BHS advises horse owners not to panic over outbreak of EIA in UK
19th January 2010
The British Horse Society is urging horse owners not to panic after Equine Infectious Anaemia is detected in two horses in Wiltshire.
Defra has confirmed that Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), otherwise known as Swamp Fever, was found in two horses imported from the continent. The infected animals, which arrived in a group of ten originating from Romania and Belgium, have been humanely destroyed.
EIA has not been imported into Great Britain since 1976, so the news will be a shock to the horse industry. However, the BHS is advising horse owners that there is no need to be overly concerned by this news.
Lee Hackett, Head of Welfare at the BHS, said: "Obviously any outbreak of an exotic disease is very worrying and this is news that we did not want to hear. However, there is no reason to panic and every reason to hope that these cases will form an isolated incident and be successfully contained. Defra have acted incredibly quickly and taken every possible precaution to ensure this outbreak is suppressed.
Furthermore, EIA is spread by biting insects rather than horse to horse contact, so the recent weather will have improved the chances of containment. Few biting insects will have survived the cold snap meaning that transmission of the disease to other horses is extremely unlikely."
For further information please contact: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk
For more information on the disease visit the Defra website, http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/eia/index.htm
Qualifying events get under way for Martin Collins BHS Instructors' Challenge
19th January 2010
The British Horse Society's exciting competition for instructors which climaxes at Royal Windsor Horse Show (12-16 May) enters its second year with a new sponsor, Martin Collins Enterprises.
The Martin Collins BHS Instructors' Challenge is a combined training competition open to all BHS Registered Instructors. Qualifiers will be held around the UK, with the top two prize winners of each going forward to the final at Royal Windsor on Wednesday 12 May. Prize money for the final will be spread across the first six places, with the winner receiving a cheque for £800.
The competition is based on British Dressage Novice Tests with the maximum show jumping height 3ft for the Qualifiers and 3ft 6in in the Final. Competitors must not have ridden internationally within the last ten years, but must be listed on the BHS Register of Instructors.
Last year's winner, Helen Barton-Smith of Pippin Equestrian Ltd, Dorset, said: "For people like me who fit competitions in when they can around their business, the opportunity to compete at a big show was amazing. It was fantastic for the children we teach as well - I had a string of children with me at the final and they came back buzzing about riding which is great."
Commenting on their new involvement with the BHS Instructors Challenge, Glynnie Walford, Managing Director of Martin Collins Enterprises Limited said: "This is a unique series and we felt it fitted in well with the Martin Collins sponsorship profile. This competition enables us to reach another of our equestrian disciplines and we are extremely pleased to be able to support the BHS. We look forward to an exciting final held on our Ecotrack surface at this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show and wish all entrants the very best of luck."
The first two qualifiers take place in February at Askham Bryan College, York (17 February) and Plumpton College, East Sussex (27 February).
Details of all qualifiers can be obtained from BHS Regional Development Officers, full contacts for whom can be found on The British Horse Society's website, www.bhs.org.uk.
For further information, please contact: Alison Coleman, BHS Communications Department, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk
Full list of qualifiers
Yorkshire Region - 17 February, Askham Bryan College,York
London/South East - 27 February, Plumpton College, East Sussex
East of England - 7 March, Manor Farm EC, Cambridgeshire
South West - 12 March, Badgworth Arena, Somerset
East Midlands - 13 March, Vale View Equestrian Centre, Melton Mowbray
North West - 17 March, South View Equestrian Centre, Cheshire
West Midlands - 19 March, Kingswood EC, Wolverhampton
South - 20 March, Sparsholt College, Hampshire
South West - 21 March, Duchy College, Cornwall
Wales/Channel Islands - 22 March, Pencoed College, Mid Glamorgan
North Region - 22 March, Holmeside Hall Equestrian, Co Durham
Scotland - 27 March, Ellands Farm, Morayshire
Martin Collins is the UK market-leader and innovator in synthetic surface supply, with more than 2,000 installations at equestrian centres and private yards across the country, as well as being the long-standing preference of major competition venues such as Royal Windsor, Olympia, Stoneleigh, Dressage at Hickstead and Addington Manor.
