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William Fox-Pitt, no news is good news?!

King of British Eventing, William Fox-Pitt, ‘continues to make steady progress’ as reported on the official British Eventing website on the 4.11.2015. Remaining in the French hospital his condition is now stable, although he’s been told it’ll be a long road on the way to recovery.

2015 has seen the Dorset based rider achieve a lifetime ambition riding Stallion, Chilli Morning, when the pair won The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, it’s a shame to see the season end for him in this way.

The horse he fell from, Reinstated, was not injured during the accident on October 17 at the World Championships for Young Eventing Horses, which takes place in France each year. The event was halted for an hour and a half while Fox-Pitt received treatment, shortly after he was transferred to the Angers hospital in North West France where he was placed in an induced coma.

Over a week had passed when Fox-Pitt was brought around and moved out of intensive care. Alice Plunket, travelled immediately over to France to be by the side of her husband.

There’s been no further news or updates over the weekend, here’s hoping for no news is good news. Sending our very best wishes to the riders close family and friends!

The Riding Holiday Show – Face to face inspiration at this year’s Riding Holiday Show

For those that dream of escaping daily life and embarking on a horseback holiday – on 12^th December, In The Saddle returns to London with an exc

iting lineup of equestrian travel inspiration at their popular Riding Holiday Show.

A riding holiday can be close to home or far afield. It can be a gentle and relaxing short getaway or a once in a lifetime adventure. The opportunities are virtually endless when it comes to choosing where to book – but this decision in itself can be a minefield!

In The Saddle’s Riding Holiday Show has been created to help equestrian explorers delve deeper into the numerous travel opportunities available to them. By speaking face to face with guides and meeting likeminded people who can share their experiences, visitors to the Riding Holiday Show can expect to gain valuable insight into what they should expect on each trip, helping them decide which destination should be next on their wish list!

With rides for all budgets and all abilities, the Riding Holiday Show is a unique event, bringing together guides and fellow riders from across the globe. With no other specialised equestrian travel event like it, guests will have the rare chance to meet destination experts in one place and get a true taste for the various trips available.

The Riding Holiday Show is open to anyone who is interested in going on a riding holiday, whether it is your first equestrian adventure and you fancy a weekend break to Italy or exhilarating beach ride in Spain, or if you are a seasoned horseback holidaymaker and fancy broadening your horizons to Botswana, Morocco or America. With nearly forty representatives attending the event, from far and wide, the choices will be plentiful!

As if a day of travel inspiration is not enough, there are some impressive giveaways including signed limited edition Daniel Crane prints of the Okavango Delta for the first 100 people to arrive. There are goody bags which include In The Saddle’s brand new 2016 brochure and calendar, plus someone will WIN a holiday for two at Los Potreros in Argentina – worth £4,000.

Los Potreros is a 6,500 acre working cattle estancia in the heart of Cordoba and provides an authentic gaucho experience, complete with the chance to explore the grassy hilltops of Sierras Chicas, take a dip in natural rock pools to cool off, help round up the young horses, play a few chukkas of polo and even try your hand at lassoing!

Taking place on Saturday December 12, from 10am – 6pm, at the Royal Over-Seas League in London, the Riding Holiday Show tickets can be booked with just a small donation to World Horse Welfare. Visit www.inthesaddle.com to find out more or email riders@inthesaddle.com.

Brits amongst the shortlist for FEI Awards 2015 including William Fox-Pitt!

Ben Hemmings lines up on Gambler for the Shetland Pony Grand National at the Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show in January and his eyes are firmly set on competing in the real thing at nearby Aintree.

It might take a few years before the 12 year-old from near Preston is ready for the real Grand National fences but racing is in his blood. That is because Ben’s granddad, Trevor Hemmings is the proud owner of not one, but three Grand National winners. First came Hedgehunter in 2005 and then Ballabriggs in 2011. His latest winner was this year, when Many Clouds romped home under jockey, Leighton Aspell.

