Category: Blog Posts

If you enjoy playing the races, it’s difficult to find a better way to combine excitement and adrenaline than horse betting. If you’re interested in taking part as a punter, here’s some advice on how to pick out the best horse betting site for your needs.

It’s difficult to recommend a specific online sportsbook site or horse racing betting app, because it depends on your own personal criteria. It’s clear that people bet in different ways and have very different requirements, which makes a “one size fits all” choice very difficult.

I had a friend that only bet on weekend races at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, and another cousin that wouldn’t wager more than $3 per race. So before you take the plunge with an online horse racing betting website, consider these factors first.

How do I pick a horse betting app?

1. Choice of Betting Options – do they offer the types of bets you want and are there enough odds available to make your strategy profitable?

2. Betting Limits – Some sites let you bet as little as $1 a race, while others may have higher minimums. It’s important that your betting budget matches what the website can handle, so be sure to check it before signing up and risking your money.

3. State Restrictions – Believe it or not, some states have online gambling bans in place. This means they can prosecute you or even threaten to freeze your assets if you try and play from there. Other sites operate offshore with little regulation, so double check their licensing before risking any money there.

4. Types of Bets – Do they offer exotic bets? Parlays? Prop bets? Placing the bet is just as important as knowing what they offer, so you can manage your bankroll well and maximize your returns.

5. Streams – Some sites use Flash to stream horse races, while others use streaming video in HTML5 or Silverlight. Also pay attention to the quality of these streams and how well they display on your monitor, tablet or mobile.

6. Cashout Time – Horse betting sites typically have a cut off time to cash out wins, so be sure that you’ll be able to see the money in your bankroll before you start playing. If not, then what’s the point?

7. Customer Service – Do they offer 24/7 customer support? Do they have a dedicated toll free phone number to speak with someone in person? If you call the support line, do they know what they are talking about? Those are all questions that should be on your radar before joining a new betting site.

Don’t just join any website and blindly send money without doing research first. There are plenty of good options available, but also many red flags out there that you should be looking for.

I hope this article helped arm you with some essential knowledge on horse betting sites before making your next deposit. Once again, I can’t recommend a specific site because it depends so much on your own personal preferences. But at least I gave you the proper questions to ask before plunking down any cash.

Good luck!

Remember the days when horse enthusiasts had to get the Racing Post or Horse & Hound Magazine delivered to their door by the paperboy? I do, but perhaps I’m showing my age. In fact once upon a time I used to be that paperboy! But anyway I digress. These days we get all the horse racing and equestrian information we need from our phones or the internet.

But when it comes to mobile, things have gone the other way. We don’t just have a choice of one or two informaioon sources any more, it runs into the hundreds! So how do you know which one to choose?

Never fear, because that’s exactly why we’ve put together this list of the best mobile apps for horse racing fans. We’ve picked our favourites in a number of categories, so you can just go ahead and download the best without bothering with the rest.

Buy And Sell

If you’re looking to buy, sell or trade horses then there really is only one choice. Whickr is the clear market leader and the free Whickr app at apple.com lets you browse hundreds of horses from your mobile. It gets good user feedback and it’s pretty easy to use.

Horse Racing

If you’re a fan of betting on horse racing, you’ll probably be aware that there are quite a few bookmaker apps you can choose from. In fact it probably runs into hundreds.

So obviously, we haven’t been able to try out or test all of them, in fact not even close. Therefore the best option is to go and find someone who has. David Graham and his team do exactly that.

News And Events

This is a tricky one to recommend because it all depends on which news source you personally prefer. Some people swear by the racing post, others like the BBC, and there are also all the national newspapers to consider.

For me personally, I’m a fan of Racing TV, so theirs is the app I tentatively recommend. You get latest all the horse racing news, results, live streaming other features on iOS or Android. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, then here’s where to download it.

What Did We Miss?

Hope you’ve enjoyed the list so far. We do intend to expand into other categories, and for that we need your input! So if you want to suggest any other apps we’ve missed – preferably ones that you use personally and can recommend – then please either leave a comment or contact us.

Your suggestions are welcome. We’ll check them all out personally and if we like them, we’ll add your selections to this list and of course we’ll also give you a name check and credit for your suggestion. So please do get in touch!

