The 2026 British Showjumping National Championships have concluded – and the winners include a horse who loves bananas, a rider who almost didn’t get there at all and a 10-year-old combination tackling their toughest challenge yet.

Madison Heath and BP Millionaire were crowned national champions for the first time; the 21-year-old rider and Carrera Stud’s fabulous eight-year-old continued their blistering run this season, which includes winning both under-25 championships at Bolesworth, by seeing off all comers in the international stairway final.

Madison and “Dollar” were fourth to go of six in the jump-off, from 33 starters, and they were in blazing form, the Million Dollar gelding showing his incredible power and the agility to pull off the cracking turns that kept them a third of a second in front of runners-up Chris Franks and Kannabalou.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet!” Madison said of becoming national champion. “We were in France in July, looking at the nationals and saying, ‘We should go and I might have a chance of the under-25 ticket.’ I didn’t even realise the stairway final was on day three; I thought I’ll see how he’s going and if he’s up for it.”

He most certainly was. Madison said Dollar was slightly over-jumping the big tracks the first few days to ensure he left them up, “but he loved it”.

“He’s naturally quick and the more you dare him, the more he’s ‘I’m on it’,” she said, thanking her flatwork coach Kim Belton and trainer Rob Bevis for their support.

“At the start of the week I couldn't jump a clear round – but I'm happy to go home now we've got the title.”

Madison has said before how much Dollar loves bananas; she promised him a bunch of them if he jumped clear in the seven-year-old final at Hickstead’s September Tour last year, and he got them after he won.

“He hasn’t had his bananas yet, just Stud Muffins as I haven’t been to the shop!” she said the day after her win. “But he will be getting a full bunch.”

Raphaela Dawson continued her fabulous summer by winning the national 148cm title with Maifield Another Sunrise – although she nearly didn’t get to the show at all.

The 15-year-old, who won the 148cm title at Hickstead last month and was on the team that won European gold a week later, got stuck in a motorway traffic jam en route to the nationals, arrived 10 minutes before the class started, then pulled off a fabulous win.

“It’s been amazing,” she said.

Six of 32 starters had jumped clear in the first round and three had faults in the jump-off. Asked if she thought it was a tough course, Raphaela said she hadn’t been able to walk it.

“We got there at 3.50pm, and the class started at 4pm,” she said. “Someone sent me a picture of the course plan and I watched one but it must have been tougher than I thought.”

Raphaela had an unexpected refusal with her first ride, MHS Glow, and when she came in last with “Gizmo”, she put her foot down, sealing the deal with a beautiful turn to the double and taking a stride out to the last.

“They had all last week off during the Europeans, went training on Wednesday then came here,” she said. “We were second in this in 2024 and unlucky to have the last fence last year so to win is really good after coming so close.”

Anya Dewey Clarke retained her 138cm title with Fredaine De Blonde, holding her lead from second in the six-strong jump-off. The winners of the winter title at Hickstead made the tough track look easy as they flew in their customary style, every stride and turn on point.

“I can’t believe we won Hickstead, then two weeks later the nationals for the second time,” said Anya “I knew it would be a really fast jump-off, I knew all my turns and that we had to go for it. She gave it her all, she trusts me and I trust her back.”

Conor Barnes and Creevagh Pringles were taking on their biggest track yet in the 128cm championships – and won with the only double clear.

Conor and the 10-year-old mare were first of two in a boys-only jump-off; their super clear put Michael Kelly and Ryehall Belle Couture’s 12 faults into second.

Conor, who is also 10, has competed in stepping stones finals; his mother Caroline thought he could have a go at bigger tracks this summer with this mare he has been riding for only three months.

He said the course looked “massive”.

“She has quite a strong canter, which I like as it means I can sit and wait,” he said. “She’s very genuine, and she’s: ‘This is my way and how I’m going to do it’; I’ve had to learn how to ride her.

“I’ve never jumped that big before and I didn’t try to go too fast, just go clear and do a few turns. This means we’ve qualified for London International; I’m very excited about that.”

See this week’s H&H magazine, out 13 August, for the full report from the 2026 British Showjumping National Championships.

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Judges’ positions and scoring, the definition of harmony and compulsory video monitoring of warm-ups are under discussion in dressage.

The first draft of the 2027 FEI rule change proposals have been published, as dressage undergoes its first full revision since 2022. National federations, the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC), International Dressage Officials Club (IDOC), the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the FEI have submitted suggestions covering a broad range of topics.

The IDOC and EEF proposed that at championships, of the seven judges, four are placed on the long side, at V, P R and S – instead of the current two. The organisations said this would give judges “a much clearer picture” of particular movements, and an EEF spokesperson added that this is important owing to “the recent focus on harmony”.

“Most importantly, judges would have a much clearer indication of any contact issues, which are now very much under public focus and discussion,” said the EEF and IDOC.

“This would show that dressage is prepared to take a positive action in seriously addressing this issue. It would be a positive move for the sport.”

The FEI dressage technical committee (DTC) “agreed in principle” and said a test event will take place this year. The committee highlighted that having four judges on the long side would "significantly impact” spectators’ view, but could “assist spectators to better understand the sport as the four judges will have a similar viewpoint”.

British Equestrian (BEF) called for “a clear definition of harmony” to show how this applies to the general impression mark.

“We need to be able to articulate exactly what judges are looking for, in order to encourage riders to ride accordingly,” said a BEF spokesperson. “We should also be considering how to embed harmony within the score for each individual movement, rather than relying on a single collective mark.”

There could be a shake-up around collective marks; seven organisations put forward submissions – most favouring the introduction of a second mark.

The IDRC and German federation suggested having one collective mark to evaluate the horse’s “quality and demonstration of the level of training”, including rhythm, relaxation, mouth activity and head-neck position. The other would evaluate the rider’s performance, including seat and influence, aids and accuracy.

The EEF and Swiss federation suggested having one collective mark for scale of training and another for harmony of horse and rider.

But the DTC has proposed to remove collective marks entirely. A committee spokesperson said adding a second mark was considered in 2018, but research from Nottingham Trent University provided evidence that this was not favourable.

“The DTC is particularly sensitive to the issue of evaluating harmony and the scale of training as the core objectives,” said a DTC spokesperson.

“It is therefore recommended to remove all collective marks and instead focus on evaluating harmony and the demonstration of the training scale when evaluating each technical movement in the test, thus aligning with the object of dressage and further reducing subjectivity.”

The spokesperson added that the dressage judging guidelines and handbook are being reviewed and a definition of harmony and how this applies to scoring will be considered as part of this.

The EEF suggested the appointment of “welfare supervisors” at championships and major events to supervise the warm-up, including monitoring excessive work, the riders' hands, and use of spurs and whips.

The DTC rejected this, stating that stewards and veterinary delegates work together to oversee horse welfare and wellbeing in warm-ups. The spokesperson said a new “observation protocol” is being developed to assist officials on warm-up procedures.

“The possibility of introducing compulsory video monitoring/recording of the warm-up is also being explored,” he said.

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Steps are being taken to protect riders and officials from online abuse and harassment during the World Championships in Aachen.

The FEI has announced a safeguarding initiative, in partnership with digital intelligence company Signify Group, to provide online monitoring and threat assessment to help protect athletes, coaches, officials and other key stakeholders. This follows a successful pilot during the World Cup Finals in Forth Worth, Texas, in April.

Signify’s artificial intelligence provides real-time monitoring and content moderation across the FEI, organisers’, and riders’ social media channels. When abuse or threats are detected, they are investigated and evidence is gathered so that action can be taken by the FEI, social media platforms or, for severe cases, by law enforcement. Riders can also report abuse received via private message.

Online abuse has continued to be a growing problem across sport. It has been widely reported that athletes in football, rugby and tennis are among those to be targeted and H&H has reported cases of top-level riders and members of the racing community receiving abuse on social media.

FEI legal director Mikael Rentsch told H&H that online abuse is a “growing concern” and the FEI sees a “clear peak” around the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships. The monitoring system was adopted following discussions earlier this year between the FEI and the International Dressage Riders Club and International Jumping Riders Club on how better to protect athletes, when the “vast majority” of abuse comes from those not under FEI jurisdiction.

“Through Signify monitoring we can try to identify who is behind the comments, because that’s one of the key challenges,” said Mr Rentsch.

“We can remove abusive content from official channels – but we don’t want to censor. Constructive criticism and respectful debate remain an important part of sport and will continue to be welcomed.”

Mr Rentsch added that the FEI will continue to monitor horse abuse matters raised on social media and investigate or open disciplinary proceedings as appropriate – but he said the organisation has to be “mindful” because images and videos can be edited or AI-generated.

Riders, officials and national federations heading to Aachen will be invited to online training sessions with the FEI and Signify around protecting themselves online.

“We are still fine-tuning the content, but we’ll cover the dos and don’ts and best practice. We want to be there to help – this is in no way to prevent athletes commenting online, it’s a service to really help them navigate through this quite ‘Wild West’ sometimes,” said Mr Rentsch.

Signify Group’s head of sport Jake Marsh told H&H that the company has helped athletes and governing bodies across sports including football, rugby and tennis. The software can detect 32 different types of abuse and threat, across 100 languages, including slang words – and it is tailored to detect sport-specific terminology.

“The monitoring picks up anything that is abusive or threatening, that’s then filtered further for severity and whether it needs to go through to investigation,” he said, adding that through intelligence and analysis of various platforms, the aim is to provide an identity or identifying details of the person carrying out the abuse to pass to law enforcement.

Mr Marsh added that they want athletes to know they will be supported.

“If they get something they are concerned about or it makes them feel uncomfortable, we want them to report it,” he said. “Once athletes know they can report it and there’s a process, they tend to start thinking, ‘Actually, I can do something about this.’”

Helen Nicholls, British Equestrian World Class performance director, told H&H it fully supports this “great initiative”.

“An online presence is part of everyday life for many athletes, and we must work to ensure their safety and mental wellbeing,” she said.

“Working with UK Sport, we have access to similar digital safeguarding resources and the athletes find it very beneficial.”

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The intuitive response, when your flying changes aren’t going well in your dressage tests, is often to ride more of them. The instinct makes sense – practise the thing that isn’t working – but it’s rarely where the fix actually lies.

“Very rarely is getting a flying change, or fixing a tricky change, about doing more changes,” says Becky Moody. “It is nearly always about improving the canter.”

This is the bit that catches most riders out. The change feels like the problem – it’s late behind, or your horse runs out the front door, or swaps and then immediately falls into trot – so the change is where they put the work. But the change is a symptom. The canter underneath it is the actual job.

“It’s the quality of canter, every time”

The canter you need for a change is not the same canter you might ride elsewhere. It has to be collected but full of energy, straight, balanced, and – most importantly – adjustable.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is with the rhythm of the canter,” Becky says. “It’s very often the straightness of the canter, the balance of the canter. And for me, the adjustability of the canter. I think you have to be able to have a horse that is collected, but stay full of energy.”

A useful image: watch a top showjumper coming into a big vertical. The horse collects, but the energy doesn’t disappear – it gathers. The hindquarters come under, the frame shortens, and the canter gets bouncier. That’s the feel you want before a flying change Becky says. Not slow. Not steady. Loaded.

The springboard step

Here is Becky’s most useful idea, and it isn’t in any textbook.

“I like to have a springboard step,” she says. “The horse doesn’t change on the first part of your change aid. You have a springboard step – it’s like a spring then change, not just a change.”

Translated: your aid has two parts. A preparation stride, where you ask the horse to gather and bounce, and then the change itself. The whole sequence has the rhythm of “Are you ready? Change.”

This is the difference between a change that arrives flat and late, and one that lifts cleanly through the body. Riders who get into trouble are usually applying the aid in a single motion – leg on, change, hope. The horse hasn’t had a chance to load the spring first.

It’s also where anticipation comes in. For Becky, a horse learning changes should be thinking about what’s coming next – not nervous, but expectant.

“You almost need to create a degree of anticipation,” she says. “The horse is a little bit like, ‘Oh, what’s coming? This is good fun.’ Instead of you cantering across the diagonal in a lovely, nice, balanced, steady canter and then putting a change aid on, and the horse is like, ‘What?’”

Don’t lose the counter-canter

A common trap, once a horse can do changes, is that they start offering them unprompted. The rider asks for counter-canter, and the horse, helpful and over-keen, swaps.

“I’m quite a big believer that when you start teaching the horse changes, you shouldn’t stop being able to ride counter-canter,” Becky says. “You should be able to be like, ‘Now we’re doing counter-canter. And now we’re going to do a change. And now we’re doing counter-canter again.’ They have to be listening to what you say.”

The discipline matters because, in a test, you’ll be asked for both – sometimes within strides of each other. A horse that assumes every straight line means a change is a horse that will throw one in at exactly the wrong moment.

Build the change before you ask for it

Long before the change itself, the foundations need to be there. Canter-to-walk and walk-to-canter transitions are the bedrock – clean, on the leg, with no drift through the shoulders. The horse should be able to come back to walk with the outside hind genuinely stepping under, and step up into canter on a specific lead from a specific aid, without hesitation.

A good marker: can you ride around the outside of the arena and pick up eight to 10 walk-to-canter transitions, on the correct lead each time, on a straight line and in balance? If not, that’s where the work is. The change will come from this groundwork, not from drilling changes.

The walk half-pirouette is also useful here, because it asks the outside hind to stretch and step under, and it sets the horse straight before coming back into canter – the same body shape, in effect, that you need before a change.

An exercise: the figure-of-eight at the short end

When the foundations are in place, Becky’s go-to exercise is a small figure-of-eight at the short end of the arena.

“Imagine there’s a row of poles across the 10m line at the short end,” she says. “Then you’re doing your little figure-of-eight within that 20x10m box.”

You come out of the corner as if to ride a 10m circle at M, then take a small diagonal line across the centre line back towards the short side, change rein, and pick up the new circle on the other side.

The point of working in a small box is that it stops everything getting away from you.

“One of the most common things when both horse and rider are learning about changes is that everything gets a bit too forward and away,” Becky says.

“Doing it within a smaller area helps keep everything organised in a positive way without the rider having to do so much with their hand.”

The hand is the giveaway. A rider whose changes have unravelled is usually a rider whose changes finished with both reins pulling. Working in a smaller space buys you the discipline of riding the change with the leg and the seat, because there isn’t room to ride it with the hand.

A note on poles

Poles get used a lot for teaching flying changes in dressage, and they are a lot of productive exercises – but Becky uses them sparingly.

“I’m not a fan of the pole,” she says. She’s used one once, with a client’s horse that genuinely couldn’t grasp what was being asked. “We did what we could to help make it easier for them. It definitely got them more understanding of what we were trying to do.

“Then the changes were late behind, but at least it was doing changes, and we were then able to work on it. It then came back to the quality of the canter.”

Which is, of course, where everything in this piece comes back to. Poles or exercises won’t fix a change if the canter underneath isn’t right.

Build the canter. Then the change will be there.

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After a busy first half of the season, it’s likely your grooming kit or stripping basket are in need of a refresh – this could be true whether your next stop is an area show or you’re prepping for a week at the Royal International.

From emergency saviours to cheap hacks, we asked some top producers what they can’t live without on show days.

Show kit essentials

Hannah Horton: “I wouldn’t contemplate going showing without good old baby wipes – they can be used for anything. We also make sure we have drinks for humans in the stripping basket.”

Emma Burrows: “For me, I need a good mane and tail detangler, coat gloss and a bit of baby oil gel [like this one] to smooth the hair.”

Danielle Heath: “We love Smart Grooming Super Shine; it’s fantastic on faces and gives a mega shine on bodies, too, especially in an evening performance.”

Joe Watson: “This olive oil sheen spray is brilliant on our natives’ manes and tails especially,” he says, “and we use it as a coat gloss and highlighter, too. It’s not very expensive, which is great as we go through tons of the stuff.”

Leon King: “It has to be this Got2b hair gel for plaiting. We always have Leovet’s Power Phaser fly spray and this Cowboy Magic shampoo as well as their Detangler and Shine on tails; it’s incredible – like nothing else I have tried.”

Sara Parrott: “If I had to choose one product that I couldn’t be without it would have to be Supreme Products’ Sparkle Spray for those last minute finishing touches, manes, coats and tails – and even hooves and rider’s boots at a push!”

Sue-Helen Shuttleworth: “On the lorry we always have a good shampoo to quickly wash and dry if horses need it after travelling or working in. Personally I use Equioils Super Soap, Equioils Whitening Wood Flour and towels.

“In the strip basket there’s always a good, clean damp sponge for wiping away saddle marks before the conformation phase, and a good mane and tail brush.

And there’s always full fat Coke and sweets to keep us going.”

Harrison Taylor: “We use glycerine mixed in water for a sponge over, then Arena Products’ Show Shine spray on top. I also use Arena Products’ Clear Highlighter, which contains SPF for eyes and muzzle, black make up, Brylcreem, hair spray and baby wipes.”

Edward Young: “We always have tea, sugar and milk on the lorry. We also have a portable shower to wash any plaiting gel out of the manes and condition them when we unplait; it must be more comfortable for them, and it stops the mane getting too brittle. In my stripping bucket I carry fly spray, Brylcreem as long as it’s not too hot and sunny, hoof-stain, a good brush and a cloth [like this one].”

Simon Reynolds: “Our basket is like Mary Poppins’ bag; we carry everything we could possibly need as there’s nothing worse than having to go back to the lorry if you have forgotten something. But essentials include wet wipes and plaiting bands, plus electrical tape [like this] can be a great save in an emergency. And I’m diabetic so we always have fizzy sweets, too.”

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Efforts are being made to promote and grow para showjumping, as concerns are raised by riders that there has been a decline in opportunities since the pandemic.

British Showjumping (BS) said para showjumping has had “a significant boost this year with the introduction of a revised competition structure and dedicated calendar”. This includes five multi-day competitions, culminating in the BS national championships at Stoneleigh and a season finale at Arena UK in September.

Open sections have been introduced alongside existing graded classes. BS said this provides “greater flexibility” by enabling riders to compete within their grades – in which they accumulate points towards the para leagues – and in open sections at different heights.

A two-day camp was held last month at the national training centre in Leicestershire, aimed at introducing riders to the sport.

“The training provides a great opportunity for riders to get together socially as well as benefiting from training sessions and unmounted workshops on a variety of topics,” said coach Sarah Tubbs.

Para competitors have welcomed the opportunities and hope more riders will become involved – but have raised concerns over whether more can still be done.

Rider Claire Pope told H&H that since the pandemic there has been an overall decline in para showjumping opportunities.

“Since Covid some riders have stopped competing or have lost horses, and we’ve just not been able to get more people involved,” she said.

“We’ve lost shows like Bramham, which was a big showcase for us. We’ve asked for more shows and we understand that we’re a very small minority, but the communication needs to be better.”

Anna Hilton did not know about para showjumping until after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“I was trying to hammer myself around able-bodied classes, but it just wasn’t working because I don’t have the strength any more. I started Googling and that’s when I discovered para showjumping. I hadn’t seen it advertised anywhere, so I think that’s been the problem, that people just don’t know it’s an option,” she told H&H.

“Unfortunately, because there’s only a few of us in each class, some places don’t want to run para – and you can see it from their point of view. But we need more venues to get on board with putting the shows on and publicising it.

“We all joke that you have to be a little bonkers to jump with a disability, but we just love it – and that’s why we don’t want to lose it.”

Deena Webster once competed in para shows abroad through BS – but said in recent years opportunities have dropped off. She believes BS joining the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network, as British Dressage has, could be a way to get more riders involved. Dressage riders can wear a sunflower armband or lanyard, which aims to raise awareness that they have a non-visible disability.

“The thirst for the sport is there. I’m pleased to see there are more opportunities this year but I think the whole para structure needs looking at to give people more,” Deena told H&H.

BS national director of sport Stephanie Toogood told H&H para showjumping “continues to go from strength to strength with increasing opportunities for riders to train, compete and be part of a supportive community”.

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

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Flying changes are unavoidably cool. I can still remember attempting my first – getting a friend to film me on their pixelated flip phone, beaming a stupid grin at the camera as my little pony leapt into her change and promptly bombed off. We’ll ignore, for now, that she was two strides late behind.

But there’s no doubt they can feel like a mystery until you get that “aha” moment where it finally clicks. And because every horse is different, there’s no single foolproof way to teach them.

The good news is there’s nothing magic about them. A flying change is a natural movement – your horse already does them loose in the field – and with the right foundations, most horses can learn to do them to order (making you look suitably cool in the process).

Here’s what a flying change actually is, how to ride one, and how to start teaching your horse – without flinging your entire bodyweight to one side as I did.

What is a flying change?

A flying change is when your horse switches their leading leg in canter, in one smooth motion, without breaking to trot or walk in between.

A quick step back, in case it’s useful: in canter, your horse leads with one front leg – it reaches further forward than the other, and you’ll feel that shoulder come through underneath you. On a left lead, the left foreleg leads; on a right lead, the right. Which lead you’re on matters for balance, especially on turns and circles, where you normally want the inside leg leading – so on the right rein, going clockwise, you’ll be on the right lead most of the time, and on the left rein, the left.

Canter has a three-beat rhythm, and after the third beat there’s a brief moment of suspension – a split second where all four feet are off the ground, and your horse is, fleetingly, airborne. A flying change happens in that instant. Your horse rearranges their legs mid-air and lands on the opposite lead, so instead of leading with the left foreleg, they’re now leading with the right. Done well, there’s no stumble and no change of rhythm – just a clean skip from one lead to the other, as if your horse has hopped across in the air.

You’ll come across flying changes in pretty much every discipline:

• Dressage: they appear from advanced medium level upwards, ridden on straight lines and, higher up, in sequences down to one change every stride (tempi changes).
• Showjumping: essential for jumping a course smoothly. A horse that lands on the correct lead – or changes to it – can balance through turns and meet the next fence in rhythm, without losing time or scrambling.
• Eventing, showing, and general riding: anywhere you’re cantering, turning and needing your horse balanced, a change keeps things tidy and comfortable.

For a lower-level rider, it’s less about the wow factor – although that’s cool, too – and more about control. A horse that changes lead on request is one you can balance and steer through anything, whether that’s a jump-off turn, a dressage centre line, or just staying upright out hunting.