Amanda Hemmings, Ben’s mum, said: “Horses and racing have been a way of life for Ben throughout his growing up. The sport is in his blood and he loves it.”

The Shetland Pony Grand National has a history of producing professional jockeys, including Jim Crowley, Sam and Willy Twiston-Davies, Thomas Garner, Freddy Mitchell and Joe Akehurst. 

Ben has made no secret of his ambition to race in the greatest steeplechase of them all but, for now, his focus is on wearing his granddad’s green, yellow and white colours on board Gambler. That, in itself, has been something of a challenge. 

“It’s the first season for us at this level and in the beginning Gambler was a bit lazy,” said Ben.

“But he’s fine now. I can’t wait to compete at the Liverpool International Horse Show. It will be a great way to start the year.” 

The Shetland Pony Grand National, with its flurry of speed and brightly-coloured silks is only one of the highlights of a show which includes world class show jumping, entertainment and music. 

The competition for Ben and Gambler in Liverpool is bound to be tough but that is only to be expected at an event of this calibre and Amanda Hemmings believes the city will turn out in force for the inaugural Liverpool International Horse Show.

She added: “Liverpool is an equestrian city, where the people are very proud of Aintree and the Grand National. I think people will come out and support the Liverpool International Horse Show because it’s wonderful to have an event of this stature in the north-west.”

Ben and Gambler, together with rival jockey and Horse of the Year Show winner, Kinvara Garner were at the St Vincent de Paul School in Liverpool recently to help launch the show’s Design a Jump competition for North West schoolchildren. The competition is aimed at giving youngsters the chance to design a fence that will be made and used in the Echo Arena for the Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show. 

BETA Conference seeks to increase rider numbers

“Participation – Is the future of the equestrian industry at risk?” was the theme of this year’s British Equestrian Trade Association Conference held at Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, on 2 November.

More than 50 trade delegates gathered to hear a series of presentations offering thought-provoking solutions and suggestions for tackling the falling number of riders identified in the BETA commissioned 2015 National Equestrian Survey.

BETA president and former event rider Jane Holderness-Roddam shared her personal view on the world of riding today – one that she feels is hampered by strict health and safety rules. Anna Hall, the British Equestrian Federation’s head of participation, brought a governing-body perspective to proceedings, explaining how the BEF charts rider activity and works alongside other equestrian bodies to share insight and take part in mutual promotions.

Anna Franklin, assistant manager of the Thomas Irving Equestrian Superstore, Chesterfield, provided good tips to help retailers promote horse riding through in-store activities such as hiring a BETA mechanical horse or running events with local Pony Club branches.

Statistics formed the basis of BETA executive director Claire Williams’s presentation, in which she used the 2015 National Equestrian Survey to show the changing trends in rider participation since 1999. She identified the lack of access to horses and places to ride as key obstacles to many enjoying horse riding and suggested alternative routes rather than relying solely on the traditional riding school.

Ex-Royal Marine Commando Jason “Jay” Hare provided an inspirational presentation on the way in which horses can play a crucial role in the recovery of services personnel who have been injured or affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. Jay, who had a 14-year services career before suffering life-changing injuries, is now operations manager of HorseBack UK, a charity dedicated to empowering these men and women from its base in rural Scotland.

Rockstar Equitation Centre owner Kay Scott-Jarvis spoke of a riding school’s role in helping to encourage more people to take up riding as an enjoyable leisure activity. She believed that well-trained horses, a safe, experienced and friendly environment, and cost incentives such as block-booking discounts were essentials for those wishing to learn to ride – or to return to riding after a break.

“Keep riding fun” was the emphatic call from vet and holiday provider Unicorn Trails owner Wendy Hofstee, who looked at alternatives to riding schools, such as trekking centres and holidays for individuals and groups. She also called for the levels of adventure to be increased for men, who would relish the idea of hunting and herding cattle, while activities with greater control, such as natural horsemanship and dressage, should be made widely available to women.

“The presentations certainly sparked some lively debate and got the trade talking, which is absolutely fantastic and exactly what needs to happen. We shall all work together to develop the number of horse riders and today was a great start!”

