A university academic who believes horses aided her recovery from breast cancer is to study the impact of equine-assisted therapy on cancer patients.

Dr Carly Butler, senior lecturer at Loughborough University’s school of social, political and geographical sciences, will evaluate a new Macmillan Cancer Support service launched in Derbyshire that aims to use horses to improve the emotional health of people affected by the disease.

She plans to study the psycho-social well being of 400 people before and after they undertake four equine assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) sessions at the Spirit and Soul Equine Assisted Activity Centre in Kirk Langley.

During the structured sessions, attendees will learn basic horsemanship and grooming skills.

Their wellbeing — assessed through questionnaires about their quality of life, stress and self-esteem — will be compared to a control group of cancer patients who haven’t received the therapy during their recovery.

Dr Butler was inspired to undertake the study — which has received no funding — after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. She subsequently underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a double mastectomy and surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Having grown up with horses on a farm in New Zealand, she was re-introduced to them following her diagnosis and treatment and believes they had a positive impact on her recovery.

“Rediscovering horses went hand-in-hand with my physical and emotional recovery,” she said.

“It started when my daughter invited me to go with her to see a potential loan horse, an ex-racehorse called Otis. I fell in love with him pretty much straight away, and while my daughter didn’t end up loaning him, I arranged to go and visit and help care for him.

“I found that simply being around Otis brought me a great deal of calmness, and walking with him helped me to regain some physical strength. I then started riding again at a local riding school, and after a few months decided to get my own horse.”

Horses have since become a major part of Dr Butler’s life, and she even moved to live on the yard where her horse is kept.

“They bring me emotional peace and help me reconnect with my body, healing the aspects of myself and my life that were damaged by the cancer treatment. I am learning as much about myself as I am about them,” she said.

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Dr Butler explained that little is currently known about how horses can help humans.

“I believe there is a lack of services for people dealing with the psychosocial impacts of cancer and equine assisted activities are uniquely placed to be able to offer this kind of support.

“The research is an important aspect of the project as there is a real need for more empirical studies of EAAT, particularly its use for people affected by cancer,” she said.

The academic’s main area of research has been social interaction and she also plans to use the sessions to study how horses relate to humans and other equines using conversation analytic methodologies.

“The conversation analytic methodologies I use to study human interaction have not really been used to explore equine communication, so I am excited to see what these methods can contribute to the field, and what application of the method might reveal about the structures of interaction across species,” she said.

“Equine assisted activities and therapy make use of horses’ remarkable communicative abilities and interactional sensitivities and this is something I will be looking at alongside the service evaluation.”

The Macmillan EAAT sessions were launched on 25 May and are a first for the charity.

Sue Sanderson, Macmillan Partnership Manager for Derbyshire, said: “We know anecdotally that this type of support has real potential to improve the emotional wellbeing of people affected by cancer, so I’m delighted that Dr Butler is undertaking this research and we will do everything we can to support her.”

• Have horses helped you, or someone you know, recover from a serious illness? Let us know by emailing hhletters@timeinc.com and your story may be published in the letters page in Horse & Hound magazine

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

May was a great month for the Horse and Man Group fund raising!

We had 2 Bucket Funds.  One for the Kansas 53, you can read their story here.  And the other was an Emergency Bucket Fund at the end of the month for The Golden Carrot to purchase supplements and meds after the fire.  You can read that story here.

FIRST, THE KANSAS 53! – $3280!

We collected donations and also we sold art cards from Doris McQuiddy (Thank you!) and some jewelry!  It all worked and we were able to make a difference for these horses!

Here is what Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue and Retirement, Inc. said:

The Horse and Man Group, You are a ROCK STAR!!!! Thank you so much!!!

Our May Bucket Fund receipt for the Kansas 53.

THE GOLDEN CARROT – $3002

You all came together sending love, donations, thought, prayers… Casey was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for her and the horses.  THANK YOU.

Casey is very busy, as you could imagine… but she did send this heart of love.  She said she cried when she heard that we had collected all that money for her to repurchased the elder horse supplements and meds.

Thank you.

First we sent $602 right away because she needed it.

Than, as donations continued to come in for the Golden Carrot… we were able to send another $2400!

The post OUR MAY BUCKET FUND RECEIPTS! You are all AWESOME! The KANSAS 53 and THE GOLDEN CARROT are thrilled! appeared first on Horse and Man.

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

Your purchase with R.W. through this link helps the Bucket Fund!

