Latest from Horse & Hound in Weather

Thunder and lightning: should you keep your horse in or out?

Liz Falkingham — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:00:59 +0000

Thunderstorms aren’t uncommon at this time of year, and they highlight the ongoing dilemma about whether it is safer to keep your horse in or leave him out during thunder and lightning. We take a look at the pros and cons of each approach

While cases of horses being hit by lightning are, thankfully, relatively rare, when storms are forecast it is understandably a cause for concern for owners. As well as direct strikes, there is the worry that horses will hurt themselves while galloping around, so is stabling your horse a better option?

Here’s some advice on caring for horses in thunderstorms ahead of the weather that is forecast for many parts of Britain this week…

Stabling during a thunderstorm

Horses are very sensitive to electricity, particularly lightning, and the British Horse Society’s official advice is to house horses in thunderstorms.

“If you have access to well-grounded stabling, we would advise keeping an eye on the weather forecast and stabling your horse if there is a threat of a lightning storm,” says BHS Head of Welfare Gemma Stanford.

While some horses appear unconcerned by wild, stormy weather, others become very unsettled. For this reason alone, some owners prefer to stable their horses rather than have them galloping about and putting themselves at risk of injury.

“We always bring them in now,” says eventer turned showing producer and judge Michael Cooper. “We had one bolt badly [during a thunderstorm] — it smashed through and then got stuck in the field gate and was a real mess.”

Horses’ natural herding instinct during a thunderstorm can also increase the risk of injury or death from a lightning strike. Often, they will group together for protection from the elements and, if the storm includes heavy rainfall, will shelter beneath a large tree — often attractive targets for a lightning strike.

If this also happens to be near a water trough or wire fence, the combination of a tall tree, good electrical conductors and rain-sodden ground can be fatal for horses. The risk is heightened for horses wearing steel shoes.

The out option of horses in thunderstorms

Some owners, however, feel leaving their horses out is the better option. Breeder Julia Hodkin, of the Future Sport Horse stud near Beverley, has lots of youngstock at grass, as well as competition horses grazing during the day.

“We generally don’t bring them in as I’ve actually never really seen any of our horses that bothered about thunder; they almost seem to know it’s part of nature and isn’t going to physically hurt them. If the thunder was being accompanied by serious lightning, howling winds and driving rain, however, we would bring them in because of the detrimental effects of those elements on them,” says Julia.

Showjumper Derek Morton is another with youngstock at grass.

“We always bring young foals in out of heavy rain whether there are thunderstorms involved or not, but once they are over six weeks old I wouldn’t bring any stock in out of thunderstorms. I’m a true believer in treating my youngstock as if they were in the wild and they certainly wouldn’t get a stable in the wild to get away from the elements,” says Derek, who houses all his competition horses at night.

For those who choose to house their horses during thunderstorms, the advice is to ensure the buildings are well grounded and have lightning rods. The grounding system in a building can provide an easy route for electricity to run to earth in the event of a lightning strike or power surge.

While nowhere outside is safe from lightning, as emphasised by lightning expert Grant Kirkby, if you are put in the position where your horse will be turned out in a storm, the advice is to make paddocks as safe as possible.

This includes:

Site shelters on lower ground rather than in exposed, isolated areas (which can make them a target for a lightning strike).
Avoid using fields with streams running through them and be aware that lightning can travel along wire fencing, water courses and even ‘jump’ from a tree to your horse. It may be worth fencing off large single trees in exposed locations to stop horses sheltering beneath them. Of course, this decision has to be balanced against the benefits of using these trees to offering shelter for horses from flies and the heat.

Finally, the safety of those handling horses in thunderstorms also has to be considered. Planning ahead and bringing horses in before the forecasted bad weather arrives is ideal, but in situations where this hasn’t been possible, it may be too dangerous to safely bring horses in during thunder and lightning.

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When is it too hot to ride? Your warm weather questions answered…

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:02:52 +0000

With the UK enjoying some warmer weather this week, H&H asks the experts how best to help horses and their riders cope in hot temperatures with their advice on riding in hot weather.

When is it too hot to ride?

Emmeline Hannelly, welfare education manager at The British Horse Society (BHS), says: “If you are going to ride, it is best to do so either in the morning or evening when it is coolest. If you are riding in warmer weather, take more breaks in-between different exercises – horses can’t be expected to do as much in hot weather as they would at other times if they are not acclimatised to working for longer periods in the heat.

“Be mindful of your horse’s fitness as overweight horses may struggle more in hot weather. After riding, make sure you cool the horse down properly. This can be achieved by continuously pouring water all over the horse’s body surface.”

What are the signs of dehydration and what should you do if you are concerned?

Emmeline says: “The single most important thing is to keep your horse hydrated. Horses can easily consume more than double their normal water intake in hot weather, so be prepared for this.

“Knowing what is normal for your horse is important so you know when your horse isn’t right. Signs of dehydration in horses include lethargy, depression, poor performance, thick and sticky saliva, mucous membranes that become redder in colour, increased pulse and breathing rate, nostril flaring, decreased appetite, producing dark urine or not passing urine for long periods of time.

“Feeding electrolytes can help replace those lost through sweating. But if you are adding them to water, make sure the horse doesn’t mind the taste, because if it puts him off he may not drink anything at all, so always offer an electrolyte-free option.

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“If dehydration isn’t acted on, this could lead to heat exhaustion and potentially heat stroke which is extremely serious. If you are concerned for your horse, move him somewhere cool to rest and offer him water. Allow your horse to graze if possible and monitor their pulse and breathing rate. If your horse does not show signs of improvement, contact your vet immediately.

“If you are travelling your horse anywhere, take more water with you than you think you will need. Remember some horses are fussy about drinking water away from home, so it could be essential to have a familiar supply.”

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Is water alone enough to rehydrate a horse?

Dr Francesca Compostella DVM, MRCVS, MSc, the RSPCA’s equine senior clinician, explains: “Water makes up approximately 70% of a horse’s body, so plenty needs to be available to maintain such levels. Horses absorb water through food and from drinking. On average, a horse should intake between 25-50 litres of water per day. So, during the hot weather, ensure they always have access to plenty of clean water.

“Water alone however may not be enough, as the fluid component of our bodies also contain important electrolytes that are responsible for keeping our blood pressure and cell and nerve functions active.

“Your horse could lose vast amounts of electrolytes by sweating, but normally these are replenished in the feed. If, however, he or she is sweating more than they can replenish, supplementary electrolytes can be administered.

“There are a number of commercially available powders, which are diluted in the water for your horse to drink. These have additives which are appealing to horses, such as apple flavours.

“Rehydrating solutions can also be made at home using 1.5tbsp of salt and 2tbsp of sugar in 4L of water. Amino acids such as glutamine can be added. It is, however, easier and most reliable to invest in a tub of commercially available electrolytes, which are easy to store and have a very long shelf date.”

Help – I’m competing. How can I help keep my horse cool?

Dr Francesca Compostella says: “The body’s mechanism to release heat and thereby cool down, is by sweating. During water loss, the heat is lost to the environment in a mechanism called convection.

“To help your horse cool down, hose them with cool water, let them stand in a shaded, well ventilated area and ensure there is drinking water available. Don’t use wet towels or fabric covers over your horse, as these prevent the convection of heat.

“Don’t leave your horses standing in a trailer or other enclosed transport, as despite being shaded it may not be well ventilated. Likewise, avoid leaving them standing in the sun.

“A makeshift shaded cover using tarpaulin sheets or old bed sheets can help create some artificial shade while you wait for your class. Be creative if there are no trees or shade and you have to wait for long periods. And remember that you are as likely to suffer from the heat as your horse, so take care of yourself too!”

Riding in hot weather: advice for riders

As part of the Melanoma Fund’s current Sunguarding Sport Campaign, which is being supported by the British Equestrian, The Pony Club and the British Horse Society (BHS), the following specific tips have been developed with the help of the BHS to help keep riders safe while riding in hot weather.

Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen product with an SPF of 30 or higher, paying special attention to your ears, nose and other areas that are prone to burning
Get into the habit of applying sunscreen before being active outdoors
Once applied to the skin, reapply sunscreen every two hours, or more often if you are prone to excessive sweating, or getting in and out or water
The sun is strongest between 11am and 3pm so on particularly hot days, if possible, ride outside of these hours
A helmet is not only an essential way to protect your head while riding, it also provides a degree of sun protection
Wearing summer riding gloves will not only protect hands from wear and tear, but also protect them from the sun
Ensure a bottle of sunscreen is available wherever you are
Wear clothing that covers your arms (as legs are usually covered). Compression sleeves are a good alternative for those that might find long-sleeves too hot. There are also long sleeved summer riding tops available with partly mesh arms to help with ventilation
Using a sunscreen applicator or cleaning palms with a small towel and alcohol gel, is a good way to avoid a greasy grip on the reins
Hydration is essential in reducing the risk of overheating, so keep a bottle of water on hand and sip regularly
Wearing wraparound sunglasses when riding will help protect eyes from insects and branches, as well as the sun
When not actively riding and during breaks, make sure to rest in shaded areas to reduce your exposure to the sun
To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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

Storm Éowyn causes cancellations of equestrian competitions

Becky Murray — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:15:13 +0000

A number of equestrian competitions have been cancelled owing to the arrival of Storm Éowyn.

Yesterday (23 January) the Met Office issued multiple weather warnings as the UK’s first named storm of 2025 brings “disruptive winds, heavy rain, and snow for some”.

A red warning, reserved for the most severe weather with a danger to life, has been issued in northern Ireland and the central belt of Scotland, and amber warnings for wind are in place for north Scotland and northeast England. Yellow warnings for wind are in place around the east and west midlands, the east, southeast and west and London. A yellow warning for snow is in place for north and central Scotland.

A number of equestrian venues that had been due to run competitions today (24 January) and over the weekend (25-26 January) have announced cancellations including Kelsall Hill, Cheshire, which had been due to run British Dressage (BD) today.

“Following the extreme weather warnings issued by the Met Office for Friday 24 January, BD has been in consultation with those venues located in the yellow, amber and red zones,” said a BD spokesperson.

“In the interest of both rider safety and horse welfare, all venues likely to be adversely affected by Storm Éowyn have been advised to either postpone or reschedule their shows.”

The spokesperson added that the High Profile event at Vale View Equestrian Centre (24-26 January) will be continuing as planned, as the majority of competitors [are] already on site.

British Showjumping shows at Leyland Court (24 January), Beacons Equestrian and Colraine Equestrian (26 January) have been cancelled. Today’s classes at the Aintree International Winter Classic (23-26 January) are off, and further updates will be provided throughout the day.

“We currently have 165 horses stabled on site and our priority is to keep horses, grooms and riders safe until the storm dies down this evening,” said an Aintree spokesperson.

A Met Office spokesperson said the worst of the winds from Storm Éowyn will ease today, but after a “brief calmer spell”, further strong winds and heavy rain are expected on Sunday.

“The strongest winds will be focussed in western parts, while the wettest conditions will likely be across Wales, central and southern England. This low pressure will not be as powerful as Storm Éowyn but it could hamper the recovery efforts of responders in some of the impacted areas from Friday’s storm,” he said.

“Warnings could be updated through the weekend and into next week, so keep up to date with the forecast.”

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Weather forces major timetable changes and class cancellations at Festival of British Eventing

Catherine Austen — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 08:39:35 +0000

The Gatcombe Horse Trials weather has forced organisers to abandon all cross-country today, including the Evelyn Partners British intermediate championship and the Dodson & Horrell novice championship.

Those two championship classes were due to conclude today (Saturday, 5 August), but instead the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing organisers hope to run them tomorrow, in addition to the Magic Millions British open championship, the Retraining of Racehorses/National Trainers Federation retrained racehorse event championship and the TopSpec challenge for the Corinthian Cup.

The British eventing national classes at open intermediate and open novice level have been abandoned completely.

Showjumping for the championship classes will continue to take place in Gatcombe’s main arena as planned, and will be shown on Horse & Country TV.

A revised timetable for Sunday is being prepared, and main arena attractions are expected to go ahead on Sunday.

A statement from the Festival of British Eventing on the Gatcombe Horse Trials weather said: “The safety of all of our human and equine competitors and spectators is of paramount importance to us and at the centre of this decision.”

The organisers have also said that general admission tickets for today that are not used are transferable to Sunday, but hospitality and park view picnic parking for Saturday cannot be transferred.

The Festival of British Eventing was last cancelled due to bad weather in 2012.

Oliver Townend is in first and second places in the British intermediate championship after showjumping. He leads on Sir John Peace’s Finley Du Loir on a score of 24.9, just ahead of Sir John Peace and Charlotte Cole’s Crazy Du Loir on 25.8.

