Friday, 17 November 2017

Ground-breaking ArcEquine Ambassador network launches



The exceptional customer service supporting its unique ArcEquine microcurrent unit is to be enhanced further by manufacturer ARC Microtech (ARC) with the ground-breaking launch of a new network of highly skilled product Ambassadors.

Over £1,000,000 and 23,000 hours of product development in the technologically advanced ArcEquine unit have resulted in what is the smallest, wide spectrum microcurrent device in the world. Drug free, non-invasive and easy to use, it rapidly reduces swelling, bruising, inflammation and pain, stimulating tissue regeneration and repair across a wide spectrum of equine injuries.

Having quickly gained global credibility with elite riders and their expert advisors in 14 different countries, the next phase of the company’s meteoric growth will include the roll-out of what CEO Peter Clayton describes as; “a ground-breaking new business service”. 

He explains; “Our Ambassador concept will enable equine healthcare professionals and the equine supply chain to offer additional services to horseowners resulting from opportunities that will deliver new revenue streams and healthy margins to their businesses. ArcEquine Ambassadors will have expertise in the technology behind the ArcEquine and its practical use by horseowners, along with skills to support equine trade and healthcare professionals in developing both proficiency in its application and associated growth in their businesses. As a team, they herald a completely new level of customer service for the equine industry that will rival well-known global consumer brands.”

The first ArcEquine Ambassadors have been appointed and are already working with equine vets, physiotherapists, chiropractors, farriers, tack shops, rehabilitation centres and trainers to help them bring the benefits of ArcEquine microcurrent therapy to their clients and also their businesses.
 
Further Ambassador appointments will follow in coming weeks and months to support the accelerating growth in trade relationships. 

Anyone interested in the opportunities at any level should contact ARC’s Head Office on 01580 755504.

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Peer reviewed publication confirms quality of ArcEquine research



ARC Microtech Ltd's (ARC) ArcEquine unit is the result of an £850,000 nine-year programme of research and development and the company’s proven expertise in the equine sector has resulted in acceptance of two peer-reviewed articles for publication by the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.


‘Equine Hoof Management and the Client-Farrier Relationship in the UK’ discusses the prevalence of hoof health problems over a 5-year period, the importance of the farrier-veterinarian relationship and the impact of nutrition. The data concludes that the owner-reported frequency of hoof abnormalities is significantly higher than reported in previous studies, suggesting an encouraging increase in owner awareness, whilst highlighting the need for further research and collaboration amongst professionals to further optimise hoof health.

‘Examining Attitudes Towards Equine Complementary Therapies for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Injuries’ considers causes of career-ending injuries amongst equine athletes and assesses the usage and perceived efficacy of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM). This includes a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic treatments increasingly used by owners with the expectation of facilitating complete healing and enhanced recovery rates. Data suggests owners are highly influenced by their veterinarian and concludes that further randomised, controlled research trials will support increased adoption of effective treatment modalities.

Authored by ARC Director of Research & Development, Jack Thirkell and Rebecca Hyland, these peer reviewed articles report two of a number of research projects currently being funded by the company. Jack Thirkell explains; “We have an ongoing programme of research exploring different therapeutic applications of microcurrent technology, both in the laboratory and in the field. We will be sharing more of our findings in coming months and are looking forward to working more closely with equine vets and allied healthcare practitioners.”

Find out more online at www.arcequine.com or contact the ARC Microtech head office on 01580 755504.

Tuesday, 3 October 2017

'Incurable' hind suspensories and Championship win results!


Georgina Clarkson and a happy, healthy ProJo
Purchasing ProJo as a four-year-old in 2010, Barbie Clarkson rode him twice before prolonged snow forced a lay off, but back into work, he was always a little inconsistent and so began a six year journey that was to encompass both the despair of a very poor prognosis and finally, the elation of qualification for the BE100 Misubishi Motors Cup at Badminton and a team win in the Pony Club Eventing Championships.
By ProSet, the eyecatching and athletic 17hh gelding ProJo is known as Joe and Barbie shares the ups and downs of their story in her own words...

Joe seemed always to be a little bit ‘on and off’, never nasty or difficult, but a bit nappy or grumpy, although we couldn’t work it out and thought perhaps that as a rising five-year-old coming back into work he was testing our patience. However he progressed to ‘planting’, so we started to think about pain, but still weren’t sure; was he just being a bit difficult? We thought about gastric ulcers and he was affected, so treated, after which we expected his behaviour to improve, which it did a little. So we got going and even did a little bit of eventing.
He was always happy to jump, but on the flat found it difficult to produce power. When he was six in 2013, we had started novice level eventing, were doing novice level dressage and had even done a few elementary tests, but he never progressed as expected and things ‘sneaked up’ on us over time.