How to ride a flying change

Assuming your horse already knows how to change (see the next section for teaching it), here’s the sequence of aids. The key thing is that a change is prepared, not just thrown in – you set your horse up, then ask.

1. Establish a good canter first. Balanced, active and collected enough that you feel you could ride a few steps smaller at any moment. A flat, strung-out canter has nowhere to change from.

2. Prepare on the approach to the change. Sit tall, half-halt to gather and balance the canter, and make sure your horse is straight – not falling in or out through the shoulder.

3. Change your leg position. Say you’re on the left lead (left foreleg leading) and want to change to the right. Your left leg, which has been at the girth, moves back behind the girth, and your right leg comes to the girth. This new leg position tells your horse which lead you now want.

4. Change your weight and hips. As you swap your legs, allow your seat and hips to follow – so your weight shifts subtly to the new leading side. Keep it quiet; it’s just a rebalancing, not throwing yourself across the saddle.

5. Ask in that moment of suspension. Apply the new outside leg (the left, now behind the girth) with a clear but light aid, ideally timed to the moment your horse is about to spring into the next stride. That’s when your horse can swing their legs through to the new lead.

6. Keep riding forward. Ride positively out of the change on the new lead. The most common mistake is to ask and then freeze or pull back on the reins – we’ve all done it, but both stop your horse jumping through cleanly.

The rhythm to aim for is almost “prepare… now go!” A change asked for in one flat motion tends to come late or flat; a change that’s set up first has time to jump through the body.

How to teach a flying change

Before you teach the change itself, the foundations have to be solid – it’s not as exciting, but this is the most important part. Rushing to the change before these are in place is the single most common reason changes go wrong. Your horse should be able to:

• Pick up either canter lead promptly, from a clear aid, on a straight line.
• Ride balanced walk-to-canter and canter-to-walk transitions without falling onto the forehand. (“On the forehand” just means your horse is carrying too much weight on their front end, rather than pushing from behind. You’ll feel it as heaviness in your hands, your horse tipping downhill or leaning on the reins for balance. What you want instead is your horse staying light in front and stepping their hindlegs underneath themselves – think uphill, not downhill.)
• Hold a counter-canter (cantering on the “outside” or “wrong” lead) in balance. This teaches your horse to stay on the lead you’ve asked for rather than swapping whenever they fancy.

Once those are established, here’s a simple and reliable way to introduce the change:

1. Use a change of direction. Ride a shallow loop, a figure-of-eight, or come across the diagonal – anywhere your horse is naturally changing bend and direction, so a change of lead makes sense to them.

2. Establish a clean canter, then rebalance. As you approach the point where you’ll change direction, half-halt and collect the canter, so your horse is balanced and listening.

3. Ask as you cross the line. At the moment you change direction, change your leg and seat position and apply the new aid. Because your horse is already changing direction, switching lead feels logical.

4. Reward the attempt. Even a scrappy first change – or one that’s “late behind” (the front legs change but the hind legs lag a stride) – is worth rewarding. You’re building understanding first; the cleanliness comes with practice and strength.

5. Keep it occasional at first. Ask for one, make a fuss of your horse, and move on. Drilling changes over and over tends to make horses tense or anticipatory. A few good attempts in a session are plenty.

If your horse finds it genuinely confusing, some riders use a raised pole or cavaletti on the change line to encourage your horse to jump through and swap behind – but I’d say use it sparingly at first, and only if plain riding isn’t getting there.

Above all, don’t panic if the first attempts are messy. Late, flat or over-excited changes are completely normal early on. They clean up as your horse’s balance and confidence improve – which, as any good trainer will tell you, is really where the whole thing lives.

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NuuMed’s most established lines are back in production in Britain – and back on the market – thanks to a deal that secured the brand’s future.

H&H reported in March that Racesafe had bought NuuMed and Thermatex, brands owned by manufacturer Vale Bros, which went into administration in 2023. At the time of the sale, Racesafe said the move “provides the stable manufacturing structure and technical know-how needed to support long-term growth”.

Today (2 July), a spokesperson for Racesafe confirmed NuuMed is back in production.

“Following Racesafe’s acquisition of the brand earlier this year, its core saddle pads and numnahs are once again being manufactured in Great Britain and returning to riders and retailers,” the spokesperson said.

“Production has been fully integrated into Racesafe’s Northamptonshire factory, supported by former NuuMed specialists to ensure a transfer of knowledge and high standards. The result is the range riders already know and rely on, made to the quality and fit the brand has always been known for, now back in tack rooms across the UK.”

This initial relaunch is of the most established products, and embroidery and customising is available for some items. More products will follow as capacity increases.

NuuMed return: core products first

Racesafe managing director James How said: “From the outset, our priority was to stabilise NuuMed and return its core products to the market as quickly and carefully as possible. We know how much riders value NuuMed, so restoring availability while maintaining the standards the brand is known for has been crucial.

“We hope to evolve the brand but this first stage is about making sure the products people trust are readily available again.”

Event rider and Racesafe and NuuMed brand ambassador Eliza Bell said she was delighted to see the products’ return.

“We’ve always loved the quality and thoughtful design, and it’s clear how comfortable the horses find the products. It’s great to see those same standards being maintained as the brand comes back, and I know many riders will be very pleased to have these products available again.”

The products are available to order now from the NuuMed website, and are due to be with some retailers by mid-July. Thermatex products are due to return to the market within a month.

“This marks the next stage for NuuMed under Racesafe’s ownership and the careful continuation of a trusted brand, now with the support to secure its long-term place in the market,” the spokesperson said.

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A square halt is one of the most underrated movements in dressage – yet it features in virtually every test from intro to the highest levels of dressage, so knowing how to ride one is key. It’s usually the very first thing a judge sees as you turn down the centre line, and a tidy halt is one of the easiest ways to put marks on the board.

Get it wrong, and you hand the judge a poor first impression before you have ridden a single proper movement; get it right, and you set the tone for a lovely, flowing test.

Yet the halt is deceptively difficult. Standing four-square, immobile and on the aids takes a surprising amount of training – and, crucially, it is a skill you build over months rather than something you can drill in a single session. Here is how to teach a square halt from the ground up, how to ride it under pressure in the ring, and how to fix the faults that cost riders marks most often.

What makes a halt “square”?

Before you can train a good halt, it helps to know exactly what the judge is rewarding. Most rulebooks ask for the horse to stand attentive, engaged, motionless, straight and square, with their weight distributed evenly over all four legs, the poll as the highest point, and the nose just in front of the vertical. The horse should stay on the bit and be ready to move off at the slightest aid.

In practice, that means all four legs in two neat pairs, no leg trailing or resting, no creeping or fidgeting, and at least three seconds of genuine immobility when you salute. It’s worth remembering that a halt does not have to be flawless to score well – a soft, straight, immobile halt that is fractionally open behind will still earn a respectable mark, whereas a crooked horse jiggling on the centre line will not.

How to ride a square halt from scratch

The single biggest mistake riders make is chasing squareness before their horse is standing still. Make sure to nail the immobility first.

1. Start with stillness, not squareness

When you first introduce halts, the priority should be for the horse to stand calmly. “The most vital part of the movement is for the horse to stand still and be submissive,” says event rider Coral Keen.

“Don’t make too many adjustments early on trying to make it square, or the horse starts fidgeting, and it becomes an issue. Once they’re happy and immobile, then you think about the squareness.” Make too many corrections too early on, and you’ll teach your horse to fidget – which becomes a far harder habit to undo later on.

2. Build it progressively

Begin in walk and, at first, be content with the front legs square. Use the outside track and repeat walk-to-halt downward transitions, asking your horse to move forwards one small step at a time after the halt forwards until they’re level in front. Only when that is established should you move on to trot-to-halt, making the trot slower and smaller beforehand and allowing a few walk strides into the transition so your horse has time to organise themself.

“It’s fine for it to be a bit progressive to begin with – don’t expect it to be too direct,” Coral says. “Allowing your horse time in the movement helps them develop the feeling of positioning themselves into a square halt.”

3. Move on to asking them to square up behind

As your horse becomes more established, ask them to collect before the halt so their weight is back and their shoulders are light, allowing them to sit into it rather than fall onto the forehand.

International grand prix rider Samantha Thurman-Baker says the key to a square halt is your horse’s balance: “If he’s loading one shoulder or is slightly crooked, the chances are your halt won’t be square.”

Her advice from a faster gait is to bring the horse almost back to moving on the spot before you ask: “That ensures their weight is back and their shoulders are light, allowing him to sit into the halt.” A mirror or a pair of eyes on the ground is invaluable as you learn to feel it for yourself.

4. Remember the quality of the pace is everything

Whether you halt from walk, trot or canter, the transition is only as good as the gait before it. Keep your horse active and in front of the leg so the hindquarters stay engaged – if they drop behind the leg in the approach, the hind legs trail and the halt cannot be square. As with every downward transition, ride forwards into the halt, not backwards.

Riding a square halt in the test

Training at home is one thing; producing a square halt down the centre line with one or more judges watching is another. A few things make it more reliable under pressure.

Most horses are straighter on one rein than the other, so enter the arena on your horse’s better rein. Resist the temptation to ride too boldly at the halt transition – come in with enough collection that you can quietly drop down into a square halt rather than slamming the brakes on. But keep the principle of forward riding front of mind.

As Carl Hester puts it: “Dressage is about forward riding, so even a transition to halt means riding the horse forward, allowing with the hands to let him step under.”

If your horse anticipates the halt – stopping before you have asked, or jogging on the spot in expectation – school plenty of centre lines without halting at all, and practise your halts off the three-quarter line instead so the movement stops being predictable.

Carl Hester’s centre-line halt exercise

Carl has a go-to flatwork exercise to build straightness, responsiveness and a square halt all at once.

Ride down the centre line and halt; only when the horse is square, immobile and relaxed, move off in your chosen gait, immediately circle right, and return to the centre line to halt again. Repeat, this time circling left, and continue alternating left and right circles with a halt between each all the way up the centre line.

The turn before each halt does much of the work for you, helping to position the inside hindleg and encouraging your horse to step into a square halt rather than leaving a leg trailing behind. As an added discipline, train yourself to feel whether the halt is square without looking down: sit level in the middle of the saddle and notice whether both sides of the horse’s back push evenly up into your seat. If only one side does, the opposite hindleg is trailing.

Fixing the most common halt faults

1. The quarters swing left or right

If the hindquarters drift as you halt, think of riding a touch of leg-yield or shoulder-fore into the transition to keep them in line. Riding down the centre line in shoulder-fore, with a mirror or helper checking you are truly straight, is one of the best long-term cures, because a crooked approach almost always produces a crooked halt.

2. A hindleg trails behind

Correct the specific leg that is left out: if the left hind is trailing, use your left leg to ask for one small step, keeping a quiet contact on the rein, and ask your horse to bring it underneath. Reward even an imperfect response so they learn that coming into halt means organising their own legs into a square position.

3. Your horse won’t stand still

Keep your legs gently wrapped around your horse’s sides at the halt so they feel held rather than abandoned, and make sure they wait for you to move them on rather than deciding for themselves. Avoid over-correcting – often a halt the rider thinks is unacceptable is, in fact, perfectly respectable.

4. Whatever you do, correct forwards

Every adjustment within the halt should be made by walking the horse a step forward, never back, so they stay in front of the leg and thinking forwards into the next movement. That also sets up a positive, powerful move-off.

Top tips for a square halt

• Practise, practise, practise. Halt squarely before you mount and dismount, and before every break in your schooling session – the more often your horse halts square, the more it becomes a habit
• Sit up tall, step down into your heels and check that your own weight is even on both seat bones – a crooked rider produces a crooked halt
• Always walk forwards to correct, never backwards
• Reward generously and never tell the horse off for halting unevenly – squareness comes from repetition and positive associations, not punishment
• Learn to feel the halt rather than look down for it – it keeps your test polished and your marks intact

Carl’s closing thoughts

Underpinning all of this is straightness, which Carl calls a lifetime’s work with every horse. One of the first lessons he says he learnt, going back some 35 years, was that whatever you are sitting on – pony, cob or warmblood – “there is no excuse not to ride straight lines and square halts.” Build the straightness, ride every transition forwards, and the square halt will follow.

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There is more awareness and openness to a different approach to the horse-human relationship, the organiser of a bridleless display event believes.

Equine chiropractor Jess Harkness organised the Beyond the Bridle event, an afternoon of displays followed by an evening performance, at the Unicorn Equestrian Centre in Gloucestershire on 13 June.

The event was a sellout, and Jess told H&H the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, including an email from a non-horsey dad, dragged by his daughter to major equestrian events but said “this was the best”, paying tribute to the “fascinating and engaging” demos and the horsemanship displayed.

The presenters included Jess, British Bridleless Competition organiser Mia Rodley and natural horsemanship experts Lynn Henry and Jodi Bament, as well as trick rider Eve Bea and horsemanship instructor Sarah Stone. They were joined by Jess’s 15-year-old daughter Thea, who has been competing bridleless in showjumping, and Thea’s 16-year-old friend Bella Forster.

“Thea’s got loads of online followers and a lot of kids say they don’t know how to get started,” Jess said. “A lot of demos are professionals doing it, and it looks amazing but it almost looks out of reach. So the professional world came in and did a bit of what advanced looks like, where you’re aiming for, then we brought a pupil in who was just starting the journey, and showed what the start looks like too.”

The evening show had an Alice in Wonderland theme, with all the costumes, lights and effects.

“I wanted something a bit theatrical,” Jess said. “It’s not a circus, but I wanted to make it a story, make it magical, and make the kids go away thinking ‘This is really magic’, but also ‘It’s something I could do’.”

Jess said the Beyond the Bridle performance also demonstrated to the crowds that bridleless riding is almost a by-product, of the training, the relationship-building and time that has to go into the horse-human partnership to make it possible.

“You don’t have to do that all the time,” Jess added. “Sometimes I ride with a bit, sometimes in a bitless bridle, sometimes in a halter, sometimes bridleless, depending on the situation or what I want to work on. It’s not one or the other, and that was the other thing we wanted to get across.

“You can do this and develop your relationship with your horse, whether it’s liberty work, groundwork, and still go out and compete in eventing or showjumping, or whatever it is, with a bridle on. It’s only going to improve your relationship with the horse which then makes other things easier for you. It’s not either/or.”

Jess added that everything was arranged with the caveat that if any horse or pony was uncomfortable at any point, there would be an immediate cut-off, but there were no issues, again indicating the quality of the training and relationship.

“It’s about setting them up for success, rather than throwing them in the deep end and saying ‘See if you can swim’,” she said.

“And the horse has a say in it; you have to listen to the horse and if he’s not ready to do it, don’t do it.”

Beyond the Bridle: the younger generation

Jess also cited the fact that although among some older equestrians, she feels she may have to justify or explain her choices, the younger generation showing such interest in another way is different.

“They just want other people to understand how important it is to have a kind, empathetic relationship with your horse,” she said. “I think there’s loads more awareness and openness to it now.

“Wiith anything in the horse world, it can take a while, but I think the bridleless competition was brilliant for reaching a wider audience. I can definitely feel there’s a desire for change in terms of horse welfare and a desire to do things better. Certainly the younger generation seem to be really strongly up for it. I’m hopeful.”

Jess is hoping to run another such event in future, and it is hoped another British Bridleless Competition will run this year.

Next month, Wellington Equestrian Centre is hosting a horsemanship masterclass (11-12 July), featuring demos from international showjumpers and brideless riders Brendan Wise and Serena Kullich, liberty specialists Kaleigh Marie and Will Rogers and Mia Rodley.

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One of Ireland’s longest-established agricultural shows is running a bitless showing class – with a €350 (£300) prize pot, as it “embraces the growing focus on horse welfare”.

Horses and ponies in class 23a at the Iverk Show, in Kilkenny on 22 August, may not be ridden in bits, mechanical hackamores or bridles relying primarily on poll pressure.

“Sponsored by best-selling Irish equestrian author and award-winning filmmaker Elaine Heney, the class is believed to be one of the first of its kind at a major Irish agricultural show,” a spokesperson for the event said.

Permitted tack and equipment includes rope halters, side pulls, bosals and mecates. No draw reins, standing martingales, tie-downs or “auxiliary devices that restrict the horse’s natural head and neck position” are allowed.

“The introduction of the class reflects the growing number of riders choosing bitless bridles, either through personal preference or because they better suit their horses’ individual needs,” the spokesperson said.

Ms Heney, who has spent more than two decades writing books, running online courses and creating award-winning documentary Listening to the Horse, welcomed the new class.

“I’m delighted to support this new class at Iverk Show,” she said. “Every horse deserves to be ridden in equipment that is comfortable and appropriate for them as an individual. For some horses that may be a traditional bit, while for others a bitless bridle can be a better option.

“This class isn’t about saying one approach is better than another. It’s about recognising that horses are individuals and giving riders who choose to compete bitless a welcoming place to do so. I hope it encourages great conversations about horse welfare and celebrates good horsemanship above all else.”

Bitless showing: Iverk Show judging criteria

It is hoped the class, open to horses aged five and over, and standing 14hh and above, and riders 18 and over, will attract entries from across Ireland, and “showcase the growing diversity within the equestrian community”.

Cantering is optional and the judge will not ride. Judging priorities will be: Relaxation and confidence, sound, free, and regular movement, partnership and sympathetic horsemanship, correct self-carriage, with the horse travelling comfortably in front of or at the vertical, good conformation and condition, lightness and willingness and manners and safety. “Obvious tension and conflict behaviours” will be penalised.

Iverk Show’s Liam Kearns told H&H: “We are celebrating our 200th show this year and are delighted to host the Elaine Heney bitless showing class. This class is a new venture for all involved and will make a great spectacle on show day.

“All horses are different and some may really benefit from being ridden bitless.We think this class will have a big future going forward.”

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Equestrian events and fixtures are being cancelled owing to the sweltering June heatwave.

British Showjumping (BS) and British Dressage (BD) have cancelled all competition in areas for which red extreme heat warnings are in place on Wednesday (24 June) and Thursday (25 June).

A BS spokesperson urged riders to check the BS website and social media, as well as venue announcements, before travelling as affected areas can change and some venues where competition is set to start on Friday are limiting arrival times.

“It is very important during this period of hot weather that horses are kept as cool as possible and out of the sun with plenty of access to clean water,” added the BS spokesperson.

A statement from BD said any venues within the red warning area “will be cancelling their BD competition or training activity with immediate effect” to “protect the health and safety of all participants, both equine and human”.

The statement added that riders will be entitled to refunds and venues will have the option to reschedule if they wish.

“For venues running in amber warning areas, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis as to whether the scheduled competition or training activity can still safely go ahead. If a decision is made to cancel, and a rescheduled date can be arranged, you will be contacted directly in due course,” added the statement.

“Please note that these warnings are subject to change and the Met Office can often update their guidance and advice at short notice to extend the areas covered by red and amber warnings, so we would recommend checking their website regularly.

“As this is the last week of summer qualification and entries are now closed, if the venue chooses to reschedule their dates, please note that only a transfer of existing entries will be offered and no late entries will be accepted.

“We understand that this might be a disappointing and frustrating decision, however the welfare of our competitors, horses and venue staff is always our paramount consideration. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.”

Wednesday’s racing fixtures at Kempton Park, Salisbury, Worcester and Ffos Las have also been abandoned owing to the forecast high temperatures. Three of these courses fall within the red warning zone – Ffos Las is just outside but people would need to travel through the red zone to reach the racecourse. The meetings have all been rescheduled for early next week.

Timings for Thursday’s racing fixtures at Nottingham and Newmarket, both in amber alert zones, have been shifted to start earlier to avoid the hottest part of the day. Nottingham’s card will run from 10.30am to 1pm and Newmarket’s from 10.45am to 1.15pm, and the Dereham Handicap at the latter has been rescheduled for Friday (26 June).

“The [British Horseracing Authority] BHA will continue to liaise with racecourses hosting fixtures in amber warning zones this week to consider any further mitigations that may be needed, in line with the industry’s hot weather policy,” said a BHA spokesperson.

“Each fixture will be managed on a case-by-case basis, with several factors considered according to the local weather forecast and environmental conditions.

“Trainers are advised that horses should not be moved from or through any areas where red heat warnings are in place.”

The Army is amending its ceremonial operations across London and Windsor in light of the red heat alert.

“The wellbeing of our soldiers, military working horses and the public who gather in large numbers to watch these events is always our priority,” said an Army spokesperson.

This means there will be no ceremonial guard changes in London or Windsor on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. On Wednesday, the King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards will change without ceremony at 8am to avoid heat stress to the horses.

Hot weather cancellation policies: what do they say?

Each of the individual governing bodies for horse sport in Britain has its own approach to hot weather.

The BS rule book spells out that “competitions must not take place in extreme weather conditions if the welfare or safety of the horse may be compromised” and that “provision must be made for cooling horses quickly after competing in hot or humid conditions”.

The BHA and BD hot weather policies both feature traffic light-style systems. Racing fixtures are automatically abandoned if they fall within a red warning area, and BD rules state that competition “must be cancelled” in the event of a red weather warning, unless there are extenuating circumstances and it is agreed in advance with BD.

A British Eventing (BE) spokesperson told H&H BE does not operate a Met Office red/amber zone policy or a specific hot weather traffic light system, as its events and venues vary significantly.

“As with any extreme or adverse weather conditions, decisions around whether an event can safely proceed are managed on a case-by-case basis, the BE technical adviser and BE steward working closely with the organiser,” said the spokesperson.

This is echoed in the BE rulebook.

The spokesperson added: “At the moment, we are continuing to monitor forecasts across the UK, particularly at venues hosting events this weekend, and are working closely with organisers to ensure appropriate measures and support are in place. Horse welfare remains our top priority.

“Fortunately, current forecasts suggest temperatures will ease over the weekend, but we are monitoring the situation day by day and continue to encourage all riders and teams to take appropriate steps to keep horses safe in hot weather and prepare carefully for competition.”

Alnwick Ford is the sole BE fixture due to take place before the weekend and is not currently in a red warning or amber alert area.

Farley Hall, in Berkshire, had been set to run some classes on Friday (26 June), but has now moved these to Monday (29 June). Those who are unable to compete on Monday will receive a partial refund through BE’s abandonment support fund.

