your horse december issue

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Be a Better rider, get the Best from your horse uK’s No.1 equiNe moNthly

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Tally ho!What you can learn from hunting

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Tally ho!What you can learn from huntingTally ho!What you can learn from huntingTally ho!

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fidefideNCNCeeFeel safe and enjoy every ride

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TOTALCONFIDENCE

Expert advice to help you become a braver rider, feel safe and enjoy every ride

DECEmbEr 2012 your horse www.yourhorsE.Co.uk

Dressage and jumping key skills this month

A confident new youThe time has come to launch our brand new six-month series that will bring you and your horse everything you’ll ever need to boost your confidence and achieve your goals

In this issue we see the final curtain come down on our fantastic and hugely popular Training Academy (see p22).

But, as we wave a fond farewell to our wonderful trainers Jay Halim and Spencer Wilton, we welcome some new experts to the Your Horse block. Here at Your Horse HQ, we’re so excited and can’t wait to set off

on our six-month journey to total confidence with you. And the best bit? Accessing our easy-to-follow advice and videos is free! We hope you’re soon inspired to hop on board and reach for the stars. For now read on as we reveal your new coaches and what’s coming up. To find out more during the series visit www.yourhorse.co.uk/tc

the ultimate prize! As well as six months of incredible expert advice in the magazine plus videos online we’ve also got a fantastic Total Confidence competition in association with HitAir UK. Enter and you can be in with the chance to win a once in a lifetime prize package. See page 30 for details and how to enter.

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Easy-to-follow expert advice for beginners to advanced riders

BETTER RIDING

page 40

Riding a square

page 46

School over poles

www.yourhorse.co.uk DeceMBer 2012 your horse

Words Katy Islip Photography Martyn Barnwell

Matt Lanniis a former senior British Nations Cup team member and one of the original trainers who developed British Show Jumping’s accredited trainer scheme. He teaches riders at all levels. For more information visit www.halefield stud.com

KeRRie aSchettinohas had 16.2hh Tommy for a year. The six-year-old Cleveland Bay x TB is quite green, having been backed then turned away until Kerrie bought him. She has been struggling to keep him together and balanced over show jumps.

Private LessonShow jumper Matt Lanni helps you take the rushing out of your jumping and encourage forward-going horses to approach fences calmly and confidently

MEET THE TRAINER

MEET THE RIdER

teaching an inexperienced horse Kerrie explained to me that her main problems when show jumping Tommy centre on him rushing to his fences. This is pretty common with young or inexperienced horses as they might not understand what to do – as the rider, it’s our job to teach them.

Rushing round a course of show jumps, or any jumps for that matter, means your horse is much more likely to knock poles and leave you feeling out of control, which is what Kerrie told me she’s experiencing.

Immediately their warm-up shows me that, while Tommy’s a bright and sharp horse, he’s inexperienced – this comes through even on the flat in the way he struggles to go into canter. Like many horses, once he gets going, it’s the quality of his canter which is

affecting his ability to approach fences calmly and confidently, so that’s what we’ll work on today.

All the exercises we’re going to use to combat rushing are easy and if, like Kerrie, you don’t have a school at home, it’s simple to practise them in your field – just mark out an ‘arena’ and be disciplined at staying within it. To put an end to your horse’s rushing, read on.

the lesson focus l To establish a steady,

forward-going canterl To improve Kerrie’s control by

developing her seatl To teach Tommy to approach

obstacles without rushing

if your canter isn’t great, you could have problems jumping

at the start of the lesson tommy’s rushing means his

jump is far from perfect

page 54

Winter riding tips

page 58

cross-country advice

This month in Better Riding32 PRIvATE lEssoN

Expert advice on jumping calmly

40 RIdINg A squARE One-stop problem solver

46 PolE woRk 10 exercises to spice up your schooling

54 ENjoy wINTER RIdIINg Essential tips

58 HuNTINg HElP Cross-country tips from the experts

64 gIvE HIM soME bouNcE Tips to improve his action, elevation and elasticity

www.yourhorse.co.uk your horse December 2012

Three easy exercises to enjoy riding, that will transform the simplest of shapes into your one-stop problem solver

We’re sure you’re thinking ‘four sides and four corners, what can I do with that?’.

