2 March 2023 - Flipbook - Page 57
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
57
Equestrian coach says stay
positive and support each other
L
AURA Wilson of Laura
Wilson Coaching is the
owner of Loughowan
Farm
Livery,
Hillsborough. She is an
accredited equestrian coach,
who also offers atwork
schooling services and hopes
to be back out competing
again as soon as possible.
Laura coaches all levels of
rider and horse, working on
the foundations of correct
schooling to inspire positive
partnerships and achieve
goals. She uses social media
to outline challenges she
faces while riding, lunging
and coaching daily.
“After a recent injury had
GOALS: Laura coaches all levels of rider and horse, working
on the foundations of correct schooling to inspire positive
partnerships and achieve goals. (FW04-519NN)
DRESSAGE: Laura hopes to get back out to some dressage
competitions again soon. (FW04-520NN)
COACH: Laura Wilson is an equestrian coach and offers
flatwork schooling. (FW04-518NN)
me off my feet for a few weeks,
it gave me some unplanned
time to think...” says Laura.
“For months, I had worked
hard, worked harder and had
got lost in my own bubble
and worries during the rst
lockdown. During this time, I
had concentrated on working
in-hand and getting to know
my horses from the ground.
“Equestrian professionals
often
run
on
empty,
especially over the winter
months, when it seems there
is no end to work. For myself
and most equestrians, it
usually takes injury or illness
to stop us in our tracks and
make us realise we are not
invincible!” she continued.
“As a coach and rider
myself, I know that I am able
to give the gift of positivity
and determination to my
clients, but often cannot take
my own advice. At this time,
with no goals, no focus and
no end in sight, it is easy to
get stuck in our own thoughts
with ongoing concerns and
stresses.
“Take
time
now
to
concentrate on self-care
and reconnect with positive
inuences, whether this is
contacting friends, taking
part in forgotten hobbies
or getting out of the yard
to explore our beautiful
countryside
(Covid
permitting,
of
course!),”
Laura advises.
“It is also a good opportunity
to spend time improving
our strength, tness and
look after our mental health.
Working with horses can
be a lonely business at
times, so it is important to
prioritise keeping in contact
with friends, no matter how
busy we are with every
day routines. Also, look
out for friends who may be
struggling at the moment
- always be positive and
support each other.
“Above all, remember how
we all started with our love of
horses. This passion will get
us through the challenging
months ahead... My mail box
is always open for a friendly
chat!” Laura concluded.
Reduce your feed bill with Dengie this winter
H
IGH quality bre feeds, such
as Dengie Alfa-A Original,
can be a great alternative
to cereal-based rations for health
reasons but, as they also count
towards your horse’s bre intake,
they can save you money too.
Forage is in short supply in many
areas this year and prices are
going up as a result, so using a
chopped bre as your bucket feed
becomes even more nancially
attractive.
Alfa-A Original is great value for
money, so is benecial for your
pocket as well as your horse at
only 28p per scoop* and with 50
Stubbs scoops in each 20kg bag.
At 10MJ/kg, Alfa-A Original has
a comparable energy level to a
typical Cool Mix or Cube, but
is signicantly lower in starch,
only 2%, so is based entirely on
slow-release energy. Feeding the
chopped bre will also provide
your horse with more chews,
increasing saliva production
helping to buffer acidity in the
digestive tract, as well as keeping
the horse occupied for longer.
Alfa-A Original is based on
alfalfa, which will provide your
horse with naturally occurring
vitamins and minerals, good
levels of calcium, and quality
protein. It has also been
precision-dried to provide a
consistently clean source of bre.
‘Buster’ is a 15.2 Sports Horse,
who is in regular work and
competes in all riding club
activities. He has ad lib hay, daily
turnout and is fed two scoops of
Alfa-A Original and 500g of Dengie
MONEY SAVING: Dengie Alfa
A Original counts towards your
horse’s fibre intake, so can save
you money. (FW02-502NN)
Performance+ Balancer, which is
split over two meals per day. This
ration costs his owner Susan £1.59
per day* and provides ‘Buster’
with a fully balanced diet, as well
as slow-release energy to support
the work he is in.
