Members of the public will be able to gain in-depth knowledge about several horse-related subjects such: – as worming, insurance, farriery, nutrition and polework at our Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Snetterton on Tuesday 29 May 2012.

We have a number of guest speakers at the event which include: -

• Vet Andy Williamson from Uplands Way Vets in Diss, Attleborough and Cromer

• John Blake from Breckland Farriers

• World Horse Welfare Field Officer Jacko Jackson

• Nutritionist Jane Van Lennop B.Sc, M.Sc, BHSI, N.P.S.D with her ‘Bucket to Barrow’ lecture

• Sarah Stoneham BVSc, Cert, ESM, MRCVS with a demo about worming

Horses currently undergoing rehabilitation at World Horse Welfare’s Hall Farm will also be used for a demonstration by some of the centre’s grooms about the significance of polework.    Additionally, Jacko Jackson will talk about the role and importance of a Field Officer for our charity.

The event starts at 7pm with tickets costing £5 (including refreshments).

For more information and to book tickets please contact Hall Farm Visitor Centre Officer Maxine Langley on 01953 499100 or 07801 880201.

All proceeds raised from the event will go to World Horse Welfare to help more horses in need in the UK and overseas.

The Bishop Burton College Town and Country Day is being held 27 May. The event, which includes themed events and activities, will run alongside the College’s British Eventing Horse Trials.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a wide variety of displays, demonstrations and activities, all with a distinctly rural flavour, including: Falconry; Mini Zoo; Dog Agility and Dog Show; Horseball; Chainsaw Sculpture; Children’s activities (including children’s story teller and face painting); Steel Band, Street Dancing, Zumbathon; Jewellery Making; Mini Olympics; Country Cookery; Woodland Crafts; Floristry Demonstrations; Fashion Show and much more!

We are once again inviting members of the public to enter the Dog Show. Entries are on the day from 10.30am, judging commences at 1.00pm. Please note there is a small entrance fee. Pedigree and Novelty classes include:
Pedigree Class: Puppy, Non-sporting, Sporting and Open
Novelty Class: Junior Handler, Most Handsome Dog, Most Appealing Eyes, Waggiest Tail, Best Veteran, Best Fancy Dress, and Dog Judge would most like to take home.

More information is available from Jodie Archer 01964 553000.
Tickets are available on the Gate.
Single £5. Family tickets are available £15 (2adults + 2 children). Under 3’s are free.
Free Parking on Campus.

“I go to the yard 3-4 times each week. But I never get on and ride.”

“Every time my horse canters, I freak out.”

“I’m afraid of getting hurt and not being able to work or care for my family.”

“I want riding to be FUN – the way I remember it as a kid. Instead, all I do now is worry about everything.”

“Every time I go to a show I feel sick.”

“I usually ride in the arena, where I am comfortable. But the whole time I am criticising myself for being too afraid to ride out on a hack, which is where I really want to be.”

“I’m afraid the horse will get out of control and I won’t be able to stop it.”

“I usually make excuses to avoid hacking with friends. Occasionally I will grit my teeth and go. But my heart is pounding every step of the way and I am miserable. On the last hack I got off and walked back to the yard in tears.”

“Somehow, riding has lost its fun. I’m thinking about selling my horse because I dread going to the yard.”

If you have, you are not alone! And the good news is that TV/Radio Confidence Coach Ian Banyard and Horse Behavioural Trainer Sheila Reed have joined forces to set up The Cotswold Confidence Clinic for Riders.

This is a fantastic opportunity for not only those with confidence issues, but also friends, parents, instructors and professionals to learn some useful information about the brain, psychology, equine behaviour and coaching skills to ensure that riders and their horses get the most enjoyment from riding.

Clinics take place at the Unicorn Equestrian Trust near Stow on the Wold. For more information about the Cotswold Confidence Clinic contact Ian Banyard on 01242821136/07812675549 or email ian@ianbanyard.com

Tina’s Carpetright Derby winner, the quirky but talented Promised Land, has jumped in the class twice and is yet to have a single pole down – an incredible achievement considering there’s only been 53 clear rounds in the Derby since it was first run in 1961.

