Quick Guide To Turnout Rugs 5. November 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0) Using a turnout rug will help protect your horse from harsh weather conditions such as the cold, rain, wind and snow…keeping them warm and dry while they’re out in their field. The type of turnout chosen depends on many factors ranging from the temperature and weather conditions to your horse’s lifestyle, his age and what breeding he is. Turnout Weights: Turnout rugs are generally available in three weights based on the amount of filling in the rug. This filling is measured in grams per square metre and the higher the fill number, the warmer the rug. Light weight turnouts have no filling and so are ideal for warmer conditions when your horse may need protection from passing showers. Medium weight turnouts have a filling of approximately 200gm and are best used in between seasons when conditions are beginning to get colder. Heavy weight turnouts have a filling of approximately 300+gm and are ideal for cold winter conditions. Turnout Styles: Turnout rugs come in a variety of styles: Standard - Typical rug shape that ends at the horse’s withers – no neck cover. Combo - Same shape as the standard rugs but features an integrated neck cover which cannot be removed. These keep as much of your horse as warm and dry as possible. Half Neck - This is a standard rug shape but with an extended neck. The aim of this design is to reduce the amount of pressure put on the withers and to offer a little extra coverage. Separate neck cover – you can also buy a standard turnout rug along with a separate neck cover, which enables you to choose whether to add the extra coverage or not depending on weather conditions. Weather Proof: A degree of common sense has to be applied to the performance expectations of your horse’s rug. No turnout, or human coat can be absolutely waterproof when subjected to hours of torrential rain. Today’s high tech materials will withstand and repel a high level of rain and weather but will eventually begin to allow some water through. With this in mind it is highly advisable to have at least one spare turnout rug to use on your horse while the other is drying in a barn or tack room. Rip Proof: How many times have you read the description of a turnout and been confused by the '1200D' reference that appears in the product title or description? When you see this, it’s simply referring to the strength of the outer fabric using a denier rating. The higher the denier rating, the stronger the fabric, for example, 1200 denier is stronger than 600 denier. Although many turnouts have tough, ‘ripstop’ outers, this does not mean that the material will never rip. Horses are large, powerful animals and their scratching or rubbing on branches or fences in a field can result in rugs getting snagged and entangled. Horses will always attempt to free themselves if they’re restrained so the rugs have to be designed to rip or give way when put under a large amount of pressure. If you had a choice between a damaged rug or damaged horse, which would you choose? Increasing Your Turnout’s Life Span: A good quality turnout should last for many years - accidents permitting. To increase the lifetime of a turnout it needs to be cleaned, repaired and reproofed at least once a year and stored away when not in use so that it doesn’t go mouldy or get munched by rodents! If you’re still unsure about anything related to turnouts or horse rugs in general, please email our friendly customer service team on customer.service@robinsonsequestrian.com or use our ‘Live Chat’ facility online.
Jodhpurs & Breeches – What’s The Difference? 8. July 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0)
Rag-Fork v Ragwort! 25. June 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0) Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE 10 Facts About Ragwort 1. Ragwort is highly toxic to all grazing animals and is one of the most frequent causes of plant poisoning of livestock in Britain. Horses and ponies are particularly susceptible to Ragwort poisoning and it can often be fatal. 2. All parts of the Ragwort plant are poisonous all year round. 3. Ragwort is one of five injurious weeds specified in the Weeds Act 1959. This gives the Secretary of State the power to serve notice upon the occupier of any land on which Ragwort is growing, requiring them to take action within a specified time to prevent the weed from spreading to agricultural land. 4. Ragwort is highly palatable and toxic when cut and dried. 5. Eating a small amount of Ragwort over a long period of time can be just as damaging as eating one large amount. 6. Ragwort is deep rooted and a plant will regenerate if not completely removed. 7. Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a 70 per cent germination rate. Ragwort seeds can lay dormant in the soil for 20 years. 8. Ragwort is biennial with a rosette stage in the first year and flowering in the second year. 9. Younger animals are more susceptible than mature animals. 