A major equestrian venue has warned people to be aware of fake social media pages asking for credit card details, after a group cloned the centre’s Facebook page.

Arena UK, Lincolnshire, which hosts a range of events and championships, became aware that a Facebook page posing as the venue had been created and was advertising events.

Arena UK co-owner Lauren Fogg told H&H the venue had cancelled some shows owing to the recent storms but the fake page continued to advertise the events.

“First of all we had our whole page cloned – we managed to sort that but then another page was set up and was advertising events. They were adding ‘2020’ to the end of every event and thankfully some people got in touch asking if we had seen it and if it was real or not,” she said.

“We’ve reported it to Facebook and asked everyone who saw it to report it too but unfortunately Facebook wasn’t the quickest to deal with it – or they have a look, say it’s fine and leave it on. We’re finding it very difficult to get Facebook to take it down.”

The fake event pages advertise live-streaming of shows and ask users to input credit card details in order to watch.

“It’s bad – we don’t want people to think we’re not secure here as a show centre,” said Lauren.

“We do our best to make sure all our servers are secure and I don’t want people to think we’ve been targeted because we don’t have good cyber security – we take a lot of time and money to make sure we’re safe for everyone to visit our sites.”

Lauren said she put up a post on the Arena UK page warning people of the fake page, but the imitators then copied the warning.

“They used our warning to promote it even more,” she said. “I think the people behind it are a group that’s come across equestrianism and thought this is a good way to scam people.

“They’ve even got an event up already for our British Dressage area festival in September. We had to change the date so originally they put up the wrong date but then they realised and changed it, they’re quite savvy – they’re not just randomly doing it and leaving it, they’re revisiting everything.”

Article continued below…

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Lauren urged people to be vigilant online.

“Make sure it’s the correct page you’re visiting – it’s so easy to get scammed. If anyone is worried they should alert us then we can take the issue further and make sure they don’t get scammed by these people. It’s scary – people don’t realise and then click on the links.”

The page has now been removed. A Facebook spokesman thanked H&H for bringing the issue to the company’s attention, adding that it uses a combination of automatic tools and human review to remove fraudulent behaviour from its platforms, and encourages people to use reporting tools if they seen this kind of behaviour.

“We have removed this page, which violated our policies on fraud and deception,” he said. “We continue to invest in people and technology to identify and remove this content. As part of this work, we donated £3m to Citizens Advice to deliver a new UK scam action programme and set up a dedicated reporting tool, supported by a specialist internal operations team.”

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An online saddlery has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after breaching codes on sales promotions in a Facebook competition.

The ASA received five complaints regarding a competition run last October on Bridleworks’ Facebook page, which offered owners “the chance to see their four-legged friend become the face of our exciting new brand.”

Complaints over the judging of the competition were upheld by the ASA last week (28 January).

Entrants were asked to upload a photo and ask their Facebook friends to “like” their picture.

The competition said the top 20 equines with the most likes would go through to the second round, where an independent panel would choose the winner.

However, the ASA received four complaints from entrants who challenged whether the promotion was fairly administered. Another complainant questioned whether the voting system was clearly stated in the terms and conditions.

Rebecca Penny founder of Bridleworks argued the competition was run fairly through an online third-party service. She told the ASA this enabled competition organisers to change the criteria and allow participants to gain bonus points for sharing the page and inviting friends to “like” it.

“There was a link to the terms and conditions at the bottom of the competition,” maintained Ms Penny. “I did everything fairly, it was just a case of a few people not reading the terms and conditions properly.”

She told H&H the details of winner and runner-up were announced on the company’s Facebook page on 14 November 2014, and in the spring the new face of Bridleworks will be multiple Horse of the Year Show winner Login Lucky Lad, a coloured traditional pony.

But after an investigation the ASA concluded the promotion had breached codes on sales promotions, administration and prize promotions. Bridleworks was told the ad must not appear in its current form again, and any future competitions must have the voting system clearly stated in the terms and conditions.

Ref: Horse & Hound, 12 February 2015

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Social media has come to the rescue of an abused horse, after police appealed on networking sites to the public to help locate it.

Dorset police called for witnesses through Facebook and Twitter after reports that a horse was tied to the back of a vehicle, dragged along and beaten by two men with a rope when it fell. The incident happened on 2 April in Bridport.

Thanks to a “phenomenal response”, the horse and the perpetrators were found less than 12 hours later.

The Facebook post was seen by 15,760 people. Many helped spread news of the incident by sharing the statement released by the police on the Bridport, Beaminster and Lyme Regis Safer Neighbourhood Teams’ page on 3 April.

PC Scott McGregor posted the appeal initially on Facebook, then circulated the link on his @BridPoliceSNT Twitter timeline to 996 followers, where it was retweeted.

“Animal-related stories always touch a nerve and so it was no surprise to me that this had such a quick result,” PC McGregor told H&H. “Within 8-10hr we had identified several lines of enquiry. From our point of view, it gets people talking and shows people that the community is watching.”

