Top 10 tips for helping your horse beat freeze

The horse charity World Horse Welfare cares for around 330 horses at its four UK centres. Even at its most northern centre, Belwade Farm in Aberdeenshire, the charity says horses are only rugged if they are clipped, particularly elderly, underweight or thin-skinned.

Tony Tyler, deputy chief executive, says: "The digestion of fibre such as hay or haylage generates heat which keeps them warm from the inside out and native ponies grow their very own rugs so shouldn't need to wear one at all."

World Horse Welfare has these tips about looking after horses and ponies in snowy conditions:

1: If your horse has to be rugged, make sure you have a spare one for when this gets wet. It is important to remove and readjust rugs every day so you can check your horse thoroughly.

2: Be careful not to over-rug your horse. It could overheat and too many rugs will prevent air circulation.

3: If horses live out all the time, keep a close eye on their legs. In deep and prolonged snow, their legs will not be able to dry off fully, which can cause skin conditions.

4: If grazing is sparse and covered by snow, put some hay or haylage out to compensate.

But if your horse is not used to this as part of its diet, you may cause problems by suddenly introducing it.

So if the snow is persistent, introduce the forage gradually over a number of days.

5: Apply petroleum jelly to the underneath of the horse's hooves, particularly during exercise, to prevent snow balling up.

Remember to remove it all afterwards, as it can be a breeding ground for bacteria in warmer weather.

6: Stock up when you can on sand to use on icy paths.

7: Check your horse regularly for any changes in bodyweight. You will probably be riding less, if at all at the moment, or increasing the amount of time that your horse is stabled, which means that it is burning fewer calories.

8: Keep a check on water supplies and break ice.

9: Also check your fencing regularly and remove any snow and ice from electric tape as the extra weight can bend and break plastic poles.

10: Remember that when the snow melts, the ground will be soft and easy to churn up. To avoid injury and mud fever, try and stop the ground being disturbed too much. If possible, moving your horses to different fields to graze will help. Move water troughs regularly if you can and cover particularly muddy areas with straw or sand.

Further information is available on the World Horse Welfare advice line on 01953 497238 or go to www.worldhorsewelfare.org.

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Top eventers going indoors for cross-country spectacle

Visitors to this year's British Open Show Jumping Championships will have the chance to see top event riders competing as well as world-class show-jumping. The show takes place at Birmingham's NEC from April 7-10.

The Indoor Cross-Country attracts some of the best-known names in eventing and former competitors have included Zara Phillips, William Fox-Pitt and Oliver Townend. Twenty-five leading riders will be invited to compete, giving spectators the opportunity of watching cross-country in a very different environment.

A new addition means that competitors from the Baileys JAS British Eventing series will also have the chance to compete at the British Open.

The top two competitors from the intermediate level of the British Eventing JAS 2010 final will be invited to compete in the Indoor Cross-Country Championship. A qualifier will also be held at Addington Equestrian Centre in Buckinghamshire on March 5, when the two highest-placed riders will gain a wild card place.

Among the top show-jumpers competing over the four days of the British Open will be Huddersfield's Robert Whitaker.

He will be returning to defend his title, for the third time, as well as competing in the speed and jump-off competitions.