At Ross Dhu Equestrian Centre we have extensive experience in travelling with our horses and our customers’ horses in trailers. However, during our many years of working with horses, we have heard some shocking stories of horses being badly hurt or sadly killed from lack of or poor travel preparations. Horses involved in trailer accidents,…
At Ross Dhu Equestrian Centre we have extensive off road riding available where you need never ride in traffic again. However, during a journey elsewhere with your horse there may be times when it is necessary to ride on roads and we feel that it is important that this is made as safe as possible…
To the casual observer it may look like all the rider has to do is just sit there, be happy and enjoy the horse ride. Clearly, the horse does all the work! If you’re a rider you will know that this isn’t the case and that there is much more to both riding and caring…
Sycamore tree is a deciduous tree that belongs to the plane-tree family. It originates from Europe, but it can be found around the world today, including the UK. It usually grows near the streams, river banks, lakes and in woodlands, places where we all like to going riding with our horses. Some sycamore tree seeds,…
What do we mean by ‘backing your horse’? Well, at a top level it means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry someone on their back. However, there is much more to it than that. It is about positively teaching your horse to listen to your instructions when their…
Fly-grazing has always been a hot subject in the horse world and a ‘big issue’ across the UK. In recent years, loose, stray, abandoned and fly-grazing horses have become an acute and expensive problem for landowners, local authorities, enforcement agencies, welfare charities and taxpayers. The lack of care the horses receive, and the actions of…
Raven came to us with his new owner who had purchased a horse from a dealer for her husband who was a very novice rider. The horse was completely unsuitable and so she asked for an exchange. The dealer brought Raven. He wasn’t called Raven then but Satan. The new owner knew instantly that he…
While teaching with our level two students on trailer/horsebox loading, I had been working with a couple of horses that would load ok. During the lesson we were discussing the do’s and don’ts, covering health and safety aspects and some basic points. I thought I would let the students see what it is like to…
As a horse owner it’s important to understand the importance of your horses’ diet and how to manage this appropriately. “Horses are natural “trickle feeders”, browsing and grazing for much of the time. Their digestive system has evolved to cope with a fibre-based diet, with the emphasis on digestion in the hind gut (caecum and…
At Ross Dhu Equestrian, we have had many customers over the years who we have helped to make both their riding experience and the horses experience and performance an enjoyable one rather than a battle of wills. The basics of riding a horse is to understand how a horse moves and what makes them relaxed,…