A ‘heartbreaking’ loss, solving the staffing crisis, and more things the horse world is talking about

‘Heartbreaking’ farewell to foal of rescued mare

The carers of three mares rescued emaciated and pregnant from “horrific” neglect have said a heartbroken goodbye to a foal they battled to save for over a year. Bristol charity HorseWorld took in three in-foal mares in 2021. Two in-foal mares survived, but after more than a year of battling with various health problems, one of the foals has now died. “It’s always heartbreaking to lose any of our HorseWorld family, but with such a special young horse, who we all thought was on the road to recovery, it is just devastating,” said the charity’s head of welfare, Sarah Hollister.

Read the charity’s tribute

Staffing crisis

A groom concerned by the worldwide equestrian staffing crisis is hoping to determine what needs to change for the industry to be sustainable. Susanna Liis Ole, a fourth-year equine studies and business management student at the University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein in the Netherlands, is researching the topic for her thesis. “I’ve worked as a professional groom for five years, in Germany, here, Belgium – and it’s the same everywhere,” she said. “People are trying very hard to find good staff but there aren’t many. I’ve had about 70 responses so far, from different countries also including the US and they’re all saying the same; it’s a general problem for the whole industry.”

Find out more about the research

Finding balance

Personal trainer and equestrian fitness expert Katie Bleekman talked through her top tips for finding a balance between horses, work, fitness and social life on a Horse & Hound podcast. “You have to prioritise what matters to you – things like sleep, which will make you feel so so much better. Your sleep affects your mood, it affects your stress levels and weight. Sleep is also really important for recovery and healing from injury,” she said. “Making the most of your time is crucial. I challenge you to really think: ‘do I not have time or am I wasting time?’. You absolutely need to give yourself an hour or so off to watch your favourite programme and switch off. But at the same time, if training and getting stronger and getting fitter to ride is a priority, then that is what you need to put first.”

Discover what else Katie had to say

You might also be interested in:

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

Much-loved eventing world champion Allstar B remembered at popular spring horse trials

Rotational falls in eventing at all-time low – but more work ‘still to do’

Sam Hutton: ‘Tight times in these big rings can catch riders out’

7 ‘wheelie good’ barrows for horse owners that won’t let you down

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

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