Showjumper Finds New Gear with Actisaf®
Showjumper Sarah Beattie bought Clonlara Sarah, a 2006 Irish Sport Horse mare by Ryehill Furristo, to jump in the Newcomers classes affiliated to British Showjumping. The 16.1hh chestnut mare “Connie” came to their East Lothian yard in March of 2013 and has been competed by Sarah in both show jumping and eventing competitions across Scotland’s Central Belt.
Like the rest of the horses in the Beattie family’s stable, Connie enjoyed 10 hours minimum of turnout on grass a day in winter in addition to receiving hay, concentrate feed and chaff in the stable at night. Defying the ‘chestnut mare’ stereotype, she was an easy horse to ride and to work with, but late last year Sarah sensed a change in the mare that worried her.
“Connie has always been a lovely mare, she has a very kind nature and is usually bright and alert, cheeky even, but I noticed towards the end of the year that she just seemed a bit off, and so I started to look into potential causes,” said Sarah. “She just wasn’t herself.”
After a physio check found nothing, Sarah had their equine dentist come out to see Connie, who ruled out her teeth as a source of any issues. “The dentist then suggested that we try Actisaf® live yeast as she had successfully used it with her show jumping ponies. Shortly after that visit we started adding it to Connie’s regular feed, and a week later we started to notice a difference in her,” explained Sarah.
“She really brightened and has such a great energy now, she just seems so much happier,” said Sarah. “She is naturally very laid back and was always fairly quiet in the field, but now almost every time she’s turned out she‘s off at the trot with the occasional buck which is great to see.”
The increased energy from Connie has started to make a difference under saddle and in the ring as well. “In the ring I can hardly keep up with her! It’s a great feeling to have her moving forward, she’s very keen and I no longer wear spurs. She jumps with a lot more energy and enthusiasm which makes it more fun for both of us,” Sarah explained. “But mostly, I’m happy because she is happy.”
Sarah is now looking to add Actisaf® into the feed of their other two horses, a miniature Shetland pony and a Scottish Sport Horse. “With the results we saw with Connie and what it did for her, it’s an obvious next move to give it to the rest of the horses. I’m excited to see what it will do for them!”