A Paralympic medallist and her daughter who had to put their horse down despite their best efforts have spoken out about horses being given away for free or sold cheaply, and urged owners to think about what the worst-case scenario could be.

Last week H&H reported vet Natalie McGoldrick’s experience where she was called to an emaciated mare, who had recently been sold for a “bargain” price as a seven-year-old, but was found to be elderly and in poor health, and had to be put down. Natalie urged owners to “do the right thing“ by their older and unrideable horses, when they cannot provide suitable long-term care or retirement homes.

Lauren Criddle and her mother Deb who was part of the London 2012 gold-medal winning para dressage team, agree with Natalie and have shared their experience of a KWPN gelding they bought in 2013 – who ultimately had to put down two years later when he was unrideable and dangerous.

Lauren and Deb told H&H they heard from a friend about the well-bred seven-year-old, “Boston”, who was being sold for £1,000. Although Lauren and Deb were “taken aback” by his low price given his breeding, they decided to view him .

“When we turned up Boston was at the back of the stable, which was full of poo, and he just looked broken. He had no hay, was windsucking constantly and you could see every one of his ribs. We knew something wasn’t right, but we felt so sorry for him we decided to take him,” Lauren told H&H, adding that the seller agreed to lower his price to £500.

When Lauren and Deb went to collect Boston the following day, he had been turned out overnight and punctured the front of his hock on barbed wire fencing. Deb called a vet before taking Boston home, and in the end paid the seller £400 for him.

Boston was given six months off while they tried to put his weight back on and he eventually became a “happier” horse. But on bringing him back into work, although he showed talent, he became unpredictable but vet checks, including X-rays, did not reveal any problems.

“To start off with he was so jolly, and we could have put Mum on him he was so good. But the fitter he got the more erratic his behaviour became,” said Lauren.

“Some days he was fantastic and he was like a £20,000 horse, but other times he was neurotic and would just flip. He really scared me on a few occasions, he would bolt, rear, and put us and him in danger. We decided to send him away to another professional trainer to see if it might help but it didn’t really make a difference.”

Two years after buying Boston, Lauren and Deb made the decision to put him down when he started showing the same erratic behaviour on the ground, as well as under saddle.

“I’m glad we gave him the chance, but we don’t regret putting him down because it was the right decision. We just wish we could have done more for him, but sometimes you can’t when they’re like that,” said Lauren.

Deb added that it was clear Boston was very unhappy.

“When he got to the stage he was, it was a no-brainer and the right choice. We had done everything we could to help him, but you can only do so much and then you have to make the right decision. We would never have put someone else in our position by selling him,” she said.

Lauren and Deb have shared their experience to make people think before giving away older or unrideable horses for free or cheaply.

“We don’t know if Boston had a neurological issue, or if he’d been beaten badly in his early years and was traumatised, but it’s hard to believe a horse of that breeding wasn’t in a loving home at one point in his life and for whatever reason ended up where he did,” said Lauren.

“More and more I see posts of horses on Facebook that say ‘free to good home’, and you’ll see posts from people saying they’ve sold a horse for £500 as a companion and now it’s at a dealer and the owner is surprised that someone would drug it up and sell it on. But there’s people out there willing to do anything for money, especially in the horse world.

“I’m fed up of seeing these posts – the other day there was a 20-year-old broodmare who could no longer be bred from, being offered for free and the person got offended when it was suggested she put her down. We don’t regret buying Boston, but I think when you take on a horse for free or for very little money there’s probably a reason and you have to weigh up whether you’re willing to take on a problem and give that horse a chance. It might work in your favour, but there’s a big chance it won’t.”

Lauren believes there are a number of reasons why people try to give horses away.

“I think some are not brave enough at making the decision to put them down, or it might be about the fact they’ve already lost money, and in some occasions maybe they’ve been shamed by others about making that difficult decision,” she said.

“It’s not to to say that giving away a horse for free is always wrong, if you know who they are going to and that they are going to have a good home – but giving away a horse that is injured, old or dangerous, when that horse might end up being sold on is wrong.”

Deb said owners need to consider the “very worst” that can happen when giving a horse away.

“Once that horse is out of your hands, there is no control. You don’t know it’s not going to end up in the worst-case scenario, and surely it’s better not to put your horse through that? A percentage might go to good homes, but I can’t see that being the case for many. You still see so many for free posts, it’s heartbreaking,“ she said

“No horse should end up in the situation Boston did, there should be a clear chain of responsibility. All of us as owners have to take this on board that putting them down when the time is right is part of the process, and it is our moral obligation. They are our friends, and we should do more for them.”

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A gold medal-winning para dressage rider is appealing for the public to help her on the road to Tokyo 2020.