Farley Hall organiser Stuart Buntine, of BEDE Events, said: “This decision has been made in the best interests of everyone involved with the forecasted temperature for Monday considerably lower than Friday.

“We appreciate that moving the date won’t work for every rider, so all Friday entries will automatically be moved to Monday and those unable to attend on Monday, please contact Josie Brettell josiebrettell@gmail.com by 8pm Wednesday evening.”

Hot weather policies: more information

• More information on the British Dressage hot weather policy and on page 111 of the BD members’ handbook
• BHA hot weather policy
• British Showjumping rule on extreme weather on p96 of the BS handbook

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Tributes have been paid to “one of the greatest gifts the sport of dressage has ever received”, after five-star international judge Stephen Clarke died at the age of 73.

Stephen, whose life was entwined with horses from an early age, was one of the world’s most respected dressage judges, serving at the Olympics, European and World Championships and World Cup Finals. He was president of the International Dressage Officials Club (IDOC), the FEI judge general and member of the FEI dressage committee, and a Fellow of the British Horse Society.

“It is with profound sadness, and yet with an equally profound sense of gratitude, that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend, colleague and former IDOC president, Stephen Clarke,” the IDOC said in a tribute.

“Stephen was, quite simply, one of the greatest gifts the sport of dressage has ever received. His passing leaves a stillness in our world that will take a long time to fill – and yet, if we listen carefully, we can still hear his voice: warm, measured, often wonderfully witty, and always pointing us toward what is right and good in this sport we all love.”

Stephen was born into a non-horsey family in north Wales. The farm next door had ponies and the deal was, if he could stay on long enough, he could take them to shows. He grew up with the Flint and Denbigh branch of the Pony Club, where, he has told H&H, it was drummed into everyone that any mistakes were always the rider’s fault; “I can still hear ringing in my ears, ‘sit still and never pull back’,” he said.

After early success in showjumping and eventing, Stephen won five national championship dressage titles. He represented Britain in international competition, including at the 1980 Alternate Olympics with Ulysses, and he and Becket were the reserve combination for the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Stephen started judging in his early 20s, having become, as he put it, “fed up with everyone moaning about the judging”.

“A characteristically Stephen solution to a problem,” the IDOC tribute said. “Rather than complain, step forward and be part of the answer.”

Stephen was president of the ground jury at the London Olympics in 2012, which he said was one of the proudest moments of his life; he also said that to be on the judges’ panel when Totilas and Valegro broke world records was “beyond exciting”.

“The privilege of awarding 10s for movements where you just cannot imagine how it could be better – that was the joy Stephen brought to his work every single time he sat behind the judging board,” the IDOC said.

“He never shied from the difficult calls either. At the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, he made one of the toughest calls in a world championship – the disqualification of Adelinde Cornelissen when her horse bled from the mouth. It was correct, it was courageous, and it was entirely Stephen. He understood that integrity in judging is not a convenience — it is the foundation upon which the sport rests.”

Stephen shaped the future of his sport, as judge general and on the committee; he was instrumental in creating the FEI judges’ book.

“His efforts earned tremendous respect for dressage judges worldwide and contributed greatly to the reputation and profile of the sport,” the IDOC said. “His goal, as he always said, was to ensure young judges have the opportunity to develop their education and skills.

“And he meant it – not as a statement of policy, but as a personal mission. He took time with every young official who crossed his path. He remembered names. He remembered horses. He remembered what it felt like to be new to this world, and he made sure no one felt alone in it.

“As president of IDOC, Stephen brought the same qualities to our organisation that he brought to everything: clarity of thought, generosity of spirit, and an unwavering commitment to doing things properly. He worked alongside colleagues including Maribel Alonso, Katrina Wüst and Hans-Christian Matthiesen in the education working group, and his influence on the way we train and support officials across the globe cannot be overstated. IDOC is a better, stronger, more purposeful organisation because Stephen Clarke led it.”

Stephen ran a working pupils scheme at Cotton Equestrian Centre in Cheshire; many of those who trained with him have gone on to successful careers, of which Stephen was quietly proud.

“He was quick to laugh, quicker still to listen,” the IDOC said. “In any discussion – whether about a single movement in a test, the future direction of FEI judging policy, or the state of the sport over a glass of wine after a long competition day – Stephen brought the same qualities: a clear mind, an open heart and exactly the right words at exactly the right moment. Many of us will carry specific things he said to us, privately, at just the right time, for the rest of our lives.

“In his final years, illness slowed him physically, but never in spirit. He remained in close contact with many in his circle, generous with his time, his warmth, and his thoughts, right to the end. That, too, was entirely Stephen.

“We will miss him at the arena. We will miss him in the seminar rooms. We will miss him at the table after a long day, when the best conversations always seemed to happen. We will miss his laughter, his precision, and his extraordinary ability to make everyone around him feel both valued and challenged to be better.

“The sport of dressage is immeasurably richer for everything Stephen Clarke gave it over so many decades. We are immeasurably richer for having known him. Our thoughts go to Julian Sebire, Stephen’s partner for more than 40 years.

“Stephen – thank you. It was a privilege and an honour.”

A national treasure

British Dressage chair Jill Day, a close friend of Stephen’s, said he was a national treasure.

“There is no one more deserving of that title,” she said. “When you consider the legacy he has left behind – wow, what a legacy that is.

“However, when I think of Stephen, none of those things are the first things that spring to mind. I just see that twinkle in his eye and that infectious giggle. I see an amazing friend, always there if you needed him and always with very honest and straightforward advice. There will never be another that has done so much for our sport and stayed so humble.

“His last words to me were ‘Please, don’t be sad’. This will be the first time I have not been able to follow his advice. Rest in peace, dear friend.”

The FEI agreed that for all Stephen’s huge achievements, he will most be remembered for who he was.

“Stephen Clarke was one of those rare individuals who made everyone around him better, and the extraordinary outpouring of tributes since his passing stands as a testament to both his deep love for the sport and his regard for those within it,” said FEI dressage director Ronan Murphy said.

“Stephen was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Fair, thoughtful and quietly wise, he never sought the spotlight, yet his presence and influence can be felt throughout our sport to this day. We have lost not only one of dressage’s greatest judges, but also one of its kindest and most respected figures.”

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Hickstead is one of the most famous showjumping venues in the world, and we’ve uncovered some facts about the course and arena that will interest, intrigue and impress any showjumping fan.

Hickstead directors Lizzie and Edward Bunn had an email recently from someone keen to know the dates of the 2027 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting. The concerned spectator said her son had just confirmed his wedding date for next summer and she wanted to make sure there wasn’t a clash as “I have a horrible feeling I might have to miss the wedding”.

A fair point, but the good lady was reassured that she would indeed be able to enjoy a fabulous day – and also watch her son get married.

That’s how much the Derby means to people, and this year’s meeting is on the horizon; four days of top equestrian sport culminating in the main event on Sunday, 21 June. But of course preparations have been ongoing for the event since last summer specifically – and for decades. The International Arena may look like a nice grass ring but the work, and money, that goes into it is phenomenal.

Fascinating Hickstead facts

Here a few things you probably didn’t know about what goes on behind the scenes at the All England Jumping Course.

1. The International Arena is, Lizzie explains, “an all-weather arena with a grass top”. After some very wet summers, the Bunns took action, and spent almost £1m, in 2010. They dug about 18 inches down, across the whole ring, then put down 1,900 tonnes of shingle with drainage. A membrane went in on top, then the topsoil that had been taken out, 2,100 tonnes of drainage sand, and grass back on top. Last September, when it rained so much the back arenas were puddling, the going in the main ring was just about perfect.

2. Three types of grass seed are blended to create the famous emerald sward; one for thickness, one for root depth and one for colour. Watering is of course key, and at the right times; the grass has to be a bit “thirsty” early on so the roots go deep enough. This root depth – about 12cm is perfect – is crucial as it is this depth that absorbs the weight of a half-tonne horse landing, releases it and springs back.

3. The Derby bank is the centrepiece of the arena. Used in only three classes each year – the Derby, the British Speed Derby and the Ashby Underwriting Eventers’ Challenge – it still needs more maintenance than probably everything else.

It’s built of a U-shaped blockwork wall, filled with rubble, covered in clay and turfed.

It spends most of the year tucked up in an astroturf jacket paid for by Netflix’s The Crown, which filmed at Hickstead some years ago; this comes off at Easter, then the old turf is stripped off and the face rebuilt if the old clay has gone brittle.

Then the bank’s checked daily. Grass doesn’t like growing on the side of a hill so it’s a tricky job; it has to be covered if the weather gets too wet, naked if it’s hot so the turf doesn’t sweat, kept moist enough for the grass to grow and dry enough to suit the clay – and an eye has to be kept for any ants that might feel like nesting in the turf.

4. After the Derby meeting, there’s only four and a half weeks until the Royal International Horse Show, so there’s a huge amount more work to be done. The ring is fertilised before each show, so it kicks in straight afterwards, and the seed is left in hessian sacks to pre-germinate so it hits the ground growing. Then there’s watering, decompacting and vertidraining to do, and mowing, ensuring the grass is short enough to thicken but not so short that the root depth is lost.

5. There are tricky bits of the course to deal with; the Devil’s Dyke was returfed in mid-May, timed to perfection six weeks before the Derby. The road crossing had been regraded and scarified; removing the top layer of dead matter and reshaping and levelling the soil, then reseeded. Even the Cornishman, the 4ft8in wall that’s the first fence in the Derby, had had its modest turf topping renewed. It’s the original wall that’s featured in every Derby for the past six decades, and needs less maintenance than some areas – although there has probably been some repointing done.

6. Someone is out in the main ring every day, checking and assessing; not just the look and feel of the ground but to check for issues such as any enterprising badger who might have come in to dig for worms.

“It’s a haven for wildlife!” Lizzie says. “We used to have great crested newts in the water jump and because you’re not allowed to handle them, a man used to come out from the Sussex Amphibian and Reptile Group and rehome them. We had ducklings on the lake once in the Derby and had to stop the jumping while they crossed the ring.”

7. The water in the Devil’s Dyke ditches is dyed blue, to help horses judge it; the surface here is concrete, which is cleaned and repainted every year, then a new layer of rubber on top. The open water was renovated a few years ago; it was shortened to 15ft to comply with FEI rules.

“You used to be able to swim a width underwater,” Edward says. “It was three feet deep.”

Now it’s only inches deep, and lined with rubber matting, but it’s still, with its presentation and dressing, as imposing a fence as you’ll find.

Hickstead in numbers

1.8ha: the size of the International Arena

2m difference in gradient from left to right

60 acres of lorry parking and stabling

100,000 litres: the Hickstead water storing tanks’ capacity

5,484 horses competed at the All England Jumping Course in 2025

1,538 showjumping horses were at last year’s Derby meeting

Almost £2m: the cost of the new stable facilities

300 rolls of turf used annually in the International Arena

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

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In this guide for H&H subscribers, FEI judge Stephen Clarke and four-time Olympic medallist Carl Hester explain why the walk is so often where dressage tests are won or lost – and what riders can do to improve their marks

Back when I was training, I can’t remember ever spending much time on how to ride the free walk on a long rein. It was one of those movements where you get to the test, throw the reins forward, mumble a quick prayer that no one slams a car boot or drops a coffee, and hope for the best. Sometimes, on a trickier horse, it was a brief pause to think about how I’d disgraced myself in the previous movements, casting apologetic glances at the judges.

And I don’t think I was alone. Even at the top levels of dressage, you see horses scoring eights and nines for their trot and canter, then plummeting down to sixes for the walk.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The walk is the pace that reveals more about a horse’s training than almost any other. It’s the first to go if there’s tension in the back, and in most tests it carries a coefficient – meaning a low score hurts more than other movements.

Get it right, and you score handsomely. Get it wrong, and there’s nowhere to hide.

Why the walk matters more than you think

The walk isn’t just one movement in a dressage test – it runs through the whole horse’s training picture. As FEI judge Stephen Clarke puts it: “The extended walk is the tell-tale movement, because you see whether the horse is truly relaxed and supple, obedient and confident.”

He’s particularly emphatic about how revealing the free walk is: “It is a good safeguard – it makes sure that riders and trainers always look after that freedom of movement. As the horse reaches the higher levels, there is such an emphasis on collection that, sometimes, freedom is lost.”

In other words, free walk isn’t a break from the real training – it’s the test of whether the training is honest or not.

How to ride free walk: what the judge wants to see

In the free walk on a long rein, the judge is looking for:

• A horse seeking the contact forward and down, with the rider allowing the rein
• Long, free, purposeful strides – not slow, lazy ones
• A regular, four-beat rhythm with clear overtrack
• A relaxed, supple back, with the horse lengthening the frame naturally
• Light contact maintained throughout – the rein lengthens, but doesn’t disappear
• A smooth, balanced return to a medium walk before the next movement

As Stephen explains, the score reflects “the regularity of the four footfalls, as well as all of the qualities described in brackets within each of the collective marks: rhythm, suppleness, contact and co-operation.”

Where free walk goes wrong

Most riders, when they reach the diagonal for free walk, do one of two things: they drop the contact entirely and lose all influence on the horse, or they hold on and never let the horse genuinely stretch down.

Neither approach produces what the judge wants to see.

Stephen sees the pattern repeatedly: “Often it is the extension and collection which cause the problem. Riders sometimes fall into the trap of restricting the horse with the reins to collect, which constrains the neck and stiffens the back, thereby limiting the steps. This will have a damaging effect on the regularity of the four beats. At worst, this ends up as almost a two-beat movement, where the horse moves his limbs in lateral pairs.”

A lateral walk – where the legs on the same side move together rather than in true four-time beat – is one of the most damaging faults a dressage horse can develop. And once it appears, it’s a sign that something in the training has gone wrong.

Stretch without losing the contact

The technical heart of free walk is allowing the horse to lower and lengthen the neck while maintaining a light, elastic contact through the rein. The reins lengthen – they aren’t dropped.

Carl Hester puts it simply: “The use of the head and neck is so important in walk. It should be like a rowing motion. The horse has to take your hand forward and not fiddle and get behind the vertical.”

That “rowing motion” is a useful image to hold onto. The horse is actively seeking the bit forward and down, and the rider is allowing that movement without losing the connection. If the horse curls behind the vertical, the stretch isn’t honest. If the rider holds the rein too short, the stretch can’t happen at all. If the rider drops the reins, the contact is lost.

Slower is usually better

A common mistake – particularly in tests – is for riders to push the walk forward, driving with the seat in the hope of looking impressive. “When you walk, make it a slow walk,” Carl says. “The quicker it goes, the smaller the overtrack.”

The mathematics of the walk are a little counter-intuitive. A horse that hurries will shorten his stride; a horse that takes his time will lengthen it.

Carl adds: “If we have a one-hoof overtrack, the horse needs time on the floor – he doesn’t need to come off fast. A one-and-a-half overtrack is better. And if the front legs move too quickly for the hindlegs to keep up, the horse has to learn to use his shoulder. Then we will get closer to two hooves overtrack.”

How to practise the free walk at home

We all know this, really, but the free walk shouldn’t only be ridden during dressage tests. Stephen emphasises that the walk needs work every time you’re in that pace: “Whenever you give the horse a period of rest between movements, be aware of what’s going on underneath you. You should feel the rhythm and swing in the back – and should be influencing the walk, always.”

Try incorporating these three practical exercises into your schooling to help improve your walk:

1. Improving overtrack with leg-yield in walk

A shallow angle of leg-yield on a circle or straight line can encourage a longer stride. Feel down the inside rein for a slight bend and ask the horse to move away from your inside leg. The pace becomes more relaxed, and the overtrack will improve.

2. Riding the free walk as it appears in your test

Sit centrally with loose hips and soft hands. Slowly let your arms move forward while maintaining a slight inside bend. Push the walk forward gently with alternate legs until your horse is reaching for the bit. The reins lengthen progressively, not all at once.

3. Practising the transition back

Some horses predict the upward transition and jog. Make a series of halt transitions in walk during training, then remind your horse in the test with a half-halt. Keep a soft leg contact to reassure him, and gather the reins carefully – keeping a slight inside bend through the transition.

4. Get eyes on the ground

The walk is one of the hardest movements to accurately feel what’s going on underneath you. The footfalls are slower, the overtrack can be deceptive, and tension in the back is easy to miss when you’re focused on the contact. A second pair of eyes can confirm whether the rhythm is genuinely four-beat, whether the overtrack matches what you think it is, and whether the horse is honestly swinging through the back.

If you don’t have a coach available, video yourself again and again – ideally from the side – and check that your sense of what’s happening below you matches what’s actually showing up on the ground.

When the walk goes bad

Although we often consider the walk a natural pace, a poor walk often isn’t the horse’s fault.

Stephen is direct: “A bad walk is usually created because a rider has a disturbing influence on the horse – either a backward influence on the reins or a poor riding position. If the rider is stiff, then the horse will be stiff.”

The walk is the gait where rider faults show up first. A tight seat, busy hands, or a fixed contact will all interfere with the natural rhythm. Even small habits – pulling on the reins when the horse curls, pushing too hard with the seat – can disrupt the four-beat pattern.

Stephen’s solution is patience: “It is important not to try to collect the horse too early. Collection develops naturally. Wait for the horse. It is the gymnastic training which makes the horse strong enough to collect within all the paces.”

Common mistakes and fixes

1. Your horse jogs into the free walk

Fix: Use small half-halts before the diagonal to settle the horse, then allow the rein gradually rather than all at once.

2. Your horse drops the contact entirely

Fix: Maintain feel through your fingers. The rein lengthens, but the connection doesn’t disappear.

3. Your horse curls inwards

Fix: Encourage him forward to the bit, not down. Think “out” rather than “down”.

4. The walk becomes lateral

Fix: Slow the walk down. Resist the temptation to push for more overtrack with speed. Allow the horse to find the rhythm naturally.

5. The return to medium walk is abrupt

Fix: Gather the reins progressively as you approach the next marker. Don’t snatch them up at the end of the diagonal.

Marching on

The most important thing, Stephen says, is to remember that the walk reflects everything else in the training: “Honest training is the only way to preserve the walk. The work is done before the walk happens – it is all about whether the horse is truly in front of the leg, in real balance and self-carriage.”

Carl agrees that the answer is more straightforward than riders often make it: practise correct walk at home, ride forward without rushing, and trust the horse to march resolutely.

Or, as Stephen puts it: “Just let it happen”.

• Enjoyed reading this? For more expert training advice from top riders and coaches, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The US company that has bought Tredstep Ireland said it is “very fortunate” to have secured the rights – and honoured that its founder will remain involved.

Equinavia, based in Connecticut, has worldwide exclusive rights to the equestrian clothing and footwear brand, which was founded by former top eventer Aidan Keogh in 1993. Aidan will “continue to play a key role in the brand’s future through a multi-year consulting agreement”, an Equinavia spokesperson said.

“We are very fortunate to secure the rights to Tredstep and even more honoured that its founder, Aidan Keogh, will continue working with us,” said Fred Erik Nilsen, president of Equinavia.

“We want to sincerely thank all the retail partners and agents who have supported and pushed the Tredstep brand forward over the years. You have done a fantastic job making Tredstep the eminent brand it is today, and we are truly grateful.”

Tredstep sold: next steps

Mr Nilsen added that the team is looking forward to working with these partners to grow the brand.

“We are proud to welcome Tredstep into the Equinavia family,” he said. “We believe it is an excellent strategic fit. We are already working closely with our factories to rebuild stock levels and better serve the strong demand that has historically been underserved. It may take us a minute to fully catch up, but we are fully committed to getting there.”

Equinavia also manufactures rider wear, footwear and helmets, as well as tack, rugs and yard equipment.

Aidan said: “I am pleased to partner with Equinavia to ensure Tredstep’s continued success.

“I believe this is the right next step for the brand and look forward to contributing my experience as we move forward together.”

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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

If your summer showing season is centred around the 2026 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers, then I know first-hand how difficult it can be to find details of where the qualifiers are being held, who is judging and when the entries close, so I’ve collated all your need-to-know information in one place for H&H subscribers.

While the HOYS qualifier shows are well and truly underway for 2026, some of the hosts are still waiting for their judges and schedules to be confirmed. Below are links to individual summaries that list all of the HOYS showing qualifiers for each of the main sections. As H&H’s showing editor, I’m frequently updating these pages with all the new details as they are released (most recently the confirmed judges and closing dates for Stoneleigh Horse Show and NPS Area 7) so they can be your one-stop shop for planning your Horse of the Year Show qualification.

Not only do we have the complete list of qualifying fixtures for each class, but we’ll be sharing the confirmed judges and entry closing dates, too, as soon as they become available.

For more information about your 2026 HOYS qualifier options, find your class below, and follow the green link above straight to the important details you need to know.

2026 HOYS showing qualifiers by group

Coloured HOYS qualifiers 2026

• Coloured Ridden Horse and Pony of the Year sponsored by CHAPS (UK)

Harness horse or pony HOYS qualifiers 2026

• Harness Horse & Pony of the Year

HOYS heavy horse qualifiers 2026

• The Barber Family British Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year
• Driven Heavy Horse of the Year
• Shire Horse of the Year Championship supported by the Shire Horse Society

HOYS qualifiers for show horses 2026

• The Harrod & Coles Family Cob of the Year
• The Andrews Family Hack of the Year
• The Leeman Family Maxi Cob of the Year
• NeedleSmart, John Illingworth and Cliff Kirby Ridden Purebred Arab of the Year
• Alan Marnie & Family Riding Horse of the Year
• The Mears-Wood Family Ladies’ Side Saddle Horse of the Year
• Hamilton Tarmac Small Show Hunter of the Year
• Catplant Group of Companies Ltd. Show Hunter of the Year
• Alan Marnie & Family (Meta Lounge Limited and SHB (GB)) Working Hunter of the Year

HOYS in-hand qualifiers 2026

• The Price Family Supreme In-Hand of the Year

HOYS miniature qualifiers 2026

• UKAMHS American Miniature Horse of the Year Sponsored by Pandoras Miniature Farm
• Miniature Horse of the Year Supported by the British Miniature Horse Society

HOYS M&M qualifiers 2026

• Thor Atkinson Steel Fabrications Ltd Junior M&M Ridden Pony of the Year
• Colne, Sweet Dreams Show Confectioners & Westown Stud M&M Mini Pony of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Connemara of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Dales of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Dartmoor of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Exmoor/Shetland of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Fell of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Highland of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden New Forest of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Welsh Section A & B of the Year
• NPS/Supreme Products M&M Ridden Welsh Section C & D of the Year
• Jacksons of Yorkshire M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year

HOYS plaited pony qualifiers 2026

• Annabel’s Deliciously British Mini Show Pony of the Year
• The BSPS Children’s Riding Pony of the Year
• Lead Rein Pony of Hunter Type of the Year
• The de la Hay Family Ridden Partbred Pony of the Year
• The Honourable Stud Intermediate Show Horse of the Year
• Shine Source Footwear Ltd Show Hunter Pony of the Year
• The Smith Family Intermediate Show Hunter of the Year
• NPS/Mole Valley Farmers Working Hunter Pony of the Year

HOYS veteran qualifiers 2026

• Veteran Horse Society Ridden Veteran Horse of the Year

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Grassroots showjumpers have a new national final to aim for at the British Showjumping National Championships.