Well there’s a lot you can do with a square if you just get creative. As winter

will soon send us all trotting to the indoor arena, we thought we’d inspire you to jazz up your schooling with a few fun exercises that will help sharpen up your aids and keep your horse on his toes in the coming months.

Wrap training up in a box


Better RidingSchooling on a square

The corner drill

Who can ride it? Everyone, whatever your level!

With 10m circles, changing the rein, riding straight and everything else in between it can be easy to forget your corners. So, if you’ve ever endured a riding lesson where your instructor spent the duration shouting ‘corners!’, then this quick and easy exercise is for you.

How to ride it Start to walk or trot on a 20m x 20m square. Stick

Use this exercise regularly to boost your ability to ride corners and improve your horse’s hindleg engagement

to walk at first if you’re lacking confidence. If you’re working in an arena, ride your square in the middle away from the outside track so you and your horse aren’t able to rely on the fenceline or arena wall. To begin with you could use poles to create your square as a guide but take these away once you and your horse start to get the hang of the exercise.

Once you’ve established your horse’s rhythm and balance begin the exercise by riding transitions

on alternate corners of the square – each time making the transition in the corner before you turn onto the new straight side.

To see how your horse responds to the exercise, first ride a walk-halt-walk transition. Next try riding walk-halt-walk transitions in every corner then, when you feel ready, move forward to trot-halt-trot transitions.

ASk foR helpIf you struggle to stay straight on your square's sides ask a friend to watch you from the ground and let you know when you're getting it right.

Ride your transitions in the corners

Use poles as a guide initially if you need to

Ride straight at the sides

20m

20m

Side of the arena

Side of the arena

The corner drill Work on your corners until they’re easy to ride anywhere

Use poles initially as a guide if necessary

www.yourhorse.co.uk DeceMBer 2012 your horse

Words Larissa Chapman Photography Matthew Roberts

Better RidingPole work

Spice up your schooling Improving your horse’s balance, rhythm and paces can be fun with instructor Alison Pocklington’s top 10 pole work exercises

AliSon Pocklington is a BHSI instructor who trains a wide range of clients for eventing, show jumping, dressage and hunting at the Yorkshire Riding Centre (YRC) where she’s been since 1987. She has a particular interest in the development of young horses and rider confidence. She’s competed up to advanced level eventing.For more information visit: www.yrc.co.uk

OUR EXPERT

MEasURing disTancEs the average trotting pole distance is 4.5ft (this can vary depending on the length of your horse’s stride).the average canter pole distance is 12ft (four human strides). try measuring 12ft and practise walking the distance until you can make four equal strides.

Variation in your schooling is particularly important at this time of year as many of us

face the winter months confined to the school. Pole work is fun and offers multiple benefits for both you and your horse, so we’ve enlisted Alison Pocklington’s help to guide you through 10 of the best pole work exercises around.

Use these regularly to keep your horse on his toes and improve his way of going while adding some sizzle to your school work.

the benefits of using pole workAs well as being great fun, there are plenty of pluses to a good pole work session with numerous benefits for you and your horse. Read on to discover what they are then head off to the arena and get stuck in.

Pole work is great for you and your horse

the benefitS for your horSe● Pole work adds variation to his

work and gets him switched on for jumping or flat work

● Lots of pole exercises will help his balance, paces and rhythm

● Pole work is a great introduction to jumping and will improve his awareness of where his feet are

● It also teaches your horse to get the measure of his own stride

● Regular pole work will encourage your horse to work properly over his back

the benefitS for you● Pole work improves rider balance● It’s great for introducing a novice

rider to jumping and learning how to approach fences

● It improves your steering ● Finally, it helps you to feel the

rhythm of your horse’s stride


Words: Helen Milbank Photography: Martyn Barnwell

Whether you’re going hunting, riding cross-country or on a fast hack, this advice will help you tackle anything the countryside can throw at you

Who better to help you ride safely, effectively and confidently over fences, hedges and rough terrain than a huntsman who does it for a living?

