EQUINE EVENT- a great success!

[Heather]

HI everyone-

Just back from an exhausting time at the Equine Event. I have never seen so many people there, so business was good, and I am sure that the organisers were pleased.

Good to see Mike there, and to meet Claire V, Rachel and Sandra (Sidesaddle) who brought along one of the British greats and doyen of the sidesaddle world, Betty Skelton. She must be a great age now, and looks so tiny and frail, but there is still a razor sharp mind there! It was a privilege to meet her, Sandra.

Thanks to you all for coming and supporting us, and hope to meet more of you in the coming year.

Heather

[Mike]

I was surprised at how much there was to see. It was a big event with many, many trade stands, demos of farriery, clipping, first aid etc., as well as riding/showing performances in the main arena.

I looked at the other simulators which seemed to be mostly used in the way of children's rides. They only moved in one plane and so can't simulate the natural back movement that Heather's does, plus as far as I could see they didn't have the knowledge of how to train people to absorb the movement.

I could see the virtue of the racing training one in that it went very fast with quite a movement which I guess might help you practise your balance/strength in the jockey racing position.

It was great to meet people from the site and put some names to faces and perhaps some of those faces will make it into the site pages (if they agree) when I get the film developed. I've added a digital camera to my list for Father Christmas but it never seems to work quite the same when you're an adult does it?

Well worth going to next year.

[clairev]

Hi Heather and Mike

It was lovely to meet both of you. Steve and I had a really good weekend but I have had to promise to take my 14 year old daughter, Becky, with me next year instead!

Heather - many thanks for the session on the equisimulator - it has helped me a lot and I took your advise and put it into practice out riding today - tried to keep more still in the saddle! Please let us all know as soon as your synthetic saddles come available - is there anyone we could write to to show that there will be a market for them? Steve was quite interested in the engineering of your simulators and if you want any advice on hydraulics etc you know where to come!

Mike - lovely to meet you - got a horrible feeling about the photos though!!! The one's Steve took of me were horrendous!!! Hope you get lucky with Santa this year and you get your digital camera.

Bye for now

Claire

[Rachel R]

Hi Heather,

I really enjoyed my day, I just wish I'd had more time to fit everything in. Thanks very much for the go on the equisimulator. I definitly want to come on one of your courses now, but I'll e mail you about that. It was great to meet you and Mike. Even if Mike did brandish his camera at me!

I was interested to note the two other "simulators" at the event. One incredibly noisy one at the Northern racing school stand, to simulate the movement of a racehorse, and the other at the BHS stand - which had a rather strange movement, and cost about £1 a go. As you had by far the biggest crowd, I guess that makes you the winner of the battle of the simulators!

There were also a couple of horsey web site stands. What I want to know is where was the New Rider stand Mike? Perhaps next year!

Rachel

[Heather]

HI Claire,


Thorowgood are about to make me up a prototype. If all goes well, the range should be out perhaps in time for the BETA International Trade Fair next year. If any of you want to write to Vanessa Roberts at Thorowgood, it would I am sure, reassure them that it is worth taking on!

Heather

[clairev]

Heather

Do you have Thorowgood's address please?

Claire