Louise & Gandalf Gone Riding Media
I discovered Rose-Hip Vital almost four years ago and thank goodness I did! At that time, I was working through the lower levels of dressage and being held back by a body that is not getting any younger and was subjected to a whole lot of riding and skiing crashes in its youth. I was popping painkillers just to be able to ride and it simply wasn't sustainable.
Id heard a bit about Rose-Hip Vital but hadn't tried it it actually sounded a bit too good to be true and I'm very sceptical about these sorts of things. Then, one day when I was working at my desk and just happened to be watching the live streaming of a dressage event on the side, (more dressage, less work!) I saw a segment about Rose-Hip Vital and decided it was at least worth a try.
I know it sounds dramatic, but it actually did change my life. Within a couple of weeks of starting it I could move like I hadn't done for years. After a month there was no more need for the painkillers and I could start to exercise properly. All of a sudden, I could get serious about my sport and start to build the fitness I needed to ride well.
No more dreading the dismount and the pain as I landed; no more creaking and hurting as I bandaged the horses legs for exercise. In fact, life just became easier.
Of course, the natural extension of this was to start the horses on it. If I felt that good, imagine how they'd feel!
I started using Rose-Hip Vital Equine for both my horses in April 2015 and at that point simply added it to the other supplements I was using to maintain and improve joint health. Both my horses were completely sound I might have been a bit of a crock but they were fit and healthy so I wasn't expecting to see or feel much difference with the addition of Rose-Hip Vital to their diets. What really surprised me was the improvement in their general well being and demeanour. Within the first month their coats took on a new gleam, they were happier in their work and their recovery times after sessions of intense exercise or days of competition was noticeably improved. In short, they felt healthier, happier and full of beans!
As the other supplements ran out I didn't bother to replace them. Now, the only supplement I use for joint health and general well-being is Rosehip Vital Equine.
One of my horses, the beautiful Cil Dara Gandalf, is a very complex character. He was given to me by a dear friend and it was thought that his competition days were over. Bit by bit we won back his trust and formed the partnership that has recently, against all odds, taken us to Grand Prix.
Louise and Gandalf JA Photographics
With Gandalf it was of primary importance that he felt good within his body as he took on each new level of work. Of course, this is the case for any horse, but for one who has been switched off to the world previously and had a tendency to retreat into his she'll in the early days, it became even more important. We needed to be sure that he felt good enough for us to ask for increasing increments of effort if he didnt, I knew it would simply be a case of one step forward, two steps back.
With Rose-Hip Vital Equine we were able to tackle each new level, confident that Gandalf was feeling great and that nothing physical would get in the way of us moving forward.
The higher-level movements of Big Tour competition put some real strain on the horses body and both training and competition are intense. Before each competition I double the Rose-Hip Vital Equine dose for a couple of days and I know that Gandalf will be ready to step up and dance with the best of them.
My young horse, Fiodore, is on Rose-Hip Vital Equine as well. At 7 years old and over 17hh, Fred is a bit of a late maturer, a lot of a clown, and a budding superstar. Hes been on Rose-Hip Vital since he joined us two and a half years ago, and I know its an investment in his performance future.
Gandalf is 16 now and has never felt better. With Rose-Hip Vital Equine supporting us every step of the way, were looking forward to many years of top level competition to come.