The RSPCA told H&H that inspectors have seen the horse since it was found and confirmed that it was uninjured. They were told that the horse “was being taken to its new owners when it was being seen dragged and hit”.

“The new owners we have met say they are not the ones seen hitting the horse,” said an RSPCA spokesman. “They had made arrangements for their vet to visit and health-check the pony.”

“It was clearly a horrible incident and a horrific way to treat an animal,” she added. “We are unable to take further action at this time as the witnesses we had unfortunately weren’t happy to be involved further.”

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A good Samaritan who tended an unknown dying horse has sparked a massive Facebook campaign to save a group of neglected horses on a Leicestershire floodplain.

The page “Help the horses of Fosse Park” has gathered more than 19,000 likes in the past 24 hours.

Farrier Mark Johnson had been concerned about the welfare of this group of horses in a large area of land near Fosse Retail Park, Leicester, for some time.

However, when he drove past on Saturday (15 February), he noticed a horse lying down in floodwater (above).

“That seemed strange, and when I went to investigate, I also saw the corpse of a foal,” Mark told H&H. He then called the RSPCA.

“The fire brigade was fantastic getting the horse on to dry land, but sadly the horse’s state was too severe and it was euthanased.”

Mark posted on Facebook the video and photos that his son Harry had recorded.

“The problem has been there for a while, but my one hope is that through these 2 dead horses we can get the rest moved and legislation changed so that horses cannot be treated like this. It’s a permanent flood plain, their hay is only fit for burning and the fencing is horrific.”

Since the photos were posted, Facebook administrators have been deluged with offers of stabling, hay and assistance to help.

One administrator, Sarah Anne Mickleburgh, is restarting Leicester Horsewatch. A follower has already pledged £140 to pay for the Horsewatch website.

“These horses have been on and off this land for years, but it’s only because Mark went to check the dead horse out that it’s raised awareness that we can do something,” Sarah Anne said.

But she advised other wannabe good Samaritans that the matter is “now in the right hands, through the correct channels”.

The RSPCA, Trading Standards and Melton Police are all involved.

“We don’t want people feeding the horses, or going down there to help because it will cease to be a welfare case,” she said. “People must stay off the land, or they may be guilty of trespass or theft.

The RSPCA has been blamed for insufficient care on social networking sites, but Sarah Anne and Mark defended the organisation’s current activity. The field is owned by Everard Brewery and let out to an undisclosed tenant. The RSPCA is in contact with the owners and monitoring the situation.

“The location is not ideal due to recent flooding, but the horses are kept on a huge area of land and have areas of dry land they can move to freely,” said an RSPCA spokesman. “The owner attends and provides extra hay. [We] cannot just remove horses if there are no legal offences broken.”

Tony Tyler, deputy chief executive of World Horse Welfare — which has attended the site — said there are “thousands” of Fosse Park situations across the country due to the atrocious weather and the horses are the owner’s responsibility.

“This case has been handled throughout by the RSPCA, which gave strong advice to the owner 2 weeks ago,” he said. “The other horses seemed in reasonable bodily condition, which makes it difficult to force owners to improve conditions.

“Charities must work within the law, and they cannot seize animals even from a flooded field if dryer areas are accessible to them.

The owner removed the decomposing carcass this morning (Monday 17 Feburary).

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-the-horses-of-Fosse-Park-Leicester/215018828693901

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H&H readers are being urged to sign a petition to ban the distasteful Facebook page “I love hunting accidents”, which celebrates deaths and injuries to hunting people.

The pro-hunt Facebook group Campaigning for Hunting is aiming to reach 1,500 signatures, with 1,054 so far. The hunting accidents page has 1,202 “likes”.

But Facebook said the page did not breach its rules as it was “not being used to threaten people with real world harm”.

A spokesman said: “While it may be viewed as offensive or upsetting, that alone is not enough to require its removal — someone wouldn’t be kicked out of a pub for celebrating the death of a person they disliked.”

To sign, visit https://www.causes.com/actions/1745762-tell-facebook-to-close-the-hunting-accidents-page

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (9 May 2013)

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Hunt supporters’ relief at seeing the “I love hunting accidents” Facebook page removed was short-lived when the page resurfaced just a day after its demise.

The anti-hunting page was set up three years ago and aims to “celebrate the deaths and serious injury of killers”.

Pro-hunting Facebook group Campaigning for Hunting set up a petition two weeks ago asking Facebook to close down the page. The group believed they had succeeded on Monday 15 April, although Facebook kept the petition live with 970 signatures.

“We made a concerted effort to bring the page down, enough was enough,” said Campaigning for Hunting’s David McNeill, a foot-follower with the West Somerset Beagles and Exmoor Foxhounds.

“Sadly, it was only temporary, but let’s keep going and hope Facebook will listen.”