Oliver has four wins to his name in the British intermediate championship to date – 2007 (Daisy Crazy), 2008 (ODT Land Vision), 2015 (Note Worthy) and 2017 (Khoi Traveller).

Jason Wood holds a healthy advantage in the British novice championship after the first day of dressage. His score of 22.7 aboard Alexandra and Charles Lloyd’s Nitor gives him 3.9 marks in hand over Oliver Townend and En Taro Des Vernier.

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

9 things you quickly discover while competing in muddy conditions

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:32:35 +0000

What happened to sunny days of competing, picnic et al? Some have been suffering with the miserable weather recently and none more so than those trying to compete their beloved horses in less than favourable conditions. Here’s just a few problems we face while battling the elements on the competition circuit…

1. Brown mud + white breeches = disaster zone. You have considered taking out shares in Vanish.

2. It’s all fine if you have a lorry with a decent living, but a car and trailer combination is a great deal more labour-intensive. Trying to get changed in the trailer and make your horse look as beautiful as possible while it is tied to the outside standing in a quagmire is a fine art. And when you return to the trailer laden with wet tack and clothes there’s the million dollar question: where on earth do you put everything?

3. Spending the duration of Saturday washing, drying, re-washing and re-drying your horse, sawdusting white feathers, rugging and then re-rugging, getting up at 4am to get to the show on Sunday only to be completely immersed in mud as soon as you step off the lorry needs the stiffest of upper lips to survive.

4. The thought of a riding on wet ground in a grass warm-up arena gives you clammy hands. To quote International Velvet, it’s like trying to perform Swan Lake in clogs.

5. You’re desperate to show off your horse’s wow-factor movement to the judges — but those bog-like conditions are something of a hindrance…

6. Plastic covers for your car seat are a waste of space — don’t kid yourself. Now is not the time to be a clean car person.

7. Quickly ‘nipping’ anywhere is a no-no. Spontaneous plans to go to a show? That will be an hour of bathing first. Dashing back to the tackroom across a flooded yard to pick up the girth you forgot? Welcome to mud-splashed brown-spotted breeches. Running to the secretary’s office to make a last-minute entry for the next class? Not unless you want to end up face-first in a puddle. Everything. Takes. So. Long

8. Rain has an uncanny ability to make your perfectly-groomed horse’s coat go dull and flat, and for your horse to instantly tuck its belly up, flatten its ears and clamp its tail within minutes. Not the best picture…

9. The tack cleaning situation post-show looks as though you’ve had a full day of January hunting, only without the port…

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

5 horsey headaches that ‘inbetweeny weather’ brings

Gemma Redrup — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 15:32:51 +0000

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

1. Rugs

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

2. In or out?

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

3. Timing to perfection

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

4. Walking weatherman/woman

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

5. What to wear?

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

Thoresby hopeful flagship classes will run despite wet weather after more sections abandoned

Lucy Elder — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:10:20 +0000

Hopes remain high of salvaging Thoresby’s weekend classes including the flagship Grantham Cup as wet weather continues to cause headaches for horse sport.

The Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park (31 March to 2 April) is a significant fixture as it features the first CCI4*-S in the British calendar. It is prestigious in its own right, and also a vital qualification opportunity and stepping stone in the fixtures list for combinations targeting the spring five-stars.

Thoresby organisers BEDE Events have cancelled most national classes due to run on Friday (31 March), with the exception of the open novice under-18 (section D). The CCI2*-S class will go ahead.

Saturday’s intermediate and open intermediate (OI) under-21 section have also been cancelled. OI sections G and H will continue as planned, alongside the CCI3*S.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision as the ground on course at the moment is truly fantastic and the feedback from those on site is exceptional,” said event director Stuart Buntine.

“However, we feel that in making the decision early we can prevent a number of horse and rider combinations travelling, which will be to the benefit of horse welfare.”

Friday’s cancelled sections are novice sections A, B and C, plus intermediate section F. Saturday’s cancelled sections are intermediate sections J and L, and OI under-21 section I.

“Our focus is to give priority to those senior horses and riders who are desperate for their open intermediate, advanced and CCI4*-S runs as they make their preparations for both Kentucky and Badminton,” added Mr Buntine.

“We also see the need to prioritise the CCI2* and CCI3* for those requiring minimum eligibility requirements. We are truly sorry for those novice and intermediate competitors affected.”

The news follows a soggy start to the spring season. The cancellation of Oasby, plus lost days at Cirencester, mean that many combinations head to Thoresby as their opening run.

Northallerton (25 to 26 March) was also lost to the wet, and Goring Heath (1 to 2 April) is cancelled this weekend.

The point-to-point calendar has also taken a battering, including three of the nine fixtures scheduled for this weekend lost to the weather.

The Fernie team chase, which includes the national team chase championship, has been postponed from 2 April to 15 April.

Competitions cancelled as spring snow hits amid weather warnings across UK

Becky Murray — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 11:53:40 +0000

Snow has called a halt to proceedings as the organisers of Oasby Horse Trials (9-12 March) announce that the first two days of competition are cancelled.

The Lincolnshire event marked the second weekend of the British eventing season, after Epworth in North Lincolnshire and Poplar Park in Suffolk ran last weekend (4-5 March).

BEDE Events announced the cancellation of today’s (9 March) competition late last night, but in a further update this morning, organisers confirmed Friday (10 March) will also not go ahead.

“Following continued snowfall on Thursday morning and the forecast continuing to show snow for the remainder of the day, we have taken the decision to abandon all of Friday’s competition on the grounds of horse and rider safety,” said a BEDE spokesman.

“By taking this decision early we hope we can prevent riders travelling in inclement weather and it enables us to make alternative arrangements.”

Oasby runs classes from BE90 to intermediate level, with open intermediate sections A and B, intermediate sections C and D, novice section E, and open novice class scheduled today. Open intermediate sections G and H, intermediate section I, open intermediate under 21 section J and novice section K were scheduled for Friday.

More than 400 combinations had been due to start across Thursday and Friday, including world champions Yasmin Ingham and Banzai Du Loir, Laura Collett and London 52, Oliver Townend and As Is and Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, in the open intermediate sections.

“We are in the process of finalising details of a day of intermediate/OI on Monday, 13 March. We will be in touch with all applicable entrants to offer the option to move their entry to Monday,” said a BEDE spokesman.

The weather has become increasingly worse in many parts of the UK throughout the week. The Met Office has issued a number of yellow and amber weather warnings for heavy snow and ice for parts of Scotland, northern and central England and Wales, due to be in place until Friday.

A British Dressage competition at Widmer Equestrian Centre, Buckinghamshire, was cancelled on Tuesday (7 March) owing to snow, and British Showjumping (BS) at Ponderosa Equestrian Centre in Newport, Wales, cancelled yesterday (8 March). A three-day BS show at Cabin Equestrian Centre in Aberdeenshire due to start tomorrow, has also been called off.

7 reasons (most) horse people hate windy weather

Gemma Redrup — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 13:02:22 +0000

Some horses don’t mind windy weather (we wish we had one of these…), but unfortunately some really, really don’t like it, and neither do some of their owners. Here’s why…

1. Hacking

Hacking is usually a time to relax for you and your horse. Not today. The wind throws up all sorts of surprises, from flying plastic bags to wheelie bins that could topple over at any moment — you know, the things that were scary enough without the wind, but now are definitely horse-eating monsters.

2. Schooling

Ditto hacking, really. Are the jump stands going to remain upright as you pass them? Who knows? One thing is for certain, you know your neck strap is going to start paying you back today.

3. Travelling

You avoid travelling with a horse in windy weather if you can. But for those days when you find you have to load your horse up for a vet or farrier visit, you grip the steering wheel and hope it will be over soon.

4. Everywhere looks a mess

You’ve swept the yard at least 20 times this morning, yet it looks like you might as well not have bothered. Although your hay is strapped down and covered, it has suddenly got a mind of its own and is strewn everywhere. The place looks like a dump. And don’t even get us started on shavings…

5. Your horse thinks it is a wild animal

It’s like they have never been handled. Leading to and from the field? What is that? As they swing around on the end of the lead rope, it’s like they’re singing ‘I want to break free’. You do some mental arithmetic and work out there’s only 144 sleeps left until your summer holiday.

6. Watery eyes

You’re cantering and can’t see as the wind has made you look like you’re in floods of tears. You’d quite like to be able to see right now (see points one and two).

7. Feeling windswept

When you get into the warmth of your home, how you look is quite something. You fear for the state of your hair brush once it has tried to get through your mane (think something along the lines of Bridget Jones after her head scarf got blown away in that vintage car with Hugh Grant). And then suddenly it hits you — you’re exhausted after spending too much time being rattled around by the ghastly weather.

New rules on extreme weather aim to benefit horses, riders and venues

Lucy Elder — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 18:58:48 +0000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BD weather warning guidance: what are the new rule?

The 2023 BD rule is as follows:

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

More than 2,000 horses evacuated as US owners prepare for Hurricane Ian

Becky Murray — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:07:37 +0000

More than 2,000 horses have been evacuated in Florida as owners prepare for the arrival of “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Ian.

The “life-threatening storm surge” made landfall over Cuba around 4.30am EDT (9.30am UK time) this morning (27 September) and forecasters predict it will continue over Florida today, making its way up the east coast until Friday evening (30 October).

At present Hurricane Ian is category three and could bring winds of up to 115mph and up to 24 inches of rain in isolated parts of the state. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said hurricane-force winds are expected in southwest and west-central Florida beginning Wednesday morning local time (28 September) with tropical storm conditions expected by evening.

Heavy rainfall is expected to increase across the Florida Keys and south Florida, spreading into central and northern Florida, into the southeast coast by Thursday and Friday. This is likely to cause flash, urban and small stream flooding. Considerable flooding is expected across central Florida into southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina, with widespread, prolonged moderate to major river flooding expected.

The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, northern Florida, has taken in more than 2,000 evacuated horses – but has now reached capacity.

US Equestrian (USEF) told H&H it is “closely monitoring” the evolving situation and the potential impact on horses in Florida.

“We applaud the efforts of the World Equestrian Center who have generously opened their facility for more than 2,000 horses in need of housing. The equestrian community always comes together in times of need,” said the spokesman.

“USEF is prepared to activate the USEF disaster relief fund and provide resources immediately to non-profit organisations to fund supplies and horse care where needed. We will continue to accept donations to support the USEF Disaster Relief Fund today and in the future.”

What is the weather forecast for Burghley Horse Trials 2022?

Gemma Redrup — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 15:32:27 +0000

If you are planning on heading to the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this weekend (1-4 September 2022), you will be relieved to hear that the weather is set to stay fair. Pack your sunglasses as ‘touch wood’, we’re in for a good week as we take a closer look at the Burghley Horse Trials weather – we can’t wait to be back at the Lincolnshire five-star event after a three-year hiatus owing to Covid.

Thursday 1 September

1000

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 10mph

1300

Temperature: 22°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 12mph

1600

Temperature: 23°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 12mph

Friday 2 September

1000

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: sunny intervals and light winds

Wind: 7mph

1300

Temperature: 22°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 8mph

1600

Temperature: 23°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 8mph

Saturday 3 September

1000

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 8mph

1300

Temperature: 21°C

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Wind: 11mph

1600

Temperature: 21°C

Weather: light rain showers and a gentle breeze

Wind: 11mph

Sunday 4 September

1000Temperature: 18°CWeather: light rain showers and a gentle breezeWind: 8mph

1300Temperature: 20°CWeather: ight rain showers and a gentle breezeWind: 10mph

1600Temperature: 20°CWeather: ight rain showers and a gentle breezeWind: 10mph

Courtesy of BBC weather: information correct at the time of publishing

If you’re looking for some last-minute inspiration on what to wear at Burghley, now that you know what the weather has in store, check out our ‘what to wear’ guide, with options for all budgets and tastes.

Keep up with all the action with our online reports, features and videos during Burghley — and don’t miss our special Burghley report in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale 8 September 2022

Red weather warning: more shows take action, including cancellations and postponements

Becky Murray — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 15:39:22 +0000

As temperatures soar and parts of England prepare for highs of up to 40C tomorrow, a number of competitions have been cancelled or postponed.

Last week, for the first time ever, the Met Office issued a red “exceptional heat” warning for today (18 July) and tomorrow (19 July) for parts of central, northern, eastern and southeastern England. An amber warning is in place for Cornwall, west Wales and parts of southern Scotland.

Yesterday British Eventing (BE) announced that competition at Dauntsey Park in Wiltshire tomorrow has been abandoned owing to the weather warning and Government advice. The second day of competition on Wednesday (20 July) – when temperatures are forecast to be cooler – remains unaffected.