Deb Criddle has launched a crowdfunding page to help her secure her next star horse.

Deb’s former top ride, LJT Akilles is now 18 and has been out of work due to lameness.

The Somerset-based rider is determined to continue on her path to the next Olympics, but suffered an unfortunate set back last month.

“I was trying out a prospective horse and he didn’t cope with my right leg moving around and was a little bit too sensitive,” she told H&H.

“I fell and injured my right leg, the one that is already compromised, which meant I couldn’t ride for six weeks.”

During that time Deborah learnt that she had lost her UK Sport funding and her place on the British para dressage squad.

“I did take a couple of weeks off when I heard the news I was coming off the squad. It was a huge shock.

“I guess you could liken it to being made redundant, not that it’s happened to me before, but being part of the para team has been a major feature of my entire adult life. It’s obviously not as dramatic as it, but it feels as if I’ve lost another limb.

“I did initially think, ‘Do I just call it a day?’ But I’m not ready to. I live for my riding — it’s what gets me up in the morning.”

Deb has since recovered from her fall and remains positive about the future and regaining her position on the squad next year, but will need to find a new horse.

“The time Akilles has been off I have so missed going out to train,” she said.

“He is off work through a mystery lameness incurred while indulging in high jinks in the field.

“It is still under investigation as the root cause is being difficult to pin down, but I am hopeful of a final diagnosis that is treatable.

“He is very happy and comfortable being a field ornament at the moment!”

Time is running out

Deb has raised 26% of her £25,000 goal, but the crowdfunding page can only run for 120 days, leaving eight weeks to generate the funds.

“Time is really tight,” said Deb. “I need to find a suitable horse before the end of the summer to meet winter qualification targets and to be eligible for international competitions.

“I have to start from scratch and work through the world class system from podium potential. They start the next intake for that squad in August this year so I would really need to have a potential Tokyo horse in place before then to stand a chance of being selected.”

Deb explained that the temperament of her new horse, her future long-term partner, is paramount.

“The horse needs to have a clear four-beat walk with good overtrack and an expressive trot and canter,” she said.

“Horses are so adaptive, if the horse has not been ridden by a para rider before that has no bearing what so ever.”

Deb was seriously injured in a road accident, which left her with fractures to her leg and a paralysed arm, which has since been amputated.

“For me, being one handed, the contact is so important. The horse has to be very quiet in the mouth as tension shows up quickly and is, of course, penalised by the judge.

Continued below…

British Paralympic team remain unbeatable at London 2012

British riders collected individual gold plus two silver

Eight golds and three silvers for British para riders

Team GB para riders impress at the European

Para riders encouraged to join British Dressage

A special event is being held to show

“My ultimate goal is to make it to Tokyo 2020 and produce the horse so we reach our peak performance where it matters, on the field of play. I want us to be the very best that we can be, and a real partnership.”

Those who donate £1,000 or more towards Deb’s horse will be treated in a similar way to syndicate members.

“They will be part of the process from the start,” she said. “They will be invited to yard visits, training sessions, behind-the-scenes opportunities at competitions and receive regular updates. They will get to know the horse and his routine.”

Donate at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/deborah-criddle/updates/31c35?utm_term=4AY7b8Y4X

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

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

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Paralympic gold-medallist Deb Criddle visited her sponsor the Ideal Saddle Company at their base in Walsall last month, to thank them for their support during the London Games.

On 13 November she was given a tour of the saddlery’s factory and met the team involved in making her specially designed saddle.

“I was very happy to meet Deb and it was lovely to see the medals,” said saddler Tony Fellows. “She is a complete inspiration to everyone.”

The Ideal Saddle Company’s marketing manager Liz Leggett added: “Deb took her time to speak everyone and encouraged them to have their photo with her and her medals.

“Her visit left such a feel good factor throughout the company — we feel so proud of her achievements.”

Deb’s saddle for her London 2012 ride LJT Achilles is made from lightweight leather to make it easy to lift, with specially adapted Velcro knee rolls.

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Paralympians, including riders Natasha Baker and Debbie Criddle, are hoping to have a Christmas number one with their version of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”.

The athletes joined the British Paraorchestra and The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf & Hearing Children, based in Haringey, London, to put out the single.

Natasha told H&H: “We went to Sphere Studios in Battersea on Saturday to record it and it’s out now — it was a bit of a rush as we only heard about it the week before.

“But I was determined to take part. I’m not overly talented musically so it’s the only chance I’m going to get to take part in a song of this type!“

The song was launched on 3 December — the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The British Paraorchestra is the world’s first ensemble of professional disabled musicians and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games

Proceeds from sales of True Colors will go towards supporting the Paralympics GB team at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, and to fund the The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf & Hearing Children and The British Paraorchestra.