Tickets for Royal Windsor Horse Show 2010 are on sale now, priced at £13 (adults), £9 (concessions including Royal Windsor Advantage Card Holders) and £5 (children 5-16years) if booked in advance. Family tickets (two adults and two children) cost £30. Tickets are priced per day and include entry to all the day's events. You can book online at www.rwhs.co.uk or by telephoning 0844 412 4631 (UK) or + 44 115 993 4119 (international).
Hampshire Horsewatch Tack Marking
16th January 2010
This month £10,000 worth of tack was stolen in the Ringwood area. None of it was post coded or chipped
The below is repeat of a message sent to you late last year. Given the above …please make every effort to get your property post coded, marked, to identify it to YOU and not the thief, handler or the person who may buy it later.
Hampshire Horsewatch has purchased a number of engravers so synthetic saddles can be marked.
Hampshire Horsewatch and Equine Liaison will make a big push in 2010 with getting the Hampshire Equine Community to be positive with crime prevention.
Hampshire Horsewatch and its partner scheme Equine Liaison Officers exist to promote crime prevention and support Hampshire’s equine community.
It is in your power to make life difficult for the thief, to prevent and deter, to provide detail which may secure evidence which will cause an arrest to be made and conviction obtained.
Additionally you may through your own positive actions get stolen property returned.
Each year we go through the process of asking YOU to post code, uniquely identify your property. Each year a trickle of responsible individuals react in a positive way.
We want that trickle to be a torrent. We want the equine community in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to be the most forward thinking and crime prevention minded in the country.
Hampshire Horsewatch and Equine Liaison Officers will assist you in getting your equestrian equipment post coded. Around the county there are tack marking kits, available to be used or Hampshire Horsewatch will do it for you. Equally you can ask saddlers to post code your saddle at the time of purchase. We have a trailer logo scheme in place for you to join.
Hampshire Horsewatch web site, www.nfed.co.uk/horsewatch has a tack marking location list available for viewing. Go to the folder on the left side of the front page marked Tack and Saddlery, click on and the next level down you will see a folder saying Tack Marking..click on it….
Mr David Sutherland is the trailer logo scheme manager and details of how to join are also on the web site.
You can help combat crime by proactively getting your all your property post coded and uniquely identified.
By the end of 2010 it would be fantastic if your property was post coded, your trailers, horse boxes individually marked, liveried with the trailer logo. Don’t forget your horse, freeze marking provides a visual deterrent and a mark to identify.
Sadly it is fact of life that if property cannot be identified there is every possibility it will be returned to the person who it was seized from. Can you afford for that to happen?
Additional information about crime prevention, suggestions, methods and application will be posted onto the web site and are available on nearly every other equine web site as well as regular articles in equine publications.
To those members of Hampshire Horsewatch who have post coded their property, thank you.
To those who haven’t make it your new year’s resolution to do so.
David Collings
Hampshire Horsewatch co-ordinator and Force Equine Liaison Officer
' Intl: 605 x 449
' Mob: 07867 972868
* david.collings42479@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
equine@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
Address: Fleet Police Station, 13 Crookham Road, Fleet, Hampshire. GU51 5QQ
British Horse Society reports increase in welfare calls during big freeze
8th January 2010
The British Horse Society has seen an increase in the number of welfare cases reported over the last few days and is urging owners to take a few simple steps to keep their horses happy and healthy during the current cold snap.
BHS Senior Executive (Welfare) Lee Hackett said: "We have received huge numbers of calls to our welfare line reporting horses in distress. Although well meaning, quite a number of them have turned out to be unfounded, as horses generally cope quite well with cold weather even though they may look quite miserable! However, there are some steps that owners can take to ensure that their horses don't become genuine welfare concerns."
