Included in the stellar line-up of riders is Susie Gibson from Warrington, who was recently voted 2010 Trainer of the Year by the British Show Jumping Association.

Ian Wynne from Cheshire, local girl Pauline Elms from Formby and Faith Crompton also from Warrington are also all competing.

The competition starts today, with initial qualifying, and continues tomorrow as entrants battle it out to make it into the draw for all the final championship classes taking place on Sunday.

On finals day, the top prize of £300 is available in the Clatterbridge Cancer Research Amateur Championship.

As well as top quality show jumping, the weekend festival also features a selection of trade stands together with refreshments and other entertainment, making it a great family day out.

Jumping starts at 9am daily and continues until early evening with entry and parking totally free.

How many medals targeted by Team GB?

Jumping one of only three triple clear rounds of the entire competition, the nine year-old grey gelding missed victory by just two tenths of a second, settling for second place behind Germany’s Marco Kutscher. Third place went to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa.

Nick commented:

“Carlo is only nine so I am very pleased with him but because of his age, I will not be aiming him at the World Championships this year. He will do the GCT shows and hopefully be really ready for the big stuff in London 2012”.

300,000€ La Mandria Grand Prix

1st Marco Kutscher GER Cash 63 – 0/0/0 37.98 secs

2nd Nick Skelton GBR Carlo 273 – 0/0/0 38.18 secs

3rd Rodrigo Pessoa BRA HH Rebozo – 0/0/0 41.12 secs

Full results can be downloaded at www.globalchampionstour.com

She suffered a fractured skull and small brain bleeds and fell into a coma.

Mrs King-Dye, who was disqualified from the 2008 Olympics when her mount, Mythilus, tested positive in a dope test, has ridden a horse twice during therapy since being released from Kessler Institute to outpatient care on 25 June.

In a blog on her website Mrs King-Dye wrote: “The first time, I was more nervous than before I rode in the Olympic Games.

“They told me it was OK to cry — they were great — but once I was on it was like [being] home. I didn’t know if I’d be able to do what I knew I must, but I did.

“I knew, for me, I had to separate the riding as a therapy, from the love of the horse. Even though I was working on very different things, it was still work. And once I was off, I let myself love him to pieces.

“He was great. His name is ‘Dude’ and he was great. I rode so ugly I thank God that it wasn’t on one of my horses… both for me, and for him “But you can’t take the trainer out of the girl. It was a very hot day, so Dude kept stopping by the door. Instinct took over, and by the third time I shocked everyone (including me!) by kicking poor Dude.

“He, who is trained to ignore everything the person on his back may do, very obediently ignored my pathetic one-legged kick. I was mortified, but it caused a good laugh.”

Mr Ricketts, who has been team manager since 2002, says he was warned that his position was under review in September — following Team GB’s joint eighth place in the Nations Cup super league and sixth at the European championships.

The decision to advertise his job was taken in December and the advert appears in this week’s H&H.

“We have had a disappointing time results wise,” Mr Ricketts told H&H.

“But we can achieve nothing without horse power and last year was bad from that point of view.”

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and British Show Jumping Association (BSJA) are inviting applications for a new performance manager and may split the job from that of team coach. Mr Ricketts performed both roles.

Will Connell, BEF World Class performance manager said: “We looked at the four Olympic disciplines and show jumping has room for improvement. What we need is someone to lead show jumping forward to 2012.”

He said Mr Ricketts was welcome to reapply for the job.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk

The move follows a review of the high-profile post after Britain finished eighth in the Nations Cup and sixth at the European Championships in Windsor.

It is thought Derek Ricketts, who has been team manager since 2002, will be able to reapply for the role.

The closing date to submit applications for the post is 20 January.

After a poor year the International Equestrian Federation decided to relegate Britain to the second-tier promotional league for 2010 season, something the British Equestrian Federation have appealed against, with a decision expected soon.

Meanwhile, Tim Stockdale will perform the role of chef d’equipe when a four-strong British team contests a Nations Cup event in Abu Dhabi early next month, which carries an £89,000 prize fund.

