A horses coat grows rapidly when the seasons change and youll soon be reaching for the clippers to keep your steed trimmed, looking smart and feeling comfortable. Common problem areas when clipping a horse include choosing the right type of clip, knowing how much hair to remove, tensioning clippers correctly, getting straight and even lines, and best practice for coat care both before and after clipping. If you are clipping a nervous horse who is scared of clippers, or being clipped for the first time, you will find this advice useful too.Getting the right tensionThe most common problem that people have with clipping is getting the right tension on their clippers.Incorrectly tensioned clippers leave lines in the coat and will cause the blades to overheat and become blunt much sooner, says Paula Bryan from Clipit Grooming.Different clipper brands will vary slightly, so its important to check the manufacturers instructions and tension accordingly.Once you know your clippers tensioning amount, place the blades on the clipper, put the tensioning screw with spring through, and oil them.With most clippers, you tighten the screw all the way until it wont tighten any more, and then loosen by one or two turns depending on the brand, explains Paula.There is usually a little mark on top of the tensioning screw to help you count the rotations.Next, turn on the clippers and listen. If it sounds like a sewing machine, I would start clipping, but if it sounds tight and squeaky, you need to loosen them.The rule of thumb is that less tension is better than too much.How much hair to removeAsk yourself what your horse is doing work-wise and whether they are living in or out. I always follow the rule that you should only take off what you need off.I wouldnt recommend a full clip for a horse who is going to be living out all year round, for example, says Paula.With a youngster, or horse in light work, Id suggest a trace or bib clip. Only horses in full work need to have full clips. The welfare of your horse should come first.What to wearThe norm over the years has been to wear a boiler suit or painting overalls which make you very hot and sweaty underneath.You want a set of overalls that are lightweight, breathable, protect you from head to toe and repel your horses coat hair, suggests Paula.A sturdy pair of footwear is ideal, and a cap or visor will prevent hair from blowing into your face.When to oil clipper bladesI use Easi-Oil [its 9.50 and available here] to oil my blades. WD40 is a big no-no because it dries the blade out, says Paula.You want the oil to stay on the blades to keep them lubricated. You cannot over-oil your blades, so every five to eight minutes I would give them a quick brush and then spray the oil on them.Always clean the blades after they have been used and oil them too. You should also oil them before putting them away.Keeping manes and tails out of the wayPaula says that the best thing to do with a tail is to bandage it. With manes, you can loosely plait them over one side of the neck or brush the mane over using a damp sponge, she adds.Its handy to have an assistant to help keep your horse still when youre doing areas like the mane, because they require precision.Preparing a horse for clippingIts essential that your horse is clean. I would advise bathing them the day before and keeping them in overnight with a rug on so that they are clean and dry, advises Paula.The clippers will glide through a clean coat much easier than a greasy coat and leave a better finish. If you cant bath your horse, a good brush to remove any loose mud and dirt is essential as grit can blunt blades.Ensure your horse is thoroughly dry before clipping as the blades wont run through a damp coat.Another tip is to take the horses rug off and let them stand without a rug on for an hour before you clip. This makes the hair stand a bit prouder and means the blades will run through the coat more easily.How to tell when blades need sharpeningIf you have tensioned the blades correctly, but they are not driving forwards and snag in the coat, thats when you know your blades are blunt.You should be able to get three to four full clips done using a fresh set of blades, but it all comes down to correct oiling and maintenance, confirms Paula.Stop clippers getting blocked with hairToo much tension in the blades and a dirty, greasy coat is a recipe for hair getting stuck in the clipper blades.Ensure your horse well-groomed (or washed) before, advises Paula, so that their coat is clean and get the tensioning right on your clippers.Maintaining your clippers is really important too, so brush the hair off and oil frequently during clipping, every five to eight minutes, she says.I use a product called Ice Care [its 10 and available here], which is a cooling spray that cools the blades down rapidly but also disinfects them.At the end of your session, take the blades apart, brush the hair out and spray them with a disinfectant.Clipping straight, even linesI was always taught that long, sweeping strokes with the clippers helps to create straight, even lines, and I still stick by that now, says Paula.I use white dressmakers chalk and string to draw the lines before I start clipping. Keep sizing it up and looking at the lines to check they are even.Standing in front of and behind your horse will show you how even you are on both sides.If you are leaving a saddle pad in, you simply clip around the shape of your numnah.To stop a horse getting boredGive your horse a haynet to munch while you clip or have someone stand by their head and offer treats or a bucket feed to eat.You could also have a short break to allow your clippers to cool down and, while they do, take your horse for a quick walk to stretch their legs.Sometimes horses can get fidgety if they are chilly, so make sure you keep a rug on the areas you arent clipping to prevent your horse getting cold.How to clip a horses headIts really helpful to have someone to help you when doing the head as they can keep your horse still.Dog clippers are great for doing horse heads because they are much quieter, meaning horses are more likely to accept them, says Paula. They are also smaller, so they get around the eye sockets and ears easier.For horses that arent keen on having their head done, offer them treats or a bucket feed to help keep their head still. You could also consider just doing half the head. This is where you remove hair from the cheeks and the bottom of their head, but the rest stays on. When doing a half-head, you want to be left with a straight line from the bottom of the horses ear to the top of their mouth.Clipper careAfter clipping, take the clippers apart and clean, disinfect and oil them before putting them away. Its also important to get your clippers serviced every year.Dont store clippers in a damp tack room because any hair stuck in the machine will absorb dampness and cause rust.Most clippers come with a filter for air flow (to keep them cool), which should be kept clean and clear of hair too.After three or four years, its worth replacing the tensioning set on your clippers as well as the blades. Blades will need sharpening after three or four full clips.Horse aftercare Go over your horse with a hot cloth that has a tiny bit of shampoo or baby oil added this will help to loosen any final hair and grease, advises Paula.Its important, however, to make sure any clipped areas of the body arent rubbed too much.Some people leave patches of full-length hair on to help prevent rubbing, such as where the riders leg sits against their horses sides and under the saddlecloth or numnah.Main image Your Horse Library/Kelsey Media LtdRelated contentDifferent types of clips for horses explained, including diagramsKatie Jerram-Hunnable explains how to trim a horses legsExpert advice for a mud- and dust-free coat that shinesAdd a horse grooming vacuum to your kitThe post How to clip a horse: blade tension, straight lines, oiling intervals, and other expert tips appeared first on Your Horse.

