The coming seasons bring with it the opportunity to go hunting with our horses and ponies for many keen horse riders. This age-old traditional discipline has changed since the alteration to legislation in 2005, but still brings with it a thrilling ride following a laid scent over a variety of terrain, jumping and the opportunity to enjoy the countryside!

The RS-tor (pictured above in the image sourced from Horse & Hound Magazine) is the perfect accompaniment to a trip out hunting.

The RS-tor was designed as a safety aid to help prevent falls, or allow the rider to fall in a more controlled manner- ideal for the unpredictable hunting field. The strap has a ‘bungee’ element that helps prevents rider falls by ‘absorbing’ the velocity of being unseated. It fits easily to the stirrup bars.

The RS-tor’s fall prevention aspect comes into effect when the horse spooks, bucks, rears, cat-leaps or stumbles which can be common when out hunting on rough terrain.  The RS-tor also always offers confidence-boosting benefits- ideal for those first time hunt riders, children or those jumping the big hedges!

The RS-tor Riding Safety Aid is priced £44.99 – available in Childs, S and M/L sizes. Typically, adult riders between 5ft 4″ and 6ft select size M/L Visit: www.rstor.co.uk. Call Polypads for stockists – 01842 752020.

Are you thinking about returning to riding after a break, or a period of not owning a horse?

Whether you chose to have a break from horses due to work commitments, pregnancy, family commitments or after suffering a fall or accident, the first step is to find out what is best for you, so your return to the saddle is as seamless as possible. This may be choosing the right horse, finding the right riding centre, or taking a refresher programme selecting exactly what you need as an individual; an important part of safely ‘taking back the reins’.

Fit for purpose

It may be wise to undertake some basic fitness exercises and techniques, such as going for walks, joining the gym or swimming, before getting back in the saddle; consider something like yoga or pilates, if you are in need of some gentle suppling. Of course, horse riding is a great way to stay in shape in itself. So if you are looking to get fit and exercise whilst having fun, you will find that horse riding strengthens your core musculature whilst toning the tum, bum and legs and arms during what could be a good cardiovascular workout.

Nonetheless, despite your excitement about taking up riding again, it is important to take safety precautions. Up to standard helmets should always be worn, while a body protector conforming to appropriate BETA standards is a highly useful piece of kit, if you are feeling rusty; the RS-tor can also be a fabulous tool in “getting a handle” of getting back in the saddle. The RS-tor is a safety device used to reduce the risk factors for falls. The handy, innovative design allows you to simply hook and attach the harness onto the stirrup bar of the saddle, replacing the stirrup leathers over the top, providing you with an unobtrusive strap to hold with your reins – an elasticated bungee element absorbs the movement if you’re unseated, thus limiting the risk of falling. See our main site: http://www.rstor.co.uk .

Top Tips for Getting Back in the Saddle Safely

• Never feel pressurised to do something you are worried about, or are unconfident to complete.
• Ride out on the road in experienced company, and always wear high visibility gear, whatever the weather.
• Complete some simple stretching exercises before and after riding, such as reaching up towards the ceiling, or stretching down to touch your toes. Flexibility and strength reduce the risk factors for falls.

Horse riding; an exhilarating, fun and fulfilling sport.  However though thoroughly enjoyable riding can be a risky sport so in our latest blog we take a look at RS-tor’s five key ways to avoid risk in the saddle!

 Wear a Riding Hat

In RS-tor’s view it makes no sense not to wear a correctly fitted and safe riding helmet. Riding hats are not onerous to wear and can often prevent or attenuate head injuries in falls. Remember a head injury is usually far worse than a broken bone and those who have them sometimes sadly do not completely recover.

Establish the Correct Matching of Horse & Rider Combinations

Correct matching of horse and rider is vital in preventing accidents. A highly spirited, athletic horse can scare the daylights out of a novice and a tired old plug can bore an experienced rider. Choose any horse your purchase or loan very wisely and seek expert advice if you are not sure and when riding in riding school ensure you totally trust the instructor to make a sensible choice for you and always speak up if you do not feel comfortable with the equine selected for you to ride.

Focus on Safe Mounting and Dismounting

Mounting and dismounting from the horse can potentially be a risky time. During this phase rider puts their weight on the left side of the horse which throws the equine off balance or cause the saddle to slip and can cause them to react. While the rider has one foot out of the stirrup they are vulnerable to any sudden movement of the horse and has poor control of the reins. It is also a time when a sudden forward movement of the horse can cause the rider’s left leg to be caught in the stirrup and then be dragged. A secure mounting block is a must for every yard and if there is any doubt it is advisable for someone to hold the horse while a rider mount. Taking hold of your RS-tor Riding Safety Aid can be useful at this point offering riders a ‘handle to hold onto’ should their horse spook or shoot forwards upon us first sitting in the saddle after mounting.

