Riders of a certain age will remember the hours spent trotting over heavy, wooden cavaletti while learning to ride. The very first dressage test I ever did (around the age of six or seven) included a cavaletti to jump.Although theyve been out of fashion for a while, the humble cavaletti can provide an effective and active workout for every horse and rider. In fact, Richard Waygood MBE, eventing performance manager for Team GB, is a huge fan of cavaletti and he believes that any horse can benefit from working over them.What are cavaletti?Invented by cavalry officer Federico Caprilli, cavaletti are designed to help with suppleness, balance, impulsion and stride adjustment.Cavaletti poles (meaning little horse from the Italian cavallo) are small jumps with a rail or pole fixed at each end to an X or block, so they cant be knocked down. By rotating them onto different sides, the height can be adjusted from 4-24 inches.Originally made of wood, which you still see, modern cavaletti are usually made from strong, synthetic materials. They should be heavy enough that they dont roll easily if knocked, but still move out of the way if tripped over or hit with force.Newer types of cavaletti are easy to move and transport, making them an ideal training aid whatever you do with your horse.Cavaletti exercise 1Diagram of exercise 1Make sure your horse is properly warmed up before you start. Trot over a pole on the ground a few times too.This first exercise is extremely useful, says Richard Waygood. It includes a curving line, so it effectively engages your horses inside hindleg and develops elevation and impulsion. This is important for both dressage and jumping.How to set it upPlace four cavaletti on a trotting pole distance on the three-quarter line of your arena. Then add two poles, one at each end, at right angles so that they lie along the centre line (see diagram, right).How to ride itIn trot, ride over the ground pole and then turn to ride over the line of cavaletti. Aim for the middle of the cavaletti and keep straight the whole way through.Think about your entry in advance, as youll be turning as you go over the pole. Your horse will bend through their body, increasing their suppleness, advises Richard.Keep your horse moving forward, but without rushing them.Allow them to lower their neck to look at the cavaletti, which will also enable them to use their topline correctly.Half-halt as you ride the line to create more elasticity, staying relaxed and soft in your hands.Ride straight through the line and out the other side.Repeat this and vary the exercise by approaching from both ends. Remember to turn to the ground pole off both reins too.This exercise is a good introduction to tackling angles and tricky lines too, says Richard.Tackling cavaletti at any height is a great exercise for developing cadence, impulsion and topline, as your horse has to work on lifting their legs that bit higher.Cavaletti exercise 2Diagram of exercise 2Continue with the ground poles and cavaletti laid out as in exercise one.This time, ride a teardrop shape after the cavaletti, circling around to the ground pole, trotting over it and continuing on over the line of cavaletti (see diagram, right).By riding a teardrop at both ends, itallows you to ride a number of repetitions and tackle suppleness and accuracy, explains Richard.To perfect this exercise, as you ride over the pole on entry, see if you can get your turn perfectly balanced, with the angle small enough that your horse puts just one front foot into the corner between the pole and the first cavaletti.This makes you focus on controlling your horses outside shoulder.Cavaletti exercise 3This exercise requires you to ride over four cavaletti on a circle. It is really good for improving suppleness and accuracy.How to set it upSet up four cavaletti, one at each point of a 20m circle.How to ride itYou can use the circle in lots of ways, just use your imagination, says Richard.For instance, in canter, ride an inside or outside line over the cavaletti, which will require your horse to shorten or lengthen their stride accordingly.You could ride a different number of strides between the cavaletti on each repetition. Decide how many youre going to get in before you start and then ride for them. This will mean you (and the horse) learn to shorten or lengthen the stride accordingly.Remember to regularly change the rein and do the same exercise equally on both sides.The key with this exercise is to make sure you dont let your horse fall out through their outside shoulder, adds Richard. Their back feet should always follow their front feet, so they have a uniform bend through their body from nose to tail.Cavaletti exercise 4Place three