A group of equestrians have teamed up to challenge others to make one small change each month and show that “what’s good for the environment can be good for the pocket and for the sport”.

Ruth Dancer and Zoe Rudge, of equine sustainability consultancy White Griffin, Belle Richardson of water-saving device SealStop and Jess Vickers of Unibed launched the #smallchangechallenge in April. The idea is that participants make one small, sustainable change in their everyday routines – for example saving water, ditching single-use plastics and repairing and reusing items in the yard.

“I want people to realise that sustainability is for everyone,” said Mrs Dancer. “It is just about thinking differently about how we do things. In a world that feels overwhelming right now, making very small changes on a continuous basis is the best way to create positive change.

“Looking after our planet is not expensive, difficult or just for other people. And it can benefit your horse’s wellbeing and your bank account, too.”

The founders have stressed that the emphasis for the challenge is on progress rather than perfection, with a positive and light-hearted approach.

Mrs Richardson told H&H SealStop was “born out of the everyday reality of wasted water on the yard and that’s exactly why this campaign matters”.

The device acts as a portable ballcock, which prevents overflowing when hosepipes are left unattended in buckets or other containers.

“Small changes, like simply not letting a bucket overflow, quickly add up,” she said. “The #smallchangechallenge is about showing that sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, it just has to start somewhere.”

Ms Vickers told H&H: “At Unibed, we have seen ourselves that making changes can feel like a big thing. In the equestrian community, we like to use what we are familiar with, and every choice we make has to also consider the welfare of our horses.

“That’s why the #smallchangechallenge is all about those small simple changes. You do not have to move mountains to make a difference. These small changes we are asking equestrians to make can all contribute to a greater impact.”

Challenges will be set each month via the @equestrians4nature handle on social media and equestrians are encouraged to film themselves taking part before posting with the hashtag #smallchangechallenge. Participants will be entered into monthly prize draws.

The campaign started with #shoplocal in April and this month’s task is #plasticfreeswitch, for which participants are challenged to switch single-use plastics for plastic-free alternatives. It will be championed at Royal Windsor Horse Show ahead of International Plastic Free Day on 25 May.

June’s theme is #toxicfreeyards, in August it is #secondhandsteals to encourage people to shop second-hand, and the theme for September is #repairreuserecycle.

An impact summary will be released in the autumn.

• Visit: smallchangechallenge.com or @equestrians4nature on social media
• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

‘We’re delighted to bring loyal readers this benefit’: H&H magazine subscribers get free website access

13 ways to save money on horse costs without compromising on care

Rainwater harvesting for equestrians: how your stable roof could be the ultimate water recycling tool – and help save you money

Six simple ways that horse owners and riders can embrace sustainability in 2025

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

Making small changes to the way equestrian land and property are managed could benefit the environment, horse welfare – and owners’ bank balances.

This is the message emerging across the industry as riders who keep horses on livery as well as those who have their own facilities are urged to consider more sustainable practices.

Ruth Griffin of sustainability consultants White Griffin, which works extensively in the horse world, told H&H she thinks the word “sustainability” has been “lost in translation over years of people politicising it, or activists making it unsavoury, or scientists making it confusing”.

“I’m super-passionate about this: it is not confusing,” she said. “This is just, how do we change the way we do things so we can keep doing them? That’s really all it is. And the great news is for horse owners – with one exception, transportation – we have all the solutions.

“We just need to do them. We just need to tool ourselves up and educate ourselves a bit and then we can do it, we can be resilient, we can save money, we can protect horse welfare and ultimately protect the environment, because it’s all there. We’ve just got to do it.”

One of those helping people take action is Sian Constantine of Hoof & Habitat, which educates on sustainable keeping of horses.

“What I’m trying to do is improve horse welfare while improving the environment,” Ms Constantine told H&H. “They’re highly synergistic; horses evolved to graze in diverse ecosystems and when stocking density and management are appropriate, both horses and land benefit. From a welfare perspective, this creates a more species-appropriate environment, viewed through the five domains model, and it improves forage quality and nutritional diversity by bringing pasture nearer what horses would naturally forage from.”

Ms Constantine explained that greater plant diversity benefits horses and the land.

A mix of species improves soil structure and ground cover, reducing bare patches and often increasing nutritional value. Having different root depths helps stabilise and protect the soil, so grazing is more resilient to extreme weather. Increased plant diversity supports greater diversity of soil organisms, improving water storage and nutrient cycling, which supports healthier pasture.

“Healthier soil is better able to cope with heavy rain and drought, while protecting forage quality,” she said. “And it benefits the wider environment, as biologically active soils can store more water and more carbon.

“Over time, improved soil and pasture health can reduce reliance on inputs such as herbicides, pesticides, repeated overseeding, mechanical aeration and remedial groundworks, potentially saving time and money.”

Ecological consultant Laura Hobbs founded Switch Equine to support horse welfare-based land regeneration.

“I’ve been working with a lot of farmers to maximise the value of their land and its economic value, but make something that’s actually useful for them as well,” she told H&H. “We can still produce food, still meet the fundamental aims of what they want that land for, but also deliver multiple benefits.

“I’ve always had horses as well, and I got a bit frustrated, having my own horse on a livery yard and seeing it wasn’t meeting what we could be doing from an environmental point of view, and not serving his needs either, so we bought a smallholding, to show you can do things differently.

“I’ve got a background in evolution, behavioral biology and done a lot of training, such as Sue Dyson’s pain recognition research and in nutrition, so I’m trying to bring that all together to show we can manage our horses in a better way that improves the environment and is fundamental to improving our horses’ lives as well.”

Money is tight but Ms Hobbs stressed that sustainability can help here too.

“It’ll save you money,” she said. “When we manage in a better way, we create land that will be resilient.

“A lot of people are really struggling with the cost of hay, not having any hay. But our neighbours say our grass is looking really good. That’s because we’ve changed management so we can have better quality, more productive land, and it’s more resilient to that drought. That means we can have higher hay yields, more forage; we can feed our horses from our own land.”

Ms Hobbs said soil is a living organism, which has to be nurtured.

“Studies have shown that on average, for every 1% increase in soil organic matter, in soil biological activity, we can store an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre,” she said.

“That’s a massive number. That means water’s stored in the soil, so we can be more resilient to flooding and drought. And it affects communities too; if we change our management, we could save the village down the road from being flooded every winter.”

She said the key in keeping land resilient is not overgrazing it, which is not about space or numbers but about giving it time to recover. If horses return to bite off the same tuft of grass before it has regrown, the plant will use all nutrients for growth, leading to shallower roots, a negative impact on the soil and a “downward spiral” overall.

Ms Hobbs has four horses on five acres. She separates this into smaller areas and moves the horses frequently, so each part has time to fully recover.

“Getting started is the hard part,” she said. “But once you get started and into this sort of system, you get that upward spiral; land starts recovering so much quicker, so you can get back on and graze it sooner. If you’re constrained on land, have a sacrificial area, a track system or yard to put horses on, so we can rest that land when we need to, we can be a bit more adaptive and flexible.

“Just splitting the field and letting it have longer to recover will go a long way.”

Changing mindsets

Ms Hobbs knows it is harder for livery clients, but said she believes many yard owners are starting to change their thinking, and that the first step is to have the conversation, with which Ms Dancer agrees, although she has heard from many yard owners who want to make changes but are unsure whether clients will agree.

“The livery yard owners wanting to make a change and the liveries wanting things to be different may not be at the same yards but I think that the common problem is just a fear of talking about it, a fear of saying anything to do with the environment,” she said.

“People might complain you’re woke or might make fun of you or a lot of the time, people think they don’t know enough about the environment to talk about it, so they shouldn’t say anything at all,” she continued. “But the minute you start talking to people about what good environmental practice looks like, they say, ‘That makes sense,’ or, ‘I do that already,’ or, ‘I could do that.’

“We’ve got to start talking in everyday language. And the most important part of that sentence is we’ve got to start talking.”

Ms Dancer also agrees that money need not be a barrier, and the right changes can help. Investing in a rainwater harvesting system would be expensive but saves on water bills in the long run. But if such a system is too expensive, just diverting gutters into butts for soaking hay or washing can make big savings.

“My mantra is, if sustainability is costing you money, you’re not doing it properly,” she said. “Sustainability should be about being less wasteful, more resilient and resourceful.

“Teach your team not to leave the tap running or leave the lights on; not to be wasteful. I’ve worked with businesses that have saved tens of thousands without spending a penny, just by changing your mindset.

Harnessing the change

“My biggest concern is that the way climate is changing, the soil is degrading, it’s getting more difficult to grow crops; we need to embed resilience into everything we do. And that’s about working with the climate we’re now getting.

“If we’re going to get warmer, wetter winters, let’s gather that rainwater and use it. If we’re going to get hotter, dry summers, if you can put solar in and harness the changes, it will make us more resilient, and save us money in the long run.

“It’s about not being influenced by external factors, and being able to manage your own yard and your own estate in a way that works for you. It’s about recognising that things are changing, and will change, and we have to create practices that will make us resilient to that.

“For such a long time, we’ve always just had whatever we want, when we want, and that’s not what the future looks like now. The smartest people are going to look at the situation, prepare for it and slowly make changes. If you do it now, start putting the rainwater harvesting in, change systems and processes, start saving money, in five years’ time, you will be very grateful.

“You’ll have created a business that works for you, and when others are struggling and won’t be able to keep horses. It is that serious, you won’t be able to get what you need.

“I think that’s the mindset everyone needs to be in – not survival mode from one day to the next, but what can I do in the long term that will mean that I can continue to have horses. That’s what sustainability is.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

New eco-friendly turnout rug made from 110 plastic bottles

Going green – the steps you can take to manage your grazing land more sustainably

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘It’s our responsibility’: how equestrian professionals are striving to be more environmentally sustainable

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

Climate change and population growth are placing huge strain on water supplies and the Environment Agency is predicting that England will face a five billion litre a day shortfall for public water supplies by 2055.

Warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers mean the water table is encountering extremes. We are unable to capture the excessive rainfall we experience in the winter due to inadequate infrastructure, droughts in the summer mean less rain, and warmer weather means more water evaporates and the soil dries out quicker.

How the water crisis will affect horse owners

As horse owners, we use more water than most. Alongside providing it to our horses for drinking, we also use it for various aspects of their care and maintenance such as washing, cleaning, soaking hay and feed, cooling horses and, if you have an arena, you will also be aware of the regular need to water it.

The water situation is serious for equestrian sport, says Ruth Dancer, director at the environmental consultancy company White Griffin.

“It’s much more than just hosepipe bans. By 2030 a significant proportion of the country will experience extreme water shortages. We have five years to put infrastructure and practices in place to be more self-sufficient.

“We’re so used to having water readily available that I really worry this is a topic that seriously flies under the radar for most of the population, and certainly equestrians.

“I think it’s incredibly important that people like myself raise the alarm,” says Ruth. “Not to panic people, but to say, ‘If we prepare now, there are things we can put in place through slow, steady investment over a few years,’ rather than a panic approach in five years’ time. For the regular horse owner, it’s about thinking, ‘How do I work with nature rather than fighting against it?’

“I think a lot of people don’t realise that water stress is going to be a massive issue in this country,” explains Ruth, who urges that we need to understand that water stress isn’t a ‘maybe’: it’s going to be a reality.

“Combatting severe water stress means limiting the times a day when you can use water, as well as the volume. This is serious for a sector like equestrian, because using water is a welfare issue, not just in terms of hydrating and cooling our horses, but watering our arena surfaces to reduce respiratory problems, too.”

Ruth adds that water will evolve as a commodity, costing more to use. “Water will likely become a lot more like electricity; most people are concerned about their electric usage because their bills are very high, and as water becomes more expensive, then attitudes towards use will shift.”

“Hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters are the pattern for the UK moving forward,” she explains. “We need to learn to work with that.”

For Ruth, the ideal culture shift is a move towards water self-sufficiency, which means embracing rainwater harvesting.

“This is something that’s reasonably normal for farmers. There are companies out there that supply rainwater harvesting on a very large scale for agriculture and business,” adds Ruth, but she explains there are examples of smaller-scale harvesting on livery yards of all sizes, and even on private yards.

“We’ve got these lovely stable roofs perfect for collecting rainwater. Even if you’ve only got one or two stable roofs and one smallish container, it’s free water. And, there’s technology and maintenance you can invest in to make sure you can store it and it’s clean.”

What is rainwater harvesting?

Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater from gutters and downpipes that would otherwise flow into the drain.

Methods can be as simple as placing a bucket or container under the drip line of a roof or a downpipe, or more complex like installing an underwater pumped system.

Harvested rainwater can be used for:

• washing horses
• drinking
• soaking hay
• cleaning tack or equipment
• watering arenas

Can horses drink harvested rainwater?

Harvested rainwater is not ‘potable’, or fit for human consumption, unless appropriately treated and filtered.

Horses can drink harvested rainwater, however, but care needs to be taken to ensure it is free from contaminants and the system is maintained regularly.

The UKRWA (UK Rainwater Management Association) recommends multi-stage filtration and UV treatment is considered at yards where harvesting rainwater for equine consumption and soaking hay.

Benefits of rainwater harvesting

• Reduces water waste
• Potential to save a lot of money
• Reduces rainwater runoff, which helps protect grazing during wetter winters, and flooding
• Supports biodiversity net gain and water neutrality goals, which may assist with rural grants or planning approval
• Secures a water supply in times of drought and making yards more resilient to climate change

Other ways horse owners can save water

Other measures include:

• turning taps off
• fixing leaks
• using mechanisms such as SealStop to prevent buckets and troughs overflowing
• letting your horse’s drink their trough down before emptying it to clean
• reusing water from troughs to water plants, or from water buckets to add to feeds or clean feed bowls
• installing automatic drinkers

Rainwater harvesting systems in practice

In simple terms, rainwater harvesting gives property owners access to supplementary water alongside – and, crucially, separate from – their mains water supply.

“This water does not meet regulatory standards for mains water, nor is it ‘potable’, or safe for human consumption,” explains a spokesman from the UKWRA, a trade organisation championing water reuse as a defence against future flood and water shortage risks. “This is why it must be stored separately from mains water to avoid cross-contamination.”

Using drainage pipework, rainwater is collected from sloping roofs of any kind, including barns and stables.

Rainwater is fed through a filter and into an above-ground or underground storage tank. Individual harvesting systems have bespoke filtration and pumping systems, from domestic use of toilet flushing to outside use only for watering plants and washing cars.

According to UKWRA, a basic setup for stable yard cleaning, horse wash-down bays and rinsing tack and equipment could include:

• a guttering system on stable roofs
• leaf guards and first-flush diverters to improve water quality
• a small above-ground tank up to 5,000 litres, suitable for capturing run-off
• a basic filter, possibly a low-pressure pump or gravity-fed hose

Costs

You could spend anything from £2,000 to in excess of £30,000 to install a rainwater harvesting system, but Ruth adds that, for the average horse owner, you can be as sophisticated as your budget allows and you don’t have to spend thousands.

“If you’re canny and have a few bits of drainpipe and a water butt, you can rig up your own small-scale rainwater collecting system,” she says. “It’s perfect for watering plants, rinsing equipment and washing horses down.”

If you owner a large or commercial yard and want to educe the reliance on mains or borehole water, you could install a system that could deliver water for arena irrigation, toilet flushing, laundry facilities and even animal consumption, subject to appropriate filtration and treatment, but this, of course, will require an investment.

For more information and advice on rainwater harvesting, visit the UKWRA’s website.

Maintainance

DIY maintenance is possible for smaller systems, but the UKWRA recommends a service contract or annual check by a qualified technician, especially for larger or more complex systems.

While there is no mandatory inspection regime for rainwater harvesting systems, UKRWA recommends that all commercial users adhere to the BS EN 16941-1:2024 standard, which is a rainwater harvesting code of practice. Additionally, they advise planned routine maintenance and checks, especially where systems supply water to humans or animals.

Above-ground tanks might be more convenient for cleaning and inspection, but they are prone to algae growth and require protection from UV exposure, such as opaque tanks and protective covers to reduce this.

Other precautions include visual inspections every few months for algae, sediment and structural integrity. Annual cleans, or cleans as necessary, are essential.

Below-ground tanks are less exposed to light and temperature changes, so there is lower biological activity. You need to arrange for annual inspections to check for silt build-up or debris.

• For unlimited access to expert advice about how best to look after your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Sustainability is a topic that seems to be everywhere right now, but how feasible is sustainability for horse owners? As Ruth Dancer, CEO of White Griffin explains, equestrians have plenty of reasons to get behind implementing sustainable practices in their home and yard lives.

“Horse sport depends entirely on the health of the environment,” she tells H&H. “Whether it’s decent turnout with healthy grass, the quantity and quality of crops that farmers grow for feed and bedding, or even the risk of infectious diseases like West Nile Virus, recently found in UK mosquitoes, and African Horse Sickness coming to our country – climate change is a major factor in all these issues.”

There are many routes to sustainability for horse owners. As Ruth explains, it doesn’t have to be done in large-scale, expensive gestures. Rather, lots of small, low-cost changes can make a big difference.

“Ultimately, sustainability is one of the best ways of saving money,” she continues. “By using less electricity, fuel, and water, we are helping the environment and saving money too.”

So, how can we implement sustainable practices as horse owners? Read on for simple steps that not only won’t break the bank, but might also save you money.

Six easy steps to improve sustainability for horse owners

1. When it comes to waste management, the rules vary from county to county. So, it’s up to horse owners to enquire.

“Non-biodegradable waste is a difficult one to advise on if you don’t have good recycling provision locally,” says Ruth. “A failsafe is to choose companies that will collect your rubbish and recycle it for you.

“There are bedding companies who will collect your plastic wrap and recycle it, there is even one that has reusable bags that you can return, so options are out there. Most of us have at least two bins at home, with recyclables in one and general waste in the other. So, why not do the same at the yard?”

2. Biodegradable waste can be harnessed and used to level up your grazing.

“One of equestrianism’s biggest waste streams is manure,” says Ruth. “Where possible, opting for bedding like chopped straw and storing muck heaps effectively means manure becomes an excellent resource that can be harrowed back into the land. This provides nutrients and helps move us away from the use of chemicals.”

3. Good water conservation practices are becoming more and more important, too.

“We often don’t think extreme water shortages are something to worry about in the UK, but we know that by 2030 many parts of the country will experience this,” warns Ruth. “This means that, in the coming years, water will become much more expensive, and regulations will be put in place surrounding the use of water.

“Water is fundamental to our sport and we can never be in a position where drinking water is restricted for our horses,” she continues. “So, as the third biggest user of water in the leisure sector, we must start investing now in infrastructure and technology that enables us to harvest rainwater for washing horses and tack, and if possible, consider the use of boreholes and arena surfaces that require far less watering.”

A rainwater harvesting system is out of reach financially for many private horse and yard owners. However, riders can start small. Try investing in a water butt to collect water for purposes such as cleaning buckets or washing horses down, or buy a limiter to turn off water supply once buckets are full automatically.

4. Sustainability for horse owners can be as simple as considering your buying habits and asking: ‘Do I really need this? If so, does it need to be brand new?’

“One of the biggest factors driving environmental problems is excessive consumerism,” says Ruth. “By buying less, or buying second-hand, you can save a lot of money while being more sustainable.

“Basic principles of reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle are all part of both a sustainable and low-cost way of living.”

5. According to Ruth, we can even make our horses’ forage more sustainable – better for them and the environment.

“We can do so much better than over-grazed paddocks containing nothing but ryegrass,” she says. “Herbs and wildflowers can be a wonderful natural aid to digestion, and reduce inflammation. By giving our horses options, we give them the chance to ingest what benefits them.