The Countryside Alliance (CA) called upon Facebook to “take down this totally revolting page”.

“It is very unpleasant, revelling in injuries and death of people taking part in field sports,” said the CA’s Charlotte Cooper. “The comments on the death of Fiona Vigar [Cattistock joint-master who died after a hunting accident this year] and other issues are inexcusable.”

But the antis are unrepentant. A comment read: “Sorry we’ve been down for a few days, just been doing some maintenance. We are not breaking any laws nor Facebook’s guidelines, we are not going anywhere!

“We will continue to celebrate when [those who hunt] get what they deserve.

(I have been loving the pro-hunt people thinking they have won… bad luck, tally ho!).”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (25 April 2013)

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Social media — an invaluable tool or an obstructive hindrance?

This is the question being mooted by horse trials organisers in light of the recent spate of weather-induced cancellations.

Pictures, comments and speculation about the status of events and ground conditions have dominated riders’ Facebook pages and Twitter feeds since the season began earlier this month.

It has prompted concerns that others are basing their decisions to run on secondary observations rather than first-hand information.

Suzanne Garner, a scorer at Tweseldown, where some sections had only a handful of finishers, said: “Comments and pictures on Facebook and Twitter were destructive to say the least. I’m sure [they] resulted in the huge number of withdrawals.”

Jo Snijder, who won a BE90 section at the event, admitted that seeing pictures posted online left her in a quandary over whether or not to run.

“I decided to walk the course for myself the day before — something I would never normally do,” she told H&H.

“I was happy with the ground, which was a huge relief. Had I relied on other people I would have almost certainly withdrawn.”

But entries secretary Sarah Robinson, who uses Twitter to communicate with competitors at the events she manages, thinks that if every event had an online presence, there would be far less conjecture among riders.

“Just because social media is a quick method of communication, doesn’t mean it is bad information,” she said.

“But it is better that it comes straight from the horse’s mouth. There should be someone on the organisational team at every event whose responsibility it is to post frequent updates.”

British Eventing (BE)’s chief executive Mike Etherington-Smith said the governing body encourages events to have a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

“Messages and photos posted by some people on social media can be misleading and give the wrong impression,” he said.

“BE encourages organisers to keep riders informed in the run up to and including their event, posting regularly about conditions and contingency plans.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (1 April 2013)

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Lawyers say a recent equine court case — in which a claimant was caught out by Facebook — has highlighted the “benefits and pitfalls” of social media.

In July 2009, a pony kept at Petley Wood Equestrian Centre, East Sussex, was injured in the arena when the owner rode over a lunge whip. It snapped and penetrated the pony’s leg, it was claimed.

The owner brought a substantial loss of use claim against the centre, as well as claiming for the cost of surgery and other treatment. But it emerged that the pony was not as badly hurt as was made out.

“Despite bringing a loss of use claim, the claimant had posted some pictures of the horse competing on Facebook that gave us a tool with which to question the credibility of her evidence,” said Clare Garnett, a solicitor at law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer.

“Drawing on such evidence has, in many personal injury cases, been the silver bullet needed to defend a claim. The insurance industry and its agents are becoming wiser to the benefits — and pitfalls — of using social media.”

The owner maintained that the centre was “in breach” of the terms of the livery agreement, in failing to store the lunge whip and schooling jumps outside the riding arena. The centre argued that it was safer to store equipment in the middle of the arena, as horses often spooked if it was packed into the corners. But in the trial, which came to court late last year, the judge found the owner had disregarded the welfare of her pony when she rode through equipment that had been properly stored.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (14 February 2013)

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An abandoned foal being cared for by The Horse Trust has hundreds of Facebook fans following his progress as he recovers from a traumatic start in life.

‘Teddy’, an twelve-week-old colt foal was found starving and alone on the side of a road in Buckinghamshire on 25 October. There was no sign of his mother.

He was emaciated and suffering from what The Horse Trust says was an “alarmingly high worm count”.

Despite the Trust’s round-the-clock care, Teddy’s condition deteriorated and he was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

Staff from The Horse Trust kept their Facebook fans up-to-date with Teddy’s progress. Happily, he is now back at the charity’s Buckinghamshire base and is well enough to spend a few minutes grazing each day with his new friend — a Shetland pony called George.

“We don’t know what happened to Teddy,” said Jeanette Allen, chief executive of The Horse Trust.

“But the overbreeding of low-value horses means that a greater number of colts are being abandoned and left to die.

“Teddy may have no commercial value, but he is priceless to us and to all of the many supporters who have been wishing him well,” she added.

Teddy’s supporters have already donated more than £2,000 but the charity needs to raise a further £18,000 to pay the foal’s bills and to care for him for the next three years.

You can donate to Teddy’s fund by visiting www.horsetrust.org.uk

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H&H has been nominated for five categories in the 2012 Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs).

