From the Horse's Mouth

With its roots deeply intertwined with the rich tapestry of South African history, this remarkable breed embodies the spirit of the nation in its hardiness, versatility, and indomitable character. Whether you're a seasoned equestrian enthusiast or a curious newcomer to the world of horses, the Boerperd's unique heritage and exceptional qualities are bound to captivate your imagination. Joi...

Regenerative medicine is booming as an active area of research focused on developing and applying new cell and tissue therapies for equine optimisation, recovery, and performance. Regenerative veterinary medicine involves collecting a horse's naturally occurring, healing cells and growth factors, concentrating them, then returning them to the damaged tissue where they are needed most to accele...

Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to its environment, known as Neuroplasticity. By repeatedly training the brain towards more balanced patterns, Neurofeedback promotes healthy neural connections, neural flexibility and overall brain function. This leads to improved mood, reduced anxiety and enhanced competitive performance whilst eliminating r...

Show jumping is an incredible sport for riders and spectators looking for an exciting, yet accuracy-driven sport. It requires skill from both horse and rider and shows off some of the best athleticism in the horse community as riders must balance speed, precision, and control while jumping over a variety of obstacles, often against the clock. We welcome competitor, coach, and president of Gauteng...

Arena Stewards & Competitive Tack Invigilation - What YOU Need To Know! In this episode we dial in to the South African National Showjumping Championships, being held this week at the Stokkiesdraai Equestrian Centre in Brits. Arena steward Barbara Lovell takes time out from overseeing this massive show to speak to us about not only what goes into the incredibly tough but essential job of stewa...

DISCIPLINE SPOTLIGHT: SHOWING This week we speak to national judge, competitor, president of Western Cape Showing and all-round equestrian enthusiast Taryn Stebbing about the beautiful discipline of showing, and what it stands to offer all horses and riders. Showing is an equestrian discipline which strives to exhibit perfect examples of particular types or breeds of horses and ponies. It encourag...

ProBreed Interview with Equine Reproduction Specialist Dr Anna Grabowska We will be discussing comprehensive, advanced, diagnostic and therapeutic methods for efficient and safe horse breeding, and looking into what goes into this incredible process for an ideal outcome for all. Equine reproduction particularly refers to the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly pur...

With so much myth and madness circulating about pony heights and the impacts thereof, we are engaging national and FEI veterinarian Dr Sheelagh Higgerty, along with SAEF judicial representative Peter Swanepoel to help us understand it all. Please join us Wednesday at 7pm with all your questions, and be sure you get it From The Horse's Mouth!

Working Equitation is a thrilling new international discipline currently sweeping across the equestrian world, and it was so wonderful to be able to interview international coach, trainer & judge Jorge Parreira, all the way from Portugal where this sport has its elegant and exciting roots. South African Working Equitation (ZAWE) president Jonothan Harrison explains how this fills a gap in eque...

Shows are a highlight for many equestrians, but in order for the competitive amongst us to enjoy this element of our sport it requires a team of tenacious, experienced, and insightful administrators to facilitate this experience. We don't often realise the effort and demands that go into this... until things go wrong, that is! So tonight it makes sense that we speak to the backbone of one of t...

Wednesday night we chat to Douglas Welsh, the current president of Eventing South Africa, FEI Level II course designer, World Equestrian Games competitor, and general eventing enthusiast to discuss Eventing, sometimes referred to as 'horse trials', is a unique combination of three phases – dressage, cross-country over fixed fences, and show-jumping, similar to triathlons for equestrians bu...

Podcast: Winter Management of Your Equines This week we have Dr Rissa Parker back in the studio to discuss how nutritional requirements can change with the colder months and quality of grass, as well as other pertinent issues for all equestrians: - How do you ensure your horse stays hydrated? - When is it time to clip? - What weather is blanket weather? - What does the change in wet mean for hoove...

This week we look towards the institution, growth and (ahem) development of the SAEF's development portfolio under the newly-appointed National Development Officer, Mariette van Jaarsveld. Sports development initiatives may include creating or strengthening: opportunities to participate in sport, volunteering and administration, coaching and coach education frameworks, community engagement pro...

