Wandiera Park Dressage

19/05/2024

When to call the vet? The following are some common triggers:
Your horse is lame and unable to take weight on its leg, unwilling to move, and you are not sure why it is sore.
Your horse has a cut/wound which is still bleeding under pressure, is more than 2.5cm long, and seems infected (pus).
Your horse is looking at its belly, wanting to roll, pulse is >50 beats per minute and has spasmodic pain bursts, or the pain had stopped and has now started up again.
Your horse is dull and lethargic, lying down, not passing manure, kicking or biting its belly, wanting to roll.
Your horse is coughing, choking and salivating, or with a nasal discharge and high temperature.
Your horse has off its food for no obvious reason (eg separation anxiety or a new environment, bullying etc.).
Your horse's temperature is >38.8 degrees c
The following could be a useful overview to put up in your tack shed...
Remember that when your horse is in pain it may act towards you in an uncharacteristic way (much like we do when we are in pain!) and not respond in its usual way. Take extra care for your safety and keep well meaning but inexperienced people away.

19/05/2024

19/05/2024

How NOT to do sitting trot

When you watch an experienced dressage rider sit to their horse's trot, it looks as though are not moving; as if their bum has been glued to the saddle. However, contrary to popular belief, they are not "sitting still." Instead, they are moving WITH their horse, which gives the illusion of immobility.

This illusion leads many riders to believe that, to sit the trot, they must keep their hips and bottom as still as possible. So, they clench their buttock muscles, squeeze their core, and grip with their knees in an effort to stop their movement while their horse trots underneath them.

If you do this, you will bounce against your horse's back, which will cause your horse to hollow his back away from the discomfort you are causing him. This will then cause you to bounce even more, and a vicious cycle will start.

Also, as you start bouncing in the saddle, you may inadvertently slow your horse's trot down in an effort to make it easier to sit to. Until, eventually, you would have killed all the necessary impulsion, resulting in your horse doing a slow hollow jog as opposed to a forward and swinging trot.

To sit to the trot correctly (and painlessly), you need to remember that you are on the back of a moving animal. Your horse is moving upwards and forward with each trot step. Therefore, you must follow his movement and allow your hips to swing upwards and forward with each trot step.

IMAGE: Stock Photo from Shutterstock

19/05/2024

19/05/2024

⭐️⭐️ Upcoming Events ⭐️⭐️

May 26th Bunbury H&PC

June 1st OTTWA Training

June 8th Perth Dressage Club Winter Official competition

19/05/2024

17th May 2024 - Endangered Species Day

👨‍⚕️Equine Vets 👩‍⚕️

Where have all the horse vets gone? 🤔

For a long time, practising equine veterinarians have noticed fewer and fewer new equine vets are coming through to practices in clinics worldwide. Horses are the primary victims of this shortage; these animals now face higher risk of untreated injuries and disease due to lack of veterinary care available to owners.

👉Click the links on the following articles to find out more about our equine vet shortage in Australia:

https://www.anzbloodstocknews.com/leading-practice-addresses-critical-shortage-of-equine-veterinarians/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-05/tasracing-offers-incentive-as-vet-shortage-worsens/102303084
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-28/vet-shortage-could-see-closure-of-longford-equine-horse-clinic/102264592
https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/8048754/horses-and-owners-suffer-in-vet-shortage-as-urgent-treatments-delayed/
https://www.smh.com.au/national/male-vets-are-a-dying-breed-and-it-s-not-helping-a-critical-shortage-20221124-p5c14o.html

19/05/2024

Did you know that scratching at the base of the withers can be a stress-reliever for horses? Our patron, Dr. Andrew McLean, highlights this as a rewarding technique, making it a key method taught at Pony Club for reward-based training 💚💛💚

Equitation Science International - ESI

25/01/2024

02/01/2024

To join our club please email [email protected]
We now offer Half year and full year Memberships from January. Our first rally is February 18 and we are catering for complete beginners with in hand and ridden exposure to our fantastic obstacles. Our member standard rally fees are $60 and non member $75 this includes 2 group lessons per rally.
This year on offer are both Dressage and Ease of handling lessons in 1 hour group sessions or private 30 minute pairs and private one on one focused lessons. We hold a variety of Working equitation events throughout the year and are a friendly bunch. We all like to have fun with our much loved horses. Based at the super facility Magenup Equestrian centre 302 de Haer drive Wandi.
So if you want to get into Working Equitation Please email [email protected]