SRT 2018 Conference

This is the 4th short film in the Equitopia series which explains how, why and when you can bring your horse back to physical, mental and emotional health following an injury or lameness.  Showing the necessary circle of support around the horse and how to go through the steps to bring your lame horse back into work, this film completes the cycle, from recognising lameness to finding treatment and rehabbing your horse early enough to avoid injury to both horse and rider.

As always, the welfare of the horse is first and foremost the guiding pattern throughout the recovery process.  There are no easy shortcuts. but it is clear that we need to involve experienced and qualified practitioners who have skills that have taken years of learning. The rider/owner’s dedicated input and ability to follow the practices recommended by vets and other qualified practitioners will make or break the outcome – it is up to us to make the decisions and focus on the horse for the length of time that is needed.

We can all make a difference to our horses, whatever our goals are for them.

We have loved seeing these films take shape. The advice they provide is both insightful and accurate, aimed at the general horse-owning public and not just for professionals.

You can meet the founder of Equitopia, Caroline Hegarty,  at the Saddle Research Trust 3rd International Conference on the 8th December 2018, Horse, Rider, saddlery Interactions: Welfare and Performance.

Tickets for both the Conference and the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony are available on Eventbrite using this link:    http://bit.ly/2w7iyE8   

Here’s SRT Ava, who caught the eye in earlier films with his lovely fluid movement, enjoying his routine physiotherapy.

This is Part 3, of a 4 part Equitopia series which Saddle Research Trust has been delighted to collaborate with, involving some stellar professional practitioners who are (equine) household names.

Part 3 is all about this fascinating yet easy to learn translation of horses’ facial expressions. It is humbling to realise just how very expressive and communicative they are and yet, in many cases we are still at the caveman phase when trying to understand what it is our horse is trying to tell us. It’s clear from this film that horses are extremely expressive. Once we learn to read their facial expressions there is a real opportunity for welfare to improve for both horses and humans.

Most horse owners and practitioners are confident with translating ‘happy’, ‘sleepy’ and ‘not very happy’  but even this may be misunderstood. As a lifelong (quite long, really!) horse owner, I had no idea about the wrinkle between the nostrils, for example. It was an expression which I did not understand or was able to translate, prior to watching this film.

There is clear guidance on understanding the connection between pain and fear too and Part 3 of this invaluable series, Recognising Facial Expressions of a Horse in Pain does not disappoint.

Dr Sue Dyson and Dr Jeannine Berger’s amazing work will become a standard part of the “toolbox” for all riders, owners, veterinarians and other practitioners. It is a wonderful breakthrough to be able to recognise pain – and be able to call for help and diagnostics more quickly, avoiding further injury or even dangerous situations.

Enjoy this one as part of your learning journey.

Find out more on this topic at the Saddle Research Trust International Conference on the 8th December.

Welfare and Performance Awards at SRT2018
Send in your nominations!
There are 8 awards for the most beneficial influences on Welfare and Performance in the following categories:

1. Person
2. Organisation
3. Website
4. Achievement
5. App
6. Practitioner
7. Horse
8.Saddlery/Equipment

Who will you nominate?
Send your choices to admin@saddleresearchtrust.com (mailto:admin@saddleresearchtrust.com)

Nomination period ends on 31st July

Who is eligible?

Anyone can make nominations excluding Saddle Research Trust Board of Trustees. The Saddle Research Trust is not eligible for any of the awards.

We would like to hear from you with your nominations for:
* The person who in your opinion has been most influential in furthering welfare and performance in the ridden horse.
* The organisation which really makes a difference and demonstrates welfare and performance as key.
* The app which you have found to really improve your horse/rider/saddlery interactions
* The saddlery/equipment which has a positive impact on performance and welfare of horse and or rider.
* The horse/pony/equine who has shown how performance can be achieved/bettered when welfare and/or performance issues are overcome or improved
* The achievement with the potential to impact for the best in welfare and performance.
* The registered practitioner: e.g. vet, saddle fitter, an equine therapist who deserves recognition for their work.
*The website informative, inspiring, educational.. you choose

Voting will be by a “people’s choice“ poll once the nomination period has ended and the winners will be presented with their awards at the Gala Dinner following the conference. Nominations must be received by the 31st July to be in with a chance to win one of these exciting awards.

The perfect post-conference
pre-Christmas networking party!

Celebrity Guests
Leading Brands
Influential Equine Organisations
Award Ceremony
Raffle Prizes
~ All in situ

It’s going to be a wonderful evening!

Thank you to title sponsors, AiverSport as well as Amerigo and Utopia Saddles  for making this fun networking opportunity possible after what is sure to be a mind-expanding day.

Book tickets on the Eventbrite website.

The SRT is delighted to have contributed to the making of this wonderful series of short films, out now. We see them as a valuable tool for owners and riders to help them understand that what they think of as “normal”  may not be.

You can see Part One here:

This will have far-reaching benefits for the welfare of the ridden horse, worldwide.

Dr Anne Bondi and Dr Sue Dyson are featured (both will be presenting their latest research at SRT2018)  and we are thrilled that Caroline Hegarty, founder of Equitopia will be one of our delegates, all the way from California. Equitopia is one of the charities with a display stand in the Atrium, and it will be a brilliant opportunity to find out more about their work.

Caroline told us

 “I think we were all thrilled at  the International Collaboration of Professionals from various fields all coming together to discuss, exchange ideas, and commit to working together for the welfare of horses worldwide.  Egos were left at the door, and in areas of different views, productive discussion ensued to explore the origins of different philosophies (still ongoing) without defensiveness or posturing.

At Equitopia, we believe that EVERYTHING matters to the horse – feet, saddle fit, training, rider balance and feel, nutrition, bodywork etc. and our mission is to provide a credible resource on all of those topics for owners and professionals in the industry through our series of online videos.

We plan to continue working together with the SRT, AHT and our other educators to offer educational videos, supported by research and evidence, to guide those who want to take care of their horses  for longevity, whether for personal enjoyment out on the trails or competing in the Olympics.”

No further words required – the great thing about these films is how complete they are, understandable, accessible, made for everyone and every ridden horse. Whether you compete at a high level or are a happy leisure rider please take the time to watch. At SRT, we choose our partners carefully and we are so impressed by Equitopia’s eye for detail and beauty, all based on a firm footing of horsemanship.

The Saddle Research Trust

A change in your horse’s performance or behaviour may be a reflection of underlying musculoskeletal pain. A common cause of this is back pain, which may be primary, or secondary to associated lameness.

Whilst there are many causes of back pain in horses, in ridden horses it can often be attributed to saddles with poor design or fit both impeding the horse’s movement or the rider’s balance. With the saddle’s impact on performance, it’s surprising that the design and function has been little researched – which is where The Saddle Research Trust (SRT) steps in! Founded in 2009, the SRT is a charitable organisation, which has been established to scientifically and objectively lead and support research into the influence of saddles on the performance and welfare of horses and their riders. Through a variety of education programmes designed to raise awareness and distribute knowledge globally, the trust aims to provide support and advice both to horse owners and industry professionals.

• Research areas that the SRT has been involved with recently include;
• Welfare, performance and safety issues of saddles
• Back problems and associated behavioural issues.
• Causes of saddle-related poor performance and wastage in sports horses.
• Safety aspects of saddle design.
• Saddle fitting in relation to weight fluctuation & obesity.
• Effects of saddle design on rider performance and health.
• Saddle design for disabled riders.
• Rider weight pilot study
• Educational short films