A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on." - Sam Goldwyn This week we delve into all things legal as we discuss contracts with Tracey Lomax-Nixon (BA LLB) to help clarify the muddy waters around lease agreements, livery contracts, sales agreements, and more. Discover the legal pitfalls of buying and selling horses under South African law, as well as public liability im...

What does an equine physiotherapist do? Whether your horse is a leisure or performance horse, the therapeutic purpose of a veterinary physiotherapy treatment is to promote musculoskeletal health and psychological well-being in order to allow for improved suppleness and extensibility of movement. We speak to Sasha Chelin (B.Sc Physio) this week about what it takes to become an equine physiotherapis...

We love sharing online! Many equestrians around the world have embraced social media channels to promote themselves, stay in touch with friends, and raise important issues. Done right, social media can be a great tool for connecting, communicating, and educating. On the flip side, it can be a toxic space for misinformation and bullying, and potentially land parties in legal hot water. We speak to...

THE REASSURANCE OF INSURANCE... What You Need To Know About Covering Your Horse (And Yourself!) Many a horse owner has been faced with a grave decision as to whether they can afford the veterinary care required to save their horse's life , especially regarding surgery. It’s never something we want to think about but when faced with a decision based on how much you are able to spend on your hor...

POLOCROSSE: Discipline spotlight, international competition and the World Cup 2024 Tonight, fresh from the wonderful experience of touring and playing abroad, we speak to our passionate polocrosse players. Join us as we meet the Polocrosse SA President and his team to learn more about this thrilling equestrian sport, how you can get involved with it and what it entails, plus more about the excelle...

THE HIDDEN HANDS THAT MOVE OUR HORSES: Equine Logistics & Trucking This week we continue our dive into equestrian transport by speaking to Peter Choice, a veteran in the world of trucking horses nationwide in South Africa since 2000. We talk about the nitty gritty of travelling horses safely and happily for competition and relocation, considering things like: - the best way to travel horses -...

It's not a bird but it is a plane, and your horse is inside. Before 1972 horses were transported internationally by ship, which was a long and difficult journey. Then it all changed, and now thousands of horses every year are ferried on cargo planes between competitions, owners relocating, and even stud duties. We speak to one of the Supermen of the equestrian aviation industry, owner of Steed...

SANESA is the South African National Equestrian Schools Association and is a vibrant and dynamic structure, acknowledged by the South African Equestrian Federation and SASCOC. It was established to promote all forms of equestrian sport within South Africa’s schools’ community, and as such falls under the auspices of the Department of Basic Education. We speak to Jan Joubert, president of SANESA an...

This week Kyalami Park hosts what many see as the highlight of the annual Toyota Easter Festival: the top four juniors vying for one of the richest prizes in youth sport, the Philip Smith Memorial Equitation Championship. We speak to co-organiser and committee member Jenni Wyllie along with national judge Gregory Goss about this prestigious event, as well as how equitation helps to shape the youth...

"Coaching is the universal language of change and learning." Bob Nardelli said that without coaching, people can never reach their maximum capabilities, which makes this week's topic a fundamental foundation to our entire sport, from grassroots to high performance. We speak to the SAEF Lead Coach of the national coaching commission, Regula Niehaus, about her last two years spearheadi...

A healthy happy horse from the inside out This week you get to ask veterinarian and nutrition enthusiast Dr Rissa Parker of Glen Austin Veterinary Clinic everything you've ever wanted to know about feeding your horse! We have a look at some of the common myths and misconceptions about equine nutrition, and what choices you as an owner can make to keep your horse happy and healthy from the insi...

Joint health, care, & treatment in the equine athlete This week we are joined by Tracey Finch, owner of EquiproVet, and Dr Patrick Martin (BvSc) as we discuss one of the hottest topics across all equestrian disciplines. Tune in and ask the experts while we simplify what supplements are the best for each specific need, what new treatments are available, and how we can all do the best for the lo...