Davina Gray – eventing addict
It’s 5.45am and as the alarm goes I can hear the wind howling and it’s pitch dark outside. I am fighting the urge to hit snooze, but Tyrella is in 2 weeks time and the pony needs to be exercised! Welcome to the world of an amateur eventer! So,...
WHEN TO SAY NO?
I recently read a really good article about training young horses. The author was discussing the Importance of not ‘kicking the can down the road’ when you run into difficulties with your horse. The main theme of the article was that avoidance...
Horses, punishment and New Year resolutions…
New Years resolutions. Is there a need? Life is punishing enough without willfully torturing yourself in the spirit of ‘new beginnings’. Anyway, everyone else is at it so we had better take a look. Resolve is an excellent quality. Being able t...
Preparing for success – putting the winter to work
Off-season for eventers can seem to last a lifetime but then all of a sudden, the first event is upon us and we find ourselves wondering what we really achieved over the winter months. For me, it’s important that I plan my winter training like I wou...
HorsePlay.ie supporting the Irish Horse Welfare Trust
The Irish Horse Welfare Trust recently announced the launch of its new website at www.ihwt.ie and we’re delighted to have sponsored the build of this new site! The website has been especially designed and delivered by Irish equestrian marketing agency H...
Feeding Horses in Winter
Unless your horse is stabled year-round, feeding horses in winter requires a somewhat different approach than feeding in summer. Lisa Elliott – equine nutritionist at Smart Horse Nutrition – gives us some insights into best feed our horses in wint...
5 tips to ensure your horse stays in excellent condition this winter
As the nights get colder and the frost greets us in the morning, we need to seriously consider the health care of our horses over this festive season. It’s all too easy for horses to lose weight, or develop skin conditions that could be relatively easil...
Mud Rash in horses – all you need to know
With Ireland’s largely mild and usually wet winters, mud fever is unfortuantely all too prevalent in this country. Given that most horse owners have to face and treat it at some stage, it’s important to know exactly what mud fever is, what cau...
New research collection shows how cutting-edge imaging is improving equine head and spine diagnoses
The better vets can examine their equine patients the better they are able diagnose and treat them. The good news is that major progress in imaging of the head and spine is helping to achieve exactly this. The Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) has joined fo...
Waterboy Hot Wash – you need this in your life…
Mud… it’s something that us horse owners have to learn to live with. And as much as us we dislike the stuff, our horses love it in equal proportions. Mine seem to set themselves a daily challenge of caking as much mud as they possibly can over as larg...
