health ‘n’ wellbeing
Dealing with large farm machinery at harvest time
Riders encounter farmers and enormous tractors throughout the years. However, this risk is certainly heightened during harvest time when large combines, trailers and balers are moving from field to field at their busiest, possible most stressful, time of year. We’ve received several reports of horses unseating riders as a result of heavy machinery being driven at unacceptable speeds down narrow country roads through
www.horseaccidents.org.uk The sheer size of the vehicles can be frightening for horses, and the combination of additional machinery exacerbates this. Here are a few tips to minimise the hazards:
- Be relaxed. “What’s in the brain, goes down the rein!” Stay relaxed in your posture, maintaining close contact with your horse through your seat. - Make sure you are visible; wear your usual hi-viz gear plus a hi-viz hat band or hi-viz leg bands on your horse. These can be seen over hedgerows and round an otherwise blind bend, which may give the machinery driver the opportunity to slow down before they meet you.
- Be courteous: encourage and acknowledge drivers who do slow down and pass you considerately with a smile and a nod, or a wave in thanks, if it is safe to take one hand from the reins. - Observe and heed hand signals the driver may make to let you know their intentions. A large piece of farm equipment will require large turning circles and may have to pull right out into the road to make a turn in either direction. - Remember these machines are doing a job, often working to deadlines. Ride courteously and as soon as it is possible to do so, position yourself so the driver may pass. Acknowledge that this is what you are doing with the appropriate signals to pull off the road or by trotting on to a suitable passing place. - Plan your route carefully and try to avoid riding out next to fields you know are being, or a going to be, worked on. If you live in the area you will get to know where harvest activity is taking place. - Talk to other local riders and use the information they can give you about potential alternative routes.
Don’t let show time upset your horse’s digestion!
It is important that in the hustle and bustle of a show day your horse’s unique digestive system is still catered for.
The horse is designed to trickle feed small amounts of forage almost continually and on a busy day at a show this need to eat can sometimes be neglected. Though it is imperative to avoid concentrate feed for up to four hours prior to competition a constant supply of forage is vital to health and wellbeing.
Horses are equipped with a small stomach which requires a steady flow of forage to maintain gut motility. In addition the equine body produces stomach acid in a virtually constant supply, so a deprivation of forage can cause excessive gastric acid in the digestive tract, potentially leading to long-term problems such as gastric ulcers and colic or simply creating unpleasant discomfort, reducing performance ability.
A horse’s inbuilt need to chew means that reducing eating time limits the potential to which salvia can act as a buffer to neutralise stomach acid. When this is paired with the fact that a journey, or simply being at an event, will naturally result in some excitement or nerves from our horses, stimulating the release of Cortisol - a stress hormone - it becomes apparent that it is important to try and mimic as normal an eating pattern as possible in order to minimise stress and maintain a relaxed and healthy horse.
The Elim-a-Net™ is ideal for show days as it helps to ensure your horse has access to forage for longer and prevents against bolting hay or haylage. Elim-a- Net™ is equipped with a unique Inner Net Design, which alters the size and shape of the holes in the haynet achieving a slower, trickle-feeding pattern. Whether in the lorry or trailer or tied up outside, the design of Elim-a-Net™ prevents hay falling to the floor making sure there is minimal wastage and maximal forage ingestion.
Elim-a-Net™ is available in a variety of colours, in three sizes; Pony, Cob and Horse. Prices start from just £9.99. Feed the efficient way at shows this season, feed the Elim-a-Net™ way.
For more information visit:
www.parellproducts.com
Equine Page 6
www.farmnequine.co.uk
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