Gorley Vale Riding Club Newsletter
February 2015
St. Valentine’s Day last week…… I hope your ponies got extra carrots!
Half term this week, so it would be good to hear of anything you did with
your horses… competitions, pony club with the children, or just a great ride to
the pub with friends???
Stuff that’s happened…..
The AGM took place at the Fighting Cocks on Friday, thankyou to everyone that came along and added to the
discussions.
The committee positions were re-elected…
A big THANKYOU goes to Daphne who stood down as Chairman, much appreciation for all her hard work in the role
Judy has very kindly taken over as Chairman, best of luck Judy! and Joules has happily volunteered to be Vice chairman
in order to support Judy, particularly at the BRC meeting. If anyone ever fancies going along to these meetings and
finding out what they are all about, just let Judy or Joules know, the more that know what is going on the better.
Anna has volunteered to organize and encourage training and team events so hopefully we’ll get a bit more sorted this
year.
Everyone else has kindly agreed to stay in their current roles.
Reminders
Membership money is due in, please pay up if you haven’t already done so 
Gridwork & Flatwork Clinic on Feb 28th
Anna and Tor have a combined clinic at the Fortune Centre – this has had really good take up again. I’m looking forward
to it, Chica did actually manage to get both front legs off the ground at the same time at the last Gridwork session 
Make sure the Breakfast Ride is on your calendar for 7th March and let Jo Rudkin know you will be there… we don’t want
to run out of egg sarnies! £5 to cover food and drinks
New stuff coming up:
Gridwork Clinic - Anna is holding another grid work clinic on 28th March at the Fortune Centre, she is hoping that these
clinics will continue to run each month so that she can get to know horses and riders much better and work together on
their goals.
Riding Club Working Party – The container that the Riding Club bought last year to hold the jumps etc and the jumps
themselves are all in need of a bit of TLC and a coat of paint, sooo we are organising a working party for a Saturday in
June, probably to include a BBQ or picnic or something involving food and drink! More details closer to the time…. Many
hands make light work.
Riding club camp – 10th and 11th July
Brenda’s fields in Burgate Cross, Fordingbridge. This will be a fun camp, stay overnight and corrall your pony if you would
like to share some wine and chat till the early hours (or 11pm in my case!) , or come each day, or just for one day…
whatever suits you.
The weekend will probably include some equilates (this was really popular last year) and a ride out to the Breamore Miz
Maze, and we thought maybe some mounted games would be entertaining… why should the kids have all the fun!!
Once again more details closer to the time, but if you are interested let me, Brenda or Tina Whittet know.
Loading demo – Brenda has very kindly offered to do a demo on safe loading. Will let you know more when dates etc
are sorted.
The Annual Show has been booked for the 16th August so put that date in your diaries, as much help as possible will be
appreciated on the day, plus see if you can rustle up any sponsors for the classes.
Me and my Horse…….
I thought maybe a new regular piece on what members of the riding club do with their equines… whether it be ‘What I did
with my pony this week’ or ‘The day I won the HIckstead Derby!’ it would just be interesting to hear other peoples
experiences...... so over to Joules as she is the first person to tell us a bit about her life with her horse….
Shocked, stunned, gutted. These are just a few of the feelings I felt when I was standing in the X-ray suite at the Vets,
when she told me that my 6 year old ID x gelding had juvenile arthritis in his hocks- Bone spavin as we commonly know
it.
Why him? How did this happen? Did I back him too early? Have I done too much with him in his early years? What’s the
treatment? What can I do? How will this affect him? These were the next set of questions that I bombarded my vet
with.
All this was 12 months ago, and I thought I would share my experience as I was desperate to find people who had been
through the same to find out what treatments they had used, and how successful it had been.
I first thought something was wrong with Archie when my usually mild mannered , polite ,and willing boy started
objecting to going into the school (believe me we don’t do go in there often, once a week is my limit, and that’s only
from a guilty conscience) . He didn’t exactly buck, but more hunching up when I was asking him for upwards transitions
into trot and canter, and when he was reluctant to jump over a few poles I knew something was up.
