A rider who has not eaten solid food for 18 months, whose joints dislocate every day and who also suffers from heart and blood pressure issues says she would rather risk a shorter life and do what she loves than give up being with her horses.

Ali Hirsz suffers from a rare form of genetic condition Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder.

Her joints “pop out a lot” and she suffers with very fragile skin, as well as the heart and blood pressure issues.

She also has two horses, former racehorse Socks and part-bred Welsh So And So, whom she says have kept her going through tough times since – and before – her diagnosis at the age of 18 last year.

In May 2018, she underwent surgery relating to the EDS and when she came round, she was unable to keep any food down.

At first it was thought this was a result of the general anaesthetic but in the September, she was taken to hospital in such a critically malnourished state, her liver was starting to shut down.

It was discovered that her digestive system was rejecting all food, so although at first she was fed through a nasal tube into her stomach, and then directly to her small intestines, neither worked.

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“Throughout, I was still riding,” Ali told H&H.

“Sometimes, when the tube was into my stomach and Socks got bouncy, I’d be sick up the tube and have to go to hospital. Once, he grabbed the end of the tube, and I thought: ‘Oh my god, let go!”

Ali was jumping her horses in January this year, but in February, was taken back to hospital, again in a critically malnourished state.

“The tube wasn’t working,” she said. “I had to go into a special gastric ward till March, when they said: ‘Let’s try something else’. That was a very long six weeks.”

In a risky procedure, doctors inserted a pick line in Ali’s arm, which takes essential nutrients straight to her heart, bypassing her digestive system completely.

She has to have the line connected for 14 hours a day, and while there is a high risk of any infection also going straight to her heart, it is the only way to get the nutrients she needs.

“I used to work in a vet’s and preparing to put the tube in is like preparing for surgery there!” Ali said. “I prefer to do it overnight as I’m so active during the day, and I’ve learned to cope with it at night. People say it’s crazy but there wasn’t much choice.”

At one point, Ali’s tube had to be replaced and she was called into hospital – but Socks became ill.

“I said ‘Can you hang on for a bit?’” Ali said. “He had a tooth abscess; he had to have a tube in his sinus and I was draining it and flushing it, while they were getting ready to take his tooth out. I was getting calls from the doctor every day, asking if I could go in, and I’d be saying: ‘Hang on a minute, my horse is sick!’

“Then I did go, had the bigger tube in, they sent me home two weeks later and I’ve been here ever since.”

Ali has had to overcome even more challenges to be able to return to the saddle – she had to learn to ride one-handed, as any pulling on the arm with the line could make it bleed. But the tube is in her right arm, and doctors said riding just with her left hand put added pressure on her left shoulder, the muscle of which has snapped owing to the EDS and needs surgery.

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“So I had to go back to riding with two hands, and teach the horses to be gentle,” Ali said, adding that while doctors had hoped that after a rest, her digestive system might be able to cope again, there has been no sign of this so far.

“It definitely gets me down,” she said. “Some days, I’ll sit in my room, bawling my eyes out.

“I dislocated my neck and doctors said I couldn’t ride any more as if I hit my spinal cord, I’d be paralysed from the neck down. It took me ages to think about it but the more I did, the more I thought I’d keep doing what I’m doing.

“If I had a really long life but not doing what I like, what would be the point? I’d rather have a shorter life doing what I love – and horses are what I love.”

Ali said that while she is in hospital, she feels like a number, that “the illness is you”, but at home, the horses are in a field minutes away from her parents’ home.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have that,” she said. “I’m very lucky to have my two horses and I’ve got a unique relationship with them. I think if I didn’t have them, I’d have nothing to get out of bed for.

“Sometimes, my joints are so bad, my shoulder’s playing up, sometimes I need walking aids, but even if I have to hobble down there, it’s worth it.”

Ali said the riding and activity has also helped keep her joints more stable – but she would continue even if this were not the case.

“With the eating, doctors have said if I catch an infection, that could be it – but I’d rather go that way than sit around waiting for something to happen. I wouldn’t be able to sit here and let my illness control my life,” she said.

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‘Never, ever give up’: rider overcomes cancer, broken back and missing finger

The rider lost her finger when her ring was caught in the rug strap of a horse who panicked and

‘Find a way — not an excuse’: inspiring young rider presented with Hannah Francis Award

Evie Toombes, who was born with a form of spina bifida, makes “every effort” to compete for her Pony Club

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“I have to take my temperature every day and you never know when an infection might hit, which is scary, but it could be years; I could be 60 and still pottering about, it’s just one of those things, and I’d like to know I’m doing all I can.