Clipping a horse is a job that most people consider essential in winter, but for a a horse who is scared of clippers or nervous about being clipped, it becomes a tricky process.The first rule for these horses is to use the quietest clippers you can find. Then its about time and patience to help them learn that there is nothing to be scared of. A positive experience every time will help to make clipping easier in the future.First of all, make sure your horse is in an area where he feels settled before you turn the clippers on, says experienced groom Daniel Tarpey. Its a good idea to have a haynet there to keep him happy, and, if you can, have someone else with you to help, just in case you have any problems accidents can happen.Clipping processDaniel suggests clipping a nervous horse using the following process:Start by running the clippers all over the horses body before turning them on. This gets the horse used to how they feel.Once the horse seems happy, and shows signs of relaxing, move away and turn the clippers on. Leave them on to give the horse time to get used to the noise.Turns the clippers off for a few seconds, and then on again, several times.When the horse has settled, start clipping easy areas that arent sensitive and are easy for you to step away from if the horse reacts (like their shoulders). Gauge your horses behaviour and only move on to other areas if they are calm enough for you to do so.You may not achieve this in one session. Do a little day by day to help your horse learn.When you are working with a horse scared of clippers, remember to take it slowly and have lots of breaks. This is also good practice because it helps to prevent the clippers over-heating and becoming too warm against the horses skin. Be sure sure to give your horse lots of praise and reassurance throughout.Clipping a horse for the first timePositive startWhen youre clipping a horse for the first time it might be the first time in their life or the first time since you have owned or loaned them it is important to make a positive start. Go up to your horse first to say hello without any equipment. Give them a treat and let the horse smell you, advises clipping expert Lisa Edmed. When clipping, people often wear suits that can be scary to a young horse.Once the horse is happy, start with trimmers turn them on and off and, as long as they dont show signs of being nervous, stroke the horse with the clippers.Now, if the horse is happy, start taking the hair off. Always have a helper standing at the horses head giving them attention and reassurance, possibly treats too if necessary, to keep the experience positive. This is vital when working with a horse who is scared of clippers.Dont tie the horse upPersonally, I dont like horses being tied up to be clipped, especially first timers, says Lisa. I like them to be able to walk away (within reason) if they need to and not feel trapped. Thisgives them confidence that they can move away when somethings worrying them. Being held in a secure area outside is much safer than being tied up in a stable.This is where having a helper is really useful. Avoid trying to hold the horse still yourself and clip at the same time. By having a person holding the horse rather than tying them up, if they do try to run backwards they wont pull the lead-rein tight and panic more, potentially hurting themselves (or you).Read the horses body languageConstantly look out for signs that the horse isnt happy, such as fidgeting and pulling away. If you think they are becoming anxious, give them a short break before trying again. Only go as quickly as the horse is comfortable with, advises Lisa. It might take several sessions of just introducing the horse to the sound of the clippers over several days, for example, before you can touch their body. Patience pays off in the long run.Buildup to bigger clippersOnce your horse is happy with small trimmers, which tend to be quieter, you can then build up to using bigger clippers which are noisier and vibrate more.I use a cordless pair of bigger trimmers on young horses initially they are safer than wired clippers. You can then work up to using the bigger clippers, says Paula.Dont take off too much hairThere are numerous types of clip to choose from, but you should only do a low, minimal clip the first time, such as a bib and belly clip or a small Irish clip. You dont want your horse having to stand still for too long.I always keep hair on a first-timers back for the first few clips, as they can be sharp to ride after being clipped. Not having any hair in this area can make the problem worse, says Lisa.Ensure its a good experienceKeep the whole clipping experience as positive and calm as possible. If youre nervous, get an experienced person to clip your horse the first time. Even if you feel confident enough to do it yourself, always enlist a helper. Listening to music and/or chatting to your helper is also a good idea. It can have a calming effect and gives your horse something to listen to that isnt the noise of the clippers.The post Useful advice for clipping a horse who is scared of clippers appeared first on Your Horse.