Annual Conference Set to Challenge Status Quo in Horse World

World Horse Welfare 2015 Conference to debate effects of tradition on horse welfare

World Horse Welfare’s Annual Conference (10^th November) at the Royal Geographical Society promises to be a thought-provoking and potentially controversial day as a host of experts from across the equine sector challenge the status quo across sport, law, horse care and management plus a host of other issues.

The increasingly influential Conference is being sponsored by Betfair for the fifth consecutive year.

Titled ‘Challenging the Status Quo’, the conference will be attended by World Horse Welfare President HRH The Princess Royal and will feature a range of presentations and a debate around whether traditional attitudes and practices need to be challenge in the interest of welfare.

Former Defra Minister, Sir Jim Paice will consider whether our horses are better off inside or outside of the EU, whilst celebrated jockey and author, John Francome, will reflect on traditions in racing. Spanish veterinary surgeon, Josep Subirana, will address the tricky issue of attitudes to equine euthanasia around the world and head of equine clinical orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust, Sue Dyson, will focus on the widespread problem of increasingly overweight horses.

A debating panel which will consider whether traditional horse management and training practices are best will be chaired by journalist and editor, Lucy Higginson, with the panel including President of the International Dressage Trainers Club David Hunt, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine Danny Mills, author and Contributing Editor of The Spectator Melissa Kite and equine vet specialising in internal medicine Celia Marr.

Further equestrian myths will be challenged through World Horse Welfare’s Charity in Action presentations including: a view from the international team on how best to encourage working horse owners to change misplaced horse care practices, discussion from the UK welfare team on how traditional management techniques like worming may be putting the UK’s horses at risk and consideration of whether authorities too often simply pay lip service to enforcement from the campaigns team.

World Horse Welfare Chief Executive, Roly Owers said: “Our annual conference is a fantastic opportunity to take a look at some of the important issues in the world of horse welfare and this year should certainly challenge our perceptions. The discussions surrounding whether traditional equine management and training practices are still the best approach is something which everyone in the equestrian sector faces on a daily basis and we want to consider the huge impact these differing practices can have on horse welfare across the globe.

“World Horse Welfare is always striving to remain ahead of the curve and be forward-thinking in our approach, with our conference an important forum to not only raise and address questions around horse welfare but to provoke new thinking.”

Book Review: A Standard Journey – Jackie Parry 

5 horses, 2 people and 1 tent….. What could possibly go wrong?

When Jackie Parry and her husband decided to sell everything they had and go on the trip of a lifetime with 5 rescued horses I am sure a lot of people thought they may be mad. Jackie had horse experience from over 20 years ago and her husband Noel had sat on a horse about 40 years ago! They may have been amateur horse people but they were no strangers to adventure having already sailed around the world at the equivalent of one and a half times. This time the plan was to ride the Bicentennial National Trail in Australia. It is a long distance multi use trekking route stretching for 5,330 kilometres, no mean feat by any means and with all your worldly possessions on horseback and 5 horses to care for it is some challenge!

But this isn’t just a tale of adventure it’s a tale of something special and unique. Not only did Jackie and her husband give up everything for their trip, they gave up everything to rescue 5 horses. The horses were adopted from the Standard bred , Performance and Pleasure Horse Association. Although not common in the UK Standardbreds, or trotters as they are often known is big business in Australia, and like horse racing in the UK many are retired and in desperate need of new homes after their often short career is over. The interesting thing that anyone who has ever rescued a horse will know is that often they are the ones that end up saving you!

This is a book which takes you through a full range of emotions, from joy to sadness, from excitement to fear. There is humour and tears throughout and everything in between. You will feel like you are on the journey alongside. The author tells her true life adventure from the heart. At the core of the book and what is shown throughout is Jackie’s passion for horses and her heart to provide them with a better life. It is a true inspirational story and I challenge you to not want to feel like selling up all yourself and going on your own adventure. We often think life would be better with more money, this product, that new car, the new job etc but the reality is that life is what you make of it and as any horse lover knows it is made all the better for sharing with an equine friend!

