Franchesca Slack

Franchesca is Horse & Hound’s Products Editor. She produces all of our buying guides and gift guides, as well as organising product testing and bringing you news about the latest products to hit the market. If there’s a new launch, Franchesca is the first person to hear about it. She works with Georgia Guerin to bring you the best deals and is passionate about arming Horse & Hound’s readers with honest, unbiased product reviews. Franchesca loves letting riders and horse owners know what products are coming out, how to make their lives easier and how to spend their money wisely. 

Franchesca’s lifelong love of horses started from a very young age as her mother was a riding instructor. She was unbeatable in the lead-rein showjumping and gymkhana games with her pony, Muffit. They regularly attended Pony Club and, as she lives on Hayling Island, spent plenty of time riding on the beach. 

After leaving school she went on to study at Sparsholt College, where she completed a National Diploma in equine management and BSc(Hons) degree in Equine Studies. She also competed on the inter-college riding team.

Once graduated, Franchesca went to work at her local tack shop and this is where her love for products really began. After working in retail she moved on to wholesale with Snowhill Trade Saddlery and worked her way up from sales advisor to office manager.

Her next challenge was working at Horse&Rider and PONY magazines as a sales executive. She then became Production Editor, which meant handling everything product related, from buying guides to product testing. She also worked on Equestrian Trade News and Endurance magazine as part of this role.

Franchesca is known at her yard as the “catalogue queen” for her extensive knowledge of brands and products, and she has made it her mission to encourage people to shop with a purpose. She loves putting products through their paces and keeping a finger on the pulse for what's new in safety, such as the best body protectors for children, and fashion. She’s clocked up hundreds of miles in her favourite Aigle wellies and tested litres of the best whitening shampoos, and now dedicates hours of her time sourcing the best products online so you don’t have to. 

When she is not putting kit through its paces, she can be found riding, running around after her two miniature dachshunds or with her son making sand castles on the beach.

Franchesca owns an Irish Draught gelding “Sekonda”, and two shire horses, “Roxy” and “Sammy” who she shares with her partner. She also competes with her friend’s 15.2hh Irish Draught mare “Barbie”. Unfortunately for Franchesca, both the Irish Draughts are grey, so she spends a lot of time keeping them clean!

If you have a product you would like Franchesca to know about, please email her on franchesca.slack@futurenet.com