Classes that had been due to run on Tuesday – including the BE90 and BE100 – will now take place on Thursday after organisers “moved heaven and earth” to reschedule.

“To ensure the best possible going, watering has begun on the cross-country and showjumping and the aggravator will be used on the dressage and other areas that require it,” said a BE spokesman yesterday.

A number of British Showjumping competitions scheduled for tomorrow have also been cancelled. Venues that have so far announced they will not run are Chard Equestrian in Somerset, Speetley Equestrian in Derbyshire, Onley Grounds Equestrian in Warwickshire, and Codham Park Equestrian Centre in Essex.

British Dressage scheduled to take place today at Witham Villa, Leicester, and tomorrow at Manor Grange, West Yorkshire, and Arena UK in Lincolnshire, is cancelled. The show at Felbridge Showground on Tuesday has been rescheduled to Thursday (21 July). Last week it was announced that the BD Petplan equine Area Festival at Wellington Riding tomorrow would be rescheduled to Friday (22 July).

In racing, meetings at Beverley and Windsor today, and tomorrow’s fixtures at Chelmsford City, Southwell, and Wolverhampton have been abandoned.

The Festival of Hunting

The Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show and the Festival of Hunting at the East of England Showground is going ahead on Wednesday and organisers have said a “comprehensive” animal welfare policy is in place, with vets on site.

“There will be ample water available with access to shade in and around the hound rings and the collecting ring for the inter-hunt relay,” the organisers said.

“In consultation with the chief veterinary officer and chief medical officer, the organisers of the event will be prepared to modify any classes they see fit if the weather conditions on the day dictate that there would otherwise be an unacceptable level of risk to the welfare of the animals exhibiting, or their handlers.”

Storm Eunice: UK shows cancel after rare red weather warning

Becky Murray — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 17:15:20 +0000

A number of competitions have been cancelled owing to Storm Eunice, as the Met Office issues a red weather warning for parts of the UK.

The rare red warning has been issued from 7am to noon tomorrow (18 February) for southwest coastal areas of the UK, where the strongest gusts could be in excess of 90mph. Yellow and amber warnings are in place elsewhere, with Storm Dudley affecting the northern half of the UK today, and Storm Eunice expected to bring strong winds to southern and central areas from tomorrow. The Met Office said gusts of up to 80mph are possible inland.

The British Dressage (BD) para winter championships at Myerscough International Equine Arena (18-20 February) have been postponed. The competition is rescheduled for 4-6 March.

“We have to put the welfare of horse and rider first and the forecast is not looking kind,” said organiser Kelly Thompson. “We felt it was better to give riders as much warning as we possibly could than leave it right up to the day. Working with my team, we’ve managed to get a date in the calendar quickly – hopefully competitors can reschedule and see the extra time as a bonus to prepare for the championship classes.”

The BD winter area festival at Beacons Equestrian in Carmarthenshire (19-21 February) is also off. A spokesman for BD said the plan is to reschedule to 11-13 March, with all entries transferring and full details to be released in due course.

At the time of publishing, the prelim classes due to take place at the BD winter regionals at Easton College Equestrian Centre tomorrow have been moved to Saturday (19 February). The Merrist Wood Arena BD winter regionals are going ahead on Saturday, and conditions will be monitored. BD competitions at Chard Equestrian, Allens Hill Competition Centre, and Prestige Equestrian on 18 February had been cancelled. The show at Prestige is rescheduled for Sunday (20 February).

The senior British Showjumping (BS) competition at Forest Edge Arena and the junior show at Duckhurst on Friday are off, and the senior BS show at Mendip Plains Equestrian Centre on Saturday is also cancelled. Following a consultation between Northcote Stud organisers, BS and the venue’s stabling supplier, the 148cm pony premier at Northcote remains on. A BS spokesman said any known show changes will be posted on the BS shows notice page. Competitors are also advised to check show venue websites and social media feeds.

In racing, Fakenham’s racecard tomorrow has been cancelled. Inspections for Kelso, Lingfield and Southwell will take place on Friday morning.

For advice on caring for your horse during Storm Eunice, read our guide on looking after horses in extremely windy weather.

Battening down the hatches: caring for your horse in extremely windy weather

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:55:35 +0000

As we are all aware, the UK is bracing itself before Storm Eunice hits, with red weather warnings in place – the highest level – for parts of south-west England and south Wales tomorrow (18 February), meaning there is a danger to life from flying debris. The Met Office warned Storm Eunice could bring gusts of up to 90mph, causing significant disruption. At the time of publication, the red warning is in place from 7am until midday on Friday. A lower amber warning for wind remains in place for the rest of Wales and most of England as far north as Manchester, from 5am until 9pm on Friday, with a yellow warning for snow and wind further north. So this begs the question; what should you do with your horses in extremely windy weather?

Horses can become very anxious in the wind. This is typically because their environment becomes louder, which affects their ability to hear for potential predators approaching, and obviously things flap and move around a lot more in blustery conditions, which may trigger their natural flight response.

Strong winds can increase a field-kept horse’s risk of bodily harm due to objects such as trees blowing down or branches being snapped off. Lightweight equipment and materials, such as empty water troughs, buckets and loose roofing material could spook your horses if the wind gets hold of them, and possibly cause injury, either through direct impacts or by scaring your horse into harm’s way.

Check your fencing is secure and that any electrified tape is not likely to become loose from its posts. If possible, it may be better to remove temporary electric fencing in extremely windy weather, rather than risk the tape and stakes becoming a hazard to your animals.

If your horse has access to a field shelter, or is stabled, check the structure is going to be able to withstand high winds, and undertaken any small repairs such as loose boards or doors that could be caught by the wind. Batten down any objects that could fly around and keep your trees pruned of deadwood. It is up to you to decide whether your horse is safer turned out or stabled, depending on which you assess to be the safest and to best suit your horse.

If your horse is turned out, ensure he is appropriately rugged as the wind chill created by strong gusts can sap heat from even thick winter coats. Rugs with rear leg straps, rather than just a fillet string, are more likely to prevent the rug from being displaced by the wind.

It is up to the individual to assess whether it is safe to ride their horse in windy conditions, depending on your horse and his normal behaviour in such conditions. However, it must be said that it is probably not advised to ride in extremely strong winds.

A number of competitions have been cancelled ahead of the storm and it’s expected the weather may cause roads and bridges to be closed, therefore driving horse lorries or towing trailers in the extreme conditions cannot be recommended.

View the latest weather warnings for Friday 18 February

‘We’re in survival mode’: equestrian business vows to keep going despite Storm Arwen power cuts

Becky Murray — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 20:03:02 +0000

Owners of family-run business Westgate Labs are among those waiting to have power restored a week after Storm Arwen, which left almost one million households in the dark.

Last Friday (26 November) Storm Arwen hit the UK as the Met Office issued a red weather warning in northeast Scotland and England. Gusts of 98mph were recorded and homes and businesses across England, Scotland and Wales lost power.

Westgate Labs, a parasite control company that operates from a family farm in rural Northumberland, lost power on Friday evening and has been trying to continue to operate with the use of a generator donated by a local customer. Westgate director Claire Shand and her parents Jill and Dave, who are in their late 60s, live on site along with six horses, dogs, cats and chickens, and have been without heating and hot water. Damage was also caused to the lab’s roof and a field shelter was blown over a hedge and landed in a riding arena.

Claire told H&H the lab’s team of 11 has been working together to keep service as “close to normal as possible“ and allow samples to continue to be tested. Staff who have power at home have been helping with administration and taking calls.

“It has been a real struggle but we’ve been trying to work around it to keep testing samples as a priority. The trouble is as we’re a postal business we can’t just turn it off, samples keep arriving and we have a limited time to test them,” said Claire.

“We have to look after our customers. If we stop testing we face a much bigger admin problem of having to let customers know, sending out new sample pots and having to ask for fresh samples to be sent in. As our franking machine relies on internet connection we’re also having issues with posting things out.”

Claire, who has had to move into a friend’s home owing to an existing health condition being aggravated by the cold, said the team has coped “amazingly” despite the challenges.

“It’s chilly processing samples and everything takes a lot longer. We only have one generator that is stable enough to support the technology and you have the challenge of having to move it around to where it’s needed and keep it filled with fuel, and you can’t get hold of any more generators for love nor money,” she said.

“A local church has kindly provided gas heaters and we’ve been using a camping stove for hot drinks. You just have to keep going for the team and do what you need to do. We’re in survival mode now.”

In the latest update provided to Claire from Northern Powergrid, the electricity distribution network operator for the northeast, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, at midnight today (3 December) the power is expected to be restored on 8 December.

“The communication from Northern Powergrid has been appalling and you spend hours on hold on the phone. It took until Sunday (28 November) to get through to first report the fault and we still have a live wire lying on the ground in our riding arena. At first we were told the power would be back on Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Friday and now next Wednesday but they can’t give you any reassurance,” she said.

“They say you can book a hotel but it’s not as simple as that when you have animals and when they keep changing the goalposts it’s very difficult to make plans. If they just said it will be a few weeks we could review things or look at whether we could go to another premises. We explained we’re trying to run a veterinary testing business that supports 11 members of staff but they don’t seem to be thinking about businesses.”

In an update at 11pm yesterday (2 December) Northern Powergrid said power had been restored for 234,000 customers, while 6,000 remain off supply.

“We understand how critical this situation is for our customers and we’re working as fast as we can to deal with a storm impact which is one of the worst that our team has seen. Our dedicated teams will not stop until we have everyone affected by the storm back on supply,” said Northern Powergrid executive director Paul Glendinning.

On 1 December the UK Government said more than 935,000 households had had power restored, representing 97% of households affected and it was the Government’s “top priority” to work with electricity operators to ensure those still without power, particularly in remote areas, are reconnected as quickly as possible.

What will the weather be like for the 2020 Cheltenham Festival?

Gemma Redrup — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 08:24:56 +0000

Getting our head around the weather forecast for this week’s Cheltenham Festival (10-13 March) might not be quite as important for us as it is for the trainers and jockeys responsible for trying to get their horses to pass the finish line first, but as you’ll be spending most of your time in the great outdoors, soaking up the amazing Festival atmosphere, knowing whether it’s going to rain or shine is necessary (and to know how many layers to put on too). So here’s a summary of what you can expect…

Tuesday 10 March — Champion day

11am

Weather: thick cloud and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 13°C

Chance of rain: 18%

Wind speed: 18mph

1pm

Weather: light cloud and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 14°C

Chance of rain: 10%

Wind speed: 18mph

4pm

Weather: light cloud and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 13°C

Chance of rain: 8%

Wind speed: 17mph

Wednesday 11 March: Ladies’ day

11am

Weather: light cloud and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 11°C

Chance of rain: 4%

Wind speed: 15mph

1pm

Weather: light cloud and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 11°C

Chance of rain: 5%

Wind speed: 16mph

4pm

Weather: sunny intervals and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 11°C

Chance of rain: 6%

Wind speed: 15mph

Thursday 12 March: St. Patrick’s Thursday

11am

Weather: sunny intervals and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 8°C

Chance of rain: 16%

Wind speed: 17mph

1pm

Weather: light rain showers and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 9°C

Chance of rain: 15%

Wind speed: 17mph

4pm

Weather: light rain showers and a moderate breeze

Temperature: 9°C

Chance of rain: 15%

Wind speed: 17mph

Continued below…

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Friday 13 March: Gold Cup day

11am

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Temperature: 9°C

Chance of rain: 5%

Wind speed: 12mph

1pm

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Temperature: 10°C

Chance of rain: 7%

Wind speed: 12mph

4pm

Weather: sunny intervals and a gentle breeze

Temperature: 9°C

Chance of rain: 7%

Wind speed: 10mph

Weather data from BBC weather. Information correct at the time of publication.

Don’t miss our Cheltenham Festival preview in 5 March issue, and read our full report from the big meeting in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday, 19 March.

Would you like to read Horse & Hound’s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free.

What is the weather forecast for Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials?

Gemma Redrup — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:23:56 +0000

The countdown is on for this week’s SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (19-22 September 2019) in Oxfordshire — and it looks set to stay warm and dry for the first three days, before turning showery overnight into Sunday, with a chance of some thunder on Saturday night. Make sure you bring your sunblock for the Thursday to Saturday and pack a lightweight waterproof coat if you’re planning to attend on Sunday.

Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials weather forecast

Thursday 19 September

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: Sunny with light winds

Wind: 3mph

1300

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: Sunny with light winds

Wind: 4mph

1600

Temperature: 21°C

Weather: Sunny with light winds

Wind: 4mph

Friday 20 September

The weather

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: Sunny and a gentle breeze

Wind: 9mph

1300

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: Sunny and a gentle breeze

Wind: 12mph

1600

Temperature: 20°C

Weather: Sunny and a moderate breeze

Wind: 13mph

Saturday 21 September

The weather

1000

Temperature: 17°C

Weather: sunny and a gentle breeze

Wind: 11mph

1300

Temperature: 23°C

Weather: Sunny and a moderate breeze

Wind: 14mph

1600

Temperature: 23°C

Weather: Sunny and a moderate breeze

Wind: 13mph

Sunday 22 September

The weather

1000

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: Light rain and a gentle breeze

Wind: 10mph

1300

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: Light rain showers and a gentle breeze

Wind: 11mph

1600

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: Light rain and a gentle breeze

Wind: 11mph

Forecast correct at the time of publication, courtesy of BBC weather.

Don’t miss our full report from Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in 26 September issue of Horse & Hound magazine

What is the weather forecast for Burghley Horse Trials 2018?

Gemma Redrup — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 11:24:01 +0000

If you are planning on heading to the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this weekend (29 August-2 September 2018), you will be relieved to hear that the weather is set to stay fair. Pack your sunglasses as ‘touch wood’, we’re in for a good week…

Thursday 30 August

1000

Temperature: 14°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 6mph

1300

Temperature: 17°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 5mph

1600

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 4mph

Friday 31 August

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 6mph

1300

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 8mph

1600

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 8mph

Saturday 1 September

1000

Temperature: 16°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 8mph

1300

Temperature: 20°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 10mph

1600

Temperature: 21°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 9mph

Sunday 2 September

1000

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 8mph

1300

Temperature: 21°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 9mph

1600

Temperature: 23°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 9 mph

Courtesy BBC weather and the Met Office

Full Burghley preview in the Horse & Hound magazine on sale now (issue dated 23 August) including course walk with Blyth Tait and form guide

Terrible weather forces British Eventing to consider emergency contingency plans

Lucy Elder — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 17:14:14 +0000

British Eventing (BE) is looking at contingency plans as rain continues to blight the season.

BE’s fixtures team and its fixtures action group met on Friday (6 April) to “discuss the ongoing challenges” facing the calendar.

A BE spokesman said the “key priority” for international competitors is ensuring riders have sufficient chances to qualify for Houghton (24-27 May) with the partial cancellation of Burnham Market last week (29-31 March).

“There are still opportunities at Belton, Bicton, Floors and Chatsworth — some of which still have capacity,” said the spokesman.

“However we have a watching brief over this issue over the coming critical days.”

The team is also planning for the possibility that it will need to add days or events to the national calendar.

“[This would be] to cope with the surge in entries from riders desperate to get started on their delayed season, for example where an event has sufficiently high level of entries that they can add an extra day,” added the spokesman.

“Not all events have the ability to do this but where they do then this is very much foreseen within our rules.”

BE is remaining optimistic for the 2018 season despite the early washout.

“While the start of the season has been challenging, history suggests that when we have a lot of events cancel in March and April, we go on to have a good season with very few events abandoning,” said the spokesman.

“For example in 2016 we had 11 events cancel in full and eight partly in March and April, but then only had four [abandoned] during the rest of the season.”

Two additional days of competition will run at Moreton, on 14 and 15 April, with classes from BE80(T) to intermediate novice.

Entries are being taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The site was inspected today (Monday, 9 April) by two BE technical advisers, who have said that currently the going is absolutely perfect,” said the spokesman.

“We are grateful to the organisers for hosting these two extra days of competition.”

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Larkhill was the only affiliated fixture to go ahead out of the seven scheduled over the weekend.

Sapey in Herefordshire (11-12 April) and Bovington in Dorsey (14-15 April) have already been cancelled.

But Belton, which is scheduled to run from 11 to 15 April, is reporting the ground is “holding up well and beautifully green”.

John Coupland, of Eland Lodge (14-15 April), has said he is “very hopeful” the event will be able to run.

“Following a BE course inspection yesterday (8 April) amendments were made to the cross-country track to hopefully ensure we have the best possible chance of running,” he said.

“Moreover the technicality of the normal track was reduced to reflect the obvious fact that at this point in the season very few competitors have had the experience they would normally have enjoyed.”

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

Snow thwarts eventers: horse trials abandoned mid-afternoon due to blizzards

Lucy Elder — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:00:45 +0000

Blizzards and strong winds forced competition to be abandoned mid-way through the second day at Lincolnshire Horse Trials.

Organisers of the British Eventing (BE) fixture had managed to go ahead with all classes on Friday (16 March) and Saturday morning.

However as the “mini beast from the east” arrived, conditions became too risky to continue.

“Regrettably competition at Lincolnshire Horse Trials on Saturday was partially abandoned at approximately 2pm due to the snow,” said a statement from BE.

Anyone for a bit of dressage?!Lincolnshire Horse Trials…Posted by Future Sport Horses on Saturday, March 17, 2018

Organisers and volunteers moved the showjumping to a new ring after Friday’s competition, and periodically moved the fences to fresh ground throughout the day.

But heavy snow and strong gusts scuppered the team’s efforts to carry on.

“A difficult decision to make, but the safety of our riders is paramount — we hope you all understand,” said a spokesman for the horse trials.

“Thank you to all competitors, judges, volunteers and officials for their support and hard work in keeping the event running for as long as it did.”

Riders were quick to thank the team on social media for keeping the competition going as far as they could.

The wintry weather also forced Aldon to abandon two of its three days of competition.

Heavy rain pulled the plug on Friday’s classes, but organisers managed to run a full day of eventing on Saturday. But snow resulted in the abandonment of all Sunday’s classes.

“A massive thank you to our amazing team of volunteers who braved Arctic conditions today [Saturday] to enable us to run — you are all truly awesome,” said a statement from the organisers.

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The start of the eventing season has taken repeated blows over the past three weekends — 10 of the 11 events scheduled since 3 March have been forced to cancel some or all their days. Poplar Park managed to run both days on 10 to 11 March, but 15 competitors were unable to run across country on the second day due to fading light.

All point-to-point fixtures due to be held on 17 or 18 March were abandoned or rescheduled.

The first team chase of the season — the Beaufort at Sherston — was postponed and will now run on 25 March.

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

Winter continues to bite: competition calendar takes a battering again

Lucy Elder — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 13:30:27 +0000

Waterlogged ground has dealt a further blow to the spring competition calendar.

The eventing season is facing disruption for the third weekend in a row, while point-to-pointing has also been affected.

British Eventing’s (BE) Swalcliffe Park fixture in Oxfordshire (16-18 March) and Stafford Horse Trials in Staffordshire (17-18 March) have both been abandoned due to the weather and ground conditions.

Aldon in Somerset has cancelled its first day of competition, which was set to take place today (Friday, 16 March) and organisers are expected to make a decision soon on whether to run classes on Saturday and Sunday.

Great Witchingham is running an extra BE100 on 25 March — no late entry surcharges will apply to competitors wanting to run in this class.

The Met Office’s headline UK forecast for the next few days is for the weather to turn “much colder” into the weekend, with snow and ice making a return in parts of the country.

The affiliated eventing season was scheduled to start on 3 March, but plans were thwarted by heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures.

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With the eventing season well underway, you may well have spotted some of these 12 sights at horse trials around

Oasby and Tweseldown managed to go ahead in part the following week, but were forced to cancel their weekend classes due to ground conditions, while Poplar was able to run in full, although some competitors were unable to run across country due to failing light.

It is hoped some point-to-point fixtures will go ahead this weekend, but a number have already been cancelled or postponed.

The Belvoir, which was scheduled to run at Garthorpe in Leicestershire on 17 March, has been rearranged for 8 April.

The Crawley & Horsham at Parham, West Sussex, on 17 March has been abandoned, as has Quantock Staghounds, which was due to run at Cothelstone in Somerset the same day.

The Atherstone at Clifton-on-Dunsmore (25 March) has been cancelled due to waterlogging and will not be rearranged.

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

Competition calendar looking up after big freeze stops play

Lucy Elder — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:35:14 +0000

With the mercury starting to climb in most parts of the UK, organisers are working to reschedule some fixtures abandoned due to last week’s snow.

The “Beast from the East” and Storm Emma resulted in a delay to the start of the affiliated eventing season.

All British Eventing’s (BE) fixtures — Isleham, Moreton, Epworth and Aston-le-Walls (1) — were cancelled.

“Obviously the snow meant that it was a hugely disappointing, although not totally unexpected, start to the season for everyone with all of the scheduled fixtures abandoned,” BE sport manager Debbie Pritchard told H&H.

“The snow is now clearing — however the weather forecasts for this coming week predict some heavy rain.

“We are therefore closely monitoring the forthcoming scheduled events and hope that the weather is on our side so that we can make a start to the 2018 season.”

Point-to-pointing was likewise a whiteout, with all six meetings scheduled for this weekend forced to cancel or reschedule.

The Duke of Beaufort’s has successfully rearranged its fixture at Didmarton for 10 March, while the Brecon & Talybont Hunt at Llanfrynach has rescheduled for 17 March.

Organisers of the Thurlow, which was set to take place at at Horseheath over the weekend, and the Derwent, which was scheduled to run at Charm Park on Sunday (4 March) are looking for new dates.

“It’s been a disappointing end to February, with some desperate weather causing several abandonments, including an entire weekend,” a Point-to-Point Authority spokesman told H&H.

“What has been fantastic though has been the swift response of our participants and organisers to re-schedule most fixtures that were lost.

“Great teamwork is crucial to pointing, and that has never been more apparent than during these testing times.”

Wellington Riding abandoned the final day of its British Dressage (BD) regional championships, which has been re-arranged for 7 March.

Summerhouse Equestrian Centre postponed its full regional championship schedule by a week. This will now run from 7 to 9 March.

Tamsyn Cowie, BD’s sport operations director, said: “When the weather warnings started to circulate, we began planning with our regional venues — we had plans, contingency plans and ultra-contingency plans.

“It’s sad to lose any competition days but where regionals are involved, it provides an extra challenge particularly as the weather threatened our last two, leaving no alternatives for riders to re-route.”

Ms Cowie added the “paramount consideration” was safety.

“We could not ask members to endanger themselves or their horses,” she said.

“We worked round the clock with the organisers to so they were in the best position possible to make any decision to cancel or postpone, made all the more difficult with ever-changing weather reports.

“Thankfully, with a herculean effort from the teams at Wellington and Summerhouse, the officials and volunteers involved and our regional and office teams, venues were able to postpone and communicate alternative arrangements for competitors within hours of the cancellation.

“It’s times like this that we can all be proud of the equestrian community — everyone was magnificent and thank you to all involved to make sure everyone has a fair chance to compete at a regional and be in with a chance of a place at the Winter Championships.”

Several British Showjumping fixtures have been rearranged following weekend cancellations, including the Small Pony Premier Show at Arena UK (new date 24-25 March).

The showing calendar was also hit, with new dates in the pipeline for some cancelled competitions.

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Most racing was abandoned, with the majority of racecourses opting to cancel or reschedule.

While some all-weather fixtures were able to run over the weekend, all turf racing was abandoned.

Southwell was the only fixture to go ahead on Friday (2 March), to the surprise of many in the industry given the weather warnings and travel advice.

A spokesman for the racecourse said the situation at Southwell was “carefully reviewed” and organisers spoke to a number of trainers whose horses were travelling to the fixture before deciding to go ahead.

He also confirmed the surrounding roads were clear at the time.

The Met Office has forecast further rain and snow in the north, with drier weather elsewhere this week.

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

Equestrian world battles against ‘Beast from the East’

Lucy Elder — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 10:02:23 +0000

Sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow are causing disruption for horse owners across the country.

With the severe weather forecast to continue for areas of Britain throughout the week, some equestrians are likely to see changes to their competition plans.

Click here for H&H’s latest fixture cancellation updates

The affiliated eventing season was set to start this weekend (3-4 March) at Isleham in Cambridgeshire. However, this has now been cancelled.

Vale View Equestrian has managed to go ahead with its British Showjumping fixture on Wednesday, although other venues have been hit by the “Beast from the East”.

Addington has cancelled its three-day showjumping show, which was set to run from 2 to 4 March, due to the weather.

Wellington Riding Centre in Hampshire also made the decision to cancel the final day of the British Dressage regional championships today (Thursday, 1 March).

Summerhouse Equestrian Centre in Gloucestershire was due to hold affiliated regional dressage championships this week (1-3 March), but these have now been postponed.

For those unable to ride at home, dressage rider Anna Ross has offered the use of her indoor arena in return for a £5 donation to the Emile Faure Foundation to anyone who can travel there safely.