A beautifully written book which anyone who loves horses and dreams of adventure should read!

Golly Galoshes the Perfect Christmas Gift!

If your horse’s Christmas wish list includes fabulous fleece bandages or beautiful boots this year, then you’ll want to keep them clean and great condition, which is why Golly Galoshes, the clever equine gaiters are THE perfect present for the style conscious rider!

The award winning waterproof, breathable and versatile leg gaiters help to keep bandages and boots clean and dry, so that your protective horse legwear stays in great condition. Fans of the gaiters include top professional rider MBE & Paralympic Gold Medallist Natasha Baker, top eventer & ex-racehorse trainer Victoria Bax, who use their gaiters for schooling, training and hacking.

These Patriotic Golly Galoshes are styled in a smart Navy Blue waterproof and breathable fabric and feature patriotic embroidery, bold Red stripes and generous reflective strip, making them ideal for keeping your boots or bandages clean and for highlighting your horse’s stride and gait during lessons and lunging and schooling sessions.

With high-visibility versions also available, these gorgeous gaiters ensure that you can enjoy Christmas cheer all year around – whatever the weather!

Prices start from £25.99 per pair Miniature Pony

www.gollygaloshes.com

Liverpool International Horse Show New Year Shopping!
New Year Shopping Spree

The inaugural Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show which runs from 1-3 January 2016 at the Echo Arena is set to be a fantastic outing for all the family. It is also a brilliant opportunity to welcome in the New Year in style and a great opportunity to enjoy some post Christmas shopping.

There will be thrilling 4* show jumping action, attracting famous names from around the world which is sure to keep the audience enthralled. There will also be a fantastic entertainment line-up for everyone to enjoy. This includes the ever popular Shetland Pony Grand National – these speedy little ponies will be making an appearance twice a day and never fail to please the crowd.

For those who enjoy a little bit of retail therapy a visit to the Shopping Village is a must. The range of retail outlets have been specially selected for their quality, brands stocked and popularity which will allow you to shop until you drop! From high-end equestrian outlets to exclusive fashion retailers, unusual giftware and beautiful things for the home there is something for everyone.

The sophisticated Shopping Village is located around the warm up arena, champagne bar and walk-in Bistro and is the perfect place to browse, shop and indulge while still being able to keep an eye on the top class horses and riders preparing to enter the main ring.

When you need refreshments, there is no need to look far, as the Bistro overlooking the warm up arena and offers an appetising menu of scrumptious food options. The nearby champagne bar also offers brilliant viewing opportunities and is the perfect place for a celebration or catch up with friends.

Making the most of everything that the Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show has to offer must include some time in the glamorous Shopping Village, after all what would the New Year be like without a spot of retail therapy?

To book your tickets for Equestrian.com Liverpool International Horse Show or for more information go to www.liverpoolhorseshow.com

Dyffryn Paith Riding Group to host demo lecture and clinic with Lucinda Fredericks in Aberystwyth, February 2016

Dyffryn Paith Riding Group will be playing host to a demonstration lecture and clinic by champion equestrian sportswoman Lucinda Fredericks.

The lecture demo evening will be held at Lluest Equine Centre, Aberystwyth University Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AL on the evening of 19th February 2016 with the day clinic on the 20th February 2016.

Lucinda, a star of the equestrian world, will be delighting the audience with a display of the talent which has enabled her to reach the highest echelons of three-day eventing.  Many will remember her victories at elite four-star events Burghley and Badminton in 2006 and 2007 respectively, aboard the awesomely plucky little chestnut mare Headley Britannia. Lucinda has ridden and won at Grand Prix level and also competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to learn from a champion rider in the superb facilities in Aberystwyth. You will see Lucinda work her own horses at different levels.  The demo is being held at 7.00 pm on Friday 19th February, with doors open from 6pm. Tickets are £25 for DPRG Members or £30 non-members £10 for children aged 14 years and under.  Tickets can be purchased here: Alwyna Jenkins, Pantygwyfol, Llanilar, Aberystwyth, SY234 NY.