While we’re in the office or commuting to work, Master of Foxhounds Andrew Osborne’s out tackling everything from ditches to deep going, guiding members of the Cottesmore Hunt through acres of land, often crossing up to 40 different farmlands in one day and covering 20 to 30 miles in the process.

The Cottesmore’s country spreads from the flat fenland of the eastern counties of Lincolnshire to the hillier terrain of Rutland and Leicestershire to the west, and Andrew and his team must be able to safely negotiate everything nature puts in their way. It teaches the horses to be sharp and quick-witted and riders to respect the going, as well as each other.

But whether you intend to hunt or not, there’s a huge amount that can be learned from the hunting field. Andrew’s advice will prove valid whether you’re about to go hunting for the first time, fancy giving teamchasing a go, want to boost your confidence cross-country or simply enjoy a blast out hacking.

We joined Andrew and Whipper-In Robert Medcalf at the Cottesmore’s Rutland-based yard to get the lowdown on how to cross the country safely.

If your nerves are in need of a boost, over the next few pages we’ll show you how to:● Go hunting or drag hunting for the first time and

enjoy a fun, exciting day out● Develop your confidence over all types of obstacles● Ensure you’re wearing the right gear to protect

all your vital bits● Help your horse stay safe, and in control, when

you up the gears

Hunting within the law

Andrew Osborne spends his life tackling ditches, hedges and fences

– so he’s well placed to offer advice on riding across the country safely

As with all hunts in the UK, since the hunting ban was implemented in 2005 the Cottesmore has had to adapt its methods in order to operate within the confines of the Hunting Act.

It practises line hunting, where a trail of fox urine is laid by hunt staff or supporters prior to a day’s hunting. Should the hounds come across a real fox’s scent out on a hunt, they’re stopped from giving chase and the original trail followed. It’s similar in concept to drag hunting, where hounds follow a scent laid by a runner as opposed to hunting an animal. The hunt is

also allowed, within the law, to flush out a fox to a bird of prey, which is why you’ll often see a Golden Eagle or similar out with the hunt, often on the arm of a quad bike rider (which makes for a double take moment when you’re driving by!).

And another thing… the fox urine used by the Cottesmore to mark the line is imported from the US. In drag hunts, an artificial mix of chemicals, water and oil is largely used. A runner dips material in the mix and trails it along the ground behind him. The scent, repulsive to humans, is irresistible to hounds.

AndreW OsbOrne is Master of Foxhounds (MFH) of the Cottesmore Hunt, based near Oakham in Rutland. This is his first season with the hunt, having just moved south from Yorkshire. He brought with him his rather handsome hunter Mikado, a nine-year-old Thoroughbred x Irish Draught, who came over from Ireland as a youngster.

OUR EXPERT

Tally ho!Better Riding Going across country

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‘They’re worth the wait!’Over the next six pages, meet the readers who’ve waited years to fulful their dreams of horse ownership, battling nerves, money worries and time issues

t Liz Martin ...came back to riding later in life but was determined nerves weren’t going to hold her back.

p Pauline Barnes ...waited almost 40 years to become a horse owner for the first time, before fate finally took a hand and she’s now living her dream.

p Kara Jarvis ...wouldn’t change her new horsey life with cob Archie for the world. Find out why this first-time horse-owner loves it so much.

p David Lond...is a long-time rider and at 76 years young still loves every minute in the saddle.