“The orchestra and the choir were amazing,” said Natasha. “We learned to sign the song along with the children — it was brilliant.”

You can buy the single at iTunes for 79p.

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Britain’s hopes of another team dressage gold are well on track after stellar Paralympic performances. After two out of four days of team dressage, the British team are well ahead of their nearest rivals. The three best British scores equal 234.353. Second placed Germany are on 215.979 with Denamrk (213.628) close behind. In percentage terms, Germany is averaging 71.993% while Britain is on 78.117%.

At grade 1a, the class for the most disabled athletes, Britain’s Sophie Christiansen and Janeiro 6 (pictured) posted a massive personal best of 83.765% with a fluent, smooth test.

“I’m thrilled with my percentage for the team,” she said, beaming. “I’ve been getting 80s in the past few months but to do it at an Olympics Games is more than I could ask for.

“You can’t ask for a better horse with a better temperament,” said Sophie, who punched the air on hearing her score. “You can’t prepare for this, because no one has 10,000 people to hand, but I knew ‘Rio’ would be like he is at home.”

Sophie will have a long wait after her test on Sunday as she has been drawn first to go.

Another better bested

Sophie Wells, first to go of today’s three British team riders, slapped herself as her grade IV score of 75.906% was announced.

“I don’t cry!” she said through tears. “You don’t know what they’re going to do out there – we do the familiarisation but it’s not the arena [that affects the horses], it’s the crowd.”

Her final halt was still, square and engaged; from side on, only two of Pinocchio’s four patent black hooves were visible and it was rewarded by a 9.2 average from the five judges.

Having stepped up the tempo of Pinocchio’s trot, Sophie was taking a risk, but it paid off and she posted a new international personal best on Jackie Walker’s impressive chestnut.

Women of the world

At grade III, Germany’s Hannelore Brenner triumphed with the hot Walt Disney daughter Women Of The World. Her 75.741% proved too high for Britain’s Deb Criddle to match.

Hannelore, who had a cross-country accident in 1986 which resulted in incomplete paraplegia, said: “She a sensitive mare and can be hysterical, but in there she was wonderful and with me from the beginning.”

Second placed Deb, who admitted she rode a “safe” test to chalk up a solid team score, said: “None of us wants to be on the first team that doesn’t bring home gold.”

On her 72.926% score, she added: “It would have been nice to break the 73% barrier, but you can’t have everything.”

What’s next?

Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the first of two days of individual championships tests, which also decide the team medals. Monday and Tuesday see all riders go as individuals in the freestyle to music.

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Debbie (Deb) Criddle, born in May 1966 in Somerset, is a grade III paradressage rider.

She grew up enjoying riding, especially trekking holidays and aimed to pursue BHS instructor training, before being persuaded to study business studies instead, keeping riding as her main hobby.

In 1985 Deb was involved in a motorcycle accident, which caused substantial damage. Doctors managed to save her leg but her arm had to be later amputated in 2003.

This is where Deb’s paradressage career began, and she was short listed for the Sunday Times Sports Woman of the Year in 2004.

Deb won paradressage team gold and individual bronze at the European Championships in 2005 and individual bronze and silver at the World Para European Dressage Championships in 2007.

Deb’s success resulted in selection for Beijing in 2008, in which she came fourth and fifth, just missing out on the medals.

After having to take some time out due to the lack of a top horse, Deb was partnered with LJT Akilles with whom she represented Great Britain at the European Championships in 2011 winning team gold, as well as an individual gold and silver.

The pairing went on to have a successful Paralympic Games winning two individual silver medals and team gold at0 London 2012.

Read all the latest dressage news

Read all the latest Paralympic news

The British team for the Para-Equestrian Dressage European Championships CPEDI**** in Moorsele, Belgium (2-4 September) has been announced.

The team riders are:

• Anne Dunham and Teddy (Grade 1a)
• Emma Sheardown and Purdy’s Dream (Grade 1a)
• Deb Criddle and LJT Akilles (Grade III)
• Sophie Wells and Valerius (Grade IV)

Grade II rider Natasha Baker with Cabral will ride as an individual.

A minor injury to Sophie Christiansen’s mount, Rivaldo of Berkeley, has ruled her out of contention and team stalwarts Ricky Balshaw and Lee Pearson are both recovering from serious injuries.

World-class performance director Will Connell said: “It is great to see Deb Criddle back on the team and Sophie Wells is also bringing a new horse to championship level.

“With Natasha Baker making her squad debut we have some exciting but as yet unproven talent at this level.

“The Europeans this year is very much about developing our squad and building strength and depth ahead of London 2012.”

All five riders will compete for individual and freestyle medals.

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