The latest Met Office forecast is for bitterly cold temperatures and heavy, blustery snow for areas of the UK over the next five days.

A red weather warning for snow has been issued for parts of Scotland, with amber and yellow snow warnings for large swathes of England.

But it is hoped temperatures will climb gradually over the weekend.

The forecast for next week is also looking more hopeful — the Met Office states sleet and snow will move north across the country on Sunday into Monday.

It is likely to stay cold in the north next week, with temperatures in the south returning to near-normal for this time of year. The weather across the UK is likely to be more unsettled as the week progresses.

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Equestrian breakdown company PRP Equine Rescue has advised owners to consider whether it is really necessary to travel their horses in extreme weather.

“If you don’t have to travel, you shouldn’t be travelling,” Claire Barker told H&H.

“If you want to take the risk yourself, ok, but what happens if you have a problem, break down and people have to get to you?”

She added that commercial vehicle companies that are contracted to provide breakdown assistance are already stretched when the weather is poor, meaning it can take longer for them to reach each case.

Snow can also mean it could take longer for horse transporter companies to reach a breakdown.

“Don’t just consider: can I get from A to B, think about what could happen if you get stuck on the way,” added Ms Barker.

“Consider that the conditions can change significantly during the day.”

She said thankfully PRP does not see an increase in calls as owners are generally sensible about only travelling if really necessary.

“It is worth remembering that the same vehicle contractors are called on to attend accidents as breakdowns,” added Ms Barker.

“This means they are more stretched during periods of bad weather which can result in longer than average ETAs for breakdown assistance.”

Ms Barker also recommended if owners have to travel, that they are well prepared, with plenty of warm rugs for their horses and clothes and drinks for themselves, and to ensure the lorry is well ventilated.

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

What is the weather forecast for Burghley Horse Trials 2017?

Horse & Hound — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 10:45:52 +0000

If you are planning on heading to the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this weekend (31 August-3 September 2017) you will be relieved to hear that it is not forecast to be a mud bath like much of August has been. You might even want to pack your sunglasses and sun cream as the weather looks set to be fair…

Thursday 31 August

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 7mph

1300

Temperature: 17°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 7mph

1600

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 7mph

Friday 1 September

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 6mph

1300

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 5mph

1600

Temperature: 18°C

Weather: sun and rain

Wind: 5mph

Saturday 2 September

1000

Temperature: 15°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 5mph

1300

Temperature:18°C

Weather: cloudy

Wind: 6mph

1600

Temperature:18°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 6mph

Sunday 3 September

1000

Temperature: 16°C

Weather: mostly sunny

Wind: 7mph

1300

Temperature:18°C

Weather: cloudy

Wind: 10mph

1600

Temperature: 19°C

Weather: cloudy

Wind: 10 mph

Courtesy BBC weather and the Met Office

Don’t miss our exclusive form guide for Burghley Horse Trials in the 31 August issue of Horse & Hound magazine

8 ways Storm Doris is making life a misery (wet rugs in your face is just for starters…)

Madeleine Silver — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:11:21 +0000

As Storm Doris rages across parts of Britain today, winds have reached 94mph in North-West Wales. Flights have been cancelled at Heathrow airport, 7,000 homes are without power in Northern Ireland and commuters have been warned to expect road and rail delays.

We’re hoping you all stay safe out there today — if you’re still with power and can get from A to B, it looks like you can count yourself lucky. But that’s not to say it isn’t making horse owners’ lives a misery all the same…

1. Attempting to put on a rug means being slapped in the face by it as it blows back on you. You can’t tell which way the wind is coming from — it’s everywhere — and it doesn’t make a huge amount of difference if you’re rugging up in the stable. Storm Doris knows how to get through a stable door…

2. Trying to fill up water buckets is worthy of a comedy sketch as they are repeatedly blown over. The fact that a bucket has spilt onto you and is trickling down inside your boot isn’t making a huge amount of difference, as Storm Doris has dished up some rain as well.

3. On the subject of ‘filling up’, can we talk about haynets? Or more specifically: hay. In. Your. Face. All the more unbearable because you’re wet (see point two).

4. What once resembled an electric fence, is now an afternoon’s worth of untangling, that would be better suited to a brain-teaser game show. Maybe wait until after the wind has died down if you want to avoid being trussed up like a mummy.

5. You’re now wondering why you didn’t shell out to get the roof of the field shelter fixed when you heard it rattling last week, as you watch it sailing across the field and out of sight.

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6. This weather is pretty grim, you think to yourself, but we’ve all seen a bit of rain before. So off you trot to put up a few cross-poles in the school. But Storm Doris and poles don’t mix, so flatwork it is.

7. Except when you do get on, you’re wondering why your nearly-retired cob is giving you the feel of a four-year-old on the racetrack. Not even a neck strap can help you today. Maybe this wasn’t the day for riding after all…

8. Inside you might feel cosy with the wind battering against the windows, and your riding kit drying on the radiator, but you’re in a state of panic wondering what carnage Strom Doris is causing outside. But just as you’re wondering whether it would be acceptable to bring your horse into the house, the BBC promises us some good news: “The strongest winds are expected to be ‘short-lived’ and gone by the evening.” Phew.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the … showjumpers

Lucy Elder — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:21:19 +0000

Winter sun-seekers are not the only tourists to have fallen victim to recent exceptional weather in Spain.

British and Irish showjumpers are among the visitors to have headed to what they hoped would have been warmer climes, only to be caught up in blizzards and storms.

The Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Valencia, eastern Spain, has had to cancel and reschedule days of competition due to the freak weather.

A photo posted by on

The first two-week show of the year, Met I, runs from 17-29 January and features CSI* and CSI2* plus international young horse classes. Riders from across the world have entered and it has a total prize-pot of €264,000.

Event director Bettina Pöhls told H&H on Thursday (19 January) this was the first snow to fall there in 30 years.

“We had to delay the young horse classes [on Wednesday], but were able to jump in the afternoon,” she said. “The real snow was just up the hill behind us.”

Unfortunately the venue was forced to cancel classes on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday due to very stormy weather and hard rain.

Rainy days in Spain are for catching up on some sleep #sleepymajor #spainlife #wetday pic.twitter.com/c1LpvQjaX5Rainy days in Spain are for catching up on some sleep #sleepymajor #spainlife #wetday pic.twitter.com/c1LpvQjaX5— Dan neilson (@aspenstables) January 21, 2017— Dan neilson (@aspenstables) January 21, 2017

Cancelled classes were rescheduled, or prize money added to similar classes, to be held this week.

Although normal temperatures for January in the region are about 9C, the mercury has dropped to around the freezing mark.

More than half Spain’s 50 regions were put on alert for sleet and snowstorms last week, with heavy snow causing problems for travellers on the roads in the east of the country.

But there is more positive news for the remainder of the show, with sunshine and highs of 17C forecast for the next three days.

Despite the rain, British riders have been enjoying success at the show.

Another wet, windy and cancelled day in Spain but Sid is still smiling 😂😂Posted by Anna Power on Saturday, January 21, 2017

Holly Smith and Elore finished third in the two-phase CSI2* 1.40m today (Monday), while Jemma Kirk and her own Tchoupi Pironniere finished second in the CSI2* 1.40m on Friday.

Leonne George scored a first British win of the show on Friday, taking the CSI* 1.10m with I Candy II, before adding another victory to their collection the CSI* 1.15m today (Monday).

Benjamin Raistrick and Top Limit took top honours in today’s CSI* 1.25m today (Monday), with Gemma Wright, Victoria Bennett, Anja Jackson, Louise Simpson, Caroline Breen, Emma Stoker all notching up top-six placings so far.

US horse world prepares for Hurricane Matthew

Lucy Elder — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 15:50:27 +0000

Horse owners in the path of Hurricane Matthew have been urged to put their hurricane emergency plans into action as a state of emergency has been declared in parts of the United States.

Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti yesterday (Tuesday), resulting in fatalities, a reported shortage of fresh water, overcrowding of hospitals and 10,000 people in shelters.

Forecasts show the category four storm, with winds between 131-155mph, is expected to reach Florida sometime after 2pm on Thursday.

It is then predicted to move up the east coast through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina over Friday and Saturday.

Around one million people are expected to be told to leave their homes in South Carolina, and North Carolina has published a checklist for horse owners together with a list of equine evacuation centres.

Among its recommendations is that each horse should have at least two forms of identification on him, for example an ID tag plaited into his mane or tail, writing a phone number on him with a waterproof livestock marker and also ensuring he is microchipped.

The America Association of Equine Practitioners also has advice on its website on what to do and what decisions owners need to make when preparing for a hurricane.

These include: deciding whether to evacuate or if not, identifying the best place at your property for your animals in the case of a disaster; preparing an emergency kit and enough hay and water for at least 72 hours; have a “buddy system” to help each other out and agree to check on each other.

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Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre has cancelled its Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) October show (7-9 October).

“Due to insurance regulations at ESP, all facilities will go into mandatory lockdown mode if storm watches or warnings are posted in the region, resulting in the early cancellation of the competition,” said a statement from the equestrian centre.

Florida Horse Park has also cancelled its events this weekend and is offering emergency stabling.

Stables smash into house in 90mph winds

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 16:28:35 +0000

A STABLE block was hurled into the front of a house on the Channel Islands as Britain was battered by Storm Katie.

The building, which was empty at the time, was picked up by winds of up to 90mph and smashed into the house in Alderney in the early hours of Easter Monday. It was the second time the stable had blown away, but on the previous occasion, a horse was inside it.

Homeowner Sue Abel said she “heard a crack on the other side of the house” about half an hour after midnight.

The stables had travelled about 50 metres from a field next door, Mrs Abel said.

She added: “I’ve never known the winds, in the 10 years I’ve been here, [to be] at that strength.”

The emergency services arrived on the scene soon afterwards but the stable building was left in place on Monday as the winds were “still quite brisk”, she said.

Bill Abel added: “We heard something banging outside the house at about 12.30am and we looked out window but everything seemed okay.

“Then we saw police lights outside the front windows and looked out and saw that the stable block from the field opposite our house had landed in the garden.

“It actually looks like it came very near to catching the edge of our roof and lifting that off. The first time this happened, five or six years ago, a storm blew the stable over the wall and into the road. That time there had been a horse in it, fortunately there wasn’t a horse in it this time.

So really, we are fortunate nothing worse happened. You have to look on the bright side in this sort of situation.”

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There was some damage to the front of the house, including a number of smashed windows.

Storm Katie, the 11^th named storm of this winter, caused damage across England, south Wales and the Channel Islands on Monday, with gusts of 106mph recorded at The Needles, off the Isle of Wight.

Storm Desmond: horse dies after becoming trapped in floods

Lucy Elder — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 17:15:52 +0000

A horse stranded in a flooded field in Northumberland is thought to have died after rescue missions failed.

A team of RSPCA officers tried to rescue the coloured horse near Ovingham on Saturday (5 December) after they were called by a member of the public.

“Unfortunately the rescue had to be called off for safety reasons because the strength of the flood water was so strong,” said a RSPCA spokesman.

“The fire and rescue service had also tried unsuccessfully to rescue the horse, before they were called to respond to civilian emergencies.”

The spokesman added that the fire service had previously rescued a member of the public who was found clinging to a tree after he had tried to reach the horse before being swept away by the floodwater.

A RSPCA inspector returned to the field this morning (Monday 7 December) at first light, but the horse could not be seen.

Local press reported today that the horse had died.

The RSPCA spokesman said that their flood teams were “desperately saddened” by the news.

The charity urges owners of animals in flood-risk areas to move them to higher ground or other areas of safety and not to put their own or another person’s life in danger to attempt an animal rescue.

Between Friday (4 December) and Monday (7 December), the RSPCA received calls about 77 flooding incidents.

Stay safe

The RSPCA has issued the following advice for horse owners:

Plan your escape route
Ensure you can be contacted in an emergency: keep phone numbers of people who can help move your animals
Ensure any extra gates you need for emergency access are fitted and attach your details to field gates
Act early if there is a flood warning
Livestock and horses will need to be moved to high ground early
Make sure you have emergency feed and fresh water supplies
If flooding strikes and you have not already moved your horses, then take them to high ground if the escape route is accessible
Read the list in full here

Useful numbers and websites

Floodline 08459881188

RSPCA 0300 1234999

www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

www.metoffice.gov.uk

Eventer killed by lightning strike

Rachael Turner — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 16:27:44 +0000

A horse has died and another has been seriously injured after being struck by lightning in the early hours of this morning (Friday 17 July).

