As with any industry, especially those which involve animals, there are always issues around management, regulations and welfare. Here we aim to keep you up to date with current issues affecting the equestrian industry. From changes to racing rules, to riders actions at competitions to the horse population crisis. We aim to bring you the latest.
I don’t know about you, but during lockdown we have seen a rise of people wandering onto our yard, into our fields and touching our horses. It is driving us nuts! Trespassing On nearly a daily basis one of us see a member of the public somewhere they shouldn’t be.…
At least one sky lantern company has created a special sky lantern to be released as part of the Clap for the NHS on a Thursday evening with all proceeds going to the NHS. While this is a lovely idea, please do not release these (or any) sky lanterns. Fire…
It was announced last night that stricter measures are being put in place to try and stop the spread of Covid-19. These measures include only leaving the house for essentials such as food and medical shopping and only going outside your property for exercise once a day. There has been…
Earlier this week British Dressage announced that they were changing there vaccination rules from 12 months to 6 months. While this rule was already in place for the FEI and for horse racing, it has caused a bit of a stir among BD riders. Equine Flu Still Here At the…
I nearly always carry a whip when I ride. It’s habit more than anything else and I find it a helpful tool. But the use of a whip is always a hot topic, especially when it comes to public perception of equestrian sport. This week I also saw a really…
Since Scottie first went lame in October, I feel like I have been very hot… okay borderline obsessive about his soundness. Now I have never had a fantastic eye for lameness. Obviously I can see if they are hopping lame or even 5/10s I would like to say I would…
In the UK, trimming a horses whiskers is standard practice. But with countries banning it, should we be trimming our horses whiskers?
Today came the announcement that Horse Racing will resume tomorrow after just 0.5% of horses tested had the virus. I believe the British Horse Racing Authority made the right decision postponing racing for a week to establish how widespread the virus was. These actions have meant that the virus is…
With an outbreak of equine flu in vaccinated horses, are you doing everything you can to keep your horse safe?
Half pads have become incredibly popular recently. But when should you use them? And why does Scottie have one?
Obesity is one of the biggest risks to horses in the UK. Horse owners need to take action!
Bonfire night is often a touchy subject in the country as the fireworks can scare animals and pose a fire risk to farms and stables. However, even as a horse owner, I love bonfire night and do not think fireworks should be banned. Not when there are other things to…
This year I have written a few posts about how I think the FEI needs to change how it responds to cases where the rider has over used the whip, perhaps by looking into some of the horse racing legislation on this topic. Because my thoughts on this topic were…
4 months ago social media exploded after the performance of Oliver Townend at Badminton horse trials and his use of the whip on both of his horses. He was given a verbal warning and allowed to continue with the competition. At the time, many in the horse industry thought this…
The past few weeks, equine welfare has exploded over social media and even making national news! Ordinarily, this would be fantastic! I am all for raising awareness of welfare issues within the equine industry and encouraging both horsey and non horsey folk to get involved to bring about change. However,…