It was the following year, in 2014, that we didn’t get a good start to the eventing season. I had planned that we’d do three BE100s, then go novice, but events were cancelled because of bad weather. Our first run ended up being novice level, at which the show jumping was on long, lush, wet grass and he said ‘no’ for the first time, resulting in us being eliminated.
We came home and two days later had a session with my dressage trainer. She eventually said - “he’s not sound behind”, but I couldn’t feel it. She said she’d watched him many times in training and had thought there was ‘something’ for a while, but couldn’t pinpoint it.
Our vets nerve blocked him and confirmed lameness in both hind legs. So he had around eight weeks off, because there was no obvious sign of anything wrong. At that time I really didn’t want to know my very lovely horse was lame and maybe would be written off like others before him!
The rest didn’t work and back in work, he was quite difficult, so we did a ‘bute test and he was fine, which confirmed a pain issue and the investigations became more serious. An MRI scan revealed a problem with his suspensory ligaments, high up in both hind legs, where the ligaments attached onto the hock, but without external swelling or heat. Conformation was not the reason, treatment options were limited and he ended up having the whole of his seven-year-old year off.

Veterinary options were shock wave treatment or surgery, but success was unlikely. We talked about ArcEquine as we’d got to the point where there were no other options, and started using an ArcEquine unit during a 10-week period of box rest.
Walking him out started at week two – initially for 10 minutes a day – but Joe was terrifying and eventually I started to ride my daughter’s pony and lead him on a chifney, which worked because whenever Joe misbehaved, the pony would bite him, which gave me control! We broadly followed the ArcEquine rehabilitation plan and built the walking up to 30 minutes daily before I got back on. He has benefited from use of the ArcEquine unit ever since and fortunately we have never looked back and not had another major injury.

The following season as an eight-year-old we did only flatwork and dressage, progressing massively at that point. He was hacked out at home and we were really careful and paranoid about everything to do with his limbs; he became a proper diva! When you’re on that ‘last chance’ kind of thing, it was all about keeping him properly fit, getting him to carry himself properly, whilst ensuring he was never overusing any particular structure in his body.
As a nine-year-old we progressed to doing 1 x BE90 to test whether he would be sound! He was very silly, loved his jumping and it told me he was still keen for the job and really happy. He was sound the next day and stayed sound.
Barbie Clarkson and ProJo cross country schooling
with confidence and power!
It wasn’t until 2016 when Joe was 10 that I thought I would try out a little more, but not until I knew the ground was going to be OK.  I planned not to do many events, but following pre-season training with Blyth Tait, at which we ended up jumping 1.30m despite my slight lack of confidence, then a confident cross country session with Les Smith over novice fences, we decided to start at BE100. We finished fourth, so he was definitely back.

I was very careful all season, using iced boots to cool his ligaments along with the ArcEquine after every event and for maintenance each month. We had three novice runs and as I messed up, not him, we had no novice points and were still therefore eligible for the BE100 Misubishi Motors Cup Regional Final, which I entered.

That event was at Aske Hall and the ground was appalling. Jumping in ‘clart’ and slippery conditions is horrible and you just get to know over the years that there are too many things you can break in a horse for no reason and you don’t want to risk them. Fortunately, none of that happened and amazingly, we qualified for Badminton!
However that wasn’t to be, as a freak accident lunging a client’s horse resulted in me fracturing my elbow and when her horse Henry started to suffer from Hard Ground issues in July, my daughter Georgina took over the ride and the lovely Joe has been an absolute star!
Loving the cross country phase! Georgina and ProJo in action

Earlier in the year she had ridden him in the National Schools Eventing Association (NSEA) eventing at Northallerton and won the 100 section. That was their very first event together.  She was then selected for our South Northumberland Pony Club 100 team with him - fortunately they'd done their three mandatory qualifying rallies over the winter!  She ran him at Warwick Hall for a quick practise run before the Pony Club Areas there in June - and was placed again.  At the Areas, the team only made it into 2nd place but the National Championships held at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire is a different ballgame and the experience of all our riders came through to make them unbeatable, whichever combination of scores were used.