The traditional high street bookmaker used to be a fixture on most of not all of Britain’s town and city centres. But the landscape is changing, and like much of the retail industry, bookmakers are feeling the squeeze. Today we look at some of the reasons why they are struggling, and ask how much technology – and in particular live horse racing online – is to blame.

The stereotypical image of the bookmaker’s shop is a somewhat dingy, smoky room in which old men gather to spend the entire day poring over the form in the Racing Post, placing their bets and watching the races on wall mounted TV screens. In fact that image was pretty much accurate for many years.

But times change.

Introduction Of Live Streaming

These days you’re far more likely to find racing enthusiasts watching via their tablets or smartphones, and almost everybody has access to one. So they don’t need to go to a bookies, because free online streaming services allow them to do exactly that from anywhere. The live horse racing streaming schedule at LiveSport Center shows that every single UK and Irish race is available to watch in this way.

But is this the only reason why high street bookies are struggling? Almost certainly not.

Online Competition

It’s not just access to live horse racing that makes punters move online. It’s also the fact they can get better odds, more markets and more offers by doing so. The reason is obvious – margins. An online business does not have the burden of city centre business rates and rents.

It has far less staff and overheads, and therefore a much healthier profit margin. Some of this can be passed on to the customer, making the product more attractive. In the same way that Amazon is hurting traditional UK high street retailers, online betting sites are hurting high street bookies.

Regulation

At first, the bookies reacted to this by offering other services. Mainly these were Fixed Odds Betting Terminals or FOBTs, an arcade/casino type machine that allowed customers to bet on computer generated roulette or blackjack. These proved extremely popular and profitable, and certainly made up for the fall in horse racing revenue. But they also proved extremely addictive, and lead to problem gambling.

What followed was regulation, and the UK Government’s imposition of maximum stake levels to protect vulnerable players. There’s no doubting this was the right thing to do, but from the bookie’s perspective is serves to cripple their profit margins and put them right back where they started, unable to compete with their online rivals.

It was predicted by the Financial Times and other media outlets at the time that this legislation would cause many bookies to close.

Smoking Ban

Some argue that the decline in customer base started in 2007 when the smoking ban was first introduced. Like it or not, many horse racing punters at the time were also smokers – hence the (justified) stereotype of the smoky room. As soon as punters were no longer able to do that, spending the day in the bookies became less attractive, and some began to drift away.

Given that for many people, a day at the bookies was seen as a social event, an opportunity to meet friends with a similar interest in the horses, you can see how this may have spread. Even people who weren’t affected by the ban might stop going if their friends stopped, and so the effect is wider than first perceived.

A Multi Faceted Decline

So as you can see, there are many reasons why the traditional bookmaker is in decline. Part of it is to do with horse racing, which has traditionally been their bread and butter. But there are other factors. Times change as technology changes, and this has been an inevitable constant throughout history.

Live streaming might be the final nail in the coffin, but many others had already been hammered in.

In May 2003, I purchased my first horse, a QH cross, named Buddy. He was an older horse, but that was ok with me since I needed something dependable to learn on. He made a great first horse and I learned a lot from him. Unfortunately arthritis in his back leg became progressively worse and I didn’t feel it was fair to him to be ridden anymore.

We decided to find a forever home for him as a companion horse. We thought we found a great home for him and gave him for free in May 2007, to person #1 (we’ll call her Kathy). However, just in case, we had the person who took him sign an agreement that if she couldn’t provide a home for him, we’d have the first opportunity to take him back for free.

We would periodically contact her to see how Buddy was doing and one day later that year, was told that she had decided to move him down to her cousin’s house in AZ so it would be easier on his arthritis. She assured us that she still owned him and that she’d never give him up.

Well, unbeknown to us, in Oct.’ 2007, five months after we gave Buddy to Kathy, she sold him for $700 to person #2 (we’ll call her Susan) as a riding horse. Up until Jan. 2009, Kathy maintained Buddy was in AZ until my wife discovered an ad for a horse for sale that sounded and looked just like Buddy, but was for sale not too far away from where Kathy lived.

Upon further investigation, we found that it was indeed Buddy! We confronted Kathy and she confessed selling Buddy and said she had forgotten about the agreement she had signed until we had contacted her again asking for an update. She had then gotten scared at what we might do and since Susan seemed really happy with Buddy, she had decided to lie instead to try to keep everyone happy.

