Taking the strain off transpor t

e all know that competing starts at a young age - we’ve been there, life throws all sorts of challenges our way, and not least in the competitive equine world! The rigours of competing take their toll on the best of us, hence we must ensure we make provision for safe travel at all times, and create an awareness of the impact this makes on our wellbeing and ability to progress as we gain experience over the years.

HOW MUCH HORSE TRANSPORT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE YEAR. WHAT ARE THE MAIN EVENTS THAT HE WILL COMPETE IN?

Alfie will be out competing at least once a week – our 3.5 tonne lorry we have now had for over 4 years has over 90,000 miles

Won the clock! When we travel internationaly too, this can really rack up the mileage, with shows across France, Belgium, Netherlands and possibly Spain and Italy.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT TRAVELLING WITH A YOUNG RIDER?

Travelling with a younger rider means that we have to consider our choices of transport and also routes - as all horsey people know, time runs away and getting away on time is a miracle as you can guarantee it will be that morning the horses decide to flat pack a fence just as you leave! The last thing you need is the worry of a breakdown too.

WHAT TYPE OF LORRIES DO YOU HAVE?

Alfie is extremely fortunate enough to have a 3.5 ton 2 horse box and also an 18 ton Oakley

HGV stalled for 5 with living for the larger stay away national and international shows.

DO YOU USE DIFFERENT LORRIES FOR DIFFERENT LENGTH JOURNEYS?

There are many factors that determine the lorry used, this will be distance, length of show and the number of ponies/ horses on board! Obviously, as we all know, the weight of the load will also have a bearing on what lorry we use as pay load has to be considered. The vehicles are always maintained and if anything needs doing it is generally completed straight away. When traveling with animals and children it is

TO FIND OUT MORE Equine Rescue Services pleaase visit equinerescue.co.uk imperative that the vehicle is in its best condition possible for obvious reasons. There is always a service, MOT, new tyre, brakes or general servicing that need to be completed at any one time. Not to mention the repairs within horse areas and living areas!

WHAT IS YOUR CHECKLIST FOR TRAVELLING WITH THE HORSES? DO YOU HAVE ANY TOP TIPS THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR OTHERS?

Always keep very organised lorries with basic kit on them, depending on what show we are going to. Passports and official paperwork are all kept in files, so we have these to hand also. Having kit on 2 lorries obviously comes with a cost but having kit on lorries ready for shows outweighs this cost for a less stressful departure!!

Travelling with horses is not that stressful, its more the preparation for travelling that is stressful, it is always a worry as if there is a problem then it is always harder with horses on board, having the right support behind you whilst on the road is very important and we would not travel anywhere without Equine Rescue Services behind us!

Continually

#1

Passionately

If you have ever been unlucky enough to suffer a concussion, you will appreciate just how serious and long-term its effects can be. Concussion in sport is such a critical issue that the government produced an action plan in late 2021 to address it.

While there’s been plenty in the news about concussion in football and rugby, it has often been less widely acknowledged in equestrianism. However, a new six-page guidance document from British Equestrian, developed by its World Class Programme Human Sports Science and Medicine team, aims to help people recognise concussion and know what actions to take in the immediate aftermath and during recovery.

Concussion is an injury to the brain resulting in a disturbance of brain function. The guidance explains this can be caused by a direct blow to the head, but can also occur when a blow to another part of the body results in rapid movement of the head, such as whiplash type injuries. Loss of consciousness