NZB Land Vision - Return Of A Champion

Badminton 2011 Winner NZB Land Vision Back To Winning Ways After A Two Year Absence

NZB Land Vision returned to the eventing scene at Gatcombe today with all the familiar hallmarks of a Badminton champion despite over 2 years away from the scene due to injury. The two Open Intermediate sections were full of 4 star performers and a number of winners, including Andrew Nicholson's extra special horse Quimbo, winner of Rolex Kentucky 3DE.

The day however belonged to Sir Mark Todd & NZB Land Vision. It's no secret that I am partial to a grey horse, but this horse I have followed in earnest since seeing him for the first time in the flesh at Highclere Horse Trials a few years back. He is tall, sleek, elegant & powerful with a fabulous temperament. His perfectly balanced self carriage exudes such presence and power that I could spot him amongst 3 greys in the dressage warm up from 200 yards away.

Blenheim 2013 - Still Clutching On To Summer

Blenheim Palace - Host To Possibly My Favourite 3 Day Event

I made a quick, impromptu visit to The Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials today to set up FREE WiFi on our HorseHub stand. Even though it's only first day of dressage the car parks were full enough to force me into a serious hike to the main entrance.

If you get a chance go along, as quite apart from the beautiful surroundings of the magnificent parkland with it's ostentatious palace, this is a very competitive CCI 3 star, and the CIC equivalent for 8 & 9 year olds is perfect for spotting the real shining stars of tomorrow.

App Review: Horse Side Vet Guide™ - Polished, Comprehensive & Perfectly Pitched.

The Horse Side Vet Guide™ App

I wondered how long it would take for someone to produce a really polished horse owners veterinary manual app. They have now!

The new Horse Side Vet Guide™ App (or HSVG for short) is pretty much what you'd hope it to be, an app crammed full of veterinary advice pitched perfectly for the horse owner, with detailed reference text, things to look for, related items, questions to ask your vet, treatments, etc, etc, etc, on an exhaustive range of conditions, traumas and the such like. On top of all that there's a library of short videos on everything from finding the facial artery to take your horse's pulse to bandaging lower limbs correctly. 

I'm more of 'worrier' than a 'long way from his heart' type of horse owner, and my book shelves are crammed full of veterinary books (over 100 I guess), but this app makes finding information so much easier. It is a very well thought through architecture of information which at first glance is overwhelming because of the sheer volume of data in here (1,000 or so entries), but dig into the app a little and you soon discover the simplicity of the structure.
All of the subjects contain a relatively plain English summary plus a variety of sub headings like "Supplied Needed", "Procedure", "Prognosis" and "Tips for Safety & Success". Add to this a search feature and this app just made dealing with everything from minor abrasions to colic a hell of a lot easier. (there are 17 search results for Colic)

Hartpury Horse Trials 2013 - A Destination Or An Autumn Warm-Up

CIC*** 2nd Water

Hartpury College is one of our best equestrian facilities, possibly the best in the UK, and runs a great event in August with CCI*, CCI** and CIC*** supported by feed supplements company, NAF UK. Set in the rolling hills of the west Gloucestershire countryside the courses are a decent challenge, often used as a warm up for bigger autumn events, but also a destination event for many in it's own right.

Horses Are Welcomed From Cross Country By A Cool Mist Tent