An Equestrian Medley Trivia Quiz

Answer: Obesity-related illnesses

World Horse Welfare cite the shocking statistic that 80% of the UK's horses are above their ideal weight. Obesity can lead to heart problems, joint problems and laminitis, among other things.

Answer: Put him in the biggest field possible so he can gallop around and get lots of exercise.

Exercise is important in helping your horse to lose weight, but this should be achieved by riding, lunging, time spent on a horsewalker or similar. Fat horses should be put in restricted paddocks so there isn't so much grass for them to eat. However, you can buy muzzles which safely prevent the horse from eating lots of grass - with one of these it is possible to turn him out in a grassy field without him gaining weight.

Some horses don't like grazing muzzles though, and will find all sorts of devious ways to get them off!

Answer: Take lots of mints to reward your horse for being good.

There's nothing better than riding through the countryside on your favourite horse, taking in the scenery. Unfortunately though, most people have no choice but to spend at least a little bit of their hack riding on roads, which presents a lot of dangers for the rider. High-visibility clothing is essential to make sure drivers can see you from a long way off to avoid accidents.

Answer: False

Dressage can be enjoyed by any kind of horse, from fancy highly-strung warmbloods to scruffy little ponies!

Answer: The horse is standing still, leaning back to put his weight on his hind legs. You can feel a pulse in his leg, above his hoof.

Laminitis is when the pedal bone in the hoof sinks and begins to rotate, causing lots of pain and making it difficult for the horse to walk. It is usually caused by too much rich food, and is most common in small, overweight ponies (although any horse can get it). Of the incorrect answers, the one where he has a sore belly is colic, the smelly foot is thrush and the sore leg could be any one of a number of things.

Answer: Put him in his stable with a deep, soft bed and call the vet straight away.

A deep soft bed provides more support for the horse's sore hooves, so he will be more comfy here. If you have any "bute", which is a painkiller for horses, you may administer some of this to keep him comfortable while the vet is on her way.

Answer: All of these reasons.

Tidying up the muck heap isn't a fun job, but it is essential!

Answer: Jointed

Jointed snaffles create a "nutcracker" action, putting pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth (the bottom gums) as well as the roof of the mouth. When you're riding a horse, remember that you are controlling a piece of metal in his mouth - if you do something wrong, it's going to hurt him!

Answer: A fly rug.

Sweet itch is a skin irritation caused by biting flies. In some cases, the horse may rub whole patches of hair away, especially in his mane and tail, because it itches so much. A fly rug is a thin, lightweight rug that covers as much of the horse as possible to prevent flies from biting him.

A New Zealand rug is a thick, heavy rug used in winter for horses who spend a lot of time in the field. A travelling fleece is used when travelling a horse in a horsebox.

Answer: Steeplechasing.

At a three day event, the first day will be dressage; the second day will be cross-country; and the third day will be showjumping. The winner is the horse and rider who have the best score after all three events.

A steeplechase is a kind of horse race, so named because it started off as a race to get from one village church to another, jumping any obstacles in the way.

Answer: A white one, a green one and a red one.

Tying a ribbon to your horse's tail is a good way to let people know if it's safe to approach him from behind. A white ribbon shows that your horse is "entire" (meaning he is a stallion), a green ribbon says he is young and inexperienced, and a red ribbon warns that he may kick. It's not often that you see a horse with all three, but it happens!

Answer: All of these

Bitless bridles put pressure on the top of the horse's head, between the ears (the poll) and on the nose. They can be just as harsh as ordinary bits, so they shouldn't be used by inexperienced people who might be too heavy-handed. They can work very well for horses who have had a bad experience with a normal bit, or who have had such a heavy-handed rider in the past that their mouth is now desensitised so they don't listen to commands through the bit any more.

In studies carried out by vets, horses respond favorably when changed to a bitless bridle.

They become easier to control, less anxious, and learn new behaviors more quickly.

Answer: Dressage saddles have longer flaps and a deeper seat, to encourage a better classical dressage position and enable longer stirrup length.

As well as dressage and GP, you can also buy saddles specifically made for jumping. These have a more pronounced knee-roll and shorter flaps, because the jumping position requires short stirrups. There are also special racing saddles, which are very light; endurance riding saddles which are soft and very comfortable for the horse to wear for long distances; and of course Western and Australian stock saddles are a breed of their own as well!

Answer: Slow down and give them a wide berth as you drive past so that the horse doesn't get frightened.

Horses are, in general, quite easily frightened - the revving of an engine or speeding past them suddenly could cause a nasty accident if they get scared and decide to run away. A horse that's being ridden on the road should be used to traffic, but that doesn't mean they can't succumb to instinct and get frightened if something unexpected happens.

Answer: Dartmoor

The Dartmoor pony is a pony (meaning it's under the size of 14.2hh), whereas the other three are all horses (over 14.2hh).

I hope you've enjoyed my quiz and found it interesting and informative - the world of horses is one in which you never stop learning and never stop having fun!