She agreed to return the $700 to Susan so we could take Buddy back. All things considered, Buddy was in great shape, but I was concerned over how hard he had been ridden. According to the story, Kathy, as well as Susan, had deemed Chief to be rideable.

Susan told us that he didn’t complain when he was ridden and that he was fast and had been clocked at 43 mph. My reply to that was why would anyone have the audacity to ask a 20+ year old horse on 3 good legs to run at an all out gallop?!

When asked if he limped after being ridden, we were told that he did after being ridden for a while, but “that was his way to get out of doing work.” I don’t get it. Would you ask your 70 year-old grandfather (Buddy’s age in human years) to run as fast as he could? I wouldn’t.

Personally, I don’t feel it is right to ride him very hard. Buddy is one of those horses though who has quite the heart and he’ll do it if you ask him to. So that begs the question – if a horse can physically run with a minimal limp but it is uncomfortable, do you make him run anyway? Again, that is why I am so worried about him and want him to go to a place where he doesn’t have to work so hard.

Both person #1 & person #2 took very good care of him weight-wise, but I feel he was worked harder than I think is necessary. He’s not a young buck anymore. I think light exercise is good for him to keep him from getting completely stiff, but I just don’t feel it’s right to have him run as fast as he can either.

What do you think? Thankfully on Feb. 28, 2009, Buddy was moved to the stables we board at and will enjoy having an easier life

Every trainer of high performance animals, be they horses, camels or greyhounds, knows that when an animal “goes off its feed“ immediate help is essential. After all, the feed of racing horses, camels and greyhounds supplies the essential elements – carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscle development and growth, micro and macro minerals for skeletal strength. Without a constant supply of high quality food outstanding performance when racing is impossible.

Under hard training an animal can become depressed, run down and uninterested in feed. This condition is frequently called “Training off”. When this syndrome occurs it is essential to stimulate appetite and get the animal back on feed. That’s where Collovet comes in. It is specially formulated as an appetite stimulant and to assist animals that are required to unleash sudden and massive bursts of energy.

Collovet contains:

• Stomachics- which stimulate the gastric juices and assists in getting the animal back on its feed
• Iron -a source of organic complexed iron to help build up haemoglobin levels in the bloodstream and increase the supply of oxygen to the muscles.
• A C. N. S Stimulant – which increases the activity of the central nervous system and gives the racing animal a sense of well being and improves the muscular efficiency.
• Potassium and Sodium -to help replace body metabolites which can become deficient under the stress of racing or heavy training.
• Organic Phosphate – which assists in the transfer of energy to the muscles.
• B Complex Vitamins- in natural form- to convert carbohydrate to energy and help tone up the nervous system, leaving the animal alert not flighty.
• Vitamin B1 -to improve appetite and helps calm the horse.

Collovet is a water soluble liquid which can be dosed in the drinking water, milk, or feed. It can even be drenched. It is extremely palatable and does not cause nausea or stomach upsets. Properly used it unlocks the reserves of hidden performance in all racing animals.

Should It Be Used On Race Horses?

The use of drugs such as appetite stimulants on race horses is a contentious issue in the UK and worldwide. Although the practice is reasonably widespread, there are those who oppose it. Protests have been seen at major horse racing fixtures including the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot, Aintree and Goodwood.

Some drugs such as steroids are banned in horse racing, and those found using them can expect to face charges from the racing authorities. But products such as Collovet are perfactly legal, and some traniners believe they may give an advantage in preparing for big events. It’s certainly a factor you may wish to consider when choosing which horse to back in the big races at the Cheltenham Festival this year.

But how do these products actually affect the horses themselves?

The manufacturers claim that using products such as this can actually help the animal, especially if it is being trained and used in high level horse racing or jumping.

However, some protest groups claim that its use can harm or even kill the horses.

As with most issues such as this, the truth is likely to be found somewhere in between, and independent research is being conducted into whether products such as this are good, bad or indifferent for a horses’ welfare.

For added safety we replace the standard vehicle wheels with brand new 18” aluminium rims with low profile tyres. This adds to the stability of the Aeos. The tyres are filled with Puncture Safe which is a unique tyre safety system that seals a puncture as it happens.