Dressage success riding a Medium level test
for Georgina and ProJo
In amongst all that, Georgina and Joe also qualified for the Pony Club Open Dressage at the Championships as individuals and finished 5th in their arena, following it up with a 5th in the Elite dressage competition too, riding the British Dressage Medium 73 test.
Following the Pony Club Championships they went on to do their first British Eventing novice together at Richmond and finished well for a first run with a qualifying score towards the BENu18 Championships for next year.

I never thought Joe would become a Pony Club boy, let alone go to the National Championships and put Georgina on the podium but he loved his week in Cheshire.  It was great compensation for the loss of my Badminton run but I think I may have to let Georgina continue to event him for me as she's doing such a great job!
Looking back, we had exhausted all further veterinary options, although our vets were supportive of my use of the ArcEquine unit and I do swear by it for his recovery. It would be interesting to re-do the MRI scan and see the ligaments now, as when I ride Joe he feels like a very, very different horse and he can use himself in a completely different way, producing power and hence able to work much better in every discipline, as he’s proved this season.

To find out more and to purchase an ArcEquine, visit www.arcequine.com and join in the conversations on social media.

Wednesday, 19 July 2017

Yearling colt recovers after 'playing rough' results in serious injury

Ex-professional carriage driver Debbie Wicks (née Cowdery) lives in rural north Cumbria and these days has just three horses, which she enjoys in her leisure time alongside a busy career as an online marketing consultant.

Overwater Kestrel is an eyecatching, athletic yearling colt, part bred Hanoverian and currently standing at 15.2hh, although he is expected to mature at an imposing 16.2hh-17.0hh. Debbie bought him from his Cumbrian breeder in early spring and he has been happily enjoying the company of her 7-year-old sport horse stallion Prince of Durness out in the paddock, whilst getting on with the serious business of growing up.

Kestrel on the day of
injury, May 6th, 2017
However boys do play rough, sometimes too rough and it’s nearly always the little fella’ who comes off worst. So when Debbie went out to check her horses on May 6th, all looked fine from a distance, but as she got closer, she could see blood running down Kestrel’s neck and that he had sustained a puncture wound on one side of it. “It was probably caused by his field companion, my stallion Prince, as they do get hold of each other’s necks when they play, but Kestrel has so little muscle as yet, hence the injury.”

Debbie brought him into a stable for a closer look, then called out her vet, who flushed the wound and removed some muscle that had been bitten through, before stitching the tissues together very neatly. “He had to stay in his stable, on box rest”, explains Debbie, “so I immediately started to use my ArcEquine microcurrent unit on him for a three hour daily treatment.”

The day the wound burst open
May 12th, 2017
“For a few days, things looked good, but on May 12th, the wound burst open due to necrotic muscle tissue. My vet came out again and at that point, there were two significant holes into which the vet could put his fingers! This time, he rinsed out the wound with an iodine solution and left it open to drain, without any further stitches. I was left to flush it four times a day with a weak iodine solution in a squeezy bottle.

“He told me that it was going to take months to heal and warned that it could develop into a case of fistulous withers, which didn’t sound good. However I’ve had very significant success with microcurrent therapy and continued his daily treatments with my ArcEquine unit, as Kestrel still had to be kept inside. I also started using Manuka honey, but that was all.

Kestrel on May 26th, 2017
with trouble-free healing
well advanced
“Initially Kestrel had been on antibiotics, because of the chance of infection, along with an anti-inflammatory, but I know the ArcEquine is also very good at relieving pain and he didn’t even have to finish the course of ‘bute prescribed. However I did have to give him feed and water at a raised level, as he wouldn’t bend his neck down to the floor in the early stages of healing.”

Debbie kept in touch with her vet by email and text, sending regular photographs of Kestrel’s neck,, but it wasn’t until June 7th that the vet visited again, for the purpose of routine vaccinations. “He couldn’t believe how well it had healed”, remembers Debbie with a smile. “He said – oh it has to be eight weeks since it happened - but I said no, it’s only been a month!”

June 23rd, 2017 and Kestrel is back
out in the field having forgotten all
about his injury
Explaining about her use of the ArcEquine microcurrent unit, Debbie said; “I’ve been involved with a lot of horses all of my life and I have never encountered a piece of equipment like the ArcEquine. It achieves such amazing healing results with the wide variety of injuries and traumatic accidents that happen all too regularly to horses and ponies. Anyone considering buying one needs to just evaluate the purchase cost against potential savings in ongoing equine healthcare costs – and the amazingly positive effect it has on wellbeing. I think it’s an essential piece of kit for every horse owner to have in their arsenal.”