Cousins Ellen and Robert Whitaker have been selected for the trip to the United Arab Emirates, together with British number one Ben Maher and in-form Guy Williams, who won the Mechelen Grand Prix in Belgium just after Christmas.

The saddle tree, the frame on which the saddle is constructed, is usually made of wood or sometimes fiberglass, then covered with leather. This frame is made to fit the both rider and the horse.

Saddle Fit

It can take some work to find a saddle that fits your horse properly.
If the saddle doesn’t fit well, the horse’s back muscles can become bruised.

When you buy your saddle, be sure to have a trial period, and have an experienced horeseperson help you with the following steps:

Fitting the horse

English saddles:

• Put the saddle on the horse without a pad, tighten the girth
• Have someone sit in the saddle with their feet in the stirrups
• Slide your fingers underneath the pommel. Be sure you can comfortably get 3 fingers between the horse’s withers and the arch below the pommel
• Make sure the saddle doesn’t get in the way of shoulder movement by having a helper lift the horse’s foreleg, pulling it to the front while your fingers are in between the top of the horse’s shoulder blade and the pommel. Do this on both sides
• When you stand behind the horse and look under the saddle, you should see some light when the horse’s head is down, otherwise the saddle is too snug
• Make sure the saddle isn’t too long. It shouldn’t reach back onto the horse’s loins

Western saddles:

• With a 1 inch thick pad underneath, place the saddle on the horse’s back and tighten the cinch. If it doesn’t reach all the way around, the saddle may be fine and all you need is a longer cinch
• With someone in the saddle, make sure you can fit 3 fingers between the arch of the pommel and the horse’s withers
• Make sure the width of the saddle tree is right for the horse. put three fingers with a flat hand sideways between the saddle and the top of the horse’s shoulder. If the fit is loose, hte saddle tree is too narrow, if too tight and you have to squeeze in your fingers, then the tree is too wide

Fitting the rider

If your saddle fits the horse but doesn’t fit you properly, you may not enjoy riding. Even if it is for a child, buy one that fits correctly now, not what you anticipate next year. When your child grows out of a saddle, sell it and buy a larger one.

An English saddle should allow about 4 inches of room in front of your body, and 4 inches behind. A western saddle will give you the same 4 inches in front, but your backside needs to rest against the base of the cantle, and not feel squashed up against it.

Take the saddle out for a test on your horse. It should still feel comfortable after half an hour.

Buying a Saddle

As far as horse equipment goes, the saddle is a big-ticket item. You should take an experienced horseperson with you when shopping, they will know what to look for and be familiar with the various brands.

Only purchase a saddle with a return policy, whether new or used. As you’ve seen, you really do have to try it out on your horse. Just sitting in it at the tack store (which you should definitely do) only tells you if it’s a comfortable fit for you, the rider.

You should insist on trying out the saddle first if purchasing from a private party.

English saddles don’t include the girths, stirrup leathers or stirrup irons. These are sold separately. Western saddles always include stirrups and cinches, but sometimes you may want to buy a better cinch.

Other Types of Saddles

Hunt seat saddle

Originally made for fox-hunting, this saddle is designed to make going over jumps secure for the rider.

Dressage saddle

The dressage saddle has a deeper cut than a standard English saddle to show off the horse to the best advantage.

Flat racing saddle

Lightweight and allow the jockey to ride with short stirrups, leaning as far forward as possible.

The longer winter coat helps to trap the body heat against the skin. Also, tiny muscles in the skin raise the hairs, creating tiny air pockets that heighten the insulating effect. Flatten this ‘fluffed-up’ coat by adding layers of light blankets, or even one heavy one, can actually make the horse colder.

If a horse is not accustomed to being blanketed, it can put the horse at increased risk. If it becomes overheated, it will begin to sweat. The dampness causes it to become chilled later, which then increases the risk of pneumonia or other respiratory infections. If a horse must be blanketed in the colder temperatures of morning, make sure that you or another responsible hand is there to take the blanket off when temperatures rise later in the day.