As a third surfaced arena has been created, the new national 95cm championship will be included at this year’s event, which runs at Stoneleigh Park from 4 to 9 August. This and the 1.05m and 1.25m championships, which were introduced two years ago, will run over three days including preliminary rounds and a championship or consolation final.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance the national championships experience for our members, and the addition of the additional arena has given us a fantastic opportunity to do just that,” said British Showjumping (BS) national director of sport Stephanie Toogood.

“Introducing the national 95cm championship allows us to welcome even more combinations to compete for a national title and provides another important stepping stone within our championship pathway.”

To qualify, combinations must have jumped four double clears at 90cm or above, between 1 January and 30 June this year. It is restricted to combinations who are eligible for the bronze league.

“The introduction of the national 95cm championship reflects British Showjumping’s continued commitment to creating opportunities for members at all levels of the sport, recognising the importance of grassroots competition and providing clear progression pathways for riders and horses,” a BS spokesperson said.

The teams and para championships will also run in the new arena, and the Andrews Bowen surfaces on the two existing rings has been refreshed.

Emma Williams, event director at championship organiser Grandstand Media, said: “As organisers, we are committed to improving the national championships experience and have made significant investments in the venue’s infrastructure.

“We’re proud to have introduced a third arena, creating opportunities to expand the programme. It’s fantastic to see this investment enable British Showjumping to launch the new national 95cm championship and welcome even more riders to compete for a national title.”

More details on issues including final qualification criteria and schedules will be announced in the near future.

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Communicating and challenging ourselves better are key for the future of horse sport – but we also need a collective dose of humility.

These were among the messages from the 2026 World Horse Welfare survey of public perception of the involvement of horses in sport, which the charity has been commissioning annually since 2022.

The 2026 World Horse Welfare survey found that more of the public see horses as pets (65%) or leisure animals (64.9%) rather than working animals (56.1%), livestock (54.3%) or sport animals (49.4%). Most (70.5%) believe horses’ welfare should “always take priority, regardless of the effect on performance” (70.3%), and that short-term pain or discomfort to improve performance is not very or not at all acceptable (77.3%).

World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers said it is clear that equine welfare has a key role in the future sustainability of the global equestrian sector, citing the major strides made in this area.

“But we also hear criticism,” he said.”For some, welfare standards in sport are already so high, they do not need to change, and any attempt at improvement is only to appease the antis. That by talking about welfare, sport is only damaging its own reputation.

“Others say welfare initiatives launched to maintain social licence are all talk and no action. But concerns about welfare will not go away, and you can only address an issue if you face up to it. World Horse Welfare has always been clear that improving equine welfare is pivotal, not primarily because that’s what the public expects but because that’s exactly what it means to put the horse first.

“There is growing evidence that we can do better, and if we know better, we must do better. Doing right by our horses, putting a horse’s wellbeing at the centre of everyone’s decision-making, has to be the fundamental goal for every sport. Yes, this is what the public expects and it will enable the sport to thrive. As David Yellen summed up so well at last year’s event, the best form of PR is to do the right thing.”

The 2026 World Horse Welfare survey trends

Mr Owers said the 2026 World Horse Welfare survey results do not show a positive trend. This year, it was shown that the percentage of those who support horse sport only if welfare improves is about the same as in 2022, at just under 40%. But there has been a slight increase in the number who do not support involvement of horses in sport in any circumstances, from 19.5% to 24.4%.

Mr Owers said this increase may be “within the margin of error”, and not too much of a red flag, but it is “certainly one to continue to watch”.

A panel of experts considered the results and what they may mean. One key issue is that the majority of the public have no regular contact with horses and may never even have seen one.

“A fundamental underlying threat to all equestrianism, sports and non-sports, is that most people in the UK have never had any contact with a horse at all,” said British Equine Veterinary Association CEO David Mountford. “That creates a real problem that we need to get across, and that’s more than just snazzy videos or a social media presence.”

Racing broadcaster and journalist Lydia Hislop pointed out that with the increasing urbanisation of society comes a lack of understanding, citing for example the lack of mainstream coverage of Ros Canter’s Badminton win so soon after she had her second child.

“I think that’s what’s lacking, being able to give people the understanding to be able to watch something like that and see why it was good,” she said. “I think that’s a key form of communication needed to reach people, for further understanding.

“All horse sports have to work out how we can reach out, broaden people’s understanding, explain to people why they should be interested in this. I think that’s the key; communication in an instant, efficient way that grabs people’s attention. We’re all working in an attention economy, and that’s what I think everybody’s communications focus needs to work on.”

2026 World Horse Welfare survey debate: communicating is key

She added that if we look back at our increased understanding, “the idea that we wouldn’t bring new technology, new understanding to make things better is just an absurd position to hold. It’s a way of gently challenging ourselves, so we inside the sport, can look inside it and challenge ourselves to do better, then we’re also better armed with that understanding to communicate outside the sports.”

Former top eventer David O’Connor, chief of sport at US Equestrian (USEF) and chair of the FEI eventing committee, spoke of measures brought in by USEF to improve welfare, such as extending its jurisdiction to cover incidents outside affiliated competition. He also covered the strides made in improving eventing safety internationally; using data and, for example, frangible technology to reduce horse falls.

Asked about recent issues in dressage, and whether other disciplines are behind eventing, he said: “I think eventing is more comfortable with it because they’ve been in it longer.

“They’ve been doing this for 25 years and the other sports are starting to realise this is an important part of the equation. Racing is doing it, dressage is doing it; in the showjumping world, use of the whip that has been adjusted. I think other sports are realising how important this conversation is and that it is not going away.

“So how do we remain proactive? Through education, rules, telling the stories, which is a huge thing. Multiple pieces of the puzzle have to be worked on together; there’s not one thing that will fix it, and using data and science, such as on how animals think, it gives you a way to be able to measure whether you’re actually making a difference.”

Exceptional performance

Minette Batters, chair of British racing’s Horse Welfare Board, also mentioned Ros’s win, describing it as “probably the most exceptional performance I have ever seen”, from horse and rider, and that the sport must learn from it.

“These stories – you want people who want to be Ros Canter, work for Ros Canter, to be stable staff, climb the ladder, be champion jockey,” she said. “That’s the wonderful thing about horses, you can come from anywhere in life and rise to the stars, and that’s the story people want to hear, but you’ve got to be pulling that.

“There’s a lot to be learned from what happened with Ros, because we tend to follow influencers, celebrities, people with huge Instagram accounts, and it’s not all about that, that’s wrong for every part of horse sport.”

Baroness Batters said the welfare board is planning “welfare champions” on every yard in racing, and that another key is for the horse world to open its doors, invite people in, “bring them in and take them with us”.

David O’Connor agreed, adding that warm-up areas, as well as yards, need to be open to all eyes.

“We have an expression in the United States: if you can’t train in the middle of Central Park and explain it and have people like it, probably you’re doing it wrong,” he said.

“And dressage is looking at it, looking at the change. You’ll see things come out this year about judging. In the end I think openness and being willing to be open, whether it’s yards, training, warm-ups, competition, that’s going to permeate all the way through the decision-making.”

Humility needed

Sharing his views on the 2026 World Horse Welfare survey, Mr Mountford said he thinks progress is being made; good work is being done, awareness and engagement are high and the momentum needs to be maintained.

“But it shouldn’t be seen that we’ll get to a point and we can stop,” he said. “What needs to continue to improve is consistency and transparency, and making sure what’s written into codes and aspirations of groups like the Horse Welfare Board actually is reality and are communicated as being real.

“I think also what’s true in horse sports, racing, is that we don’t have much humility. How you achieve it, I don’t know, but we need to bring a big box of humility to the table. We can all learn every week, from a colleague, from someone with decades of experience or from the latest research on how horses learn.

“Riders at the very top will be having weekly lessons and people throughout the industry should be, on riding, but also on what’s going on with science, how they can improve, how we can learn.”

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

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Shows are stepping up checks and competitors are reminded that they will be turned away if a horse’s vaccination status does not comply with the applicable rules.

In the first week of June, the equine infections disease surveillance (EIDS) team at Cambridge Vet School confirmed 15 outbreaks of equine flu across 13 regions. As H&H went to press this afternoon (8 June), there had been a total of 95 outbreaks in 2026, of which 82 have been confirmed since 20 April.

Jenna Payne, chief executive of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), joined the team of vets and experienced stewards on the horse gate checkpoint at Devon County Show (20 to 22 May).

She told H&H they were anticipating a few problems but were in no way on the scale they experienced.

“The first morning was a parade of hopeful rule‑benders. We turned away around 15 horseboxes, most for the same reason: passports that didn’t match the horses entered,” she said.

“Thankfully, the show secretary had armed us with exhibitor lists, making it easy to cross‑reference names and spot the mismatches.

“By day two, people got more inventive. By day three, nobody even tried. Word travels fast when a team is thorough.”

Some of the examples they saw included the number of horses on board differing from the number they were told, horses not matching passports, and microchips not tallying with passports.

She said that if people had forgotten to bring passports, they used live video calls to verify passports and vaccination histories, and some vet practices emailed PDF histories when needed.

“For every difficult encounter, we had many more exhibitors thanking us for being thorough. Those who were fully compliant were genuinely appreciative that the rules were being upheld fairly and consistently,” she said.

Her tips for show organisers this summer is to communicate with exhibitors, have experienced passport checking teams available and a clear lead to adjudicate on discrepancies and to cross-reference passport names with exhibitor lists.

She also encouraged shows to count horses on every vehicle, use a microchip reader and have a spare, and create a holding bay to avoid a horsebox blocking the queue.

“However, if we’re looking for a simple, effective step towards cleaning up our shows, introducing a passport/vaccination check at number collection would be an excellent place to start,” she said.

Mrs Payne added that a lot of other shows are already picking this up and doing similar – and she hopes word will spread.

These include Royal Cornwall (June 4 to 5), which checked all passports on arrival, Royal Bath & West (28 to 30 May), which checked on number collection, and Great Yorkshire Show (14 to 17 July), which has always checked on collection of numbers.

Passports are being checked at British Dressage, British Eventing (BE) and British Showjumping events. BE chief executive Rosie Williams told H&H that BE has “ramped up its checks” and is being “very clear with everybody” that correct vaccinations “have to be in place and if they are not, we will send you home”.

Lucy Grieve, veterinary projects officer at the British Equestrian Veterinary Association, told H&H thorough passport checks at shows and events “are an essential part of safeguarding equine health”.

“Organisers need to be confident that every horse arriving is correctly identifiable and meets the equine influenza vaccination requirements, particularly given the ongoing surge in outbreaks across the UK,” she said, noting that horses must be accompanied by their passports when being transported.

“While these passport checks are vital, they can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for event staff. A national digital equine identification system would significantly streamline and improve the accuracy of the process by allowing vaccination records to be verified in advance, reducing administrative burden and improving compliance.

“Such a system would also enhance traceability in the event of a disease outbreak, enabling faster identification and notification of horses that may have been exposed; strengthening the UK’s ability to prevent and control the spread of infectious disease.

“The Government has promised such a system for many years now but has failed to deliver due to lack of funds.”

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A showjumper who competed, and went clear, over a 1.20m track at the first British Bridleless Competition told H&H this “feels like the start of something very exciting”.

Serena Kullich and Silas VTS, who have qualified for the Talent Seekers final at Horse of the Year Show 2026, were among the +20 combinations at the event organised by Mia Rodley of The Heart of Horsemanship at Merrist Wood on 31 May.

H&H reported that the event had had a huge and positive response, and Serena said she was delighted to be part of it.

“It was so exciting to see so many people competing bridleless,” she said. “I know quite a few of them and we play about bridleless, but actually to see everyone in a competition was just so inspiring.”

Serena said she had been fascinated with riding bridleless since she had childhood dreams of riding along the beach without one, but there were not the online resources available that there are now.

Then a few years ago, she was riding Benji at home, the horse with whom she has contested the prestigious London International Horse Show under-25s final.

“I was playing around and realised I could steer him quite well with my legs and back off with the neck rope, and that I could ride him bridleless, which was really exciting,” she said.

“Then I started doing it with Silas. At that point I knew Mia a tiny bit, but I now know her really well; a lot of this is down to her, she’s inspired me to do a lot of the things I’ve done.”

Many riders have said that riding bridleless has improved their horses’ way of going; not the riding itself but the fact that to get to a point at which riding without a bridle works, by definition the horse-human relationship is harmonious and working together.

Bridleless showjumping: the benefits

“What’s been interesting with Silas is that he’s a slightly tense, introverted horse,” she said. “He’s one of those who it’s easy to kind of tell them what to do, even if they’re not completely happy about it. His thing is that he doesn’t like the edges of the arena.”

Mia said with a bridle on, these fences were not a problem but without, she realised he was not as happy taking these on.

“I’ve spent more time getting him truly relaxed and confident,” she said. “I think it’s not been kind of one specific thing, it’s the whole connection I’ve now got with him, to be able to do everything I can do, has transferred to the jumping. He has always been a willing horse but now he really tries, he has he so much more trust in me.”

Serena said she rides some of her younger horses with bridles, some without, but she applies all she has learned from working without, to their benefit.

“I use all the principles that I use with Silas bridleless, like my steering from my seat, teaching them to have rhythm and relaxation on a long rein,” she said. “Teaching a four-year-old all that, I find, makes such a difference, because then when you jump them when they’re a bit older, they’ve got that foundation and are confident and relaxed.

“So many older showjumpers I get are hard in the mouth; I now go about teaching them the contact slowly and carefully. The fundamental of jumping round a course is that you need them with you and listening and if they’re just running off on their own, it’s not easy!”

Adjusting the stride

Serena and Silas’s round was foot-perfect; she explained that she has put a lot of work in without the bridle, on adjusting the canter stride on the flat, so she knows the gears are there on a course when she needs them.

“He always feels completely with me,” she said. “But then I wouldn’t jump round a course bridleless if I didn’t feel he was completely with me. So I’ve always set him up perfectly for success, whereas in a bridle you can slightly skip things. So with all my jumpers I try my best to always have that feeling of the bridleless, even when I’m riding with a bridle.”

Serena said her main goal is to show people what can be possible.

“It feels like the start of something very exciting,” she said. “The fact Mia’s looking to hold more shows, the reach it’s got across social media is exciting, and so many people are keen to do more of it.

“It’s that feeling of freedom. As well now for me, I love the preciseness, the collection and the ability to adjust a stride jumping but as a kid, it was that feeling of freedom I loved.”

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Calling all future Rachael Blackmores and William Buicks! If you love nothing more than shortening your stirrups for an exhilarating gallop, why not give pony racing a try?

This fast-growing, adrenaline-fuelled sport for riders aged nine to 16 is a great way to experience the thrill of riding on some of Britain’s premier racetracks.

But it’s also proving an essential foundation for future jockeys and point-to-point riders. Champion jump jockey Sean Bowen, young Flat racing star Billy Loughnane and Grand National hero Rachael Blackmore all learned their craft in pony ranks.

Group One-winning Flat jockey Hollie Doyle started out as an “uncompetitive” youngster on her Pony Club pony.

“As soon as I rode in a pony race, I knew I wanted to be a jockey,” she says.

The sport’s governing body, the Pony Racing Authority (PRA) is there to guide you every step of the way, from teaching you the basics through to your first official race and beyond, ensuring you and your pony progress at your own pace.

Pony racing: three steps to the racetrack

Step one: join a taster day

If you’re tempted by pony racing but unsure how to begin, your first port of call is to attend a PRA taster day. They are normally unmounted and tend to take place on the morning of a Pony Club race day, offering a great opportunity to watch the action as well as getting involved in all sorts of activities, such as refining your racing position on a mechanical horse and learning what tack and equipment is needed.

Step two: practice makes perfect on a training day

The next step is to take your pony to a PRA or Pony Club training day, where you’ll learn all the ingredients that go into race riding, from how to line up at the start to the balance, control and fitness required for riding in a forward seat.

These events also act as qualification for the upcoming season and are a great opportunity to meet fellow rookie jockeys. PRA advanced training days focus on the finer details, while the British Racing School, Scottish Racing Academy and National Horseracing College offer further courses.

Step three: under starters orders!

There are essentially three types of racing to take part in:

• Stand-alone Pony Club race days
• The point-to-point pony racing series 
• The PRA racecourse series, which is the premier league of pony racing and held at professional racecourses between May and October (suspended in May 2026 due to a flu outbreak)

Vine branch member William King-Harris, 11, competes in Pony Club race days and was hooked from day one.

“He came last in his first race, but he didn’t care, he just loved being a part of it. There’s great camaraderie and he loves the thrill of it all,” says his mother Charlotte King-Harris, who teams up with other families to hire out local gallops and makes use of the regular racing rallies hosted by their Pony Club.

William, who rides 148cm Bowhaylands Midnight, says: “I love it because you get to race with your friends and riding at proper racecourses makes you feel like a real jockey.”

Up to 10 races take place on Pony Club racedays, split into height sections, with categories from beginners to open riders. Two or three races are held at the point-to-point fixtures, catering for both novice and more experienced riders, with various championships to aim for.

When you’re ready to graduate to the showcase racecourse series, you’ll be competing either before or after professional racing, with each contest (138cm or 148cm and under) mirroring that of a real race, right down to a best turned out award.

Lucas Murphy, 16, who won his first race against the professionals in April, progressed through all three levels alongside his younger brother Finn.

“There’s no gender issue in pony racing – or racing itself – everyone’s on a level playing field,” says their mother Verity Green, who organises the popular Area 9 Pony Club race day at Cheltenham Racecourse.

“With the changing landscape of the UK, riding at speed across open fields is difficult for a lot of people, so pony racing gives you that opportunity.

“But it’s not just about lining up and going as fast as you can! Pony racing is a great skill for any rider to learn – it helps with balance, fitness and judgement of pace, which then applies across the disciplines.”

What you need to take up pony racing

Do I need a flashy pony, fancy silks and expensive racing saddle?

You absolutely don’t need a specialist pony – you don’t need a pony at all!

Head of the PRA Lucinda Campbell-Dutton says, “You can race any type of pony under 148cm”, with the only stipulation being that it is aged between four and 20. The only specialist equipment you need is the requisite safety gear.

Riders aged 11-16 who don’t have a pony but have regularly attended a riding school can apply to the PRA academy scheme, funded by The Racing Foundation and the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

Sally-Ann Dale, whose 12-year-old daughter Lucie competes in Pony Club race days on her home-produced ponies, hosts the PRA academy at her Ghyll Park Equestrian in East Sussex.

“What I think we lack at schools nowadays is team spirit and that’s what Ghyll Park is all about,” says Sally Ann. “I tell the kids that racing is not a team sport, but when you go to the start, you’re a team. Talk to each other and jump off together. I’m more than happy to help anyone.”

As Verity Green sums up, “The way that racing opens its doors and looks after the progression of its young riders is phenomenal. My children have had an absolute ball.”

So what are you waiting for? Head to ponyracingauthority.co.uk for further information and above all enjoy yourselves – let us know how you get on!

Meet the 2025 pony racing champion

Last season, Chloe Fox-Pitt notched up 15 straight wins with Avalon Dancer in the 138cm PRA racecourse series, including the Aintree final. The now 13-year-old is back with the mare in 2026, having also secured the ride on the prolific 148cm She’s A Corker. Chloe, daughter of racing presenter Alice Plunkett and retired five-star event rider William Fox-Pitt, also enjoys eventing, Pony Club and hunting.

How I began racing: “I got a racing Shetland for a Christmas present and did two seasons on him before I got former show pony Maesteg Ruth to do pony racing on. She was very experienced and taught lots of people to race ride.”

Top tips for starting out: “Get as much experience as you can. I went to various places to get training on the mechanical horse. I did three race training days with my pony just to get to grips with it all and to learn what to do.”

The secret of success: “A big part is having a fast pony, but learning when to go, when to pull and how to start a race are equally important. It took me a while to get to grips with Avalon Dancer because she was much hotter than my first pony, but having a pony as good as her last season was so much fun.”

The best aspect of pony racing: “I’ve made so many friends, got to ride at the big racecourses and speak to some amazing people about racing.”

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Equestrians who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship, empathy and a horse-first approach will be recognised with special awards at shows this summer.

The Welfare Stewarding Group, an organisation of volunteers promoting good equine welfare at shows across the country, is launching the Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award.

The first awards were due to be presented at the Royal Cornwall Show this wekeend (4-6 June); a spokesperson for the scheme said: “At each event, welfare stewards will identify and reward exhibitors who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship, outstanding horse handling, empathy, partnership and a clear commitment to putting their horse first.”

Rosettes will be given to people who stand out, not necessarily for winning their classes but for their attitude to and care for their horses. Each winner will also be given a £10 feed voucher sponsored by Dengie.

Welfare Stewarding Group founder Amanda Stoddart-West said: “Good horsemanship is about far more than results or placings. It’s about the relationship between horse and rider, the way horses are handled and cared for, and the respect shown to them at every stage of competition and preparation.

“Rewarding the positive has to be the best way to promote best practice and to encourage excellent horse welfare, and these awards are designed to shine a light on the people quietly doing things the right way, those who consistently put welfare, patience and partnership first.

