The changeable British weather can cause headaches for us horse owners. There’s always a time when it’s neither hot nor cold, or it can go from being one to the other in a matter of minutes. We like to use the technical term ‘inbetweeny weather’ — and here are just a few of the issues it causes horsey folk throughout the country...

1. Rugs

It might be chilly in the morning and at night, but by lunchtime, in between showers, it’s much warmer. You tend to your horse first thing but then have to go to work and this brings the nightmare of choosing which rug you should or shouldn’t put on your horse. Why hasn’t anyone invented convertible rugs for horses yet?

2. In or out?

The weather in the morning is gorgeous and you would feel guilty if you didn’t put your horse out into the field to enjoy it, but then it’s due to pour later. You don’t want your horse to stand in his stable all day, but at the same time know he will be walking up and down the fence if he’s stuck out in grotty weather.

3. Timing to perfection

You’re about to ride. You can see the angriest storm cloud approaching and calculate you have approximately 20 minutes before you end up getting drenched. Your trainer is always telling you schooling is about quality over quantity, so ready, steady, go!

4. Walking weatherman/woman

If any of your friends want to know what the weather is going to be like for the next 10 days, they know you’re the person to ask. You are a walking weatherman/woman and know exactly hour by hour what the weather Gods are going to throw at you and your horse.

5. What to wear?

Of course, your number one priority is your horse, but after they’re sorted, what on earth are you going to wear to ride in? You’re very chilly tacking them up, but as soon as you get into trot, you’ve broken a sweat and are wishing you’d put on a T-shirt underneath your jumper.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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British Dressage (BD) has released new protocols designed to give competitors and venues clearer guidance on what to do when weather warnings are issued.

The 2023 rules set out specific guidance for venues to follow when yellow, amber and red weather warnings are issued. These include when venues need to prepare a mitigation strategy, at what point the situation should be reviewed with BD, when competitions must be cancelled, and how much notice is ideally given to competitors.

Last year was the warmest on record for the UK, according to provisional Met Office figures, with an average temperature of over 10°C. Temperatures in excess of 40°C were also recorded for the first time. The UK had four named storms in 2022, three of which came within the space of a week in February.

British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) veterinary projects officer Lucy Grieve told H&H the guidance “should provide everyone with a protocol to follow and more predictability with regards to how those situations will be handled”.

“This is also a change that is welcomed by BEVA in order to protect the welfare of our equine competitors,” she added.

BD sport operations manager Lou Jones told H&H members “still need to take personal responsibility”.

“Extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent, both in winter and summer, so we wanted to produce more robust guidance for organisers and venues as to what actions need to be taken in the event of official weather warnings being issued by the Met Office,” she said.

“In 2022 we experienced the full range of weather warnings over the course of the year, so this gave us a good benchmark as to what advice was available to the public in each set of circumstances, whether due to ice and snow, heavy rain and flooding, strong winds and storms, or extreme heat.

“We want to be able to provide further clarity and manage member expectations when a warning is issued, as the speculation on social media can sometimes be alarmist and inaccurate.”

She added that as forecasts can change quickly, the sport needs to be able to conditions on a day-to-day basis.

“By having a more formal framework, based on the red, amber, and yellow warnings provided by the Met Office, this allows us sufficient time to consult with the venue, and either reschedule if necessary or put mitigations in place to ensure it is safe to go ahead,” she said.

“With timescales often tight, particularly during the latter stages of qualification in the build-up to championships, this will provide us with the flexibility required to maximise the opportunity for BD competitions to run safely.”

She added: “It is important to stress that members still need to take personal responsibility for their own choices, especially when considering travel conditions to and from a venue, and the length of time for their journey.

“Equine and rider welfare must always be paramount, but we share collective responsibility for this with our venues and members – and ultimately, they still need to make decisions based on their own individual set of circumstances.”

BD weather warning guidance: what are the new rule?