Honeychop Horse Feeds is celebrating 40 years of producing fibre feeds for horses and ponies. From its beginnings on a Suffolk family farm in 1986, Honeychop has developed a range that now covers traditional chaffs, calorie-controlled choices, conditioning feeds and specialist options for older or more sensitive horses.The anniversary is a useful opportunity to look beyond the familiar bags and see what has remained consistent across the Honeychop range: British farming, clearly identified oat straw and feeds designed for different nutritional needs.A Suffolk family business since 1986Robert and Valerie Honeywood founded Honeychop as a diversification project on their family farm. Their son Stephen took over in 1995 and now works alongside his own son, Oliver, continuing the family connection into a third generation.Honeychop feeds are still manufactured on the same Suffolk farm. Keeping production on site gives the company oversight of the ingredients entering each bag and allows the oat straw to be traced back to the field where it was grown.Why Honeychop uses oat strawHoneychop has continued to specify oat straw rather than using the broader term cereal straw. This gives owners greater clarity about what they are feeding and helps the company maintain a consistent formulation from one bag to the next.The straw is grown either on the Honeychop farm or by selected British growers. Honeychop allows the crop to dry naturally in the sun and uses oat straw throughout its fibre-feed range.How the Honeychop range has developedHoneychop Original established the brand, but the range has expanded as owners have looked for more specific fibre feeds. Current options include:Honeychop Original, a traditional high-fibre oat-straw chaff with limestone flour and salt.Honeychop Chopped Oat Straw, a straight, dust-extracted fibre feed with nothing added for horses, ponies and donkeys needing a very simple ration.Honeychop Lite & Healthy, a low-calorie, low-sugar fibre feed for good doers and animals needing a lighter option.Honeychop Topline & Shine, a high-oil, low-starch chaff designed to support condition and topline without relying on high-starch energy.Honeychop Super Senior, a soft fibre blend developed for older horses and ponies, with glucosamine and ingredients chosen to support joint and digestive health.Honeychop Calm & Shine, a low-sugar, low-starch oat-straw and dried-grass chaff with herbs and oil for horses that can be excitable or need help maintaining coat shine and condition.The Honeychop Free From range includes Chopped Oat Straw, Lite & Healthy, Topline & Shine and Super Senior. These products are formulated without molasses and provide different calorie levels for horses and ponies with more particular dietary requirements.Farming with wildlife in mindConservation has long been part of the way the Honeywood family manages its land. Honeychop reports that more than 15% of the farm is intentionally left uncropped to provide habitats for birds, pollinators and mammals.Its 40th-anniversary activity includes plans to help establish 40 acres of wildflowers, alongside bird and bug boxes made by Honeychop founder Robert Honeywood. These projects continue the connection between the feeds, the farm and the countryside in which their ingredients are grown.Choosing the right Honeychop feedThe best choice depends on your horse or ponys condition, workload, age and dietary needs. A good doer will require a different fibre feed from a horse needing condition, while an older horse may benefit from a softer blend.Our guide to choosing a horse chaff or fibre feed compares the main options, or you can browse our full range of horse chaffs and fibre feeds.Always introduce dietary changes gradually and follow the feeding information for the individual product. If your horse has a medical condition or complex nutritional requirements, seek advice from your vet or a qualified equine nutritionist.