Check the Girth! 

Some horses seem to blow out when the girth is first tightened and riders should be certain they are tight before mounting. Do the girth up gradually- perhaps first attaching on a looser hole and then applying your horse’s boots and bridle and then retightening. Check your girth again after mounting and after five minutes or so of riding to ensure if has not become too loose which can result in pinching and slipping of the saddle.

Stay Together

Horse’s are herd animals and when hacking it is natural that they want to stay together. If you are riding out with friends or family ensure groups riding out together are matched well in terms of both experience and the size and the stride length of the horses and ponies. Holding horse’s back can cause them to feel frustrated whereas an equine left behind will certainly result in anxiety.

To find out more about the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid- perfect for keeping riders’ safe in the saddle visit www.rstor.co.uk 

The autumn time can be glorious for hacking with cooler temperatures, softer ground – not to the mention particularly beautiful countryside at this time of year, but it can be tough to enjoy when our nerves get in the way so if you get anxious when hacking out- this blog is for you! 

The best way to combat fear of hacking is to understand what you can do when your horse spooks out hacking as utilising basic safety measures will help you to keep you and your equine safe on the roads. Remember your horse or pony is a flight animal which means it is natural for them to run away from something they are afraid of- it is your job, through your riding, to convince him that there is nothing to be afraid of and it’s safe to walk past.

Five Top Tips from RS-tor for for Hacking Safely

1.) Firstly optimise your safety and always wear correct safety clothing including a high specification riding helmet, body protector and high visibility clothing.

2.) If your equine is nervous reassure him with your voice offering a powerful way to give your horse confidence, soothe him and help calm your own nerves too.

3.) If your horse is nervous or difficult to hack, ride out in company as then if you come across an object your equine is fearful of and he won’t go forward, you can boost his confidence and minimise risk by receiving a lead from another horse. Avoid riding in large groups with a nervous horse but stick to having a partner or even 2 other horses with your nervy equine!

4.) Know your highway code. If you come across a hazard in the road such as parked cars or road works signal right and retake the reins before passing the hazard. Always give a ‘life-saver’ look behind before moving out around the obstacle ensuring you have sufficient clearance.

5.) Carry a RS-tor Riding Safety Aid which attaches to the saddle and features a strap that is comfortably held like a riding crop. The RS-tor has a ‘bungee’ element that helps prevents rider falls by ‘absorbing’ the velocity of being unseated. The RS-tor’s is easy to hold offering riders a square stopper to stop or slow a fall when the fall prevention aspect comes into effect if the horse spooks, bucks, rears, cat-leaps or stumbles.  In addition its confidence-boosting benefits are always experienced!

To find out more about the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid visit the website at www.rstor.co.uk

Earlier this week Horse & Hound Magazine shared the news that a petition launched by Cornish rider Debbie Smith to encourage drivers to slow down for horses has received a whopping 17,000 signatures in just four days!

Here at RS-tor we support safety in the saddle so we were thrilled to hear the impact of Debbie’s campaign. Debbie reports that she launched the petition after numerous occasions of drivers going too fast around her local area of Penzance with the latest incident causing her to act occurring when she was out hacking with her 17-year-old daughter.

Debbie says “The car towing a small trailer stopped when he saw the us riding as a pair but as soon as they started to walk in single file he “drove at us and went straight past ignoring my hand signals to stop leaving just one foot between my horse Noel and the car.”

The petition will then be presented to local MP, the Conservative Derek Thomas.

Last month another campaign to get drivers to slow down for horses was launched by Kent-based rider Lauren De Grunchy so let’s hope spreading the word ensures safer roads for horse riders!

Here are RS-tor’s Top Tips for Coping with a Difficult Situation on the Road

• Reassure your horse with your voice if your horse is nervous; this is a powerful way to give your horse confidence and help calm your nerves too.
• If you have to ride past someone operating machinery try to catch the operator’s attention and if possible ask him to turn off any loud machines whilst you ride past.
• If your horse won’t go forward and you are in company, ask for a lead from another horse. If you are by yourself and your horse is really objecting to moving towards the hazard, it is probably safer to take an alternative route if possible.
• Treat any roadworks as a stationary vehicle. Keep to the left, look behind in good time and check for oncoming traffic when moving your horse past an obstacle.
• Remember if safe, signal right and retake the reins before passing the hazard. Give a ‘life-saver’ look behind before moving out around the obstacle – allowing sufficient clearance.
• Carry an RS-tor Riding Safety Aid giving you a ‘handle on any situation’ allowing you to remain more secure in the saddle should you horse spook, slip buck or rear.