“That’s why I’m trying to achieve milestones with the horses. My partner rides with me and both horses are in such a good place; it’s so good to know I’ve done that, despite everything.

“If something does happen, I know I’ve had a fulfilling life; that’s all anyone can ask for.”

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

A British rider and a horse whose heart is “the size of the arena” pulled out all the stops to record a personal best in yesterday’s (13 September) reining competition at the World Equestrian Games, but it was just not enough to progress.

Francesca Sternberg, from Kent, and Rosanne Sternberg’s Spook N Sparkle had qualified for the second individual qualifying round of the Johnson Controls reining competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center by finishing in 26th place in the first round.

Tenth into the arena, the combination gave a performance good enough for a personal best final score of 220. They finished in joint seventh place, but only the top five qualified for Saturday’s final, along with the top 15 from the previous day.

But Francesca was delighted with eight-year-old palomino gelding “Charlie”.

“It was Charlie’s personal best and I am so proud,” she said. “I haven’t ridden this horse for two years as he’s my sisters’ horse and my niece competes him so I am extremely grateful to them for lending him.

“He’s probably one of the smallest horses here so to have to go twice in two days, his little legs really had to try. His heart is the size of this arena and I want to take him home to England and keep him for ever!”

Fellow British reiner Alison Bucknell and her own Jac Barbee Dream had also competed in the first round, finishing in 54th place.

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The reining finalists now have a rest day before the individual final on Saturday, when the medals will be decided.

In the team competition, the US won gold, Belgium took silver and Germany the bronze medals.

Horse & Hound has two journalists and a photographer in Tryon for WEG. Keep up to date with all the news on horseandhound.co.uk and in the magazine issues dated 20 and 27 September.

Bella Innes Ker and Carolyn (pictured), a 14-year-old owned by Bella’s mother, the Duchess of Roxburghe, have a commanding lead in the CCI3* at the SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (13-16 September) after the dressage phase. The pair scored 24.4 to sit 2.3 penalties ahead of second-placed Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street.

“I’m shell shocked,” said Bella, who is just 24. “Carolyn, or ‘Princess’ as we call her at home as she is quite a sassy mare, is a great dressage horse — she makes my job easy.

“I had high expectations for us in this phase and it’s lovely when that expectation turns into this sort of result.”

Bella, who is based in the Scottish Borders at Floors Castle, but is moving to Ireland in a month’s time to train with an event rider, said that she has been training hard with dressage rider and judge, Harry Payne.

“Working with Harry has really benefited my dressage riding,” explained Bella. “He has given me a great insight into what the judges are looking for — it has taught me how to try and ride for every mark.”

Bella, who recently graduated from university with a degree in sports management joked she is “now walking the cross-country course 1,000 times”.

“Carolyn isn’t the speediest of horses out there, so I’m trying to work out how I can get the best round possible from her. It feels really special to be competing here and we’re going to go for it.”

Kitty King is in third with Ceylor L A N on 27, while Oliver Townend is fourth with Ulises. Nineteen-year-old British rider Richard Coney is fifth with Kananaskis. It’s tight at the top, with just 5.2 penalties separating the top 10.

The CCI3* cross-country gets underway tomorrow at 11.30am.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest reports from Blenheim via horseandhound.co.uk and don’t miss the full report in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine, out on 20 September

Britain’s Spencer Wilton has withdrawn from today grand prix special at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina.

Spencer and his own and Jen Goodman’s Super Nova II helped Britain win team bronze yesterday, but the 15-year-old De Niro gelding, known as Neville, was not feeling 100% today after getting excited in yesterday’s medal ceremony.

“I’m obviously devastated for myself and Jen as we were so looking forward to building on what we achieved in the grand prix,” said Spencer. “Prize-givings are not Neville’s favourite thing and normally I wouldn’t do them but we’re at a championship.

“I helped the team secure qualification for Tokyo 2020 and that was my primary focus, so with that in mind, Neville’s welfare was key to this tough decision.”

Britain’s Emile Faurie and Dono Di Maggio are currently lying 19th, having scored 70.38%. Emile reported that the huge 18hh gelding was feeling the humidity and the heat, which had reached 30 degrees.