We have been nominated in the “Facebook”, “publication”, “most informative”, “social network” and “UK and Ireland” categories.

The awards were set up last year to recognise the worth of social media within the equestrian industry.

Last year H&H scooped the awards for “most informative”, “best YouTube” and “best use of social media by a magazine in UK and Ireland”.

“I am delighted that we have been nominated for five ESMAs this year,” said H&H web editor Carol Phillips.

“After winning three awards last year, we hope that both the public and the expert panel will recognise Horse & Hound’s excellent social media offerings and take a moment to vote for us.”

More than 8,000 nominations came in for the ESMAs in the run up to Christmas.

“It is an honour to reward equestrians for enriching the online world for horse enthusiasts globally. The standard of finalists is truly exceptional and we’re delighted to see that so many equestrians have embraced social media with such passion, creating amazing content,” said Liam Killen from the ESMA team.

The final results are based on 70% on scores from the expert panel and 30% on votes from the public.

Other categories include professional rider, amateur rider, celebrity, charity and riding school.

Each person can only cast one set of votes. Voting closes at 12noon on 10 February, 2012.

To vote visit: www.equestriansocialmediaawards.com/voting

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Are you a fan of H&H on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube? Then you can nominate us for the Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMA).

Nominations for the 2012 PagePlay ESMAs open today (Thursday 15 December) and close on Christmas Eve (Saturday 24 December).

Submit your nominations here

Earlier this year H&H scooped the awards for “most informative”, “best YouTube” and “best use of social media by a magazine in UK and Ireland”.

“We were delighted to win three ESMAs last time and hope that our fabulous social media fans and followers will help us to pick up more awards this year,” said H&H web editor Carol Phillips.

The PagePlay Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs) were set up in 2010 to bring together the global equestrian community and show how beneficial social media is for horse lovers and businesses.

“Social media has proved itself to be a revolutionary communications tool, which has been embraced by the global equestrian community. Love of the horse transcends borders, seas, and language. Social media has allowed global equestrians to connect in ways never before seen,” said Liam Killen from the ESMA team.

“We were delighted with the support the ESMAs received from equestrians internationally in 2011.

For the 2012 awards, the introduction of the regional categories, based on the FEI’s regional groups, and the FEI World Award will help us achieve our goal of connecting the global equestrian community through social media.”

For more information visit: www.equestriansocialmediaawards.com

Categories are:

1. YouTube channel

2. Facebook

3. Twitter

4. Charity

5. Professional rider

6. Amateur rider

7. Feed company

8. Publication

9. Horse attire brand

10. Rider attire brand

11. Event/competition

12. Talking animal

13. Most informative

14. Riding school

15. Saddlery/tack shop

16. Best newcomer

17. Blog

18. Social network

19. Broadcast media

20. Celebrity

And regional ESMAs new for this year:

UK & Ireland

Group I – South-West Europe

Group II – North-West Europe

Group III – Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Group IV – North America

Group V – Central America

Group VI – South America

Group VII – North Africa and Middle east

Group VIII – South-East Asia and Oceania

Group IX – Central and Southern Africa

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

Horse owners have been targeted by two scams within the space of a week.

The first, which originally surfaced in January, has re-appeared on Facebook, Twitter and internet forums as diverse as those of H&H and pop band Take That.

It claims that 52 young thoroughbreds will be slaughtered if they are not swiftly “re-homed by Saturday”.

It asks recipients to ring a number, which seems to have been disconnected.

Retraining of Racehorses’ Di Arbuthnot said: “We were bombarded with emails, so quickly looked into this. The British Horseracing Authority confirmed it was a scam.”

The second scam, which comes in letter and email form, taps into Olympic fever by telling recipients they have been shortlisted to be a ring steward at the Olympics.

It purports to be sent by “Rob Hoestra Olympic selection committee chairman [sic]”, asking you to ring a premium rate 0906 phone number for more details.

Chief executive of British Showjumping (BS) Iain Graham said: “We will notify LOCOG that these letters are in circulation again [they first appeared in September 2010].

“Neither BS nor Rob Hoekstra [performance manager of the British showjumping team] has any involvement with these letters.”

Jamey Johnson, head of government organisation Action Fraud, said: “Fraudsters are constantly adapting the way they operate and always look for a way of appealing to their target audience.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (18 August, 2011)

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

KBIS British Equestrian Insurance is offering Horse & Hound readers the chance for to have their horse featured on the back cover of the magazine on 30 June.

The picture can be of you and your horse or, if your steed prefers to hog the limelight, it can be of just him.

The winning picture will be featured on a full-page colour advert seen by thousands of readers.

KBIS branded clothing will also be awarded to the lucky winner.

All entries must be received by midday on Friday 17 June and uploaded onto the KBIS British Equestrian Insurance facebook page.

You must own the full copyright of any picture that you submit.

