West Midlands Regional News

Martin Clunes to be the next President of The British Horse Society

Actor, writer and horse-owner Martin Clunes has been named as President-designate of The British Horse Society. He will take up the reins when current President, Desi Dillingham MBE, steps down at the end of her extended term of office on 1 June.

Already known to millions from his stage and screen appearances, including ‘Men Behaving Badly’, ‘Reggie Perrin’ and ‘Doc Martin’, his 2010 ITV documentary series “Horsepower” revealed Martin’s passion for horses. He keeps twelve of them on his farm and regularly rides his favourite horse, a huge Hanoverian called Chester. His wife Philippa and daughter Emily are accomplished riders, too.

Speaking of his impending appointment, Martin said: “Goodness knows how I am expected to follow Desi. ‘Larger than life’ is a cliché but it is well-known that, when she left her native Canada, the country teetered on the brink for some time. In fact, I think it still teeters occasionally, mostly at weekends and on public holidays, when it recollects the talent it so carelessly allowed to escape to the UK.

“It is an enormous honour to be asked to serve the BHS as its next President.  I have so much to learn and with the Society changing so much in recent years I hope that we can grow together, capitalising on the vitality, enthusiasm and passion of its membership. Animal welfare is a passion of mine and I am really looking forward to working with the BHS and all its members to retain the momentum for liveliness and continuous improvement, without losing the Society’s prized reputation for promoting the very highest standards.

“Every time we learn of another horse which has suffered at man’s hands we realise how essential – and urgent – is the welfare work of the BHS. If, when I become President, I can help the Society alleviate the suffering of a single horse whose trust has been betrayed by humans, then I will have done some good. If tens of thousands of people join me, that good will be magnified.

“Above all, I hope I can help spread something of the joy which comes from associating with horses to those, especially the young, who otherwise would never make their acquaintance. We all delight in our horses and we all should spread a little of that delight to as many people as possible.”

BHS Chairman, Dr Phil Wadey, said: “I realised, from the moment I met Martin and Philippa at the BHS Royal International Horse Show last July, that he was the best ambassador the horse world didn’t yet have. So of course I was delighted when he agreed to become our next President.

“Having worked so hard in recent years to modernise the society and refresh its image, it was encouraging for Trustees to have identified a future President whose enthusiasm and commitment so closely matches our own.”

Dr Wadey also paid a warm tribute to Desi. “Nobody ever says ‘I think I may have met Desi Dillingham’. She is one of those people who make an immediate, positive and unmissable impact, and then go on making a positive impact, day after day. We are very fortunate that the most over-worked champion of the horse in the UK continues to find time to support the BHS so energetically and to such good effect.”

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BHS hails government u-turn on forests

The British Horse Society (BHS) welcomes the announcement that the consultation on the future management of the Public Forest Estate has been halted and all forestry clauses in the Public Bodies Bill will be removed.

As the UK’s largest equestrian charity the BHS was concerned that the proposals to sell off the public forest estate contained no details as to how the permissive access that equestrians enjoy in many of our forests would be preserved in the event of sales going ahead.

Mark Weston, Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, said: “The announcement will be a great relief to all equestrians. This has been a significant lobbying victory for equestrians and other interested parties.

“However, we now need to make sure that the Government lives up to its various pronouncements that it wants to see improved access for equestrians in our forests. The Forestry Commission should now dedicate rights of access for equestrians in our forests pursuant to section 16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, so that our access is never put in danger again.”

If you are interested and want to stay abreast of developments, to email the address forestryfight@bhs.org.uk with the subject title ‘count me in'

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Dear Horse Owner

The University of Glasgow and the Institute of Animal Health are examining ways to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases of horses and donkeys in Great Britain.   We are appealing to you, as a responsible horse or donkey owner, to help us by spending a few minutes completing our online questionnaire:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/horseownersurvey

Only you can supply us with accurate and detailed information about the location and movements of your horse, or horses under your care/management.   This information is vital for us to improve current prevention and control strategies for infectious diseases (such as African Horse Sickness) which could have a major impact on equine health welfare in Great Britain.
This questionnaire will take 15 minutes to complete.  This survey should be completed only once by an individual family member.  The information you provide is completely confidential. 
Your information is extremely important to us and we are grateful for your participation.  We are happy to answer any questions you might have about this survey.  Please write, telephone, or email using the contact details below.
Thank you for your assistance.