10. The effects of ragwort ingestion are not pleasant; the symptoms may include weight loss, poor and staring coat, staggering gait, impaired vision followed by circling, blindness, colliding with obstacles, severe abdominal pain, inability to swallow and ultimately complete paralysis, collapse and death. Owners of livestock may only become aware of a problem once these clinical signs appear and by which time it is too late. Rag-Fork: What is it? The Rag-Fork is a tool for digging out Ragwort quickly and easily. It uses an innovative leverage elbow action ensuring that the weed and its roots can be removed effortlessly, without the use of chemicals or herbicides. The compact and lightweight design also helps reduce the risk of back strain, even in the hardest of soils. It’s the fast and effective solution for control of Ragwort and other common field weeds and definitely makes light work of a back-breaking job! There’s more good news…your Rag-Fork comes with a lifetime guarantee! Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE The Rag-Fork Guide to Digging Up and Disposing of Ragwort 1. Always wear gloves. Ragwort is poisonous to humans too. 2. Take a bag or wheelbarrow to put the Ragwort in once dug up. Ragwort is more palatable to horses when dried. Always remove dug up Ragwort from your horses field. 3. Put your Rag-Fork next to the plant root, push down using the foot bar and then pull back and down towards you. There is no need to twist the fork. The fulcrum will push the root out of the ground. 4. Put the Ragwort plant in the bag or barrow and remove from your field 5. Put a little rock salt in the hole where the Ragwort plant was to dry up and remaining root strands. 6. Burn the Ragwort in a safe place. 7. Do this task as part of your daily field checks to keep on top of your Ragwort. Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE 10 Facts About Ragwort 1. Ragwort is highly toxic to all grazing animals and is one of the most frequent causes of plant poisoning of livestock in Britain. Horses and ponies are particularly susceptible to ragwort poisoning and it can often be fatal. 2. All parts of the ragwort plant are poisonous all year round. 3. Ragwort is one of five injurious weeds specified in the Weeds Act 1959. This gives the Secretary of State the power to serve notice upon the occupier of any land on which ragwort is growing, requiring them to take action within a specified time to prevent the weed from spreading to agricultural land. 4. Ragwort is highly palatable and toxic when cut and dried. 5. Eating a small amount of ragwort over a long period of time can be just as damaging as eating one large amount. 6. Ragwort is deep rooted and a plant will regenerate if not completely removed. 7. Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a 70 per cent germination rate. Ragwort seeds can lay dormant in the soil for 20 years. 8. Ragwort is biennial with a rosette stage in the first year and flowering in the second year. 9. Younger animals are more susceptible than mature animals. 10. The effects of ragwort ingestion are not pleasant; the symptoms may include weight loss, poor and staring coat, staggering gait, impaired vision followed by circling, blindness, colliding with obstacles, severe abdominal pain, inability to swallow and ultimately complete paralysis, collapse and death. Owners of livestock may only become aware of a problem once these clinical signs appear and by which time it is too late. Rag-Fork: What is it? The Rag-Fork is a tool for digging out Ragwort quickly and easily. It uses an innovative leverage elbow action ensuring that the weed and its roots can be removed effortlessly, without the use of chemicals or herbicides. The compact and lightweight design also helps reduce the risk of back strain, even in the hardest of soils. It’s the fast and effective solution for control of Ragwort and other common field weeds and definitely makes light work of a back-breaking job! There’s more good news…if you register your Rag-Fork purchase on the Rag-Fork website, in the unlikely event that your Rag-Fork is faulty or breaks whilst digging paddock or garden weeds, they will provide you with a replacement fork or a full refund! cThe Rag-Fork Guide to Digging Up and Disposing of Ragwort 1. Always wear gloves. Ragwort is poisonous to humans too. 2. Take a bag or wheelbarrow to put the ragwort in once dug up. Ragwort is more palatable to horses when dried. Always remove dug up ragwort from your horses field. 3. Put you Rag-Fork next to the plant root, push down using the foot bar and then pull back and down towards you. There is no need to twist the fork. The fulcrum will push the root out of the ground. 4. Put the ragwort plant in the bag or barrow and remove from your field 5. Put a little rock salt in the hole where the ragwort plant was to dry up and remaining root strands. 6. Burn the ragwort in a safe place. 7. Do this task as part of your daily field checks to keep on top of your ragwort.
