Essex pub to become "equestrian centre"

Stop me if you've heard this before – A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Why the long face?"
This is one of those jokes which seems to defy logic. For starters, why would a horse go into a pub in the first place? Moreover, is it even possible for a bar to accommodate one of these creatures?
However, several horses may soon be entering a pub in Essex – because the venue is being converted into an "equestrian centre".
Reportedly, the Wheatsheaf pub has been closed since 2006, but plans have been approved which should transform the site. As well as constructing a "riding arena", the venue will also feature buildings such as a post office, a restaurant, and shops.
Therefore, visitors might be able to take their steeds for a ride, enjoy a quality meal, and then perhaps purchase the latest in equestrian clothing. In addition, it has been claimed that the finished site may help to improve rider safety as well as benefit the local community.
Furthermore, the project should involve building a home within the area. Considering that the site seems to be catering towards participants of equestrianism, I hope designers plan on including a bridle suite for the animals.
Get it? Bridle suit? Horse bridles? Fair enough, I'll try to make fewer jokes and focus on writing these pieces instead.
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Many horse riders could be too heavy for their steeds

A recent news story caught my attention this week. It reported on the results of a study which suggested that equestrianism could be facing an obesity crisis.
I realise I might have to clarify that statement. I don't mean that participants have been purchasing horse rugs in XL sizes, but rather these people could be getting too big for their riding boots – in a manner of speaking.
It has been stated that when mounting a horse, an individual should weigh less than 10% of the animal's mass. To put that into perspective, if a steed is about 500kg, the rider should be approximately 50kg.
However, the results of the study – published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour – suggested that many individuals could be too heavy for their mounts. In fact, it appears that only 5% of riders could be within the above limit.
Moreover, approximately 32% could be so heavy that they may place the health of their horses at risk. As a result, their steeds might suffer from various problems, such as back pains, arthritis in parts of their legs, and could even become bad tempered.
Now, I realise this is quite a sensitive subject, but perhaps riders should consider investigating how much they weigh before jumping in the saddle. As a spokesperson from the Association of British Riding Schools put it when speaking to the Daily Telegraph: "What's more important – saving someone's blushes, or saving the horse's back?"
Photo © Just chaos via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence