local riding featured post

Be warned – Horsetail, Mares Tail or Scouring Rush

Just a quick question... As horse owners we're mostly all familiar with the battle against ragwort and how it has spread into every field, central reservation and grass verge in the country, but how many of us know anything about mares tail?

Horse or Mares Tail, (scientific name Equisetum Palustre), is toxic to horses and should in my opinion be equestrian enemy number one. It looks like it belongs in Jurassic Park and spreads like wildfire. From a few small patches last year my paddock is now covered in it and it looks as if it's spreading fast and here to stay.

I've been researching this plant and what I've discovered doesn't make for pleasant reading.. more at Mares Tail - Toxic To Horses

Compete In Dressage Competitions – Online ?

Well now... if they don't own a horsebox or trailer is this every dressage riders dream. Or maybe your horse just doesn't like to travel to shows.

Don't worry, because you can now compete online by videoing your dressage test at home and sending it to Interdressage.

This is an online competition host that judges your dressage test using a video you submit. It costs you £10 to enter a class and promises up to 20% of the total entries to be shared between winning entries, up to 12th place.

COMPETE MONTHLY VIA
VIDEO FOR FABULOUS
ROSETTES AND PRIZE MONEY

You can watch the video entries online and make your own mind up about the standard of marking.

It really does sound like quite a good idea but as we all know, everything is relative and it does seem as if your marks will depend more on the quality of your video than the quality of your riding and turnout.

Oh nearly forgot.... here's the link Interdressage

Olympia Grand Prix Dressage Results

Olympia Dressage - Example ArenaWORLD number one Anky van Grunsven (NED) and IPS Salinero won the grand prix dressage at Olympia, London, on 17th December with 78.042%.  

Britain's Laura Bechtolsheimer was the best of the British, with second on Mistral Hojris. She scored a personal best of 75.33%. The highest score any British rider has achieved in international grand prix.

Third place went to Holland's Aat van Essen and Premier. The former carriage-driving champion turned to dressage six years ago and Premier is his first international grand prix horse.

Top placings and points :

1. IPS Salinero (Anky van Grunsven) NED 1873 points

2. Mistral Hojris (Laura Bechtolsheimer) GBR 1808 points

3. Premier (Aat van Essen) NED 1733 points

4. Max (Kyra Kyrklund) FIN 1704 points

5. Luxform's Nimbly (Alex van Silfhout) NED 1684 points

6. Afrikka (Anders Dahl) DEN 1667 points

7. Mr President (Stephanie Croxford) GBR 1661 points

8. Dolendo (Carl Hester) GBR 1640 points

9. Paganini (Jeroen Devroe) BEL 1631 points

10. Zancor (Anna-Katharina Lüttgen) GER 1611 points

14. Dream of Heidelberg II (Emile Faurie) GBR 1563 points