“It was not easy today; he’s a massive horse and he struggled with the heat. The tank was a bit empty,” Emile told H&H. “With these big horses it takes a bit longer to get the strength too, but this has been a great experience for him. I’m really happy with him — he really tried. He’s a fantastic horse and I just know he’s going to be really great for the future.”

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Sweden’s Juliette Ramel is currently leading the grand prix with Buriel KH, having scored a personal best of 77.28% with a brilliant performance. Her Swedish teammate Therese Nilshagen is lying second with Dante Weltino, on 75.82%.

Britain’s Carl Hester will ride his own, Ann Cory and Anne Evans’ Hawtins Delicato in the special at 4.10pm (9.10pm UK time), with Charlotte Dujardin the penultimate rider of the class, beginning her test with Emma and Jill Blundell’s Mount St John Freestyle at 5pm (10pm UK time).

British Olympic dressage rider Laura Tomlinson has revealed that she is pregnant with her third child.

H&H columnist Laura and her husband, the international England polo player Mark Tomlinson, are expecting the new addition to their family in the middle of January. The couple already have a four-year-old daughter, Annalisa (pictured with Laura, above), and one-year-old son, Wilfred.

“Mark and I are excited to be expecting our third child in mid-January, and I’m very pleased with the timing, as it will hopefully allow me to be back in competition for next season,” Laura told H&H.

A member of the gold-medal winning British team at the London Olympics in 2012 with Mistral Hojris (Alf), and also winner of the individual bronze medal there, Gloucestershire-based Laura has spent the past five years successfully juggling motherhood with bringing on her young grand prix prospects.

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At five months pregnant she is continuing to ride and compete, as she did during her two previous pregnancies, and will take two of her rising stars to the British Dressage National Championships at Stoneleigh this weekend (20-23 September).

Her current top ride is Duval’s Capri Sonne Jr, the 11-year-old Rhodium stallion whom she has campaigned internationally at Aachen, Rotterdam and Hickstead CDI3*s this year. He will contest the grand prix at Stoneleigh.

Laura will also ride the eight-year-old gelding Fallatijn Van Kairos, whom she has previously described as like a “mini Alf”, at the national championships, at prix st georges (PSG).

Don’t miss Laura’s exclusive column in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound, as part of the bumper report from the World Equestrian Games dressage and eventing, on sale from 20 September.

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

By Penny Richardson

The name Whitaker is synonymous with Olympia, the London International Horse Show and on the show’s “super Saturday”, William Whitaker became the latest member of his illustrious family to win the prestigious Longines World Cup qualifier.

William and the Criel family’s wonderful Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Uti) had to do it the hard way, as they were seventh to go in a star-studded 18-horse jump-off .

“I told myself that I didn’t know how many chances I might get in a World Cup here and that I mustn’t go defensive in the jump-off,” said William.

Uti must have heard him. The little 14-year-old stallion set off at fast as he could go. He may not have the longest stride of any horse on the circuit, but what he does have is an enormous heart and their round was sheer perfection. They never wasted an inch and William crossed the line at the gallop to take the lead by more than two seconds.

The Yorkshireman then had to suffer what must have seemed the longest half an hour of his life.

Challenges came and went, with pre-class favourites Marcus Ehning and Pret A Tout beating the time at the expense of a pole down. Belgium’s Karel Cox came extremely close for the runner-up spot on Evert and when the last pair of Laura Kraut and Zeremonie’s time was good enough for third place, William’s leap in the collecting ring almost rivalled those of his horse.

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“This is by far my best ever win. I’ve been coming here since I was two and I got used to watching my uncles John and Michael winning the World Cup,” said William.

“I always wondered what it would be like to win something like this and now I have it hasn’t really sunk in. The whole thing is totally surreal.”

Don’t miss a moment of H&H’s extensive coverage. Check out dressage and Wednesday-Saturday showjumping reports in the 28 December issue (out Friday, not Thursday this week because of Christmas schedules), while showing, driving and Sunday showjumping coverage will be in the 3 January 2019 issue.

By Penny Richardson

The name Whitaker is synonymous with Olympia, the London International Horse Show and on the show’s “super Saturday”, William Whitaker became the latest member of his illustrious family to win the prestigious Longines World Cup qualifier.

William and the Criel family’s wonderful Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Uti) had to do it the hard way, as they were seventh to go in a star-studded 18-horse jump-off .

“I told myself that I didn’t know how many chances I might get in a World Cup here and that I mustn’t go defensive in the jump-off,” said William.