Protect Your Body! 10. June 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0) Whether you’re planning to go eventing, about to back a young horse or just go out hacking, consideration should always be given to body protection. Designed to absorb impact from a fall or kick from a horse, body protectors are compulsory for some competitions. But an increasing number of riders report feeling more confident - and therefore riding more positively - when wearing one in everyday situations from hacking to schooling over fences. Another reason many more riders are opting for body protection is that modern garments are more flexible and lightweight than their predecessors. Not only that, 21st century body protectors come in fun, fashionable colours (or plain if you prefer), are quick and easy to put on - and don’t necessarily cost as much as you may think. A good fit is the key to comfort and safety. BETA trains retailers, such as ourselves, to fit body protectors so that we can offer riders free, personalised fittings instore. What’s The Best Body Protector For You? BETA originally brought together riding organisations, doctors, riders, manufacturers and retailers to develop the now widely recognised BETA Body Protector Standard. The BETA Standard sets criteria for shock-absorption, controls the area of the body that must be covered and ensures there are minimal gaps between the protective foam panels. It encompasses three levels, each designed for different activities and denoted by a colour-coded label on the garment. Level 1 (black label) provides the lowest level of protection that is only considered appropriate for licensed jockeys while racing. Level 2 (brown label) offers a lower than normal level of protection so is considered suitable for low risk situations - not including jumping, riding on the roads, riding young or excitable horses or riding while inexperienced. Level 3 (purple label) is considered appropriate for general riding, competitions including eventing and working with horses. Level 3 body protectors should prevent minor bruising that would have produced stiffness and pain, reduce soft tissue injuries and prevent a limited number of rib fractures. Make The Most Of Your Body Protector Body protectors should be replaced at least every three to five years, after which the impact absorption properties of the foam may have started to decline. Garments bearing the now obsolete Level 5 or 7 labels will no longer be effective and should be replaced with a garment bearing the current BETA 2000 and 2009 Standard. If you should have a heavy fall, your body protector should be checked immediately for dents. The foam will expand back to its original shape within 30 minutes; but if a dent is showing on examination, then it’s likely that this part of the garment has lost its impact absorption properties and should be replaced. Hidden damage that a body protector may have sustained is also a good reason for avoiding second-hand garments or those with unknown histories. Taking good care of your body protector means that it will last longer within the three to five year recommended lifespan. So don’t leave it lying around at the yard or in the lorry to be chewed and trodden on. Spending too much time in a hot car or damp tackroom won’t do it any good either. When not in use, body protectors should be hung on a clothes hanger. Doing up zips ensures they keep their shape, while closing Velcro fastenings will help prevent them becoming clogged with horse hair and hay particles. Most body protectors are made from heat sensitive PVC nitrile foam, which is why they feel increasingly comfortable as they soften and mould to the wearer’s body. So try storing your protector in a warm (but not artificially hot) environment to ensure it’s nice and flexible for that early morning ride!
Discover The Facts About Fly Repellents 3. June 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0)
Attention All Female Riders! 29. May 2013 Jillian.Deane@robinsonsequestrian.com Help & Advice (0) You've got the high performance riding footwear, a riding hat that offers you the highest level of protection and a schooling programme that's going to get you and your horse fit. But have you really thought of everything? A good sports bra is an essential piece of kit whatever your equestrian activity and whatever your cup size. FACT: Most women who ride regularly do not wear sports bras. Inadequate breast support, coupled with excessive breast movement, is the most likely cause of sore and tender breasts after exercise. Riding without a good sports bra can make you uncomfortable, distract you and affect your confidence. FACT: There are no muscles in the breast. Only skin and ligaments support breast tissue and any excessive amount of breast movement puts strain on these ligaments causing irreversible damage. Once breasts have dropped because of stretching these ligaments, nothing can naturally restore them to their former position. FACT: Your breasts can bounce up to 14cm when unsupported during exercise. Even among 34A’s, tests found that breast movement ranged up to an average of 40mm away from the resting place of the body, which can lead to breast sag. FACT: Wearing a Shock Absorber sports bra is proven to reduce breast movement by up to 78%. In scientific tests Shock Absorber Sports Bras were proven to be as much as twice as effective at minimising breast movement as a 'normal' bra.Winner of Best in Test 2012 Award! Impressively, the Shock Absorber Sports Bra was the winner of Horse & Rider’s Best in Test 2012 award. Shock Absorber Sports Bras look and feel like ordinary lingerie but offer maximum support and comfort. The Active Classic is great for A-D cups, while the Active D+ Bra offers extreme support and fuller coverage for D-H cups. Unique scientific and technological research is applied to Shock Absorber’s sports bra designs, so every thread, stitch and contour gives you the best support and comfort. Both the Active Classic Bra and the Active D+ Bra feature the following: • Shaped, adjustable, padded straps for comfort • Soft, wide under band, for breathability and to avoid chafing • Non-rub, padded hook and eye • Made from moisture-wicking, breathable, high performance fabrics These really are a sound investment for all female riders and as I’ve written above, damage to your breasts is pretty much irreversible, so look after them before it’s too late!