Local Rider Magazine

15/02/2023

Such a lovely opportunity...

Horseman's Sunday in the Surrey Hills.
Ride to St Martha’s Church for a short service and blessing.

All horses will be blessed and will receive a rosette.

Walkers and dogs on leads (out of courtesy to our horse guests) are also welcome.

Registration is essential as numbers are limited.

17/01/2023

Brilliant news...

21/12/2022

Love these pictures...

07/09/2022

Just wanted to congratulate all our wonderful followers who have been out and about with their horses, so many great results!

04/09/2022

Huge congratulations to Piggy March on her amazing win at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

Super proud of all the “local riders” too. Tom Jackson was second, Pippa Funnell eighth as well as 16th, and Tom Crisp also finished in the top ten!

Hopefully lots of 🎉🎉🍾🍾 soon...

🏆Piggy March and Vanir Kamira are the 2022 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Champions!!🤩

👏Huge congratulations to Piggy and Vanir kamira who have just claimed the title at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Coming forward with their PB dressage test of 22.6 and a foot-perfect cross country their showjumping, which saw a touch at just one pole, sealed the win for them this afternoon on Day 3.

Piggy - you were awesome!!!

Full results here..https://bit.ly/3RzAv70
Photo: Adam Fanthorpe

02/09/2022

EQUINE HERPES VIRUS-1 DIAGNOSED IN KENT SEPTEMBER 2022

We have had a positive case of EHV-1 diagnosed in West Kent on 31/08/22. The yard involved has been locked down and they are following set guidelines to prevent any further spread. Code Of Practice : Equine Herpesvirus - EHV (hblb.org.uk). Please read the information below and call us if you have any queries. It may be wise to be extra cautious about biosecurity if you are going out with your horse in the West Kent area in the next few weeks. This is not a notifiable disease, so there is no legal requirement for individuals to stay at home.

EQUINE HERPES VIRUS FACTS:

EHV causes four clinical syndromes:
1) Respiratory
2) Abortion
3) Neonatal foal death
4) Neurological disease – the paralytic form, which may or may not be related to previous or on-going respiratory disease
Respiratory Disease: What to look out for
• Fever
• Coughing
• Nasal Discharge
Neurological Disease: What to look out for
• Incoordination of the hind (and occasionally fore) limbs
• Urine retention/dribbling - can present as mild colic
• Recumbency (inability to rise)
• Neurological signs may or may not be preceded by fever and respiratory signs.

HOW IS THE VIRUS SPREAD?
The virus causes respiratory infection. Spread occurs from horse-to-horse contact (nose-to-nose) and any nasal discharge will be contagious. People can also transmit the virus by handling an infected horse and then touching another unaffected horse; likewise tack and equipment can spread the virus from horse to horse. The virus can also spread in the air (aerosol spread), especially to adjacent stables. The virus cannot spread long distances in the air and does not survive for long periods in the external environment. Close contact between horses within a yard or between adjacent yards is usually required to allow spread.

The incubation period may be as short as 24hours, but more typically is approximately 4 - 6 days, and horses are most infectious in the early stages of infection (when the temperature is raised).

Another important feature of the Herpes viruses is their ability to lie dormant (latent) in the body. A horse can therefore be infected for life, and can intermittently discharge the virus from the nose and infect susceptible horses. Stress may result in a latently infected horse starting to shed virus into the environment again, so avoid stressful situations in your yard.

PREVENTION:

• Call BELL EQUINE on 01622 813700, if disease is suspected.
• Isolate any horses showing a temperature rise and/or respiratory signs
• Keep pregnant mares away from other horses, especially new arrivals.
• Minimise stress, where possible, e.g. by avoiding prolonged transport. So keep your horses as comfortable as possible in a normal routine.
• It is best to isolate any new horses coming onto a yard for a minimum of 10 days
• Be fastidious with hygiene at all times, such as avoid nose to nose contact between visiting horses, do not share water buckets, feed bowls etc, disinfect horseboxes between transporting different horses and change clothing and wash hands after contact with other horses
VACCINATION

This is NOT recommended in the face of an outbreak. Vaccines against Equine Herpes viruses are available, but they are not effective against the neurological form of the virus. The vaccine is not 100% effective and will not necessarily prevent a horse from becoming infected by the virus.

Vaccination has a role, when combined with good biosecurity and hygiene measures. This is most important in competition yards where horses are coming and going from shows. If your horse is healthy and is not linked to any outbreak, then there is no reason not to vaccinate as that way you will be doing all you can to prevent EHV.

The vaccine has to be given as 2 doses 4-6 weeks apart, followed by 6 monthly boosters. If you are thinking of vaccinating your horse, it is advisable to vaccinate the whole yard to reduce the risk of infection becoming established in the overall population. Pregnant mares can be vaccinated at 5, 7 and 9 months of gestation to reduce the risk of EHV-1 abortion.

This links gives information on all equine infectious disease surveillance in the UK: Equine surveillance org

PLEASE CALL BELL EQUINE ON 01622 813700 if you have any questions and look out for updates here or on our page.

04/06/2022

Congratulations to the amazing Isabelle Cook. A brilliant win 🥇🎉🍾

29/05/2022

Another great idea...

11/05/2022

03/05/2022

Another great idea...

01/05/2022

For all you very successful competitors a great way to save your rugs, would look fab in a posh tack room…

02/03/2022

The count down has begun..

01/03/2022

Does your pony like pancakes?

17/02/2022

One of our favourite shows, although with such a super prize might have to dust my riding boots off, not the camera...

We are excited to announce that we are going full steam ahead with the planning of the 2022 Heathfield Agricultural Show. It will be our 75th anniversary show and the Show Council is working on organising a celebration, not only for our anniversary show, but also us coming back after two years absen...

14/01/2022

Such an amazing opportunity…
(Might be missing from my desk for a while)

Horse riders, where are you? We are looking for volunteers with riding experience to come and support our conservation work in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Carry out game counts, snare removal and reserve management on horseback. Help rehabilitate horses, camp under the stars, swim in lakes, gallop with zebra, even train the horses in dressage and jumping.

All accommodation, food and riding included in the volunteer fee.

This project counts towards college work experience, veterinary pre clinical EMS, looks great on your CV, will open your eyes, introduce you to new friends and alter your outlook on life, whilst helping conserve African wildlife. 🦓🐃🐗🦒🐘

[email protected]
Or
https://www.worldwidevets.com/Projects/Safari-Stables-Project

2022 is your year to make a difference

13/01/2022

What do you think of this?

Gucci embraces its equestrian roots with unexpected twists throughout its Aria collection, with this bag being a stand-out piece. Crafted from the iconic GG Supreme canvas, this statement accessory comes in the shape of a jockey’s cap and features a detachable shoulder strap, rope embellishmen...