“I’d always recommend speaking to a vet before making dietary changes, but by introducing different grasses and herbs into your setup, you not only help your horse with a more varied diet, but create a better habitat for nature, enhancing carbon storage in the soil and even a more resilient root structure to help maintain the soil and reduce poaching in winter.”

6. Growing wildflowers is good news all round, low-cost and easy to do.

“Nature loves diversity; it thrives when different species can coexist,” says Ruth. “Therefore, by putting a range of different wildflowers into paddocks, not only do we see invertebrates and pollinating insects increase, but we also know that the soil health underneath is improving.”

Ruth adds that horse riders have the opportunity to make a big impact on biodiversity, which could be a boost for social licence.

“We have lost around 97% of our species-rich grassland in the UK,” she explains. “If equestrians make changes now, in the long term we can hope to restore some of what was lost. We could be key players in beginning to see our native British wildlife thrive again.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Going green – the steps you can take to manage your grazing land more sustainably

How green is your yard? 6 budget-busting eco-friendly solutions

Eco-friendly design can be incorporated into everything from light bulbs to storage solutions — and it could save you money

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘It’s a win for us and the environment’: biodegradable wrap for hay bales being trialled in UK

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

With growing pressures to become more environmentally conscious, what changes – both large and small – can horse owners make to become more sustainable? Alex Robinson and Luz Wollocombe discover some of the options for managing grazing land in a more ecological way, and find the benefits it can bring not only to the environment but also to our horses

While it’s perfectly healthy to use our horses as escapism from the real world, our responsibilities as individuals to negate the impact of environment changes cannot be ignored. Forward-thinking individuals are working hard to ensure the equestrian industry doesn’t get left behind when it comes to becoming more eco, and one of the key areas is managing grazing land more sustainably.

Let’s investigate some of the tweaks that we can make, whether we have a couple of acres or a large estate.

New Forest commoner Lyndsey Stride says that while the agricultural sector has been encouraged to farm in a more environmentally friendly way for some time, the message is yet to stick with the equestrian industry. She believes that recreational horse owners could learn – and benefit – from the way semi-feral ponies live in their homelands.

“Native ponies on moors, forests and fells are living in a natural way and contribute to an extraordinarily biodiverse landscape,” explains Lyndsey. “Looking at pasture management, there is a lot of talk in farming about carbon storage in grassland. Most recreational horses are kept on former agricultural fields, and as horse owners generally keep grass very short, the grass is placed under a lot of stress.

“Long grass is better at drawing up water and trace elements, and it puts more effort into growing its roots, which is good for the soil and carbon storage.

“We should strive for herb-rich pastures which aren’t being constantly grazed; the plants get more time to recover and therefore there is a much larger variety of grass species.

“Rotating paddocks – every month or so if you can – lets the grass rest. It will also benefit your horses as they’ll be eating a more varied and balanced diet. So many horses these days have hind gut problems or allergies, whereas ponies in the forest rarely need the vet out to them.

“As rotation helps with the issue of ground compaction, it helps prevent or deal with existing cases of mud and poaching, too. If you can find a four-foot strip around your field, fence this off, let it grow during spring and see what comes of it. It can only do the soil and grass good.

“If space permits, ‘paddock paradise’ [a track system] – the concept of an outdoor environment which mimics natural wild habitats – is another option. This way of keeping horses makes the ponies walk a long way, usually over obstacles such as logs, to get food.”

Managing grazing land sustainably through hedge planting

When it comes to fencing, Lyndsey says that while the initial cost outlay of planting a hedge with a future aspiration of laying it might be greater, the long-term benefits are plentiful.

“Post and rail usually doesn’t last forever,” Lyndsey adds. “Safety wise, there are no wires or broken rails in hedgerows. It might take up to 15 years to finish, but in the long run they are a source of shelter, food and are a habitat for wildlife. Plus, a good hedge promotes trickle feeding and encourages horses to eat from different heights.

“We’re in the middle of a climate and nature emergency and everyone has a part to play, though it’s hard to keep up to speed with the change of expectations; it’s fast-changing knowledge. If you own a field you are the guardian of that land and you have a duty to pass it on in the best possible condition.”

Our environmental hoofprint

As environment and horse health are inextricably linked, improving the ecological impact of keeping horses is mutually beneficial. Some of the large studs – which have more in common with arable and livestock farms rather than your average livery yard – have made giant strides in improving their environmental hoofprint. There is hope that their example will filter through to smaller outfits as they see what is possible on their scale.

James O’Donnell, chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) Sustainability Group and until recently the assistant stud director of the 6,000-acre Shadwell Stud in Norfolk, explains that the Environmental Act of 2021 was a major catalyst for positive change in the way all land in the UK is managed.

“Farmers will be assessed on what their environmental footprint is,” he says, adding that more Government grants schemes will be brought in as incentives. “Are they regenerating areas of their farm back over to nature? Are they improving wetland areas? Are they planting trees? It’s a massive step in the right direction.”

There is good news – a recent study conducted by the TBA and Racing Foundation indicated that, as low-impact grassland farms, studs have much less of an environmental impact than regular arable or livestock farming, which James terms “very encouraging”.

But there is always more to be done. John Corbett is in charge of sustainable agriculture at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, an area of around 7,000 acres and home to some of the world’s best thoroughbred stallions.

“Environmental welfare comes into everything we do at Coolmore, every management decision. It’s a high priority here,” he says.

John explains that Coolmore’s environmental strategy takes into account, “five key areas: clean water, fresh air, healthy fertile soils, biodiversity and a vibrant ecosystem”.

John’s previous training as an equine nutritionist means he is hyper-aware of the link between environment and horse health, and the phenomenal success of the Coolmore horses is testament to that.

“Nutrition starts with the soil and goes all the way through to the grass and the hay,” he says. “The building blocks must be in place for the foal to fill its genetic potential. We make sure there is nothing that could have a negative impact on athletic performance or lung development.”

The “greenest forage system” for managing grazing land sustainably

While not all of us are dealing with the pressure of growing Galileo’s progeny, we still want to do the very best for our animals.

It turns out that what is good for the horse is generally good for the planet as well. So how do we keep our fields in the best nick?

James O’Donnell explains: “The greenest equine forage system is to operate a rotational system, even on a small scale, dividing a paddock, grazing it one side and rotating it. In between, if there is an option to, I would suggest using sheep or cattle to follow behind the horses to take out the weeds and rough grass, but also to act as a natural fertiliser.”

Another advantage of sheep is that “you don’t have to roll the paddocks, which means less soil compaction”.

Perfect soil doesn’t come from heaps of chemicals. Coolmore uses compost made from their own waste on the least fertile areas of land – thereby recycling and fertilising at the same time.

Using manure to make compost is an obvious avenue to improve sustainability. Bridget Elworthy, founder and chairman of The Land Gardeners, a company dedicated to transforming the environment through compost and soil quality, says, “We love using horse manure in the compost. It is ideal to mix it with a carbon source – either straw, old hay or dry leaves.

“The benefits of proper composting reduce greenhouse gases and promote microbial growth which is beneficial for soil health, animal health and the health of our planet,” she says.

It’s also worth looking around for a local company for whom your festering muck heap might be akin to a pile of gold. Monaghan Mushrooms, an organic mushroom-growing company in Ireland, have been using horse manure for years. Their providers include the 65 horses belonging to Michéal Conaghan, whose family bred champion staying hurdler Paisley Park, and his partner Elizabeth Hayden, an event rider, who are both dedicated to finding ways of making their 150-acre farm in Kildare greener.

The Irish couple also emphasise the importance of increasing biodiversity.

“I’m in the process of re-fencing my fields,” Michéal says. “If you keep the fence four feet back from the ditches, it makes space for the wildlife – and you get a grant.” James agrees: “The days have gone where owners of equestrian set-ups needed to mow and strim every inch of their property to make it look tidy – if we are going to be responsible managers, it’s going to look a bit scruffier.”

James’s advice includes cutting hedges only every two years, planting wild-flower seed on unused areas and spending time removing weeds and ragwort by hand, rather than strimming as far as the eye can see.

At Coolmore, rewilding is taking place on a massive scale. John Corbett estimates that “over 20% of our landscape is given over to nature”. As for creating new habitats, when asked about planting trees, he responds enthusiastically: “We plant loads of them! Every year, we have a hedge-planting programme and a tree-planting programme. We have our own nurseries where we grow trees. This year, we planted around 8,000 metres of hedging. They provide loads of ecosystems and they sequester carbon both below and above ground.”

For advice on which trees to plant and when, James says he would “specifically go for the fast-growing, indigenous tree. Any kind of beech tree, a certain type of non-toxic maple tree or plane trees.”

Plant them in the winter or autumn to give them time to settle in and hey presto, you’ve got more shade, less mud and a whole new community of birds, squirrels and pollinators.

When it comes to sustainability in the equine industry, big studs like Coolmore may be leading the way, but all of us can work to keep our paddocks as diverse and healthy as possible. We can compost our manure and plant trees if at all possible. These may be small steps but if we all do them, they will significantly improve our environmental legacy.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Track living: the alternative horsey set-up

How different grazing systems can help you control your horse’s weight *H&H Plus*

‘Environmental stewards of our countryside’: research highlights positive impact alternative grazing systems can have

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘It’s our responsibility’: how equestrian professionals are striving to be more environmentally sustainable

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

A stud owner who is channelling his engineering background and “hate” of waste into saving money and sustainability has highlighted how greener practices can make good business sense.

Peter Hockenhull, of Shade Oak Stud in Shropshire, features on a new video produced by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) that outlines the benefits of greener practices on stud farms.

Although each equestrian’s set-up is different, there are principles that can apply to any kind of yard. For example, examining use of resources, considering land management practices, scrutinising energy usage and thinking about incremental changes.

“I don’t see a conflict between looking after horses and being sustainable,” said Mr Hockenhull, who studied engineering at university and now runs the 200-acre stud with his wife, Emma.