The 15.2hh bay gelding, named George, was found dead in his field in Stanhoe, Norfolk, by his owners at 7.30am.

His fieldmate Maxine, a 16.2hh dark bay mare owned by the same family, was seriously injured and unable to move.

It is thought the horses were struck by lightning at around 3am during the heavy storm.

“It’s just so devastating and could happen to anybody,” said Stacey Myles, who owns both horses with her 17-year-old daughter, Cariad.

“We went to the yard this morning and he was dead in the field. We could see one horse stood by the fence and she couldn’t move.

“There wasn’t a mark on George. We thought they might have been fighting and couldn’t understand it.

“The horse that was still alive had a massive nosebleed and couldn’t walk.”

Stacey’s vet confirmed the horses had been struck by lightning.

The family had owned George (Little Bud II) for three years and Cariad had successfully evented the 11-year-old, qualifying for the BE100 regional finals for the grassroots championships.

“They have done so well together,” said Mrs Myles. “He was her top horse.

“He was boss of all the horses and always wanted to be the first to go out and play.”

Five-year-old ex-racehorse Maxine was preparing to make her eventing debut with Cariad.

She has been put on box rest with an injured shoulder and has been given painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

There were eight other horses in the field who were not injured.

The British Horse Society (BHS) offered advice for horse owners concerned about the risk of lightning.

“Nature cannot be predicted but the more likely area for a lightning strike is higher ground and/or a single tree rather than a group of trees,” a spokesman for BHS told H&H.

“It would be wise to for horse-owners who have access to well-grounded stabling to keep an eye on the weather forecast and stable their horses when there is a threat of a lightning storm.”

Mare killed after hit by tin roofing in heavy winds

Rachael Turner — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 14:55:47 +0000

A horse has been killed during a storm that hit an equine rescue centre in America.

The Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue in Hardy, Virginia, was subject to strong winds on Friday evening (19 June), which pulled down trees and fences as well as roofing from a barn.

One of the centre’s horses, Daisy, died after being “sliced open” by tin falling from the roof.

(Image credit: Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue)

“We are heartbroken over the loss of Daisy,” Patricia Muncy, president of Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue, told H&H.

“She spent seven years of her life here with us. She was a yearling when we took her in from a large seizure case. She was one of 25 horses rescued.”

Three other horses suffered minor injuries in the storm, and the centre’s owners told H&H they are recovering well following treatment.

The 10 horses that had been housed in the damaged barn have been left without shelter and the fields were littered with debris, including posts, roofing, logs and fallen branches.

(Image credit: Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue)

“The damage is nothing compared to losing Daisy,” Ms Muncy added.

A clean-up was held with local volunteers the day after the storm and the rescue centre is now raising funds to make repairs.

Closer to home

In February last year horseandhound.co.uk reported that a group of five fillies worth an estimated €1m (£830,000) had died in Ireland after being electrocuted during Storm Darwin.

The yearlings were in a paddock at Kilfrush Stud, Knocklong, Co Limerick, when an electricity cable snapped and travelled through the ground, killing the horses instantly.

The alarm was raised by a member of staff, who went to check on the horses during the storm.

Bad weather causes chaos at equestrian events

Horse & Hound — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 11:25:35 +0000

Bad weather wreaked havoc at equestrian events this weekend, with cancellations at British Eventing venues and a near-miss Bury Farm.

Stafford (1) and Gatcombe (1) both abandoned Sunday’s sections (29 March). As scheduled, Stafford ran on Friday and Saturday, while Gatcombe ran on Saturday.

British Eventing (BE) has put plans in place to offer disappointed riders opportunities to compete.

Somerley Park has added a third day of competition on Friday 3 April to include classes at intermediate, novice and BE100 levels.

Burnham Market is still taking entries in all classes on Thursday and Friday (2-3 April) and Weston Park is adding an intermediate class on 11 April.

Goring Heath Horse Trials (3-4 April) has also been cancelled in advance after “unforeseen problems with the ground” on areas used for dressage, showjumping and lorry parking “could not be resolved”.

For more information visit: www.britisheventing.com

Meanwhile, in showing galeforce winds and torrential rain caused havoc at Bury Farm on Sunday (29 March) during the second day of the Ponies(UK) Winter Classic and the organisers considered cancelling the classes in the working hunter ring.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

A temporary halt was called after the roof lifted off an adjacent range of temporary stables and metal railings surrounding the conformation judging ring were blown over. Tradestand staff fought to stop their tents from taking off and several chose to leave the show early.

Course-builder Lisa Kelly and her team managed to complete the Royal International working hunter qualifier, then cleared all the fences from the ring and waited to see if the weather would improve.

Lisa made use of every sandbag on the showground to build a shortened course and the last P(UK) final was completed in time for the winner to take part in the supreme championship.

“Safety must come first and I did come awfully close to calling a halt,” said show organiser and president Davina Whiteman.

“We’ve offered refunds of entry fees to anyone who wanted to pull out of their classes and to those who weren’t happy about not jumping a full course and everyone seems happy now.”

What is the weather forecast for Royal Ascot?

Sophia Heath — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:09:22 +0000

If you are planning on heading to Royal Ascot this week (17-21 June) then you are in luck as the weather gods are smiling. The latest forecasts are predicting that the week will be mostly dry and warm with long sunny periods.

Tuesday 17 June

1000

Temperature/feels like:14°C/12°C

Weather: some cloud with sunny spells

Wind: 12mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:18°C/15°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 12mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:20°C/16°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 13mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Wednesday 18 June

1000

Temperature/feels like:16°C/15°C

Weather: mainly cloudy with the chance of a light shower

Wind: 9mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:18°C/17°C

Weather: dry and mainly cloudy with some sunny intervals

Wind: 11mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:20°C/18°C

Weather: dry and mainly cloudy with some sunny intervals

Wind: 10mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Thursday 19 June

1000

Temperature/feels like:19°C/17°C

Weather: mainly sunny with some partial cloud cover

Wind: 10mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:20°C/18°C

Weather: cloudy with some sunny intervals

Wind: 11mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:21°C/19°C

Weather: mainly sunny with some partial cloud cover

Wind: 10mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Friday 20 June

1000

Temperature/feels like:14°C/14°C

Weather: cloudy with the chance of heavy showers

Wind: 3mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:17°C/17°C

Weather: dry and cloudy

Wind: 3mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:18°C/18°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 4mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Saturday 21 June

1000

Temperature/feels like:17°C/16°C

Weather: mainly sunny with some partial cloud cover

Wind: 5mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:20°C/19°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 6mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:10°C/19°C

Weather: sunny

Wind: 4mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Forecast predictions are courtesy of the MetOffice.

Still deciding what to wear for Royal Ascot? Let the H&H team guide you through the dos and don’ts of the dress code

Weather forecast for Badminton Horse Trials

Sophia Heath — Wed, 07 May 2014 10:29:34 +0000

If you are planning on heading to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (8-12 May) this weekend don’t forget to pack your wellies and waterproofs as the weekend looks set to be wet. The latest forecasts are predicting unsettled weather throughout with scattered heavy showers and strong winds.

Thursday 8 May

1000

Temperature/feels like:10°C/8°C

Weather: heavy rain

Wind: 12mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:12°C/9°C

Weather: heavy rain

Wind: 15mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like:12°C/9°C

Weather: heavy rain

Wind: 11mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Friday 9 May

1000

Temperature/feels like:10°C/7°C

Weather: heavy showers

Wind: 21mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:12°C/7°C

Weather: light showers

Wind: 25mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like: 11°C/7°C

Weather: sunny spells

Wind: 24 mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Saturday 10 May

1000

Temperature/feels like:10°C/7°C

Weather: heavy rain

Wind: 15mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:12°C/7°C

Weather: light showers

Wind: 25mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like: 11°C/7°C

Weather: light showers

Wind: 22 mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Sunday 11 May

1000

Temperature/feels like: 9°C/6°C

Weather: light rain

Wind: 16mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1300

Temperature/feels like:10°C/7°C

Weather: heavy showers

Wind: 17mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1600

Temperature/feels like: 10°C/7°C

Weather: light showers

Wind: 24 mph

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Forecast predictions are courtesy of the MetOffice.

Horse owners battle UK storm destruction [H&H VIP]

Sophia Heath — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:05:42 +0000

Horse owners are being urged to remain vigilant and be prepared for further flooding and damage after some parts of the country had a month’s rainfall in less than a week over the Christmas period.

More than 500 weather warnings have been issued over the past fortnight and many owners have found themselves caught out by the storms.

H&H reader Andrea Norbury from Leatherhead in Surrey was forced to call out her local fire service to rescue one of her ponies who was trapped on the wrong side of a flooded ditch.

“It has just been horrific,” Andrea said. “The fire service were brilliant and the pony was fine.

“We also had 5 ex-racehorses that were up to their chests in water in their stables.”

Jim Green, who is large animal rescue specialist for Hampshire Fire and Rescue, told H&H that livestock owners have responded well to the crisis.

“People seem to have put contingency plans in place,” he said. “But we need to make sure that we are proactive when bad weather hits. As a nation, we are poor at planning for extreme conditions.”

Owner concern

Welfare charities have also been inundated with calls from owners and members of the public who are concerned about the welfare of horses.

“Since Christmas we have received more calls about horses in waterlogged flood plains or standing in water, and if the weather persists the situation will only get worse,” said World Horse Welfare’s Sam Chubbock.

“When people are concerned about horses owned by others, we are asking callers to monitor the situation to see if the horse is in a waterlogged field temporarily, which is less of a concern than if they are in deep or flowing water.

“They should call us back if the situation persists or if the horse seems to be in distress.”

The RSPCA was forced to step in to move groups of trapped ponies to higher ground in Maisemore, Glos, and Christchurch in Dorset last week.

Power cuts

As well as flooding concerns, power cuts have also caused havoc in the equestrian world.

More than 100,000 homes were left without power over Christmas. International dressage rider Amy Stovold, who is based in Dunsfold, Surrey, was one of those affected.

“It was an awful time,” said Amy. “The yard didn’t have any electricity for three days and my poor staff had to have everything finished before it got dark.”

Showing producer Lynn Russell is also based in Dunsfold and was left without any power over the festive period.

Lucky escape

Other owners across the country have expressed relief that their horses have not been seriously injured after roofs and field shelters were blown away and trees have blown over.

Barbara Wakinson in Lancashire woke up to find that a huge willow tree had split in half and fallen across her stable block with 2 horses inside.

“The branches had pierced the roof in 2 places, but thankfully the stables are built out of concrete blocks and were able to withstand the weight,” she said.

Gabrielle Davies from Bolton said it looked like a “twister had ripped through” her farm. Caroline Griffiths from Anglesey in Wales had the roof of her stable ripped off and blown more than 30m away.

Cancellations

The terrible weather has also forced numerous cancellations to the racing calendar. Ffos Las, Huntingdon, Exeter and Lingfield racecourses have all been forced to abandon fixtures in the past fortnight.

And Wincanton, Taunton — which was to host the first hunter chase of the new season — Fontwell, Cheptstow and Sandown had to cancel after further heavy rain last weekend (4-5 January).

Sandown was due to hold the feature race of the weekend, the Tolworth Hurdle. Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said the Surrey track “sadly had no choice but to abandon” due to the weather conditions.

Hunts have also been affected by the weather.

Despite a bumper turnout on Boxing Day (news, 3 January), some packs, such as the Farmers Bloodhounds, were forced to cancel meets over the weekend. Many other hunts were restricted to roads and tracks.

Danger hasn’t passed

Although the worst of the weather has hopefully passed, there is still concern about the damage left behind.

Vets and farriers are already seeing more cases of foot abscesses caused by infection seeping into waterlogged hooves standing on the wet ground.

“Horses are prone to pus in the foot in wet weather,” H&H vet Karen Coumbe warned. “Mud fever and rain scald are also seen more often now.

“It is worth remembering that if horses are forced into a sudden change of routine due to the weather, there can be a concern about colic, too.”

View pictures of the storm’s aftermath

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine, 9 January 2014

Horseworld affected by storms: in pictures [H&H VIP]

Horse & Hound — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:00:37 +0000

Gale-force winds and heavy rain caused havoc for the equestrian world over the festive period with stable blocks destroyed, horses stranded by flooding and yards left without power for days

RSPCA rescue horses from flooded field

Sophia Heath — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 09:00:25 +0000

The RSPCA has been forced to step-in and rescue a group of wild horses that were at risk of drowning in Christchurch, Dorset.

On Friday (3 January) the charity initially herded the horses to a small area of dry land with the intention of moving the horses to complete safety the next day. However, the horses were spooked and ran back into the deep water.

The next day RSPCA officers used a boat and worked for several hours in fast flowing chest-deep water to round up the wild cobs.