The 2023 BD rule is as follows:

• Yellow: In the event that the Met Office issues a yellow weather warning, the competition may still go ahead as planned, but the venue will be required to prepare a mitigation strategy for the weather event and communicate this to those members affected.
• Amber: If the Met Office issues an amber weather warning, the venue will review the situation with BD to determine whether the competition can continue to be run as scheduled. The venue will prepare a mitigation strategy for the weather event, agreed with the BD sport operations manager, and communicated in advance to those members affected. If these mitigations do not allow for the safe running of the competition for members or horses, the fixture must be cancelled.
• Red: In the event that the Met Office issues a red weather warning, the competition must be cancelled, unless there are extenuating circumstances and agreed in advance with BD. Weather warnings apply to the location of the competition venue itself, and decisions will not be based on where members reside, or if they are required to travel through an affected area. It is the responsibility of the venue to communicate with those competitors affected.
• A decision on cancellation or postponement of the fixture will be taken no later than 48 hours prior to the start of the competition (unless there are exceptional circumstances), to allow for any additional planning or rescheduling required, based on the most recent weather report.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Temperatures have been dropping and we all knew we couldn’t get away with a soft winter forever. However well prepared you are, however good your cold weather clothing and rugs, chilly weather is always a tricky time for horse owners. Here are 12 questions we’ve all asked ourselves between shivers…

1. Which rug should I put on my horse? At what point do horses feel the cold?

2. Do I really have to stick my hand in that freezing water trough to remove the bits of ice? (Where’s that old kitchen sieve when you need it?)

3. How long is this going to last? I’ve only got three weeks supply of haylage left and I can’t get my trailer up the icy hill out of the yard to collect more until it thaws…

4. Where did I put those really warm riding gloves at the end of last winter?

5. Can I persuade my other half to hump water containers from the house to the car and out to the yard for me because the outdoor tap and hose are frozen solid?

6. Is that school too frozen to ride on?

7. Will my horse slip over on that treacherous track to the woods if I try to go hacking?

Article continues below…

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8. Exactly how many clothes can I wear and still be able to ride with some degree of competence to control this fire-breathing dragon?

9. How much fitness is my horse losing while he can’t do much work?

10. And how much should I reduce his feed to account for his lower workload?

11. Will I be able to get out to that super-duper training session I’ve booked next week?

12. Remind me why I’m doing this? I’m sure knitting is very soothing… and warm…

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Equestrian sport has been brought to a standstill as swathes of the country have been covered by inches of snow, causing serious disruption on both major and minor roads.

The Met Office’s weather warnings for “widespread snow with around 10 cm in parts of northwest England, the Midlands and Wales, with a chance of 15-20 cm in more exposed isolated areas” on Sunday 10 December proved accurate, leading to the cancellation of race meetings and equestrian events alike.

The College EC, Keysoe, in Bedfordshire cancelled the second day of its British Dressage (BD) High Profile dressage show. Competitors posted their support for the decision on social media.

H&H columnist Anna Ross said: “Full respect to Simon Bates and the team at The College Equestrian Centre who ran an excellent show in very difficult circumstances yesterday before deciding to cancel day two in the interests of the safety and welfare of the horses and competitors.

“As a venue proprietor myself, I’m very aware the costs of cancellation are considerable. Knowing that the College EC has put our horses’ interests above their profit margin puts it high on my list of ‘best venues’.”

British Eventing had initially hoped to go ahead with its Arena Eventing competition at Vale View Equestrian near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, leading to a social media outcry due to poor driving conditions in the area, but then changed its mind due to the worsening weather.

The British Eventing head office was also closed on Monday due to the heavy snowfall, as was the British Horse Society’s HQ.

Bury Farm in Bucks cancelled its BD combined training show on Sunday and its regular BD competition on Monday due to the ongoing snow fall. It hopes to publish an alternative date for its combined training qualified as soon as possible.

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Racing lost meetings at Huntingdon and Kelso on Sunday while today’s action at Musselburgh has been cancelled.

Tattersalls Ireland has cancelled today’s Ascot December sales for horses in training.

Numerous hunt meets have been affected and the Dianas of the Chase ride was among the events lost to the weather.

The snow is expected to be replaced with warmer wetter conditions later in the week, which should allow equestrian sport to return to normal.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Bristol-based animal welfare Charity, HorseWorld has had to cancel its festive procession today due to the icy weather.

The charity had planned to start Christmas early today (Thursday 23 December) with a tractor-pulled festive float in Whitchurch Village.

They hoped to recoup some of the £5,000 stolen from the charity’s offices on 5 December.

But Elizabeth Goddard of the charity said : “In the interest of safety we have decided to cancel our Christmas Procession, which had been due to take place today, due to the extreme weather conditions.”

HorseWorld cares for nearly 500 equines plus hens, ducks, goats, ferrets and Portia the pot-bellied pig.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

An enterprising Norfolk riding centre is advertising its horse-riding simulator to ice-bound equestrians desperate to get back in the saddle.