cavaletti on a bounce distance along the long side of your training area. Leave four or five non-jumping strides and then add another three cavaletti on a bounce distance.This is one of the best gymnastic exercises you can do its great for strength and conditioning, says Richard. Its ridden in canter and the riders job is to keep the rhythm and balance through the line.You can ride this exercise in collected or medium canter but, whichever you choose, you must maintain the impulsion and keep your horse in front of your leg.The distance of the bounces depends on what youre trying to achieve, explains Richard. For instance, if youre working on activating your horses hindleg, you might want the distances shorter, so your horse works over their back.To develop medium canter, the cavaletti will need to be a little further apart.Ride through the whole line, maintaining the forward momentum. Make sure you dont confuse speed with impulsion.Cavaletti exercise 5Richard often uses raised cavaletti as placing poles before and after a fence. The extra height (compared to a ground pole) helps to focus the horses attention.Place one raised cavaletti three to four strides in front of the fence, says Richard. Then place another one on the landing side for safetys sake, this should be at a slightly more generous distance.The landing cavaletti helps your horse to stay straight and keep the same rhythm before and after the fence, which is important when jumping a course.It also stops them from opening up their frame and getting too long as they canter away.This exercise is also excellent for regulating your horses speed.If youre working with a 12ft canter stride, which for arguments sake well call 12mph, this is the speed you should keep throughout. The placing poles help to stop your horse getting faster and flatter, which isnt a great combination when youre jumping.Even if your horse isnt a showjumper, this exercise teamed with a small cross pole is a useful way to teach a horse how to regulate their paces and develop impulsion.Diagram of exercise 6Cavaletti exercise 6Richards final exercise is more advanced, but one of the best for teaching your horse self-carriage.How to set it upCreate a + shape with four cavaletti, each one touching at the centre of the + (see diagram, right).How to ride itThink of each L of the cavaletti as a square box. You can see two of the edges; the other two are invisible.Ride a large circle around the outside of the four cavaletti.Move onto a smaller circle within one of the boxes of the X. Dont worry if your circle takes you outside of the invisible box edges, especially on a young/inexperienced horse.Continue on the small circle until your horse is balanced and in self-carriage (only ask for as much as your horse is capable of).Jump a cavaletti into the next box.Ride a small circle again on the same rein.Repeat until youve circled in all four boxes. Then give your horse a break.Repeat on the other rein.Thinking aheadWith practise and repetition, your horse will learn to go into self-carriage earlier each time they land over the cavaletti. This will translate into more consistency when jumping a course.Its the circles that put the balance back into the canter. The horse will land and immediately find their self-carriage.The more challenging you want to make this exercise, the smaller you can make your circles, says Richard. To advance this exercise further, ask your horse for a change of leg when you go over the cavaletti and then circle on the other rein.If this exercise proves too difficult for your horse, enter the box in canter, ride a couple of circles and then exit again. Practise until you feel your horse is ready for the full challenge.Cavaletti: safety considerationsFor safety reasons, cavaletti should never be stacked on top of each other.The poles used should be heavy enough that they dont get kicked along by the horse if they touch them.Use cavaletti only for the purpose they were designed for.If your horse gets bored, they may start to trip. If this happens, go away and do something else, then come back to them.Think outside the box and youll be able to adapt Richards exercises to suit your needs and goals.Remember that cavaletti are only a useful piece of training equipment when used correctly.Main image and diagrams: copyright Your Horse Library/Kelsey Media LtdRelated contentHow to improve poor toplineThe Scales of Training explained, including impulsionPiggy Marchs training exercise: jump out of trot to test rider balanceFive of the most common rider jumping positions solvedCaroline Moores five gears for a confident and clear cross-country roundThe post Richard Waygoods cavaletti exercises appeared first on Your Horse.