Dr. Lisa Boden (l.boden@vet.gla.ac.uk)
Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health,
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH.
Tel: +44(0)1413308437, Fax: +44(0)1413305602
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Help prove riding is good for your health!

The British Horse Society is looking for riders to fill in an online questionnaire to help build a true picture of the health benefits of horse riding.

The Society has commissioned Plumpton College and the University of Brighton to carry out research into The Health and Well Being Benefits of Horse-Based Sport and Leisure.

As part of the research horse riders are invited to complete a questionnaire asking for details of the health benefits of recreational horse riding as you perceive them. The form is now available online at www.jotform.com/form/3014634364 and the BHS is urging as many riders as possible to take part.

BHS Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, Mark Weston said: “While there is anecdotal evidence available on the physical and psychological well-being and health benefits of horse-based sport and leisure, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support, or challenge, these claims. It is hoped that the results of the survey will provide this empirical evidence.”

Professor Andrew Church at the University of Brighton said: “Our survey will collect data on the attitudes and behaviour of recreational riders from all over the UK. This will be vital in generating the evidence to refute or support claims made on the potential health impacts of participation in horse riding.

“Alongside the survey we are doing a scientific study to establish the exercise intensity of a 45 minute riding session that will also contribute to the knowledge base on the health effects of outdoor activity.”

The final report with the findings from the work will be available on the BHS website in mid 2011.

For further information and pictures, please contact: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 02476 840463 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk 
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Development Officer’s Report November 2010

Membership

We have had a strong growth in membership so far in 2010.  Our current membership now stands at:

Regional News

Summer Camp
I organised my first ever Summer Camp this year in August at Lincomb Equestrian Centre and 6 people attended from across the Region.  It was a really enjoyable weekend and the attendees had 2 lessons each day as well as having a go at driving and an evening talk on getting started in Dressage to Music.  The facilities at Lincomb were great and I hope to run another camp there again next year.
Adult Mounted Games Competition
Our Adult Mounted Games Competition took place on 18 September at Solihull Riding Club and 5 teams took part to win the Clueso Cup.  The competition was held in memory of our late Regional Chairman, Heather Lucas, who died suddenly last year, and the cup is named after her beloved horse Clueso.  It was extremely fitting that the team from Mercia Trec Club (Mercia Treccies) won the cup as Heather was a founding and very active member of the Mercia Trec Club and it was lovely to see Heathers husband, Peter and her mother Mary, presenting the cup and rosettes to the winning team.
Annual Meetings
All Committees in the West Midlands region have run their Annual Meetings and all have gone well.  We are still without a Chairman for Shropshire and Herefordshire.

National News

BHS Rebranding
You will no doubt have noticed our new logo which was unveiled at Badminton Horse Trials in May.  It has certainly provoked a strong response with some loving it and some hating it but it certainly felt like it was time for a change!
Drawing the Line on Indiscriminate Breeding
The Auction took place on Wednesday 13 October and over £33,000 has been raised so far thanks to the generosity of those donating lots and those bidding for paintings or experiences.  By far the most popular item on the night was the walk on part in Doc Martin donated by Martin Clunes which raised an amazing £3,000!  There are some items that remain unsold and these will be auctioned at a later date.
New building
Staff are currently moving back into the new building and all departments should be reopen for business tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd).
New exam structure
The structure of some of our exams will change slightly in 2011 to fit into the new Qualifications and Credit Framework.  This will mean that candidates sitting exams including Stage 3 and PTT will have far more flexibility in how they achieve their qualifications as they will become unitised.  Full details will be available on our website and if you have any queries then please contact the Exams Department who will be able to help.

Andrea Jackman
1 November 2010
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New BHS Chairman elected

The new Chairman of The British Horse Society is Dr Phil Wadey, who was elected by the board of Trustees yesterday (17 June).

Phil is a chartered engineer and law graduate who has been a BHS volunteer for 20 years, initially as a member of Riding Clubs’ Executive Committee and then as a local access officer. He has been Regional Access Officer (East) since 1996, is currently chairman of the Access and Rights of Way Advisory Committee and was co-founder of the Ride-UK project.

Carole Broad FBHS was elected Vice-Chairman. She passed her Fellowship examination in 1995 and is Chief Instructor of Huntley School of Equitation.

Bob Milton, Marjory Norrie and Vicky Whiteman were elected to the Board of Trustees by members, following a keenly fought contest.

