Simply Riding

14/08/2022

I have tried to resist price increases, to keep my services affordable for all of my lovely clients.

Hopefully a £5 increase won’t have too much impact on you all, but will make enough difference to my income to sustain my small business.

As you know, my preferred payment would be just smiles, but they don’t pay the bills…!

13/06/2022

Great new paper from Centaur Biomechanics.

I’ve been incorporating both ground and raised walk poles in my coaching for years. It’s great to have academic evidence to support the applied science!

Walking over poles is a commonly employed training and rehabilitation tool and it is crucial to understand its effect on equine locomotion, particular…

02/03/2022

Midweek learning with Gillian Higgins. Absolutely fascinating lecture about the anatomy of the horse’s head. With regard to bridle fit, front and hind limb movement, release of the temporo mandibulair joint, position of facial nerves, hyoid apparatus and the impact of the rider on all of these.
As most of my clients know, I have a deep loathing of tight nosebands The position of the facial nerves can be slightly different in each horse, so don’t assume the bridle you bought as a ‘comfort’ bridle is necessarily comfortable for your own horse.
Always so much more to learn!

16/01/2022

Do you know...

Every 1 centimetre of extra toe length results in an extra 50 kilograms of force acting on the tendons.

If there is a 1 degree drop in sole angle where the DDFT inserts into the coffin bone (affected by Palmar Angle), it can lead to a 4% increase in the pressure exerted by the DDFT on the Navicular bone.

(Credit Dr Renate Weller)

Correct foot balance is vitally important to keep horses sound and working at their optimum. A good farrier is worth their weight in gold, if you’ve got a good one, treat them well!

02/01/2022

Happy New Year greetings to everyone!

The winter break has been welcome, it was a very busy year for Simply Riding. As the new competition season fitness work gets underway, book your saddle fits in plenty of time, my diary will be getting booked up very soon. At this time of year I can usually see clients within a few weeks, this changes dramatically once the weather improves and everyone wants to be out riding.

Remember the Saddle Research Trust recommend we should be checking all saddles seasonally due to the changes in our horses shape. This especially applies to horses whose workload either increases or decreases.

15/12/2021

A lovely Christmas surprise from Head Office!

A great opportunity to say an enormous thank you to all of my Simply Riding clients, both Saddle fittings and lessons.

After almost 30 years in this job, I can honestly say I still love it with a passion. That is down to all of you fabulous people and your incredible horses and ponies.

Thank you for your ongoing loyalty, here’s to a happy, healthy 2022! 🥂

11/12/2021

I’ve had a fascinating day of lectures at the 4th Saddle Research Trust conference.

The scope of the lectures has been wide, but all interesting and relevant. In particular the Sue Dyson lecture about behaviour patterns in horses as they’re being tacked up and mounted. This along with the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram has the potential to revolutionise the welfare of all horses.

Knowledge and understanding are the key to ensuring our horses are not only surviving, but thriving.

I look forward to applying all this knowledge as I work with all my clients for both teaching and saddle fitting.

Yet another, “I love my job” day!

15/09/2021

I strongly urge everyone to watch this, the results are very surprising...

From a welfare and performance perspective, this is information every horse needs its rider to be aware of!

Pressure testing various girth and their results.

29/04/2020

Despite the difficult times, all members of the Society of Master Saddlers were invited to join their webinar today.

Lectures by Dr Jane Dixon, Laurence Pearman, Rosemary Neale, Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire, Dean Dibsdall, Mark Fisher and input from CEO Hazel Morley and SMS President Ted Boggis, all ensured that it was a fascinating and very relevant day of learning.

There are many discussions and plans being put in place, ready for when we are allowed to return to work safely.

Until such time, look after yourselves and each other!

17/03/2020

Like everyone, I am being guided by the government, the Society of Master Saddlers and the British Horse Society with regards to whether I should be continuing to work.
In this industry we are used to dealing with bio security, Strangles and EHV-1 has prepared us all well!

For lessons, I will be meeting clients in the arena instead of their stables, for saddle fittings I will minimise my contact with anything other than the horse and saddle I am working with. I shall continue with regular hand washing and hand gel as usual.

I urge any of my clients that if you suspect your saddle will need looking at soon, let’s get it done now, before the government advise no moving around. Riding with an ill fitting saddle quickly becomes a welfare issue.

As with all small businesses, the financial impact of not working is catastrophic, however the health and well being of all of us is far more important.

Let’s hope this dark cloud passes quickly.