“I hate waste of any kind – waste of manpower, waste of materials; any kind of waste drives me to be more efficient and better.”

In terms of the land, he has analysed his field management to find ways of reducing the need for expensive nitrogen fertiliser and improve pasture quality, and has planted more than 10km of hedgerows.

“[Putting in hedgerows] was mainly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the horses,” he said. “The hedges were established because I find it the most economic way. The biodiversity has been the benefit of it – that came as a secondary to me, and I enjoy that side of it, but it was mainly for the wellbeing of the horses that I’ve ended up with 16km of hedges.”

The farm also has solar panels, a wind turbine and a biomass boiler. Mr Hockenhull said he is looking at batteries as his next option, which would enable him to store electricity created on site and reach “net zero” in terms of importing electricity from the grid.

The TBA launched a carbon calculator in 2023, in partnership with agricultural and environmental consultancy ADAS and with the support of the Racing Foundation. Shade Oak Stud is among the “growing number” of stud farms that have used it to help examine their use of resources and where targeted changes may help save energy costs and cut carbon emissions.

TBA equine health and welfare manager Victoria Murrell said: “Creating a carbon footprint isn’t just about being more environmentally friendly, it’s also about reviewing the use of resources across the farm and identifying areas to save money.”

She told H&H Shade Oak Stud is a “really good example” of this.

“Mr Hockenhull has a real inquiring mind – he’s trying to find solutions,” she said. “And in that endeavor to save money and make things more efficient, he’s also doing things that are better for the environment.

“We don’t mind what drivers people are using to motivate themselves, but it’s about good outcomes.”

She echoed Mr Hockenhull’s point that doing the right thing for horses’ wellbeing is the priority – but that can go hand-in-hand with sustainability.

“You can do what’s right for the animals, but that might also be environmentally friendly – and you can also do what’s right by the environment, and it be purse-friendly,” she said, adding that results from the carbon calculator show emissions hot spots vary considerably from stud to stud, owing to different business set-ups.

“What works for one stud farm might not work for another. It’s about looking at the strengths and the challenges of that particular property, and how do you work with that to optimise what you’ve got.”

Ms Murrell added that data from the carbon calculator is also helping on a wider scale. She explained that the TBA represents breeders at government level and the calculator gives quality data to highlight challenges and opportunities.

The TBA is also close to being able to give anonymised “benchmarking” information, which will enable operations of similar location or size to understand how their footprint compares.

Ruth Dancer, director at White Griffin Equine Environmental Specialists, said: “The race is on for people to make changes quickly and effectively, in order to both adapt to climate change on their farms and support the global effort to reduce our collective impact on the environment.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout major shows, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

‘It’s a win for us and the environment’: biodegradable wrap for hay bales being trialled in UK

‘You can’t carbon-offset your way out of this’: the steps horse sport needs to take for a secure future

‘This will help you’: why caring for the environment is vital for the equestrian industry

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

Biodegradable bale wrap is being trialled in the UK with hopes of reducing single-use plastics, as equestrian businesses progress “in the pursuit of eco-credentials”.

The project, being led by the non-for-profit research network Innovative Farmers, aims to find a solution to the 135,000 tonnes of agricultural plastic waste produced in the UK annually. In a one-year trial, farmers from 12 sites across England, Scotland and Wales have wrapped hay bales using twine from sisal, “a cactus-like plant that was widely used before plastic became popular”.

The sisal-wrapped bales will be lab-assessed in March and November 2025 to test protein and sugar content, and compare the dryness of the hay under different conditions.

Innovative Farmers field lab coordinator Stuart Oates, who aims to remove all plastics from his farm, said early experiments have shown that sisal is “incredibly strong and quick to process”.

“It’s a win for us and the environment,” he said. “Small steps can lead to huge change – we want to see if this can be applied on a larger scale, so we’re encouraging farmers to see how sisal can work for them.”

Postal parasite control company Westgate Laboratories have taken a number of green steps in recent years, including investing in environmentally friendly packaging. Last month, the company announced a “momentous breakthrough in the pursuit of our eco-credentials” in the launch of faecal sample pots made from a “cutting-edge biomaterial” that is compostable, instead of single-use plastic.

A Westgate spokesperson said that after the new sample pots have been processed, they can be composted on the farm’s muck heap, along with the returned pouches, envelopes and letterbox packs. Cardboard and paperwork is recycled by a local confidential waste company, and the company estimates the combined effort will reduce Westgate’s waste to landfill by 90%.

“This is the final piece of the puzzle to making our range of test kits 100% sustainable, compostable and zero waste. We took a big risk on the investment, but we couldn’t be happier with the result,” said Westgate marketing and communications director Claire Shand, adding that the company “cares deeply” about the climate crisis, decline of countryside wildlife and the impact of marine plastic pollution.

“As a business, we feel we have a responsibility to mitigate our environmental impact as much as possible, and this is certainly a win. It’s not about being perfect but doing what we can. Reusing, recycling, buying from ethical companies where there is a choice, it doesn’t have to cost the earth, but each one makes a difference.”

This summer, equine feed manufacturer Dengie achieved “green status” from national environmental accreditation scheme Investors in the Environment, for a second year. The scheme assesses five key areas: environmental policy, resource management and monitoring, progress against targets and action planning.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout Maryland, Pau, London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

‘You can’t carbon-offset your way out of this’: the steps horse sport needs to take for a secure future

How being greener could protect our horses, land and sport

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

The measures horse owners, sport leaders and vets can take to maximise our industry’s environmental sustainability have come into the spotlight.

FEI president Ingmar de Vos joined equine internal medicine specialist David Rendle on a discussion panel at the 2023 World Horse Welfare conference, with charity director Jenny Fernando and Agata Rzekec, of the French horse and equestrian institute.

The panel, chaired by Sky News sports editor Nick Powell, considered what “radical” ideas should be considered to enable horse sport to be more sustainable, what vets and owners can do about resistance to wormers and antibiotics, and how yards and owners can give their horses the best care and manage the land they graze to maximise sustainability. The discussion was in keeping with the theme of the day: “Horses and the environment: friend or foe”.

On the first topic, Mr de Vos said he did not like the word “radical”, as radical ideas and solutions “have not always been the most sustainable ones”. He added that the conference had heard great ideas, but the biggest challenge is in communicating them.

“The international sport world is very aware of its responsibility and how society is looking at them when it comes to environmental sustainability,” he said, adding that taking action regarding the 4,500-plus FEI events per year is key, and that he believes sustainability should contribute to the work on categorising events and organisers, perhaps with recognition of best practice. Ms Fernando cited Forest Green Rovers, the first carbon-neutral football club, showing that events can be green.

Ruth Dancer, director of environmental sustainability specialists White Griffin who had spoken at the conference, said many of the day’s suggestions are already being acted on.

“The industry is working at pace and has been all year,” she said. “In the next month, you’ll probably be hearing about Kitemarks, awards, toolkits. But don’t carbon-offset your way out of this problem. Carbon-offsetting is just a consumerism, we’ve got to reduce what we do and improve our work on the land. So I’d ask everyone on the panel, what one thing would you like to see happen in the equestrian space around environmental sustainability?”

Ms Rzekec would like people to ask event organisers to make an effort, as “I believe people are the main source of evolution,” and Ms Fernando would like “lots of small things”.

“More hedges, better grazing, more toolkits and more help for people,” she said.

Mr Rendle said he would like restriction in the sale of toxic medicines, which led into the next topic. He said the important thing is for everyone to be aware of the eco-toxic effects of “much of what we do”; most wormers are toxic and there are groups of people calling for their use to be banned.

“Do people think about the harmful effects of fly spray, what that does to other insects and their predators?” he asked, adding that ivermectin remains toxic in the environment for four months and that worming drugs enter our water systems, where they are harmful to aquatic life.

“This is a huge issue and awareness needs to be much higher,” he said. “We all have the responsibility to look carefully at how we use these drugs.”

Mr Rendle said this includes anti-bacterials, which can lead to populations of resistant bacteria that have a negative effect on wild and domestic species, and that many of these drugs would not have to be used if we managed horses better.

“I’m afraid voluntary actions will probably never be enough as it’s too easy to use these drugs,” he said. “So we will need some restriction if we’re serious about preventing the environmental damage of these drugs and that will have welfare benefits.”

On the final topic, Ms Rzekec said horse owners “present green assets”, and that correct management is key.

“I’m convinced the industry can find a balance and achieve sustainability,” she said. “We need to communicate our green assets more.”

But she said avoiding overstocking fields and poo-picking can help reduce emissions of nitrogen, and keeping permanent vegetation can help prevent harmful run-off. This can also promote biodiversity.

“Grasslands are important in carbon storage, which is the main green asset of equestrians,” she said.

Ms Fernando said when World Horse Welfare started looking at its sustainability, they were not experts but had to learn, and that learning from each other is key. She said knowledge of each piece of land leads to its correct management.

“Not all of us have acres of land to manage; I don’t but I can still make sure I worm responsibly, recycle feed packaging and don’t leave buckets overflowing,” she said.

“It depends on what you can afford and what your horses need. What simple things can I do that work for me and my horses. Look at one or two simple projects that will work for you and go from there.”

You might also be interested in:

How being greener could protect our horses, land and sport

Powered by poo: horse manure heats and lights four-day World Cup show

‘It’s possible to charge a phone with only 0.2 decilitres of horse manure’

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

All of us can play a part in ensuring equestrianism benefits rather than harms the environment – which will help secure a future for our sport.

This was the main message at the 2023 World Horse Welfare conference on 9 November, the theme of which was “Horse and the environment: friend or foe”.

Charity CEO Roly Owers said it was a topic “that may not immediately seem to relate to equine welfare”.

He said: “In many industrialised countries, land is managed for horses taking part in sport or leisure, but at what cost to the environment? We ride on roads and compete in arenas with all mod cons and extensive parking. We drive them many miles or fly them across the world.

