with fully equipped equestrian facilities. Above - Hacking out COPABELLA CAMOUFLAGE (Cam) can be interesting. He’s a little bit afraid of everything! Right - Makenzie competing the very talented QUANTICO GNZ in the 7-Year-Old class at South Canterbury North Otago - Waimate Show Jumping

management of the mares and foals in our family Thoroughbred business. The more strings I have to my bow, the more likely I can be producing Warmbloods for the long term. I want to make it viable and be successful because it’s something I love and am passionate about.” It’s a real team effort at Aspen Park, and Makenzie is quick to pay tribute to the work her parents do and the support they give her. “Dad drives the truck everywhere, and he makes sure the paddocks have grass, and he sources the hay – he drives hours on end to Hawea to get the best hay possible. He’s put in amazing facilities and works so hard. Mum was the only person teaching me until a few years ago. A lot of what I’m doing is down to her. She’s very supportive and is always there with advice or to help with young horses.

They both come to shows with me and help me, and I’m very thankful for that.” Her goal is to produce the horses she starts to the highest level in New Zealand and successfully compete them. “I would love to jump some big tracks. Definitely jumping in a Nations Cup, going to the Olympics or overseas in the future is a goal. In the short term, working hard to get myself and my horses to the top level here is something I want to do. “The young horses we buy are bought with my preferences in mind and with the intention that I will produce and show them all. That’s exciting for me and gives me the motivation to work with them, build a connection and love them – they are like my children. The reality is that it’s inevitable that some will be sold when the truck is too full

or if someone falls in love with one of them. Selling the odd horse helps me keep going financially. I have to be realistic that every horse needs to be available if someone wants to buy them. That can be really hard, and I don’t own any I don’t love!” Makenzie says it’s rewarding training a horse, having them understand what you are asking and try for you. Riding and training horses is a process, and there are always things to work on. She loves the challenge of working with each individual and getting the best out of them. “Having the privilege of jumping them is just the icing on the cake. Show jumping brings together discipline, training and natural ability and shows the horse as the amazing athletes they are. I think that’s the reason I love show jumping.” C

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TRAINING clinic

SUPERCHARGE YOUR TRAINING IMAGES - Show Circuit

It’s all about simple adjustments and fine-tuning in this training clinic with Emelia Forsyth, riding her recently purchased mare, Milly. In this high-intensity session, we work on small changes that will make a real impact for successful show jumping.

ABOUT THE RIDER:

Emelia is a talented young show jumper; she is also studying for a Bachelor of Business Management (Honours) degree with minors in Environmental Science and Economics. At 22, she is based between her family property in Clevedon and the Waikato. Travelling extensively throughout Europe, grooming for Bruce Goodin and spectating at major events inspired her to compete seriously on her return to New Zealand, and she was on the winning Young Rider team in 2020 riding Henton Faberge and has recently been named on the High Performance Potential Squad.

ABOUT THE HORSE:

Milly (Wallflower) is a 10-year-old mare by Corofino bred by Jeff McVean and purchased by the Forsyth family in February. This combination is still in the process of getting to know each other and competed consistently at 1.20-1.30m through winter.

Flatwork Gaining control over the movements on the flat will help with control on the show jumping course. Experiment with flat exercises that address your horse’s weaknesses and encourage balance, adjustability and straightness. Introduce fences at different stages of your warm-up so that you know how long your horse needs on the flat before he’s ready to jump his best. Some horses are better at jumping after a brief flatwork session. In contrast, others need more time to become attentive, supple and relaxed. Experiment with the length of your warm-up. Does your horse need 10–15 minutes before jumping a course in good form, or does he need 20 –30 minutes of exercises before coursework? Does your horse tire easily? Does weather greatly influence him? All of these variables play a role in your day-to-day training and your show-day warm-ups. Follow a set pattern when beginning your warm-up. Don’t get caught up in the nitty-gritty details of dressage. Instead, go after efficiency and smoothness; after all, the end game is creating adjustability for jumping.

START YOUR TRAINING DAY:

The most important thing to remember is that if your horse has been out in a paddock or stuck in a stable, it’s essential to do at least ten minutes of walking before you begin your training session. If you are short on time, this can feel like it is a waste of precious minutes. However, it’s best to loosen up your horse before work begins.

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1. TROT WORK After 5 to 10 minutes of active movement, the skeletal muscles are warm enough to begin suppling exercises. Let’s start with a trot exercise. Start with a 12m circle, then ride a short diagonal, lengthening the stride and then shortening it. Do this exercise on both reins until you and your horse are comfortable with it and the movements are fluid, precise and your horse is supple. n In trot, go large and ride a circuit of the arena or paddock once on each rein. Allow your horse to stretch down and keep a soft but drawing contact. n Ride a couple of large circles in trot on both reins. n Go large again and move forward into the canter, riding the entire arena

on each rein. n Staying in canter, ride two circles on each rein. n Come back to walk and allow your horse to relax and stretch on a nice,

loose rein to complete the warm-up.

2. CREATING ADJUSTABILITY After a nice loose canter along the long side of your arena, ask for about five strides of canter and then back to trot. Canter allows far more movement in your horse’s back and abdominal muscles than trot, so canter a few large 20-metre circles.

CIRCLE WORK

: Never underestimate the importance of simple circle work. Circles improve your horse’s suppleness, bend and flexion, and ensure that he is really listening to your aids. Ride circles of varying sizes and use them to break up your schooling sessions. On a 20-metre circle, push your horse forward into a bigger canter, using your leg aids within the rhythm to ask for more energy. After four or five strides, apply half-halts to ask him to gradually shorten his canter for four or five shorter strides. Repeat this forward-and-back exercise several times. You should feel him become more elastic over his back, which will help him articulate each canter beat and lengthen his air time. trot

trot

n ca

ter

canter ca

canter

er nt

lin

ca n ter

20m circle

cant

alk

WALK THROUGH THE DIAGONAL:

It is always beneficial (for both the horse and you) to take a breather during training. An active walk is probably best as you do not want your horse to cool down too much and his muscles to stiffen. The muscle action in walk will keep the horse in a physically primed state while allowing the brain some downtime to process the previous exercise.

SHO WCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

HOW TO RIDE IT:

Once you’ve warmed up with some walk, trot and canter on both reins, you’re ready to try leg-yield. Pick up a rhythmic, active trot and ask for leg-yield by: n Establishing a slight bend to the outside as you come onto the

long side. n Taking your outside leg slightly back behind the girth to push your

horse over. n Keeping your inside leg at the girth to control his movement

sideways. n Keeping your weight central in your seat, with your shoulders

parallel to your horse’s shoulders. n As you finish the movement, bring him straight again then give

him a pat.

Half-halt on outside rein to keep shoulders straight

Leg aid behind the girth

WHY YOU NEED IT:

3. LEG-YIELD FOR SUPPLENESS This exercise helps horses become more flexible through the shoulders, back and hips and develops the connection through the horse’s body. The leg yield is a gymnastic exercise for the horse. The sideways movement requires the horse’s legs to cross, which helps to loosen the body. The muscles and joints warm up and stretch, helping the horse become supple and allowing him to relax, breathe and soften his back. You develop the connection because you move the horse’s inside hind leg to the outside rein. The goal is that your horse has an even connection on both reins from the seat and leg to the bit.

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n To develop your ability to coordinate weight, leg, and rein aids. n To teach your horse to understand and respond to those aids. n To supple, loosen and straighten your horse. n To encourages him to step farther under his centre of gravity and

carry himself. n To increase his ability to round his back, stay straight in transitions

and follow a track on the flat and while jumping. In leg-yield, the front and back legs both cross, with the forehand leading slightly. The horse should be parallel to the line of the circle or the side of the ring. If the hindquarters lead or trail, then the rider should do a better job of receiving the energy of the stride in the outside rein. In other words, apply a half-halt there.

4. SHOULDER-IN FOR STRAIGHTNESS What is shoulder-in? It is moving the shoulders further to the inside of the arena so that the inside hind leg and outside front leg travel on the same line. Performed correctly, the shoulder-in helps to straighten and supple your horse and develop the ability to collect and carry more weight on the hocks and hind end. This helps build expression in the paces and lightens the forehand, which is valuable in all disciplines. It also stretches the outer back muscles; it increases the will to accept and soften in the outer rein. The shoulder-in has excellent value because it counters the horse’s natural crookedness and makes him equally supple to the left and right. The goal of shoulder-in is to teach the horse to step under the point of weight with his inside hind leg. The benefit of the exercise lies in the increased bending of the inside hind leg and the increase of freedom in the outside shoulder because the inside hind leg supports the outside shoulder.

In shoulder-in, the horse trots in a forward-sideward movement, in which the body is bent laterally from neck to tail. Shoulder-in is a side movement on three or four tracks.

5. TRAVERS FOR CO-ORDINATION In travers, the horse’s outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs, to give two or three lines of footprints. Travers can be performed on the long side or up the centre line. You should aim for an angle of about 30 degrees to the line of your track.

RIDER BENEFITS:

n Develops co-ordination n Teaches the rider how to control the haunches and hind legs

HORSE BENEFITS:

n Improves co-ordination, suppleness and athleticism n Encourages engagement of the hocks, especially the inside hind leg n Develops collection n Increases obedience to the rider’s aids

HOW TO RIDE IT:

n The inside rein opens a little to indicate bend/ask for flexion. n The outside rein is kept close to the neck, controlling the energy, guarding against

excess bend, and keeping the shoulders on the track. n The inside leg is used on the girth to ask for bend and forward movement and

generate impulsion. n The outside leg is used behind the girth to move the hindquarters over n The rider should place a little more weight on the inside seat bone and keep the

shoulders parallel to the horse’s, facing the direction of travel.

SHO WCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

6. POLES WITH PURPOSE Cavaletti exercises are an excellent opportunity for horses of all ages and levels to get in some gymnastic work. Working on a curved pattern is especially good for a horse with some cavaletti experience. Use the cavaletti to improve your stride length, bend and encourage your horse to step under better with the inside hind leg. This will give your horse a more robust workout.