Bob has been associated with riding clubs and bridleway groups for more than 35 years and is BHS bridleway officer for Guildford and NE Hampshire. He advises the CPRE on Access and is commissioner for Greenham Council for CCPR.

Marjory is well-known to members of British Riding Clubs, having represented Strathmore and District RC at various levels for more than 30 years. Currently the Area 22 representative, she sits on the National Executive committee and also represents BRC on the BHS Scotland regional committee.

Vicky Whiteman gave up a legal career last year in order to pursue her love of horses. She took BHS exams, worked at a livery yard and joined the committees of her local riding club and bridleways group. She competes at riding club and affiliated level and is a keen hacker with access issues very important to her.

For further information and pictures, please contact: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk 
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Thinking of buying a horse? Check, check and check again

As we approach the busiest time in the year for buying horses, we will no-doubt all hear yet more stories about occasions when people have travelled to view horses and been disappointed that they turned out not as described. Chestnut instead of bay; 15 years old instead of 7 years old; 15.2hh instead of 16.2hh. Is there a way you can check this information? Yes there is, on NED!
Before you travel any distance to view a horse you are thinking of buying, the first thing you should do is use NED to do some on-line checking from the comfort of your own home.
Check 1 - Run a NED Passport Check - this will confirm whether the horse you intend to view has a valid passport - which is a legal requirement.
With a NED Passport Check the passport details can all be checked helping you confirm the horse's identity and alerting you if the horse has been reported to NED as lost, stolen or missing on loan.
Check 2- On NED you can also check:
• Its age
• Its colour
• Its sire and dam (if known and recorded)
Check 3 - And whilst you're on NED you can also check what else is known about the horse you're interested in:
• Its competition record (if it has one)
• Any progeny it may have
• Whether a full pedigree is documented for it
• Any additional information the current owner may have added

A message from Lisa Randle - West Midlands Regional Chairman

The strength, or otherwise, of the Regional Committee is based in the local Committees from the five counties in our region as well as British Riding Clubs, Riding for the Disabled Association and Riding and Road Safety representatives.  At present there are several vacancies and I would urge local Committees to endeavour to find suitable candidates to replace colleagues who, for whatever reason, are no longer able to continue ‘in post’.  Whilst these vacancies continue I would invite local Committees, if possible, to send a representative to Regional meetings to keep us up to date with what you are doing and to give yourselves a voice about what you think the Regional Committee should be doing.

Currently we a planning a memorial competition in Heather’s name, which we hope Counties will both enjoy and support, but more on that at another time, when hopefully we will have a few more details finalised for you all.

Finally, I would appreciate and welcome your help and support in the future.  I look forward to meeting some of you during the next few months and look forward to a successful partnership with you all.
Lisa Randle
West Midlands Regional Chairman

Lisa is also Welfare Officer for the Worcestershire Committee, click here to read her profile
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David Wheatley of Stafford has joined that privileged group of men who can lay claim to having delivered their own child.  The makeshift midwife was aided in his joyous task last month by the family’s spacious and reliable Isuzu Rodeo.

Busy mucking out his horses early one morning, David heard wife Carla calling for him to come quickly.  He dropped everything, ran back to the house, scrubbed his hands (he must have known what was coming), got Carla into the Rodeo and started to drive the 12 miles to Stafford hospital.  Just three miles from safety, Carla told him the baby wasn’t willing to wait.

“It all happened so quickly,” exclaimed David.  “When Sophie, our five-year-old, was born, we were in hospital overnight waiting for things to happen.  But, all of a sudden, there I was standing in the street at the passenger door, supporting the baby’s head, then his shoulders, and then all of him.

“My mum was there and was supposed to be relaying messages to me from the paramedics,” continued the proud new dad.  “But all I can remember is her shouting ‘It’s a boy! It’s a boy!’  We wrapped him in towels and within a few minutes the paramedic arrived and took over.  Then an ambulance arrived to take Carla and him to hospital.”

While a pick-up truck at the side of the road isn’t likely to feature in anyone’s ‘ideal place to give birth’ list, the Wheatleys could have done far worse.  The Rodeo’s rear doors are much wider than most competitors and can be opened up to 68.5 degrees allowing easy entry and, erm, delivery.  In addition, the driver’s seat offers up to 200mm of travel, which really aided Carla in “helping things along”. 

Happily, later that same afternoon David was able to take Carla and baby Reuben home where a delighted Sophie welcomed her new baby brother.  Reuben, who weighed in at 7lbs, and mum Carla are both doing well.