More information can be found at www.kbis.co.uk or http://www.facebook.com/pages/KBIS-British-Equestrian-Insurance/120118484733622

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

We know that the award-winning Horse & Hound website — www.horseandhound.co.uk — is the online resource for the equestrian community.

But the site’s impressive digital presence and growth is now catching the eye of influential commentators in the wider media.

The website was the subject of a two-page feature in The Independent newspaper on Monday (4 April), entitled ‘Horse & Hound: hotter than The Sun’ in which media editor Ian Burrell profiled the brand’s booming digital growth.

“You might think that a publication founded in 1884 and dedicated to such pursuits as dressage and cross-country riding would have little truck with new-fangled concepts like digital media,” he wrote. “You would be very wrong.

“Horse & Hound boasts more than 81,000 likes on Facebook, outranking such media brands as The Sun, The Guardian and heat magazine.”

Neil Robinson, digital director of Horse & Hound’s publisher IPC Media, believes the brand’s Facebook presence sets the benchmark in how magazines can respond to the public’s constantly evolving use of media.

“This brand [Horse & Hound] is just bonkers,” he tells Burrell. “It has got one of the most active communities I have ever seen online — they are constantly talking about this weekend’s gymkhana or their daughter having won a yellow rosette.”

As well as 82,000 followers on Facebook and just over 8,000 on Twitter, horseandhound.co.uk receives over 300,000 page views a day, making it the liveliest equestrian presence on the web.

To read the article in full, visit www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/horse-amp-hound-hotter-than-the-sun-2261211.html

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

On the final day of the Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMA), Horse & Hound has been named the ‘most informative’ social media service in the UK and Ireland.

This brings Horse & Hound’s tally of ESMAs to three — a figure which no other UK equestrian brand was able to match. Horse & Hound beat Horse & County and Horse & Rider to the ‘most informative’ crown. The international title was won by TheHorse.com.

H&H’s website editor Carol Phillips says: “I’m blown away to have picked up a third Equestrian Social Media Award. It was great to win the ‘most informative’ award as the H&H team prides itself in bringing the most important and useful information to our social media fans each and every day.”

Other winners on the final day of the awards included the Riding for the Disabled Association, Parelli, Derby House, EcoGold, Horses UK and the online radio show Horses in the Morning.

Winner of the international newcomers award, Horses in the Morning dedicated a whole show to the ESMAs and spoke to some of the winners, including H&H’s website editor Carol Phillips, on Monday 14 March.

Listen to the ESMA radio show below

Award winners

Category 1: Best YouTube Channel (UK/Ireland)

• Horse & Hound
• Badminton Horse Trials
• British Horse Society

Category 1: Best YouTube Channel (International)

• Parelli
• World Horse Welfare
• How to market your horse business and horse and rider awareness

Category 2: Best use of Facebook (UK/Ireland)

• Spillers
• Oliver Townend
• Pure Feed

Category 2: Best use of Facebook (International)

• Parelli
• How to market your horse business
• TheHorse.com

Category 3: Best use of Twitter (UK/Ireland)

• Horse & Country TV
• Oliver Townend
• British Horse Society

Category 3: Best use of Twitter (International)

• TheHorse.com
• Fugly Blog
• Parelli

Category 4: Best use of SM by a charity (UK/Ireland)

• British Horse Society
• World Horse Welfare
• Redwings

Category 4: Best use of SM by a charity (International)

• Save A Forgotten Equine (SAFE)
• Angel Acres
• Second Chance Ranch

Category 5: Best use of SM by/for a professional rider (UK/Ireland)

• Oliver Townend
• William Fox-Pitt
• Cian O’Connor

Category 5: Best use of SM by/for a professional rider (International)

• Edward Gal
• Peter Atkins
• Mclain Ward

Category 6: Best use of SM by/for an amateur rider

• Shoestring Eventing
• Gift Horse Eventing
• Jenni Ball Eventing
• Lisa Pillbeam Eventing

Category 7: Best use of SM by a feed company (UK/Ireland)

• Spillers
• Blue Chip
• Pure Feed

Category 7: Best use of SM by a feed company (International)

• Purina Mills
• Kentucky Performance Products
• SmartPak

Category 8: Best use of SM by a magazine (UK/Ireland)

• Horse & Hound
• Your Horse
• Horse & Rider

Category 8: Best use of SM by a magazine (International)

• Chronicle of the Horse
• Horse & Rider USA
• Practical Horseman

Category 9: Best use of SM by a brand (UK/Ireland)

• Horseware Ireland
• Joules
• Toggi

Category 9: Best use of SM by a brand (International)

• Ariat
• Equifit
• Professionals choice

Category 10: Best use of SM by an event/competition (UK/Ireland)

• Badminton Horse Trials
• Your Horse Live
• Burghley Horse Trials

Category 10: Best use of SM by an event/competition (International)

• 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
• Rolex Kentucky three day event
• Spruce Meadows

