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

ArcEquine: Training and Competition

As every rider knows, training and competition cause physical and psychological stresses on a horse, making effective management of health, soundness and wellbeing of fundamental importance to success.

As a horse’s bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons are subjected to the workload of his training and competition schedule, small ‘micro tears’ occur in all tissues. Recovery is dependent on his body’s ability to heal this microscopic damage in what should be a naturally regenerative cycle resulting in a stronger, fitter horse able to work harder and compete more successfully.

It is only when these so-called micro tears can’t heal fast enough to keep up with the stresses imposed on them that ever-more significant damage occurs and ultimately, an injury results. The aim in training is therefore to balance the stresses on the tissues with adequate recovery time and for a growing number of riders, regular use of an ArcEquine.

ArcEquine technology is known to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling and to enhance regenerative repair. Simply rotate the ArcEquine around your horse’s legs for the daily three-hour programme period and prevent those annoying ‘niggles’ from becoming ‘injury nightmares’ this season.

International event rider Lucinda Fredericks, pictured competing with Little Brittania, uses ArcEquine and says: "I love ArcEquine; it definitely speeds up recovery times for my horses and can be used to treat many injuries and other health issues."

Visit www.arcequine.com for more information and to buy securely online, join the ArcEquine community on facebook and follow @arcequine on Twitter.

ArcEquine supports Lissa Green's eventing success

With a family background in eventing that would be the envy of most riders - Lissa Green's mother Lucinda Green was a six-times Badminton winner and her Australian father David Green a dual gold medallist, but until fairly recently, riding was more of a hobby and not a full time occupation, as Lissa herself explains......

"I only turned to riding and competing full time in the last couple of years but I always had one horse to event in the summer holidays between term time at school and university. My biggest highlight would be as first reserve for Team GB in the 2007 Junior European Championships; I remember being more than ecstatic when I got that phone call!

There are always low points with horses, sadly it comes with the territory, most notably when a horse is injured. When they hurt themselves it is truly horrible.

Lissa Green and Malin Head Clover

Secondly would be when I get injured, as I did last August when I had quite a nasty fall, as my then new ride Malin Head Clover misjudged the smallest fence on the course. Luckily he had a soft landing on me so was absolutely fine, but I came off a little worse with four fractured ribs, a broken collarbone, damaged rotator cuffs in my shoulder, multiple fractures to my jaw joint and my chin bone was split into two bits at the front. I had my chin plated and spent a week in hospital and hoped my collarbone would mend.

Five weeks later an X-ray revealed it hadn't and needed to be operated on, but I wanted to finish the season and although I was sore, it was worth it. The horse I fell on did two Intermediates and was 7th with a double clear on our last run.

I then had my operation and straight away my collarbone was so much more comfortable – with the bonus that I didn’t have to spend a winter perhaps worrying about how my nerves would be when I got back on Malin Head Clover. To top it off we managed three top 10 placings out of those last five competitions, so maybe I should fall off more often….

I have to say my parents have been a huge influence; they both treat me as an individual and always help when I need it, but don’t interfere too much. I have taken inspiration from so many amazing horsemen, it is such a privilege to be constantly around the calibre of rider that is competing today.

When it comes to fitness, I have a very strict schedule and I think plenty of road work is very important to keep hardening up the tendons on their legs. I also think feed is hugely important, as what you put into your horse has a massive impact on helping them perform at their best.

In addition, I rely on a brilliant little microcurrent unit called - an ArcEquine - for both my horses and myself. It is ideal to have around if any horses acquire an injury as it helps to heal more efficiently and in a fraction of the time; I love it. I used it on myself when recovering from my operations and when I went back to the physio's, they couldn't believe how good my shoulder was and how far ahead my recovery was. Definitely thanks to this super machine!

Follow Lissa Green Eventing on facebook.