We are all responsible when it comes to recognising and managing concussion, was the message from a recent conference on the condition. The Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) and British Equestrian jointly hosted the inaugural cross-industry concussion symposium at Cheltenham racecourse. The key point was the need for a collaborative commitment to concussion education, across the equestrian and racing worlds. A change of attitude from riders trying to “beat the doctor” by attempting to “cover it up”, to understanding how times have changed and using help on hand, particularly at the IJF’s centres, was also raised.
All of us can play a part in ensuring equestrianism benefits rather than harms the environment – which will help secure a future for our sport. This was the main message at the 2023 World Horse Welfare conference on 9 November, the theme of which was “Horse and the environment: friend or foe”. Charity CEO Roly Owers said it was a topic “that may not immediately seem to relate to equine welfare”. He said: “In many industrialised countries, land is managed for horses taking part in sport or leisure, but at what cost to the environment? We ride on roads and compete in arenas with all mod cons and extensive parking. We drive them many miles or fly them across the world.”
The early Black Friday horse deals have started and we’re posting all the best ones here… Equestrian deals are being released earlier than ever ahead of the Black Friday weekend, which begins on Friday 24 November. We’ve got a heads-up from lots of brands about when their sales are starting and if previous years are anything to go by, there will be a wide range of discounts on everything from the best stable cameras to the best winter riding gloves. In fact some deals have already gone live.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