For good doers and overweight
individuals, Dengie’s Hi-Fi Lite
is a great low-calorie option.
Nutritious alfalfa is blended with
high-quality oat straw, which
helps to reduce the calorie level.
Hi-Fi Lite is lower in sugar (7%)
and calories (7.5MJ/kg) compared
to an average hay, making it ideal
for horses and ponies on a diet,
those that need to watch their
waistlines and can be used as a
partial hay replacer too.
Hi-Fi Lite offers great value
for money with 66 scoops per
20kg bale and costing just 20p
per scoop*, it offers fantastic
nutrition at an affordable price.
‘Sparky’ is a 12hh Welsh cross,
who is prone to laminitis and is
a very good doer. ‘Sparky’ has
soaked hay and restricted turnout
to help manage his weight. His
owner Sarah feeds him one scoop
of Hi-Fi Lite and 30g of Dengie’s
Leisure Vits and Mins. The total
ration costs her only 39p per day*
and would be lower in calories
than feeding the recommended
amount of a balancer, while still
ensuring ‘Sparky’ is getting all
the vitamins and minerals he
needs. It is also low in sugar and
starch, so a very suitable ration
for ‘Sparky’, with his history of
laminitis.
Using a balancer or vitamin and
mineral supplement alongside
your bre feed can often work out
more cost effective than a typical
mix or cube. Although the initial
cost may be higher, balancers and
supplements have a much more
concentrated feeding rate and
so will last longer than feeding
the recommended amount of a
complete feed.
Speak to a qualied nutritionist
for help in streamlining your
horse or pony’s diet; removing
any unnecessary extras could
help you save money, whilst still
ensuring that they’re receiving
everything they need.
Call the Dengie Feedline on
01621 841188 or go to the website:
www.dengie.com and complete
the Feed Advice Form.
*Prices are based on SRP.
All products are available to
buy from good Dengie stockists
or to purchase online.
Alfa-A Original- £14.05 - 20kg.
Hi-Fi Lite- £13.27 - 20kg.
Performance+ Balancer - £30.99
- 15kg.
Leisure Vits & Mins - £63.70 10kg.
You can also nd Dengie on:
Facebook: @DengieHorseFeeds
Instagram: @DengieHorseFeeds
Twitter: @DengieHorseFeed
You Tube: @DengieHorseFeeds
LOW-CALORIE OPTION: Dengie
Hi-Fi Lite is a great low-calorie
option and is ideal for horses and
ponies on a diet, those that need
to watch their waistlines and can
be used as a partial hay replacer
too. (FW02-503NN)
BLACKSMITH: Tommy Orr of Killinchy,
County Down carried on the family tradition as a Blacksmith for over 40 years.
(FW04-529NN)
Blast from the past:
The life of a Blacksmith
A lovingly crafted short documentary,
directed by Roy Spence back in 1981,
follows the work of Tommy Orr of Killinchy,
County Down, who carried on the family
tradition as a Blacksmith for over 40 years.
From the ringing of the anvil to the smoke
billowing from the roadside forge, this lm
focuses on his work as a farrier and shows
not only the unique skill that’s required,
but his genuine love and pride in his work.
Roy Spence is an award-winning amateur
lmmaker. For the past 50 years, Roy
has been making and screening a series
of remarkable and sometimes eccentric
lms in his cinema in Comber, Co. Down.
The lms span many genres from sci-
to horror to folk-life documentaries shot
between 1965 and 1986. His collection
of over 40 lms (13 documentaries/ nonction and 29 ction feature lms) is held
and preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive.
The documentary on Tommy Orr can be
found at https:// iplayer.ie/ tommy-orrblacksmith/