Category 11: Best use of SM by a talking animal (UK/Ireland)

• Primrose Hill
• The Fat Pony
• Edward The Horse

Category 11: Best use of SM by a talking animal (International)

• Henry Jota Hampton (Peter Atkins’ horse Henny)
• Shadowfax (from the Lord of the Rings films – real name Blanco)
• Merry Horses
• Whiskey’s County Island Blog

Category 12: Most informative (UK/Ireland)

• Horse & Hound
• Horse & Country TV
• Horse & Rider

Category 12: Most informative (International)

• The Horse.com
• Horse and rider awareness
• Eventing Nation

Category 13: Best use of SM by a Riding School (UK/Ireland)

• Riding for the Disabled Association
• Cumbrian Heavy Horses
• Warren Farm

Category 13: Best use of SM by a Riding School (International)

• Parelli
• New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding
• Pony Pros

Category 14: Best use of SM by a saddlery/tack shop (UK/Ireland)

• Derby House
• The Saddlery Shop
• Albion

Category 14: Best use of SM by a saddlery/tack shop (International)

• ECOGOLD
• Dover
• Voltaire Design

Category 15: Best SM newcomer (UK/Ireland)

• Horses UK (Facebook Group)
• British Horse Society
• Cumbrian Heavy Horses

Category 15: Best SM newcomer (International)

• Horse in the Morning (part of the Horse Radio Network)
• Indiana Horse Rescue
• Pony Pros

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

H&H has been nominated for three categories in the inaugural Equestrian Social Media Awards by followers of social media.

The magazine is up for category 8 — best use of social media by a magazine, category 12 — most informative and category 1 — best YouTube channel.

H&H website editor Carol Phillips said: “I’m delighted to hear that H&H has been nominated for three of the categories in the Equestrian Social Media Awards.

“With over 70,000 fans on Facebook and over 6,000 followers on Twitter, we find social media is an excellent way to interact with our readers. If you enjoy what we do then please take a moment to vote for us.”

Voting closes at 1pm on Friday 18 February.

You don’t have to vote in every category and can only vote once — votes will be tracked.

“We’re thrilled with the response,” said the awards’ co-founder Liam Killen from Abbeyview Equine. “We had 80 sets of votes in the first 20 minutes.”

Co-founder equestrian PR Rhea Freeman added: “Since Liam posted the link to the voting pages, Twitter has been alive with happy people and it’s great to see.

“I am thrilled with the volume of people who have voted already, and love how positive this is for all those who love and are involved with social media in the equestrian world.”

Nearly 4,000 nominations were made in 10 days.

There were so many that each category had to be split into UK/Ireland and international.

Winners receive a certificate and will be asked to send a short YouTube clip to used in the Equestrian Social Media YouTube ceremony.

Voting is now open — to vote for H&H visit: www.abbeyviewequine.com/awards or click on the button below.

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

Hundreds of people have signed up to support organ donation following the death of a Welsh rider.

Sandra Harvey, 68, from Talgarth (pictured front), suffered a fall while out riding last month, after her horse was startled by a quad on a quiet country lane near her home.

Although she was wearing a riding hat, Sandra suffered serious head injuries and died at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, 11 days later. After her death her organs were used to transformed the lives of five people.

Since her death riders from all over Britain have been inspired to become organ donors thanks to an awareness campaign on Facebook.

Friend and campaigner Liz Rose said: “Sandra felt so strongly about helping others after her death and its given comfort to her family and friends.

“We were shocked to find out from doctors how few people are on the donor register and how many people’s lives could be saved by that one act.

“We know that Sandra would have been overjoyed that so many people have already signed up to the campaign, it’s an incredible tribute to an amazing woman.”

Sandra, a retired headmistress, had been joint-master of the Brecon and Talybont Hunt for eight years.

Liz said: “The donation of her liver, kidneys and corneas has transformed the lives of five people and their families. We can’t bring her back, but now she will live on through this final act of generosity.”

NHS statistics show that three people a day die before they can have a transplant because there are not enough organs available. And only 27 per cent of people have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Members of Facebook can join the campaign by typing in “Become an organ donor in memory of Sandra”.

If you wish to become an organ doner you can register online at www.organdonation.nhs.uk or by calling 0300 123 23 23. Alternatively forms are available at pharmacies and GP surgeries.

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

Calling all equestrian social networkers — awards to recognise the best tweeters, Facebookers and YouTubers in the horseworld were launched last week.

More than 1,500 nominations have already been made.

The Equestrian Social Media Awards are the brainchild of equestrian website provider Abbeyview Equine’s Liam Killen and equestrian PR Rhea Freeman.

The pair say they’ve seen an increasing number of equestrian companies and individuals embracing social media recently and want to celebrate this.

“I believe in social media for business and there are a number of people within the equestrian community who are reaping the rewards,” said Rhea.