Debbie Wicks and Overwater Kestrel,
now back to full health
As for Kestrel, well he’s already forgotten all about it and is back out again grazing in the paddock and just being a healthy, happy yearling colt again.

To find out more about ArcEquine microcurrent technology, visit www.arcequine.com or contact 01580 755504.

Find out more about microcurrent technology for human use at www.arc4health.com and www.arc4sports.com

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Coffee break with Andrew Hoy




Introduce yourself
I am a kid who grew up on a farm in the Australian countryside who just loves horses and riding. I am lucky to be able to do for a living what I enjoy most – riding horses. In 39 years of international competition the horses have taken me around the world to the most outstanding places and I have been fortunate to meet the most wonderful people.

Where are you based? Tell us a little about your yard location and facilities.
I’m based at Somerby Stables, Somerby in Leicestershire. I run my own training facility with the capacity for up to 28 horses – some of them are my competition horses and some of them are ridden by students who are training with me. We are lucky to have fantastic facilities, including indoor and outdoor arenas.

What is your main competition discipline and at which level(s) are you involved?
Eventing, at Top International Level and I’ve competed at seven Olympic Games.

Tell us a little about your top horses
Rutherglen is a fantastic athlete and at the same time one of my best friends. I bought him as a 4 year old stallion in Germany, so we have come a long way together and got to know one another very well. Within my team of horses he is the absolute perfectionist; he loves to be out and busy and wants to do everything right. He is a real overachiever and at the same time a very sensitive character. He is a ‘people´s person‘ –very observant, loves attention, is a very kind personality and enjoys his competitions. Just  a real pleasure to have around!
The Blue Frontier joined the Hoy Team in March 2015, coming from World Champion Sandra Auffarth´s yard in Ganderkesee, Germany.
Blue is a real character and a wonderful horse and I since starting to work with him I have grown very fond of him! His ability to move and jump is enormous and after getting to know one another, we can´t wait to get out there and compete!
Cheeky Calimbo is Cheeky by name and by nature. He has been with me since 2009 and I am convinced he can read and write! He is one of the most extraordinary and talented horses I have ever ridden, a huge character, enormously intelligent and ‘secret favourite‘ of my girlfriend. Although one of the smallest horses on the yard, he is the most dominant in a very clever way – and clearly  ‘The Boss‘ at Somerby Stables.
When I saw Composer for the first time at the Holsteiner Elite auction in Germany in 2008 he immediately caught my eye - he is such a beautiful and elegant tall horse with outstanding movements and a jaw-dropping scope in his jump. Although one of the tallest horses on the yard he is also one of the shy characters – but a true competitor. He is enormously talented so has found it easy to come up through the grades – I believe he is going to be a ‘big time‘ horse and I am very much looking forward to this season with him!

What have been the highlights of the current season so far?  
They are still to come, hopefully!

What other major successes have you enjoyed in your equine career to date?
Three Olympic Team Gold Medals, one Olympic Individual Silver Medal and wins of CCI4*s at Burghley, Badminton, Kentucky & Luhmühlen

With whom do you train regularly?
Gareth Hughes & Beatrice Bürchler-Keller (former Olympic Judge) in the Dressage and Ros Morgan in the Showjumping

Which three tasks do you carry out EVERY day on the yard?
Briefing for the day with my team, checking all my horses’ legs and entering all details of the training of the horses into a diary

How do your horses benefit from the use of ArcEquine’s microcurrent technology and why you feel it is an important element in your success?
 “If you are standing still – you are moving backwards. I have been competing at international level for 39 years and continually strive to improve not only the horses’  training but all daily measurements around the management of my horses. They are top athletes and it is imperative to me that no stone is left unturned to support their health and wellbeing. Since experiencing positive results during a trial period, all of the horses in my care receive treatments with ArcEquine – whether it is in a period of recovery after hard work, coming back from an injury or just to maintain their wellbeing. I believe in the product and am proud to stand for it as an Ambassador.”

What happens next?
The World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2018 and theTokyo Olympics in 2020.

What is your favourite meal?
Grilled seabass and salad

What are your most worn items of clothing?
Jeans

Snow or beach holiday?
Snow

Cats or Dogs?
Both – We have a cat, Garfield and two dogs, Isaac Newton and  Ivanhoe

And finally – Tea or Coffee?
Coffee