For extra safety for your horses we include anti-weaver grills and secure tie rings. As an additional safety feature we use Coat-X, a Polyurea protective coating in the horse area and on the ramp. Coat-X provides increased grip for loading and transporting your horses.

This product reduces weight and, being completely waterproof, enables owners to power wash the whole horse area and ramp safely and without any water ingress. As in the larger Helios horsebox range, we spray Coat-X in a light grey to make the horse area light and airy.

We are so confident in the extra grip Coat-X provides, over rubber matting, that we commissioned an independent Slip test which rated the product at BS 7976-2 standard. Tests proved that Coat-X clearly provides an increased resistance to slipping.

Aeos standard features:

• 1.22 tonnes of payload
• 12 months test
• Full service
• New 18” alloy wheels
• New low profile tyres
• Tyres filled with Puncture Safe Aeos vinyl stripes
• Weight certificate
• Tack area seat
• Led interior lights
• Wardrobe Ramp and horse area fully coated in Coat-X
• Large exterior tack box 2 x saddle racks and 2 x bridle cups
• Full rear moulding with top lights
• Metallic paint Easy close ramp with under floor gas strut assistance
• New upholstery throughout
• Roof vent

In 2000 we moved to the Near North in the Almaguin Highlands of Ontario. Our roads lead into Algonquin Park and make for lovely trail riding. What was supposed to be our retirement has grown somewhat! Jay has taken clinics and now holds judging qualification for Icelandic horses as a National sport judge and for Breed evaluation.

He has judged in Ontario and British Columbia several times in the last few years. Currently he is a director for our national club the Canadian Icelandic Horse Federation. Jay and Kathy have owned horses for over 30 years.

They have trained their own, and now occasionally start young horses. Both Jay and Kathy have taken English Hunt lessons. In addition, Kathy has undergone English and Western riding lessons for many years. Horses Playing at Bonaventure Farms Our breeding program is small and will remain that way by choice.

We recently imported a young stallion from the Covets in California and our breeding program will be based on temperament and gaits with the probability of nice color. Some of our mares are 4 gaited and some are 5. Our foal from last year is 5 gaited with lovely personality and color and we hope that this will continue in our future foals. We like to do a lot of pleasure riding and try to participate in shows when not actively judging at them.

Our knowledge of these special horses grows yearly with our participation in clinics for Icelandic and other gaited horses. There is much to learn about this breed and we endeavor to get our horses out in the public so more people can learn about them. Bonaventure Farms Services we offer: Horse Sales Foal Sales Tack Sales Clothing Sales Trail Rides Boarding Horse Transport Stud service from a beautiful blue dunn stallion & Much Much More!

To inquire about these services please get in touch! Thanks for taking a look! Sincerely, Jay & Kathy Whittington

“I would like to point out and I will not stop to do so, that dressage training and dressage riding is the basis for all riders!” So says Markus Waterhues. “Show Jump Riders and of course also Event Riders (or Military Riders) have to work and train their horses also in the dressage way of riding, as well as ambitious hobby riders who just want to take out their horses for a nice trail ride. And it makes no difference if your horse is a warm blood horse, a pony or a baroque horse.”

Mark Waterhues offers individual training courses for dressage riders up to class S at the highest level “Grand Prix”. The instructional content is the performance and objectives of both horse and rider, which have to be constantly adjusted.

Using modern analysis techniques, the individual adjustment and verification of the learned, are visualized shown to enhance the learning phase, directly after the riding lessons. An individual training seminar can be taken from 2 up to 30 days.

The best results for personal seminar will be achieved with your own horse, of course. But we also can provide you with some excellent horses during your time to improve your personal dressage riding experiences. Depending to the time of your staying, you will be also able to attend other dressage seminars at the Hof Norwegen, which will be conducted by other professional dressage masters.

Markus Waterhues will also assist you at competitions or compete with your horse at selected dressage events and tournaments, if possible. You can compete with your own horse or you will be delivered with one of the customer horses by Markus Waterhues. However, what ever you will decide, to ride your own horse, let your horse be ridden by a professional horse rider or just join the team for a event in Germany – it will be a day of great pleasure and a new experience for you.

If you like to stay for a private and individual training workshop with Markus Waterhues at Hof Norwegen, please contact Markus for further details