Uti must have heard him. The little 14-year-old stallion set off at fast as he could go. He may not have the longest stride of any horse on the circuit, but what he does have is an enormous heart and their round was sheer perfection. They never wasted an inch and William crossed the line at the gallop to take the lead by more than two seconds.

The Yorkshireman then had to suffer what must have seemed the longest half an hour of his life.

Challenges came and went, with pre-class favourites Marcus Ehning and Pret A Tout beating the time at the expense of a pole down. Belgium’s Karel Cox came extremely close for the runner-up spot on Evert and when the last pair of Laura Kraut and Zeremonie’s time was good enough for third place, William’s leap in the collecting ring almost rivalled those of his horse.

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“This is by far my best ever win. I’ve been coming here since I was two and I got used to watching my uncles John and Michael winning the World Cup,” said William.

“I always wondered what it would be like to win something like this and now I have it hasn’t really sunk in. The whole thing is totally surreal.”

Don’t miss a moment of H&H’s extensive coverage. Check out dressage and Wednesday-Saturday showjumping reports in the 28 December issue (out Friday, not Thursday this week because of Christmas schedules), while showing, driving and Sunday showjumping coverage will be in the 3 January 2019 issue.

Hannah Francis’ legacy has helped an inspirational rider overcome huge challenges to achieve her goal of taking part in a British Eventing competition.

Clare Reeves had had a 20-year gap from horses when she bought her 14.2hh mare, Frankie, in March 2017 — and she believes the mare saved her life.

“I fell in love with her,” Clare told H&H. “From day one she would nuzzle my shoulder — of course they do it when they are looking for treats — but this was always in the same place.”

Clare added one day her shoulder was particularly sore after Frankie’s nudges and she found a lump, which she thought was related to the knock she had taken from the mare, but booked an appointment with her GP to have it checked out.

Her GP referred her to the breast clinic, where a biopsy revealed she had triple negative breast cancer.

“If it wasn’t for Frankie, I would not have found the lump and the cancer would not have been detected early enough — my prognosis would have been very different,” she said, adding the mare has not been interested in her shoulder since the tumour was removed

“I’m very lucky she drew my attention to it, I owe her my life.”

After surgery to remove the lump, Clare went through seven months of chemotherapy. During her treatment she decided she wanted a challenge, so signed up to join the Wobbleberries.

“It had to be something with Frankie because we have such a bond and started this journey together,” she added.

Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity granted Clare a wish of 10 lessons with eventer James McIlough, plus a trip to Nick Skelton’s yard.

“He was brilliant and we trained all the way through my chemo, even when I was throwing up over Frankie’s shoulder and had to have someone help me tack up,” she said.

In January 2018, Clare visited Nick’s yard, which she said gave her the extra boost to complete her challenge.

“I never thought I would have the chance to meet anybody like him,” she said. “The riders in his arena were jumping fences that were absolutely huge — he showed me around the yard and just being there, soaking up the atmosphere, meant I came back with this newfound confidence and I felt that I really needed to get a grip over 60cm!”

Clare discovered she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene and opted for a double mastectomy and hysterectomy to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

That summer, Clare and Frankie undertook their first unaffiliated one-day-events before heading to Solihull BE80(T)in October, where they completed.

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Clare also raised close to £15,000 in the process, which she split between Willberry and Breast Cancer Care.

“My horse saved my life and the Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity saved my sanity,”she said.
Clare is currently cancer-free and continuing to enjoy riding and competing Frankie.

Willberry’s Wishes grants horsey wishes to seriously ill people of all ages, or an immediate family member of someone suffering from a terminal condition and is welcoming applications.

For more information, visit: www.willberrywonderpony.org/pages/willberrys-wishes

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

Patches of rubbed hair under the back panels of your horse’s saddle can be more prevalent at this time of year — here’s what you need to know…

It’s not unusual for owners to leave an unclipped area of hair under the saddle to give the horse some protection, particularly if they are thin skinned, but sometimes bald patches appear anyway. This could just be a coat change issue, says Joe Mackinder, a vet with Rainbow Equine Hospital near Malton, as the horse loses its winter coat — but it may also have a more sinister explanation.

“Sometimes the bald patch can be caused by dermatitis. This can be as a result of poor management, for example riding the horse when its coat is wet; there are also some quite nasty forms of staphylococcal dermatitis which cause painful bald patches,” explains Joe.

“It can also be symptomatic of an asymmetry caused by lameness, or even a kissing spine issue. But more commonly it is due to issues with the saddle or other equipment. We recommend that owners with new horses get their saddles checked every six to eight weeks as the horse can change shape a lot and this has an impact on fit,” says Joe.