Real Life

Turn the page to read their

stories in full


999 Equine emergency

It’s every owner’s nightmare – you’re making your morning check on your horse and discover he’s badly cast

in his stable, or trapped in a ditch in his field. Who would you call – your vet, your instructor, your strongest friends, or the fire brigade? You may think it’s outside their remit, but animal rescues are an increasing part of the work of the UK’s fire services, with fire fighters undergoing specialist training so they can help all kinds of animals in distress.

The days of fire crews having to use their hose reels as makeshift slings for stuck horses are long gone – their equipment is now much more specialised. At Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), it includes an unlikely-looking chap called Randy, a fully-articulated horse mannequin who helps the fire fighters train by letting them recreate situations they couldn’t do without him.

Your Horse writer Katy Islip went to see Randy put members of Matlock fire station’s Blue Watch through their paces and learn how equine rescues work. Read on to find out how these life-savers are helping horses big and small.

Why does the fire service rescue horses?Today, only one in three calls to fire and rescue services is about a fire, with crews tackling everything from flood management to chemical spills and animals in peril. With their emergency rescue skills and professionally calm approach to a crisis, fire fighters are ideally

Horses are great at getting into scrapes, so it’s good to know that there’s expert help available when needed. We visited Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service’s

specialist animal rescue team to find out how they tackle equine emergenciesWords Katy Islip Photography Simon Hipperson

Equine rescue

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Richard Maxwell

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Celebrity interview

Turn over for Richard’s answers to your questions

Richard Maxwell is the man who seems to make the impossible, possible where horses are concerned. But his ‘alternative’ approach

to horse training wasn’t always as recognised as it is today.

In fact in the 90s, Richard felt so isolated and unaccepted that he and his wife, Sam were ready to pack away the

rope halter for good. Then a feature in Your Horse magazine sparked interest in the equine miracle worker.

Richard is now a household name in the horse world, with many accolades under his belt. He has a solid background in both alternative and traditional methods, working with the famous Monty Roberts and also as a riding instructor in the Household Cavalry. He’s worked with many problem horses over the years, and

changed the lives of thousands, including some of the Queen’s.

As we pull up at Richard’s yard in Suffolk, we’re greeted by his beloved dogs, Silver Surfer and Buddy (who seem to have a real taste for Richard’s cup of tea). We meander into the stable block, settle down on the hay bales and quiz him about his life with horses, the highs and the lows of his career, and of course, his favourite cheese.

The horse behaviourist talks about his time in the Household Cavalry, the Monty Roberts’ years and his penchant for trashy Euro popWords Larissa Chapman Photography Matthew Roberts

www.yourhorse.co.uk

To enter visit www.yourhorse.co.uk/win and answer this question...The fleece cooler’s Anti-Pill lining prevents?a) Hobbling b) Bobbling c) WobblingClosing date: 29 November 2012Terms & conditions: For full terms and conditions go to www.yourhorse.co.uk


The prize consists of:• WeatherBeeta Freestyle 1680D

Detach-A-Neck Heavy• WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt

420D Combo Heavy• WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt

420D Standard Neck Medium• WeatherBeeta Under Rug

Standard Neck• WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt

210D Combo Extra Lite• WeatherBeeta Polar Fleece

Cooler Standard Neck

W in this amazing prize and you can be sure your horse will be warm and

dry all winter, whatever the weather.

1 The WeatherBeeta Freestyle 1680D Detach-A-Neck Heavy offers the

ultimate in protection with its 1680 denier ballistic nylon outer shell that’s waterproof, breathable and Teflon coated to repel dirt. Its outer shell with 100g polyfill can be used alone or with a removable 300g liner. It also has a Snug Fit fleece neck cuff to totally seal off the Detach-A-Neck, a wither relief pad, warm belly wrap, full wrap tail flap, reflective panels and leg straps.Colour Black/silver Sizes 5ft 6in to 7ftRRP £249.99

2 The WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt 420D Combo Heavy is great for cold

winter nights with a strong 420 denier outer shell and warm 360g fill. It has a

side gusset, adjustable chest straps, tail flap, 210T nylon lining, low cross surcingles, a fillet string and additional leg strap loops.Colours Black/purple, denim/navy, purple/grey plaid. Sizes 5ft to 7ft (7ft 3in available in black/purple, denim/navy)RRP £74.99