“There have been some great campaigns that have helped equestrian charities [such as the Spillers/Redwings campaign] and the awards are a great way to highlight who really contributes towards the world of equestrian social media.”

Mr Killen added: “We want people to acknowledge who makes them laugh, who is interesting and who does social media well. We’ve had an absolutely amazing response — literally hundreds in the first few hours.”

Nominations close at midday on Friday (24 December). Those with the most nominations will be shortlisted and can then be voted for. Voting closes on 18 February and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards.

Categories are: YouTube channel, Facebook campaign, Twitter account, charity, professional rider, amateur rider, feed company, magazine, clothing brand, event/competition, talking animal, most informative, riding centre, saddlery and newcomer.

Following considerable international interest, each category has been split into UK/Ireland and international sections.

For more information, visit www.abbeyviewequine.com/awards

Nominate Horse & Hound

If you think H&H deserves to be nominated for our social media efforts, please follow the instructions below. Thank you for your support.

Via twitter

Nominate H&H for our youtube channel: Tweet #EquestrianSocialMediaAwards CAT1 @horseandhound

Nominate H&H for our facebook campaign: Tweet #EquestrianSocialMediaAwards CAT2 @horseandhound

Nominate H&H for our twitter account: Tweet #EquestrianSocialMediaAwards CAT3 @horseandhound

Nominate H&H in the magazine category: Tweet #EquestrianSocialMediaAwards CAT8 @horseandhound

Nominate H&H in the most informative category: Tweet #EquestrianSocialMediaAwards CAT12 @horseandhound

Via facebook

Visit the Equestrian Social Media Awards page. Click on ‘post’ and write “I would like to nominate @horseandhound for Category [insert the relevant category number as per the twitter information above]. Please start a new post for each nomination.

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 Pure Feed Company is offering its Facebook fans the chance to win up to a year’s supply of horse feed and, at the same time, support the independant welfare organisation Equine Market Watch (EMW UK).

The competition prize fund started on 1 December 2010 with a month’s supply of feed. For every 100 new Facebook “likes” received before 24 December 2010, the company will add an extra week’s worth of feed to the prize, up to a maximum of 52 weeks (one year’s worth of feed).

The Pure Feed Company will match the final winning prize in a donation to EMW UK, a charity dedicated to monitoring the welfare of horses in markets and auctions.

EMW UK is actively campaigning against live transportation issues and the indiscriminate breeding of valueless foals.

It currently has more than 100 horses out on long-term loan to approved homes, while its sanctuary provides a refuge to those that are deemed unsuitable for loaning.

To enter the competition and for more details visit: www.facebook.com/ThePureFeedCompany

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

Equestrian businesses and riders are starting to embrace social media as a marketing tool, but many are still missing valuable promotion opportunities.

These are the findings of Ulster University student Stephen Farrell who researched the horseworld’s use of Facebook, Twitter and the like, as part of his equine studies degree.

He found many brands unwilling to try social media, but said charities like World Horse Welfare and brands such as Spillers and Horse & Hound are making a real success of it.

“The concept now has the potential to connect the equine industry with existing and prospective customers,” said Stephen.

“Bombarding users with adverts is not a good idea, but it works well for charities and social groups. The Redwings/Spillers campaign was excellent.”

Horse welfare charity Redwings collaborated with Spillers and for every person who “liked” the Spillers page on Facebook, the company gave the charity 1kg of feed. Redwings received 18 tonnes of feed and much publicity and Spillers also enjoyed the advertising.

Nicola Markwell at Redwings said: “Our Facebook campaign with Spillers was a fantastic example of social media in action. We would like to thank Spillers and the incredible 15,500 people on facebook who agreed to help us.”

“Clothing brand Joules has been a pioneer as far as promoting its merchandise — when I started my research in 2009 they were one of the few with a real presence on Facebook,” said Stephen.

Stephen interviewed 40 equestrian brands. He found companies were worried that having a Twitter feed or Facebook page was “tacky”. And because of a lack of knowledge about what it involved and the fear they would not have time to update their paged, 52% would not consider using it.

But Liam Killen of Abbeyview Equine hopes to change this preconception. His company, helps equestrian traders build their brands online.

He said: “Social media is huge, but many businesses are missing it. For example, a Belgian showjumper is looking into ways of getting sponsorship on the back of his Twitter feed. British riders should be more aware of the possibilities.”

H&H web editor Carol Phillips has put H&H at the forefront of social media for some time.

“Facebook is the largest single website driving visitors to us online, excluding search engines like Google,” she said, adding that H&H has almost 64,000 Facebook friends. “We have used social networking to expand the H&H brand to reach out to new readers and website visitors.

“During 2010, the number of people using our site increased to nearly 530,000 per month.”

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

Horse & Hound is celebrating exceeding 50,000 fans on facebook, with an additional 10,000 individuals registering their support during the past two months.

