An emaciated foal found collapsed and upside-down in a heap of rubble, tyres, and gas cylinders, is now doing well, thanks to the efforts of his rescuers. Barney, who was thought to be about five months old, was unable to stand and had pressure sores all over his body when he was discovered in Essex in December. After spending two weeks at a vet hospital, he moved to Redwings in mid-December to continue his treatment, including having surgery on an infected wound – and he’s made an excellent recovery. “It’s wonderful to see him now – he’s bright and has a character, skipping and bucking around his stable and going out for daily turnout on the woodchips. He’s doing so well,” said Redwings vet Nicola Berryman. “This is why we all do this.”
A recent World Horse Welfare webinar “Promoting positive equine wellbeing and behaviour through diet” has got horse owners talking after it raised the importance of horses’ having access to enough forage. While many owners understand the satisfaction horses gain from foraging, some remain unaware that unwanted behaviours such as stress, anxiety, aggression and resource-guarding can result from a lack of forage. These can be displayed as abnormal oral behaviours, door-kicking, difficulty in handling and poor performance under saddle.
Valegro and Uthopia may have been off the circuit enjoying their dream retirement at Carl Hester’s yard for a number of years now – but once in a while, they like to prove that they still have that star quality. A video from 2022 has been released showing Charlotte Dujardin and Carl, riding 21-year-old Valegro and 22-year-old Uthopia, simultaneously performing a line of 18 one-time changes, and it’s pretty impressive.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
