H.A.Y Equestrian

The Equine Digestive System I drew this diagram whilst I was at college, as you can see it's of Gigi! I thought I would upload it to my blog to help anyone who needs it! Click To Enlarge

Check out parts #1 and #2  Confidence on the Cross Country Jumping cross country can be pretty daunting, the solid jumps and pace take a little to get used to, but there is no reason why you can't go out and have fun on the XC course. I only started XC with Gigi last year, we didn't have the opportunity to go out and give it a go before then , the closest we had been was jumping the occasional small log. So when we got the opportunity to go out to a cross country course we wanted to make the most of it.  The Venue Pick a nice venue, well kept, good quality jumps. This really helps to settle some nerves. Just knowing the ground and jumps are of good quality helps. A good quality venue will also have similar jumps of varying sizes, this is helpful for getting used to what the jump looks like, then going up a bit.  Company Take a friend, a confident friend will help, or one with more experience. Use them as a lead from the start, jump a few fen...

What Is An Anky Pad? In short, a numnah. This pad is a bit like a polypad but better!!! I got mine for just under £50 from a local tack shop, I had been searching for a blue pad for a while but nothing was coming up, then I found this one and had to have it. I bought the pad very much on impulse and probably wouldn't have if I had longer to contemplate spending £50 on a product i'd never seen or used before. There was a brief moment where I put the pad down, but they only had one in blue so I quickly picked it back up. There was a matching pair of Bridleway bell boots so I got those too, but more about my bell boot choices another time! For Gigi I chose the Baltic Sea Dressage Pad, I did not see any other shape options in the shop and I use this pad with my GP saddle, I believe you can get ones made for jumping saddles and the writing on these reads "ATC" there are also matching boots and bandages available in the Anky range. Personally I like the look of the dre...

Don't Ignore Your Horse's Confidence You need to be positive when riding, especially if you are nervous about something. But step back for a minute and think about your horse. If you are worried he will sense it and this can make him worried. This will only make your situation harder as you will end up in a never ending loop; this happens when you are nervous, which makes your horse nervous, you will then pick up on your horse's nerves and the loop will repeat. Help your horse out and improve his confidence to help you with yours, the methods in today's post will not only help you with the battle of confidence but will help improve you and your horse's bond.  Reward Him When He Gets It Right Only ever use positive reinforcement, if you use negative reinforcement you may scare your horse further and make matters worse.  Rewarding your horse is a very important step for improving confidence. When I am lacking confidence in something I need Gigi to s...

Looking for ways to improve your confidence? Look no further... Are you lacking confidence in your riding, maybe you just need a boost? This series will cover my confidence tips and tricks. These methods are all ones I have either used in the past, use when I need a small boost and in day to day activities with Gigi.  Jump With Confidence When jumping I use a variety of confidence techniques; my favourite method is counting. I love to use this method as it enables me to easily see my stride, this means I know exactly when i'm taking off.  To use this method:  Set up a fence you feel comfortable jumping, place the fence near E/B just off the track. Pick up canter at A/C and turn down your line to the jump.  Ensure your horse is straight on approach. A straight  horse is a balanced horse. When you are approximately three strides away, count out loud "One, Two, Three" on "Three" the horse should take off.  You may need to practice...