3 The WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt 420D standard neck medium is ideal

for transition between the seasons. It has a strong 420 denier outer shell and medium warm 200g fill, a side gusset, adjustable twin chest straps, tail flap and 210T nylon lining. It also has low cross surcingles, a fillet string and additional loops for optional leg strap attachments.Colour Navy Sizes 5ft to 7ft RRP £59.99

4 The WeatherBeeta Under Rug with standard neck, features a single

touch tape front closure and 210T nylon lining. Additional features include low cross surcingles and fillet string.Colour Navy Sizes 5ft to 7ft RRP £54.99

5 The WeatherBeeta Channel Quilt 210D Combo Extra Lite has a

hardwearing 210 denier outer shell and light 110g fill, great for between seasons. It has a combo neck and adjustable twin chest straps.Colour Navy/hunter Sizes 5ft to 7ftRRP £49.99

6 The WeatherBeeta Polar Fleece Cooler is ideal for travelling,

cooling or as an under rug, keeping your horse comfortable and dry with a breathable Wick-Easy lining. It has an Anti-Pill finish to prevent bobbling and a strong 420 denier, nylon overlay at the shoulders to prevent stretching.Colours Black/purple, chocolate/ocean Argyle, gunmetal/blue, navy/red/white Sizes 5ft to 7ft (4ft to 4ft 9in and 7ft 3in navy/red/white only) RRP £34.99

For more information visit www.weatherbeeta.co.uk

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WINWorth£525

a WeatherBeeta Winter Wardrobe for your horse

Your Horse has teamed up with WeatherBeeta to offer three lucky readers the chance to win a complete winter wardrobe for their horse


Buyers’ GuideSpectator outfits

Get the lookYou can look great spectating at any indoor event this winter in one of these comfy, stylish and practical outfits designed to be layered up or down with ease

Blaze Sedgfield Ladies Shirt £29.95www.blaze clothing.co.uk

Musto Standon Cable Knit Jumper £70www.musto.com

Mark Todd Limond Gilet £40.9901303 872277 or www.wefi.co.uk

Toggi Blenheim Boots £169.5001132 707000 or www.toggi.com

Smart casual made simple


Keep your horse healthy and happy

HORSE CARE

page 109 How to care for your

horse’s fiddly bits!

page 116 Take the stress

out of routine changes


page 124

The latest worming

advice

page 130

Essential know-how

This month in Horse Care100 Skin care advice

Ensure it stays problem-free 106 eSSential know-how

How to use a martingale109 caring for your

horSe’S fiddly bitS Keep every inch healthy

116 help him Settle Advice to help your horse cope with change

124 worm control Advice to combat parasites130 eSSential know-how

A reminder of the basics

Taking care of his skinExpert advice to help you keep your horse’s skin healthy and problem-free all year round

How THE skin worksWhile we all tend to think of our horse’s skin in terms of coat colour and condition, it’s easy to forget that it’s actually a complex system designed to balance his body and help him cope with whatever life – or rather his environment – throws at him.

As the diagram here shows, beneath the visible layer of hair-covered skin we’re all familiar lies a vast array of nerves, glands, tissue and muscles, trapped between the three main layers of the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis.● The epidermis consists of layers of cells that rely on a tough little protein called keratin to strengthen them. This layer is also home to the horse’s oil and sweat glands, and is where Vitamin D from sunlight is synthesised (important for the absorption of calcium)● The dermis is a melting pot of nerve endings, blood and lymphatic vessels, sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles – many of which act as ‘receptors’ for external forces such as heat and touch● The hypodermis is the reason why our horses’ skin can move freely and is home to the subcutaneous fat that provides them with a ‘cuddly’ layer of insulation and acts as an energy reserve. It serves as a cushion between the horse’s muscles and the dermis

Together, these layers of the skin serve to protect your horse, acting as a barrier against the twin dangers of injury and infection – as well as regulating his temperature, helping to combat dehydration and stabilising his blood pressure. But it’s a lesser-known fact that the skin’s also responsible for producing a complex mix of chemicals that can influence behaviour and are associated with sexual behaviour.