An owner has thanked her vet for the care given to her thoroughbred gelding after he suffered a freak accident in his field.Twenty-year-old Baz was found with what appeared to be a fairly minor wound on his hindquarters, but when he was examined by vet Keesjan Cornelisse of Penbode Equine Vets, a large metal hook was found embedded deep under his skin.Keesjan said the chunky, 10cm-long hook is one of the most unusual foreign bodies hes removed from a horse in his 32-year career.He had visited Baz in his field near Gunnislake after being sent a photo of a horizontal laceration. While it seemed relatively small at first glance, he was suspicious that it could be deeper than it looked and warranted a veterinary check.On examining the wound, Keesjan could feel something hard under Bazs skin and probing a little deeper he discovered the chunk of metal.After sedating Baz and giving pain relief, Keesjan carefully removed the hook by making the entry wound slightly larger and with the help of a pair of forceps. He then thoroughly cleaned the wound to reduce the risk of infection and closed it with sutures.We are often sent images of wounds by horse owners, and a vet visit is usually recommended if the wound is large, bleeding profusely, very dirty, contains a foreign body or is near a joint or tendon sheath, said Keesjan. Bazs laceration didnt seem that serious at first glance, but there were a few things worrying me about it, and I recommended it was best if I came out to look at it.Even though I had my suspicions, I couldnt have imagined what was hiding inside the wound, and to say I was completely surprised to find the hook is an understatement. It goes to show how important it is that wounds are carefully checked, even seemingly minor ones.Its not known how Baz injured himself on the hook, which was one of four attached to his wooden field shelter, but its thought he may have rubbed against it or was spooked or chased by his field companions and backed into it at speed.What doesnt make sense is that the hook is blunt-ended and coated with rubber, and it would have needed a lot of force to push it through the skin and deep into the muscle tissue, added Keesjan. Also, the position of the hook on the shelter wall was lower than the height of the wound entrance, so Baz would have had to push down onto it.I guess well never know what happened, but I am very pleased that the wound has healed nicely, and five weeks after his accident Baz was able to be lightly ridden again, and is happy and sound.Star of Stories from a Cornish StableBaz is owned by Mary Framptom-Price, 78, who enjoys hacking the ex-racehorse out. Bazs journey from racehorse to happy hacker is chronicled in a series of childrens books, and Mary and writer Jane Thomas have produced Stories from a Cornish Stable with Baz featured as the lead character in three books.Since Bazs accident, Mary has removed all of the hooks from the field shelter. She thanked Keesjan for preventing Baz from suffering further discomfort and, potentially, an infected wound if the hook had gone undiscovered for longer.The wound looked fairly minor and never in a million years could we have guessed that there was a hook inside Bazs quarters, said Mary. The hooks have been here for years, and Ive never noticed Baz going near them before, so what happened is a complete mystery.Im so grateful to Keesjan for being so thorough and attentive and for recommending that the wound needed checking, or the hook could have remained there for a lot longer and caused all sorts of complications. He has been my vet for many years, and I know that I can trust him and hell always do the right thing for Baz and the ponies. Baz and I have a lot to thank him for.Related contentFirst Aid Week: What to do if your horse is bleeding and the signs it is an emergencyWound care: what to do if your horse is injured and when to call the vetUseful health products for your horses first aid kit7 common winter vet call outs and how to avoid themThe post I couldnt have imagined what was hiding inside the wound: Vet treats thoroughbred after freak accident appeared first on Your Horse.

After the success of our graduate seran de bunn last year gaining top price at the supreme sale of showjumpers before going on to win Dublin 4yos it was interesting to watch out graduates in this years sale doing well for their owners .All sold by us earlier this year ..#bshgraduates

Swail a five-star winner on week in which Irish triumph en masseConor Swail was a five-star victor in Mexico on a monumentally fruitful week for Irish show jumping, during which Niamh McEvoy posted a brace of four-star wins in Morocco, and there were two-star Grands Prix garlands for Daniel Fitzgerald, Niall Talbot and Cormac Hanley in Belgium, Spain and America respectively, while James Connors Smyth, Diarmuid Howley and Bertram Allen were also triumphant in Germany and Belgium.Into the bargain, Cian OConnor edged out Denis Lynch for a place on the podium in the prestigious five-star Grand Prix at the Longines League Of Nations Final show in Spain.Swail had a very fruitful few days in Puebla and he kicked it off with a podium finish and almost 11,000 when piloting Conall Murrays Casturano to third in the 1.50m jump-off class on Thursday.The Down maestro and his high-class 13-year-old gelding were among nine combinations to qualify for the tiebreaker.Victory went to hometown hero and Mexican legend Nicolas Pizarro, with the nine-year-old Chou Fleur Ra, edging out compatriot Carlos Rodolfo Molino Gordillo, with Kansas Santa Rosa, by four-hundredths of a second with another clear round in 38.86 seconds.Swail and Casturano also left all the rails up on their return, and a time of 39.60 bagged the bronze medal.The duo went closer in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup on Saturday, but one rail down in a very testing course proved costly.Amazingly, only Sharn Wordley (NZL) with