Anyone wishing to book onto the clinic on Saturday 20th February and learn directly from Lucinda should contact Alwyna Jenkins 07773756431/alwyna@alwyna.orangehome.co.uk for more details and pricing. Group lessons will be available in show jumping.

With so many types and styles of girth on the market today – here John Hartley of Black Country Saddles takes a closer look at what is available.

There are so many girths available on the market today that it can be difficult to choose which one is best for your horse. This feature looks at a selection of these girths and explains the differences between various types.

Styles of Girth

Generally, there are two distinct basic styles which suit the length of billet strap on your saddle. The conventional girth for GP, Jumping and close contact saddles is required to fit short billet straps which don’t reach below the saddle flaps. However dressage girths are much shorter as they attach to billet straps which are long and fasten below the saddle flap so that the buckles do not interfere with the lower leg position.

Whether you require a dressage or regular length girth, they all come in different shapes, sizes and materials. There are a variety of online stores, such as Naylors, where you can choose from a variety of styles across the different types of girth available.

Material

The material can affect the fit, performance and durability of the girth and its comfort for the horse. Leather girths that are good quality are the most expensive but if well cared for will last a long time and provide a comfortable option for your horse. String or cotton girths are cheaper but can cause rubbing for some horses.

Some English girths will have elasticated ends between the buckle and the girth strap which helps with fastening and gives the girth more flexibility.

Jumping girth, or stud girth

A jumping girth, or stud guard girth, is shaped with a large oval panel in the centre which prevents the horse from kicking its stomach when jumping.

Dressage girth

Dressage girths also come in a range of different materials and styles. Leather is a popular choice and a shaped design is preferable for allowing maximum movement of the horse. Many are padded to provide extra comfort and some are lined.

The Atherstone girth

The Atherstone girth is a conventional length and is designed to be chaffeless through its shape. It is curved around the back of the elbows so this section is narrower, allowing better freedom of movement.

The Balding girth

A similar type of girth is The Balding which is a single piece of leather cut into three strands. The outer two pieces are crossed over one another like a braid. The Atherstone is similar but is made from a singular piece of leather which is then shaped or has another curved piece of leather added to it. However, non-leather Atherstone shaped girths are available and the ‘waffle’ design can encourage airflow.

Material, comfort and style

Breathability and comfort are important elements in a girth and the material and style chosen should incorporate this. Modern technology has very much been brought into girth designs of today and has significantly improved the styles available. Although ‘high-tech’ girths may be more expensive, in the long run they may be worth it if they reduce the likelihood of causing chaffing on a hot horse or girth sores. The design of girths has been seen to significantly contribute to horse’s performance so bear this in mind when purchasing

Victoria Bax “The last few events of my season seem a distant memory now as it has already been 3 weeks since we finished, which means 3 weeks of no riding, which equates to a very bored me!

Crystal Ka headed to South of England as his final event to contend the CIC2*. I was very pleased with his dressage test, with just one mistake resulting in an average score leaving us mid-way in the leader board.

Showjumping followed the next day round a huge and very technical track.  I felt this was one of the best rounds that we had jumped to date, albeit the technicality of the course did actually catch us out for 2 rails, but still I was pleased with our effort.

The cross country course was of a very very decent standard having been improved somewhat since last year.  There were plenty of accuracy questions to be answered.  Things started well, but sadly by fence 8 we ran into some difficulty.  A combination of two angled brush fences on a downhill slope 2 strides apart followed by a skinny triple brush offset to the left a further 2 strides away.  I was rather disappointed with Crystal Ka here, as he is usually spot on when it comes to lines and combinations, but sadly we had a glance off to the left at the skinny.  I represented and off we went again.

