Laurie Smith Dressage

28/07/2023

Pop over to Fetlox! Quality doesn’t have to break the bank 💯

❗️𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻❗️
⏰Be quick - you have until 31st July to take advantage of 20% off when you buy two items from our new collection.
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14/05/2023

Many many tears today. The gorgeous Ferdi, who was entrusted to us by a local charity for rehab and backing, went to his forever home. it’s never easy when they go as to win their hearts, you have to give them yours. From a very scared, untrusting boy to the exceptionally kind and gentle boy that happily loaded on the trailer, our tears aren’t for nothing.

10/05/2023

If you are heading to Windsor Horse Show this weekend, please drop by the Fetlox stand.

14/04/2023

It’s incredibly humbling when someone entrusts you with an amazing pony like this. A week in, and River is completely thriving, has trusted us completely and is an absolute sweetheart 🥰 just need the winter woolies to disappear along with the first swallows who have returned. She is going to be a very special young lady

06/04/2023

Well, that was fun! Please show up Spring!

26/02/2023

Being yard security is exhausting

16/02/2023

The super wonderful amazing Ferdi 🥰 After spending some much needed time to gain his trust, this intelligent boy is coming on leaps and bounds. He’s taken to backing like a pro! Even took his stabilisers off this Eve and he went solo with the wonderful Beth onboard. There will be many tears when he finds his forever home!

12/02/2023

Interesting!

04/02/2023

23/12/2022

*** SWEET POTATOES FOR HORSES & PONIES? ***

I've noticed a few posts starting to circulate extolling the virtues of SWEET POTATOES (Ipomoea batatas) for horses and ponies, especially for those with or prone to gastric ulcers. Here is what I have been able to find out so far.....

➡ Sweet potatoes DO appear in the EU Feed Materials Register.
➡ I have been unable to find any papers on the suitability of sweet potatoes for horses.
➡ One paper mentions a case of respiratory distress in a horse due to mycotoxin contamination of damaged sweet potatoes - but mycotoxins do occur on many equine feed materials.
➡ Sweet potatoes can be 20-40% carbohydrate by weight with a starch content of 5-13%. This would make them an unsuitable food for horses with or prone to gastric ulcers.

If you have other information please share.

15/12/2022

Goals!

05/12/2022

To be fair, he does seem to know what he’s doing 💪🏻🙌🏻👊🏻😂

Carl Hester notes:

-We ride two days in the ring a hack day, two in the ring another hack day and Sundays just turned out. The upper level horses also use the water treadmill for fitness.
-Stretch and supple the horses for a long and healthy career. Keep them moving to keep them sound. Leaving them in a box and only out an hour a day is not a good way to keep a horse sound.
-Riders tend to bend left (as most horses are stiffer on the left) and not right. Most people also consistently have a higher mark on their left pirouette vs right.
-The younger and weaker the horse the lighter the seat should be in the warm up.
-The weaker the horse the more they take the neck up in the trot to canter depart.
-Let the horse shorten the walk by carrying your hand don't shorten it for them.
-If the contact goes too light the horse doesn't use the head and neck.
-Keep the top "plat" (braid) of the neck up.
-Knuckles together keeps the bit at the corner of the mouth. A light mouthed horse will drop the bit if the hands go wide as it puts the bit on the bars of the mouth.
-Work through your fingers rather than a dead feeling in your hand.
-Collecting is not slowing down.
-The horse should "come back" thinking forward.
-If you use our legs your horse should KEEP going forward until you tell them to stop.
-When he comes from canter to walk he has to step forward to walk not step back to walk.
-Bring the inside rein against the neck if the horse is holding in the shoulder in on the circle.
-Break a circle into four pieces and give the hand in between.
-Good hands are not hands that do nothing. They are forward hands that correct the horse without us seeing it.
-Long horses need to be rounder, short horses need to be longer in the stretching.
-When you do travers riding do it on the inside diagonal to keep your weight more to the inside. Imagine you have a flashlight on your right big toe pointed to A or C if you are doing shoulder in to the left.
-On the strong side start your shoulder in in renvers.
-In a good shoulder in the outside shoulder rises from the inside hind pushing and its what gives a score over 8.
-A good collected trot has the expression of the medium in collection.
-If your horse becomes too strong take your leg off get a reaction with your hand then put the leg back on.
-The horse will only become sensitive when you give him nothing.
-All movements have a start a middle and a finish. Show that.
-Hold the horse out and curve it in.
-Always direct the inside shoulder up the line.
-More and more leg makes the horse go up and down.
-Don't give the horses long straight lines to run away on use the sharks teeth.
-Hot horses you have to be able to ride forward.
-Ride forward with your upper body forward, ride back up through your helmet.
-The biggest problem when you are learning the one time changes is that you can't wait to see if the horse has done them. The horse has to fit in with you not that you fit in with the horse.
-Sit with your knee open and the back of the leg down.
-Use the shoulder fore to close the horse up.
-In the pirouette ride the front around not the hind leg. Think of turning on a clock face 10 past 20 past 40 past etc.... don't leave it to chance. If it is getting stuck ride forward on 3 and 6.
-Rising passage helps them think trot behind.
-You have to have a closed hand to have a contact with the bit.
-To help the horse let you help him with the corners canter straight down the long side into the corner, halt, stand, turn to the outside and canter the other way the same. Can also do the on the diagonals into the corner.
-Ride corrective don't accept them taking advantage.
-When they rock with the neck in the canter you have given them too much contact. Give and retake the reins.
-Don't just sit there holding having the same mistake again and again.
-Because he is on your hand his hind legs lock.
-Make the canter so short I could walk beside you.
-It must be loose.
-Head nodding is a sign of lack of impulsion.
-Show the picture on the short side that your horse goes uphill.
-Know how many steps your horse takes on the short side, on an 8m circle etc...
-Get the feeling you can push into your inside stirrup in the half pass.
-Half halt is collection of forward energy. If it lasts more than a stride it interrupts the hind legs.
-If you can't let the neck go you are the one balancing he horse and the balance is incorrect.
-Train a lot of leg yields.
-The way to improve sevens to eights is impulsion.
-Most horses find it easier to get into the piaffe than out. Ride 6 steps passage 6 piaffe in and out until it is easy.
-In passage sit heavy. In piaffe sit light over the knee.