THE FAN: This exercise increases the range of motion in the

limbs and joints, engages the hindquarters, increases stride length and core stability, and improves balance. Set up three to four poles or cavaletti on a curved fan line or a 10-meter circle. Set the widest end about 1.2m apart and the other end of the poles consistently closer together. The closer spacing (the inside) will be better suited to horses with shorter strides., while the wider spacing (the outside) will be better suited to horses with longer strides. First, aim to ride the centre of each pole at a good working trot stride. A common error here is irregularity of steps caused by the horse falling in or out through the shoulder. If it feels unbalanced, check you’re hitting the middle of each pole. Once you can ride a smooth curve meeting each pole in the centre with your horse staying soft and round, move either towards the inside for a more collected trot or the outside for a longer stride. Again, you’re aiming to meet each pole in the same place and achieve an even rhythm.

BUILD IT:

TOP TIP:

If your horse is falling in, make your approach a bit wider and aim slightly towards the outside of the first pole. Conversely, if he’s falling out, aim slightly to the inside of the first pole.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Make sure you have these basics

1.2m

1.2

1 .2 m

sorted before commencing this exercise. Start with trotting the outside of the fan without taking in any poles and ask yourself:

n Do I have the correct flexion? n Is my horse’s neck steady?

.7m

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n Is my horse in front of my leg? n Does the circle stay uniform?

If you struggle with this, riding over three ground poles set on a straight line is a great starting point for feeling your horse’s impulsion and ensuring you have adjustability before riding a curved line.

Jumping

The majority of exercises allow for a range in difficulty and enable you to start at the most foundational point before building the exercises up. They’re all straightforward, and you don’t need to be a genius to set them up!

7. CANTERING CAVALETTI Cantering cavaletti is great to help stimulate your horse’s mind and contration so he doesn’t get bored. This work also helps build muscles and encourages more elasticity in the joints. The horse needs to remain straght throughout the exercise, which is also essential for jumping courses. Working with cavaletti helps loosen and balance your horse’s stride and is another exercise to ensure concentration. Variety is the key in training, and jumping big obstacles all the

time can cause injuries, so never stay with one exercise for too long.

BENEFITS:

It teaches us to adjust our horse’s stride so he can come to the poles at the best possible distance. We need to be able to lengthen and shorten the stride at the slightest touch. When you use a half-halt, you require the horse to collect and shorten its stride. This is fundamental for jumping horses.

8. FOUR POINTS ON A CIRCLE Begin by putting down four poles on the four points of a large circle. Canter around the circle, getting into a nice steady rhythm while keeping your horse soft and relaxed. Try to ride the same number of strides between the poles and allow your horse to find his own balance. This is an excellent exercise for riders who aren’t confident about seeing a stride and is a fun and easy exercise for your horse that will help keep him supple. In time you can raise the poles. n First, raise two opposing poles

TOP TIP:

To achieve positive results, you must remain calm, unemotional and patient throughout the training process. Don’t expect to perfect these exercises overnight. Work on them at your own pace and resist the urge to skip steps. Remember, confidence is key.

As your horse grows in confidence, try raising the poles

MAKE SURE THIS IS A LARGE CIRCLE

n Next, raise all four poles n Finally, turn all four poles into small cross-poles

TOP TIP:

These exercises are physically and mentally demanding, so take plenty of walk breaks and avoid too many repetitions. Whenever your horse does an exercise well, immediately praise him and move on to the next exercise.

SHO WCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

HOW GRIDS IMPROVE JUMPING: n The horse equally benefits from grids. n The horse will need to concentrate on his accuracy.

This will make your horse quicker, more scopey and more confident. n This is a muscle-building exercise. n Your horse should also feel more supple after

the exercise. n Lazy and unresponsive horses often wake up

when jumping a grid. As the exercise helps him get stronger and fitter, chances are you may end up with a more responsive horse. n Forward horses also benefit as they have to slow

9. GRIDWORK DEVELOPS TECHNIQUE Jumping grids, especially a grid with oxers, has many benefits for both horse and rider. It’s definitely something to include in the training from time to time, especially if you need to improve the horse’s technique over a fence.

BUILD IT: n Create your line by placing a trot pole to mark the start. n Then, approximately 2.5m away, build a cross-pole n Roughly 6.5m after, add an oxer. n

The size of the fences depends on the horse’s experience.

RIDER BENEFITS: Grids are also incredibly beneficial for riders. Because they’re

structured in a straight line, they allow you to work on your position and balance. A rider’s body movement should be minimal, avoiding over-folding or abrupt body movements. The rider must ensure that the horse is allowed to use his head and neck to jump and is not restricted with the reins.

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down to get their footing right.

HOW TO RIDE IT: n Look at the first pole through the turn to arrive at

the grid smack in the middle. n Once at the grid, lift your eyes to look straight ahead. n Keep your posture straight, do not fall for the

temptation to lean forward in the approach. This is an important one! If you start to lean forward, the horse will pick up speed, and the grid will feel short towards the end. n Keep straight. Coloured poles help. n Concentrate on your balance and your ability

to give the horse enough rein over each part of the grid. n Grids are very satisfying. Once you are in

them, they just flow. This is really a very good opportunity to practice your balance.

10. BENDING LINES FOR ACCURACY It takes good balance, impulsion, accuracy and planning ahead to ride bending lines successfully and smoothly. And, the rider must ride the whole horse to take the best track and maintain the right pace to get the correct distance and desired number of strides between the jumps. Any loss of balance, direction, rhythm or communication will make it difficult to recover between jumps, resulting in an awkward take-off or leaving out or adding in a stride.

HOW TO RIDE IT: Start in the direction that is easiest for

your horse to pick up a balanced, working canter. Visualise the track you will take being drawn on the ground from the centre of the first fence to the centre of the second fence. Keep your eyes up and looking toward the next jump. Adjust the track so that it is appropriate for your horse’s stride. Before you get to the second jump, decide if you will land on a straight line to end the course or continue on the circle back to jump one to repeat the exercise. Keep your horse bent correctly around your inside leg and support him with your outside rein so that his bend matches the arc of the track. In the air over the first jump, look towards the centre of the next jump. Open your inside rein slightly. Close your inside leg at the girth to prevent your horse from drifting to the inside. Keep contact with your outside leg and rein to prevent him from drifting off the track. In this way, you are keeping your horse between your legs and your reins. Between the jumps, keep your upper body tall and guide your horse around the track by keeping him between your legs and reins. If your horse lands on the wrong lead or cross-canters between the jumps, correct him and focus on keeping him balanced and your canter rhythm steady.

Once you and your horse are comfortable and confident with this exercise, you can increase the challenge by adding a third fence to the circle or setting two jumps so that you approach on one bend and exit on the opposite one.

BUILD IT: Place two jumps 18.2m (standard four-stride distance based on a 12’ stride), measured on a curved line between the centre of each jump. Place ground poles on both sides of the jumps so you can approach from either direction.

11. COOLING OFF IS CRUCIAL Cooling off a horse after any exercise is crucial. No matter the activity or duration, time to stretch muscles and let the heart rate return to normal should be a regular part of any rider’s routine. We often don’t give our horses enough time to recover after their work routine. Before you walk back to the tie-up, remember to make sure your horse’s breathing and heart rate are fully back to normal, and he has been allowed to stretch his neck and back. This phase will allow the muscles to cool down gradually to prevent the build-up of lactic acid that will cause sore muscles and stiffness. Commence your cool-down by trotting on a nice loose rein, long and low, to stretch your horse over its back. After you feel your horse let go a bit, transition to a brisk walk, then finish with long-and-low slower walking that completely relaxes your horse.

TOP TIP:

Remember that sweat is filled with electrolytes, and the various salts that are expelled stick to your horse’s skin. Just as you wouldn’t want to walk around sticky with your salt-encrusted skin burning, so does your horse deserve a nice cool-down and wash off before you leave him for the day.

SHO WCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

Plan your week Many of these exercises are great for working on your jumping and flatwork, so pick those that you think will benefit you and your horse. There are plenty to choose from, so try mixing and matching them to create a weekly plan. Here’s one we made earlier to get you going...

TUESDAY

MONDAY

40-minute workout

45-minute workout n n n n n

n n

Ten-minute walk and warm-up. Five minutes on exercise 8 - a straight-edged loop. Get the week off to an easy start by riding this exercise in trot. Five minutes on exercise 6. If you can, set these exercises up the night before, so you can get straight to it. Otherwise, have a friend on hand to help. Decide whether you want to ride these on a circle or straight before you begin your session. Perhaps try lunging your horse over these poles next week to mix things up. n Fifteen minutes on exercise 2 - simple canter circles and fundamental transitions. Mix in some simple circle work and transitions. n Ten minutes cooling off. n Reward your horse with a good pat!

n n

THURSDAY

WEDNESDAY

Day off!

40-minute workout

n n

Ten-minute walk and warm-up. Five minutes on exercise 2: simple circles and basic transitions. Get your horse listening and working in a soft and forward rhythm using these essential exercises. Five minutes on exercise 3. Leg-yield across the arena to create freedom and suppleness through the shoulders. Five minutes on exercise 6 (trot poles) to improves his rhythm, followed by exercise 9 (grids) to encourage lengthening and shortening his strides. Ten minutes cooling off. Reward your horse with a good pat!

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Ten-minute walk and warm-up. Five minutes using exercise 3 to improve your stride. Work on your horse’s rhythm, and try lengthening and shortening the stride in both canter and trot on both reins. Five minutes using exercise 10, jumping on a circle and work and perfecting your jump position over a single small fence while ensuring your change direction after landing. Five minutes on exercise 8 - four points on a circle. Work on your rhythm and balance in canter over poles on the ground. You can also try lunging your horse over these if you would prefer. After a few weeks,when this exercise becomes easy, try raising the poles, but remember that this is a more demanding workout for your horse. Ten minutes cooling off. Reward your horse with a good pat!