Your horse’s skin is his biggest organ, so whether you’re dealing with a sunburn-prone

muzzle or mud fever-ish fetlock, it’s vital you care for it properly.

Correct grooming and management will go a long way to ensuring skin problems are kept at bay and your horse’s coat stays shiny and healthy. So to ensure your horse heads into winter armed with a weather-proof, bacteria-repellent, healthy-looking ‘outer’, here’s our guide to all things skin-related.

Over the next few pages, we’ll help you:● Understand your horse’s skin,

and the stresses and strains placed on it

● Gen up on first-aid essentials with our wound care tips

● Discover why proper nutrition is the key to healthy, strong skin

● Learn how to tackle every common skin condition, from mud fever to sweet itch

● Remind yourself of good grooming practice (and why old- fashioned techniques really work!)

Hairs

Epidermis

Dermis

Hypodermis

sensory nerve Motor nerve sweat glands

sweat pores

Hair shaft

sebaceous oil gland

Adiposetissue

Touch receptors

Cross section of a horse’s skin

Illustration taken from Gillian Higgins’ book ‘Horse Anatomy for Performance’, published by David and Charles, RRP £19.99. For a copy, visit www.horsesinsideout.com

our eXpertS

CrEssiDA HEATH is Hunt Groom for the Cottesmore Hunt, so she knows a thing or two about protecting horses’ skin as they tackle all the hunting field can throw at them

Dr TErEsA HollAnDs R.Nutr is senior nutritionist at feed manufacturers Dodson & Horrell and one of the highest qualified feed experts in the UK

CHArliE Briggs is an equine vet at the Hale Veterinary Group in Wiltshires

Illustration taken from Gillian Higgins’ book ‘Horse Anatomy for Performance’, published by David and Charles, RRP £19.99. For a copy, visit www.horsesinsideout.com

www.yourhorse.co.uk december 2012 your horse

Words Andrea Oakes

Discover why regular checks of these seven vital areas are essential to your horse’s wellbeing – and could reveal important clues about his health and fitness

When time is tight, a quick flick-over with a brush should leave your

horse ready to ride. But what about the fiddly bits that often get forgotten? Taking good care of these more awkward areas will not

only keep your horse comfortable but could reveal vital clues about his general health.

Our top-to-toe guide will tell you all you need to know about these more sensitive areas – from how and why to tackle the ticklish parts, to when to leave well alone.

Jane Kingis an equine vet who deals with a full range of horses and ponies – from Thelwell-types to racing Thoroughbreds – at the Westmorland Veterinary Group in Cumbria, which is a member of the XLVets group.

OUR EXPERT

The essential 7

Horse CareTop-to-toe care


Wage war on wormsWords Andrea Oakes

Even an apparently healthy horse can harbour a potentially dangerous worm burden, so here’s some expert advice from vet Richard Sutcliffe to help you fight back

RichaRd Sutcliffe MRCVS is an equine vet at Bishopton Veterinary Group in North Yorkshire, a member of the XLVets group.

OUR EXPERT

LungwormsHorses grazing with donkeys can eat larvae, which then travel to the lungs and mature into thread-like worms that measure up to 8cm in length.

Weight loss, diarrhoea and colic can be a sign of small redworm infestation – something that can be diagnosed through veterinary investigation

tapeworms can be a hidden danger in the bowel – in some cases causing it to telescope in, as in the example above

T he importance of a good worming regime is nothing new to conscientious horse

owners, many of whom stick to strict schedules to keep the pesky creatures at bay. But while we may have declared ‘war on worms’, the bad news is that the worms are fighting back by developing resistance to many of the worming products now available.

