Wild ponies released to increase Kent's biodiversity

Any keen gardener could quickly tell you the great benefits horse manure gives to plant-life. Great for providing natural fertiliser rich in nutrients and as a living lawnmower, herds of horses are now being deployed in several parts of the country to help revive nature reserves.

Kent is the latest area to benefit from these organic lawn mowers as a herd of wild horses is to be released into the South Foreland Valley nature reserve at St Margaret's Bay near Dover.

The project is a collaboration between conservation groups, The Wildwood Trust and White Cliffs Countryside Project as well as St Margaret's parish council. The organisations are hoping that the ponies will help increase biodiversity in the region.

Currently, important species of plants and insects occupying the site are under threat unless the area is grazed by animals.

The horses to be released were brought over from Holland four years ago and are the closest living relatives of the extinct tarpan, the wild forest horse which roamed Britain in prehistoric times.

[Image © Treehouse1977via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Prince Harry takes royal tumble at Sentebale polo match

Prince Harry has managed to raise £30,000 at a charity polo match despite losing a bet and falling off his pony.

The Prince was playing in a fund-raising match in Barbados and had made a deal with a wealthy businessman that he would receive a large donation if he managed to stay on his horse for the whole match.

Unfortunately for the Prince, his horse slipped as he was making a sharp turn, causing Harry to go crashing to the ground, taking his hopes of a large donation with him.

Believing that the bet was off, the Prince angrily threw his mallet to the ground and punched his helmet in frustration.

Luckily for Harry the generous businessman gave the donation regardless, blaming the accident on the horse slipping rather than any rider error.

Speaking of his fall, the Prince commented, "When I fell off, I threw down my mallet and shouted 'What a waste of 100,000 (Barbados dollars)'. I was furious with myself."

"Fortunately, this extremely generous gentleman has already been in touch and told us that it was clear that the horse fell over, rather than I fell off it, so he was happy to honour the 100,000 dollars. What a star."

The match was part of the annual Sentebale Polo Cup to raise money for the Prince's charity Sentebale, which aims to help underprivileged children in the African kingdom of Lesotho.

Image © Darren Triggs

Drowning horse saved by dedicated father

With the recent cold weather, many rivers and lakes have frozen over, making it hard for people and wildlife alike to differentiate between solid and frozen ground. There have been several recent stories about horses and other wildlife which have mistakenly ventured onto frozen water and, sadly, most of these had tragic consequences.

However, the story of a dad who managed to help rescue his daughter's horse which fell into a frozen lake has a much happier outcome.

The dad of six from Wintersett, West Yorkshire, was taking his daughter's horse, Harry, for a walk when he briefly let go of the reins to shut a gate, allowing the horse to trot off.

"I couldn't keep up with him. He was trotting in the direction of the lake. I saw him go towards the middle of the lake and he went straight through the ice. All of a sudden his head bobbed back up," the dad said.

After dialling 999, the father found a step ladder to make his way down the bank and a rope to tie around the horse's head so he wouldn't go under.
When emergency services arrived at the scene, the man had fallen in with the horse and firefighters first had to pull him to safety before helping the horse out of the water.

The horse was wrapped in horse rugs and encouraged to move around to help raise its temperature.

Speaking of his ordeal, the man said, "It was a stupid thing going for the horse but I had to do it. He's an ex-racehorse and a family pet who belongs to my 10-year-old daughter."

Both the horse and the dedicated father appear to have escaped the incident relatively unscathed and are recovering well.

[Image © Gayle Parker via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Dogwood products in 'Best of British' Square Mile magazine edition

While we needed no reassuring that our collection of equestrian goods was top of the range, being asked to provide some of our products for Square Mile magazine's 'Best of British 2009' photo shoot certainly helped reaffirm our confidence.

Involving two female models and one male model dressed in little more than Dogwood riding boots and riding hats, it would be fair to say the shoot was not your average 'horsey' shoot. However from such a prestigious magazine featuring, as they put it, "everything luxury", the standard equestrian look would be far too passé.

Posing in Vivienne Westwood jackets and stockings, the models wonderfully demonstrated how the riding boot is just as much at home on the catwalk as it is in the stable yard. Indeed, the leather riding boot is almost as popular in the fashion world as it is with equestrians, causing fashionistas around the world to race to get their hands on a pair of riding boots to team with jeans rather than jodhpurs.

Having now appeared in Ralph Lauren's Bond Street window front, Square Mile magazine's Best of British edition and photo shoot requests coming in thick and fast from the likes of the Sunday Times' fashion magazine Style and the fashion bible itself, Vogue, Dogwood products are quickly becoming hot property in the fashion world.

So next time you are flicking through your favourite fashion magazine, you may very well see some of our products adorning the fashion industry's greatest stars.

To join the ranks of the people at Vogue and Square Mile, why not give us a call today and see if we can help you find the perfect fashion accessory to your wardrobe.