“Steady Eddie” — a state-of-the-art Racewood simulator — is stabled at PlayBarn Riding Centre, in Poringland, Norfolk.

Centre manager Nicole Douglass says he has become very popular during the cold weather.

“We have already had bookings for early next year from riding clubs, dressage groups and our local British Showjumping junior academy, concerned they will not be able to ride their horses,” she said.

“We also have regular visitors who bring their own instructor.”

Ms Douglass said the centre invested in the simulator two years ago, as they could not afford an indoor arena and wanted something to keep up custom over the winter.

Lessons on Steady Eddie are £35 per half hour or £60 an hour.

This article was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound, 16 December 2010

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Vets are warning owners to act now to avoid an increase in colic cases, which occurred during last January and February’s snowfalls.

Practices around the UK are witnessing more colic cases as a result of the snow, ice and frost.

“We usually have about one case of colic a weekend, but last weekend we had six, which isn’t a massive surprise in this weather,” said Anna Hollis from Scott Dunn’s Equine Clinic in Wokingham, Berks.

She’s also aware of more cases of laminitis.

“Although this is usually thought of as a spring problem, we are seeing more in this weather, possibly due to the frozen ground, but we don’t know exactly why,” she added.

Keith Chandler from Kessock Equine Vets in Inverness, where there is heavy snow, says the practice is usually called to about two cases of colic a month. But they have treated around half a dozen in the past fortnight.

“Up here horses can’t get out at all, so we’re seeing more cases due to the change in routine — a fitter horse is a healthier horse,” he said.

He warned coughs are on the increase, too, due to the extra time being stabled.

Tim Greet from Rossdales Equine Hospital in Newmarket added: “Horses are less likely to be exercised in bad weather — and as the gastro-intestinal tract is related to limb movement, this can slow down and get impacted.”

“Horses evolved to graze 23½ hours out of 24, so we advise getting them out as much as you can,” he said.

“Owners need to be aware,” warned H&H veterinary consultant Karen Coumbe. “If feed is going in the front end but not coming out the back, there’s a blockage and a problem.

“Large colon impactions are the second most common reported cause of colic in horses,” she explained.

“One study showed that more than 50 per cent of cases had a change in routine, such as increased stabling in the two weeks prior to an impaction developing.

“Make sure your horse drinks plenty, is fed less grain while kept in and has a non-edible bed. If exercise is possible, it helps, even just a gentle walk around the yard, school or frosty field.”

Rowena Cook, who runs the Retraining of Racehorses helpline, said she’s noticed a rise in calls about colic.

“We had two this weekend and, if the bad weather continues, I’m sure there will be several more,” she said.

Bedfordshire-based Carol Phillips’ horse showed mild colic signs after being turned out all day on the frozen grass.

“It hasn’t affected him in the past, but he hadn’t been drinking as much as normal due to his buckets freezing overnight and was clearly quite uncomfortable,” she said.

“We’ve been insulating his waterbuckets and adding hot water in the evening, and we have not had any problems since.”

Another reader, who didn’t want to be named, was not so fortunate and lost her four-year-old to spasmodic gas colic on 29 November.

“In anticipation of the cold weather, we had already beefed up his fibre and thought of ways to keep him hydrated, because this fellow was not a very keen drinker,” she said.

But most readers said they were coping well.

“We’re digging the yard out every day and our horses are still being turned out, though we’re taking water up to the field in the Land Rover,” said H&H reader Dawn McCormack from Northumberland.

Helen Kenward has moved her horses to a facility with indoor arenas in Bucks.

“Colic is my greatest fear, but we’re trying to keep their normal routine,” she said.

And Mandy Hall, also from Northumberland, is feeding electrolytes and lukewarm water to try to prevent dehydration.

“They are also turned out twice a day, which helps to keep things moving inside, and I am keeping an eye on their droppings,” she added.

This article was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound, 9 December 2010

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Showjumper Craig Rimell has spent five days in hospital after slipping on ice.

But the 40-year-old former whipper-in for the Albrighton turned jumper hopes to be back in saddle within the fortnight.

“I walked out of my front door and fell over on the ice,” said Solihull-based Craig.

“I tore a tendon, injured ligaments and bruised the bone. If you fell off a horse you’d accept that kind of damage, but to do it on your feet is embarrassing.

“But I’m not going to be put off, and I’ve got to be ready in time for the shows in January. Besides, horse are my drug and I’m in need of a fix.”

As well as show jumping, Craig works for trainer Ian Williams and rides and schools horses.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now