Brin dOr de Haute Melen Z, left all the jumps in place. Nobody would have thought they had registered what would be an unsurpassable target as the sixth duo into the ring, but that was the case, the time of 82.67 not rapid but inside the time allowed.Swail and Stan (above) were third-last and much quicker, in 80.77, but the delicate white plank tumbled. Being fastest of the four-faulters earned them second, however, and Swail moves alongside compatriot Shane Sweetnam In joint third after just two legs of the North American League of the World Cup series.Anderson (Lima) never builds a soft course, but I must say, it was fair, Swail said afterwards.Even if there are a few mistakes (made by riders), the horses are being educated. There probably should have been three or four clears today if a couple of us had a bit more luck.Swail completed a clean sweep of podium berths by keeping the best until last, swapping spots with Wordley as he guided Theo 160 (Mannon Farm) to the honours in the 1.45m jump-off class, and also shared third thanks to a double clear with Nadal Hero & DB (Mannon Farm).This was a desperately tight affair, with less than three-tenths of a second between the top four pairings involved.Swail and Theo 160 did what they have done so often in these competitions, blitzing to a clear in 45.65. That was just seven-tenths faster than Wordley, with Champion League. Third was shared by Swail and Nadal Hero & DB with Diego Beoya Yaez (BOL) with Ding Dong van Overis Z on 45.94.McEvoy is on the crest of a wave at present, following her World Breeding Championship success in Lanaken a fortnight ago and her first visit to Tetouan yielded a considerable bounty.The Tyrone tyro got the Morocco Royal Tour series off to an encouraging start with a third-place finish on Jargon DN (Gbbs International), their time of 67.29 just six-hundredths of a second shy of that recorded by runners-up Santiago Diaz Ortega (COL) with Jump For Joy in the 1.45m speed class on Friday.It wasnt far off the winning time of Simon Delestre (FRA) and Oh Sissi either, 66.81 topping the table.McEvoy did not wait long before climbing two more steps on the podium, this time with Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z (Gbbs International) in Saturdays 1.45m speed class.Only two of the 19 combinations partaking were able to go clear and her nine-year-old mare (above) were comfortable, with a time of 66.64 almost two seconds faster than that recorded by Belgiums Virginie Thonon, with Salerno van de Looise Heide.This is my first time competing in the Morocco Royal Tour. The horses are really well here, the facilities are incredible, and I love the course. I have four horses with me, and they are all in great shape. Sevilla is a really special mare, and Im very happy with her. Today, the main goal was to have a good round, so I couldnt have hoped for a better result, McEvoy said subsequently.The best was yet to come for the 22-year-old, who added to her bounty significantly by filling all three podium positions in Sundays three international classes.She garnered her second success of the week with Jargon DN in the 1.45m jump-off class (main photo, top), beating off 10 other pairings in the decisive round with a clear in 42.86.Italian Lorenzo Argentano, partnered with Dakota Blue Girl, was second while the Dutch rider Mel Thijssen, riding Juice, took third place.I had a great week here with my four horses, who all jumped very well, McEvoy declared. Jargon, in particular, finished third on Friday before winning today. For my first time competing in the Morocco Royal Tour, Im really delighted: the facilities are excellent, the horses like the arena, and the courses have been very well designed all week.She later guided Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z to third in the World Cup Grand Prix with another brilliant double clear, the time of 42.49 earning the bronze medal and 15,900.Victory went to Switzerlands Anthony Bourquard with Fontaineblau Manciais, who stopped the clock In 40.63.McEvoy then bagged a silver medal In the two-star Grand Prix with Rock N Roll Ter Putte (Hillary Drummond Sport Horses) to crown an unforgettable few days in North Africa.At the Longines League Of Nations Final show in Barcelona, OConnor offered a precursor to his up his scintillating double clear in the team decider with Chatolinue PS, by finishing third in Fridays Grand Prix with another Karlswood Partners-owned horse, Kentucky TN.It was a cracking effort by the 11-year-old across the 1.60m track, the jump-off time of 47.73 just edging out Lynch with the remarkably consistent 17-year-old Brooklyn Heights (Molly Ohrstrom & Lynch)In all, there were seven clear rounds over the initial test, with victory going to Jessica Mendoza and In The Air (46.94), by 12-hundredths of a second from former Ireland chef dquipe, Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) with Major Tom.Connors Smyth combined with Elzandor Z (Beerbaum Stables) to claim the honours in Thursdays 1.45m speed class at Riesenbeck International (below).Entering the arena at the mid-way point, as the 31st pairing of 60, the Waterford athlete and Elzandor Z were electric, the intent there to win rather than set a challenging mark. The 10-year-old was up to answering every question asked, crucially going clear. The time of 69.81 remained unchallenged. Hannes Ahlmann (GER) was the nearest on 70.30 with Madness.Connors Smyth concluded proceedings with a bronze medal in the U25 Grand Prix, with Coffee Shock (L Pathy Equestrian), on SaturdayOn Friday, Howley won a 1.45m jump-off class at the Bonheidens two-star show in Belgium, navigating Ladiva (Javad Zakeri Dana) to two clear rounds. The Sligo rider took care of business first over 15 jumping efforts, and then a significantly quicker jump-off round of 41.52 over the shortened eight-jump test than Wilm Vermeir (BEL), with Jonkheer VanT Veldhoven, who stopped the