“We put them on paddocks, often covered with a monoculture of lawn-like grass, sometimes using artificial fertilisers or pesticides, or remove trees and hedges and keep what’s left so tidy there’s no place for nature to blossom.”

Mr Owers spoke of building yards, using large amounts of water and administering medicines and wormers, “too often unnecessarily”, which pass on to contaminate the environment.

But, he said, horses can have a huge benefit to the environment, in areas such as conservation grazing and work in sensitive environments that vehicles would damage, to name just two.

“Governments have a role in creating a more sustainable world but much, much more is up to us,” he said. “Every horse owner can and must be agents for change. The world changes when we choose to change attitudes and behaviour and there’s plenty we as individuals can do now.

“We all share one future. ‘One welfare’ is important for maintaining public acceptance, our social licence, for all activities with horses. We will be judged by society by how we treat our horses, on how environmentally sustainable our activities are, and by becoming more inclusive.

“All of us here today can influence the future. We’re all in the same herd. Together, we can help ensure horses and humans play a part in effecting real positive change for the environment.”

Ruth Dancer, director of environmental sustainability specialists White Griffin, addressed the environmental impact of horse sport.

Ms Dancer told of meeting a man who asked if she and her client were nature lovers, to which the client said yes, they were equestrians.

“Without missing a beat, the man said, ‘That’s a no then,’” she said. “It’s frustrating that the sport with the most connection with nature is perceived as that.

“The horse is good for the environment; perhaps where we’re going wrong is forgetting its job in nature and giving it the name of the athlete.”

White Griffin has worked with the British Horseracing Authority, and British Equestrian and its member bodies, on the impact and environmental sustainability of horse sports. Ms Dancer said there are four main areas to consider.

“We clearly have an impact on climate change,” she said. “We have issues worldwide with water shortages, resource use and production and removal of waste and huge biodiversity loss.”

Ms Dancer said like all sports and industries, equestrianism has an impact in all these areas. She cited varied issues such as generator use, on which events rely, the “very water-intensive” surfaces we ride on, the land used for production of feed and bedding, the amount of plastic used, especially in supplements, and the fact our land use can be detrimental.

But “we only really talk about one thing, transport,” she said.“I’m not saying the way we transport horses isn’t a problem, but more important is the point that we’re more than just a horsebox. By focusing on that, we miss out on a huge area of opportunity.

“I see nothing but opportunity; fences that could be complemented by hedgerows, empty fields that could be complemented by trees. We as a sport are the ones that could make a substantial difference.”

Ms Dancer said that a sustainable sport will be attractive to potential sponsors and that a healthy environment and healthy horses are interconnected. Action that every horse and yard owner can take range from not leaving the yard tap on and switching lights off, to planting trees, hedges and wildflower meadows, and putting in rainwater harvesting. Everyone can think about what their impact is and what is in their control to change, by recycling, composting, rotating fields and using less plastic.

“All of this is wrapped up in social licence,” she said. “Social licence isn’t just about horse welfare, it’s about a licence to operate and increasingly, that includes the environment. We can’t be seen to be damaging the environment. By putting sustainability at the heart of what we do, we help create the horse-human-planet relationship for future generations.

“Our sport can be a beacon for biodiversity and creating a healthy environment, not despite horses’ being in it but because of that.”

You might also be interested in:

Scientists calculate horses’ carbon hoofprint: why it’s important and what owners can do now

Ways to create an eco-friendly stable yard

Stephanie Bateman investigates how to build or adapt stables on a low carbon footprint and why constructing a yard need

New eco-friendly turnout rug made from 110 plastic bottles

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

Scientists have calculated a way of measuring the estimated carbon footprint of sport horses.

The project was carried out by Wageningen University & Research in partnership with the European Equestrian Federation (EEF). The team worked with stables in Sweden and the Netherlands to understand the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for which horses at different stages in their lives and across disciplines are accountable.

The idea behind the project is to understand the situation, to make changes in a sustainable way.

“Hoofprint can calculate greenhouse gas emissions from equines and with that, you can identify the emission hotspots,” said researcher Iris Huisman, speaking on an EEF webinar.

“One of the take-home messages is that it is important to know what the impact is before you can actually do something about it. Otherwise, you don’t really know what you’re changing or making improvements to.”

Ms Huisman explained that feed production, transport and manure came into the equation and gave some examples of how the percentage from each when calculating a horse’s carbon footprint can change over the course of his life.

For a yearling, feed makes up the majority (59%) of their carbon footprint – for a jet-setting sport horse competing internationally, this shifted to transport (90%).

The intention is for this information to be made available to national federations, and the EEF is looking into whether it can be made available on a central site. When ready, users will be able to see hotspot areas and how making changes to things such as transport or ingredients in a horse’s diet can affect the footprint.

Nat Waran, chair of the FEI-created equine, ethics and wellbeing commission, followed the presentation by explaining how and why it is important for the horse world to take note.

“We live in a very changing world and certainly whatever aspect of the equestrian world we look at, we’ve got to recognise that we look at it within a world context or global context,” said Professor Waran.

“What was thought impossible is no longer necessarily so, but also what was deemed acceptable previously may not be necessarily so.”

Prof Waran highlighted that although there is currently much discussion around welfare and ethics of horse use, she expects to see a rise in questions around environment and sustainability “if we don’t move swiftly” to address them.

“If you look at Gen Z, you can see that if they’re asked about the food system in future, what they’re interested in is more information and improvements in animal welfare, reducing environmental impact, more sustainable production, all those sorts of things,” she said.

“These things matter to our future equestrians.”

Prof Waran summed up how the whole picture of welfare and sustainability is interlinked. She gave the example of how the equine obesity crisis has direct links to the environment, with the increased carbon footprint related to excess feeding.

“Small steps can make a big difference. Small steps, particularly around sustainability, relate to things that we can actually do as individuals, obviously with the right information, to be able to replace some of the things that we do, reduce others, perhaps reuse some of the resources that we take advantage of and certainly recycle.

“When we look at responsible equestrianism, we’re talking about these two pillars at the moment – being able to demonstrate that we have a minimal environmental impact as we enjoy our sport, but also being able to be welfare-centric.”

She added that human behaviour change expertise has to be a part of the picture “to understand why humans do things and what will drive them to change, so we can help them to make more sustainable change”.

“That’s going to benefit the welfare of the horse and the welfare of the planet,” she said. “Changes have to be sustainable across the whole equine industry, not just one portion of it, not just Europe, or countries within Europe, but wider too.”

• For owners wanting to get an idea of their horses’ carbon footprint, insurers Agria has launched a free-to-use online carbon calculator at agriacarboncalculator.co.uk/horses/

You might also be interested in:

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Equestrians must act as ‘guardians of the landscape’ to reduce environmental impact

‘This will help you’: why caring for the environment is vital for the equestrian industry

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

William Funnell discusses building fresh trading routes and saving money while going green

During the recent cold snap, I felt extremely lucky to be in the UAE getting stuck in with the horses, starting with the four-star Al Shira’aa show followed by a five-star Nations Cup event. This is the fourth year I’ve come over and they offer nice classes, without the massive entries you get on the tours in Europe.

I jumped alongside Tim Gredley and Donald and Joe Whitaker on the British team to finish second in the Nations Cup.

Joe has always been a real talent and every time he’s had a good horse, he’s won a lot so it’s been great to see him jumping well at this level again – he won the first week’s grand prix, then came so close to winning a half share of the 50k double clear bonus in the Nations Cup with his horse Hulahupe JR. They just came up against Austria’s Christoph Obernauer in the jump-off, who set a deceptively fast time to clinch victory for his very strong team.

Joe’s brother Donald also did a great job and it was great to have Tim Gredley, with whom I have jumped on Nations Cups in the past, back on the team.

Di Lampard was out there with us as well, so it was a great opportunity for riders to show their hand with a bit of early form and there was great team spirit.

It was the first time that course-designer Uliano Vezzani was building in the UAE and he did an excellent job – the five-star grand prix was like a European equivalent, he didn’t hold back at all and there were only two clears. These shows have really brought up the level of riding in the country and the quality of horses is growing all the time.

A massive market

Back home, some of the horses have been out competing again and Addington has made a very welcome return to the calendar. Because we’re always so busy in January and February in the UAE followed by the Sunshine tours, I’d never actually made it to Florida, so it was a real eye-opener last week to visit the unbelievable World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, where my wife Pippa was training at this great facility, followed by a few days at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

There’s so much going on at Palm Beach, and it’s amazing to see just how much money is invested in the sport – and the huge number of people involved is heartening for a breeder! There’s a massive market for nice horses in their hunter and equitation classes. We have a lot of Billys making a name for themselves in the States now and since Brexit, it’s become even more important to forge direct trade with the US.

The Dutch VDL Stud has an annual auction in Florida, and that’s something we could eventually look into doing, but interestingly they’re not so used to buying in auctions there. However, our next venture is hopefully to organise an auction during the London International Horse Show as a way to get Americans over to the UK to help our trade and ensure we don’t end up too much in our own pond. We need to build those bridges.

Staying local

Times are tough for everyone right now and my feed bill alone has gone up by a third in the past year, so in looking at ways to save money, we’ve also tried to make our business more eco-friendly. With shavings almost doubling in price, 90% of my horses are now bedded on straw.

It’s great for the young ones as it gives them something to pick through, and it’s better for the environment because I buy from a farmer three miles down the road, whereas our shavings were being shipped in from as far afield as Holland and Belgium sometimes. Straw is also far better when we’re spreading it on the land.

I’d also used haylage for years because it was so much easier to store, but 85% of my horses are now on hay, thus eliminating all that plastic wrap. I’m finding it makes total sense to source locally when we can.