Liverpool visitors to be greeted by 8ft bronze horse

Visitors to Liverpool will soon be greeted by a life-size bronze statue of a shire horse complete with horse tack. Honouring the city's hard-working dock horses and carters that worked in the city for 250 years, the statue is to be unveiled in the Albert Dock on May 1st this year, the traditional date for the May Day Horse parade.
The eight-foot sculpture, called 'Waiting' is the creation of acclaimed sculptor Judy Boyt, and will be mounted on a plinth along with information on the history of the working horses.
The horses were used to carry provisions from the docks to the warehouses and shops and were essential during the petrol-rationed days of World War II.

In 1935, Liverpool had 4,910 working horses which was the highest amount outside of London but by the 1960's, they had been replaced by motor vehicles.

"The horse drawn carts have 250 years of history and they were so important to Liverpool" Jimmy Doran, one of the few surviving carters from the 1940's said.

Until now, the only monument to the horses has been a plaque near to where the horses were originally stabled. Fundraisers, backed by Liverpool council and the British Horse Society, have been campaigning for a proper monument since 1977 and have so far raised £120,000 to go towards the bronze horse.

The statue is hoped to remind the younger generation and visitors to Liverpool of the city's past and the important work the Carters and their faithful equine companions did.

Image ©ulybug, via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

TLC more important than expensive horse tack for retired horses needing a home

An urgent appeal is being made by a horse charity looking to re-home retired horses whose "desperate" owners are struggling in the credit crunch.

While most are no longer suitable for being ridden, they will make loveable companions to other horses, and owners don't have to pay out for expensive new horse tack.

The Horse Trust, which is based in Speen, Buckinghamshire has been "inundated" with requests from people to re-home horses but due to the surge in unwanted horses and a drop in donations the trust has had to close its doors to new entrants, leaving many horses with an uncertain future.

Ann Suaznabar from Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, Kent, is one such owner desperate to find a new home for her old horse. She has had Cocky, a 27-year-old grey gelding for 10 years but says she may have to resort to euthanasia if she can't find a new home for him soon.

"He's getting old now and needs a stable home. My only alternative is to have him put to sleep, which I really don't want to do."

Welfare and Education Officer at the Horse Trust, Liane Crowther, said: "We desperately need more homes for horses like Cocky."

With the recession showing no signs of a quick recovery, many owners are struggling to pay the cost of keeping a horse. Sadly this not only is leading to a rise in horses given over to Horse sanctuaries such as the Horse Trust, but also to a rise in abandoned and neglected horses as well.

Many of the horses simply need a happy home where they can spend the rest of their days. To these horses, regular TLC is far more important than fitting them with expensive horse tack and fancy saddlery.

[Image © bulldog1via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]

Horse rugs can be confusing so here are the ins and outs of the turnout rug

Choosing a horse rug that will keep your horse clean, dry and warm during the winter months can prove a challenge, especially with the wide array of turnout rugs on offer. Without a sufficient rug to keep them warm, a turned out horse can quickly lose condition so finding a rug that will fight off the cold, is important.

The turnout rug is designed to keep the horse clean and dry when out in the field, and also warm during the winter. They are made from waterproof synthetic material and are available in different colours and thicknesses/weights of filling which offer varying degrees of warmth to the horse.

While lightweight summer turnout rugs may have no filling and are used simply to keep the horse warm and dry, lightweight winter turnout rugs may have up to 150g of filling and are used for slightly cooler late summer nights. When it gets a little more chilly, the medium weight turnout rug is more beneficial with 150g-300g of filling to add some extra heat to your horse.

Lastly for the middle of winter when the temperature really drops and the fields are covered with a blanket of frost in the mornings, the heavyweight turnout rugs are needed. With 300g and upwards of filling, these rugs are designed to generate and retain as much heat as possible whilst still allowing your horse the full flexibility and freedom of movement it needs.

The heavy weight rugs also often come with neck covers to ensure that the whole of the horse's body is kept warm. These can either come as part of the rug itself or it can be bought as an optional extra so that you can add it as and when your horse needs it.

To save on the trouble and expense of buying separate rugs for each change in temperature, 'two in one' rugs are available which come with interchangeable liners meaning that you can change the warmth the turnout rug offers depending on the weather.

The Rambo Duo is a prime example of this type of design. With a detachable under blanket, the existing liner can be taken out or added to with one of the three different weighted liners that are available. Made from ballistic nylon, a turnout rug like the Rambo Duo, is much less susceptible to rips and tears that other seemingly more economical rugs may be prone to.

Ripped and torn rugs can be the bane of the horse owner's bank balance during the winter months. While it is tempting to opt for a cheaper rug, in the long term, a more expensive but more durable horse rug will prove more economical in the long run and will often come with a two or three year guarantee like the Rambo Duo.

[Image © Thowra uk via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence]