May 2011 - Paul Cornish Equestrian Training | Home

PAUL CORNISH EQUESTRIAN
N E W S L E T T E R
M A Y
2 0 1 1
Spring
Springtime has arrived, green grass, fresh mornings and sunshine.
Many horses have had extremely limited or no turn out during the
winter season, so please be careful when introducing them back
into the fields. The time your horse spends grazing should be
monitored and gradually increased to avoid horses from over indulging on the rich grass.
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Spring
1
Paul Hayler
Lecture Demos
1
Gift Vouchers
1
Equine Friends
Maverick
2
Client News
3
Article:
4
The importance
of Correctness
Useful Contacts 5
Obesity and overeating are responsible for most cases of laminitis,
making an attack more likely when the first flush of new spring grass arrives. Careful weight
management is critical, especially in ponies and cobs, as they tend to use their feed more efficiently and store fat. The secret to avoiding laminitis is to make sure your horse is the correct
weight before he is let loose on the spring grass. An overweight horse is more likely to develop laminitis than a lean or fit one. You should be able to feel your horse’s ribs easily without
being able to see them and he should have no fat deposits along his crest & loins. Laminitis is
an emergency condition and you should call your vet straight away if you suspect it.
Changes in weight or muscle tone may alter the shape of your horses back affecting the fit of
your saddle. Regular checks with a saddler will help to ensure that your horses saddle is correctly shaped to the horse at all times. Even with a correctly fitted saddle your horses back
can suffer from strain through wear & tear so your horse will also benefit from seeing a masseur & chiropractor from time to time. Listed on the back page of my newsletter you will find
a list of useful equine contacts. I will feature their contact details on each of my future newsletters so you always have easy access to their information.
As mentioned in my last newsletter I wanted to arrange an outing to Paul Hayler’s yard for
clients who are interested in watching Paul & his team school their horses. Paul is running two
open evenings at Jubilee farm on Friday 10th June & Friday 1st July between 6pm and 8pm. If you
would like to join me please let me know and I will see what can be arranged.
Paul Cornish Equestrian Gift Vouchers
A perfect gift for family & friends......
Gift vouchers for riding lessons can now be purchased upon request, please contact me for more
information.
PAGE
2
Equine Friends
Maverick
In January this year I was asked to help with a 14 year old, 14.2hh, piebald cob called
Maverick. At that time Catherine was loaning him but is now the proud owner of him.
Maverick hadn’t been ridden for 5 years so was in need of some schooling. The first
time I rode him I found out just how little he knew. There was no forward movement
or correct stride in his walk, trot or canter, instead he just hopped. To start we just
rode straight lines as he had no idea where to place his feet on a circle. I school Maverick three times a week and very quickly found that Maverick had a really big heart and
always gave his best with whatever I asked him. On the right rein he was able to move
in a straight line and keep on the track so I could work on a forward and smooth stride
where on the left rein he was so unbalanced that keeping on the track was a major
achievement.
“ It
doesn’t
matter what the
age of the horse
is, when it was
last ridden or how
much schooling it
I worked on his general balance so he was able to hold his own forehand. In the beginning if you didn't hold him up he would trip and fall over! At first he found this really
difficult but because of his big heart he soon got the idea and his balance improved.
We are now riding trot and canter in a much more balanced manor including turns and
circles. Maverick has done so well and he can now also show some really nice leg yield
steps in walk. You can see some pictures of him on my gallery page of the website.
Catherine is now having lessons on him so she can learn to get the best out of maverick. He has become a real family horse as Catherine’s children also have little rides on
him.
This story just shows that it doesn’t matter what the age of the horse is, when it was
last ridden or how much schooling it has had, it’s never too late to teach them.
has had, it’s never
too late to
teach them.”
My next story will be about Mia and her pony Millie.
PAUL
CORNISH
EQUESTRIAN
PAGE
3
Client News
Emma & Sunny
Two 1st’s in walk & trot dressage at Longwood.
4th in first ever prelim test at Longwood.
Sinead & Topper
1st in young handler show at Brook farm.
Charlotte & Topper
7th in lead rein class at Brook Farm and 5th in Lead Rein class at Longwood.
Louise & Grandi
5th in novice dressage at Brook Farm. First time out after a long time injury.
2nd in novice dressage at Norton Heath.
Kim & Trigger
3rd in walk & trot dressage at Longwood.
2nd in walk & trot dressage at Longwood.
Sue & Roo
4th and two 5th’s in novice dressage in Kent.
