How Can Horse Riding Boost Your Physical and Mental Health?
Around 80% of people in Ireland are sleep deprived, and one in four battling stress on a daily basis – according to research on over 13,000 people carried out by Laya Healthcare. As is the case with the rest of the globe, the Irish are also leading far...
Horsing Around: Hobby Riding on a Budget
The annual cost of horse ownership is upwards of €25,000. If horse riding is a hobby you want to pursue, but you don’t think you have the budget, read on to find out how you can maximise your horse time and minimise the impact on your ...
5 Expert Tips for Video Recording Your Horseback Riding
In Ireland, the equine industry is valued at 1.3 billion dollars and employs 85, 000 full-time workers. The Irish love their horses and embrace the pleasures of horseback riding. If you’re in Ireland and want to video yourself riding your horse, you s...
Horse Allergies Don’t Need To Be A Nightmare
Allergies come from a range of sources and in Ireland – up to 24% of people have a diagnosed allergy. Unfortunately, horse hair can often be one of the strongest transmitters of allergens like tree pollen, meaning that many people’s allergies...
Identifying And Treating Common Ailments In Horses
Horses are well-loved in Ireland with the country boasting a population of approximately 180,000 at present according to data compiled by World Horse Welfare. Despite our best efforts to keep our horses healthy and safe, they can still suffer from the o...
Be Stronger and Safer in the Saddle
Falling from a horse was the most common reason for visiting the emergency department at Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore in 2013. It’s a reminder that horse riding requires a coordinated effort of all muscle groups, and for riders who are new t...
Horsey Summer Camps for kids – they offer far more than just a brief escape to the outdoors
Lorna Keogh from Dunbyrne Equestrian Centre in Kildare gives us the low down on pony camps for kids. While the weather is still typically Irish, leaving us in short sleeves one minute and winter coats the next, summer is definitely in the air. Talk to an...
The Key to Equestrian Happiness? Put Enjoyment before Achievement
By John Haime Sometimes things get fuzzy in sports and a reset is exactly what you need. Very often my phone will ring, or I’ll get an “emergency” text and an athlete client will be in a funk. Their focus unconsciously shifts to the many distraction...
What does it take to become an Olympic Equestrian?
Did you watch the Olympic Equestrian events last year and wonder how you could become involved? It looks like a wonderful experience, but it’s a long, challenging and expensive road to get close to becoming an Olympic rider. You need to put in 100% dedi...
If you’re going to get injured, get injured in January…
You may or may not have noticed, but we’ve been a little quieter than usual here at HorsePlay.ie… Unfortunately, I had a wee accident back in the middle of January. And yes, of course it was horse related! It was one of those ‘yeah, I probably shoul...