As we made our way round the course, I forgot about the earlier problem and started to really enjoy it and we just kept answering the questions, including a decent step up to a bounce straight off over a huge log drop, then 2 strides to another skinny triple brush.  I was worried about this combination due to the fact that it was pretty much a replica of the log drop which caused us problems a few weeks earlier.  However, I need not have been worried as we took the most enormous leap off the drop, pecking on landing but somehow we kept the line and we sailed over the skinny triple brush this time with problem.

Onwards to the second water, another decent drop into a murky water fence then up and out the other side.  We approached the final combination on the course, the quarry.  A roll top in and down into the quarry followed by a solid wall on the way back up and out with 2 strides to a corner fence.  As we jumped out over the wall, I kicked on as much as I could but for some reason we just couldn’t make the distance to the wall and as we took off I knew as much as Crystal Ka did that we weren’t going to make it and so another glance off occurred.  Again I picked myself up and represented and popped over without further problem.

So onto the penultimate fence, a huge timber wagon which we have jumped many times before at various venues in the South East.  I’m not really sure what happened here, maybe we were both tired, maybe my mind was no longer on the job following our unexpected problems, but whatever it was, I felt that I was about to spectacularly “Miss” at this huge wagon and so I made the split second decision, to pull out and retire instead of crash landing on it and maybe even tipping over it.

This is something that has never ever happened to us before, but something just wasn’t right and as we weren’t in for the win, there was no real reason to try to make it happen.  As much as it pains me to see another “R” on our record at this level, it was the right thing to do at the time.  I was pleased with how we answered most of the testing questions on the track which was definitely the most decent 2* track we have encountered to date and we did answer all the combinations so it wasn’t all bad.  Crystal Ka has been turned away now so is enjoying time off in the field while the weather is still being kind.  He will have 6 weeks off before coming back into his winter training schedule.  He deserves the time off as its been a fully packed year and being the age that he is, he doesn’t really lose too much cardio or muscle fitness.

The two girls were up the following week for their final event of the season at Little Downham.  Neither really settled well for the dressage.  I think maybe as at this venue everything is very much on top of each other and you can see everything so they were so busy watching everything going on around them they didn’t concentrate as well as I would expect them to.  Somehow though both managed fair scores in the low 30’s.  The showjumping at this venue is known to be pretty difficult and cause many problems.  This it did for Alberta’s Elegance, who again lost attention which cost us a rail or two and plenty of time faults, still she completed so that is still progress.  Alberta’s Rose was keen so managed to take the second last rail out with her leaving her with 4 faults.

Alberta’ Elegance (Milli) showjumping at Little Downham, image credit Thoroughbred Sports Photography

The cross country was going to be testing.  Everything you could possibly ask for on a cross country course was in it; steps, coffins, drops, corners, waters and trekhneur .  Alberta’s Elegance gave me a confident round until we approached the corner having jumped the skinny log on the hill just prior to it.  To be fair to her she has not actually jumped a proper solid corner yet.  I have improvised and jumped plenty at home in training, but she just had a green moment and didn’t understand the question immediately.  Once  represented though she was off again.  Towards the end of the course was a decent trakehnerunder some trees.  There was an alternative but my views are that at this stage in their careers they need to face everything to gain experience while the fences are small so when they face them again when the fences are bigger there is no problem.  I was very pleased with how she coped with this having previously at the last event stopped first time at the trakehner, this time there was no hesitation at all and soon we were home and through the flags having completed another event.

Alberta’s Rose has definitely worked out what this eventing lark is all about as she promptly took off out the start box and completely ignored every single thing I asked of her throughout the entire course.  Somehow and I still don’t know how to this date, but we came home clear and well inside the time.  This was the first time I have ever gone cross- coountry on a horse where 10 strides away from a fence when I start asking them to come back to me nothing happens and by 3 strides away still nothing has happened and I am still asking them to come back to me as we take off.  Frightening stuff that’s for sure, so plenty of braking/biting/noseband trials to be done over the winter.

Still I am absolutely thrilled with both of these girls this year, after a slow start as neither of them were ready at the start of the seasons for different reasons but we certainly nailed it by the end.  They too are both on holiday now for 3/4 weeks to digest what they have learned over the last few months of competition and do some more growing.  Depending on how they behave in the field and to be handled will have an influence on when they come back into work to start their winter training.