“Sometimes it’s simply the people who stand out because you can clearly see they are thinking about the horse first above everything else. It’s not about the most polished horse or the biggest name, it’s about genuine horsemanship. We are incredibly grateful to Animalweb for supporting this initiative and helping us celebrate the positive examples that deserve recognition across our industry.”

David Marlin, president of the Welfare Stewarding Group and founder of sponsor Animalweb, added that the awards are a huge opportunity to recognise those who put their horses first at all times.

“We hope they encourage conversations around what great horsemanship truly looks like and help inspire others across the industry to lead by example,” he said.

The group has already been asked to attend 15 shows across the country this year. Anyone who would like to book stewards for an event is invited to get in touch.

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The first fully bridleless show in the UK has been described as inspirational, emotional – and a big step towards change.

More than 20 people competed in showjumping and dressage at the British Bridleless Competition at Merrist Wood on 31 May – and some 500 came to watch. Organiser Mia Rodley, of The Heart of Horsemanship, told H&H they had to turn spectators away as they were at capacity.

“It’s huge,” Mia said. “People were in tears of happiness watching, which was lovely – and it’s just blown up.”

Horse & Country live-streamed the British Bridleless Competition, clips have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and Mia has been overwhelmed with requests for training, displays and shows across the world. She has even been given donations – she paid thousands to put on the event – to back the cause and help fund future shows.

“We’re definitely going to do it again because it was so unbelievably successful,” Mia said. “We’ve had three videos hit a million views and I could do with a full-time person to reply to emails about it – I can’t tell you how big it’s got.

“It was amazing and such a great atmosphere. All the horses were so calm. People said they’d never seen a warm-up so relaxed, no aversive behaviours and the crowd was buzzing. Everyone’s said how inclusive it was, really supportive, great energy and atmosphere. For me, the idea was that if the governing bodies won’t let us compete bridleless, we’ll run competitions parallel to it.”

The British Bridleless Competition had dressage from intro to elementary – and one grand prix freestyle test – and jumping up to 1.20m. Competitors had to apply by sending videos to show they were competent and safe, all warmed up with a bridle and had time for arena familiarisation, and organisers had a final say on whether each was safe to compete.

Mia has always said bridleless riding is complementary to, and can enhance, traditional horsemanship; it is not one or the other and that it is the epitome of a harmonious horse-human relationship because “if you haven’t got the horse’s mind, you won’t have his body”.

“Serena Kullich, who jumped the 1.20m, has just qualified that horse for a 1.40m at Horse of the Year Show and she says his jumping and rideability is a million times better since getting him good at bridleless,” she said. “We had all types of horses there; anyone can do it and that’s what’s really taking off. It’s fantastic.”

List One judge is “totally inspired”

British Dressage List One judge Mary-anne Horn, who judged the dressage with natural horsemanship expert Lyla Cansfield, told H&H she was “totally inspired”.

“I had to think outside the box; obviously I couldn’t talk about the contact because there isn’t one, but I can talk about connection from the hindleg through the body,” she said. “I don’t know what I thought I expected, but there was no spooking, no tension. The horses were very relaxed and it certainly teaches people to ride, because they have to use the seat and back and leg and not rely on the reins.

“I was just amazed by the horses’ attitude. You often comment, ‘Needs to step more through, relax, let go in the back,’ and these horses did, because they were relaxed. So they let go in the backs, then the horse did step through with the hindleg. It was quite moving, to see the relationship between the rider and the horse. This is going to be a thing, I think.”

Ms Horn said she judges many horses and sees a lot of imperfect riding and people relying on rein aids.

“I can see this will appeal,” she said. “Someone said, ‘This is what classical dressage should be,’ and I don’t think you can really compare the two as they’d have to tweak the tests above medium. They can do changes and piaffe-passage, but anything that needs lateral bend might be tricky to judge.

“I’m trying to promote this in a good way, but not set one against the other. British Dressage should embrace and support it, as it has its place and people are so enthusiastic about it.”

Ms Horn said she also saw some of the jumping, which she thought was “incredible; the horses were putting themselves right”.

“Everybody had a lovely time and the horses looked happy as Larry,” she said. “Mia made it really inclusive; I’ll certainly have a debrief with her and see how we can move it forward.”

Lynne Macleod, who rode the grand prix freestyle with her Lusitano Hermes, told H&H she competes in working equitation, which includes dressage and allows bitless, but only started bridleless riding last year.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “He’s the first horse I’ve ridden at grand prix and we’re quite new to it but I thought, ‘I think we could do that.’ I used to do it in a double but changed to a snaffle and the more I’ve gone less bit – the snaffle then taking the bridle off – the better his work.

“I’d have liked a bit more bend in the half-passes, as that’s where you can use a bit to influence the body in a positive way, but he did everything; one-time and two-time changes, they were straight and clean, and his pirouettes were small.”

Lynne added that all the feedback she has seen on the show has been positive.

“I still ride traditionally with bits, but there are certain things that can always be improved in everybody’s test and riding and if you can help that by doing things slightly differently, great,” she said. “And if it gets people talking and opens up other avenues – I’m not saying everyone should just whack their bridle off, but the feeling of being able to do that is incredible.

“And the atmosphere was incredible too, like everyone was willing you to do well. There was such positive energy about the whole thing.”

It is hoped that another British Bridleless Competition will be held this year.

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

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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 first “BE Lite” competition will run at Howick Horse Trials on 12 July, a new British Eventing (BE) scheme.

BE Lite is a “flexible affiliation model for unaffiliated events”. The idea is that there will be same rigorous safety standards as at an affiliated BE event, but it is designed to be an accessible route into the sport. This means organisers have greater flexibility and for riders the entry process is simplified and dress requirements are relaxed.

Horses and riders will not need to be BE members, nor pay a BE run fee on top of entry. Results will be published on the EventingScores website, but will not go on any records.

It will be a competition, not training, but the focus is on participation, enjoyment, confidence-building and progression. BE’s sports taskforce, which developed the idea, is finalising details in the rules, but BE’s standards in safety, welfare, safeguarding and event delivery will apply.

BE CEO Rosie Williams told H&H she hopes that there will be four or five BE Lite fixtures in this pilot year.

She said BE Lite is about “supporting organisers and riders, strengthening standards and creating more opportunities for people to enjoy our sport”.

“This initiative recognises that there is no single route into the sport and provides a welcoming, flexible framework that allows more people to experience eventing while benefiting from BE’s expertise in safety, welfare and sport delivery,” she said.

“Importantly, while some rules are simplified to encourage participation, the core principles that matter most remain unchanged. Horse welfare, rider safety, safeguarding, veterinary and medical provision and event oversight remain at the heart of every BE Lite competition.”

She added that this is about encouraging people who want to try eventing without feeling pressure to have to buy all the kit, particularly given current financial pressures.

Qualified officials will oversee competition and BE’s welfare, safeguarding and conduct standards apply. Riders who fall or repeatedly incur refusals on cross-country will be eliminated, in line with established safety principles.

Entry fees and prize money are being set by organisers. BE will not take money during the pilot phase, but it will in future.

“It is not a money-making exercise for BE,” said Ms Williams. “Yes we will take a little bit of revenue [in future], but for us it is about opening up the channel that allows a rider to do maybe two BE Lites and then get their brave pants on and perhaps go and do a BE80 – or maybe not! But they’ve tried it and had a good experience, I know they’re safe and I know that if things do go pear-shaped, there are [the right] people there to help.”

Venues that run unaffiliated events are not allowed to host international fixtures. Ms Williams confirmed that organisers who run BE Lite events, rather than unaffiliated, will be eligible in future.

Howick Horse Trials organiser Hannah Matthews said the Howick team is “thrilled to be the first venue to host a BE Lite competition and to support an initiative that helps make eventing more accessible while maintaining the high standards our sport is known for”.

“We hope it will encourage new riders to get involved and provide a positive experience for everyone taking part,” she added.

A spokesperson for unaffiliated series The Cotswold Cup told H&H that it “fully supports” the initiative.

Update: 25 June

BE has now published the full BE Lite rules. Visit: https://www.britisheventing.com/be-lite

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

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Spending time with your equine partner, training, competing – it’s what we all love doing. And no less so when that partner is made of wood. Hobby horsing has exploded in popularity in the UK in recent years, not to mention in Europe and even further afield. Hundreds of young people – and adults – are training and competing every weekend. So what makes it so popular?

“It’s so much fun,” says 16-year-old Maisie Scaddan, who has been hobby horsing for four years, and has represented Britain at the hobby horse World Championships. “I saw a video of somebody hobby horsing, and a tutorial on how to make your own hobby horse, on TikTok. So I made my own out of cardboard, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

“At the time, my real pony was injured and I was bored, and I thought, ‘It’s still horse riding.’ I really enjoyed it and I’ve got lots of friends who do it too; we all meet up, or go to shows together and do pairs classes.”

When Maisie started there were only online shows in the UK but now there is an event somewhere in the country just about every weekend, attracting sometimes 100 people each.

You can compete with a hobby horse in showjumping – judged on faults and time but also style; dressage – mainly freestyle to music featuring movements including half-pass and piaffe; gymkhana games, barrel racing and more. And for those with ambitions, the pinnacle is the World Championships in Finland, which runs in June.

Entry to this is by ballot; Maisie, who won three gold medals in showjumping at the 2025 British championships, was selected last year for the 70cm showjumping.

“There are lots of rules there,” Maisie says. “You need to be on the right leg, you can’t trot, only canter, you need to have the reins in the right hand, your horse needs the correct bit and you need the correct footwear. It’s a lot more strict!

“It was really good to go with my friends, and I got to meet loads of my favourite hobby horse influencers from TikTok too.”

After-school training

Hobby horsing is of course a physical sport – Maisie showjumps up to 1m and she says riders have to keep training and competing to keep fit. There aren’t professional coaches here as there are in Finland so Maisie trains mainly in her garden after school, or video calls her friends and they do it together.

She says chase-me-Charlies are perfect for the athletic side, although she has yet to match the world record of clearing 1.52m.

Maisie has about 20 hobby horses who live in a hand-made wooden stable in her kitchen. Her favourite is Honka Limoncello – Lemon for short – and some she has made herself.

She still has her two real ponies too; retired April, and Timmy whom she showjumps – and she says her hobby horse jumping has improved her ability to see a stride on her real ponies.

“Most people do horse riding and they want to do even more horse time,” she says. “So they do hobby horsing too.

“It’s such a nice, friendly community; every time you go to a show, you make loads of new friends. I think it’s mainly the community that makes people want to do it. Lots of neurodiverse people really enjoy it – and it’s definitely cheaper than having a real pony!”

How to have a go at hobby horsing

The UK Hobby Horse Association can guide you to clubs and events in all parts of the country.

Hobby Horse Adventures also organises shows and camps, and sells accessories.

And hobby-horse.com has all sorts of information about how to get involved.

Zoe Brown ran her first hobby horse competition in 2024, after her daughter and her friends started hobby horsing but could not find shows to go to. Now Hobby Horse Adventures runs events every weekend, as well as a summer camp – and Zoe has given up her job to run it.

“It’s super-busy, the kids that do it absolutely love it and the parents who watch the kids doing it love what they’re seeing,” she says. “When we did the National Equine Show this year, we were overwhelmed.”

Zoe says the exercise and the associated feel-good chemicals it releases mean young people enjoy the sport – but it’s also the partnership with the hobby horses.

“They’re not just objects, it’s more than that,” she says. “They all have names and characters and they care for them, they’re partners.”

Zoe says many neurodiverse young people find their niche in hobby horsing but all competitors are immersed in it.

“You never see kids on their phones at our events,” she says. “And most of them do it as well as riding and being around horses, it’s natural. A lot are home-schooled, and some are in alternative education, they’re working with horses as therapeutic education.

“This is also therapeutic and my big dream is to go into schools and do it as PE lessons. If you get kids interested, once they have a go, they’ll love it.”

“I’m living the dream making hobby horses”

Lynne Acheson, of Laurel Designs, has been making hobby horses for about 40 years. She started with little horses for young children but now has a range of colours and types and sells all over the world, including to some very prestigious customers.

“The ones I make now are more realistic, and hand-painted,” she says. “They have leather bridles, with buckles and a bit, and they’re much more like a real pony, which these riders really like.”

Lynne says demand has soared recently. Some participants buy mass-produced horses but hers are a labour of love, each made by hand with hours of work; positioning the frame, creating the shape, making the bridle and hand-painting every centimetre.

“I had one as a child, we all made them ourselves out of socks and those are really happy memories,” she says. “One day a girl came in with a beautiful one, the most desirable thing, and I was so envious of her. But now I’m living the dream, and it’s lovely to see the riders enjoying them.”

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Equine welfare, safety and accessibility to the sport are the three pillars to the current approach to running polo, with the aim of making it “a great place for people and ponies – and for everyone to enjoy themselves”.

Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) chief executive Anna Hall, former head of participation at British Equestrian who took over the role in 2022, told H&H the HPA is “embracing” the spotlight on the sport, thanks to the new television series of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. The HPA has also revamped and updated its pony welfare booklet, printed in English and Spanish.

“We’ve got about 2,500 members and it goes to all of them, all our clubs and high-goal teams,” Ms Hall said. “We’re acutely aware different countries will have different standards, and we believe we’re leading the way in relation to welfare standards and polo. We’ve been working with our international polo federation, the FIP, and they’ve done an article about our welfare book.

“Making sure we’ve got it to a South American audience in Spanish, as well as a UK audience, is really important, because welfare, accessibility and safety are probably the three pillars I and the team are working towards.”

The booklet includes everything from winter pony care to dealing with extreme heat and from fitness programmes to a new section on poisonous plants.

It also features elements that consider public perception of welfare; one section states that a pony may not play if its “visual impact is considered detrimental to the reputation of polo”.

“We’ve had cases where a horse has something that’s being treated, has been signed off by a vet as fine to play, but we’ve said, ‘We don’t want that pony to play,’ because we want to make sure we have our ponies looking the best,” Ms Hall said. “From a social licence point of view, not just for polo, for all horse sports.

“We need to make sure we’re showcasing our ponies in the best light, so our umpires, pony welfare officers – every club has a pony welfare officer and above a certain level we have vets on duty – any HPA official can say, ‘We do not want that pony to play.’

Working together

“The pony can play when it’s recovered and photos won’t go viral around the world, but this is about us working together for the good of all horse sports.”

Ms Hall said in the past few years, equine and coaching manager Vix Chapple has been working closely with other disciplines’ governing bodies on everything from welfare to the recent increase in equine flu. She also pointed out that no unaffiliated polo activity runs in this country; all games come under the HPA, the Pony Club or the Schools and Universities Polo Association (SUPA), which follow HPA rules.

“So when a couple of years ago, it was about 40C, we stopped polo for two days,” Ms Hall said. “We felt the heat was too high, not so much for playing, but we were so worried about transport and didn’t want any lorries breaking down on the M25. It was a difficult decision, but then we were confident no polo was being played.”

Another big push is on accessibility. Ms Hall spoke at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May and at the 2025 London International, to try to promote the sport.

“There is an expectation that if you want to play polo, you have to have an entire string of ponies and it’s going to cost you an absolute fortune,” she said. “But actually, you can play your entire life and not have any ponies. You can go to polo schools; there will be an HPA qualified coach and they provide you with ponies. They’ll have a licence, like any riding school, but you could have your entire polo hobby career on hired ponies.

“I was talking to somebody at Royal Windsor who’d been a showjumper, fell out of love with showjumping and did polo through SUPA. She’s now a licensed HPA coach, runs a polo club and has played around the world. She said she wouldn’t have had those opportunities without polo; we’re trying to tell some of those stories and get people to come, watch and have a go.”

Power of Polo

She cited the HPA-affiliated charity Power of Polo, which uses the sport to improve the lives of people in challenging situations.

“It takes people who struggle with a whole range of things or have been involved in gang culture and takes them out of that environment,” Ms Hall said. “These are people who haven’t been trusted by authorities, and there was a wonderful project they did getting the Metropolitan Police and these young people to learn to play polo together and they loved it.”

Pony Club participation is also growing and the HPA is working on a simplified rulebook, to be less complicated for newcomers.

“There aren’t many horse disciplines where you can go to a coach and learn to play, ride, compete, from a beginner to tournaments,” Ms Chapple added. “We have a lot of ponies accessible and it’s accessible to spectators too. There are high-goal tournaments, such as the Queen’s Cup at Windsor, where you can go and watch an outstanding game of polo with some of the best players in the world, and you’re not charged for it.”

The HPA works closely with Retraining of Racehorses as many thoroughbreds enjoy second careers in polo.

“That’s a big part of our welfare work and we want to push that agenda as much as possible,” Ms Chapple said. “I think people don’t realise we’re actually really good at our welfare.

“Usually, the only knowledge they have of polo is when you have a member of the royal family on the front of the Daily Mail or Rivals. It’s really important we sing our praises, because we’re actually doing a good job when it comes to pony welfare. I’m quite proud of it.”

Keeping people safe is also key. The welfare booklet also has resources and signposts for grooms and staff, so they know who to speak to about any issues. Ms Chapple is the HPA safeguarding lead and felt this was very important to include.

Ms Hall said: “We also know that if people are looked after well, the ponies are likely to be looked after well. It’s all circular and we want polo to be a great place for people and ponies, and for everyone to enjoy themselves.”

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

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Equestrianism in the UK has reached a “pivotal moment”, research has found, as work is ongoing to support its “sustainable, inclusive and socially valuable future”.

British Equestrian (BEF) has published its 2025 “state of the nation” report, the third annual overview of the sector. The report takes in research and information from the BEF, its member bodies, partners and other organisations in sport, health and education.

“This year’s report is evidence that equestrianism has reached a pivotal moment, with participation and social impact evidence on the rise,” the report states. “Equestrian activities deliver significant health, wellbeing and inclusion benefits, while reaching groups often underrepresented in other sports.

“But it also highlights real pressures, with rising costs and fewer local facilities restricting growth and accessibility, as well as increasing welfare and social licence scrutiny.

“The message is clear – equestrianism matters more than ever, but protecting its future will require care, investment and clear evidence of the positive impact horses have on people’s lives.”

The report found that equestrian participation and engagement continue to grow. There has been a 16% increase in BEF member body members, for example, to 295,965 in total, and a 21% increase in social media followers, to more than 2.3m people. But equestrian businesses, charities and the workforce are under pressure.

“Rising operating costs and workforce challenges continue to impact riding establishments and community facilities, threatening local access if not addressed,” the report states.

Social value

A big focus in the BEF state of the nation report 2025 is on social value; H&H reported that major BEF “power of horses” research had found that equestrianism generates £1.2bn in social value every year.

BEF insight and research manager Abbie Bevan, who spoke about the social value research at the launch event last year and highlighted the need to communicate this value to Government, told H&H the picture is overall a positive one.

“This is a retrospective of last year and we can only take it year by year, but at the moment it’s showing there’s a lot of opportunity across the federation with our member bodies,” she said. “That’s what the power of horses research showed us. When we align a lot of the findings of that and the work that’s done in riding schools, there’s a huge amount of opportunity for us to align with Government agendas, on health, wellbeing and social connection.

“This is a reflection on what has been but with the idea of helping us navigate forward as well.”

Ms Bevan explained that it can be difficult to keep up with all the different research and work being carried out; pulling it together helps keep the sector on track and relevant, and to compare equestrianism to other sports and wider trends.

“There are elements of keeping us accountable, but also giving us a bit of a direction; what areas could we focus on next and are there opportunities for us to learn from other sports?” she said.

The BEF state of the nation report sets out the evidence of equestrianism’s relevance to society and the need to protect the sector through “collaboration, investment and improved insight”.

Ms Bevan said that as well as ongoing work with its funders and investors, the BEF is working internally and with specialists to put together its requests to the Government.

BEF state of the nation: work goes on

“There’s a lot of work going on behind closed doors at the moment, but exciting things are to come; that’s essentially the summary,” she said.

The BEF is also working towards its next Sport England funding cycle and “constantly improving” data collection, including research on the workforce.

“Looking ahead, British Equestrian will continue to harness the power of evidence, by developing research and data to better understand the sector and support year-on-year tracking of participation, workforce sustainability, welfare and social impact,” a BEF spokesperson said.

“Set against national evidence of declining physical activity, widening inequalities and growing pressures on health and education systems, the report demonstrates how equestrian activity can contribute to preventative healthcare, social connection and positive life outcomes across all ages.”

BEF head of development and inclusion Rebecca Gibson added that the report shows equestrianism’s status as “far more than a sport”.

“The evidence demonstrates its ability to deliver meaningful social value, improve wellbeing and reach people who are often missed by other forms of physical activity,” she said. “By placing data and insight at the heart of our work, we can better protect the future of the sector, support our communities and ensure horses continue to enrich lives across the UK.”

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

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Booking a saddle fitting and getting your horse’s saddle checked is something all horse owners should be doing regularly, but it can fall by the wayside until there’s an issue. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a second-hand GP saddle, a custom-made dressage saddle or something in between, good saddle fit is essential to your horse’s welfare.

We asked Ruth Spencer, a master saddle fitter who also serves on the board of Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) assessors, to explain how often you really need to get your saddle checked and answer some other need-to-know questions about saddle fitting.

How often should you get your saddle checked?

As a general rule, saddles should be checked at least every six to 12 months.

“This is in line with guidance from the Society of Master Saddlers,” Ruth explains, “however, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Horses in regular work, young horses, those changing shape through training, or those coming back into work after time off may need more frequent checks.

“In contrast, a mature horse in consistent, light work with a stable condition may be fine with annual checks – but it’s important not to become complacent, as subtle changes can still occur over time,” she warns.

What factors affect saddle fit?

A horse’s shape is not static, so saddle fit can change for a variety of reasons, but riders can also affect how the saddle fits and performs, Ruth explains.

These factors include:

• changes in horse weight
• muscle development (or loss)
• fitness levels
• age
• workload
• seasonal factors, such as availability of grazing
• changes in rider weight
• rider position or balance

Additionally, the saddle itself can alter over time through flocking compression, wear or tree movement.

What can owners do between checks to ensure good fit?

There are several simple but effective checks owners can do regularly, Ruth reveals.