A number of horses have won the Hickstead Derby multiple times. Boomerang and Eddie Macken are the only combination to win four times, taking home the famous trophy every year from 1976-1979. Michael Whitaker and Mon Santa won it three consecutive times (1991-1993), Peter Charles did the same with Corrada (2001-2003), while William Funnell and Cortaflex Mondriaan won in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

Tina and Promised Land came very close to winning in 2010, in the horse’s first Derby attempt. They rode a perfect double clear, only for Guy Williams and Skip Two Ramiro to match their feat in a quicker time. It meant Tina became the second rider ever to jump double clear in the Hickstead Derby but to not win – the only other rider to do so was Tim Stockdale and Wiston Bridget in 2000.

Having finished tantalisingly close on two occasions, Tina Fletcher was certainly due a win in 2011 – and she duly jumped the only clear round to net the £40,000 first prize. The brainchild of Hickstead founder Douglas Bunn, the Hickstead Derby was first held in 1961 and the famous course has barely changed in the years since. With fences like the Devil’s Dyke, the towering Bank with its 10ft 6in drop, the tricky double of water ditches and one of the widest water jumps in the world, it is little wonder that clear rounds are such a rarity and why the class has become so iconic in the horse world.

The Carpetright Derby is the grand finale of Hickstead’s June meeting, and this year it will take place at 2.30pm on Sunday 24 June. Riders have to qualify for the Carpetright Derby by competing in Friday’s Bunn Leisure Derby Trial, last year won by Peter Charles and Murka’s Vindicat W. The British Speed Derby on Saturday will see riders and horses go over Hickstead’s permanent obstacles at the gallop – last year the class was won for the second time by Hickstead’s own Shane Breen.

Sky Sports will also be televising live action from Hickstead every afternoon from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 June.

With showing classes, scurry driving, the celebrity polo match, hundreds of tradestands and entertainment for all the family, a trip to Hickstead offers the perfect day out. Admission prices start from just £8 per person. To book tickets, go to www.hickstead.co.uk or call 01273 834315.

The new fundraiser invites people to pick the Stride Out activity that best suits them and to choose the location, date and distance of their event.  For those who wish to follow in the footsteps of working animals, a selection of Stride Out routes with animal connections are also on offer such as canal towpaths, drovers’ roads and bridleways.

Funds raised from the events will help SPANA provide more free veterinary treatment for hardworking horses, donkeys, mules and other animals in some of the world’s poorest countries.  It is estimated that there are up to 200 million working animals worldwide who do the jobs of trucks, tractors and taxis, carrying heavy loads with little rest to support communities living in poverty.

Andy Stringer, Veterinary Director for SPANA, said: “In developing countries poor families rely on working animals to make a living, and these animals will often work day in, day out with little rest.  But a life of work needn’t be a life of misery, and through free veterinary care, education and training, and emergency response, we’re working to change animals’ lives.

“By Striding Out this summer, as well as having a brilliant time, you’ll be helping us take giant strides forward to improve the welfare of working animals worldwide.”

For more information about how to hold your own Stride Out event and to register for your free fundraising pack full of ideas on how to make your event a success, visit www.spana.org/strideout* or call 020 7831 3999.

Equine Agility Demo

Wednesday April 18th 2012

 7.00 for a 7.30pm start

Thought that Dog agility looked fun? Well, wait till you try the Equine version! Dawn Rubens is coming along to New Barn on Wednesday April 18th to demonstrate with some horses and ponies what this fast growing sport is all about.

So, if you have a much loved equine that, for whatever reason, you don’t or can’t ride, but want to develop an entirely new and exciting partnership with them – this is the evening for you!

Even if you don’t want to do this kind of stuff with your horse, the evening will be really fun to watch, with lots of tricks and treats.

Have a look here to see a bit more about what it is all about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYtMbnpJd2M&feature=related

The demo will be in the covered school at New Barn, Chelford Road, Ollerton, Cheshire WA16 8SZ. £5.00 on the door. There is loads of room for spectators, but parking is slightly limited  so email lisa at lisapritchard@themodernhorse.co.uk to make sure they know you are coming!

The second annual Surrey Spring Show will be held on the 20th May 2012 at Felbridge Show ground.

The Harwoods Group has agreed to be the overall show sponsor ensuring that all the costs of the show are cvered and again that every penny donated or raised on the day of the show will be directly received by the two chosen charities.