● Have you made any changes to reduce costs or be more eco-friendly? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com including your name, nearest town and county for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

• This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 2 February

You may also be interested in…

9 money-saving secrets from top riders

From tapping in to the knowledgeable people surrounding you, to taking the time to really the pros at shows, take

How green is your yard? 6 budget-busting eco-friendly solutions

Eco-friendly design can be incorporated into everything from light bulbs to storage solutions — and it could save you money

Four-star eventer Beanie Sturgis’ 11 top life-hacks for fellow equestrians

Gloucestershire-based eventer and field master Beanie Sturgis, shares her tips for saving time and money around the yard

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

The equestrian industry must make better decisions to reduce its environmental impact – and act as “guardians of the landscape”.

Water company United Utilities is collaborating with horse owners to help improve their land management, with the view of helping their equines – and protecting water sources.

United Utilities catchment manager Kate Snow told H&H equestrians can play their part in helping the environment by considering things such as their grazing practices, the location of their muck heaps, and the use of chemicals and fertilisers. The company is hosting three free events (28 January, 7 and 28 February) at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre in Cheshire, where owners can hear from land management experts and equine professionals on the topic.

“We want to encourage owners to act responsibly,” said Dr Snow. “Looking at a piece of land, some people might just think of it as somewhere to turn their horse out, rather than considering the environment. And many people don’t know that what they’re doing potentially could be having an impact.

“No one is saying anyone is doing anything [negative] on purpose, but it’s raising awareness of what you can do. For example, simply moving your muck to a different part of the field can make a considerable difference, or making sure the person you use to take the muck away is acting responsibly and spreading it as part of a nutrient management plan, and not just dumping it.”

British Equestrian (BEF) has launched a new five-month environmental sustainability project with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), in collaboration with sustainability agency White Griffin. The European Equestrian Federation will also be a project stakeholder.

White Griffin will conduct interviews with BEF and HSI member bodies and the wider equine community, about how sustainability impacts them, what work is being carried out, concerns, and the way forward, with the aim of reaching “as many people involved in the industry as possible.”

White Griffin project lead Ruth Dancer told H&H the work will lead to recommendations and a “strategic roadmap”, to support the federations with the risks that climate change will present in the coming years, and their “ongoing responsible stewardship of the land”.

“The climate crisis impacts everything that this sector does and in turn, the sector impacts upon it. Through this work we hope to demonstrate ways the industry can positively impact the environment while crucially safeguarding the future of equestrianism and equestrian sports,” she said.

BEF chief executive Jim Eyre added that the industry has a “collective responsibility” for the environment, to ensure a sustainable future.

“As a sector so integrated and reliant on nature and the countryside, we must make better informed decisions to reduce our environmental impact wherever we can and act as guardians of the landscape,” he said.

You might also be interested in:

‘This will help you’: why caring for the environment is vital for the equestrian industry

How all equestrians can help make the world a greener place

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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

Yes, you read that right – paper wine bottles. Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia has just released its second wine in a Frugal bottle, which is the world’s first commercially available paper wine bottle. But why do we think this important for equestrians?

Not only are these bottles packed with environmentally-friendly features but, hear us out, they make it the perfect product to pack in the lorry or take with you on an equestrian adventure, whether it’s summer camp, a stay-away show, pony picnic or even a yard BBQ.

A Frugal wine bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard, with a carbon footprint six times smaller than a glass bottle. It uses just 15g of plastic, which is 77% less than a 100% recycled plastic bottle. It’s also shatterproof, five times lighter than a glass bottle (weighing just 83g) and keeps the wine chilled longer than a glass bottle once it’s out of the fridge. This bottle is easy to recycle, which eliminates concerns over broken glass and, being so lightweight, it’s easy to carry around.

The new white wine, Celi, is a blend of 60% Grechetto, 20% Vermentino and 20% Chardonnay grapes and costs £12.50. A rosé wine is due to follow in the spring.

The first wine Cantina Goccia produced in a paper bottle was 3Q, which is a red Sangiovese wine with a hint of Merlot and Cabernet. It’s described as fresh, accessible and light in style.

View Cantina Goccia Celi at vivino.com

You might also like:

How all equestrians can help make the world a greener place

27 Mother’s Day gift ideas for the best horsey mums

11 horseshoe gifts perfect for a wedding

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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.

ALL those involved in horse sport have a responsibility to reduce their impact on the environment, according to businesses promoting change.

In the wake of 2021 climate-change summit COP26, companies shared the ways they are working to be more “green”, and practical measures riders can take to make a difference.

Westgate Labs, which offers worm-count services, created a nature reserve on its site and planted 1,000 trees during lockdown.

The Northumberland business promotes “sustainable” targeted worming, based on test results rather than a fixed schedule. Nothing is left with the customer after a sample is returned, and recycled packaging is composted on site.

“A lot of the time these options cost more, but we have to look at our choices,” director Claire Shand told H&H. “One of the privileges of running a successful business is the ability to give back and make positive change.”

Kent-based Saracen Horse Feeds is also conscious of its local environment, and sources 70% of ingredients from the south-east.

Its feed bags are recyclable, and at the warehouse, renewable energy is used, LED lighting is set on sensors and waste from the mill is composted.

“We’re very lucky because we’re in an agricultural area, which helps us support local businesses, but also reduce food miles,” said Saracen sustainability champion Stephanie George.

Catherine Milne, founder of See Change Now, a plastic-free, biodegradable horse shampoo, said we need to get back to the “traditional values” of the sport, of valuing, repairing and repurposing tack and kit.

“We can all adopt some changes that will serve to reduce our personal carbon footprint and that of our horses, which will help businesses adapt and come up with the right answers,” she said.

The issue can be complicated, according to Claire Williams, executive director of the British Equestrian Trade Association.

“The customer may look at plastic packaging [and think it’s bad] but actually it could be recycled and can be more environmentally friendly than materials manufactured further afield,” she said.

“Efforts are being made and everybody has to weigh up the cost and implications.”

Renewable electricity, sustainable food and recycling are employed at ExCeL London to reduce its environmental impact.

The London International Horse Show venue feeds food waste to its in-house wormery, which is turned into fertiliser, as is manure from the stables.

Visitors are invited to donate to offset their carbon footprint created travelling to the show, and are encouraged to use public transport.

Road miles can also be reduced by entering online competitions.

“Competing from home reduces carbon emissions as there is no need to travel,” said Sarah Ahrens, founder of Dressage Online, which became carbon negative this year.

A green yard

The British Horse Society’s Oonagh Meyer suggests:

⦁ Automatic bowls or troughs so buckets don’t have to be washed out and refilled.

⦁ Recycling water for hay soaking and dust control. Owl House Stables in Kent collects rainwater from guttering to irrigate its school.

⦁ Switching from hosepipe to buckets for washing and installing self-closing taps.

⦁ Efficient light bulbs or solar-powered lights, with motion sensors where possible.

⦁ Ensuring the muck heap is not sited to pollute waterways.

⦁ Setting up areas to separate waste. Local councils and Waste and Resources Action Programme can advise on recycling.

You might also be interested in:

Climate change: exotic disease and horse and human welfare issues

Why equids must be part of plans to cope with climate change

New eco-friendly turnout rug made from 110 plastic bottles

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

With the challenge of climate change, what part are equestrian professionals playing to be more sustainable in their roles? Stephanie Bateman investigates

REDUCING the impact we have on our planet is a major global focus. While big equestrian brands and companies are playing their part to be more sustainable, what about individuals and smaller set-ups working in the industry?

Zoe Kiff set up Honest Riders Clothing in 2017 when looking for more sustainable riding kit for herself and care products for her horses.

“I realised that the options in the equestrian market were really limited, so decided to set up a brand whose sole focus was on providing more eco-friendly options,” says Zoe. “We consider our environmental impact at every step of the product journey.”

Every product Zoe sells has to be made using the most sustainable fabric they can source, either organic cotton or recycled polyester. It has to be made by a manufacturer whose workers are treated and paid fairly, and which considers the carbon output of its factory, and uses material shipped to it plastic-free. And the clothing must be of high quality, so that customers get years of wear out of it.

With regards to the horsecare products, Zoe ensures they are cruelty-free, as natural as possible to avoid toxins ending up in waterways, free from sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), parabens, petroleum and paraffin, and wrapped in recyclable packaging.

“Last year we launched a horse shampoo bar which is made from natural ingredients and comes in compostable packaging,” says Zoe. “It’s no longer enough for a brand to label itself or its products ‘sustainable’ if they haven’t considered every element. We believe that the equestrian market is behind the times when it comes to considering its environmental impact. Climate change is such a huge issue that we believe it’s our responsibility as customers and as brands to act now.”

FOR some, sustainability isn’t a new concept. Postal worm egg count company Westgate Labs has been championing sustainable horse health for 22 years and, during lockdown, invested in a new range of environmentally friendly packaging.

“The innovative design of our lab testing kits transforms the biodegradable product pouches into a return envelope to send the animal samples back to the laboratory for testing,” explains Claire Shand, director of marketing at Westgate Labs. “This way, we’re responsible for the full journey of the product as everything can be returned to source.”

Some 12 months on from the launch, thousands of pouches have been returned through the post to be composted on the family farm where the lab is based.

“The intention is for the material to be used for new tree-planting on a 73-acre reserve that we’re establishing on reclaimed open-cast land,” says Claire. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve reduced the amount of rubbish going to landfill by more than 75%. What we can’t compost we recycle wherever possible. It’s all the little things like ensuring every additional sticker on a compostable envelope is printed on the right grade of material and with vegetable ink so that no nasties leach into the soil. The environment is really important to us here at Westgate, so we continue to take every step we can to protect it.”

CHANGES are happening in places of education too, as equine lecturer at Bridgend College Sue Hurford says.

“Sustainability has become something of a buzz word in the education sector, and at Bridgend College we’ve incorporated sustainability into the strategic plan for the business, including plans to be paperless by 2025,” she says. “Blended learning timetables will be utilised for all learners with a combination of online and face-to-face teaching. This will not only allow for further progression toward being paperless, but will also allow for massive reductions in our carbon footprint with fewer cars, less travel and a reduction in energy usage. We will also soon have electric charge points at the college.”