You should look for:

• Even contact and balance – the saddle should sit level and not tip forward or back
• Clearance and symmetry – check there is adequate clearance over the withers and that the saddle sits evenly on both sides
• Horse’s way of going – monitor changes in performance, willingness, or behaviour under saddle

“Consistently running your hands under the panels and observing your horse before and after work can help you pick up early signs of change,” she advises.

Signs a saddle doesn’t fit as well as it should

Common indicators include:

• uneven sweat patterns
• dry patches
• ruffled hair under the saddle
• reluctance to be tacked up
• resistance under saddle
• hollowing
• change in performance
• muscle wastage
• soreness
• sensitivity when grooming around the saddle area

Who can check saddle fit?

Owners should look for a fitter qualified through the SMS, such as a qualified saddle fitter (QSF). This ensures they have undergone recognised training, assessment, and adhere to professional standards. You can find more information about saddle fitting qualifications at mastersaddlers.co.uk.

Ruth adds that “ongoing professional development and insurance are also important indicators of a reputable practitioner”.

Regarding specific brands, Ruth says that a well-qualified, independent saddle fitter should be able to assess a wide range of saddles.

“Some brands do have specific design features, however, so a fitter with experience or training in that brand can be beneficial in some cases,” she adds.

“Ultimately, the priority should be the fitter’s qualifications, experience, and ability to work objectively in the horse’s best interest.”

How long does a standard saddle fit check take?

A standard saddle check typically takes 45–90 mins. It should include assessing the horse statically and in motion, templating, evaluating the saddle on and off the horse, checking flocking and balance, and observing the rider where possible.

Any necessary adjustments, such as flocking, may be carried out on the day or scheduled for a later date.

How much does saddle fitting cost?

As with many costs of keeping a horse, prices can vary depending on location and the level of service, Ruth explains, but costs “typically range from around £50 to £100 for a standard check, with additional costs for adjustments such as reflocking”.

She advises that it is always worth clarifying what’s included in the fee before booking an appointment.

“I struggle to find someone willing to check a saddle they haven’t sold me” – any advice?

Ruth agrees that this is a common frustration, but says “there are good fitters who will assess any saddle objectively”.

She suggests searching the SMS register to find qualified professionals in your area.

“When contacting fitters, be upfront about your needs – many will offer a check-and-advice service even if you’re not looking to purchase. Building a relationship with a trusted fitter over time can also make future appointments easier,” says Ruth.

“It’s worth remembering that an ethical, professional fitter’s priority should always be the welfare of the horse, regardless of where the saddle was purchased.”

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The owner of a mare who was sold for £1 as “unrideable” but was placed twice at Royal Windsor this year has paid tribute to the relationship she shares with her horse of a lifetime.

Amanda Stewart and Irania II came second in a PRE ridden class and third in the PRE parade class, achieving Amanda’s long-term goal of competing at Windsor – and outdoing it by doing so well.

“I’m still on a high,” Amanda told H&H. “I’m 60 now, she’s 17 and it was this year, now or never, so I put my all into it.”

Amanda bought Irania, also known as Mrs Spain, just after Covid. She explained that she had had to give up riding, as she had to bring up her children solo and work, but still volunteered in the horse world in her spare time. Then she saw Irania in a field.

“I spoke to the owner and she said she was thinking of getting rid of her and I could try her so I found my old saddle and bridle – luckily they both fitted,” Amanda said. “I asked the owner what she was going to do and she said ‘I don’t want her, can’t ride her, don’t like her’. She said ‘Just have her’. So I said we had to make it formal, so she said ‘Well, a pound’. So I said ‘Ok, let’s do it’.”

Amanda said Irania was the most thrilling horse she had ever ridden.

“I think that’s the only way I can explain it,” she said. “She was so fast but very unpredictable; she’d plant, paw the ground, whip round. I said to the lady who had the yard ‘I’m 55, how on earth am I going to be able to ride this horse when I’m 60?’ She said ‘She’ll calm down’. But I’m 60 now, and that still hasn’t happened!”

Amanda said she took Irania on despite her issues as a project; she liked the mare and her speed.

“She was an enigma,” she said. “I thought ‘Can I unravel this?’ I was curious as to what had gone on; she’s covered in scars on the side, from I’d say Spanish stirrups or spurs, and marks all across her nose. I thought ‘This horse has had such a bad time, I’m going to see what I can do with you’.”

Irania was sour in the school and did not want to go forward, Amanda said, so she thought they could hack out happily together.

“I did scare some people once, when she was going sideways down a road; this older couple out for their Covid walk and they grabbed each other and went into a bush as I was clattering down the road sideways thinking ‘Maybe you’ve taken on a bit much here, Amanda’!” she said.

“But I thought I was going to persevere. So I went to the first sponsored ride after Covid, organised by the Berks and Bucks Draghounds, thinking it would be nice and easy. There were about 500 horses there and I thought I was going to die.

“I thought ‘This is where I meet my maker’, because she was planting, spinning round, she couldn’t cope. I was as white as a sheet, the people I was with were saying ‘What do we do? Do we go back?’ But we couldn’t even go back because she was just rooted to the spot.

Over-horsed?

“I just thought ‘You really have over-horsed yourself’. I consider myself not a bad horsewoman but not only was I potentially endangering myself but other riders, because she was just so unreliable, and unrideable.”

Somehow, Amanda, her friends and the horses made it home via the short route, but Amanda was determined to find the key to Irania. She took her on hound exercise with the Berks and Bucks, which was something of a turning point as Irania learned to go forward and enjoy herself. They took part in some local shows – and Amanda decided to aim for Windsor.

“Royal Windsor Horse Show, to me, has been better than Horse of the Year Show or anything,” she said. “It’s almost my local show and it’s just so prestigious in my eyes, I really, really wanted to aim for it.

“So I went last year, and it was absolutely dreadful! The carriages came out of the corner, from behind us, and we and two other horses shot across the arena. We were asked to leave; we had to do the walk of shame, and I thought ‘Well, that was my two minutes and 10 seconds out of the window’.

“But then I was sitting by the lorry, feeling very sorry for myself, and a lady came over and said ‘I hope you don’t give up’. I said ‘Why do you say that?’ and she said ‘You’ve got a cracking horse, you mustn’t give up’. That lady knows who she is, and she inspired me to keep going.”

Amanda investigated Irania’s history; she found her breeder, and a man called Jesus who had trained her in Spain, although there are three years of her life that are still unaccounted for.

She also carried out extensive research into riding Spanish horses, and took advice from experts including Suzanne Kalderen, to learn the “Spanish buttons to press”.

“There were times I didn’t understand what she was doing,” she said. “There were a couple of times when I first got her, we’d be doing passage up the road around the housing estate, and I wasn’t entirely sure what we were doing. I just knew that there was something very talented about her and I had to tap into it, and that’s what I did.”

Amanda had other challenges to contend with too; she broke three ribs and her back in three places, and punctured a lung, in a fall from Irania when her girth came loose as she was practising her gallop.

“So we couldn’t do Windsor 2023 as I was in too much pain but it wasn’t her fault,” she said. “She’s just so fast; I don’t know if she has been in a bullring but she can turn on a sixpence and whip round so fast, I assume maybe she was taught to do that at some point.”

But after all the challenges, and having said initially she would not give Windsor another go, Amanda then put her all into it this year; riding and training every day around working and all the DIY livery duties.

A dream come true

“It’s thankless, but it was so worth it, to be able to go to Royal Windsor Horse Show and be up there with the professionals was a dream come true,” she said. “And I think she was the only horse to be placed in both classes.

“The first class is essentially a sort of hunter class and we came second, then the second was the parade class, where you dress up and parade, which is ideal for me. You do Spanish walk, it has to involve passage, shoulder-in, and I rode alta escuela, or high school, so you do all these elaborate movements – and I was in my element.

“I just thought to be there, I’d ticked that off the bucket list. And the two stallions above me were just amazing; doing one-time changes, then there was me, a little amateur on my £1 horse, with another professional behind me.”

Amanda said she would be delighted if anyone were to read her story and realise that they could do the same.

“If I can do this, anyone can,” she said. “I was in a car crash when I was 17, and my best friend was killed. I wasn’t driving but if I learnt anything at that age, it’s that we never know how much time we’ve got left; if you can do it, do it. And if anybody can learn from, or take any confidence from me, be my guest.”

And Amanda paid tribute to the horse she bought as a project, to hack, for a pound.

“We’ve just got a really amazing partnership,” she said. “I promised her I’d never sell her; I’ve had offers of a lot of money to buy her but I’ll never sell her. She owes me nothing, and she’s my horse of a lifetime.”

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The FEI has set up a “task force” to review horse welfare across equestrian sport – including thorough investigation of the blood rules.

The group will be led by an independent “facilitator” and include chairs of discipline and regional groups, as well as of the athletes’ and veterinary committees, and representatives of national federations, key stakeholders and officials.

“Following the FEI General Assembly in November 2025 where restructured FEI jumping rules were approved, FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said the sport had taken note of the request from several national federations for a more harmonised approach to protocols, regulations and sanctions across all disciplines,” an FEI spokesperson said, adding that the task force is a result of this.

“The primary objective of the task force is to review current protocols, regulations and sanctions across all disciplines and recommend a more harmonised regulatory framework before, during and after competitions.”

The FEI has approved objectives for the task force including carrying out a “comprehensive review” of blood rules, in general and for specific disciplines.

The group will also identify any inconsistencies and gaps in the regulatory framework, assess proposals for rule changes on this topic and ensure “any proposed harmonisation upholds the FEI’s commitment to horse welfare, whilst acknowledging and providing for any strictly necessary discipline-specific nuances”.

This follows controversy over the blood rules approved at the end of last year.

Ms Ibáñez said: “We have very different disciplines within our sport but we share a common goal of ensuring the best welfare for our horses and our athletes. Injury occurs in any sport but it is our responsibility as the governing body to review, reduce and regulate, where possible, using clear protocols, rules and sanctions that everyone in our sport and our millions of fans understand and respect.

“We hope this joint task force of representatives across our sport will be able to review, discuss and debate protocols and regulations in a unified and open way and, where possible, reach common recommendations for approval by the FEI board and ultimately the FEI general assembly”.

Invitations to join the horse condition task force have been sent this week and the aim is to hold the first meeting on 29 June.

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More changes have been made to the Jumping World Breeding Championships for Young Horses, owing to “growing focus on horse welfare and the importance of ensuring our young horses are developed and competed in an age-appropriate way”.

H&H reported that the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) had announced changes to the final for five-year-olds at this year’s event; these will now be judged using an optimum time, after concerns were raised about “racing against the clock” in 2025. The federation has also introduced minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) to ensure horses are prepared for the championships.

Now the WBFSH has confirmed that five- and six-year-old horses will take on smaller tracks, in the qualifying rounds and finals of the championships. Courses for five-year-olds will be set at 1.20m, rather than 1.25m as previously, in the first two qualifiers, and 1.25m rather than 1.30m in both rounds of the final.

Six-year-olds will jump 1.30m in the first qualifier rather than 1.35m. The second qualifier stays at 1.35m but the final will also be at 1.35m, rather than 1.40m as previously.

Seven-year-old horses will jump 1.40m in both qualifiers and 1.45m in the final, as previously.

“These updates are the result of constructive discussions between the WBFSH, the FEI and stakeholders from across our sport,” WBFSH general manager Nadine Brandtner told H&H.

“As breeders, riders and organisations responsible for the future of sport horses, we recognise the growing focus on horse welfare and the importance of ensuring that our young horses are developed and competed in an age-appropriate way. The adjustments to the championship format and the introduction of MERs are intended to support the long-term development of young jumping horses, while maintaining the sporting quality and international relevance of the championships.

“We believe it is important that our sport continues to evolve, guided by both experience and responsibility towards the horses in our care.”

The full guidelines, including MERs, are available on the WBFSH website and the updated championship schedule will be published before entries open.

“These updates reflect the ongoing discussions between the WBFSH, FEI and stakeholders across the sport, initiated in response to increasing focus on age-appropriate demands, horse welfare, and greater clarity and consistency in the framework for young horse competitions,” the spokesperson said.

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The owner of a 50p former Flat racehorse who is now an international showjumper – after a four-year registration battle – said she hopes this shows exactly what thoroughbreds can do.

Jessie Welch and The Iron Factor contested their first CSI event at Wellington last weekend, jumping clear in a small tour and a big tour class and contesting the 1.25m big tour final, a few weeks after the FEI agreed to accept his Jockey Club US passport.

“It’s taken a few years but this has really been the biggest achievement of my time with him,” Jessie told H&H. “It was an incredible show, I’m very happy. He’s been a godsend to me.”

Jessie used to work in racing and heard through a friend that “Sexy” was looking for a new home.

“He only ran three times – bless him, he wasn’t very good!” she said. “I worked for a pre-trainer who was best friends with his owner, and they wanted a home for him.

“I was unfortunate enough that my horse had an injury, and Alan just said ‘Look, there’s a field of old horses there, four- and five-year-olds; pick one and take it home’. I thought ‘That one looks sweet’.

“I didn’t know his name, I knew nothing about him, I just picked him out of the field, thank you very much, and took him home. I paid 50p to have him and he’s been mine ever since. I didn’t have a clue what I had.”

Giving it a go

Jessie said she had enjoyed team chasing and following bloodhounds, and had no thought of showjumping.

“I think I just saw an advert somewhere, and thought, ‘I could have a go at this showjumping malarkey’,” she said. “I hadn’t jumped much at all but thought ‘We’ll give it a crack’.

“I took him to one his first lesson in a racing saddle and exercise sheet, and my trainer looked at me and said ‘Wow, this is a racehorse’, and I said yes; he’d never seen a fence in his life.

“I took him to his first show, a 30cm cross-pole class, and he took nine of the 12 fences down but I thought ‘We’ll keep trying’ and he got better and better, and he loved it.”

Jessie said she found a good trainer, and took the view of starting him in showjumping as she would any horse.

“I just thought ‘Treat him like a warmblood, working him like a warmblood as he’s no different’,” she said. “And it’s paid off.

“My first trainer said he was a thoroughbred and they’re not designed to jump and that was that. It wasn’t plain sailing – he had kissing spines surgery as a five-year-old – but when I brought him back I was training with Ben Bick, who didn’t ask what he was.

“He didn’t care that he was a thoroughbred, he just trained us like we were showjumpers and he said ‘You’ve got a really smart horse here, and you’ll have a lot of fun with him’.”

Huge support

Ben then moved away and Jessie came south to be based with showjumper Joe Clayton at Hascombe Equestrian.

“I ended up working full-time for Joe; I have my horses there, and he’s really put us through our paces,” she said. “It’s only really the last six months, but he’s had me jumping big tracks with him. He’s been a massive mentor and supporter to me.”

Four years ago, Sexy was jumping so well, Jessie tried to register him with the FEI to jump internationally, along with another horse she had. But Sexy’s passport didn’t arrive.

“They said his US passport wasn’t deemed legitimate by the FEI so he couldn’t be registered,” she said. “I thought it would be simple but there wasn’t a way round it. I couldn’t re-passport him as he was chipped and had a passport, and effectively he was one of the most traceable horses in the country as a racehorse. But no one would overstamp it.”

Jessie added that a major issue was the lack of a page in Sexy’s passport on which he could be signed out of the human food chain.

“Not a single passport company was happy to add the page,” she said. “I didn’t know what an issue it would be. I fought but never got anywhere.”

Sexy was then out for a few months with an injury, but when he came back into work, Jessie tried again.

“I thought ‘I’m going to fight for this now, this is ridiculous’,” she said. “‘I’m with a trainer who’s travelling around Europe at internationals, and I’ve got a horse who if I’m away two in every four weeks, I’m having to leave at home. This is stupid’.

Fighting the case

“My vet got in contact with a top vet at the FEI, and they had a woman called Jen Ancliff call me from British Equestrian, and she has fought my case for the last six months.”

Thanks to Ms Ancliff’s work, and after meetings with Defra, the FEI accepted Sexy in April.

“I was straight on the case, I think I cried when they emailed to say it was ok!” Jessie said. “They wanted a scanned copy of every page of his passport – I think I had 64 pages scanned within about three minutes. You could say it’s four years too late but to be able to go to his first international and jump what he’s jumped and how he’s jumped it, means more than anything to me.”

Jessie had not had as much time as would have been ideal to get Sexy fit so at Wellington she started with the 1.10m small tour class.

“He flew round and Joe said ‘Try him in the big tour’, then he flew that 1.20m on day two,” she said. “Then Joe said to try him in the 1.25m and we had two poles; rider error that I can improve on. To me, it was a big track, and he took me round with his ears pricked the whole way; ‘I’ve got this’.”

Jessie said that there are not many thoroughbreds jumping internationally and it is nice that Sexy can “fly the flag a bit” for his breed.

“A lot of people wouldn’t realise that a thoroughbred or ex-racehorse is capable of that,” she said. “I think there is a bit of ‘That’s an ex-racehorse, it’s not capable’ but unless you told someone he was a thoroughbred, they wouldn’t know.

“He’s in these classes, and he’s competitive; we’re not bottom of the pack, or trying to push him to a level he’s struggling with, he’s getting better and better, and up there with the best of them. To me that means everything, because it’s shown what they can do.”

Jessie added that sometimes people do not have the right attitude to former racehorses.

“People might think they’re just a cheap thoroughbred and just do happy hacking without thinking they’ve got the ability,” she said. “This has taken us a while and we’ve had ups and downs but ultimately he’s gone from a horse who took every fence in a 30cm class to being competitive in a 1.25m.

“I’ve entered him for Bolesworth and that’s bigger again but my goal has always been to jump a 1.30m, and now I’d like to think maybe it’ll be a 1.30m international, there. That’s the ultimate goal.”

She added that Sexy loves his jumping, and plays up to a big atmosphere.

“He goes in there and properly struts his stuff,” she said. “He’s just a happy horse, always has his ears pricked and he’s the easiest animal to do anything with.

“He sleeps all day, he loves life, he’s spoilt rotten; does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants, and he pays me back every minute of the day. He’s an absolute darling. I adore every inch of him.”

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Vaccination is vital to protect our horses and prevent spread of disease in light of the rise in cases of equine flu.

The equine infectious disease surveillance (EIDS) team at Cambridge Vet School has confirmed a total of 76 cases since the start of the year, 74 since the start of April. The geographic spread of confirmed cases is wide; affected horses have been reported in 39 different counties this year.

H&H reported this month on a call by EIDS for “vigilance for early clinical signs, maintaining up-to-date vaccination status and implementing isolation protocols for new arrivals”.

British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping are recommending members move horses to a six-month vaccination cycle, bring forward boosters if a horse’s last vaccination was more than six months ago, plus other advice.

Equine vet Alan Hough, of Celtic Equine Veterinary Practice in Hampshire, called for a mindset shift away from vaccinations being simply a tick-box exercise for competition, to vaccinating because responsible owners care about keeping horses healthy.

“I think we need to change the narrative away from vaccinations being something that you have to do to go to a show with your horse, to something that you absolutely should do for the welfare of your animal because you’re a good owner,” he said.

He encouraged owners to seek advice from their own vets about individual situations and added that Celtic Equine Veterinary Practice is advising those taking horses out and about that “the six-monthly booster is sensible”.

“We’re advising clients if it’s been more than four or five months since their last flu vaccination to consider having a six-monthly booster done now. For some owners, the booster might not be due for another two months, and they’re bringing it forward just to give it some more protection now while the higher circulating levels are around,” he said.

He added that vaccinated horses generally have much milder signs, the course of infection is shorter and they have reduced viral shedding, so are less likely to contaminate the environment.

Mr Hough also stressed that flu is an airborne disease.

“If you’ve got a high circulation level of flu in an area, just because the horse never leaves the yard doesn’t mean it’s safe unfortunately, so this is why vaccination is our best protection against flu,” he said, adding that the virus can travel three to five kilometres in the right conditions.

“With other diseases, like strangles, if you have good biosecurity, you can curtail a lot of things, whereas unfortunately, with airborne pathogens, such as herpes and flu, this is why your vaccination is your best means of defence.”

Mr Hough urged those in the industry to think of good biosecurity as “part and parcel” of dealing with horses every day, rather than as a “knee-jerk” reaction to disease outbreaks.

Asked by British Equestrian about whether horses who do not travel or compete should still be vaccinated, vet Hattie Bell, of EIDS, said this is about “risk assessment for your own horse”, but there is “a possibility your horse will be exposed”.

“If you’re on a yard where every other horse is going out competing, you can’t be sure they’re not bringing it back – even if they are vaccinated. If your horse is completely naive, we know they show more severe clinical signs and that’s the bit you’re trying to protect [against],” she said, adding owners don’t know what horses are moving around in the vicinity all the time.

“If your horse is on his own and you know there are horses two or three fields away, you can’t be sure they also don’t have it. With the warm winds we are having, that can definitely travel over and expose your horse.”

As of Wednesday (20 May), only horses from licensed training yards have been allowed to enter racecourses on racedays. Hunter chases are cancelled and the British Horseracing Authority is working with Ascot to “enable the royal procession to go ahead without any increased risk”.

For more on equine flu, see the Vet Clinic pages in the current issue of Horse & Hound magazine – on sale from today (Thursday, 28 May)

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Equestrians are reminded to be aware of the legal requirements involved in transporting horses and tachographs after a rider who thought she was fully compliant was fined £300.

Claire Fielding was pulled over on her way to Aston le Walls on 14 May, she said initially as the DVSA inspectors thought the 12-tonne lorry she was driving did not have a valid MoT.

It did, but the officers then “started looking at everything else” and eventually fined her for not having a tachograph.

Claire had borrowed the vehicle for the day from the firm from which she had bought a new lorry in December; it had issues and had gone back to the company for repair.

“It’s rattled me a bit; I feel I don’t deserve the fine, although I get why I got it,” she told H&H. “But they could pull anyone up and I think they’ll crack down on it, as it’s easy money for them.”

Claire, who missed her event as she was held on the A134 for so long, said the officers were “trying to find something” after they realised the MoT was valid.

“They looked everywhere, they weighed it and then they said, ‘Are you on tacho?’” she said. “I said it was my own horse and they said I was going to a competition, so it counts as hire and reward.

