The week that was: seven days in the horse world
Germany will lose its team silver medal from the 2017 European Eventing Championships in Strzegom.
The news comes as the German federation revealed that the B sample from Julia Krajewski’s ride Samourai Du Thot tested positive for controlled medication firocoxib.
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Over 98% of grooms who answered a recent survey said the equestrian industry is not doing enough to support their mental health and wellbeing.
More than 1,300 people took part in the Grooms Minds study, which was launched by the British Grooms Association (BGA) in response to increasing calls for help and advice on the topic.
The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course is set to have an number of significant changes for 2018, according to course designer Eric Winter.
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Reflecting on the changes he has made since taking over from Giuseppe Della Chiesa in 2017, Eric says: “There’s no fence in the same place I don’t think — we’ve moved everything around a little bit.”
German event rider Michael Jung has confirmed his plans for double Olympic champion La Biosthetique-Sam FBW’s future, following his withdrawal from Pau last month and rumours about his retirement.
Michael told H&H today he decided after Sam won team silver and individual gold at the Rio Olympics last year that he would not contest any more championships, but would just “have fun with him at the rest of the competitions”.
Eventer Ginny Howe survived a hairy moment when her girth snapped over a fence at Osberton International Horse Trials.
Ginny was riding her sister Rachael Sheppard’s horse Echo P in the CCI2* at the Nottinghamshire event (27 September – 1 October) when the incident happened.
A horse owner who is “too frightened” to hack out after a driver rolled his car in front of her is saying riders should consider civil action if their horses are traumatised on the roads.
Both Stacey Turner and her part-bred Spanish mare Revuelo required treatment for whiplash injuries sustained in the incident, when a car crash caused her horse to spin and bolt down a steep hill.
Horses can distinguish between submissive and dominant body postures in strangers, confirming what equestrians have long suspected, new research has found.
The study, led by the University of Sussex and published in peer-reviewed journal Animal Cognition, found horses were significantly more likely to approach someone showing submissive rather than dominant body language.
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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.