timers in 43.09, cemented the spoils.There was further two-star fare at Sentower Park and on Saturday, Allen and the nine-year-old Danger 76 (Turn A Blind Eye) took a 1.45m speed class at the Belgian facility.The Wexford pilot and his promising grey gelding were head and shoulders above the rest, their winning time of 57.57 more than two seconds quicker than that recorded by runner-up Pieter Clemens (BEL) with Gambas de lOcean.Fitzgerald won the shows concluding feature, the Prijs Aloga Equestrian the 1.45m Grand Prix with Casino Royal Z (Psz Sport Horses)This was a tighter affair, as one might expect, though the examination was stern indeed. There were 77 participants, and only seven of those managed to avoid knocking a fence and combine that with keeping within the time allowed, to advance to the tiebreaker.Fitzgerald and his 16-year-old partner set a standard that proved beyond those that followed, however, with a stunning clear in 37.14 seconds. Brecht Goossens (BEL) got them out of their seats in the stands, with Alaska Z, but when the clock came to a halt, their 37.41 meant they had to settle for the silver, while Amhrn na bhFiann got another airing in the arena.The Autumn series of the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour got under way and Fitzgeralds fellow Kildare athlete, Talbot, also secured a 1.45m two-star Grand Prix, with his own Charming Dream Z (below) securing the Trofeo Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova, in Oliva on Sunday.There were 16 jumping efforts (13 obstacles) to be navigated In the opening round, and just over half a kilometre to cover and 11 of the 63 combinations survived.The draw favoured the Irish duo, and Talbot utilised the information gathered from watched five pairings repeat their opening clears at various speeds and with various levels of risk taken, to maximum effect.It was Briton Jamie Wingrove, with Belvedere who set the target of 36.36, 0.99 quicker than the next best mark of Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) with Ccstuds Liisolde.But if that implied there wasnt much juice left to be squeezed from this particular lemon, that did not allow for the vision and determination of Talbot and his 11-year-old stallion, who registered a clear in 35.49 for victory.I thought it was a really nice course, Talbot said afterwards. For the jump-off course, I think I was really lucky that I was the last to go so that I got to watch everybody. I could see what worked and what didnt work, and then I knew where I could risk and where to be a little bit more careful. So I think it definitely helped me to go last.We have been coming here since the very first year; we come here religiously. Were here for this MET I, well be back for MET III, and then well be back again for the spring next year. Were here quite often its one of our favorite places to be.Earlier in the week at the Spanish event, Galwegian Lt Raphael Lee was runner-up with the Alfie Hillen-bred Irish Sport Horse Derrycush (Minister For Defence) in a two-star Grand Prix qualifier, a little over half a second off the winning time of Laura Renwick (GBR) and NFS Top Gun in the speed class, but with a time of 66.20, more than two seconds quicker than that posted by Lars Kersten (NED) WITH Carmen H Z in third.Richard Howley was third on Saturday with eight-year-old HK Stakkata (Morgan Kent) thanks to a double clear In a 1.45m jump-off class in Oliva.With severe bad weather forecast for later, the Core Specialty Equine Grand Prix at Tryon International was moved forward to Saturday morning local timeCormac Hanley and Santiago VH Netehof (Heathman Farm) were not discombobulated in any way by the earlier than scheduled start. Seven of the 55 protagonists qualified for the jump-off in Tryon Stadium Ring 5. Only two of those had manged to replicate their blemish-free initial efforts when Hanley and his horse emerged from the pocket as the penultimate pairing.The Mayo native and Santiago were electric and accurate, stopping the clock in 34.8, more than three seconds faster than the target time.Richard Spooner (USA) was the final threat with Lyjanair and though they were quick enough to secure the silver medal, they were still a second off the unbeatable bar set by Hanley.Shannonsiders Paul OShea and his former protg, David Blake also podiumed at the North Carolina show, with Limerick man OShea combining with Spy (Spy Partners) for another Irish silver medal, in the Welcome Stake, behind Amanda Derbyshire and Cornwall. The margin between the top two was minimal, as both jumped double clear, with the Briton stopping the timers in the jump-off in 33.63, compared to 33.80 by the runners-up.Derbyshires partner, Clare native, David Blake just missed out on the podium in fourth with Gucci Des Embruns (Pine Hollow Farm) but Blake improved one spot in the following days speed class, with Elton P Z (Pine Hollow Farm).At the three-star show in Amenia, New York State, Philip McGuane guided Paso Doble SCF (Evergate Stables) to third in the Jumper Classic, on Friday , while Anna Duff and the Matthew McBreen-bred Irish Sport Horse MC Crosskeys (Anna & Brian Duff), were silver medallists at the three-star show in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.BREEDINGMC CROSSKEYS (ISH) 2016 gelding by S Creevagh Ferro Ex Siebe (KWPN) out of Jumeirah (ISH) by Ard Vdl Douglas (KWPN). Breeder: Matthew McBreen, Co Cavan. Owner: Anna Duff & Brian Duff. Rider: Anna Duff (IRL).DERRYCUSH (ISH) 2014 gelding by Emerald Vant Ruytershof (BWP) out of ISHD Caldato (ISH) by Aldato (KWPN). Breeder: Alfie Hillen, Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone. Owner: Minister of Defence. Rider: Lt Raphael Lee (IRL).Photo creditsConor Swail: FEI/ Rodrigo CeceaNiamh McEvoy: Morocco Royal TourJames Connors Smyth: Riesenbeck InternationalNiall Talbot: MET/Herv Bonnaud/www.1clicphoto.comThe post McEvoy is magic in Morocco appeared first on .