A row has broken out between the RSPCA and local people who witnessed the rescue, with each accusing the other side of spooking the horses and exacerbating the situation.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

The horses were eventually driven into a corral with food and water so they could be transported away. The owner of the horses arranged for a livestock trailer to take the horses from the flooded field. However, the RSPCA deemed that it was unsuitable.

A member of the public then offered to help transport the horses from the flooded field. On Sunday (5 January) 3 horses were successfully loaded into a lorry and taken to another field.

An attempt was made to load the 4 remaining horses into another trailer but the horses broke free and walked through the flood water into a field where they used to graze.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

During the escape a man was cut on the head by a falling gate, while a female RSPCA inspector was also forced to dive to the floor to avoid being trampled.

The escaped horses have been checked over by a vet and are safe and well. A discussion is now taking place with the owner to decide where the horses will be moved to.

The RSPCA’s Kevin Degenhard said: “These officers did a fantastic job in a very difficult situation.

“Many of these officers were off-duty and had given up their time to help save these horses. We rely on the dedication and professionalism of these officers to make operational decisions under challenging circumstances this like.”

For a full report into the devastation caused by the recent gale-force winds and heavy rain don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound — out today (Thursday 9 January)

Alternatively you can read our news report and view a picture gallery of the damage online by subscribing to our H&H VIP club — for just £1 a week or less

Rising costs hinder point-to-points

Amy Mathieson — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:00:42 +0000

After a tough few seasons, a third of hunts have said they have “considered not running” a point-to-point, as it is just too big a financial risk.

Along with the annual ball, point-to-pointing used to be a hunt’s big fundraiser. But with the average cost of a meeting now £20,000 and only 30% of hunts making a profit of more than £5,000, they seem increasingly unviable.

The revelations emerged from a survey sent out last September by the Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) and the Point-to-Point Authority (PPA).

Of the 149 hunts that responded, 53 said a loss of revenue and lack of manpower, as well as increasing vet and doctor costs, meant they had questioned whether to host a meeting.

Charlie Moore of the Meynell and South Staffordshire said their committee had seriously considered packing in pointing.

“It is a very high financial risk for relatively low returns and we have a responsibility to our hunt; it can’t afford to pick up the tab,” he told H&H. “But we’ve looked at it ‘glass half full’ and will run until 2015, when we will review it again.”

The South Devon told H&H they have decided to call time on pointing after both their fixtures were cancelled this year.

“We’ve had the misfortune of bad weather, but with endlessly increasing costs, it was a complete no-brainer to stop. It’s incredibly disappointing,” said chairman Valerie Kemp.

Entries down, gates down

“People are much more mindful of their ‘leisure money’ today,” added Mrs Kemp. “Entries are down and gates are down.”

Tina Hayward of the North Norfolk agreed.

“How long we can all continue to hold point-to-points remains to be seen,” she said. “It is an awful lot of work for very little return nowadays. There are so many things people can do with their weekends.”

Many hunts told H&H that expectations, especially regarding the going, are growing.

“Pointing is now a semi-professional sport,” said Steven Astaire, a director of the PPA. “Twenty years ago you turned up and ran, now they analyse the ground. It’s good that standards are rising, but you have to be realistic.”

A ‘hardy sport’

But Lucy Tucker of the PPA said the results of the survey were as expected and that the “star” fixtures were thriving.

“The number of hunts that said they will no longer stage fixtures is very small,” she said. “But we understand it is hard work to run a point-to-point.”

She added that pointing is a “hardy sport”.

“The weather is a major player. But pointing picks itself up and kicks on,” she added.

There were 199 fixtures in the calendar this season — down from 206 last year — plus a 6.8% drop in horse registrations and a 10.8% drop in riders applying for licences.

H&H columnist Darren Edwards said the appetite for the sport is strong, but with entries down there should be a further reduction in fixtures. “No one wants to watch a walkover,” he pointed out.

What is being done?

Both the MFHA and PPA want to encourage hunts to hold meetings earlier in the season.

“Star fixtures” — such as those run over Easter and bank holidays — cost more to run compared with “unfashionable” winter dates. The PPA recently introduced a cash incentive to encourage hunts to stage fixtures before February and this will continue to run next season.

Stephen Lambert from the MFHA said a new guide for hunts — with advice on everything from medical cover to how to get the most out of sponsorship — will be sent out and seminars for new point-to-point secretaries will be held in September.

“The industry is in good heart, but we need to help hunts run successful meetings and make better use of the great knowledge we have,” he said.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (6 June 2013)

Rainy Grand National prompts new business idea

Flora Watkins — Mon, 27 May 2013 14:00:06 +0000

Last year’s Grand National was remembered for all the wrong reasons. But for one racegoer, that wet and windy day provided him with the “Eureka” moment to start a new business.

Stephen Collier grew so sick of being dripped on and poked in the eye by umbrellas at Aintree, that he went home and reinvented it — with sports fans in mind.

“It was pouring with rain, the wind was howling and I was struggling with my umbrella,” he said.

“I thought there had to be a better way.”

And so the “Rainshader” was born. Based on the design of a motorbike helmet, it sits low over the head, so it doesn’t block the view of those behind — or blow inside out or drip on other people.

“The basic design of the umbrella hasn’t changed for centuries,” said the Warwickshire-based entrepreneur.

“The time was ripe to make it more suitable to modern settings.”

And with forecasters warning the weather pattern that caused last summer’s washout is back, it might just be a very sensible investment.

The Rainshader costs £24.99 from www.rainshader.com.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (23 May 2013)

Early horse shows suffer from low numbers

Horse & Hound — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:36 +0000

Bad weather explains only part of the story of showing’s flagging entries. A long financial crisis — coupled with expensive entries and poor prize-money — plus a surfeit of qualifiers, means people are picking their shows very carefully.

Working hunter supremo Louise Bell says all the shows she has been to this season have had “disappointingly small classes”.

“We’re probably a month behind,” she said. “People with other commitments haven’t the time to prepare or the money to start showing yet.”

British Show Horse Association (BSHA) chairman Nigel Hollings, said: “The weather is definitely affecting numbers right now.

“If people have had a lot of snow or cold, their horses won’t have been ready before the end of April. But it’s not been all bad everywhere — some shows have been

well attended,” he added.

But Sue Kenny, south vice chairman of the BSHA, denied the weather was the culprit. Entries, she says, have been dwindling for some time.

“Down south, the winter has been no worse than last year,” said Sue, who has set up a new series with the Side Saddle Association to boost flagging entries. “Low classes were already a problem. We’ve been looking at how things have been going awry for a while.”

Last week Royal Windsor enjoyed record entries, although H&H showing editor Nicola Jane Swinney reported a few classes had “disappointing numbers”.

Finances are tight

Bad weather has prompted many to save money, with exhibitors picking their shows carefully. North of England Show organiser and H&H columnist Stuart Hollings has noticed “big yards sending their entries by their closing date instead of paying extra to enter on the day”.

Fellow H&H columnist Katie Jerram said at most shows she has attended this year, the maximum in a class was four.

“Shows have to dangle more of a carrot,” she said. “At one show, it cost £25 to enter, and the prize-money was £15. I spent £100 on diesel — that’s not viable.”

Working hunter specialist Louise Bell agrees. “Entry fees are humungous, so we’re all being very careful,” she said. “I go to fewer shows than I’d like to, and make them count.”

When money is tight, competitors are unlikely to travel if they’ve already qualified. Stuart believes that the abundance of qualifiers mean that “people risk waiting until mid-May” to compete.

Too many pros?

Similarly, if exhibitors think they have no chance of qualifying due to judging preferences, they won’t waste their money.

“I’ve heard lots of people say that the professional yards covering all the classes are killing the sport because no one else has a chance,” said Sue Kenny. “Perhaps the low entries are in the same area as these big yards?”

Aside from the Retraining of Racehorses and coloured classes, which are thriving the decline in entries seems to be random, affecting a variety of shows.

Nigel Hollings believes the warmer weather has already invigorated enthusiasm. But it remains to be seen whether the sunshine will override these other issues.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (16 May 2013)

Badminton Horse Trials weather is set fair

Horse & Hound — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:38:41 +0000

What a difference a year makes. In contrast to 2012, the weather looks set fair as the final countdown to Badminton Horse Trials begins.

A ridge of high pressure lies over the south of England, ensuring sunny intervals, light winds and only a small chance of a shower.

Daytime temperatures are expected to be around 12 to 15°C, with a possible peak of 18°C on Sunday afternoon — well above the seasonal average.

The Met Office is forecasting “dry, fine and pleasant days, with chilly nights” up until the weekend. Showers are most likely on Saturday, but should clear by Sunday.

Hunts rally against tough season

Flora Watkins — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:02 +0000

Hunting Office director Tim Easby has saluted masters and hunt staff for persevering through an “absolute swine of a season”.

Autumn hunting was delayed due to the very wet ground and meet cards were further disrupted by the continued heavy rainfall, snow and freezing weather.

The outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) in Gloucestershire “compounded what was already a very difficult season”, said Mr Easby.

“It made it very difficult for hunts to accept visitors,” he said. “There also seems to have been an increase in antis trying to film our activities — and hunts have coped remarkably well with the extra burden from ‘monitors’ trying to catch them out.”

Mr Easby also cited two “particularly spineless incidents” — in which the High Peak huntsman and a Badsworth and Bramham Moor supporter were seriously assaulted — as a return to “old-fashioned” violent behaviour by sabs.

The Countryside Alliance told H&H the cases have since “come to a halt”.

But Mr Easby stressed that the hunting community was extraordinarily resilient.

“The determination, spirit and the atmosphere at hunt balls and end-of-season dinners, has been such that you wouldn’t believe it had been a difficult year,” he said.

He has also been cheered by the number of people coming forward to be masters and applications from “seven really good candidates” for the hunt bursary scheme.

“I think if we survived last season, we can survive just about anything,” he added.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (18 April 2013)

Is it time to change your equestrian sport?

Horse & Hound — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:49 +0000

The great thing with horses is that you can constantly reinvent and refocus. There are plenty of top-level riders who have taken a U-turn. We asked some of them why they changed sport and what their advice is for others.

Bumble Thomas

Eventer-turned-showjumper

Why she switched: “I wasn’t keen on the way the sport was heading, with the short format and technical fences. A nasty fall at Tweseldown confirmed I was gradually becoming more cautious.”

Advice to others: “Ask yourself what you really enjoy doing and what might fit in with your lifestyle. I always enjoyed the technical aspect of showjumping and I thought, ‘It’s now or never’.”

Antonia Brown

Eventer-turned-dressage rider

Why she switched: “It was the day I thought I’d gone flat out around a novice course and found out I had 15 time-penalties. That’s when I realised I needed a new game.”

Advice to others: “Go to a few top competitions in other disciplines as a spectator. It really can inspire you. I remember watching the national dressage championships at Stoneleigh several years ago and thinking, ‘This is where I want to be’.”

Polly Gundry

Eventer-turned-jockey

Why she switched: “I’m a very competitive person and my lack of ability in the dressage frustrated me. I wanted to be winning.”

Advice to others: “Try as many different activities as you can. I have found myself playing a bit of polo recently — something I never imaged I’d get involved with. You need to be open-minded.”

Matt Hicks

Eventer-turned-dressage rider

Why he switched: “Once I reached three-star level, I knew I didn’t really have the guts to kick on any faster across country. The horses I was riding at the time were good on the flat and I enjoyed dressage, so I decided to give it a go.”

Advice to others: “If you’re a competitive person, focus on what you’re good at, because that will make your riding much more enjoyable.”

Is Twitter to blame for many withdrawals from horse trials?

Horse & Hound — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:09:41 +0000

Social media — an invaluable tool or an obstructive hindrance?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Team chase organisers beat bad weather

Horse & Hound — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:54:25 +0000

Team chase organisers have managed to rescue the spring season despite the loss of the first four events to severe weather.

The Worcestershire, Taunton Vale, Berks & Bucks and Cattistock have all been cancelled or postponed.

This would have left the Fernie this Sunday (31 March) as the only run before the national championships on 7 April.

But after heavy snow in Leicestershire (see picture) this, too, looked unlikely to go ahead.

However, team chase organisers have rescheduled their events to enable horses and riders to get out before the championships.

The new dates are as follows:

• Berks & Bucks, 1 April

• Fernie, 7 April

• Worcestershire, 14 April

• British national championship, Heythrop, 21 April

Horse trials insurance is soaring

Flora Watkins — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:35:15 +0000

Horse trials organisers are having to shoulder steep event insurance increases and another wet year could render some events uninsurable, an expert has warned.