02/12/2022

27/11/2022

The 4y olds spent Saturday morning engrossed in what the boys were doing in the school. Polework is obviously very fascinating 🤣 they will have an exam to sit later 😆

19/11/2022

Welcome Ferdi 🥰 Ferdi is a 4yo gelding that has come for training, backing and general hugs so that the lovely local charity can find an amazing forever home for him. He’s a very bright young man and has the most amazing temperament. And we will take it all at his speed

28/10/2022

Welcome Nairobi x Currently learning Dutch as she has just been imported from The Netherlands by her lovely mum 🥰

09/10/2022

Yes!!!!! It’s that time of year 😫

Wash the horse 🚿🧼

Every winter we promote washing horses prior to clipping, this winter is no different 🤭

WHY❓
📍Your horses comfort- prevents hair snagging and pulling in the blades
📍Your clipper- reduces strain on your machine
📍Your blades- helps longevity of blade sharpness
📍Finish- ultimately you will achieve a much better finish by washing prior to clipping

❌Avoid❌ using any pre clip oils or coat sprays prior to clipping these can coat your blades and cause them to generate heat. There is no substitute for a good bath and or groom ✅

*if you are in a situation where bathing and stabling prior to clipping isn’t an option hot cloth every day in the run up to clipping and keep the horse adequately rugged so they are dry and clean- a thorough groom taking a full hour that works up a sweat then the day of clipping will suffice*

📸Jillian Scott The Clipper Queen

08/10/2022

And so, her journey begins 🥰 a perfect home was only ever going to be what this wonderful young mare deserved and was worth the wait. Am incredibly excited to see her future unfold 🥰

27/09/2022

🤣

23/09/2022

🌟For Sale to 5* homes 🌟
Advertising on behalf of a very knowledgeable home.
Dartmoor yearling & 3 yo full brothers by Lobmill Panache out of a fabulous moor mare.
Yearling is currently entire, but can be gelded, to make approx 12.2hh.
Sadly for sale to reduce numbers. Knowledgeable homes only for these two beautiful chaps. Video of yearling in comments. Any interest, please feel free to PM & will pass onto owner.

19/09/2022

RIP sweet boy 💔 it has been an honour to have known you

18/09/2022

So, Sausage isn’t actually my dog! But she moved in 4 years ago, and the regular Sunday roasts have made her determined not to leave. Despite my best efforts, the neighbours dog (despite much stomping of foot by me) had his wicked way. 3 weeks ago, after a very long night, little cocktail sausages arrived. 3 boys left if anyone fancies a hilarious, loyal, affectionate comedian to join their tribe. If you want fancy pants pedigree, nothing to see here, but if you want to laugh a lot, they are perfect. Obvs not available til she’s bloody had enough, they’ve run absolute riot and made me question my sanity

18/09/2022

Elsa is dreaming big. World Cup Eventing in 4 years?

17/09/2022

Wowzers! Gaspard backed my boy Henry and did a fab job. 🤞for tomorrow 💪🏻

15/09/2022

Henry’s first time jumping. Think the dressage diva might have a career change 🤣

15/09/2022

When Carl Hester’s training pays off! 🤩

12/09/2022

🥰

08/09/2022

There is a place that you go,
No matter what you believe,
While all those who love you,
Take time to grieve.

The sweet smell of hay,
And the greenest of grass,
Gentle soft muzzles,
A place time doesn’t pass.

Your loss will be felt,
But we’ll take comfort and know,
The day that you left,
We knew where you’d go.

Reunited with loved ones,
No more to depend,
Reins in one hand,
Your ride never ends.

While we all mourn,
While we’ve lost someone great,
We know that so many,
Wait for you at the gate.

Thank you, your majesty,
For all that you’ve done,
Gather up the reins now,
It’s your time to ride on.