“We were overjoyed when The Harwoods Group agreed to come on board as the overall show sponsor for our 2012 show. ” Anita Reid, Chairwoman of the The Surrey Spring Show Society. “Ensuring all the costs of putting the show on is essential for us to maximize the money we raise for these 2 dearly held charities. We were very proud that The Harwoods Group would align their brand with ourselves and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and St Catherine’s Hospice. Cancer affects so many people in our local community the additional of The Harwoods Group to our show means we hope to match or exceed the money we raised in 2011. We are incredibly thankful for their sponsorship.”

This years show has additional classes from the 2011 show as well as a cake stand, BBQ, hog roast, tack shop and this year a licensed bar.

If you require any further information:

Surreyspringshow@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/groups/190100841027873/

www.surreyspringshow.org

“These club competitions, now in their fifth year, grow more and more popular every time, because they are one of the few occasions grass roots riders can become directly involved in such a prestigious event.  I recall that last year, we were over-subscribed within 10 days, but this time we appear to have broken all previous records, explains Event Director, Mandy Hervieu.

“We have extended the timetable so we can take all clubs whose entries we received on the opening day and we have accepted over 40 teams in each of the two club events.  A wait list will be in operation but we will be advising any competitors who have not been able to enter the team event to try to qualify for the Trizone BE100 Eventer Challenge.  This is held over a similar course on the Sunday and entries open 1st May,” ends Hervieu.

The Dodson & Horrell Riding Club Eventer Challenge (Thursday 6 September) and  Pony Club Eventer Challenge (Friday 7 September) require a team of three or four riders to complete a round of 1.05m show jumps and portable cross-country fences within an optimum time, with each competitor also being marked on their riding style and skill.  Last year’s winners were The Chipstead Riding Club and The Surrey Union Pony Club.

The feature CCI*** and CIC*** events at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials run from 6-9 September 2012 with two days of cross country on the Saturday and Sunday, across both classes.  Set in the parkland of Blenheim Palace near Woodstock (Oxon), Blenheim has become an established family event hosting over 175 trade stands and a wide selection of displays and demonstrations designed to appeal to all, with children’s entertainment on the weekend.

Visitors are advised to book tickets early to guarantee limited availability tickets such as grandstand seats or Members passes.  For tickets and schedule details, visit www.blenheim-horse.co.uk.

The event on Saturday 7 April 2012 is jam-packed full of fun things for the family to enjoy such as: – groom a pony sessions, yard tours, Easter card making and an Easter egg colouring competition.

Everyone is welcome to come along to the free event in Somerton, Somerset between 11am and 4pm.  As well as all of the fun activities, there are plenty of opportunities to meet all of the wonderful horses and ponies  at the centre as you take a walk around the farm tracks.  Well-behaved dogs are also very welcome.

For further information please call Glenda Spooner Farm on 01935 841442 or visit www.worldhorsewelfare.org/informationnews-events

While Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS) affiliated classes have been held at the show for some time, 2012 sees the introduction of CHAPS affiliated classes for Lead Rein and First Ridden. These will be open to traditional, native and non-native coloured ponies.

All other CHAPS affiliated classes will be qualifiers for the CHAPS (UK) Championship Show to be held from 30 August to 1 September 2012.

British Show Pony Society (BSPS) Mountain and Moorland Heritage Working Hunter Pony classes for mares and geldings are also to be introduced. These will be in three height categories; not exceeding 122cms; exceeding 122cms but not exceeding 138cms; exceeding 138cms. The classes are qualifiers for Ponies Association (UK), Shearwater M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year, P(UK) Northwest Supporters Confined Novice M&M Working Hunter Pony Championship to be held at the Ponies Association (UK) Summer Championship in August 2012 at the Newark Showground.

Winners and runners-up in each class will be eligible to go forward to the show’s BSPS Mountain and Moorland Heritage Working Hunter Pony Championship; the Champion will qualify for the BSPS David Manning Champion of Champions.

The new classes will be included in the Newark & Nottinghamshire County Show Light Horse Schedule which can be obtained either by post from the Competitions & Entries Secretary, Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society, Newark Showground, Lincoln Road, Newark-on-Trent  NG24 2NY (please enclose an A5 addressed envelope with 75p postage) or downloaded from the website: www.newarkshowground.com. Entries can also be made online or by post.

Further entries information is available on 01636 705796 or by email: entries@newarkshowground.com; general show information is available by emailing: sally@newarkshowground.com

Entries close on Friday 23 March 2012.