Therefore, it is important to choose a blanket that is appropriate to how much extra protection from the weather that the horse genuinely needs. Modern blankets are much warmer and resistant to weather than traditional wool blankets, using inner and outer shells with an insulating fiber between. Outer shells are usually made of synthetics which are water repellent and windproof, while the inner lining is smoother than wool so it won’t chafe against the horse’s skin. The filling between them provides warmth with much less bulk than older blankets. This means the overall blanket is light enough not to flatten the horse’s coat, and is more durable than their wool or cotton predecessors.

The outer shells, made of nylon fiber, will not snag or tear and are treated to be waterproof, which also makes them resistant to rot and mildew. This waterproofing also helps to hold heat in, but in the most extreme cold, the coating might crack. Foam particles or fiberfill usually make up the filler due to their insulating properties, without weight.

Making sure that the blanket fits the horse properly is important, regardless of the blanket type. One that is too tight will irritate the skin and put the horse at risk of developing abrasions and sores, while a blanket that is too large can slip down under the horse’s belly. Not only will that result in the loss of almost all the blanket’s insulating ability, if the horse gets its legs tangled in the blanket’s straps, it can be seriously injured. Putting the blanket on properly also helps to ensure a good fit. Put it on well forward, then slide it gently back into position to keep it from pulling the coat the wrong way.

Each horse should have its own blanket. Sharing blankets can facilitate the spread of skin problems such as girth itch, ringworm, and other fungal infections. Even if no horses in the stable have known skin problems, fungal spores can cling to the blankets and be spread to other horses. The blankets should be washed if they are used often during the winter, at least twice, using cold water and a disinfectant soap. Rinse the blankets well to make sure that no soap residue remains to irritate the horse’s skin.

Cold water washing is preferable to dry cleaning. Dry cleaning will not remove odors, and the heat and chemical solvents can dissolve the waterproofing and shrink the bindings.

The mane and tail is the best place to start. Spray on a detangler and let it dry before removing the burrs from the tail and the long, unpulled mane. To start you should gently pick each burr out by hand and untangle the knots to your best ability before you use a comb since this will come in later steps.

Next you should use a currycomb to give the horse a good grooming that will loosen the dried mud or ground in dirt. Use a stiff brush and then finish off with a soft brush. The head and bony areas of the legs should be brushed with care and a softer grooming tool.

After the dirt is gone you should pick a warm day to give the horse a bath with an antifungal shampoo. Follow the direction on the label so that you can stop any potential or existing skin problems. Water repelling oils on the coat are removed during the bathing process so you should bath them when there is no forecast for rain otherwise you will want to give them a waterproof blanket or sheet before turning them out. The horse should have time for their natural waterproofing to return before they get wet.

Use a clean towel to dry your horse as completely as possible after the rinsing and scraping. Again spray the mane and tail with a detangler. A horse can be allowed to finish drying in comfort by covering them with an antisweat sheet and then a wool cooler in case the weather is still a bit chilly.

Use a cream rinse after washing if you have a horse with a long, tangled mane or tail. Human products work well, but there are also several products that are specifically made for horses. Use a wide toothed plastic comb to gently comb the mane. Use your fingers to pick out any bad tangles if necessary. It may be tempting to use scissors but the resulting mess will take months to grow out completely. You can put the mane at the desire length once you have completely gotten rid of any tangles.

Pulling on the tangles will not only thin but also shorten the horse’s mane and tail and over the winter naturally thin manes will have gotten longer so pulling can cause it to become too thin. A better option is to backcomb and cut to the desired length while using a stripping comb.

Caring for tails has some debate and many think the tails of a horse should never be combed. If you decide to brush you should start at the bottom of the tail with a soft brush and work upward. Use your fingers to loosen any bad tangles and brush out a few hairs at a time. This may be a time consuming process, but periodically using detangler spray can help you to maintain a beautiful and long tail with not much effort.

Trim the hair under the horses chin, the long whiskers on the nose, the hair that grows outside the ears and the long fetlock hair in order to have a good finished look. Leave the long hairs around the eyes and coronet band in addition to the hair inside the ears unless you plan on showing the horse. For spring checkups you should always schedule the horse for a visit with a farrier and vet.