“I said, ‘Half the time eventing, you spend more entering and getting there than you win anyway,’ and they said it could be a rosette; any prize, it doesn’t matter.”

Transporting horses: tachographs needed

The DVSA confirmed that vehicles must have tachographs if they are over 3.5 tonnes and used for carrying goods – including horses – by road.

This excludes vehicles under 7.5 tonnes and those “used for non-commercial carriage of goods”.

“This covers personal use, such as transporting horses for leisure, sport or private activities,” a spokesperson told H&H.

“If you’re transporting a horse for hobby or amateur competitions and any prize money is incidental, this is usually considered non-commercial and does not require a tachograph as long as the vehicle does not exceed 7.5t.

“If you compete professionally or receive sponsorship, transport of horses will count as commercial and a tachograph will be needed.”

There is no form to declare whether an HGV is exempt from having a tachograph, but this must be declared when the vehicle has its MoT.

Tachograph needed

Drivers are responsible for operating the tachograph, to record all their activities, and must be able to produce records for the current day and the previous 28 days, 56 days for journeys to and from an EU member country.

“They didn’t even ask me if I was doing it for work,” Claire said. “I said, ‘This is my hobby,’ but they said it was hire and reward, and I don’t even know if that mattered, because they said I need to be on tacho anyway, so that’s what they got me for.

“They said I needed 56 days of tacho records, but I said I hadn’t had a lorry since December. It was ridiculous and they didn’t even really know. I told the lorry company and they said the tacho disc was down to me and I should have put one in there.”

Claire said the incident highlights the grey area into which equestrian issues often fall and the need for all equestrians to check they are compliant when transporting horses.

“I get why they do it, but it was really frustrating,” she said. “But they were pulling lots of people over; people need to be aware.”

The DVSA spokesperson told H&H: “DVSA’s priority is to keep everyone protected from unsafe vehicles and drivers.

“Vehicles over 3.5t maximum authorised mass (MAM) used commercially, or over 7.5t MAM for private use, must have a tachograph.

“DVSA will take action where non-compliance is detected and depending on the severity of the breach, this may result in prohibitions, fixed penalties or vehicle impounding.”

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Dressage has a future – but we need to accept there are things that are not right, and there is a shared responsibility to see and change them.

This was a key message from an Intelligent Horsemanship (IH) webinar titled “Can dressage be saved”, last month.

Speakers Dr Sue Dyson, Dr James Cooling and Lisa White considered the situation, and the future.

Dr Dyson has developed the ridden horse pain ethogram (RHPE), a list of behaviours that, if eight or more are shown, indicate that the horse is in pain or discomfort.

She said she has watched more than 1,400 horses warming up for or competing in dressage, and many have shown open mouths, heads behind the vertical or repeated tail-swishing, all behaviours identified in the RHPE.

“When we compare upper-level grand prix horses in dressage compared with, for example, five-star event horses, frequency of mouth opening with separation of the teeth is far higher, 68% versus 44%,” she said.

“If we compare World Cup qualifiers and the championship with, for example, the British Dressage national championships, we see a worse statistic, mouth opening with separation of the teeth in 81% of horses.

Why is this happening?

“We have to ask why this is happening, and how horses doing this can apparently be rewarded by judges. There was a study performed at Aachen, a fantastic level of competition, and horses that had their heads further behind the vertical did better than those with their heads in a vertical position. That seems wrong.”

Dr Dyson said we need to discover why horses are opening their mouths in this way; is it pain, and if so, what causes it. She pointed out that a major difference between top grand prix and eventing dressage is that until this year, double bridles were mandatory for the former.

“I question whether riders and trainers appreciate the biomechanical consequences of the horse’s head being behind a vertical position,” she said. “Often, shortening of the neck doesn’t allow the horse to appropriately move through its back, engage the muscles of the thoracic girdle, which enable it to elevate the forehand, which allows the horse to sit more behind, flex at the lumbosacral joint, engage the hind limbs and push appropriately from them.

“When any of these things go wrong, we’re compromising the potential athletic development of the horse, and also potentially predisposing to the development of injury. In young horse classes, we’ve got extravagantly moving horses, forced into a constricted frame which doesn’t allow them to develop the appropriate musculature, and it is going to compromise their longevity. We need to be discussing this future of dressage with respect to training, the equipment we put on the horse and what the riders are doing.”

Dr Dyson said she “questions the use of young horse classes” and the stallion grading systems.

Slowing young horses’ development

“There are commercial pressures from breeders producing these extravagantly moving horses, which are not necessarily suited to amateur riders,” she said. “There’s the pressure to produce them quickly, so stallions are graded, young horses sold for high prices.

“We must slow down with the development of young horses; that’s crucial for optimisation of longevity and quality of performance, and we need to have judges who don’t reward what’s not regarded as appropriate.”

Top dressage rider and coach Ms White said she believes horses must be developed for the long term.

“We have to all get better,” she said. “We’ve got to all understand that to fix the sport, or certainly make it more palatable.”

She said she believes riders need to think far more about how they use their bodies in riding; a steady, “immovable” contact is often held up as the ideal and it “becomes fixed”, which means horses going behind the vertical.

“My passion is helping people learn how to ride more with their bodies, so we can take the pressure off the horse’s mouth, ride better and more connected and balanced, and more happy with the horse.”

Conflict behaviour

Bit and bridle fitting consultant Dr Cooling said use and fit of bits and bridles and how they work with each horse can of course affect conflict behaviour.

“If you’re riding dressage, why would you want to restrict the horse in that way?” he said.

“The main thing is that the horse has to be comfortable with what’s on its head and in its mouth. How do you ensure that and make the horse comfortable? Standards need to be increased in terms of fitting across the board at all levels.

“I think the message is generally getting out, that bits and bridles should be fitted like saddles, and checked on a regular basis. They have physical and psychological effects on the horse as well. If they’re not comfortable, horses go into pressure; if they’re uncomfortable in their mouth or head, they’ll go forward, which can be seen as the horse being keen, and sometimes encourage poor riding or training, or use of more restrictive equipment to try to control that forwardness.

“Horses need to be able to find relief of pressure and if they have restrictive equipment, they can’t.”

Noseband tightness

Dr Cooling added that there is “no excuse” for over-tight nosebands, citing the FEI’s two-finger limit on tightness and measuring tool, but that “nosebands need to be looser than this” to avoid excess pressure and discomfort.

“If you’re having to tighten your noseband, or the horse is opening its mouth, it’s information to you as a rider or a trainer; what’s going on?” he said. “There is a problem, and whether that is a riding problem, training, contact, biomechanical, lameness, a problem with the fit or comfort – those things need addressing, rather than just trying to mask it or tighten it.”

Host Kelly Marks of IH also raised the issue of lameness in dressage horses, citing a study that found more stress on the suspensory ligaments in extended than collected paces.

Dr Dyson said she advises anyone whose horse is naturally willing to extend not to train or warm up in those paces, as the horse can do it anyway, to avoid repetitive strain that can result in injury.

“The panellists feel dressage can potentially be saved, but it requires the acceptance that currently there are lots of things that are not right,” Dr Dyson said. “It’s going to be the responsibility of the owners, riders, trainers, judges and rule-makers collectively to recognise what’s going wrong and change in accordance.”

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Ros Canter’s epic Badminton win four months after giving birth has shone the spotlight on rider pregnancy and returning to sport, as a new study continues the “important conversation”.

Researchers from Hartpury University surveyed 727 riders to understand equestrians’ experiences during pregnancy, return to sport after childbirth, and the “physical, emotional and practical challenges many women face”.

Findings included the fact many women continue riding throughout pregnancy, although decisions on this vary depending on experience, confidence and health. Those competing at higher levels were more likely to continue riding later into pregnancy, return sooner and regain their previous level of competition postpartum.

The most commonly reported barriers affecting riders’ return to the saddle were lack of time, reduced confidence, balance issues, incontinence, fatigue and pain or discomfort. Although most riders restart within a year of giving birth, more than a quarter said they did not return to their pre-pregnancy competition level.

The study found external pressure to stop riding during pregnancy or return quickly after childbirth was “generally low” – but some participants reported pressure from social media, family members, and public perception.

Major challenges

Hartpury senior lecturer in equine performance and researcher Victoria Lewis said the study highlights “just how individual women’s experiences are”.

“Many riders continue successfully, but there are significant physical and practical challenges that can affect confidence, performance and return to competition,” said Dr Lewis.

“There is currently very limited evidence-based guidance for riders during pregnancy or after childbirth. We hope this work helps open important conversations around female rider support, health, and welfare within the equestrian industry.”

The study has been submitted for publication and it is hoped the findings will also contribute to “evidence-based guidance in equestrian sport”.

British Equestrian CEO Jim Eyre thanked the authors for their research in “such a key but unexplored area”.

“We look forward to reviewing the full research, but the headlines make interesting reading. With such strong female participation in our sports, any information and guidance to help navigate major life events such as pregnancy can only help build a truly inclusive community,” he told H&H.

“Getting conversations started is important and we’ll work to see what we can action from the research to support the entire industry. It’s important to recognise that every equestrian will have individual needs and experiences around pregnancy, birth and getting back to sport, so protocols or rules for returning must consider that carefully.”

Working together

Mr Eyre added that riders on the World Class Programme have access to specialist support in this area from UK Sport.

“Using the research findings, we’ll work collectively with the expertise available via performance director Helen Nicholls and our chief medical officer Anna-Louise Mackinnon to scope resources and guidance that cover all levels of athletes for further development,” he said.

Rider pregnancy has been back in the spotlight thanks to Ros Canter; she and Lordships Graffalo won Defender Burghley in September while Ros was pregnant with her second child, and this month they won Mars Badminton, less than four months after Ros had given birth.

Ros said she had a lot of support about riding at Burghley while pregnant.

“I’ve had a few people saying, ‘Are you sure?’ and ‘Be careful’ – but on the whole I have had nothing but support,” she said at the time, adding that she had felt better being active.

Unsolicited advice

Amateur rider Katherine Evans, who competes in eventing and dressage, told H&H she continued to ride throughout her first pregnancy, mostly hacking in the latter stages.

“I did some lower level riding club jumping with my older ex-event horse until I was four or five months pregnant, and continued to compete in dressage – but had to stop the mediums as I couldn’t do sitting trot past seven months,” said Katherine, who is pregnant with her second child.

“I waited until around six weeks before I got back on and did my first dressage about three months after I had my little girl.”

Katherine hopes to continue riding throughout this pregnancy.

“Then and now I did it completely based on how I feel and I discussed it with my husband, who was supportive. Like anything with pregnancy there are people who want to give you unsolicited advice but you’ve got to go by how you feel and if the medical professionals tell you it’s ok.

“I backed both my horses and trust them, and actually I found riding was the most comfortable position to be in. It was the getting on and off that became problematic later down the line.”

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The Friday audience at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) will be able to watch the “precision, creativity and exceptional teamwork” of the best Pony Club musical ride in the country.

HOYS organiser Grandstand has confirmed that the winning team in the Agria musical ride at the JCB Pony Club National Championships will perform in the Andrews Bowen international arena on 10 October. The East Cheshire has performed a ride at HOYS before, by invitation, but this is the first time the championship winners will earn a ticket.

“We are delighted to welcome the winning team from the Pony Club National Championships to the HOYS 2026 programme,” said HOYS event director Emma Williams. “Pony Club musical rides are always a crowd favourite and perfectly embody the teamwork, dedication and community spirit that sit at the heart of the Pony Club, as well as the commitment to young riders that Horse of the Year Show champions.”

Pony Club musical rides are performed by teams of six to 12 Pony Club members of any age, who “work together to create a choreographed display set to music of their choice, showcasing precision, creativity and exceptional teamwork”, a HOYS spokesperson said.

She added: “With a coveted Horse of the Year Show appearance now at stake, spectators can expect an unforgettable spectacle at the Pony Club National Championships on Saturday, 22 August at Offchurch Bury, as teams bring energy, colour and creativity to the arena in pursuit of the title.”

The spokesperson promised that the musical ride would be a highlight of the show.

Pony Club dressage chair Helen Griffiths said: “To see our Pony Club musical ride champions earn the opportunity to perform at HOYS 2026 is incredibly exciting and a real testament to the dedication, teamwork and talent of everyone involved.

“We’re thrilled that this talented team will have the chance to perform on such a prestigious stage in front of the wider equestrian community.”

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Staff education, role models and trustworthy research were the three key themes in a cross-industry discussion on how to ensure thoroughbreds’ wellbeing is the best it can be throughout their lives.

Researchers, trainers, educators and other leading industry figures debated ideas and discussed existing practices around horse wellbeing in the thoroughbred industry, from birth through their racing careers and life after racing.

“The mentoring, formal and informal, and then the environment that you’re in influences a lot of what you learn and what you come to think of as normal,” said Andrew Braithwaite, chief executive of the British Racing School (BRS), during the event at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse on 15 May.

He gave the example of the way wellbeing was a focus for last year’s refurbishment of the main BRS yard, which included “friendship grilles”, which allow horses contact with each other, and dual-aspect windows in stables, and also spoke about the school’s kindness ethos.

“When we speak to the trainees, we make absolutely clear that we’re not just talking about kindness to each other and to the humans at school. But that it’s absolutely paramount when they’re with us – and throughout the whole of their careers in racing – that you have to be kind to the horses,” he said.

Trainer Richard Phillips said “the best leaders are the best examples”, adding that thinking about how his own mentors would behave in situations has “never left” him.

“Those days, a long time ago, we had more time,” he said. “I’ve always used the analogy that I’m the headmaster of school. The people who ride the horses are the teachers. The owners are the parents and the horses are pupils. Being the teacher in the school is the most important role.”

He echoed others’ points about the important role being physically fit plays in good wellbeing for horses and said the industry “shouldn’t shy away” from that.

Mr Phillips also raised the question about how to support staff with continued learning from experts – in work time – through their careers.

“There are lots of courses out, but it’s often in their own time,” he said. “I think training staff within racing is within our compass, we can do it, we’ve got to think of a way of how we do it better.”

Anna Kerr, chief executive of The National Stud, shared how good foundations are “laid from day dot”.

“At the core it’s a partnership and we’re laying the foundation of trust; that [horses] can trust us,” she said.

She gave the example of how certain staff come in early during the season to make sure young horses get extra scratches on morning feed rounds and are used to being handled all the way through.

Many nodded to how lucky the industry is to have many great horse people “across the board” and the value of good staff, but noted that yards are under increasing time and financial pressures.

The point was also raised that changes – for example, to yard design – come at a time and financial cost, too, and that trainers want certainty, through solid research, that these will not lead to unintended negative consequences.

The panel also came up with many positive ideas. These include promoting how much British racing and the wider equestrian industry does know and is already doing well, plus a system whereby new owners are given “full disclosure” of a horse’s veterinary history and reason for retiring when he leaves racing.

“It would certainly give people that transparency of what they’re taking on,” said Therese Murphy, founder of education provider Equi-Ed.

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Changes have been announced to the jumping World Championships for young horses following concerns about horses “racing against the clock” at last year’s competition.

The World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses (WBFSH) and the FEI confirmed an “important update” to the format for five-year-olds at Lanaken; these classes will be judged using an optimum time, instead of against the clock.

The federations said the change will “place greater emphasis on correct and educational riding, reduce time pressure and better support the developmental stage of younger horses”.

Minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) have also been introduced – to ensure horses arrive at the championships “with an appropriate level of preparation”.

Five-year-olds must jump three clear rounds in CSIYH competitions or within a “selection procedure organised by a national federation” over fences of at least 1.15m, in the year of the championships. The same applies for six-year-olds, but over fences at least 1.25m, and for seven-year-olds at 1.35m.

Last year’s five-year-old final generated widespread concerns over horses “racing against the clock”. William Funnell raised this in his H&H column (9 October 2025) and WBFSH committee member Katy Holder-Vale told H&H rule changes were under discussion as “a lot of people felt that the five-year-old horses were under pressure to go fast” (news, 12 March).

Too many unprepared

Ms Holder-Vale told H&H that during a meeting of the WBFSH, FEI and stakeholders including riders, it was agreed that “too many five-year-olds were not very well prepared and didn’t cope very well with last year’s course, and there were too many in the jump-off”.

“Horse welfare has got to be the first thing you think of. It’s important that we’re showing care for those young horses and we believe this is a sensible strategy,” said Ms Holder-Vale, adding that it is hoped federations will introduce similar changes nationally.

“It will be more difficult for horses to qualify, but the hope is that the horses presented at the final are well prepared to come to a championship.”

Breeder and young horse producer Carron Nicol was a spectator at last year’s World Championships for young horses and told H&H it was a “difficult watch”. She attended the meeting and supports the optimum time format.

“I think it’s a good thing,” she said. “If you keep racing horses against the clock, they don’t learn to jump in the correct way. They must learn to jump in balance and accept the rider’s aid. Once you start galloping horses round, more rein is needed, and it makes for a lot of mistakes – that’s not the way to produce horses.”

A positive step

William Funnell told H&H the new format and MERs are “a step in the right direction”.

“It’s going to be a learning curve for everybody the first year, but racing five-year-olds around definitely didn’t work last year,” he said. “We’re ruining a lot of horses doing that – and the fact they’re doing something about it means that it’s not OK.”

William added that he would like optimum time to be brought in for the British young horse championships at Hickstead, which are a qualifier for Lanaken.

“We could be ahead of the game here and it could be good practice for getting the optimum time,” he said.

H&H has approached BS for comment.

An FEI spokesperson told H&H the FEI and WBFSH have shared views on the continued development of the World Championships for young horses “with a strong emphasis on safeguarding the welfare of young horses” – and the FEI worked with the organising committee and WBFSH to support this aim.

> What do you think of the change? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

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In this exclusive article for H&H subscribers, World Cup champion Becky Moody explains why good circles start with knowing your arena, your horse and yourself

We ride more circles than anything else in dressage. So it’s a bit of a problem that many of us don’t fully understand how to ride a circle for optimum benefit, whether that’s in tests or during our dressage training.

The 20m circle looks innocuous on a test sheet. Easy, even. You pick it up at the marker, swing round, and from the saddle it feels fine. Then the sheet comes back: “Loss of bend.” “Not round.” “Falling in.” “Falling out.” Sometimes the full set – or my most common comment: “Not 20m.”

The 10m circle, meanwhile, is where a lot of riders first learn the hard way that a circle isn’t a steering exercise. It’s a test of balance, suppleness and awareness rolled into one.

How to ride the perfect circle

Becky Moody is, by her own admission, a geek about riding a circle.

“When I was younger and even more of a geek, I used to have my little to-scale arenas that I would draw, and then I’d draw my tests so that I could really understand the distances,” she says. “I’m quite a visual person.”

The work, in other words, starts long before you actually start turning. Here are Becky’s tips to help you ride the perfect circle – and they’re relevant to riders at all levels.

1. Know your arena

“My first thing is, know the dimensions of an arena,” Becky adds. “And I don’t just mean 20×40 or 20×60. I mean the distance between the letters.”

In a 20m by 40m arena, the markers down each long side sit at 6m, 14m, 14m, 6m from the short side, shown below.

In a 20m by 60m arena, it’s 6m, 12m, 12m, 12m, 12m, 6m.

Which means K, F, M and H sit only 6m from the short side – they’re not where a 20m circle from A or C should touch the long side. That point – where the circle brushes the track – is 10m from the short side, which is four meters beyond K, F, M or H in both arenas.

This matters because most circles drift towards markers. They feel like circles, but they’re really ovals with squared-off ends. A correctly ridden 20m circle from C in a short arena (shown below) touches the track at C, momentarily touches the track on the long side halfway to B (or E), crosses over X, then mirrors that on the other long side and returns to C. No straight lines. No corners. You should, in effect, never not be turning.

“If you understand technically where it has to go, then it’s about having your horse between two legs and two reins so you can actually steer properly around where you’re trying to go,” Becky says.

2. Know your horse – and yourself

This is where the most-repeated phrase in dressage – inside leg to outside rein – needs a closer look.

“The whole inside leg to outside rein thing really depends,” Becky says. “A lot of horses tend to over-bend on the left rein and fall out through the right shoulder.

“So if you ride inside leg to outside rein on that rein, and you’re not on it enough with your outside rein, you can actually make it worse. You can push that outside shoulder out further.”

But no single rule fits every horse. “Horses are like us,” Becky adds. “They’ve all got a bendy side and a straighter side. It’s understanding that, and then that will help you know what you need to do.”

Riders have a dominant side, too. “If you’re a bit dominant with your left hand, the likelihood is on the left rein you’re going to bend the horse too much to the inside and let it fall out the outside,” Becky says.

The fix isn’t something that’s easy to put down in words as a simple formula. It’s awareness, feel, of where your horse is genuinely supple and where they’re compensating, and of which of your own habits are making things worse.

3. Bend, not neck-bend

A circle asks the horse to bend uniformly along the curve. The judge wants to see the body follow the shape, with just enough flexion at the poll to glimpse the inside eye, ear and nostril. That’s it.

The classic error is hauling on the inside rein and producing a neck-bend – the horse’s head turns in, while the shoulders, and ribcage carry on in the original direction. The horse falls out through the outside shoulder, drifts wide, and loses the very thing the circle is designed to show: that your horse is actually supple and listening to the rider’s leg, not their hand.

Riding out of a circle is just as revealing. The return to a straight line should be immediate – shoulders in front of the quarters, neck straight, body aligned. If straightness is a problem, riding on the inside track rather than against the wall or edge of the arena stops your horse from using the boards as a crutch to lean on.

How to ride a 10m circle

A 10m circle is quite an effective test of a horse’s balance.

“One of the biggest factors in being able to turn a really good smaller circle is balance,” Becky says. “If a horse is out of balance, then it’s difficult to turn on a smaller circle. So another thing to come back to is think about your scales of training and how it impacts your ability to influence the horse.”

In practice, that means a 10m circle exposes whatever is missing further down the scale. A horse lacking in rhythm loses a regular tempo on the turn. A horse struggling with suppleness resists the bend and pops the outside shoulder. A horse without honest contact down the rein hollows or curls. The circle isn’t the problem, it’s a diagnostic for the problem.