Competing has a funny way of exposing absolutely everything.The position problem you can mostly get away with at home? Suddenly very obvious.The horse who gets a little strong when you are nervous? Hello, warm-up ring.The tiny voice in your head that says, Please don't mess this up approximately three strides before the important part? Incredible timing, as always.Getting better at competition is not only about jumping more courses, riding more tests or adding another lesson to your week. Performance is the combination of dozens of pieces: your position, decision-making, mental game, physical fitness, preparation and horse care.That is where NF+ can become a pretty serious tool for competitors.Instead of only using the library to learn riding exercises, use it to create a better system around your sport.Here is where we would start.1. Start with the thing affecting every single stride: youBefore adding another exercise to your training plan, spend some time in Master Your Position.Your position is not only about looking pretty in the saddle. It affects balance, communication, timing and how easily your horse can do their job underneath you.Karl Cooks Fundamentals of Functional Position is a great place to begin because he approaches position from exactly that perspective. The goal is not to create a rider who photographs beautifully at one frozen moment. It is to create a position that works, giving you stability and allowing you to communicate with your horse without getting in their way.This is also a good place to get curious about the habits you have stopped noticing. Are you tipping ahead? Depending on your hands? Losing your lower leg when the pressure goes up? Working much harder than the person underneath you needs to?Competition has a habit of magnifying whatever is already there.So work on it before you pay an entry fee to discover it.2. Stop just riding the course. Learn how to compete.There is riding, and then there is competing.The Ride to Win collection is where you start studying the second part.Karl Cooks How to Ride Strategically is essentially an invitation to stop riding on autopilot. His work focuses on planning, making decisions and adapting as the ride unfolds. That is a very useful skill when the course you walked and the horse you have underneath you suddenly appear to have made separate plans.For hunter riders, Archie Cox gets incredibly specific about what separates a decent trip from a competitive one. How to Win and The Art of Perfecting the Hunter Ride get into the canter, flatwork, ring strategy, preparation and presentation that judges notice. You are not just practicing eight jumps. You are learning how to produce an entire round.If distances are where things start unraveling, go to Missy Clarks Recognizing & Riding the Distance. If confidence is the issue, Boyd Martins bravery series looks at competence, preparation and developing a horse who can still think when the questions get harder.Use this collection when you want to start thinking less like someone trying to survive the round and more like someone who knows how to ride one.3. Study the skills that make competition easier before you ever enter the ringThe glamorous part of competing is approximately twelve minutes long.The preparation takes months.NF+ gives you the chance to work backwards from what you want to happen in competition and strengthen the pieces that make it possible.For a jumper rider, that might mean spending time on Martin Fucsh work on adjustability so you can compress and lengthen the stride without the conversation turning into an argument. HisRiding the Turn Masterclass uses his winning techniques for mastering turns that are not only tighter and faster but also more balanced and horse-friendly.It might mean going into Will Colemans The Truth Behind Riding Leg to Hand and getting much more precise about a phrase most of us have heard approximately four thousand times without anyone fully explaining what it is supposed to feel like.Or maybe you need Ian and Amy Millar, Anne Kursinski, Peter Wylde, Steffen Peters or another trainer whose approach gives you a new way to look at the problem you are having.That is one of the big advantages of NF+ for competitors. You can have your regular trainer and program, then use the library to widen your education around it.Because your trainer does not need you showing up next Tuesday with a completely new personality and seven contradictory training systems.They will probably appreciate you becoming a more educated rider, though.4. Learn how to take care of the athlete underneath youIf you compete, your horse is an athlete.Which means performance does not begin when you get on and end when you get off.Spend time inside Caring for Your Horse, Inside & Out learning the management side of sport too.Max Corcorans Horse Care for All Seasons draws on decades of caring for elite event horses and gets into the practical details that change as workload, weather and environment change. Her Leg Protection 101 course breaks down boots, polos, standing wraps and when different types of protection make sense.Then keep going.Margo Thomas teaches post-ride leg care. Dr. Jill Copenhagen looks at how riding and management relate to long-term soundness. Dr. Bess Darrow gets into the horses mouth and bitting. Mette Larsen takes another look at bit mechanics. There is even Emma Ford teaching mane braiding because, yes, at some point somebody has to make those braids look respectable.Performance horse care is full of things that are easy to hand off to someone else until suddenly you are the one standing in a stall at 9 p.m. wondering if that leg looks different.Knowing more is useful.And even if you have an incredible groom, barn manager, veterinarian and farrier around you, understanding the horse you are asking to perform is part of being a better competitor.5. Train the athlete sitting on top tooWe ask horses to be strong, balanced, supple, coordinated and fit.Then sometimes we climb aboard after sitting at a desk for eight hours and expect them to work around our left hip.A little unfair.Inside Ride Well, Live Well, you can work specifically on the physical side of being a rider.Yoga for Equestrians with Chantal Russell focuses on mobility, strength and recovery for riders, while Cross Training for Equestrians with Ifa Simmonds targets the muscles that directly affect your effectiveness in the saddle.Use these sessions around your riding