Blog

Brilliant Bedding www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   I’ve tried most types of bedding over the years, from straw to shavings to paper. I admit that I haven’t used cardboard! But my all-time favourite is wood pellets. I’ve been using them for about 18 months &...

Supplements for Horses www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I know an awful lot of horse owners who add things to their horse’s feed. In my experience, there seems to be a trend for feeding horses a mixture of chaff, nuts and an array of supplements. Now don’t get me...

Managing the Veteran Horse www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk For many horse owners, there comes a time when your horse gets older and his needs change. For some, this might happen at a reasonably young age, but for others changes may not become evident until the horse...

Feeding hay in the field www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk Not many of us are lucky enough to have an endless acreage of pasture for our horses. Indeed, many livery yards restrict turnout over the winter months so much that we’re lucky to let our horse’s stretch their...

  No matter what you tell your other half, horses are expensive. But don’t worry, there are things you can do to try to be a little thriftier & save money for the fun stuff, like competing, going to events, shopping, etc.   Buy in bulk So we’re coming to...

Get fitter The top professional riders know this, but as amateurs a lack of fitness can often get eclipsed by work, family and simply the time involved in riding & managing horses. So anything you can do to improve your cardiovascular fitness is only going to help...

Clean your tack! All the books say you should clean your tack after each time you ride, but really? Who has time for that? I certainly don’t, so my compromise is to do it monthly. It could be a quick wipe over or a more thorough, full strip of the saddle/bridle. You...

10 ways to help your horse in hot weather   Offer some shade in the field. Wherever possible, ensure that your horse can get out of direct sunlight in the field. This might be a posh (or not!) field shelter, or using paddocks with decent hedges or trees.  ...

Top Tips for Riding in the Winter www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   We’re definitely in the grip of winter now and it can be a real challenge to get motivated to ride at this time of year. Time is precious and here are my top tips for riding in the winter: Wear...

Improve your horse’s straightness www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   Most horses start their ridden career with a degree of one-sidedness; just as we prefer to use one hand over the other, or curl our legs up a certain side when we’re sitting on the sofa while...

Rules of Relaxation www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk   The first basic ‘rung’ of the German Scales of Training is rhythm, which is such a key component of the training of any ridden horse. However, for me rhythm can only really be achieved if the horse is relaxed....

Rewarding your Horse www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I’m a big believer in rewarding my horses when they try hard, or do something that I ask. But I’m quite particular in howI reward & praise them. I’ve seen many people give their horses praise, but some methods...