When your circle keeps going wrong

Some riders – like myself – ride consistent 16m circles and call them 20m. Some ride lopsided shapes and never realise. The fix, Becky says, is honest feedback.

“If you rode a 16m circle despite everybody telling you that you were riding a 16m circle and you needed to make it bigger, you have to understand, or your coach has to help you understand, why.

“Is it because the horse is falling in? Is it because you’re being idle and not forward-planning and steering properly? You have to understand what is causing your circle to go wrong consistently, and how you’re going to fix it.”

Good eyes on the ground are the gold standard. Failing that, Becky rates video.

“You can think as a rider that one thing is happening, and then when you actually see it back, you understand that maybe that’s not what’s happening at all,” she says.

“You think you’re riding a horse that’s between leg and hand, and aligned in the suppleness, and then you watch a video, and you’re like, ‘Holy crap, I’m bending their neck way more than I think I am, and I just need to take better control of that outside shoulder’.”

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There is real doubt about how safe “safety stirrups” are – but manufacturers have been urged to help work towards a safety standard.

British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) executive director Claire Williams gave an overview of the situation, at the BETA safety conference on 21 April.

“Please, whenever I say ‘safety stirrups’, think about inverted commas, because the one thing that’s come out of work we’ve most recently done is that there’s real doubt about how safe so-called safety stirrups are,” she said.

Ms Williams said BETA first looked into perception and use of safety stirrups in 2021, as there had been “huge growth in the use of safety to market products, but often no indication of whether the product reduced risk of accidents or injury, or whether there were any aspects whatsoever of safety around the product”.

“It’s a constant source of surprise, to people within the equestrian world and without, that so many products we use have no standards associated with them,” she said “I also find it slightly ironic that while we have standards for everything that goes on us, there’s virtually no safety standards for anything that goes on the horse.

“I thought we were nearing the start of the development of a European standard. I felt it was time, five years later, to check where we were at.”

The most recent study considered riders’ views of safety stirrups and the need for a standard, and compared them to the 2021 results.

She said BETA riders see safety stirrups as those that prevent a foot getting stuck in them, so the foot will be released “in all circumstances”, which is an issue.

Safety stirrups: absence of risk?

“To many riders, it’s a total absence of risk,” she said. “Use has escalated dramatically, covering occasional and constant use. So while adoption has increased, sadly confidence has not. They’re buying them despite having uncertainty, not because that uncertainty has been resolved.

“Riders are now calling into question the use of the word ‘safety’ in association with stirrups, and there is still confusion around what’s safe and which mechanism is best.”

Ms Williams said the survey found more demand for evidence and testing of safety stirrups, the use of which has almost doubled since 2021. Many riders expressed concern about failures of stirrups, or the use of the word “safety” for marketing rather than as a measure of performance.

“When we look at why riders aren’t using them, that tone is changing,” she said. “In 2021 they were uncertain about what was being offered. This year, we saw a real shift to riders questioning the claims of safety and the lack of evidence to justify that term.

“Now it’s more about risk resistance than price resistance; riders expressing concerns about false safety, inconsistent performance and mechanisms that might fail. We repeatedly saw a real gap in trust.

“There’s an issue of a credibility vacuum and riders making their own risk assessments because there’s no recognised standard. Brand claims are often conflicting and there are anecdotal failure stories, which tends to carry more weight than marketing.”

Attempts to establish a standard

Ms Williams said the range of products offered led to the attempts to create a safety standard, which “is going to be incredibly challenging”.

“Even among sceptics, the demand for a standard is strong,” she said. “We asked, ‘Would you be more likely to use a safety stirrup if there was a standard?’ And around 55% in 2021 said yes, this time it was 60%. So for better or for worse, there is real belief a standard will raise the bar in terms of safety.”

Ms Williams said minimum criteria for a safety standard would include reliability, independent testing and the fact the safety function should not alter the stirrup’s performance. She cited the recent case of Mark Smith, a 75-year-old rider whose unbranded stirrup broke while he was riding in a point-to-point, as reported by H&H.

“The fact a stirrup like this can be put on the market, and put riders at risk, it really does question whether we need a standard for all stirrups, never mind safety ones,” she said. “That’s what we’ve been working towards. It is a challenge.”

BETA asked manufacturers to come forward to contribute to a standard working group, four years ago, but only one came forward. The European technical committee responsible for standardising sports equipment agreed to set up a working group to start developing a standard but not enough of the countries nominated to take part put forward enough experts for it to go ahead, so the group no longer exists.

“We’re not giving up”

“We’re not going to give up as having a European standard is really important,” she said.

“I would like to, once again, extend an invitation to companies involved in the stirrup manufacturing world to come forward and start that work, to put together the key criteria that would need to go into, frankly, a stirrup standard with the element of safety included. We need to start work now. We can’t delay any longer, because it really is key for safety.”

Mark Smith, who fell when his plastic stirrup broke at the Old Berks Hunt meeting on 6 April, told H&H he wants such items banned unless manufacturers can prove they are safe, and thinks there should be a safety standard.

“The authorities make such a fuss about standards for hats or body protectors; I can’t believe there isn’t one for stirrups,” he said. “I can’t let this lie as if it happened to anyone else, I’d never forgive myself.”

Do you use safety stirrups? Would you feel more confidence if they complied with an official standard? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com including your name, address (only nearest town will be published) and thoughts.

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Changing our perspective on our horses could change their lives, a researcher believes, as a study found that riders’ personality traits have a significant influence on horse-centred riding and the horse-human partnership.

The research, led by Manuela Kesselmann of the FOM University of Applied Sciences in Germany and published in the journal Mensch und Pferd International, explored the effect of traits such as self-esteem, empathy and adaptability on the bond between horses and humans, and training.

The study, of nearly 500 equestrians, found that the lower the rider’s self-esteem, the more the relationship with their horse was characterised by a sense of human dominance and the less horse-centred their riding.

Professor Kesselmann told H&H the results “add a crucial new perspective to the international debate on horse welfare”.

She explained that participants answered questions to determine how they viewed their horses. The study states: “Riders who perceive their horse as their best friend and source of strength more often demonstrated horse-friendly riding behaviour and a more positive horse- human relationship.”

The study found that riders who value the benefits horses bring to their lives are more likely to be empathetic towards them in training and riding.

“If we strengthen awareness of the impact of the horse on riders’ own lives and health, it’s likely people will change their view of the horse,” Professor Kesselmann said. “If they do that, this is a big lever for change.”

Differences in attitude

The research found significant differences in attitude between leisure and competition riders; the former tended to have more positive relationships with their horses.

“The study confirms common sense, which most scientific research does,” Professor Kesselmann said. “Competitors are competing every week or month and tend to have lower self-esteem and a poorer relationship with the horse.

“If you see some of these riders, they’re very fixated on having the rosette. And the first reaction if the horse is sick or lame is, ‘I can’t go to the show.’ These people get self-esteem from competition results, which weakens the self-esteem. If a competitive rider sees the horse as an object – that’s the mountain we have to climb.”

Riders who can adapt easily, and who actively try to improve their equestrian knowledge and skills, tended to practise more horse-centred training and have a better relationship with their horses.

Professor Kesselmann said building riders’ self-esteem from the start is key to change, but that people can challenge their own perspectives on their horses.

“A key factor for change is the perspective the rider has of his horse,” she said. “Is the horse an object, a functional object that has to fulfill success in competition? If riders go out [hacking], in my experience they experience the joy of being with the horse, but if they’re just training in the arena, for the next competition, the joy is less.

“But if you see the horse as a subject, with needs, wishes, emotions; this is the key difference. We have to train and support in every area of riding education and stables, and with parents.

“The basis of everything is your view of the horse. If it just has a function, to fulfill my needs, I’m not willing to reflect on my actions, on what the horse needs or wants. If you see the horse as a subject, we have the chance to change everything.”

Confirming observations

Harriet Goudard, a private advisor and practitioner who works with riders and senior leaders, told H&H she welcomes the research, which confirms her observations.

“The horse doesn’t respond to how we present ourselves, he responds to what we actually carry within,” she said. “Kesselmann’s finding that lower self-esteem correlates with more dominance-oriented behaviour toward horses maps precisely to what I see in the arena.

“When a rider’s nervous system is organised around proving competence, managing external judgment or compensating for patterns of not-enoughness, the horse feels it immediately. The tension in the contact, the subtle bracing in the solar plexus and hip flexors – the more overt override of the horse’s signals.”

Ms Goudard added that the fact some competition riders have lower self-esteem than leisure riders was a “striking” finding.

“Performance pressure, constant evaluation and an – often old – identity tied to results creates exactly the conditions where dominance becomes a coping strategy,” she said. “Not because the rider is unkind, but because their nervous system is programmed to need control in order to feel safe.

“The implication for training is significant, because technical instruction alone doesn’t reach this layer. What shifts the horse-human relationship at this depth is work that addresses the nervous system, somatics, epigenetics and the self-concept of the rider.

“The horse has always known this. The research is beginning to catch up.”

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A new on-site temporary veterinary suite designed to give a better space for horses to be looked after and for vets to work in is popping up at events this year.

BEDE Events, which runs multiple horse trials, has entered a long-term partnership with temporary stabling provider Woodhouse. This includes looking at temporary stabling through the lens of horse welfare and wellbeing, including the environment around them, how they are designed, built, prepared, managed and used at events.

The new veterinary suite is part of this partnership. It was in place for the first time at The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby (3 to 5 April) and will be used at all BEDE’s international fixtures this year, including both Aspen Cooling Osberton International fixtures (22 to 24 May and 1 to 4 October).

It features an office space, for privacy and a place for vets to do paperwork, four stables for treatment, isolation and testing, plus a covered tie-up area for investigation work.

“This is about recognising that temporary stabling isn’t just a background part of an event. It directly affects how horses settle, recover and perform,” said Woodhouse owner and managing director Dan Hassall Woodhouse.

“There’s still a tendency to treat temporary stabling as something that just needs to be there. In reality, it has a direct impact on horse welfare, and that comes down to how those spaces are set up and managed, not just that they exist.

“Working with BEDE, there’s a clear alignment in how we approach that. We’re focused on getting the environment right for horses, and this partnership allows that to be delivered consistently across their events.”

BEDE events director Stuart Buntine added: “We’ve worked with Dan and the Woodhouse team for several years now and not only have great faith and trust in the product but also the service they deliver. Our shared vision on equine welfare is one we want to build upon and share with our competitors.

“At Thoresby we unveiled our new veterinary suite, an area that gives our vets adequate space and privacy to work and also gives horses that may require treatment or testing the quiet that is needed. This will now be a regular feature at all BEDE international fixtures, much to the benefit of our competitors.”

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

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John Cutts joins Adele Hanson this year to judge the hack championship at Royal Windsor, in which the champion will receive the coveted Count Robert Orssich Challenge Cup.

John will be assessing the conformation section, while Adele is assessing the ride each exhibits give, before finally, both will cast their eyes over an individual show performed by each combination. We’ve already caught up with Adele Hanson to find out what she’s looking for in this championship, but what about John?

John Cutts’ background in horses and showing

John came from a non-equestrian family, but his passion for horses started from a very early age.

“I spent as much time as possible helping out at local stables, learning the day-to-day care and management of horses alongside learning to ride,” says John. “I saved all of my birthday and Christmas money to buy my first pony — although I told my parents I was only looking after it for a friend.”

That first pony was a Welsh section D, and that is really where his passion for showing began.

“I started competing at local agricultural and riding club shows, and at my very first show I came home with two first rosettes from two large classes. From that moment, I was determined to keep improving and become better.”

John also spent time helping friends at shows who were competing “on a much bigger scale” than he was at the time, and learned “a great deal about turnout, presentation, and what judges were looking for in the ring”.

From there, John’s involvement with horses continued to grow and eventually led him into producing horses for the show ring and breeding horses that have gone on to enjoy success at major level, including competing at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) under saddle and in the prestigious in-hand championship, something he considers a highlight.

“One of my biggest privileges has been taking championships at some of the major shows over the years, but, my personal highlights would have to be standing third in the Price Family supreme in-hand final at Horse of the Year Show 2024 and being crowned CHAPS UK [Coloured Horse and Pony Society UK] supreme in-hand champion for five consecutive years.”

John Cutts’ judging experience

“Along the way I’ve made many lifelong friendships within the sport,” he says, adding that as he got older he “wanted to give something back to the sport that I love and helped shape the person I am today”, which inspired him to become a judge.

John currently sits on three judging panels: the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), the Coloured Horse and Pony Society UK (CHAPS UK) and the British Show Pony Society (BSPS) panels.

“I have had the privilege to judge at some of the country’s finest shows. My biggest judging highlight is seeing the reactions from competitors when they achieve a goal or lifelong dream. Being part of those special moments – whether it’s a first major placing or a championship win – is incredibly rewarding and something I never take for granted.”

This won’t be John’s first time in the centre of the ring at Windsor. He judged the ridden coloureds in 2016 and the cobs more recently in 2023.

Nevertheless, he is looking forward to the appointment.

“Windsor is my favourite show,” he says. “The setting really does have that classic British atmosphere – the castle nearby, the parks, the traditions, and the mix of countryside and ceremony all make it feel very distinctive. The carriage driving and military displays especially give it that unmistakably British character. And because it’s held in the grounds of Windsor Castle, it feels more personal and historic than many larger commercial shows.”

What will John be looking for as he judges?

Just like his co-judge Adele, type and manners are important to John.

“I will be looking for horses of trueness to type and way of going, exceptional manners, good horsemanship, composure, and how well the rider works with their horse.”

If you’re exhibiting a hack, take note.

“My main pet hates would be over-bitted horses and seeing horses being over-ridden, as good horsemanship should always come first. I also dislike seeing horses stood up incorrectly, or having to repeatedly ask competitors to move their horse so it can be judged properly.

“Presentation is important, but I’m not a fan of excessive make-up or an overly artificial look in the ring.

“Most importantly, I strongly dislike seeing fat or obese horses; fitness and condition should never be confused with excessive weight, and the horse’s welfare must always come first.”

John’s tips for Windsor first-timers

“The atmosphere can feel overwhelming at first – the crowds, the setting, the pressure – but once you enter the ring, it’s still just you and your horse doing the job you already know how to do.

“Horses pick up tension very quickly, so try to remain calm and enjoy your moment to allow the best of your horse. Take a moment to enjoy it. Competing at Windsor is very magical and a lot of competitors that you may be competing against have been showing and competing for many years at such shows, so even if things aren’t perfect, have an enjoyable time.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from Royal Windsor and other major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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How soon can we get back in the saddle and ride after giving birth? It’s a question riders ask online again and again, but the answer is different for everyone. If you’re Ros Canter, then it’s possible to win Mars Badminton Horse Trials less than four months later, while other equestrians find they need much more time to recover, and this can be for a wide range of reasons.

If there is one topic that’s almost guaranteed to cause fierce debate, it’s motherhood. Natural births versus caesarean sections, breast or bottle, spoon-fed or baby-led weaning – the list goes on, and the arguments are endless.

Then you throw horses into the mix and things get even more complicated. Is it safe to ride while pregnant? Can you find the time and energy to ride when you have a small baby to look after? How do you feel about doing what’s essentially a risk sport now you have an infant depending on you?

How soon can you ride a horse after giving birth?

All this has been widely discussed, but what isn’t talked about as much is the physical effect that pregnancy and childbirth can have on women, and when we should return to the saddle, regardless of whether riding is your hobby or your livelihood.

Riders are generally a hardy bunch, and there can be the attitude that having a baby is something you do in the off-season, that you’ll be out for a hack as soon as the epidural wears off and be back in your best competition breeches by the following weekend. The official advice, however, is to wait until around six to eight weeks postpartum before you start strenuous exercise, for those who had straightforward vaginal births, going up to three months if you had a caesarean section.

“Healing time can really vary from woman to woman,” says Justine Elliott, a chartered physiotherapist who specialises in women’s pelvic health. “The advice is to wait until your postpartum GP check before starting to do any strenuous exercise, but in reality it’s difficult to put a time-frame on healing from childbirth.

“It depends on how the pregnancy was, the difficulty of the birth, how the mother is feeling postnatally. Nor are C-sections the easy option – it’s major surgery, which involves cutting right through the stomach muscles, and these need time to heal.”

The early factors

Everyone knows that labour isn’t exactly a hack in the park, but perhaps we are guilty of downplaying just how traumatic an event it can be in our hurry to get back into the saddle.

“Unlike an injury, recovery from childbirth is multi-faceted – physically, emotionally and hormonally – and one aspect might recover more quickly than another,” says Pilates instructor and former midwife Chloe Beazley.

In the days and weeks following the birth, there may be obvious short-term issues – soreness and swelling, particularly if there was any tearing or an episiotomy, pain around a C-section scar, uncomfortably full or leaking breasts, postnatal bleeding and bladder weakness, to name a few. By the two-month point, a lot of these will have healed or at least improved, but some of the other effects of pregnancy and birth might continue for much longer.

“Even if a new mum feels well enough to start riding again, she might find her balance is affected and her reaction times are slower, which can be an issue particularly if your horse has had some time off during your maternity break,” says Justine, who has owned and ridden horses from a young age.

“One of the risks of returning to exercise too quickly is prolapse, particularly as altered oestrogen levels from pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause some ongoing laxity to these structures, plus the process of giving birth puts a huge amount of pressure on these internal muscles.”

One mother and dressage rider had to stop riding early in her pregnancy after a freak riding fall while hacking left her with fractured vertebrae in her neck. Fortunately her baby was fine and she made a good recovery from her neck injury, but a lengthy break from riding followed by a quick return afterwards ended up causing problems.

“I had a quick birth with no external tearing, and I was back on my horse about two-and-a-half weeks after my baby was born,” she says. “But then I had an internal prolapse, which might have been caused by returning to riding too quickly or doing too much yard work in late pregnancy.

“I wish the postnatal information given to me was more in depth, especially regarding the risk of prolapse. My health situation could have been avoided with proper guidance, and I’m now paying the price mentally, physically and financially as I’m having to see a private physio and gynaecologist.”

Another potential issue is that of diastasis recti, which is a partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominus muscles (or the six-pack muscles, for those lucky enough to be familiar with them).

“These muscles have to adapt throughout pregnancy to allow space for the growing bump” says Justine. “As many as one in two women will be left with a gap in these muscles, which can take time to heal and may need special targeted exercises. But seek professional advice, as doing the wrong type of exercises can end up doing more damage than good, and take longer to repair.”

Ongoing challenges after birth

Pelvic floor issues – and accompanying bladder weakness – is another barrier for making a speedy return to the saddle. A bit like running and trampolining, the impact and the “squatting” position of riding can put extra pressure on a weakened pelvic floor and make it harder to switch on these essential muscles.

It’s a common issue, and women of all ages, even elite athletes and teenage gymnasts, can suffer from pelvic floor weakness. That said, it isn’t something to be ignored or classed as normal, and these conditions can often be improved with professional help.

The pelvic floor muscles form a big part of your core, something that many mothers find to be lacking after childbirth.

“Core strength is vital to riders, whatever their discipline,” explains Justine. “Many new mothers find a sudden disconnect when riding, that their bodies no longer do as they want them to do and they struggle with a lack of balance. So much changes in your body throughout pregnancy and it can take time for things to settle; plus there may be weight gain, postural changes, muscle weakness – all of this can affect your riding.”

Grand prix dressage rider and trainer Sarah Sjoholm-Patience found her core strength to be the biggest challenge after the birth of her daughter.

“All the basic skill set was still there, but my core strength was so much weaker,” she says. “It took six months for it to return to how it was, while my pelvic alignment has never quite been the same since.”

Sarah was back to riding and coaching “as soon as the stitches were out”, which isn’t uncommon among professionals when riding is your income and career.

Showjumper Yazmin Pinchen rode up until five months pregnant, with her doctor’s consent, and returned not long after the birth of her son, but even a short maternity break saw her dropping down the rankings.

“There was huge pressure to get back competing and getting my points back up so I could compete at certain shows,” she says. Since then, the FEI has announced changes to the maternity rules for dressage, showjumping and driving to offer further flexibility.

Most women will change shape during pregnancy, with postural differences and weight gain commonplace, despite what we see on celebrity mothers’ Instagram feeds. Even if the baby weight drops off quickly, women might find their shape has changed and their pre-pregnancy clothes don’t fit as they did before. Showjumper Jessie Drea got a shock when going to put on her Team GBR jacket after the birth of her first son.

“It didn’t fit, so I asked for a bigger one, and the replacement didn’t fit either!” she says.

Jessie stopped riding early on during both pregnancies for medical reasons, but was back in the saddle within days of giving birth both times. Like many new equestrian mothers, riding provided her with a big psychological boost and gave her a break from mum duties, but she did feel a degree of pressure to bounce back.

“One year I was on Nations Cup teams and going to the World Equestrian Games – the next I was having a baby,” she says. “I thought once I went back I’d be exactly the same as I was despite having had a break and a baby, but of course you’re not the same, your body changes so much.”

How preparation can help a smooth return to the saddle

Whatever your views on riding during pregnancy, doing some form of exercise and keeping active while you’re expecting may well mean a more straightforward birth and quicker recovery.

“Being in great physical shape prior to and during pregnancy is the best way to ensure a quicker and easier recovery from labour and delivery – studies have shown this,” says Chloe Beazley.

Badminton winner Piggy March missed an entire eventing season when she had her son Max in 2016.

“I’d missed the whole season so I wasn’t under any pressure to rush back,” she says. “It meant I had the whole winter to get fit again, so once I started riding again I just built things up gradually.”

One thing Piggy did was to start weekly sessions with a personal trainer.

“I was keen to start doing some rider fitness work, which I hadn’t really done before, and that was very beneficial. She got me back into shape and back into my breeches in time for the following season.”

It is a challenge to get back to feeling like the rider you were pre-pregnancy, but it is doable. Some riders even report feeling better after childbirth, as it led to them focusing on improving their core strength. It’s all a case of managing expectations, taking things gradually and allowing yourself to enjoy your new role as a mother as well as retaining your identity as a rider.

“Be kind to yourself,” says Sarah Sjoholm-Patience. “Give yourself time to recover, put less pressure on yourself. Your baby is only going to be small for a short period of time, and our sport will still be there when you go back to it.”

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