These unwelcome visitors can cause problems inside our horses without our knowledge – even a well-cared-for and apparently healthy horse can harbour a potentially dangerous worm burden. While we may think he’s

been treated, he could in fact be what vet Richard Sutcliffe refers to as “a ticking time bomb”.

So how best to protect our horses from the menace of worms? The worming world can be confusing, with egg counts, tapeworm tests and a proliferation of products to contend with, but knowing your enemy and the damage it can cause will give you a vital head start. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of worming – and find out how you can implement some of the most effective anti-worm measures to keep your horse safe.

WoRm factSWorms are an unpleasant fact of life as far as horses are concerned, but why exactly must the two go together? A worm is basically an internal parasite that uses the horse as a host during part of its lifecycle, living within and feeding from the horse’s organs and tissues.

However, gruesome as this may seem, Richard explains that the aim is not to have a worm-free horse. “If you try to eradicate all worms your horse’s immune system will become susceptible, whereas a low burden will have a beneficial effect by continually stimulating the immune system,” he says. “Nowadays, we try to find a better balance between immunity and worm population.”

In the wild, this worm-horse ratio would have been more naturally balanced as horses roamed over thousands of acres, but the modern practice of grazing domesticated horses on limited pasture exposes them to higher levels of infestation. While many of the parasites that favour the horse as a host are merely hitching a ride and rarely cause disease, some can do irreversible damage to the gut and other internal organs.


BotsThe larvae of the botfly develop in the stomach and are passed in droppings during summer months. The orangey-coloured bots are around 2cm long.

SMALL REDWORMS OR CYATHOSTOMESOR CYATHOSTOMESORInfective larvae, eaten by the grazing horse, migrate to the large intestine where they burrow into the gut wall. The adult worms (above) are 1-2cm long and live in the large intestine.

LARGE REDWORMS OR STRONGYLESOR STRONGYLESORAdult worms live in the large intestine. The larvae burrow around the blood vessels and migrate through other internal organs.

INTESTINAL THREADWORMSAt six months old, young horses develop immunity to these tiny, hair-like worms that live in the intestines. Larvae migrate to the lungs.

TAPEWORMSThe most common tapeworms (above) are creamy-white and can measure 5-20cm long. They attach themselves to the junction between the small and large intestine.

LARGE ROUNDWORMSOR ‘ASCARIDSOR ‘ASCARIDSOR ’White-coloured adults form a spaghetti-like mass in the small intestine of foals and yearlings. Larvae migrate from the intestines to the liver and lungs.

PINWORMSThese long, slender worms live in thehorse’s colon and migrate to the anus to lay their eggs.

gut

lungS

Stomach

Horse CareWorms

Next month in On saleNov 29

Horse CareOur infection special will cover rare and common conditions and tell you how to cope with the physical management of an infection. Plus we speak to some of the best feed advice lines to unearth the most commonly asked questions and their answers

Buying adviceSee which winter jackets cut the mustard as we put them to the test and check out a range of Christmas gifts to suit all budgets

YH Katy experiences life as a bobby on the equine beat and tells you what goes on during a day with the New Scotland Yard mounted unit

Find out how to get started in team chasing, put together a team and how the sport can benefit you and your horse

See our latest private lesson with the marvelous Sylvia Loch

We speak to the readers who rescued their horses from the most terrible circumstances

Prepare for a fresh start to the New Year as we equip you with some top tips for becoming a fit and healthy rider

www.yourhorse.co.uk 2

We kick off our amazing new series with advice from sports psychologist Debbie Percy on tackling your confidence demons from the ground, plus

Richard Maxwell helps to solve a real-life reader problem

TOTALCONFIDENCE

Winter Gear GuideIncluding ● Fleeces ● Winter Jackets ● Breeches

● Thermals ● Hats ● Gloves ● Wellies

essential guide to the gear you’ll need to

keep you cosy and warm through

the winter

48page

2012

your horse december issue

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