This week we heard the fabulous news that RS-tor supporter and advocate rider Michaela Huntington had won the 1.20m Final in the main arena at Hickstead on Saturday. Show jumper Michaela was partnered by her amazing mare known competitively as Alegro Z and at home as Zena.

Michaela Huntington is a show jumper, trainer and livery yard owner from Braintree in Essex who regularly competes her string of talented horses alongside teaching both Pony Club and Jump Cross and she is a big fan of the RS-tor and thinks it is ideal for jumping and riding young or spooky horses.

Michaela says “The RS-tor strap has a ‘bungee’ element that helps prevents rider falls by ‘absorbing’ the velocity of being unseated. The RS-tor’s is easy to hold and the fall prevention aspect comes into effect when the horse spooks, bucks, rears, cat-leaps or stumbles, although its confidence-boosting benefits are always experienced!”

2015 has seen Michaela’s horse Zena go from strength to strength after being purchased from Holland in late 2013 so we’d like to take the opportunity to say well done to Michaela and Zena from the whole team at RS-tor!

To find out more about the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid visit the website at www.rstor.co.uk 

Are you interested in the RS-tor but want to find out more about how this simple, yet effective riding safety tool works to keep you safe in the saddle?

The RS-tor Riding Safety Aid is ideal for many different horse riding scenarios such as hacking, schooling, jumping, polo, RDA riders and much, much more. Here the RS-tor video illustrates the benefits of the RS-tor for Cross Country Schooling. Click on the video link above to find out more about the RS-tor– the ideal companion for cross country today!

The RS-tor riding safety aid is the ideal way to boost rider confidence, and is invaluable when schooling, hacking or jumping young or unpredictable horses. It is particularly useful for cross country schooling.

The RS-tor Riding Safety Aid attaches to the saddle and features a strap that is comfortably held like a riding crop. The RS-tor has a ‘bungee’ element that helps prevents rider falls by ‘absorbing’ the velocity of being unseated. The RS-tor’s is easy to hold offering riders a square stopper to stop or slow a fall when the fall prevention aspect comes into effect if the horse spooks, bucks, rears, cat-leaps or stumbles.  In addition its confidence-boosting benefits are always experienced!

The RS-tor can be purchased from direct from our website www.rstor.co.uk via our manufacturer PolyPads or through our retailer Libbys International Tack at shows and events. To find out more about the RS-tor visit the website www.rstor.co.uk.

Are you interested in the RS-tor but want to find out more about how this simple, yet effective riding safety tool works to keep you safe in the saddle? The video shows the product in action as well as telling you how the device can benefit horse riders of all different riding capabilities. Click on the video link above to find out more about the RS-tor today!

The RS-tor riding safety aid is the ideal way to boost rider confidence, and is invaluable when schooling, hacking or jumping young or unpredictable horses. The RS-tor can be purchased from direct from our website www.rstor.co.uk via our manufacturer PolyPads or through our retailer Libbys International Tack at shows and events. To find out more about the RS-tor visit the website www.rstor.co.uk today!

Are you interested in the RS-tor but want to find out more about how this simple, yet effective riding safety tool works to keep you safe in the saddle? Click on the video above featuring Dressage rider and RS-tor advocate Sarah Millis who explains how to fit and use the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid helping you visualize how the safety aid comes into practice when riding.

The RS-tor product is an aid to rider confidence, and is invaluable when schooling, hacking or jumping young or unpredictable horses. The RS-tor can be purchased from direct from our website www.rstor.co.uk via our manufacturer PolyPads or through our retailer Libbys International Tack at shows and events. To find out more about the RS-tor visit the website www.rstor.co.uk today!

Here at RS-tor we love to hear the stories of our happy customers and the riders’ the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid helps support. We recently heard from Wendy Taylor who had a nasty fall in the Spring of 2014 resulting in a loss of confidence in the saddle.

Wendy says… 

“I’ve been working away quietly at home, using the RS-tor every time I ride! We’ve been doing lots of confidence building and we’ve managed a few hacks out and the RS-tor definitely helped when we had a couple of big spooks at monsters and tigers hiding in the bushes!

Also wanted to let you know that we made it out to our first show yesterday, since my accident. My trusty RS-tor obviously came with us! My boy Mr Foster was an absolute star – he won his ridden coloured class and took reserve coloured champion! I was so very happy and proud with this achievement.

I believe that the RS-tor helps me physically (in that if he does a big spook, it helps to keep me in the saddle) and mentally (I strongly believe that it gives me the confidence required, so that I ride differently, with more purpose).

I continue to use the RS-tor and tell people about how amazing it is!

Thank you again so much

Wendy and Mr Foster”

To find out more about the RS-tor Riding Safety Aid, used by Wendy Taylor, visit the website at www.rstor.co.uk.