Ok, so we were joking! We all know with horses there is no such thing as a day off. Today you could wash some rugs, your horse, your hair, your clothes. Clean some tack. Grab a quick lunch with your friends, catch up on work.. Anything but riding. Top tip, if your partner is not home and you use the house washing machine in secret, vaccum it after it has dried and give it a quick wipe and say goodbye to horse hair. You are welcome!

Remember Remember-It’s crucial to ensure that you’ve planned in your walking, warm up, wind down and final walk. In doing so, you’ll always have 15 minutes for your exercises.

FRIDAY

40-minute workout Ten-minute walk and warm-up. Five minutes on canter work (exercise 2). Circles and transition build great strength for showjumping. n Ten minutes perfecting your gridwork. Remember, if you have done a line that you are pleased with, try some travers to fill in the time. n Ten minutes cooling off. n Reward your horse with a good pat! n n

TIME SAVING TIPS: n Buy in bulk. If you’ll use it before it expires, refill bottles are

cheaper. n After your horse’s bath, go over his body with a medium

n n

n n n n

n n

n n n

brush. It works to groom him and remove water at the same time. Use a cotton under rug to keep your horse clean. They are easier to launder. Use sheen spray after you wash your horse to help repel dust and detangle manes and tails, cutting down on future grooming time. Detanglers in manes and tails can also help prevent shavings from embedding if you stable your horse. Keep your tack room neat and tidy so that you don’t waste time searching for tack and supplies. Organse! Use separate containers to hold grooming tools, a first-aid kit, wash-rack essentials and so on. Go through the lotions, potions and meds regularly—toss what’s expired, dried up, gone gunky, leaky or no longer needed. Give your tack a once-over with a clean rag after every ride to make deep cleaning before a big event easier. If you find someone who can make use of your manure pile, it’s a win-win situation: You get free manure removal, they get compost, and we all save the planet. Wash your wraps in a mesh laundry bag, so they don’t get knotted up. Recycle your supplement tubs. They make handy buckets or storage containers. For an external training session, have a plan and focus on what you and your horse are doing.

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

35-minute workout

40-minute hack out

As you are like to have more spare time today, why not go for a nice, relaxed hack out. Weather permitting! Otherwise, repeat Wednesday’s workout.

Ten-minute walk and warm-up Ten minutes on exercises 5 and 4, travers and shoulder-in. It’s time to put in some serious work and mix it up with some lateral exercises. Improve your horse’s suppleness and fine-tune your aids at the same time. n Spend five minutes riding transitions. Walk-trot-canter-trotcanter on a 20 metre circle. n Ten minutes cooling off n Reward your horse with a good pat! n n

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www.eurosporthorses.co.nz VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION, PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

EURO SPORT

DARCO OBOLENSKY Darco x Cornet Obolensky x Grannus

2016 168cm BLACK STALLION One of the last sons of legendary DARCO, ranked no.1 Sire in the World five years in a row from 2007 to 2011. To this day Darco has the sired the most 1.60 horses of any stallion! “DARCO OBOLENSKY shows alot of power. He is a strong stallion who is expected to follow in the footsteps of his father DARCO.” BWP Stallion Approval Committee Performance tested & approved for BWP Studbook Service fee $2000 + GST - LFG

EURO SPORT

DIMERO NN Z

Diamant de Semilly x Casper van Erpekom x Querlybet Hero

2016 170cm SKEWBALD ZANGERSHEIDE STALLION • Sire DIAMANT DE SEMILLY was ranked No.1 in the WBFSH World SJ Sire Rankings in 2015/16, and is currently ranked No.2 • From direct dam line of CSI SJers KRISKRAS DV 5* 1.60m, GUCCI DV 1.50m & HEROS DV 1.40m • Cannot produce chestnut offspring Service fee $2000 + GST - LFG

EURO SPORT

KALASKA

Kalaska de Semilly x Centadel x Quilot Z

2015 169cm BAY STALLION “This horse is very modern, uses its body in a good way, a lot of action and strength in the hind legs, great technique in the front legs, uses its back properly, a beautiful and chic stallion.” - XAVIER LEREDDE - International Grand Prix rider of Jalisco B and Papillon Rouge, and breeder of superstars Quidam de Revel and Papillon Rouge.

Licensed for Hanoverian, AES & NZWB Studbooks Service fee $2000 + GST - LFG

Carries 50% Thoroughbred blood

ALL STALLIONS ARE AVAILABLE VIA FRESH/CHILLED SEMEN AND ARE WFFS FREE

EURO SPORT HORSES

eurosporthorses@hotmail.com | 021 907 227 or 027 223 4818

EURO SPORT CENTAVOS Approved for Hanoverian, Oldenburg, SBS & NZWB Studbooks Service fee $2000 + GST - LFG Cannot produce chestnut offspring.

2004 172cm BLACK/BROWN STALLION Escudo I x Argentinus x Bariton

ES CENTAVOS is an International 1.60m Show Jumper, representing New Zealand in the Furusiyya Nation’s Cup in Ocala, FL 2016. 2015 Silver Fern Stakes & NZ Horse of the Year Champion and winner of countless Grand Prix.

“Euro Sport Centavos is extremely scopey (powerful) and careful, intelligent & lovely to ride! Traits we all hope for.” - Multiple Olympic & World Championship SJ Medalist BEEZIE MADDEN

EURO SPORT

DIAMANT B Diacontinus x Calido I x Calypso II

2014 178cm GREY STALLION • •

Sire DIACONTINUS is ranked No.1 on the German FN SJ Young Horse Sire Rankings At the Hanoverian licensing auction the under bidder for Diamant B was Olympic Gold Medalist Ludger Beerbaum Licensed for Hanoverian & NZWB Studbooks Service fee $2000 + GST - LFG

ALL STALLIONS ARE AVAILABLE VIA FRESH/CHILLED SEMEN AND ARE WFFS FREE

EVENT coverage

1 MARLBOROUGH SHOWJUMPING IMAGES Michelle Clarke Photography

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5 6

4 1. Jess Land - EMILIO MSH - 2nd in the Pro-Am 2. Amy Evans - PUKETERAKI, Amateur Rider winners

3.Olivia Adams - CASTELADA II, placed 2nd in the Young Rider 4. Kimberley Bird - CERA CASSINA travelled from Ashburton and rode for the win in the Open Horse 1.30m

5. Mikayla Wycliffe - COVERGIRL B finished with 2nd in the Junior Rider 6. Rose Alfeld - CELEBRATION ECPH, winners of the 6yo class 7. Grace Manera - CAZETTE HSH placed 3rd the Young Rider class SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

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8 9 10 1. Rose Alfeld - EYE CATCHER NZPH rounded the day with the win in the Horse Mini-Prix 2. Maddie Thompson - TH CENTERSTAGE finished the winner of the Horse Teschmaker Trophy 1.15m -1.20m 3. Becky Harkerss - KETTLE GNZ took 3rd place in the Horse Mini-Prix 4. Ella Rae-Wood- TMS ANNABELLA were the winners of the 5yo class 5. Lilly Plunket - OAKSPRING WILDFIRE took the win for the Pony Mini-Prix 6. Kirsty Sharapoff - SHOOT THE BREEZE, this well known combination were the winners of the 1.25m Championship 7. Olivia Harkerss - LACONA AMMOE were the winners of the Young Rider class 8. Kimberley Bird - ROXETTE ECPH took the win in style of the Horse Grand Prix class 9. Courtney Townsend - Corofina ECPH showed their talent with the win of the Pro-Am 10. Meg Bisset - BEWITCHED NZPH were the winners of the Junior Rider class SHOWCIRCUIT MAGAZINE -

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EVENT coverage

MARLBOROUGH DRESSAGE IMAGES - Dark Horse Photography

1 2 3 4

1. Julie Fraser - FANDANGO, Elementary Champion, Innishmore Fionne Trophy for Young Dressage Horse, Bitteschon Trophy for Highest % MFS 2. Paige Fitzgerald - KS HELTER SKELTER, Champion Preliminary Pony, Vause Trophy for most points pony graded (pictured in warm-up) 3. Leaha Rowlands - TAHORA MIDNIGHT LILLEY, Reserve Champion Novice Pony 4. Helen Sangster - SWE FURSTINBERRI, Champion Novice Bronze 5. Jen Scotter - MARDI GRAS, Advanced Champion, Prix St Georges winner 6. Riley McMeekin - FURST LOVE NOTE, Champion Preliminary (pictured in warm-up) 7. Dianne Wallace - KP DENVER, Reserve Champion Advanced Medium, Masters Champion 8. Harriet Redmond - STONEYLEA LORD LOCKSLEY, competing in the Advanced

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5 6 7 8

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4 5

3 1. Rebecca Lawrence - DON DARCIANO RS, Champion Novice Open 2. Cherie Pearson - DULCET, Reserve Champion Novice Open, Hanoverian Society Sash L1-L3 3. Yvonne Watson - UPTOWN HOTSHOT, competing in Elementary 4. Janelle Sangster-Ward with daughter Amelia. Giving the pony ride is CAMPTOUN LOCH NESS, Anabel Dampier-Cross 5. Tanya McKenzie - SE GATSBY, Champion Medium 6. Nicki Ford - FERNANDO, Reserve Champion Small Tour 7. Mikayla Wildermoth - DON DOUGLAS CFH, Champion Advanced Medium, Champion Junior Rider on a Horse 8. Anna Gale - BLOOMFIELD FURST LOVE SONG, competing in Medium 9. Meg Johnston - BL ABOUT TIME, Champion Small Tour, Hanoverian Society Sash L4 and above 10. Lucy Gale - ELHAZ TITANIAH, Champion Introductory (pictured in warm-up) 11. Shannon Brien - SWE SHUTTERFLY, competing in Elementary