schedule rather than treating rider fitness as another giant project you have to take on.Ten or twenty minutes spent working on your mobility, core, stability or strength can support everything you are already trying to improve on the horse.Your horse has a fitness program.You can have one too.6. Train for the version of you who shows up at competitionsThen there is the brain.Possibly the most dramatic member of the team.You can ride beautifully at home all month and still walk into a competition feeling like you have temporarily forgotten how horses work.That is why sports psychology belongs in a performance plan just as much as flatwork does.Dr. Jenny Sussers work is a particularly good place to spend time. In Performing Under Pressure, she helps riders identify their own relationship with pressure and develop tools for competition nerves, riding in front of other people and those moments when the stakes suddenly feel much bigger. Her How to Control Fear and Anxiety course goes further into the science behind fear, breathing, mindfulness and what to do when your brain decides now would be an excellent time to imagine every possible disaster.There is also Karl Cooks Dealing with Disappointing Rides, because unfortunately competitive riding includes those too.Watch that one before you need it.Tonya Johnstons work on becoming a more consistent rider and NF+s rider mindset content can help you create routines around focus and performance instead of hoping you wake up on show morning mysteriously feeling like an Olympic champion.Mental skills are skills.Train them.7. Build your pre-show NF+ routineThis is where we would make NF+ work very practically for you.A few weeks before a show, identify what needs attention.Maybe your position has started falling apart when the jumps go up. Head into Master Your Position.Maybe the horse feels great but you are second-guessing every decision. Spend time with Dr. Jenny or Annette Paterakis' mindset work.Maybe distances have been inconsistent. Revisit Missy Clark.Maybe your horse needs to feel more adjustable before you start thinking about shaving seconds off a jump-off. Go back to Karl.Maybe your horse has a demanding competition schedule ahead. Spend an evening inside the horse-care collection reviewing recovery, legs, soundness and management.NF+ does not have to become another thing on your training to-do list.Use it to support the thing you are already trying to improve.8. After the show, resist the urge to declare the entire weekend a success or disasterCompetitive riders are extremely normal about results.Obviously.After a show, use NF+ to help you debrief more usefully.If the round went well, figure out why.If it did not, resist turning one bad ride into a referendum on your entire riding career.Was the issue technical? Tactical? Mental? Fitness-related? Horse care? Preparation? Did you lose your position? Did you stop riding strategically? Did your horse need another kind of preparation?Then choose the part of the library that can help you work on it.That gives you something much more useful than replaying the video seventeen times and zooming in on fence six.Although you are still allowed to do that.9. Go Behind the Barn DoorsNot every lesson needs to look like a lesson.The Behind the Barn Doors collection gives you something competitors rarely get: access to what high-level sport looks like when nobody is riding into the ring.Watch A Day in the Life with Piggy March. Tour Maydwell Lodge Farm and see the systems surrounding a world-class eventing operation, from arenas and gallops to turnout and rehabilitation. Follow Mavis Spencer through a day at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Peek inside Peder Fredricsons tack room.Then there are NF+s exclusive and extended behind-the-scenes cuts from Faultless, giving members another look inside elite sport beyond the polished rounds we normally see.Watch these when you need inspiration, but also watch them with your competitor brain switched on.What does the barn look like?How are the horses managed?How are riders spending the hours when they are not competing?What systems are surrounding the performance you eventually see in the ring?Sometimes the most useful thing you can learn from a top rider is not how they rode the combination.It is everything that happened before they got there.10. Learn across disciplinesThis is one of the easiest NF+ advantages for competitors to underestimate.Do not only watch riders from your own discipline.Hunter rider? Go listen to Karl Cook.Jumper? See how Steffen Peters thinks about responsiveness and the aids.Dressage rider? Watch an eventer prepare a horse for pressure.Eventer? There is plenty to steal from the precision of hunter and equitation trainers.You are not trying to become a dressage-jumper-hunter-eventer hybrid creature who owns fourteen saddles.You are looking for principles.Balance. Timing. Preparation. Feel. Decision-making. Fitness. Horse management. Mental performance.High-level sport may look very different from ring to ring, but excellent riders spend a lot of time thinking about the same things.NF+ lets you eavesdrop on all of them.Use NF+ as part of your competitive seasonThe real opportunity is not watching one Masterclass and expecting your next show to magically produce a blue ribbon.Use NF+ over time.Spend your off-season working on your position and rider fitness. Go deeper into training courses while you are developing your horse at home. As competition gets closer, revisit strategy and sports psychology. During the season, lean on horse care, mindset and specific technical lessons. After shows, come back with the questions your rounds gave you.Then repeat.Because improving as a competitor is not one course, one trainer or one breakthrough.It is years of collecting better information, noticing more and getting a little smarter about how you prepare.That is also why Member for Life makes so much sense for competitive riders.You do not need every part of NF+ today.You might need rider position right now, sports psychology before your next show, horse-care content halfway through the season and a completely different Masterclass when your goals move up a level.Member for Life gives you one payment, no renewals and access to the NF+ library available when you join, so you can keep coming back as your competitive career changes.Because your show schedule may have an end date.Your education really shouldnt.