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Follow Equestrian Team GBR in the run up to the Olympics

Follow the Olympic dream – visit www.teamgbrontrack.com and join today

Team GBR Ontrack is designed for anyone who wants to be part of Team GBR and show their support. It offers a range of benefits and includes two options to join – basic membership is completely free and full membership just £20.

As a member you will receive a monthly e-newsletter to keep you abreast of what is going on across equestrian sport, along with a variety of special offers and discounts. You will also receive invitations to exclusive GBR Ontrack fund raising events and have access to the online publication Impulsion, which will now be available only to GBR Ontrack supporters.

Full membership for a one off fee of £20 includes significant further benefits – such as a Team GBR Ontrack membership card, which also acts as a loyalty, discount and prepaid debit card. This card will give access to a wide range of further discounts, special offers and additional benefits. The discounts are for the things you really need – feed and forage, veterinary services, saddlery, tack, clothing and tickets at selected events.

Vitally, every time you use your card you will be raising funds to help potential medal winners
train, compete and achieve their goals. Although equestrian sport in the UK receives substantial lottery funding, unfortunately this financial support is not enough to cover all the costs associated with sending individuals and teams to international competitions, especially when they are abroad.

One lucky GBR Ontrack supporter will win a VIP trip for two to the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.
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New BHS TREC rulebook now available

The British Horse Society has released the fourth edition of the BHS TREC rulebook. The new book, which is priced £5.95 and available from the BHS Bookshop, contains several additions to the third edition (published in 2005), including new obstacle data sheets. To order a copy of the revised BHS TREC rulebook, please visit www.britishhorse.com

For further information, please contact: BHS Competitions, The British Horse Society, 01926 707831 or competitions@bhs.org.uk

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BHS offers horse owners crucial advice for surviving the credit crunch

The British Horse Society has produced a numbers of tips to help horse owners survive the credit crunch without compromising their horse’s welfare.
Over the last few months The British Horse Society has received a marked increase in calls from horse owners concerned about how they will be able to afford to keep their horses in the current economic climate.

The daily cost of keeping a horse or pony can mount up, particularly during the winter months when additional feed and bedding may be required. Inevitably there will also be occasional unexpected costs, such as lost shoes, vet’s bills and repairs to damaged rugs.

The BHS Welfare Department has put together a list of suggestions to help horse owners save money without cutting corners or compromising welfare. The Society points out that sometimes making small changes can make a big difference and suggests that even if you’re not feeling the pinch yet, it’s still a good idea to cut costs now.
The tips cover a wide range of horse care issues, including re-evaluating your feeding and worming regimes to be both more cost effective and better for your horse. The Society suggests clubbing together with friends to cut down on costs and advises owners to consider repairs rather than buying new where possible.

Lee Hackett, Senior Executive BHS Welfare said: “Now that we are officially in recession there is even more focus on how much our horses cost us. Taking a few simple steps now could make life an awful lot easier in the future.

BHS slams comparison of drug abuse to horse riding

The British Horse Society has responded to recent allegations made that taking Ecstasy is no more dangerous that horse riding. Professor Nutt, chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, outlined his view in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

The British Horse Society advocates the health benefits of riding, and the contributions that it makes to the health of the nation, and feels the comparison between riding and the use of the drugs is both inaccurate, and unhelpful for those who wish to pursue riding as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Mark Weston, Director of Access, Safety and Welfare said: “The health benefits of horse riding are well known. How anyone can suggest that the clear dangers of drug abuse equate in the slightest degree to horse riding is beyond me.”

Horse riding is known to control weight, build healthy bones and muscles, and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death through promoting an active lifestyle. It is a beneficial activity for all adults, particularly the very young and the very old.

Riding and caring for horses is known to improve self-esteem, reducing stress, anxiety and depression, and improving psychological wellbeing without the use of drugs. Riding with friends in pleasant surroundings promotes relaxation and good social contact.

Heather Holmes, Senior Executive, Access, said: “I understand how comparisons can be beneficial to highlight a point in a study, however these must be factually accurate and well researched to be used fairly. I am relieved and thankful to see that the Government have distanced themselves from Professor Nutt’s comments.”

For further information, please contact Mark Weston, BHS Director of Access, Safety and Welfare on 01926 707760 or mark.weston@bhs.org.uk
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URGENT APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

BMW factory development results in £30,000 bill for the British Horse Society
Click here for the full story
or visit
http://www.justgiving.com/AccessFightingFund
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