So with 3 horses now on holiday, I have had plenty of time to pick up the pace with the baby of my bunch, Frankie my 4-year-old.  I don’t believe in pushing them too much at this young age especially when they are good ones.  I think an awful lot of this boy and could have very easily got him going eventing this year as he is so well developed and just finds everything so easy.  However, I have chosen to give him the extra time and although we are playing with schooling, jumping and hacking 4/5 days a week it is only ever for about half an hour.  He has progressed extremely well over the last few weeks so I have no doubt whatsoever that he will be up and running joining the rest of my team on the eventing circuit next year and I just can’t wait.  I have serious high hopes for this boy, so keep your fingers crossed!

I have also started up my regular winter training clinics again now concentrating on riding dressage tests, grid work, course jumping and arena cross-country for my many clients which are going down very well indeed, so although it may be my off season for competing, it is definitely my on season for coaching!

Until next time…”

Mark Davies Injured Riders’ Fund has launched a brand new website to help the charity raise awareness of their work.

The new, easy to navigate website offers an in-depth look at the history of the charity as well the practical ways that they can help anyone who has been affected by a horse related accident.

Patron, Zara Phillips has contributed a video to the website, which sees her chatting to Belinda, about her experience as a Mark Davies Injured Riders’ Fund beneficiary.

With the shocking statistic that you are 20 times more likely to have an accident on a horse than a motorbike, the website offers ideas for anyone looking to raise funds for the charity.

In an effort to educate on the latest safety recommendations, there are various help sheets and safety advice from industry experts, with the aim of preventing accidents from occurring in the first place.

The new shop feature provides the opportunity to purchase from the gorgeous range of Christmas Cards that the charity has released for 2015, as well as buy tickets for any fund raising events organised by the charity.

Tickets are on sale now for the up-coming, ‘An Evening with Clare Balding’, that is being held in aid of the charity at the RAF Club in Piccadilly London on November 11.

For further information please visit www.mdirf.co.uk or telephone (01726) 788364.

Race on down to Aldi for a fantastic selection of quality Equestrian clothing and accessories, available from 29th October, while stocks last. With a wide selection of adults’ and children’s wear, you’d be a foal to miss out on these great value deals.

This stylish fleece-lined Ladies’ Stable Jacket (£19.99) is triple stitched for durability and made from a breathable, windproof fabric that is also waterproof. Complete with a storable hood, inside Velcro pocket and adjustable waist cord, this jacket is perfect for layering on chilly mornings. Aldi’s Ladies’ Teddy Fleece (£12.99) is lined in 100% cotton fleece, and available in brown button neck or navy zip-through. In addition, the Ladies’ Riding Base Layer Set (£9.99) or Ladies’ Hoody / Funnel Neck Top (£12.99) will ensure that even the most fainthearted of fillies remain at a stable temperature this winter.

Stay safe and look sophisticated in Aldi’s Ladies’ Classic Hi-Vis Reversible Gilet (£14.99). Available in classic navy, yellow/black or pink/navy colour combinations, this hi-vis gilet features a water-repellent finish and stylish diamond quilt pattern embroidery. Combine with a pair of Ladies’ Riding Jodhpurs (£12.99) to complete the look.

Keep your toes toasty when out in the stables with Aldi’s Ladies’ Winter Riding Socks (£4.99) and Ladies’ Country Boots (£19.99). Featuring a waterproof suede exterior, you’re sure to impress the neigh-bours with this fashionable and functional footwear.

Don’t settle for less when it comes to kitting out the kids; Aldi has some great items for children including this Children’s Hi-Vis Reversible Gilet (£9.99) and Children’s Riding Jodhpurs (£7.99).

Aldi’s Equestrian range will be in stores from 29th October but you’ll have to be quick because it’s only available while stocks last and with prices as competitive as these, it won’t be available furlong!

The Equestrian range is on sale on 29.10.15 and available while stocks last