Sustainability has also become a key word in Estyn (Wales’ version of Ofsted) inspections, with lecturers encouraged to teach and educate learners on sustainability.

“The younger generation are more aware of sustainability and more skilled and willing to use technology,” says Sue. “The biggest challenge is training staff in new ways of working, especially in ICT [information and communications technology].”

Extra training and ICT equipment carries a cost, but the savings have been almost £20k in printing alone in a three-month period.

“We also manage our land sustainably with areas set aside for natural biodiverse habitats,” adds Sue. “We encourage recycling in all areas. In the equine sector, the organic waste is used to fertilise the land.”

SHOW venues are also stepping up to the sustainability plate.

Tina Ure is in charge of Ely Eventing Centre, home to Little Downham Horse Trials, and a busy base for coaching days and clinics.

“Making the business more sustainable means looking at investments in infrastructure that will help make savings in the future, as well as looking at how we can operate in a greener and more sustainable way,” says Tina. “To do this, we’ve looked to digital developments, renewable energy and biodegradable bedding.”

Going digital future-proofs certain systems and reduces the amount of paper used.

“For example, we have run an online booking system for several years and this now takes care of stable bookings, clinics and coaching and cross-country schooling, saving time and effort,” says Tina. “The Event Hub launched in 2020 has enabled us to host course maps, event programmes, essential information and a lot of signage digitally. We also developed a fence-judging app.”

The bulk of the site also runs on solar power for a large part of the year, which is one reason why there isn’t always enough power for electric hook-up at shows.

“We use pellets or other bedding types, such as hemp, which is quicker to break down,” adds Tina. “We supply travel mugs and flasks to our volunteers so that they can re-use them and use biodegradable lunch boxes to deliver jacket potatoes to the cross-country jump judges, rather than plastic-wrapped sandwiches. The biggest challenge has been changing people’s habits, but the more people visit and experience the changes, the more they embrace them.”

Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) qualified saddle fitter Poppy Webber recently launched PeeWee Leather Care, a brand of leather care with sustainability at the forefront. Poppy has been working in the saddlery world for 15 years, and knows which products are best suited to leather.

Poppy’s products are eco-friendly, natural and cruelty-free.

“All the ingredients are 100% natural and all of our packaging is plastic-free and biodegradable,” explains Poppy. “We even make the sponges out of wood pulp and the disposable gloves for the leather dye are made out of sugar cane.”

Science Supplements is another company committed to reducing plastic consumption. The brand already uses 100% post-consumer recycled plastics for their shampoo and spray range, and is transitioning to recyclable pouches for the majority of their products, in what Group CEO David Mitson describes as “another leap forward in reducing the impact of single-use plastic on our environment”.

Some professions require hours of travel, which isn’t great for reducing carbon footprints, but farrier Jack Climo overcomes this by van sharing with another farrier.

“We have clients at the same yards, so we drive together on certain days to reduce carbon emissions,” says Jack. “On days when I work alone, I organise my diary to see clients in the same area, rather than driving around.”

Jack also recycles old shoes and nails, and the cardboard boxes the shoes come in.

“When we’ve finished with our gas bottles that we use in the forge, they get sent back to the suppliers and are replaced with a full one – the empty ones are filled and reused,” says Jack. “Some suppliers pack the shoes in plastic bags as well as cardboard boxes to prevent the shoes rusting, but I don’t believe it’s necessary and removing the plastic would make it more environmentally friendly.”

“Small changes add up”

SHOWJUMPER Camilla Bingham is on a sustainability mission and has various strategies to reduce her carbon footprint.

“Before using a company or brand, I check out their sustainability policies and opt for those which are more eco-friendly,” says Camilla. “The bedding company I use recycle the pallets they deliver the bedding on. They also teach their drivers to drive more efficiently to reduce their carbon footprint.”

When it comes to tack and equipment, Camilla’s philosophy is that if you don’t need something, don’t buy it.

“Sell unused items and buy second-hand. Also, get things fixed instead of replacing them,” she says. “I also prefer to save up and buy better-quality items rather than cheap items that will need replacing sooner. If you look after your things, they will last longer.”

She also works on sustainability at shows.

“I always take my own food as it’s healthier and means I use my own cutlery and cups,” she says. “I also leave reviews for venues on how they could be more sustainable. If we all take small steps, it will add up to a big difference.”

This feature can also be read in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 29 April

You may also be interested in…

Riders’ eco-friendly choices help drive industry to become greener *H&H Plus*

Riders and horses can wear plastic as equestrian world goes greener *H&H Plus*

How green is your yard? 6 budget-busting eco-friendly solutions

Eco-friendly design can be incorporated into everything from light bulbs to storage solutions — and it could save you money

Ways to create an eco-friendly stable yard

Stephanie Bateman investigates how to build or adapt stables on a low carbon footprint and why constructing a yard need

With growing desire to become more environmentally conscious, what changes can horse owners make? Alex Robinson looks at some of the options

WHILE it’s perfectly healthy to use our horses as escapism from the real world, we cannot ignore our responsibilities as individuals to negate the impact of environmental changes. Forward-thinking individuals are working hard to ensure the equestrian industry doesn’t get left behind when it comes to becoming more sustainable. And the good news is that each of us can do our bit by making tweaks to shopping, horse care and disposal habits.

New Forest commoner Lyndsey Stride says that while the agricultural sector has been encouraged to farm in a more environmentally friendly way for some time, the message is yet to stick with the equestrian industry. She believes that recreational horse owners could learn – and benefit – from the way semi-feral ponies live in their homelands.

“Native ponies on moors, forests and fells are living in a natural way and contribute to an extraordinarily biodiverse landscape,” explains Lyndsey. “Looking at pasture management, there is a lot of talk in farming about carbon storage in grassland. Most recreational horses are kept on former agricultural fields, and as horse owners generally keep grass very short, the grass is placed under a lot of stress.

“Long grass is better at drawing up water and trace elements, and it puts more effort into growing its roots, which is good for the soil and carbon storage.

“We should strive for herb-rich pastures which aren’t being constantly grazed; the plants get more time to recover and therefore there is a much larger variety of grass species.

“Rotating paddocks – every month or so if you can – lets the grass rest. It will also benefit your horses as they’ll be eating a more varied and balanced diet. So many horses these days have hind gut problems or allergies, whereas ponies in the forest rarely need the vet out.

“As rotation helps with the issue of ground compaction, it helps prevent or deal with existing cases of mud and poaching, too. If you can find a four-foot strip around your field, fence this off, let it grow during spring and see what comes of it. It can only do the soil and grass good.

“If space permits, ‘paddock paradise’ – [the concept of] an outdoor environment which mimics natural wild habitats – is another option. [This way of keeping horses] makes the ponies walk a long way, usually over obstacles such as logs, to get food.”

When it comes to fencing, Lyndsey says that while the initial cost outlay of planting a hedge with a future aspiration of laying it might be greater, the long-term benefits are plenty.

“Post and rail usually doesn’t last forever,” Lyndsey adds. “Safety wise, there are no wires or broken rails in hedgerows. It might take up to 15 years to finish, but in the long run they are a source of shelter, food and are a habitat for wildlife. Plus, a good hedge promotes trickle feeding and encourages horses to eat from different heights.

“We’re in the middle of a climate and nature emergency and everyone has a part to play, though it’s hard to keep up to speed with the change of expectations; it’s fast-changing knowledge. If you own a field you are the guardian of that land and you have a duty to pass it on in the best possible condition.”

AS many products used in the equestrian industry – feed bags, packaging, bedding and wrappers – are disposed of after use, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to make their production processes more energy efficient.

“The biggest challenge we face is the manufacturers of packaging changing their products to include recycled content,” says NAF’s Isla Boxall-Loomes, who explains that currently the brand’s tubs are made from 50% recycled plastic and shampoo bottles from 30% recycled content.

“We need to provide the same quality of product in recycled packaging; there is a concern about keeping products fresh and whether the packaging is able to withstand feed room life and transportation.

“As feed safety is a priority, all of our products are sold in tamper evident plastic pots. Therefore, we offer products in a variety of sizes so you could save on packaging waste by purchasing larger ones. All of our plastic tubs, pots and jerry cans can be recycled and made back into packaging, too. Manufacturing has to promote the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ message.”

Hack Up Bespoke hit the headlines in 2019 when they introduced their new biodegradable packaging. Their supplements are all sold in tin-plated paper packaging.

“It’s not been without challenges,” says Hack Up’s Jayne Gingell, who also notes that the brand decants liquids into paper packaging, too. “Any manufacturing company can become more sustainable, but it’s going to have a negative impact on profit. It would be easier for us to put all the ingredients in a plastic pot, instead of funneling them into pieces of paper, but it’s worth it; tin plate biodegrades in 50 years, whereas plastic takes over 200 years. Paper takes weeks to decompose.

“We are considered a specialised supplement company in the horseworld and provide hand-made, bespoke products not made on a mass scale, which are better for the environment with limited product miles and no need for preservatives. We cater for the discerning customer who is ready to take on the responsibility of their own waste.”

Wood pellet bedding has grown in popularity, mainly due to its minimal wastage and ease of use. But making a switch could also be better for the planet.

“Wood pellet bedding has risen out of nowhere in the past 14 years, from making up 0% to 20% of the bedding market,” says Fiona Hill from Sorbeo Horse Bedding. “As well as producing little waste, once on the muck heap, pellets decompose fast; they’re made from a treated wood so they’re semi-decomposed anyway.”

Fiona says that if you’re looking to source wood pellets, ensure that you know exactly where they’ve come from.

“Some local suppliers might sell imported pellets that are made from compressed sawdust with an additive to stick it together, and some contain harmful chemicals and dusts, such as MDF [medium-density fibreboard]. Some imports might have glue added to them, too. We use lignin glue which is natural.”

SAFETY product manufacturers are possibly dealt the toughest hand.

