Demonstration Date & Time

Join Fiona Stuart ex-international eventer for an evening of biomechanical training. Or bring your own horse along to begin solving your very own issues!

When: Friday the 3rd of June, 2022, at 7pm

Where: Provanston Equestrian, Fintry, G63 0LP

Cost: £15 (£8 for under 18’s)

How to Book: Message us to book or text 07736561636 to reserve your space.

1:1 Demo: Bring your own horse or come and watch. Message us to book or text 07736561636.

Horse training and areas Fiona will cover

At this demonstration, the following areas (and more, we are sure!) will be covered

1. In hand horse stretches and physio strengthening

2. Effective lunging for correct movement, muscle development and body control

3. Long reining for muscle rehabilitation, strengthening and straightness

This is set to be a lively, friendly and informative evening. So bring a chair, and horse clothing, in case you want to get involved with hands-on guidance. And if you can’t be there, just let us know and we can orgnaise an online experience for you to follow.

Problems this horse training will help

Biomechanical training, stretching and strengthening help solve a whole host of issues. Often, problems occur due to discomfort or a muscle imbalance.

These can include: riders looking for jumping exercises for horses that rush | horses knocking jumps | dressage consistency issues | nervous, hot or sharp horses | stiffness | problems holding an even / balanced stride | problems with straightness | horses constantly behind the leg | crabbing into jumps | stopping at fences

Many of the things we riders put down as “bad attitude” or a “bad horse” are in fact down to pain, weakness and poor training. Here we want to help right these issues and develop you a new horse!

Fiona’s Experience

Fiona Stuart, was a top international eventer, competing against the likes of Princess Anne, at all the top named events. As such, she was a frequent face in the papers and media. Further, she was the first female to be selected to compete in the then “all-male” Olympic sport of eventing. And if this wasn’t enough, she was also a top competitor on the British Dressage scene.

Today, she is one of Scotland’s best equine biomechanical experts and a riding coach that is still ahead of her game. As such, she has spent many years working with the vet schools rehabilitating horses, and travels the country teaching riders of all abilities, as well as frequenting competition with her competitors.

Benefits of biomechanical training

So, what is biomechanical training of equines? And what are the benefits of correct horse biomechanical strengthening? Well, the answer is tenfold! And this is true, no matter the level of your horse, their ability, or whether you are experiencing particular issues, or not. Yes, with correct equine stretching and strengthening all horses can move up to new, unimaginable levels. So come along and learn this magical art. And, gain an unimaginable understanding of horse training, muscle development and rider enhancement. By doing so, you will be creating a much happier, more relaxed, confident and flexible horse, with a connection on board, you could currently only dream of!

Reduce the chances of injury

Further, horse stretching also helps prevent injuries and muscle wastage while improving overall comfort and health. So this kind of training makes a huge difference, no matter whether you have a hot/sharp horse or a horse that’s behind the leg.

Join us for a fun evening and learn lifelong skills that will open a whole host of possibilities for you and your horse. Because he deserves the best possible quality of life… and so do you!

Message us to book here or text 07736561636 to reserve your space.

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Water…

Water is the most vital of elements to give your horse to keep them cool. They will stay hydrated and cool with plenty of fresh, clean drinking water. Change the water at regular intervals to make sure that they aren’t exposed to chaff, larvae, algae and other contaminants in the water.

Washing down…

Water also covers a multitude of other uses to keep your steed cool. For example, if you water and sponge down his legs you will note the larger vessels that stand out. Those vessels benefit greatly from having cool water sponged on them. Think about the idea that you put a cold flannel on your neck in the heat, this is the same principle. When you do sponge him down, though, make sure not to get it inside his ears.

Use a sweat scrape!

The other important fact about sponging down your horse – make sure that you scrape off all excess water. The idea is that the cool water makes contact with the warm horse and basic physics means that the cold water immediately heats up! If you don’t scrape the excess water off, it can cause your horse to overheat. Also, be careful of putting your horse out into the direct sunlight to ‘dry them off’, this has the same effect and the sun will heat the water on your horse causing them to heat up!

Schedules and Exercise…

Keep it early – that’s the golden rule. If you have to work and exercise your horse, make sure you keep it as early as possible so that they have not had time to heat up too much. Evenings are a great alternative if you can’t do mornings.

Don’t let your horse cool down too quickly after you exercise him. Keep it smooth and slow by loosening his girths, and then give him sips of water, making sure it is cool and not cold and definitely not icy because that can shock his system.

Feed and Care..

You can give your horse supplements in hot weather to prevent energy and vitamin loss. These supplements contain electrolytes that will keep your horses stamina high. Common salt is a good supplement, it aides rehydration but will not replace other essential nutrients lost through sweating. Another thing is to provide licks for him, which keep him hydrated and energised.  You can also prevent your horse from getting sunburn and bites by using protection, such as fly sheets, sunscreen, and anti-bug sprays.  His grooming pattern should be considered when you groom him in hot weather too. Friction causes heat!! 

Stable during the day…

Another good thing to do is to keep your horse in during the day and letting them out in the field at night. It does two things. One it keeps them out of the heat of the day. And two it keeps them away from all those biting insects. It is not always what we favour here in the UK as we are used to stabling at night with our climate. But it is worth trying out. After all, it isn’t us who have to endure the heat and flies!

So be prepared…

We don’t get a lot of sunshine here in Scotland, but when we do it can become hot suddenly and our horses are not acclimatised to it. Therefore it can be a real stressor to them. The video below gives a detailed insight into how our horses are affected by heat and some more detail on how to manage this.

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