West Midlands Regional News

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 

New summer competition for aspiring coaches

The British Horse Society has launched a new ‘Coach of the Year’ competition for aspiring coaches currently working within the equestrian industry.

The aim of the competition is, through regional qualifying days, to encourage and inspire today’s coaches to continue their education, take pride in their professional development and strive to improve standards within the equestrian world. 

At the qualifying events candidates will demonstrate their coaching skills to a BHS Fellow. The day will cover lungeing, ridden and jump lessons in which each candidate will take part. The Fellow presenting the qualifier will not only observe the teaching and provide feedback, but also encourage the candidates to question and debate coaching practices throughout the day. They will also be encouraged to interact with the presenter and with each other to promote communication and develop relationships with fellow professionals.

The days are very much training days and the person selected for the final will be the one that shows the most potential as a coach, as well as having a good grasp of each of the different areas covered on the day – in short, a good all-rounder.

The person going forward from each regional day will be invited to the final at Warwickshire College in October. There they will again have to teach a flat and jump lesson and present a short talk on an aspect of stable management. These will be on a one-to-one basis with one of our prestigious judges. 

Numbers on these qualifying days are limited and candidates have to apply in advance for a chance to participate. To enter, each candidate must have a BHS teaching qualification. There is no age limit but a maximum qualification limit of BHSII. Anyone interested in receiving an application pack should contact the BHS Training Department on 01926 707820 or training@bhs.org.uk. The department already has a quite considerable list of applicants, so contact us soon!

The West Midlands qualifier for the competition will be held on 27 August at Ingestre Stables, Staffordshire ST18 0RE and the closing date for applications is 20 August.

For further information, please contact: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk 

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

New Equestrian and Canine Store opening at Stoneleigh Park

Just a quick note to let you know that a new Equestrian and Canine store is opening at the end of the month at Stoneleigh Park.  Smedley Equestrian and Canine Supplies will open its doors on 29 May 2010 on 4th Street, Stoneleigh Park (CV8 2LG).  10% opening discount on selected items and a chance to enter some great opening competitions.  For the kids there’ll be a bouncy castle and colouring competition.

For more info please go to www.smedleyequestrian.co.uk.
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Road Haulage Association In Association with British Horse Society and Horse & Hound Horse Transport Training
Including Driving Hours Regulations

Click here for ful details including venues, costs and dates
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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.

Click here to read the Development Officers report for the West Midlands Region 15 February 2010
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Click here to read the RDA, West Mercia Region, February 2010 - report to BHS West Midlands Region
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Dressage, Show Jumping & Showing competitions are coming back to the Royal Showground on a regular basis.
JS Events will be running a series of competitions at the Royal Showground, Stoneleigh Park from March to November 2010. 

Affiliated and unaffiliated competitions for all levels will be run on the superb All Weather Arena.
Regular equestrian events have not been staged on the Showground since the days of the British Equestrian Centre and unless you were lucky enough to compete at the Royal Show or in a Championship Final you probably would not have had the opportunity to compete at such a prestigious venue. Now everyone will have that chance.
Starting the series of dates is an Unaffiliated Dressage Show on 21st March followed by Unaffiliated Show Jumping the week after on March 27th. Future dates will be launched soon.
All parking is on hard standing with access to the venue through the main Stoneleigh Park entrance.
We welcome all visitors.
Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me at sandra@jsevents.co.uk
Sandra Hill
JS Events
www.jsevents.co.uk (coming soon)
Stoneleigh Park Shows
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Chips4Tack is a company specialising in adding both visible and invisible ID to your saddles.
Read more. . .

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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New Headquarters for The British Horse Society

The BHS today celebrated the granting of planning consent for its new headquarters at Stoneleigh. Chairman, Patrick Print FBHS, said: “This grant of consent represents a significant milestone in the project to replace our scruffy, environmentally unsustainable, expensive to maintain building with a more modern and efficient HQ.”
The building was conceived to be large enough to accommodate any of the other Stoneleigh-based equestrian organisations which needed more modern facilities, although it will be designed in a way which allows any surplus space to be leased out on the open market to generate additional income for the Society in the future.
Chief Executive, Graham Cory, said: “With interest rates currently so low, and construction costs so competitive, it makes sound economic sense to convert loss-making cash in the bank into a capital asset which is likely to appreciate significantly in the medium to long term.”
The development, which is not reliant on a penny of Exchequer funding, is expected to be completed by mid-2010.

For further information and pictures, please contact: The Communications Department, The British Horse Society, 01926 707737 or communications@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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Get Extreme for Strangles and Parachute for Free!

If you have ever wanted to do a parachute jump here is your chance! To help raise money for The Animal Health Trusts (AHT) Strangles Research, The British Horse Society (BHS) are looking for hundreds of adventurous volunteers to make a fundraising parachute jump. If you raise enough in sponsorship you will get to jump for free!

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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