Summer Dressage League Week 4Strictly pre entry before 9pm on the Thursday before each week,times posted by 5pm on the FridayClass 1a - Intro A (2008) AssistedClass 1b - Intro A (2008) JuniorClass 1c ...

New research has shown that one in 10 second hand trailers currently on the market are stolen vehicles. The shocking statistic has been revealed by The Equipment Register (TER), Europes largest database of stolen plant and equipment.TER said that 10% of checks undertaken on its database match stolen items. The TER database includes 1.6 million items, of which 850,000 are trailers.Its findings support data from the latest NFU Mutual Rural Crime Report, which found that the cost of rural crime rose sharply by 22% in 2022, reaching a total estimate of 49.5 million insured. Trailer thefts saw the biggest increase when compared with other types of rural crime, with figures up 66%.Treve Jenkyn, the Data Director at TER, says that trailer owners are facing increasing obstacles to prevent theft.Thieves are using technologies such as drones and trackers to identify trailers to steal, even when they are supposedly stored securely on a farms premises, he said. Thieves put their trackers on target trailers to identify location for easy theft. They are also using social media sites like Facebook Marketplace to sell stolen equipment.Recovering stolen horse trailersValerie Isted, who owns Equinity Trailers, has a fleet of 60 Ifor Williams trailers for short- and long-term hires that are all registered with The Equipment Register. Valerie explained how The Equipment Register has helped with the recovery of two of their trailers.We have registered all of our trailers with The Equipment Register and this action has thwarted the theft of two of them, she said. Every time someone runs a check against one of our trailers, The Equipment Register contacts ourselves as the registered owners to let us know.On one recent occasion we were alerted to a check on one of our Ifor Williams trailers that was being advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Blackpool, some 300 miles away. Although the thieves had caused some damage to the trailers chassis, we were delighted to be able to recover our property and prevent it being sold on.The service we have received from The Equipment Register is outstanding. Rural crime is on the rise, and it is essential that any would-be purchaser looking to buy a trailer checks The Equipment Registers database to ensure that the trailer is not stolen. We would also recommend that trailer owners make sure they have their trailer registered pre-loss to maximise the chances of its recovery post theft.The report found that soaring second-hand market values and higher finance costs were fuelling the trend for thieves to target trailers to sell them to Eastern Europe. They are often moved via Ireland since the UK and Ireland allow trailers to be registered with the towing number, not their own registration plates.Crime is controlled by organised and often international gangs, and world events and new illicit markets have an impact on the demand for stolen kit, Jim McLaren, NFU Mutual Chairman, said in the report.Protect your trailerTER shared the following tips for trailer owners to help them protect their property:A good quality hitch and wheel lock on the drivers side that covers the trailers coupling handle and head is essential as this slows the thief down and makes more noise when being removed; the better quality of lock, the longer it takes for it to be angle ground through and it makes more noise.A wheel clamp that covers the wheel nuts are generally better than ones that dont as they prevent the wheel being removed.Always park your trailer where it is least visible to the street, if a thief cannot see it they will not steal it.Never park the trailer with the tow hitch facing the road, park it against a wall or fence and/or block it using another vehicle.Use a chain to secure the trailer to a post or wall-mounting.If you are not using the trailer for a period of time, consider removing one of the wheels and/or removing the hitch head and jockey wheel so it cannot be moved or towed.Register your trailer details with TER-Europe and keep a record of the details you will need the trailers VIN number and drawbar code if it has one. If it is stolen at a later date you can call TER and ask them to mark it as stolen when it gets checked by a potential buyer it will flag up and you have a chance of getting it back.Consider installing CCTV at low level to help catch vehicle registration numbers of offending vehicles.Perimeter security install heavy gates that are kept locked at night electric gates are often better than a metal 5 bar gate. Ensure any gates cannot be lifted off their hinges easily.Install ground anchors whilst these require extensive digging to pour concrete into the ground, a ground anchor and a thick heavy duty chain and padlock wrapped around the A frame will discourage thieves.Metal security posts securely bolted into concrete hard standing is another option but there shouldnt be room to get the trailer out in between them.Get a tracker with a contract SIM card that you dont have to keep topping up and hide it somewhere in your trailer. This can help recover your trailer when it is stolen by giving a precise GPS location. Trailers are often stolen and then dumped somewhere for a couple of days to see if anyone comes to get it back. You do have to remember to keep the battery charged as trailers generally dont have a power supply.Be aware of unusual activity around your trailer would-be thieves have been known to plant trackers, use drones or enter yards under false pretences in order to scout out locations for trailer theft.Further readingBuyer beware: how to make sure youre not buying a stolen saddleLooking for a new trailer? Top tips for finding the perfect matchIs your trailer safe? Insight from claims statistics could help prevent theftThe post One in 10 second hand trailers on the market are stolen: Top tips to protect yours from thieves appeared first on Your Horse.

Providing forage before an early morning ride can help reduce your horses ulcer risk.The post Feed to Reduce Ulcer Risk Before Riding appeared first on The Horse.

Dr. Frank Andrews describes how you can reduce your horses risk of hindgut ulcers while helping them safely lose weight.The post Equine Weight Loss and Hindgut Problems appeared first on The Horse.

Great Irish Sport Horse supporter Max Warburton wins the Advance class and takes a further 4 other Top 10 Places on Irish breeders produce in the UK. Irish prefixes shine bright with Cooley getting 16 mentions and Shannondale 11. See below the complete UK and USA results. Any continental results will follow. Aston-le-Walls Horse Trials (GBR) 19th 21st July 2024 Advanced Sec H 1st Deerpairc Revelry (ISH)[was DPS Revelry] 2014 gelding by Hermes De Reve (SF) out of Celerina (AEAS) by Cento (HOLST). Breeder: Dara OMalley (Galway). Rider: Max Warburton (GBR) 32.6, 0, 1.6 = 34.2 8th Maplevalleys Concorde (ISH) 2016 gelding by Royal Concorde (ISH) out of Royale Douglas (ISH) by ARD VDL Douglas (KWPN). Breeder: Aoife Doyle. Rider: Charlotte Donald (GBR) 37.4, 4, 14.4 = 55.8 9th Ballinaguilkey Fortunus (ISH) 2011 gelding by Heritage Fortunus (HANN) out of Abbey Emerald [ISH] by Positively (TB). []