Firstly, I called out the saddler. His saddle was fine. A bit of flocking required but nothing that would cause him
discomfort. Next step the physiotherapist , she said he was stiff in the hind quarters and slightly lame in his off hind
but that could be caused but a slip in the field ( remember how wet it was last winter – Bleurgh!!) She treated him and
asked to see him in another 4 weeks.
The next visit she said he was the same and recommended that I take him into the vet for an assessment, which I did,
and you know the results….
After he was diagnosed the vet gave me the options of cortisone injections into his hocks and or Tildren, (later on she
recommended alcohol fusion which I refused), I followed her advice and went with the hock injections first. There was
some improvement but the vet said he wasn’t 100% so I opted for the Tildren option, this appeared successful.
However after 3 months at his next review she thought that he would benefit from another dose of Tildren, again he
was pronounced sound after 6 weeks, but in his next and final review before the insurance claim expired after 12
months, she suggested that he had another Tildren.
So, in total throughout the last 12 month he has received 3 doses of Tildren, and 1 dose of cortisone injections into his
hocks. At the moment he appears sound and happy, but what do I do going forward now the insurance claim has
expired…. Well, I discovered a little gem!
During his treatment the vet recommended that I continue with the physiotherapy, but it was costing £90 every month
with little benefit as far as I could tell, yes, it was covered by the insurance so the money was not the issue, he just
didn’t seem to respond to it. So a friend of mine suggested that I try her chiropractor, which I did.
This man absolutely changed my mind about alternative therapy! How my horse managed to contort himself into these
odd shapes I have no idea. The chiropractor poked him here, there and everywhere and Archie LOVED it!! He dropped
his head, his eyes went soft and he was chewing, I have never seen my horse so gooey, he was putty in his hands. This
guy who is very old school told me there was nothing wrong with my horse, he was just stiff as an ironing board! So
after 30 minutes of poking, prodding, bending and twisting. I had one very mellow pony!
I noticed an immediate difference when I got back in the saddle. I was told that he wanted to see him in 6 months for
an MOT. I had him out for the second time last week, and again Archie just sagged and went completely soppy – (if
anyone knows my Archie aka “Kevin the teenager” you will know he doesn’t do “soppy”!). The Chiropractor said he was
happy with how he was doing, gave me a few exercises to do with him at home, and repeated the mantra I want to see
him again in 6 months for an MOT.
So to end my tale, what or who cured my horse? Was it the Tildren, the chiropractor, the myriad of supplements he is
now on, perhaps the bone fused itself, or maybe the condition will flare up again in the future?
All I know is that I found it really useful to talk to other people whose horses had had the same condition, this helped
me realise that each horse is different and may respond to different treatments in different ways, but don’t give up .
Archie definitely “told” me which treatment he preferred, and I will continue to have him MOT-ed every 6 months –
just wish he did humans too!
Joules Wickstead
Thanks Joules, you never can tell what is going to work. It is
really good to hear that Archie is back on form, he looks
fantastic….
So, who would like to write a piece for next month’s
newsletter?… can be just a couple of paragraphs or a photo
with a bit of an explanation.. or a poem or….whatever…
otherwise I will have to pick someone out of a hat 
The Tack Shop
If you have anything horse related; tack, rugs, boots, trailers, ponies! that you want to sell/loan/buy let me know and it will
be included in the newsletter. If you can send me photos even better. –
Rowan has quite a few bits for sale …
JTE Childs adjustable hat for sale, brand new, never worn - £60,
Leather stud guard - £20
Leather knee pads (pony) - £10
Over reach boots (pony small) never used - £15
Leather tendon boots (pony) with buckles - £1
Pink rubber over reach boots pony /cob - £1.00
Cob standing martingale - £8
4.75 inch stirrup irons with white treads - £10
Contact Rowan; 07734 342476
Remember if you have anything you would like included in the next newsletter; fun things you
have done, ideas, photos, etc. Just send it to me at the email below…
Tanya
email - sunshine.gardens@yahoo.co.uk