1 October, 2019 - 11:33
Claire
We are delighted to support Sally and her endurance pony Rabbit with Timothy haylage. Together they have galloped from happy hacking to competitive endurance in just two seasons all with the help of our healthy forage - Timothy, and are now representing England!
Sally Rowe and her Highland, Brownbread Easter Rabbit, who live near Dorchester, compete in Endurance - long distance riding - and joined the England squad at the Home International championships in Wales in October.
The pair, who are members of the Wessex branch of Endurance GB and the group’s current novice champions, were tackling a 2-day 80k ride as part of the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance which attracts riders from all over the UK.
Sally and Rabbit, are only in their second season of competitive endurance - they were previously happy hackers!
Sally and Rabbit, are only in their second season of competitive endurance - they were previously happy hackers!
Said Sally: “We had tried pretty much everything; dressage, showjumping, Trec but either she didn’t enjoy the discipline or I didn’t. The only thing we both really loved was getting out for a good long ride!
We joined our local endurance group and started off doing short distances 16-20k which only need basic hacking fitness. It’s such a friendly sport there are always people to advise and help, plus we volunteered to learn more about the sport.
Endurance is a real test of team work between horse and rider because you have to tackle all sorts of terrain and obstacles at speed but also look after each other. Welfare of the horse is an important part of the sport which is one of the reasons I love it so much.”
Devon Haylage have kindly sponsored Sally and Rabbit for their epic England adventure by providing the haylage they would need for their competition.
Sally explains how our haylage has helped her pony - “Rabbit developed respiratory issues with hay after contracting pneumonia a couple of years ago. We switched to Devon Haylage at that point as it is perfect for a native breed because it is so low in sugar.”
Not only does our Timothy haylage provide the perfect dust and spore free forage for respiratory challenged horses but it also provides slow release energy, vital for the discipline of endurance. Research has found that even sub clinical (no obvious outward signs) of respiratory disease can have a significant impact on performance. Many horse owners have witnessed considerable improvements in their horse’s performance, health and fitness after switching from hay to our haylage even when they were not aware of any previous respiratory compromise. Slow release energy is also the key to facilitating horses to perform, particularly over distances of 80km, common in endurance competitions.
