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ASKHQ: LOSING MARKS FOR LENGTHENING

Q: Why do dressage riders often lose marks for lengthening? A: You need to show the judges obvious changes between your gaits. Marks are often allocated for this your test. We often lose marks here due to not showing enough difference from movement to movement. For example, the movement may say 'HP lengthen the canter, P…

BylizzieOctober 10, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Know How

ASKHQ: PHOTOGRAPHS

Q: Should I be taking photographs of my horse in bright sunlight? Or what are the best weather conditions? A: Perfect sunny weather is not always the best when it comes to taking photographs. The bright sunlight can create harsh, angular shadows, which can in turn lead to unflattering photographs. Plus, in the bright sun flies…

BylizzieOctober 9, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Breeding Horse Breed Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: HOW ARE STALLIONS SELECTED FOR THE KWPN STUDBOOK?

Q: How are stallions selected for the KWPN studbook? A: The Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands (KWPN) is known around the world as a source of good riding horses, many of whom perform successfully at the highest level of the sport. To maintain the quality of its sport horses, the KWPN implemented specialised breeding several…

BylizzieOctober 8, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

MUD FEVER

Mud fever, taxonomically known as pastern dermatitis, encompasses a whole range of diseases that cause irritations and dermatitis to the lower limbs of horses. It is frequently caused by a bacterium known as Dermatophilus congolensis, which thrives in wet and muddy conditions. This infection is known to occasionally stay dormant in the skin and only…

BylizzieOctober 7, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ROADWORK – WORTH DOING OR NOT?

Recent research now suggests that particularly trotting horses on tar roads leads to more incidences of lameness than was originally thought. The benefits of riding on roads are that they are flat, generally even surfaces and many people have previously suggested that roadwork is good for joint, tendon and bone health. However, the new research shows…

BylizzieOctober 6, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: WAVE MOUTH

Q: What is a wave mouth in horses? A: A wave mouth is where the molar teeth do not align evenly in the horse's mouth. This creates gaps between the upper and lower jaw, when the horse chews his food. This results in poor chewing, and thus a reduced surface area of the food when it…

BylizzieOctober 5, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: HOOF ABSCESS LOCATION

Q: How do you locate an abscess in a hoof? A: A hoof abscess is a localised accumulation of purulent fluid (pus) within the horse's hoof. The pus is produced as a reaction by the horse's body to infection. A hoof abscess generally causes sudden-onset, severe lameness. Despite the dramatic onset and severity of the lameness…

BylizzieOctober 4, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: PLACING POLES

Q: What's the point of a placing pole? A: Placing poles help to control a horse who speeds and are also excellent for creating 'jump' in the canter leading up to the fence. They can also help correct your striding if you don't have a good eye for a stride. A ground pole rolled slightly away…

BylizzieOctober 3, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: RIDING A CIRCLE

Q: How can you keep a horse straight and balanced on a circle? A: Oddly enough a circle is actually a very good tool for assessing the straightness of your horse. It highlights if a rider has the horse between the outside rein and inside leg aids. In order to be 'straight', and therefore balanced,…

BylizzieOctober 2, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: BREAKING INTO DOWNWARD TRANSITIONS

Q: How can you stop a horse from breaking into downward transitions? A: All too often riders experience that feeling of the horse collapsing into the downward transition instead of gracefully changing from one gait to the other while maintaining impulsion. Riders tend to focus so much on the preparation and quality of their upward transitions…

BylizzieOctober 1, 20190Comments

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