Georgie Webb is a Society of Master Saddlers qualified saddle fitter based in Yorkshire, and agrees that bald patches beneath the back section of the panel are often an indication there’s a problem with the saddle.

“Saddles are all about balance — if you’re getting a rubbed patch beneath the back part of the panel, it usually means there’s movement at the front, or that the saddle is a little too wide. We will sometimes see clients who have noticed an issue and tried to pad to the back but actually this makes the problem worse,” says Georgie. “Saddles need to be checked regularly and flocking adjusted to prevent this kind of issue. If you’re getting a bald patch on one side but not the other, this can point to asymmetry of the horse, rider or saddle — often, saddle asymmetry is caused by asymmetry of the horse or rider, and proper flocking can rectify this so long as the saddle is symmetrical in every other way.”

In other cases, it’s not the saddle which is the problem but the numnah or pad used beneath it. McTimoney equine chiropractor Dani Paizis says this is one of the first things to rule out when bald patches appear.

“A numnah which is too short can cause this kind of problem, as the saddle applies pressure. Once this is ruled out, I’m looking at three possible problems: rider symmetry, saddle balance and finally musculoskeletal injury.

“If the rider is crooked, riding with uneven stirrups or carrying a back or pelvic injury of their own, it’s unlikely they will be balanced in the saddle. Also, any musculoskeletal injury or imbalance no matter where in the body can cause referral problems affecting lumbar and pelvic balance, which in turn creates uneven stride patterns and affects saddle movement.

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“In my experience, it can be all three causes in play and all three need addressing. If the saddle rubs don’t improve within a few weeks, however, it is important to seek veterinary advice for a thorough investigation, as there could be a serious underlying musculoskeletal problem, such as overriding dorsal spinous processes (kissing spine) or a sacroiliac strain,” says Dani.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

A rider who was diagnosed with cervical cancer nine months after she had missed a smear test is urging other women to ensure they take up their appointments.

Frances Long had to have a radical hysterectomy in October and all traces of the disease were removed, but she hopes her experience will encourage others to ensure they take up screening appointments.

“There’s always something that seems more important, but when it comes to it, there’s nothing more important than this,” Fran told H&H.

“I had a tumour but didn’t realise until part of it came away. If I’d had my smear test when I was supposed to, it wouldn’t have got to that stage.”

Fran went to her GP, who sent her to A&E, where she was seen by a registrar and a consultant. She was sent home, but within 45 minutes, got a phone call telling her to return to the hospital, where she was given her diagnosis.

“It was quite horrific,” she said. “I had an MRI scan, which picked up a shadow on my bowel so there was concern it had spread. In the end, there wasn’t anything so they decided it was probably caused by the way I was lying, but for a while, that was terrifying.”

Fran’s surgery involved removing not only her reproductive organs but also surrounding tissues and some of her lymph nodes. As the healthy tissue showed no signs of cancer, it was decided she did not need further treatment, although she is having regular check-ups.

She was back on board her event horse Mama Mia III, on whom she also competes in dressage and showjumping, within five weeks, albeit just walking, and returned to competition in a British Dressage class at Keysoe last weekend (19 January).

“She really looked after me,” Hayley said. “She won the class, with over 72%. I wasn’t sure how it would go as I was so excited, I thought she might be, but she held it together for me.

“I think I was crying before I even went down the centre line.”

Hayley hopes to return to eventing by April, if she is strong enough.

But her other priority is to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening, especially now during cervical cancer prevention week (21 to 29 January).

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“Just don’t put it off,” she said. “As riders, we’re such a strong group of people who have these horrific falls, then get back on and do the next class; we think we’re invincible and that nothing will happen to us.

“My horses are my absolute world. I spend hours researching the best feeds for them, if they do so much as look at me differently in the morning the vet is called, they see physio and chiropractors, have all the latest rugs and tack and are pampered beyond belief. They’d never be a day late to see the farrier or for their teeth to be rasped, for their yearly jabs or worming — I just wouldn’t dream of it. But I often think how riders/horse owners push their own health way down their list of priorities. I am definitely one of them.

“But nothing is more important than your life. This has made me really aware of that, and how easily it can be taken away.

“Whatever reason you’ve got for not going for your smear test; if it’s uncomfortable or you’re embarrassed, or you haven’t got time – the possible consequences of not going are so much worse than any reason you could have.”

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