British Eventing (BE) lost almost 100 days of competition — including Badminton, Gatcombe and Chatsworth — in 2012, its worst season for cancellations on record.

In his recent H&H column (7 March), Mark Phillips revealed that the premium for the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe (2-4 August) had “nearly doubled”.

Tissie Reason of Chatsworth told H&H that their insurance had “more than doubled, for the same level of cover”.

As entry fees are set by BE and the FEI, organisers need to recoup the money elsewhere. Mrs Reason hopes to do this by increasing the number of tradestands and spectators.

BE announced late last year that the abandonment insurance paid by competitors would go up from 9.5% to 12% of the entry fee.

The abandonment fund paid out around £1.7million last season. Guy Prest of insurance broker KBIS, which underwrites the scheme, told H&H that figure would be closer to £250,000 in a normal year.

“Last year was a worst-case scenario and it went beyond what anyone would have expected,” said Mr Prest.

“If we have another year as wet as 2012, I think the insurance market would be running scared.

“It may become untenable for some events with poor cancellation records to find insurance cover.”

Mr Prest said event organisers should shop around for the best policy. KBIS, which provides policies for a number of events, including Badminton, has also put some clients on to a two-year policy.

“That way, if the event cancels one year, but runs the next, the client will have some track record that is good,” said Mr Prest.

Badminton director Hugh Thomas has seen his insurance premium go up by 55%, although he has increased the sum insured.

“It is a big chunk,” said Mr Thomas. “But I’m pleased with the job our broker did. I was expecting it to be much worse.”

Some event organisers do not take out insurance.

The people behind the Great Yorkshire Show say the cost is “prohibitive”. But when last year’s event was abandoned, it cost them £2m.

“We had to stand that loss ourselves,” said Judy Thompson of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

“Fortunately, we have reserves to cover it — but you do hope lightning won’t strike twice in the same place.”

But David Nunn, director of the Suffolk Show, has decided to take out insurance following last year’s cancellation of their second day, the first in the event’s 181 year history.

He said: “We could not sustain another £1-2m hit. The world is changing; we cannot ignore issues associated with climate change and felt this was a prudent step.”

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

Weather devastates horse sport for second weekend in a row

Flora Watkins — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:21:56 +0000

Rain, snow and hail have combined to force another slew of cancelled competitions.

Aldon Horse Trials abandoned at lunchtime on Saturday, 16 March, losing that afternoon’s classes and all of Sunday’s, due to bottomless going and hailstorms — the first time it has cancelled for 20 years.

The going at Aldon???!!!??? twitter.com/SpencerSturmey…The going at Aldon???!!!??? twitter.com/SpencerSturmey…— Spencer Sturmey (@SpencerSturmey) March 16, 2013— Spencer Sturmey (@SpencerSturmey) March 16, 2013

I was just sent this photo from Aldon…think cancelling was the right decision! #whereisspring twitter.com/DassettEventin…I was just sent this photo from Aldon…think cancelling was the right decision! #whereisspring twitter.com/DassettEventin…— Dassett Eventing (@DassettEventing) March 17, 2013— Dassett Eventing (@DassettEventing) March 17, 2013

And Swalcliffe lost both days (16 and 17 March) due to torrential rain, followed by snow.

Poor weather also saw the cancellation of affiliated dressage at Richmond Equestrian Centre on 17 March and the loss of five out of 14 point-to-point meetings.

Weather forces difficult start to the eventing season

Flora Watkins — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:46:10 +0000

There was a distinct sense of déjà vu for event riders last week, with hock-deep mud and cancellations.

Somerford Park lost the Sunday (10 March) to adverse weather, which also forced the cancellation of Poplar Park’s unaffiliated event.

Although Tweseldown organisers made a Herculean effort to run all 24 sections, opinion was divided as to whether it would have been better to cancel.

Deep mud prompted many riders — including Mary King and William Fox-Pitt —to withdraw after the dressage in Thursday and Friday’s intermediate and novice sections (7-8 March).

In one open novice section, just three completed.

“Can someone please make a sensible decision about Tweseldown?” tweeted Laura Collett. “I don’t want to run, but the owners deserve their money back.”

Ellie Hughes, who also withdrew after her open novice dressage test, joked that it had cost her “about £20 a circle”.

Organisers moved the dressage and showjumping arenas on Friday to enable the BE90 and BE100 sections to run at the weekend.

Their efforts were applauded by Vittoria Panizzon. She won a BE100 section on Borough Free Flight, who is out of the same dam as her Olympic ride Borough Pennyz.

“It was disappointing for so many people to panic and withdraw,” she told H&H.

“The black warm-up areas didn’t look pretty, but the mud was not deep, sticky or holding — it rode fine. Horses hunt all winter, jumping in far deeper going, with no problems.”

“Tweseldown did a fantastic job,” she added.

British Eventing thanked organisers and volunteers for their “enormous efforts” in continuing to run.

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

Season comes to an early end for a number of hunts

Charlotte White — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:34:45 +0000

Wet weather has forced a number of south Midlands hunts to draw a premature close to their season.

Masters of Foxhounds Association chairman Stephen Lambert supported the hunts’ decisions, telling H&H: “Some have decided to call it a day a week or fortnight earlier this year out of responsibility to the farming community, who have been so supportive and generous in allowing us to hunt through this very wet winter.”

The Bicester with Whaddon Chase are losing nine meets by finishing the season more than two weeks early. They held their closing meet on 23 February rather than 11 March.

The Oakley have lost even more sport, by ending on 16 February rather than 19 March.

Hunt secretary Fay Cooper said: “We are on clay and it’s so waterlogged that we have got to the point where, to keep the farmers happy, we have decided to pack it in early.”

The Warwickshire and North Cotswold are both ending a week before time.

Keith Arnold of the Warwickshire said: “The farmers have been really good, but we don’t want to push them too far. We don’t have any light ground — it’s all on Midland clay — and if you cut it up now it does not recover.”

They have brought their closing meet, traditionally held at Todenham, forward a week to 2 March.

However, despite rumours to the contrary, three local packs — the Pytchley, Grafton and Heythrop — have decided to carry on to the end of the season, barring further floods.

Vanessa Lambert, joint-master of the Heythrop, told H&H: “We have lost so many days since Christmas, including a week to the equine herpes outbreak, that we decided to keep going. We are lucky in having enough country to do so.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (28 February 2013)

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Is water alone enough to rehydrate a horse?

Help – I’m competing. How can I help keep my horse cool?

Riding in hot weather: advice for riders

Storm Éowyn causes cancellations of equestrian competitions

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Weather forces major timetable changes and class cancellations at Festival of British Eventing

The British eventing national classes at open intermediate and open novice level have been abandoned completely.

Showjumping for the championship classes will continue to take place in Gatcombe’s main arena as planned, and will be shown on Horse & Country TV.

A revised timetable for Sunday is being prepared, and main arena attractions are expected to go ahead on Sunday.

A statement from the Festival of British Eventing on the Gatcombe Horse Trials weather said: “The safety of all of our human and equine competitors and spectators is of paramount importance to us and at the centre of this decision.”

The organisers have also said that general admission tickets for today that are not used are transferable to Sunday, but hospitality and park view picnic parking for Saturday cannot be transferred.

The Festival of British Eventing was last cancelled due to bad weather in 2012.

Oliver has four wins to his name in the British intermediate championship to date – 2007 (Daisy Crazy), 2008 (ODT Land Vision), 2015 (Note Worthy) and 2017 (Khoi Traveller).

Jason Wood holds a healthy advantage in the British novice championship after the first day of dressage. His score of 22.7 aboard Alexandra and Charles Lloyd’s Nitor gives him 3.9 marks in hand over Oliver Townend and En Taro Des Vernier.

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9 things you quickly discover while competing in muddy conditions

5. You’re desperate to show off your horse’s wow-factor movement to the judges — but those bog-like conditions are something of a hindrance…

6. Plastic covers for your car seat are a waste of space — don’t kid yourself. Now is not the time to be a clean car person.

8. Rain has an uncanny ability to make your perfectly-groomed horse’s coat go dull and flat, and for your horse to instantly tuck its belly up, flatten its ears and clamp its tail within minutes. Not the best picture…

9. The tack cleaning situation post-show looks as though you’ve had a full day of January hunting, only without the port…

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5 horsey headaches that ‘inbetweeny weather’ brings

1. Rugs

2. In or out?

3. Timing to perfection

4. Walking weatherman/woman

5. What to wear?

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

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Thoresby hopeful flagship classes will run despite wet weather after more sections abandoned

Thoresby organisers BEDE Events have cancelled most national classes due to run on Friday (31 March), with the exception of the open novice under-18 (section D). The CCI2*-S class will go ahead.

Saturday’s intermediate and open intermediate (OI) under-21 section have also been cancelled. OI sections G and H will continue as planned, alongside the CCI3*S.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision as the ground on course at the moment is truly fantastic and the feedback from those on site is exceptional,” said event director Stuart Buntine.

“However, we feel that in making the decision early we can prevent a number of horse and rider combinations travelling, which will be to the benefit of horse welfare.”

Friday’s cancelled sections are novice sections A, B and C, plus intermediate section F. Saturday’s cancelled sections are intermediate sections J and L, and OI under-21 section I.

“Our focus is to give priority to those senior horses and riders who are desperate for their open intermediate, advanced and CCI4*-S runs as they make their preparations for both Kentucky and Badminton,” added Mr Buntine.

“We also see the need to prioritise the CCI2* and CCI3* for those requiring minimum eligibility requirements. We are truly sorry for those novice and intermediate competitors affected.”

The news follows a soggy start to the spring season. The cancellation of Oasby, plus lost days at Cirencester, mean that many combinations head to Thoresby as their opening run.

Northallerton (25 to 26 March) was also lost to the wet, and Goring Heath (1 to 2 April) is cancelled this weekend.

The point-to-point calendar has also taken a battering, including three of the nine fixtures scheduled for this weekend lost to the weather.

The Fernie team chase, which includes the national team chase championship, has been postponed from 2 April to 15 April.

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Competitions cancelled as spring snow hits amid weather warnings across UK

BEDE Events announced the cancellation of today’s (9 March) competition late last night, but in a further update this morning, organisers confirmed Friday (10 March) will also not go ahead.

“Following continued snowfall on Thursday morning and the forecast continuing to show snow for the remainder of the day, we have taken the decision to abandon all of Friday’s competition on the grounds of horse and rider safety,” said a BEDE spokesman.

“By taking this decision early we hope we can prevent riders travelling in inclement weather and it enables us to make alternative arrangements.”

“We are in the process of finalising details of a day of intermediate/OI on Monday, 13 March. We will be in touch with all applicable entrants to offer the option to move their entry to Monday,” said a BEDE spokesman.

The weather has become increasingly worse in many parts of the UK throughout the week. The Met Office has issued a number of yellow and amber weather warnings for heavy snow and ice for parts of Scotland, northern and central England and Wales, due to be in place until Friday.

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7 reasons (most) horse people hate windy weather

2. Schooling

Ditto hacking, really. Are the jump stands going to remain upright as you pass them? Who knows? One thing is for certain, you know your neck strap is going to start paying you back today.

3. Travelling

You avoid travelling with a horse in windy weather if you can. But for those days when you find you have to load your horse up for a vet or farrier visit, you grip the steering wheel and hope it will be over soon.

4. Everywhere looks a mess

You’ve swept the yard at least 20 times this morning, yet it looks like you might as well not have bothered. Although your hay is strapped down and covered, it has suddenly got a mind of its own and is strewn everywhere. The place looks like a dump. And don’t even get us started on shavings…

5. Your horse thinks it is a wild animal

It’s like they have never been handled. Leading to and from the field? What is that? As they swing around on the end of the lead rope, it’s like they’re singing ‘I want to break free’. You do some mental arithmetic and work out there’s only 144 sleeps left until your summer holiday.

6. Watery eyes

You’re cantering and can’t see as the wind has made you look like you’re in floods of tears. You’d quite like to be able to see right now (see points one and two).

7. Feeling windswept

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More than 2,000 horses evacuated as US owners prepare for Hurricane Ian

The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, northern Florida, has taken in more than 2,000 evacuated horses – but has now reached capacity.

“We applaud the efforts of the World Equestrian Center who have generously opened their facility for more than 2,000 horses in need of housing. The equestrian community always comes together in times of need,” said the spokesman.

“USEF is prepared to activate the USEF disaster relief fund and provide resources immediately to non-profit organisations to fund supplies and horse care where needed. We will continue to accept donations to support the USEF Disaster Relief Fund today and in the future.”

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What is the weather forecast for Burghley Horse Trials 2022?

Thursday 1 September