Further to the updated guidance from the government earlier in the week, BRC have reiterated the guidance from BHS on hacking and state that one-to-one training is now acceptable. They are clear to state however that BRC organised activities are not yet permitted, meaning that we are not yet allowed to offer you in person training or clinics. The committee have already started discussions on the types of training we may be able to offer once these restrictions start being eased however, until we have the say so from BRC, we cannot put anything into stone.
Sadly the National Champs at Lincoln have also been cancelled and there are changes to the FOH Championships going forwards to remove the Challenge element. These changes are hugely disappointing to all of us however our current priority is that all our members remain safe and healthy in order for us to be able to enjoy events such as these in the future.
There is however some good news as online BRC competitions are once again permitted so please look out for BRC Interdressage leagues in addition to dressage competitions run by both WBRC and other clubs.
As always if you have any questions do please reach out to the committee and if we don't have the answer we would be happy to seek information from BRC. We thank you all for your continued support in this difficult time and we hope to be able to provide you with further updates soon.
#staysafe
View the BHS Covid-19 update
View BRC's Covid-19 update

Here at Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club we understand during this time that there is so much uncertainty with the future. With so many cancellations of events large and small it would be easy to lose heart, but during this time we need you more than ever to keep our wonderful club going.

We have no way of knowing what BRC will do in relation to the time your membership has been unable to be utilised however your membership to the club is important and we ask you to keep supporting us, whether that’s being patient and waiting for clinics to start up again, playing along with our competitions on Facebook or if you are in a position to do so, remaining a member in the future.

In the meantime we, the committee, have been working hard on how we can give back to you whilst hoping that you still feel a sense of belonging and club spirit through our Facebook page and newsletters. There will be ground exercises for the horses, top tips from trainers, welfare advice, throwbacks and photo competitions.

It’s important to keep connected throughout this time as we #stayhome and #savelives so please get in touch via Facebook or our contact page if there is anything we can help with.

We thank you for your continued support...

Jo
WBRC Chair

BRC FAQS
Visit the BHS website for the latest guidance for BRC members during the Covid-19 pandemic or view this BRC information document.

BHS Challenge awards
These awards are set up by the British Horse Society and run by BHS Accredited Professional Coaches for horse owners, riders and all those that care for horses, to promote training and education. There are awards at bronze, silver and gold for flat, jumping, lunging, rider fitness and horse care with training around your own horses. Find out more here.

BHS Online courses with Lisa
While lockdown is on the BHS have allowed the horse health and horse knowledge courses to be run on line as these are theory courses and are all at one level, also until the end of June without needing to be a BHS member.  I am proposing to start a Horse Health (equine first aid, wound management and minor ailments) online course as a 'clinic' for WBRC members at a discounted rate, to be run over 6 evening sessions of 2 hours on Zoom, leading to BHS Challenge Award certificate in Horse Health.

This is a fun way to update your horse care knowledge in an interactive way with other members, which includes use of videos, links and slides. Depending on numbers, the likely cost will be between £5 and £10 per week. Register your interest (no payment taken) on WebCollect and I will then send you full details.  Please register interest by 9th May and then I would like to get started a week or so later on a weekday evening. I am already running this course for non WBRC people and have run Equine First aid course as evening class for many years - everyone seems to enjoy learning and updating their knowledge. Hope some of you will join in!   
Lisa Oram.  BHS Stage 4 Teach, Care and Management.

Save the date...
Although all events to the end of May have been cancelled the following are booked into the calendar so please save the dates!

18th July OR 1st August (tbc) – Area Dressage Qualifier at Tweseldown
25th July – Area SJ Qualifier at BCA, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead
9th August – Dressage to Music Qualifier at BCA, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead

And of course not forgetting WBRC Camp running on 25th – 26th July at Boomerang. Contact us for more information!

From the committee...
As mentioned above your committee are working hard to ensure all of our members remain to feel part of the club so the following are excerpts of the content shared on our Facebook page recently. We will continue to add new content and for those of you who aren’t on Facebook, we will include some of that content in this newsletter going forwards! 😊

#Motivational Monday – Ideas for training at home
This week's exercise is pole/jump exercises that can be done in walk, trot or canter and only needs 4 poles, handy if you’re lacking poles. These are great exercises to get the horses thinking, keep them supple and also great for accuracy. So all get cracking with those ponies so they’re on top form for when we can all get back out competing and to clinics.

#TopTip Tuesday - Competition warm up brought to you by Keith and Shelly Doyle
Keith and Shelly Doyle were training people at shows before lock down and were shocked at how wrong people are getting the format of their warm ups... even really experienced riders.

#Welfare Wednesday  - The subtle signs of laminitis
Other subtle changes can be laying down more or seeming more lazy. Any sudden change in diet quantity, quality or type of feed/hay/grass can trigger laminitis. With current changes in horses' routines as well as quality and quantity of grass improving quickly, extra vigilance is needed. Prevention is essential as treatment can take months and is not always successful. Any type or breed of horse can get laminitis quickly if metabolism is disturbed with changes. Have heard of a few cases recently and vets are seeing more laminitis and colic currently due to changes in feeding, exercise and routine.