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6 7 8 9

10 11

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Dublin Rapture Jodhpur Boots

Graze GRAZE has a high level of active ingredients and is very effective in controlling the symptoms of grass sensitivity. GRAZE has a binding action as well as containing highly absorbable organic magnesium proteinate. www.eliteequine.co.nz

Made from quality European full-grain leather with a leather and breathable mesh lining. Features the RCS Memory footbed system for ultimate comfort and support. High arch and in-built shank designed outsole for improved lateral stability. Available in black and brown. Available in Ladies 5 -11 and Childs 13 - 3 sizes. Childs RRP $109.99. Ladies RRP $119.99

www.dublinclothing.co.nz

INSIDER’S shopping guide 3 l a i t n e ess

Cooper Allan Platinum Denim Gel Grip Breech

The Platinum Denim Breech has a full gel grip seat for extra stickability in the saddle and two front pockets to hold small items while out riding. They are 97% Cotton and 3% Spandex. Sizes 8 – 18. $89.99 each. Visit your local Saddlery Warehouse store or shop online: www.saddlerywarehouse.co.nz

WeatherBeeta Breeze Combo Scrunch Neck

Featuring a breathable and cool 60% cotton upper with mesh panels for the ultimate in airflow in the warmer months. With a scrunch neck design to hold the combo neck comfortably in place and over 90% UV protection. Available in New White/Pink/Blue in 3’9 to 5’6. RRP $129.99. Available at all good retailers www.weatherbeeta.co.nz

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Collegiate V-Shaped Diamante Bridle

Made from the finest quality European leather. Features an anatomical headpiece with a v-shaped crystal browband and flat padded noseband. Comes with soft padded reins. Available in brown/tan & black/white in cob and full. RRP $269.99. Available at all good retailers. www.collegiatesaddlery.co.nz

Cavallino Pro-Grip Riding Tights Colours: Black, Wine. Sizes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. RRP $79.50.

Cavallino Sleeveless Riding Shirt Colours: Black, Navy. Sizes: X Small, Small, Medium, Large, X Large. RRP $46.50 www.arionefv.co.nz

ing

n u t s

Cavallo Primus Pro Tall boots with a reinforced outer shell. Grip panel for better contact and flexibility through the laces. Available in seven colours and different leather options such as fantasy patent leather or nubuck. RRP from $1300.00.

stylish

Hunter / Dressage Aluminum Stirrups by Flex on Available with inclined or flat ultra-grip tread and offers a very classical design combined with innovative features: • Ultra-grip changeable tread • Wide tread • Unique shock-absorbing system Where a traditional look meets performance! Available from www.maddoxequestrian.co.nz

Aramis Riding Helmet Elegant sophistication. Introducing the new Aramis Helmets from Lami-Cell. Finished in a luxurious nubuck leather, approved VG1, Dial adjustment. Available in three colours and two sizes; medium 52-56cm & large 57-61cm. RRP $279.90. From your local Zilco stockist. www.zilco.co.nz

www.classicequestrian.co.nz

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SPECIAL feature

The Right Fit! Top tips for successfully selling horses

WORDS - Cheyenne Nicholson

Hundreds of thousands of horses are bought, sold, adopted or rehomed each year. It can be either an exhilarating experience or a frustrating and exhausting one and can be a minefield to navigate. Every seller and buyer approaches things differently, so we spoke to some experts to give you some advice to get you started with the process.

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OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS: KAREN TEAGUE: Owner of Brookby Heights International. Karen has sold many horses in her time and specialises in retraining and selling Image www.kampic.com horses from all backgrounds.

CHRISTINE CORNEGE: Professional photographer. Christine’s photos illustrate many of the articles in Show Circuit Magazine. She is often seen photographing at equestrian competitions around New Zealand.

MELISSA SIM (BSC, DVM, CVMA)

After beginning her Bachelors in Equine Science at UC Davis, she completed her vet degree at Purdue University. She works as an equine vet at Franklin Vets in Pukekohe.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Pricing a horse is a bit of an art - an abstract art, for some. Horse values and what the market or client is willing to pay can often be vastly different. “I will often tell clients to have a look at Trade Me or other sites and find a horse like theirs and see what it’s going for; this will give you something to work from,” says Karen. While selling your horse for what he’s worth in the current market is important, the most critical factor in the entire selling process is to find someone who’s the most suitable match for your horse. “It’s a little bit like dating, I guess, and you are your horse’s matchmaker. We all want our horses to go to homes where they will be loved,

cared for and given the life they deserve, and sometimes that right person for your horse has a slightly lower budget than your price tag. If you’ve done your research and have a price range in mind that you’re not negotiable on, make sure to tell people. It can be a great timesaver,” says Karen. “That said, you will always get the odd person who comes along and offers way below your asking price, “she adds. Enlisting the help of your trainer, fellow equestrian friends and third-party professionals is also a great idea, especially if this is your first time entering the seller’s market.

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ADVERTISEMENT WORDING: A poorly written advert can affect how quickly your horse sells and the type of buyer it attracts. When it comes to crafting a good advert, honesty is the best policy with a generous amount of positivity (and good spelling and grammar!). “While you don’t need to tell people about that one time he did something wrong as a two-year-old when you’re selling him now as a 10-year-old, you do need to be honest about your horse. But do try to keep it positive,” says Karen. List the horse’s age, height and abilities in your advertisement. Include his breed, colour and bloodline and registration details if you think they are relevant to prospective buyers. Also, write a paragraph or two about your horse, listing his good qualities, his education level, his achievements, what kind of rider you think he may suit, and what experience he has. Share highlights of his recent competition history. The description is what you want prospective buyers to read. It should capture a buyer’s interest. But don’t get carried away; it is unnecessary to include the way they like their ears scratched or their preference for mints over stable snacks. You want buyers to get an overall picture of your horse, so they can determine if he meets their criteria and if it is worth getting in contact to find out more. “An essential part of any advert is putting in what type of rider you think would suit the horse. If I have a horse that has a soft mouth, I will write that he needs a rider with a steady, consistent contact and soft hands,” says Karen.

Facebook has taken the decision not to allow the sale and advertising of any animals. Not only for Facebook Marketplace, but for all animals advertised for sale. Don’t fall into the trap of getting reported and being banned on their platform.

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Beautiful girl

k c Mo

d a up

This elegant 9-yead-old Thoroughbred mare is now for sale after coming off the track five years ago. Having already won many lead-up classes in showing and has won her way to the open ring, She has started her jumping career four years ago and is an accomplished at 90cm in height. Sired by Ghost Machine (TB) x Super Delicious (TB). Chestnut. Stands at 15.2hh (158cm) high. She would suit many disciplines including low level dressage, show jumping and Show Hunter. Whilst she has a sweet nature, she is not a beginners horse. She is currently been ridden in a snaffle and has a soft mouth. She is easy to handle, paddock, shoe and transport and enjoys the company of other horses. Vet checks are welcomed.

Call Jenny on +20 7846350 for any further information.

Make sure you express what your horse is like to handle in typical situations such as; floating, farrier, dentist, worming. Terms such as ‘has no serious vices’ are commonly used, but the more honest you are, the more likely you are to find a suitable home - even if it does take some time for the ‘right’ buyer to come along. One of the more common questions you will be asked when selling a horse is your reason for putting the horse up for sale. Be honest about why you’re selling the horse. Was he not fit for your purposes? Too forward-moving for you? Have you outgrown the horse physically or ability-wise? Have you taken on too many horses - and one simply has to find a new home? Be upfront about your reasons for selling the horse. “Try to be as generous as you can in your description and talk about anything that could be a deal breaker for people. Talk about what he’s like to hack out alone and in company if he’s more ‘whoa than go’. You want people to meet the horse and say ‘yes, he’s exactly as described,” says Karen. There are several places to advertise your horse so do your research to figure out the best platform. Trade Me is a popular choice along with ISpy Horses. When it comes to marketing, don’t downplay the power of word of mouth. Chat to people in your local equestrian community and let them know that you’ve got a horse for sale. The bonus of word-ofmouth advertising is that you can often view the horse locally, and get good knowledge and information about the horse from people who have seen and know the horse. Facebook and other social media platforms can be a great marketing tool. Be mindful of the rules around the sale of animals and use social media platforms as a place to share external links only, or you might find your page banned for breaking their rules.

3. PHOTOS AND VIDEOS Using good quality photographs and videos for your advert is crucial in getting the attention of prospective buyers and encouraging them to ‘swipe right’. “While it’s tempting to add in the shots of your horse doing something cute in the paddock or rugged up in the stable, these aren’t necessary. Include conformation shots, action shots of the horse doing what you’re selling it to do, and a nice striking headshot. Interested buyers will ask for more photos like up close leg shots, which you can supply directly to them,” says Karen. Having video on hand of your horse out doing his job to supply to interested buyers is helpful. Make sure video footage is steady and clear.

A side on shot shows your horse’s conformation to persecptive buyers.

CHRISTINE’S TOP TIPS Don’t rush it! Horses will always sense your urgency and often aren’t the easiest subjects to work with. Pick a day when you have the time, and make sure the horse is looking relaxed.

Get someone to help you:

Have at least one, if not two, people to help - one person to hold the horse and another to be the ear pricker.

Find your horse’s best angles:

Find your horse’s best angles: Shoot conformation shots from the near side. This way, you can see all the legs (like a Thoroughbred sales photo). Some people have a preference for the horse to be square in front and offset behind, but do what gives your horse the best shape to show off it’s best qualities. Other shots I like to capture are the horse standing on an angle and looking back across their body, and a full vertical body shot as well as a close up headshot.

Get the composition right:

Keep it plain and straightforward. Remove distracting elements from the background for eye-catching photos.

Professional imagery can be worth the investment to create interest in the sale of your horse. A nice head shot is captivating.

Backgrounds:

Find a clear spot, remove vehicles etc. Try to avoid shooting the photos against a fence or building unless the light allows you to have them parallel to the fence or building. Otherwise, it can be distracting and create strange angles.

Take into account the weather:

Horses, unlike people, always look great in the sun! Overcast days can make a horse’s coat look dull. If it is a bright sunny day, then make sure the light is hitting the horse right, the sun should be directly behind you, and then the horse directly in front of you, so its shadow falls away from you.

Hire a professional photographer: A clean horse is far more appealing in your photos than a dirty one. Make sure you use spray shine on his coat and do your best to have a tidy mane and tail.

While it’s not in many people’s budget, it can be hugely helpful to outsource the photo element to a professional. The photos are what will capture people’s attention when they’re scrolling, so you want your photos to stand out!

Doing it for yourself:

Utilise the zoom function: A standard phone shot is like a 35mm camera. It is considered wide-angle and doesn’t tend to be flattering for a horse. Zooming in a little will look much better and be more like a 50mm lens, which is what the eye sees.

Scubadubdub:

Having a clean horse, wearing clean gear gives the best first impression. Sometimes a fresh bath can strip the natural oils in your horse’s coat, so add a shine product. Or, you could wait a day or after a bath to allow some oils to come back. Remember to tame the mane and tail.

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HEALTH PROBLEMS: All serious health issues should be disclosed to potential buyers prior to purchase - not only for the sake of the new owners, but more importantly, for the sake of the horse. If your horse is prone to founder, colic, has lameness issues, arthritis, or anything which may be a continual, ongoing problem - or a condition that requires ongoing care and preventative measures - you must tell the prospective buyers. All horses suffer injuries at some point - it’s a fact of horse ownership - but ensuring that your horse is fit and sound for the purpose he is being purchased for will help to ensure that he is well taken care of. If his new owner is aware that he has pre-existing health problems, steps can be taken to prevent further injury or problems in the future.

Disclose any prior health problems

COMMUNICATION AND VIEWINGS: Once your advert is live, it’s time to test your communication skills. While your written advertisement should have all the essential information a prospective buyer needs and hopefully sort out some of the unsuitable buyers, prospective purchasers will still have many questions. “I tend to find phone calls are the best method of communication. You can easily weed out the tyre kickers this way, and it saves time. Stick with ‘honesty is the best policy to answer interested buyers questions.” Remember, this is also an opportunity for you as the owner to ask questions of the buyer. Ask about their experience, what they want to do with the horse, their facilities and support. This will help you build a picture of your horse’s prospective home. “My suggestion is to get a prospective buyer to send you a video of them riding as well. I won’t hesitate to tell someone I don’t think a horse is suitable for them based on what I hear from them and what I see on the video; it saves everyone’s time,” says Karen. Limiting the number of people who try your horse in a week is good practice. It helps keep the horse happy in his job, so he doesn’t

If you do not know the perspective buyer, ask them to send you a video of them riding (you may not like what you see!), so you are not wasting anyone’s time or increasing expectations.

get sour from being tried by so many different riders. When it comes time to have someone come out to meet your horse, make sure that you get on first and put the horse through its paces, allowing the prospective buyer to look at how the horse moves and behaves and decide if they want to get on. “I say to all my clients who I help to find a horse, never get on a horse if the owner isn’t willing to get on it first. There are some horror stories out there!” As a seller, don’t be afraid to step in and say ‘that’s enough riding’ or ‘that’s enough jumping’.It’s essential to keep your horse’s health and welfare in mind, so if you feel he’s been put through his paces enough, say so. “They can always come back for another trial ride, but I find the good horse owners know when enough is enough anyway. Another top tip is that very interested buyers will also be willing to take time off during the week to view a horse, so they don’t miss out. Often the people who wait until the weekend aren’t as serious, but you’ll get a feel for this when you speak to them on the phone.” Be open to prospective buyers wanting to ride the horse a second time, in a different location or environment. Use your discretion for this, and again, always hop on your horse first, this time for safety reasons.

KAREN’S TOP TIP MY FINAL ADVICE IS NOT TO RUSH THE WHOLE PROCESS. IF YOU PUT A TIME FRAME ON WANTING TO SELL YOUR HORSE, THE WHEELS CAN FALL OFF Q U I C K LY. I T ’ S A B O U T F I N D I N G THE RIGHT PERSON FOR YOUR HORSE, NOT THE FIRST PERSON WHO’S WILLING THE PAY T H E M O N E Y ! ”

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VET CHECKS

Once you’ve found a prospective buyer, they may elect to get a vet check or pre-purchase examination. While many people think this pre-purchase examination is to pass or fail a horse, that isn’t the case. “It is better seen as a tool so that buyers have all the possible information on the horse before purchase and can better plan for preventative measures or possible expenses if the horse has any likely problems,” says Melissa Sim. The pre-purchase examination is a comprehensive examination of the horse. It gives you, as the buyer, information on any abnormalities that the horse presents with on that day and assigns risk to those abnormalities. “For example, on the day of the vet check, a horse could palpate sore in the tendons of both front legs. If the horse had long toes and was trimmed in the few days before the examination and has no associated lameness, this would likely be a low-risk finding.” However, if the same horse has no recent trimming history and is also lame on that leg and flexes positive, this would be a higher risk finding. As a buyer, it is up to you to decide what risks you are willing to take with your vet’s information and if you have any deal-breakers.

Two main options for pre-purchase exams: A stage 1-2 exam involves examining a horse at rest, including examining its heart, lungs, eyes, mouth, skin, gastrointestinal, and other systems. The stage 1-2 exam also includes an examination of the horse walking and trotting on a lead and flexion tests. Flexion tests temporarily place stress on a joint, or group of joints, to help show lameness that might be subtle, involve multiple limbs, or pinpoint an area for an existing lameness. A negative flexion test means the horse does not have any lameness exacerbated by the test, which is a good thing. A stage 1-5 examination includes everything stage 1-2 does and consists of an examination under saddle and post-exercise. Some heart and lungs or lameness conditions are only apparent during or after work, and these might not be apparent in a stage 1-2 only exam. It also helps to give the examining veterinarian a complete picture of the horse – an older horse with some stiffness could flex positive during the initial trot up but no longer flex positive after working and loosening up. The veterinarian would now assign a lower risk than if only a stage 1-2 examination had been performed. Additional diagnostics can be performed as requested for a stage 1-2 or stage 1-5 examination. These can be requested either before the examination or at the time, based on the findings. .

Xrays are a good idea to look for bony structures that could create lameness.

Buyers should consider having a blood test done on any perspective horse to test for anti-inflammatories

Examples of additional diagnostics include: X-rays to look at bony structures (e.g. arthritis, foot balance, splint). • Endoscopy (camera used to look at the upper airways). • Blood test for anti-inflammatories (e.g. Bute administered recently). . The importance of the pre-purchase examination is that it gives context to any findings. For example, a horse could have changes on x-rays that have incidental findings or be expected for that horse and never cause any problems. Still, without looking at the x-rays together with the trot up and flexion tests, it’s hard to know the significance of the x-ray findings alone. Some insurance companies also require a pre-purchase examination before insuring your horse. If you plan to insure your horse, it is good to check with them about their requirements before booking the vet check. If you have any further questions about pre-purchase examinations, please contact your veterinarian to discuss them.

CONTRACTS: Buying a horse is a significant investment. To safeguard both buyers and sellers, having a ‘Contract of Sale’ is extremely important. Not only do contracts act as a receipt, but a contract also lets you list the horse’s condition, all details in relation to the sale, and any terms or conditions agreed on around the sale - such as a trial period. Professionally designed and legal horse contracts are advisable. If the horse is not paid for in full by the time the potential buyer is to pick up the horse, a payment plan can be detailed in the contract. Just be aware that although a contract is a binding legal document, it does not guarantee that you will receive the remainder of the purchase price when you agreed upon it. Be wary when dealing with potential buyers and don’t agree to anything you’re uncomfortable with, including a trial period without payment. Record all details of the sale when it eventuates. “I use contracts more and more these days. It’s about letting people know they’re entitled to their due diligence, entitled to a second opinion, vet checks, and talking to previous owners. It’s not just about full disclosure from a legal perspective; it also has to be that way for the horse’s sake. “We try to get it right every time we sell a horse, to make sure it’s the right person with the right skills and support, but sometimes we get it wrong, so there needs to be something in writing to navigate this,” says Karen. There are multiple templates for ‘Sale and Purchase’ agreements for horses available online. When in doubt, seek out professional legal help. C

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HEALTH

In the blink of an eye Counting the number of times a horse blinks can tell us a great deal about temperament, health and learning. Dr Andrew Hemmings from the Royal Agricultural University in the UK explains. There are some simple measurements of brain function that all horse owners can try and these can tell you a lot more about your horse than you might think. At the National Equine Forum, held in London in March 2019, I reported that by counting the number of times a horse blinks we can learn a surprising amount about how his brain works, particularly structures such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA) in the ‘reward circuit’ of the brain. Another naturally occurring chemical called dopamine also plays a key role in the normal functioning of these areas, and as dopamine levels increase so too does the eye blink rate.

MEET THE EXPERT Dr Andrew Hemmings is head of school, equine management and science at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU). His principal research area is horse behaviour and welfare, with a focus on the brain and how this organ controls behavioural output. Andrew gives talks and seminars across the UK on how scientific findings can improve horse welfare and optimise performance.

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Blink rate could become a useful way of assessing a horse’s temperament

COUNT THE BLINKS

The neurotransmitter dopamine fulfils a multitude of roles and, in particular, has a bearing on temperament. In human patients suffering from schizophrenia, elevated dopamine levels bring about anxiety and paranoia with an accompanying increase in blink rate. Scientists counting blinks in a population of 100 horses over 300 hours revealed a similar effect: the animals who blinked more rated highly on a questionnaire-based measurement of anxiety.

ASSESSING TEMPERAMENT

On the other hand, in humans with Parkinson’s disease, dopamine levels and blink rate reduce significantly. From a temperament standpoint, these individuals can become quite docile and socially removed. A similar effect was measured in horses, in that slower blinkers tended to be calmer and more docile. Looking to the future, it’s possible that monitoring blink rate could become a useful way of assessing temperament, perhaps as an additional stage in the pre-purchase vetting.

KEEPING AN EYE ON CUSHING’S

While horses do not suffer from Parkinson’s disease, older equines are more prone to a similar condition called Cushing’s syndrome — or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) to give it its proper veterinary term. Scientists discovered that veteran horses who develop Cushing’s syndrome blink less than diseasefree control animals. Cushing’s syndrome can be notoriously tricky to diagnose as levels of the target hormone (known as ACTH) vary, both with the season and the time of day. So there is the potential for blink rate to become an additional tool in the veterinarian’s diagnostic arsenal.

BRAIN TRAINING

Have you ever heard of the game whack-a-mole? The idea is to hit the unfortunate mammal as its head emerges randomly from a series of holes. Sometimes players try to predict the hole from which the mole will next emerge and hit too early. This is an example of an impulsive response. On the other hand, if they get frustrated and repeatedly hit the mole following emergence, this is an example of a compulsive response. As part of her postgraduate studies at the Royal Agricultural University, PhD student Kirsty Roberts designed a test to measure impulsive and compulsive responses in horses. Rather than teaching the horses to operate a hammer, the animals were faced with a series of three LCD screens. At random, the screens would light up white and if the horse selected the lit screen within five seconds he would automatically receive a food reward. If the horse responded too early (before the screen lit up), the computer recorded this as an impulsive response, whereas repeated selection of a previously lit screen was compulsive.

HOW DOES BLINK RATE FIT IN?

Kirsty discovered that horses who blinked more than 21 times a minute performed significantly more impulsive and compulsive responses compared to the group that blinked 15 times per minute or less. The ability of the horse to suppress an inappropriate response is crucial to so many aspects of horse training, and it seems as though blink rate may be able to tell us a good deal about which animals are more likely to respond in an impulsive or compulsive manner. C

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HEALTH feature

IMPERFECT feet No horse has faultless conformation, but with targeted management, most will be sound and happy for years to come. Dr Kathryn Nankervis and osteopath Elizabeth Launder talk about assessing the ups and downs of foot balance.

IMAGES - Sally Newcomb

IS YOUR HORSE CONFORMATIONALLY PERFECT? Probably not. But don’t despair. Whatever his

imperfections, being aware of what they are and tailoring your management will help you to keep your horse sounder for longer. Perhaps the most influential part of the horse’s anatomy when it comes to performance and longevity is his feet. After all, no foot, no horse. Therefore, when it comes to assessing your horse’s conformation and how to get the best out of him, his hooves are the best place to start. Managing your horse for any level of athletic

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career requires a team approach, and one of the most important members of this team is the farrier. Every movement your horse makes is influenced by how his foot interacts with the ground. To stay sound while we place our physical demands on them, his feet need to be in the best shape, balance and health. Physical therapy throughout a horse’s life should be aimed at optimising static and dynamic posture, of which the foot-ground interaction is one of the most influential parts.

OUR EXPERTS: KATHRYN NANKERVIS set up the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury in 1999 and oversees all the teaching and research activity within the Equine Therapy Centre and the Margaret Giffen Centre for Rider Performance.

ELIZABETH J LAUNDER B.Sc. Hons (Biol. Sci.) B.Sc. Hons (Ost.) M.Sc. Member of: General Osteopathic Council, Institute of Osteopathy, Society Of Osteopaths In Animal Care, BEVA (British Equine Veterinary Association)

The outside edge of this horse's off fore lands before the inside. Not perfect, but manageable with good care.

ROLE OF THE LIMBS The forelimbs bear 60% of your horse’s bodyweight and play a primary role in weight bearing and shock absorption. They have a greater decelerative (slowing down) effect on the body than the hindlimbs. The hindlimbs play a greater role in propulsion (forward push). They normally slide a little on landing, but grip on pushoff to generate both horizontal and vertical propulsion. Balance of the hind feet is every bit as important as the front.

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WHAT DOES A GOOD FOOT LOOK LIKE? The jury is still out on what constitutes the ‘ideal’ foot balance. For example, recent research has shown that most horses don’t meet the ideal in terms of hoof wall to heel parallelism. But while there are ongoing debates within the scientific community about the extent to which some aspects of imbalance actually increase injury risk, there are some points of foot balance that most vets and farriers would agree on.

A correctly balanced foot: the angle of the hoof to the ground is the same as the pastern — indicated by the red line. The centre of the coffin joint is vertically above the middle of the ground

A ‘broken forward’ hoof/pastern axis

WHEN LOOKING FROM THE SIDE: Dorso-Palmar foot balance A ‘broken back’ hoof/pastern axis

It’s generally agreed that a line drawn down the front of the pastern and continuing down the dorsal hoof wall (known as the hoof-pastern axis) should be straight, and not ‘broken back’ or ‘broken forward’. The straight hoof pastern axis is thought to provide optimal forces on the suspensory apparatus without excessive flexion or extension of the joints of the lower limb. However, the actual angle that the line forms with the ground will vary with breed and type and so you could have horses with as much as a 10° difference in the slope of the hoof wall, but both would still be considered to have good foot balance. The horn tubules should stay parallel throughout the foot (from toe to heel) and shouldn’t look ‘compressed’ at the heel.

WHEN LOOKING FROM THE FRONT: Mediolateral balance

To assess mediolateral balance, you really need to observe the horse in movement as well as statically. The coronary band should be parallel to the YOUR HORSE 2019 groundAUGUST when viewed from in front and the feet should ideally match (same shape and size). In an ideal world, the fore feet should appear to land flat and ‘breakover’ — the moment the front of the coronet band is perpendicular to the ground — centrally. It is normal, however, for the hind feet to land slightly laterally, but this should not be apparent with the naked eye. YOUR HORSE AUGUST 2019 12082- SHO WCIRCUIT MAGAZINE

As horses progress through the shoeing cycle and their hooves grow, the degree of lateral landing tends to increase, even in horses with well-shod feet. The key thing to note is that there are very few horses with perfect hoof conformation, but there are plenty with imperfect feet who still manage to perform to a high level. The factors that keep them sound are the owners being aware of the problem, regular assessment by your team (vet, farrier, trainer) and correct management.

When viewed from the front, your horse’s feet should match. These hooves aren’t a pair.

A degree of outward rotation of the hind feet, as shown here, is normal.

COMMON DEVIATIONS Hoof anomalies we regularly see are: n Dorso-palmar imbalance (long toe, low heel): This is thought to increase the risk of heel pain, distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint) pain and deep digital flexor tendon injury. Long toe, low heel conformation can be improved by trimming the toes relatively more than the heel and fitting a shoe with greater heel support.

A horse with low heels is more prone to injury. This can be reduced with correct trimming.

n Upright (boxy) hoof: This can be associated

with jarring and shortness of step, and in the hind feet it can contribute to loss of drive (forward push). It’s thought the upright foot may actually be a consequence of lameness, since pain reduces loading of the foot and reduces the normal expansion and wear of the hoof walls on impact. The foot, therefore, gradually contracts and becomes more upright. In this instance, the heels require more trimming compared to a horse with correct foot balance. A slightly wider shoe may be fitted. The farrier may use the minimum number of nails and/or keep the nails as far towards the toe as possible to ensure the heels are able to expand and contract (and therefore wear) normally. n Medio-lateral imbalance: Discrepancies in

medio-lateral (ML) wall lengths are often secondary to toe in or toe out conformation. Mediolateral imbalance means that one side of the hoof hits the ground before the other, then rolls to the shorter wall. This may predispose the horse to distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint pain, collateral ligament injury and fetlock/knee pain. In medio-lateral imbalance, the wall that has become longer requires more trimming to try and get equal wall length inside and outside (medially and laterally). The farrier will judge this by looking down the long axis of the cannon bone when the limb is off the ground.

A boxy foot can have increased tension of the deep digital flexor tendon and may result in lameness.

TEAM WORK

A horse with uneven wall length means one side of the hoof hits the ground before the other.

In all of these circumstances, your farrier should work with your vet to manage your horse’s conformational issues by trimming and rebalancing the hoof accordingly and then shoeing with a supporting shoe. Good shoeing doesn’t mean you ignore breed and variation in foot shape and size to conform to some perceived

ideal, but simply that you trim and shoe to ensure that each individual foot gets the best support possible. Many horses are hugely enabled by a shoe. This doesn’t mean all horses need shoes — many manage to compete without, but shoeing allows more scope for improvement of balance than trimming does alone.

In horses with marked foot imbalance or lameness, X-rays of the feet can give the farrier more information about what’s going on inside the hoof. Don’t just ride your horse on an arena surface all the time — riding on roads and on turf are also important. Quality of the hoof horn and the structure of the hoof go hand in hand. If you can avoid areas of peak loading and spread the forces throughout the hoof, you are more likely to get healthy horn growing through.

Maintaining good feet may mean your horse has to see the farrier more often

SHOEING MANAGEMENT TIPS Ensure your horse is shod regularly. Many imbalance issues are helped by moving to a shorter shoeing cycle, say, every five weeks instead of six, especially for issues such as toe in and toe out, which are exacerbated with increased foot length. Help your farrier by ensuring they have good facilities to work in — well lit, with a flat, secure surface to watch your horse move. Farriers spend a lot of time looking at horses in walk, observing the foot landing, flight and break-over.

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Supporting the hocks with corrective shoeing will help to improve your horse’s push from his hindquarters

Maximising power from the hindquarters

Common hindlimb injuries, such as hock pain and suspensory ligament issues like proximal suspensory desmitis, can lead to loss of power from the hindquarters. Shoeing for hock support involves shoeing with a shoe that has lateral width and length, but without adding too much weight to the shoe. Heel length gives the horse more support caudally (towards the back) while lateral (outside) width has the effect behind of derotating the hoof. The classic painful hock posture is when the toes rotate outwards excessively (some outward rotation is normal) and the foot ‘midlines’ or adducts across the body before stance and doesn’t drive effectively (hock pain often comes from the pushing/loading instance); the outward orientation of the limb helps the horse avoid that loading phase. Providing hock pain is diagnosed and treated by a vet, often using intra-articular corticosteroid injection, the farrier and therapist can then both assist the horse in regaining support and push from behind.

CASE STUDY

Improved posture

Once joint inflammation is addressed, you have a chance to strengthen that area and actively change the way the horse moves and encourage a better posture. It would be completely wrong to alter the shoeing prior to treatment though, as the posture is a response to discomfort. However, removing pain doesn’t always naturally lead to improvement of posture, so horses can sometimes benefit from a nudge in the right direction from the farrier and therapist to ensure they avoid recurrence of the problem and/or reduce the need for joint injections. Suspensory ligament pain is common in middle-aged sport horses. It is often a chronic condition that can be supported with appropriate shoeing. The aim is to attempt to provide support for the fetlock joint and the suspensory apparatus by adding some heel length, ensuring the toes are trimmed so that ‘breakover’ is eased, and perhaps setting the shoe a little further back under the foot.

‘In just a couple of shoeing cycles, the foot will respond and become broader at the bearing surface’ Ruby, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred mare, is an all-rounder owned by Kathryn Sopp. She has mismatched feet and a slight toe-in conformation on her left fore, with typical flat Thoroughbred feet with low heels.

Ruby’s toe-in conformation may lead to lameness issues in the future.

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The toe in conformation leads to Ruby dishing out, which exacerbates a lateral land so, over time, she will be more susceptible to coffin joint issues, suspensory branch issues and any collateral ligament pain. The low heel probably means she doesn’t operate on hard ground very well, which poses the risk of shortening her

longevity if it’s not properly managed. The farrier’s job in this case is to try to support the heels and a slightly bigger shoe is fitted to encourage horn growth. The idea is that the bigger shoe provides an increased area for load bearing, which reduces the peak pressures borne by the walls and heels. In essence, the farrier puts metal where they would like the foot to be. Hopefully, by making small changes each time, in just a couple of shoeing cycles, the foot will respond and become broader at the bearing surface.

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HEALTH feature

THE LOWDOWN ON

WINDSUCKING

Windsucking is still one of those things that many people are uneasy about, likely because of the many unknowns surrounding the behaviour. While it can be annoying for one’s fences (and ears!), it’s not all doom and gloom. WORDS - Cheyenne Nicholson

OUR EXPERT: DR EMILY SHERLOCK - BVETMED MRCVS Dr Emily Sherlock rejoined the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre team in early 2018 permanently. Born and raised in England, grew up with Pony Club, eventing and even a spot of polo. She graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2013.

WHAT IS WINDSUCKING AND CRIBBING? Windsucking is a stereotypic behaviour - a repetitive, compulsive activity that seems to serve no purpose (but, in reality, likely does for the horse). It’s when a horse flexes its neck and gulps in the air into the upper part of its oesophagus, making a characteristic sound. Cribbing is a similar behaviour, but with this, the horse places his upper teeth firmly on a hard object, pulls back, arches his neck, and gulps in the air. The two behaviours are often related and occur together. People are often nervous about windsucking horses for fears that other horses will ‘learn’ to windsuck off their buddy. Many say this isn’t the case; horses typically don’t adopt this behaviour by mimicking others, but that’s not to say they can’t. While it’s unlikely to have a horse windsuck and an owner not know about it or have witnessed the behaviour themselves, a few signs and symptoms

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play a role in identifying the issue. “Weight loss can occur in extreme cases due to the horse spending extended periods windsucking and less time eating. These horses may, in turn, be more prone to developing gastric ulcers,” says Dr Emily Sherlock from Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre. Hypertrophy (enlargement) of lower neck muscles may occur due to repetitive flexing and tensing of the neck. Horses that crib are likely to wear their incisor teeth down, and in some extreme cases, that can later prevent them from eating shorter grass. “There has been some research done that implies that horses who windsuck are more likely to develop colic at some point, although the connection is unclear. There is also some evidence to show that windsucking can cause osteoarthritis of the hyoid bone in the throat.”

Windsucking is when the horse arches its neck and sucks in air to its esophagus, which makes the same noise that is produced when cribbing and is also a hard habit to shake. The difference is that the horse doesn’t brace with his teeth when windsucking.

CAUSES OF WINDSUCKING:

Boredom, stress, habit, addiction, genetics and gastric issues have all been put forward as possible causes for cribbing and windsucking. While researchers still aren’t 100% certain about why some horses crib, many theories are reasonably wellsupported by research, but not definitively so. “The action of windsucking is also believed to release certain endorphins, which in turn makes it an addictive habit.” More recent research suggests that the equation isn’t that simple and that stress relief may be at the core of the behaviour, but in reality, there are several potential causes. Lack of forage and mental or physical stimulation in a horse’s early life can predispose them to the behaviour, but the key trigger is stress. Windsucking and cribbing are thought to be developed as coping mechanisms. Being a stereotypic behaviour, once they learn it, it’s performed more out of habit than out of stress. Several studies and surveys have supported these theories; however, other studies have found stress is not a factor in windsucking horses. “Other theories suggest it’s a coping mechanism and horses will windsuck when they are more stressed. There is also recent evidence to suggest that windsucking may be inherited and have a genetic component.” A Japanese survey found genetic linkages to windsucking. Among 1,500 Thoroughbreds, windsucking incidence was 1% but was 7-8% was within certain families. There is also evidence to suggest certain breeds are more prone to the behaviour. A 2009 Cornell University survey included more than 3,500 horses which identified Thoroughbreds as three times more likely to develop this stereotype than other breeds. This linkage to breeds could have more to do with how they’re managed rather than their genetics. In general, the management systems at race tracks tend to disrupt the normal social tendencies horses have. “To add to the theories, there is some correlation with slightly more nervous, anxious or hyperactive horses and windsucking.”

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COLIC RISK While researchers are still working to understand how these behaviours affect a horse’s health, some evidence suggests that horses who windsuck or crib are more prone to colic and may also be more inclined to gastric ulcers. It could be that the horse has underlying digestive system dysfunction and is prone to colic, which makes them more likely to windsuck or crib - no one really knows. The data surrounding the connection is limited and doesn’t necessarily point to an actual cause and effect. In 2004, researchers confirmed that horses who crib might be more likely to develop epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE), a

type of colic that occurs when a section of the small intestine becomes trapped between the liver and pancreas. Of 419 horses who were treated for EFE, 47% were windsuckers and/ or cribbers. The epiploic foramen is a natural hole in the abdomen. The thinking is that this hole widens in cribbers and windsuckers because of the pressure changes, and at some point, a loop of the small intestine may slip through. That said, understanding the connections between colic and cribbing and windsucking needs more research.

MANAGING A WINDSUCKING HORSE Broadly speaking, the behaviour is becoming more accepted and doesn’t seem to hinder the sale and purchase of a windsucking or cribbing horse like it has historically. “In terms of the Thoroughbred sales, it is a condition that has to be declared prior to purchase. If the horse is found to be a windsucker within seven days of the sale and the vendor did not declare it, the purchaser has the right to cancel the sale if they have a veterinary signed certificate to provide it is, in fact, a windsucker. For most people, it is more of an annoyance having to listen to and watch their horse do it. In some instances, there may be damage to fence posts, trees or stable walls and doors.” Typically, the chances of stopping or reducing the behaviour diminish as the habit becomes more entrenched. So the sooner it is identified and lifestyle changes made, the more likely you are to reduce the behaviour. “Regardless of age, I would start by questioning whether there is any underlying gastric discomfort. Are ulcers an issue, and do they need to be treated? A gastroscope may be an informative starting point. When it comes to reducing the behaviour, it’s about trying to provide alternative stimulation for them.”

Providing a controlled outlet:

Allowing horses to windsuck safely by providing an area with a rubber covering where they can crib can help. This reduces damage to facilities and helps to protect the wear on their teeth.

Feed wisely:

Horses should be allowed access to forage 24/7 to maintain a healthy digestive system. So as long as the horse does not need to be on a restricted diet due to weight or laminitic concerns, providing ad lib forage is key. The constant feed intake could help express a horse’s oral fixation through continually nibbling at hay and may reduce the frequency of windsucking. Maximise turnout and paddock mates: It’s often found that horses who windsuck have been confined to stables on their own at one point in their lives. Letting horses be horses can often be the best thing for them for all aspects of their health and wellbeing. Provide toys for oral stimulation: A 2011 Cornell University study showed that providing toys can reduce the rate of windsucking. This is because often, right before a windsuck sets their teeth on a rail, they’ll exhibit a lot of licking and chewing. Toys stimulate these licking and chewing behaviours.

Deterrent measures:

If you’re trying to prevent damage to surfaces like fences, there are products you can apply to deter the horse. Generally, they don’t taste nice!

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Windsucking can cause damage to the object and can wear down the horse’s front teeth and prevent it from eating properly.

TOP TIPS • Avoid confining your horse for long periods of time, they are social animals so being around other horses and sometimes other animals, can reduce stress and the compulsion to windsuck.

WINDSUCKING COLLARS Windsucking collars act by putting pressure on the throat when the horse tries to suck in air. “It makes it uncomfortable and unpleasant for them as well as difficult to achieve gulping in air. Some collars even have spikes on them to make the experience worse. These should not be used. In general terms, collars can stop some horses from windsucking. However, there are many horses that have learnt to windsuck with them on. “In my opinion, I don’t feel they are justified in general or for most of the time. I believe the horse windsucks as a coping mechanism, and by preventing them from doing so, they become more frustrated and stressed.” A number of studies back up this thought process, including studies that have measured stress hormones. Horses who can perform stereotypic behaviours were shown to have a reduction in stress hormone and heart rate compared to those who were not allowed to perform the behaviour. “That said, there is the occasional time when a collar may be helpful. If a horse is too distracted during feeding time and spends more time cribbing than eating, the collar may distract them and encourage them to eat better, improving weight. When away from home, perhaps in a competition yard setting, the collar may prevent damage to property that isn’t yours!”

• Using electric fencing along the top rail of fencing in the paddock can prevent windsucking and cribbing on fences while the horse is turned out.

A CASE FOR ACCEPTANCE As concerning as the behaviour can be for owners due to the noise and destruction of facilities, it’s important to remember that the behaviour serves some function and has some purpose for the horse, so jumping to prevention strategies isn’t necessarily always the best way forward. Some horses are just windsuckers. Always have been and likely always will be, despite efforts from owners. For these horses, as long as the behaviour isn’t having any radical effect on their overall health, it could be more about finding safer options for windsucking, like a special board for them to crib on that does less damage to their teeth. “I personally don’t believe it affects their performance when it comes to training or competing. The main management would be to monitor weight, overall body condition and the likes of developing ulcers that may need treating.” As covered earlier, by allowing horses to exhibit this stereotypic behaviour, owners could be helping their stress levels more than if they went to lengths to prevent the behaviour. There is some anecdotal evidence that horses that show stereotypic behaviours tend to have a higher level of perseverance. Once they have formed a habit, they’re good at maintaining it, which can translate into being good school horses as they will retain their training, and it’ll be hard to break the habit. “At the end of the day, I don’t think windsucking or cribbing should be viewed as a vice. It should be seen as a coping mechanism, and we should work with the horse to ensure it’s not detrimental to their health or causing damage to facilities.” C

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HEALTH mindset

MENTAL HEALTH Matters! Equestrian sports are challenging, and life can be demanding. It goes without saying that it is vital we look after our mental health to maintain wellness. Even if you think you are not the type of person at risk of mental health challenges, adversity can come your way and test your resilience. Read on to learn how to manage and thrive through the tough times.

“

If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.

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“

- Abraham Maslow

OUR EXPERT

Ashleigh Kendall mentors riders through her business, Empowered Mind. As a mental skills coach, qualified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner and an advanced dressage rider, she offers a multifaceted approach to guide riders towards reaching their goals.

“

Probably the biggest insight… is that happiness is not just a place, but also a process. Happiness is an ongoing process of fresh challenges, and it takes the right attitudes and activities to continue to be happy.

“

– Ed Diener

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is ‘a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community.’ It is essential to maintain good mental health as it impacts all areas of life. It affects how you function day-to-day; how you think, feel and behave; your performance; problem-solving skills, confidence, resilience and ability to bounce back; communication skills, and relationships. And in the case of the equestrian, it affects your horses too. There are also many physical symptoms attributable to poor mental health, such as heart palpitations, tiredness, problems sleeping, digestion issues, high blood pressure, migraines/ headaches, shortness of breath and more.

Things to remember -

Anyone can have a run of bad luck. Significant factors affecting mental health for competitive and professional equestrians often come from experiencing bad luck in the form of an injury to yourself or your horse, losing a sponsor or owner, having a bad show - or a bad season, or what we all dread, losing a horse. Luck - good and bad - does not discriminate. It is also essential to keep in mind that bad luck is not a reflection of effort or achievement. Achievement is not always reflective of effort. This can be tough when you put all your resources and time into your horses and feel like you are not good enough or getting the results you should be. It’s easy to begin to feel disheartened, frustrated, lost and anxious. But learning to build resilience, focus, a positive attitude, and the ability to put things in perspective will help you through.

WORK - LIFE - HORSE BALANCE

For those who have to juggle horses with careers and families, it is easy for non-horse related stress to creep into their riding. This negatively impacts mental health as enjoyment decreases. Maintaining a boundary between work and the rest of life is crucial. People who maintain boundaries, giving themselves downtime from the pressures and stressors of work, are often more successful in their work. The result is more pleasure from riding and, in turn, a boost in mental health.

BULLYING

Sadly, bullying is a part of life and sport that degrades wellbeing and peace for many. It can be daunting to speak to someone you trust about what is going on and use their support to help stand up to the bullies and shut the bullying down. This can be especially tough for young and vulnerable people. It is essential to look out for them.

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RESILIENCE:

Being resilient and able to bounce back is arguably one of the best assets one can have and pertains to all areas of life. The ability to refresh and reset after disappointments, challenges, and adversity is vital. This is a skill we can all learn and nurture. Resilience is the quality and skill that allows you to be knocked down by life and bounce back at least as strong, if not stronger, than before. Resilient people don’t let themselves be defeated by failure but use the learnings to help them grow more.

FIND SUPPORT: Knowing you

aren’t alone in the ups and downs is essential. Reach out to others and find that everyone has been there in some way or another. This is not unique to you but a shared experience. Our minds also process thoughts and emotions in a healthy way when we hear ourselves think, so chatting to a friend can be very cathartic and beneficial in many ways.

SELF-AWARENESS:

ASSERTIVENESS

MINDFULNESS

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

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ASSERTIVENESS

: This is very relevant when standing up to bullies, expressing your needs and being confident in establishing healthy boundaries. Assertiveness relies on good, clear and empathetic communication whilst also respecting others. While it is uncomfortable initially, it is a valuable skill to have in your mental health toolbox.

Every person is an individual. Our experiences and how we react to them are unique too. Knowing what is normal and healthy for you is really important in maintaining a healthy mind. Sometimes we will slowly start slipping gradually into a low mood. If we are mindful of our patterns, then we can take preventative steps to return to wellness. Self-awareness should always be practised with self-compassion rather than a punitive narrative. It isn’t about getting down on yourself. Instead, you are looking into your inner world, assessing what is working for you and what isn’t, and then taking actionable steps to improve your life.

V I S U A L I S AT I O N

FIND SUPPORT

R E S L I E N C E

MINDFULNESS

LIST BUILDING

MENTAL FLEXIBILITY: Pertains

to how good you are at rolling with the punches. If your day doesn’t go to plan, are you able to pull together and re-organise yourself, or does it throw you for a loop and frustrate you to the point you cannot get anything done? Feeling frustrated when things don’t go to plan is healthy. Still, mental flexibility is about how well you can continue with a new set of plans rather than letting it overwhelm you and ruin your day. Especially important with horses and their unpredictable nature!

M E D I TAT I O N

LIFESTYLE

WRITING

BALANCE

COGNITIVE REFRAMING

COGNITIVE REFRAMING: A psychological

technique that identifies negative beliefs, challenges those negative thoughts and changes how you think. So, instead of thinking, 'I am a terrible rider,' you reframe that belief into 'I have come a long way. I work hard, and even if it doesn't go to plan, I have made big improvements, and I will continue to make improvements and achieve my goals in time.' Reframing isn't about delusion or trying to change reality but is instead looking at it in a way that is not punitive and degrading but motivating and inspiring to our growth.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION: Another popular

tool recommended by psychologists is the daily and deliberate practice of focusing the mind on the present and not getting distracted in the moment—an excellent skill for life and an even better one for your performance in equestrian sports. Mindfulness is a skill that isn’t always easy for everyone, so you have to keep at it over time to receive the fantastic benefits it offers.

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A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying. - B. F. Skinner

VISUALISATION: A valuable practice of

mentally rehearsing a behaviour or scenario, for example, a dressage test, in our minds, so we are more prepared and ready to embrace and thrive in the real world. So, a dressage test visualisation would involve finding a comfortable spot, closing your eyes or having a soft gaze, and going through the test in your mind, movement by movement, thinking about how the horse feels and how you are preparing for each step. You can also use visualisation in other areas of life, for example, where a difficult conversation is coming up. Perhaps if you experience overwhelm going to the supermarket, you can visualise a positive experience that will help you in real-time. Mindfulness can enhance our visualisation skills too.

LIST BUILDING:

Use lists to help reinforce those positive beliefs when things are going well. You could form a list of everything that went well in a ride or even your day. Form a list of what you are grateful for and where you have made significant steps towards growth in your life. You can even document your struggles so you can go back and look later to see how far you have come when you feel like you aren't getting anywhere. Lists are a fantastic resource to add to your mental health toolkit.

DEBUNKING POPULAR MYTHS n

Mental health is mental illness. The terminology does not refer just to clinical diagnoses such as depression or anxiety but also feeling low mood or heightened worries in day-to-day life. It is not limited to mental illness but something we all need to be aware of and maintain. While one in four people will experience any given mental health issue every year, it does affect us all. We all know someone who is struggling, and that filters through to everyone else on some level too.

Mental illness is impossible to recover from. Most people who suffer a form of mental illness will make a full recovery, and the odds are even better when treated with therapy or medication. Mental illness is not a life sentence and does not have to limit your life in any way.

People with mental illness need to think positively and snap out of it. This is not true. The above statement is like telling someone with a broken leg to think themselves happy, and their leg won’t be broken anymore. It is crucial to bear this in mind in your own selftalk and how you speak to others who may be struggling. Toxic positivity is dismissive and the opposite of what anyone needs.

Medication is a quick fix. This is not true for people battling with mental illness. It may be because their bodies cannot produce the right or enough chemicals to maintain normal function. No different to a diabetic needing insulin that their bodies don’t produce. C

WRITING:

Just as talking with a friend about how you feel helps the mind to process thoughts and emotions, writing has the same effect on our mental health. Thoughts can often become distorted and disorganised in our minds, becoming overwhelming and causing distress as we try and navigate our way out. Still, the simple act of writing can help us clarify what is important and give attention to processing our experiences healthily and helpfully.

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AFFIRMATIONS:

A popular tool that is very effective in encouraging and rewiring your neural pathways to fire towards positive thinking. The more we practice focusing on the good within us, the more confidence and self-esteem we build and the more willing we are to put ourselves out there into the growth zone, further boosting our mental health and performance! A double whammy of goodness.

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