Horses generate a lot of heat from fibre digestion which is one of the key reasons that they can handle cold weather. The BHS recommends that a constant supply of forage (for example hay) is available to all horses, even those turned out in snow covered fields. Horses that are confined to their stables should have their hard feed reduced and forage levels increased in order to keep them warm and prevent them from putting on weight.
A constant supply of water is essential but buckets and troughs will freeze over very quickly in such cold weather so they need to be checked, and the ice broken, as regularly as possible throughout the day. The BHS has received reports that some vets have seen an increase in the number of colic cases as thirsty horses drink large quantities of freezing cold water. To prevent this, make sure that the horse has access to water at all times so he doesn't feel the need to drink large amounts in one go, and add a little warm water to their buckets where possible.
Shelter is paramount, and not just from the snow. Wind chill makes a big difference so there should always be somewhere for a horse to escape the gales. Rugs should not be seen as an alternative to shelter but they are important, particularly for older and finer horses. Unclipped, healthy native bred ponies will often manage fine without a rug as long as adequate shelter and forage is available.
The BHS Welfare Department is happy to talk to any horse owners concerned about how best to manage their horses in the cold weather and they can be reached on 01926 707804 or at welfare@bhs.org.uk
For further information and pictures, please contact: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or communications@bhs.org.uk
RIDERS OF THE YEAR!
Hall Place EC
Hall Place Equestrian Centre is proud to announce the winners of the Rider Championships for 2009. Points for all three challenges were awarded for placings in every competition held at Hall Place from December 2008 to December 2009.
The Show Jumper of the Year title was awarded to 11 year old Chippi Cope from Tidmarsh who is a South Berks Pony Club member and has been riding for just 3 years. Her mother Jenny said 'Chippi is an enthusiastic rider and competitor but is also very responsible'. Chippi is 'over the moon' to have won this award and amongst her many plans for the future she wants to continue in the Pony Club and get a bigger pony as she is rapidly outgrowing 16 year old 'Superstar' who is 12.2hh. A really bright future beckons Chippi in 2010 as she has also applied for a sports scholarship to Queen Annes School in Caversham.
The Dressage Rider of the Year was awarded to Sarah Scott from Upper Basildon riding Phillippa Bakers' warmblood stallion 'Saddam' who's previous career was as a show jumper with the Goddard family. Sarah is a racing secretary for Harry Dunlop in Lambourn and combines career with running her own yard at Knappswood Farm in Upper Basildon. Sarah breeds and produces quality horses at Knappswood with many placings at county level in youngstock classes in 2009. Sarah regularly rides over to neighbouring Redmoor Row Farm and trains with Karen Crago who has guided Sarah and Saddam to reach their full potential. Sarah said 'I hope to affiliate to British Dressage in 2010 and can't thank Hall Place enough for being so friendly and producing such well run competitions'.
The third championship was kindly sponsored by Kevin Royle of R P E Events, the professional photographers who attend all competitions at Hall Place. Poppy Hitchen, from Tilehurst, won the award of 'Junior Royle Rider', gaining her points in a variety of disciplines riding 'Frankly Sinatra'. Frank is a hugely talented 12 year old cob who all the ladies of the family ride, mum to hack and sister to show jump. He has been owned by the Hitchen family for just over a year and Poppy said 'Frankie is the best horse in the world and I am very lucky to have him, but I would never have won this if it wasn't for my instructors Hailey Wilder and Clare Chance. My biggest highlight of 2009 was being placed in the UK Riders National Finals at Arena UK in Lincolnshire and I hope to qualify again in 2010'.
Hailey Wilder, Centre Manager at Hall Place, was delighted to present the trophies, rosettes and sashes to the trio and a mounted photo shoot will be held at the next show.
Images - Sarah Scott & Saddam. Images by Royle Photography Equestrian Events www.rpeevents.co.uk.