“Helmets, and most safety products, are particularly hard to recycle as they’re designed to withstand high-impact accidents, last for up to five years and be incredibly durable,” says Charles Owen’s marketing director Alex Burek.

“Hats are made of several layers and include plastics, glues and polystyrenes which are essential for safety. We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that the manufacturing process offsets the carbon footprint and is as sustainable as possible.

“When making the plastic shells, if one isn’t perfect we will now grind it up and make a new one instead of discarding it. The helmets themselves go into a drawstring bag made from recycled plastic bottles and these are then put into a recyclable cardboard box. We harvest rainwater from the roof to make our hat liners, and the heat that’s generated by this machine is used to heat the factory.”

When your hat has come to the end of its life, Alex says that an old helmet can double up as a plant pot.

“The ventilation makes it ideal for this job,” adds Alex. “And the chin strap means you can hang it anywhere.”

8 sustainable ideas for horse owners

● Car share to the yard: if you’re heading in the same direction as a fellow livery yard member, take it in turns to drive each other (subject to Covid restrictions). Or perhaps split the work so each of you does one end of the day.

● Buy second hand: check out your local equestrian social media page or group to pick up good quality second-hand items that are fit for reuse.

● Buy local: support your nearest

tack shop and feed merchants as well as local producers in order to reduce travel and delivery.

● Invest in eco products: many brands are now creating goods from alternative materials. For example, Poly Jumps’ Eco Jumps range is made from bio-resin, which contains polyethylene derived from plant sources.

● Help good causes: the Horse Trust will take your old rugs, saddles, bits and bridles for their tack sales. The RSPCA takes headcollars, lead ropes and turnout rugs that are in “reasonable and usable condition”. Or give your bits a second life by donating them to the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.

● Save water: consider installing automatic drinkers, or simply repairing leaky taps around the yard.

● Bulk buy: look for companies offering bulk solutions, such as Chestnut Horse Feeds which provides a bulk-bin feeding system. The food is delivered to buyers in a reusable, waterproof bin, which reduces waste. Buy lotions, cleaners and products in larger quantities and decant into old plastic bottles as needed.

Recycling the wardrobe

● WHEN it comes to your horse’s wardrobe, big-name brands are leading the way with their selection of sustainable gear.

Each rug from Weatherbeeta’s Green-Tec range saves over 340 plastic bottles from going into a landfill or the ocean, and the fabric uses 50% less energy to produce than a traditional turnout rug. Both the outer fabric and lining are made from recycled bottles. Plus, it is packaged in recyclable packaging that is made from post consumer recyclable (PCR) plastic.

Derby House’s eco-friendly Evolution rug (pictured) – which is also free of poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFCs) – is made from the equivalent of 110 recycled plastic bottles. It’s claimed to be the most sustainable rug in the world.

“Using recycled plastics is exactly the kind of lever we need to be pulling when attempting to make recycling a viable solution,” said a Derby House spokesman.

● ASIDE from buying second-hand clothing, opting for products made from recycled materials is the next best thing.

The most recent addition to DVR Equestrian’s collection is the Penny pull-on winter jodhpurs, the first product from the brand to be made from Repreve (a fabric made from recycled bottles). As well as being DVR’s first winter weight jodhpurs, they are made from 84% Repreve and 16% Spandex.

Saracen Horse Feeds, which uses only renewable energy sources at its site, has recently released branded uniforms made from recycled plastic. Each branded soft-shell jacket for staff and sponsored riders will be produced from 20 plastic cups, aptly recycled from horse racing events.

 What efforts are you making at your yard to go green? Write in to H&H at hhletters@futurenet.com

This feature can also be read in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 29 April

You may also be interested in…

Riders’ eco-friendly choices help drive industry to become greener *H&H Plus*

Riders and horses can wear plastic as equestrian world goes greener *H&H Plus*

Heavy horses bucking the trend: meet the horses drafting a sustainable future *H&H Plus*

The Horse & Hound Podcast 45: Kitty King | Sustainability in equestrianism | News round-up

The equestrian industry has been making great strides towards a greener and more sustainable future. H&H finds out about some of the latest products and initiatives to be launched

MAKING eco-friendly choices has been described as a “necessity” as the equestrian industry takes more steps to be greener.

More companies are moving towards products made from recycled materials, reducing single-use plastics and packaging; giving customers an opportunity to help protect the environment.

Equestrian safety company Fomo has launched horsewear products including show rugs, half-pads and fly veils using offcuts and leftover materials from body protector development.

“As a business and particularly a manufacturer, you are so aware of the waste generated when creating products, garments especially – it’s huge,” Fomo managing director and founder Carmen Cummiskey told H&H.

“We all have a duty to be more sustainable and upcycle leftovers and waste material. Products need to be multi-purpose and have longevity, and any waste that can be salvaged for other things should be. As equestrians we are already good at reusing, reselling, and fixing products – rugs for example. However, we need to get savvy to minimal waste policies to really push towards sustainability.”

British Showjumping (BS) head of communications Maria Haig told H&H BS has this month switched from plastic membership cards to electronic.

“This has allowed us to reduce our carbon footprint which has always been an aim, as well as helping to streamline registration processes, with Covid protocols in place,” she said.

“BS magazine also switched to a recyclable potato starch wrapper a year ago, and BS has introduced other electronic processes in recent years such as the online grading app with the functionality for members to manage accounts and horse registrations online.”

In 2020, ethical lifestyle brand Honest Riders launched natural shampoo bars for horses that come in biodegradable packaging, and recently launched winter riding leggings made from recycled plastic. The company plans to develop more products in its horse-care range in 2021.

Honest riders founder and director Zoe Kiff told H&H she does not believe it is enough for a brand to label itself as eco-friendly if it only makes one element of its offering or product “environmentally conscious.”

“Sustainability needs to be a key element of everything a business does. We try to ensure that every single element of Honest Riders is as sustainable as possible, considering everything from the fabrics and ingredients we use in our products to where and how they are made, the packaging they arrive in and the packaging we use,” she said.

“Encouraging equestrians to be more eco-friendly in their choices is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a necessity. As lovers of the outdoors, all equestrians have a responsibility to help protect our environment, or we risk losing the open spaces, climate and biodiversity we currently enjoy.”

You might also be interested in…

New visors and refills as industry goes greener *H&H Plus*

Litter-picking mule helps keep countryside clean

‘I think people who see me probably think I’m a bit mad, but in a good way’

Riders and horses can wear plastic as equestrian world goes greener *H&H Plus*

Is this the emission-free, diesel-free horsebox of the future?

H&H introduces paper magazine wraps as more businesses ‘go green’ *H&H Plus*

Horse & Hound magazine will be delivered to subscribers in recyclable paper envelopes from next week

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

Among new eco-friendly products for equestrians is a rug made from 110 plastic bottles and breeches made from a fabric that contains plastic waste from the sea. H&H reviews the latest developments as the industry embraces greener options...

Horses and riders can now wear plastic as well as cutting down on single-use items, as the equestrian world makes further environmentally friendly efforts.

A turnout rug made from the equivalent of 110 plastic bottles is now on the market, while riders can wear breeches made from plastic waste taken out of the seas.

Danielle Reynolds, founder of DVR Equestrian which makes the Dexter recycled “trackpant” breeches, told H&H that using the ocean waste-containing fabric is just one of her green practices.

“I was never not going to be eco-friendly when I started my own brand,” she said.

“There are so many environmentally friendly fabrics on the market, I can’t see any excuse not to use them; I think the equestrian industry has been a bit slow to realise, but it is picking up.”

Ms Reynolds said the recycled fabric has “incredible” technical properties, so as well as saving seven barrels of crude oil and 5.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per ton compared to normal polyester or polyamide, the clothes it makes are of high quality.

She also cited the “price per wear” of products. A pair of leggings might be half the price of another, but if they only last a quarter of the time, the value is lower, as well as the fact more fabric may end up in landfill.

She also offers free repairs on her products.

“A lot of riders repair rugs but might not think of it for their own clothes,” she said. “One of my best customers sent some leggings back for repair and I was really excited to see that after over two years’ wear, the fabric was undamaged, it was just the seams. I fixed them, so she can have another however many years wearing them.

“As a brand, it’s everything; I’ve gone for safety pins instead of plastic swing tags and a stamp instead of stickers for postage, as I realised how many stickers would go straight in the bin.

“As long as people make any little changes they can, something’s being done. I’m passionate about this way of thinking.”

A spokesman for Derby House told H&H its Evolution turnout, which it believes is the world’s most sustainable horse rug, is eco-friendly because it is free of PFC chemicals, and has been “taken to new heights” with the recycled nature of its fabrics.

The spokesman said PFCs, per- or poly-fluorinated chemicals, are used to make fabrics waterproof, but these are harmful to the environment. The Evolution uses a different waterproofing agent, and Derby House hopes to expand its use of PFC-free fabrics in its rugs.

“In the world of equestrian, this is a unique offering and one that might just act as the gear change the industry needs,” a Derby House spokesman said.

“Using recycled plastics is exactly the kind of lever we need to be pulling when attempting to make recycling a viable solution.”

And the way the rug is delivered has not been ignored; Derby House packaging is 99.81% plastic-free.

“There’s always a better way,” the spokesman said. “We simply need to press pause from time to time, consider things as they are and make better decisions.”

You may also be interested in…

New eco-friendly turnout rug made from 110 plastic bottles

New “eco-friendly” horse bedding Equibright launched

Equibright, a new "eco-friendly and cost effective" horse bedding, made of soft, clumped briquettes that break down as you or

Safe, eco-friendly and budget-friendly: H&H’s stable lighting tips

Does your stable and arena lighting system need an overhaul? Check out H&H’s top tips on the best and safest

Ways to create an eco-friendly stable yard

Stephanie Bateman investigates how to build or adapt stables on a low carbon footprint and why constructing a yard need

How green is your yard? 6 budget-busting eco-friendly solutions

Eco-friendly design can be incorporated into everything from light bulbs to storage solutions — and it could save you money

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