“I’m delighted with the growth of our facebook community,” says H&H website editor, Carol Phillips. “Facebook offers us a great opportunity to extend our reach within the equestrian community and engage with individuals who might not otherwise be familiar with our brand.”

Facebook users who ‘Like’ Horse & Hound get breaking equestrian news, fabulous competitions, fun quizzes, special reader offers and more, automatically posted on their ‘wall’.

They can also share their favourite news stories and features on the H&H website with their ‘friends’ by clicking the ‘Like’ button on the bottom of news stories.

“As our community has grown, we have introduced popular facebook-only competitions for our facebook followers,” explains Carol. “These allow us to offer great prizes to our readers which don’t reach our minimum prize fund for the magazine or the website.”

If you would like to join us on facebook, register at www.facebook.com then go to www.facebook.com/horseandhound and click ‘Like’. If you are interested in running a facebook competition or other reader promotion through H&H please contact margaret_campbell@ipcmedia.com.

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

Horse & Hound is celebrating gaining over 40,000 fans on facebook.

“It’s a fabulous achievement,” says H&H website editor, Carol Phillips. “Facebook gives us a great opportunity to engage with our readers and get prompt and useful feedback on the website and the magazine.”

Facebook users who ‘Like’ Horse & Hound get breaking news, fabulous competitions, fun quizzes, special reader offers and more, automatically posted on their ‘wall’.

They can also share their favourite news stories and features on the H&H website with their ‘friends’ by clicking the ‘Like’ button on the bottom of any news story (see below).

But Horse & Hound is far from the only equestrian company to be embracing the social media opportunities that facebook provides. From elite riders and major equestrian events to equestrian artists and business start-ups, there are a whole host of equestrian companies getting on board.

“Whether you like it or loathe it, facebook has become part of mainstream culture and if you aren’t on there, you are missing out,” said Carol.

If you would like to join us on facebook, register at www.facebook.com then go to www.facebook.com/horseandhound and click ‘Like’.

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

Feed producers Dengie has become the latest equestrian company to join social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

“These days, when not on a horse, most riders are online instead, so Dengie has joined the social networking revolution,” said a spokesman.

Dengie’s Facebook page has feed advice, news and updates on Dengie’s sponsored riders and has over 300 followers so far.

Dengie is also keeping horse owners up to date on Twitter with regular news feeds and information.

Visit: www.twitter.com/DengieHorseFeed or search for Dengie Horse Feed on Facebook.

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

Facebook users will now be able to keep up to date with all the latest news from feed experts Spillers following the launch of Team Spillers on Facebook.

The Team Spillers’ Facebook page will showcase the latest special product offers, nutritional tips and competitions, as well as gossip from Spillers nutritionist Isabel Harker.

The page will also feature a discussion forum for users.

“You can chat to us about your favourite four-legged friend, share photos and memories and have a good old natter,” said Rachel Austin, brand assistant at Spillers.

“In return, we’ll give you all the inside gossip on the office, our horses and what we really get up to behind the scenes at shows and events.

“If you love horses as much as we do, Team Spillers is definitely the place to be!”

To view Team Spillers, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-SPILLERSR/258832496395

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

H&H forum member Andrea Keyte has set up a Facebook page —150,000 people to lift the UK ban on fox hunting. Bring it back!!! — and has more than 18,500 members.

Wolverhampton University student Andrea said: “The numbers are growing every day and we only started in September. If everyone could pass on the link to their hunting friends on Facebook we could hit the target.”

There are a number of other pro-repeal Facebook pages, including one set up by the Countryside Alliance.

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

British Dressage (BD) is spreading the word across the internet with a advert on Facebook and YouTube.

The advert — entitled Why you should join British Dressage — features leading riders, including Carl Hester and Lee Pearson, and was shot on location at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage (15-19 July 2009).

It was funded by sponsorship from Shearwater Insurance Ltd and Capricorn Chemicals Ltd.

BD chief executive Amanda Bond said: “We’re very grateful to long time supporters Jeremy Lawton from Shearwater Insurance Ltd and David Manning from Capricorn Chemicals Ltd who encouraged us to make this happen.

“It is a first for BD and a very exciting step for us into the realms of film media and viral marketing.”

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 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials has joined Facebook.

Become a fan and keep up to date with the event in the familiar facebook environment custom-made for fans and visitors to find out about the event and communicate with each other.

Visit the official Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Facebook page

From the Director’s Chair

Burghley Director, Elizabeth Inman, is writing her blog depicting life at this year’s Trials in the run up to the event.

Elizabeth’s first diary was published on Wednesday 19th August and brought everyone up to date with what’s beenhappening and what we are all looking forward to as the final preparations are being made.

Go to Director’s Blog on the left hand side of www.burghley-horse.co.uk for your first glance of life as the director of this prestigious event.

Elizabeth’s daily blog will commence on Monday 1 September and continue until Monday 7 September 2009.

Visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk for ticket information and a programme of events.