Ponease Update | FEI Cards | Bit Mechanics
The Ponease scam continues!
Hello equine enthusiasts, I hope this email finds you and your equine partners well.
I have been busy working away at my masters, playing with some new pieces of kit and getting prepped for an upcoming presentation. It has been unseasonably warm for November, with my furry cob Edanna sweating under her long mane while hanging out in the field. But a sharp frost in on its way for next week.
What is new?
The crazy story of Ponease continues, and it gets stranger the more I dig. If you have missed my first post you can find it here. There have been a few more developments since my last post, find it below.
FEI Warning Cards
Recently a fellow Instagram follower notified me about the list of riders who have been issued warning cards, I was surprised by the length of some of the lists along with reasons they were issued. For possibly the first time, Hyperflexion was a reason for a warning card to be issued. Hopefully more stewards can do the same in the future!
Read the full post below.
Curb Bit Mechanics
A few weeks ago Cristina Wilkins put together a fascinating presentation on You Tube about the mechanics of the curb bit (you can find the link to the video in my post). What she found was that any rein tension applied to the curb bit, applies four times that to the mouth piece of the bit, due to the lever action. I took this information and applied it to some recently shared (unpublished) study results, investigating rein tension in snaffle and curb reins. What the study found (and what caused the upheaval on social media) was that the rein tension on the curb bit was found to be lower than the snaffle, given the false impression that the curb rein is therefore “kinder”.
I go into further detail in the post below.
Stable Insights is now live
I have been working away adding content to a brand new horse owner membership site called Stable Insights. The membership sits within Equiflex Therapy’s website, where you can find loads of amazing equine insights.
Here’s what Emer (owner of Equiflexx Therapy) says about the new membership:
“Designed especially for dedicated horse owners and enthusiasts, this exclusive space is here to support your journey with expert advice, industry updates, and all things equine wellness. Our aim is to help you cut through all the marketing fluff so that you can make better choices for your horses wellbeing 🐴”
So trot on over to the new site and have a look around.
If you like my work and wish to support it you can buy me a coffee or donate direct to me :) My horses will thank you.