Carolyn & Nola
4th & 5th at Brook farm in novice & elementary dressage
Paul Cornish Equestrian Children Certificates
Mia & Millie
Achieved Level 1
Casey & Princess Cookie
Achieved Level 1
Farewell Bella
Earlier this year Josie & Vicky had to say farewell to their beloved mare Bella. Bella was a sweet natured mare who lead a 5
star life. Sadly one day in February, Bella suffered from a terrible
bout of colic. She was taken straight to the Royal veterinary
college to be operated on, however unfortunately the following
day she didn’t pull through. I have worked with Josie & Vicky
over the past year and during our time together I have obtained
many happy memories teaching Bella. She will be greatly missed
by all.
Josie & Vicky have since brought a young mare called Tallulah and I would like to wish them
all the best for the future.
PAUL
CORNISH
EQUESTRIAN
PAGE
4
The Importance of Correctness
I have broken down “The importance of correctness” into the following sections as this is
such a large subject to cover.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stable manners, general handling, mounting & dismounting
The horses mind
Tack
Feed, turnout and variety of exercise
Teeth, back, saddle & shoeing
To start we will look at “stable manners, general handling, mounting & dismounting”, remaining subjects will be covered over a series in future newsletter’s.
Stable Manners:
Your horse must stand back away from the stable door and allow you to enter the box without the risk of him trying to barge out. He should give you space and never try to corner, kick
or bite you. If there is any risk of this he must be tied up whilst you are in the box. He should
stand still when being groomed and tacked up. Your horse should never feel worried about
the thought of seeing his tack. Some horses may have had a bad experience of people riding
them and therefore will be required to be handled with extra care and patience. When you
enter with his feed he should stand back and allow you to empty the feed into his manger. The
same principle should apply when you take hay into the box. Your horse should not be allowed to grab at feed or hay whilst you are carrying it.
Leading your horse:
Your horse should be led nicely to his field in either a head collar or bridle. The horse must
learn to walk with you by his shoulder at all times. You must never get in front of him and
drag him forward. The same applies to the horse, he should never be allowed to drag you. If
your horse starts to pull and walk too fast make him stand and wait. He should wait patiently
by your side until you have asked him to walk on again.
When entering the field always turn your horse back to the gate before you remove his head
collar. This will prevent him from thinking he can bolt before you have released him. If your
horse is a problem to lead always ensure that you wear your gloves and hat for safety.
Mounting & dismounting:
If your horse respects you on the ground he will do so whilst being ridden. He must be taught
to stand still when you are mounting and dismounting. To me this is so important as I come
across so many horses who want to bolt when you gather the reins or even rear when you
are halfway on. Your horse must also learn to stand still whilst you make adjustments to your
stirrups and girth, on the ground and when mounted.
To summarise this subject good manners must be expected from the horse at all times. As a
responsible horse owner you must not become lazy and fall into bad habits. Horses learn
through repetition and following a correct protocol will ensure that good manners become
second nature to your horse. If the horse has been handled and trained correctly from a
young age all the above should be simple instructions. All horses are born well natured. Due
to poor or lack of handling when young the horse can develop bad manners and no respect
for people. Unfortunately a lot of horses are beaten which makes them either nervous, bad
tempered or dangerous. Lots of horses are passed from home to home and never lead a settled life. I have come across horses who have had 6 or more owners in a year so they don’t
know where they are. Most horses just want tender loving care to bring the best out of them.
Spending time grooming your horse will help to form a closer bond between you.
If anyone has any handling problems please speak to me so I can help.
Part 2 to follow in next months Newsletter.
PAUL
CORNISH
EQUESTRIAN
PAGE
5
Useful Contacts …...
Saddlers
Roger ~ Ingatestone Saddlery 01277 353723
Tom ~ 07771622888
Anthony Batchlor ~ 01277 890660 or 07889975929
Chiropractors (Back specialists)
Steph Appleton ~ 07768437000
Laura Payne ~ 07980114662
Larry ~ 07973525475
Equine Sports Massage
Claire Styles ~ 07708802303
Equine Dentist
Gary Singh Khakhian ~ 01268 555411 or 07831127537
Emma Rutter ~ 07907577461
Paul Cornish Equestrian Training
Specialising In:
Teaching children and adults of all levels and ages.
Dressage and jumping sessions.
Lunge and video sessions.
Holiday exercise cover.
Private, Semi Private, Groups and Clinics (can travel to
owners yard, or hire training centres to school).
Phone: 07950437067
Available to Back, School, Re-school, Hack, Lunge,
Long Rein and Road Work.
E-mail: paul@paulcornishequestrian.co.uk
Young, Nervous, Problem or Experienced Horses.
Website: www.paulcornishequestrian.co.uk
BHS Exam Training (up to AI level).
Help with buying or selling a horse.
Professional, Reliable and Friendly Service
for all of your Equine needs...
PAUL
CORNISH
EQUESTRIAN
Help at shows and events.
Clipping.