When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Inc.



Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!

Even leading names like Laura Tomlinson (pictured above), Francis Whittington and Katie Jerram look up to people, and key pieces of training advice have helped them win medals and national titles. Here are the tips that 10 top riders credit with putting them on the road to success.

1. Laura Tomlinson, dressage rider

“The best piece of advice I’ve had is never to say, ‘I can’t’ or ‘The horse won’t’. If you have this in mind it forces you to look around and through a problem, rather than accept it’s not solvable. This is an adaptation of what I’m used to hearing from [German Olympian turned trainer] Klaus Balkenhol — he won’t ever accept you saying you can’t.”

2. Trevor Breen,  showjumper

“If at first you don’t succeed — work harder! The more effort you put in, the more you get out. If you take shortcuts in training during the week, it’ll show when you’re competing at the weekend.”

3. Katie Jerram,  showing producer

“Never use a gadget as a quick fix. I learnt this from [renowned trainer] Ruth McMullen — I never saw a gadget at her yard. I use a martingale on horses I’m breaking for a little extra security, and I may hack the babies in a Market Harborough, which is kind on the mouth.”

4. Francis Whittington, eventer

“Just keep it simple in every way. If it’s complicated, it’s probably not right. [Former British World Class Performance showjumping manager] Rob Hoekstra told me this and I keep it in mind all the time.”

5. Gemma Tattersall, eventer

“My mum used to make me ride come rain or shine. She said that consistency is the key to good training and it is something I have always carried with me. Horses need to have regular training and you need to be consistent in what you are asking them to do.”

6. Anna Ross, dressage rider

“[German Olympic team gold medallist] Ulla Salzgeber once told me that if you keep your hands still, you’ll start using your legs. A wise man at Goresbridge Sales also once advised me, ‘Never get back on for a third time’.”

7. Geoff Billington, showjumper

“[Multi-medalled British showjumper] David Broome told me years ago that you can’t put pressure on top of tension. So you must have a relaxed horse before you can ask any questions of it.”

8. Dan Jocelyn,  eventer

“When I first came to the UK in 1995, I stayed with Andrew Nicholson. Walking courses with him was invaluable. He said: ‘Dan, across country you just go between the flags’ and when showjumping, ‘Just leave the poles up’. This was the best advice ever, especially when others were trying to overcomplicate things. I still enjoy walking courses with him.”

9. Andrew Gould, dressage rider

“Don’t let your personal issues or emotions get in the way. This is something I picked up from [renowned trainer] David Hunt and I realise its importance even more now that I train lots of people. It’s hard if you’ve had a busy, stressful day at work — you want to ride to relax, but sometimes it is easier said than done.”

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10. Jessica Mendoza, showjumper

“Don’t try to win every class. My father, Paul, told me this and there are two lessons I have learnt from it. First, if I’m jumping at a three-day show, I need to save the horse for the class that really matters. Second, if you try to win a class by three seconds, you will often have a fence down and lose. So be cool and just do enough.”

Don’t miss this week’s special training issue of Horse & Hound magazine (31 May 2018), where we reveal the best trainers in Britain and find out how you can learn from them

This article was first published in the Summer 2015 issue of H&H Ask The Vet

Charlotte Dujardin’s fiancé Dean Wyatt Golding is preparing to take on an open water swim in aid of an equine welfare charity.

Dean will be dipping into the chilly waters of Lake Windermere in the Lake District for a two-mile swim on 8 June to raise money for Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys.

Charlotte is a patron of the charity and travelled to India in October 2015 to learn about the work it is doing to improve the lives of horses, donkeys and mules as well as the millions of people who rely on the working equines.

Dean asked for people to donate to the cause instead of buying him birthday presents and reached his target of £2,000 within 48 hours of starting the online fundraising page.

“I’ve chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you’ll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me,” he said. “Every little bit will help me reach my goal.”

He has so far raised more than £2,500.

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Charlotte encouraged people to support her fiancé with a post on her own Facebook page.

“[I’m] really proud of him and wanted to share his fundraising efforts if any of you would like to donate,” she said.

“All proceeds will go to the charity that I am very proud to be an ambassador for and will continue to help in their efforts to assist so many horses, donkeys and communities around the world who need our help.”

Click here to support Dean

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

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

Popular Irish event rider Jonty Evans is in hospital in Dublin after a fall at Tattersalls yesterday (Sunday, 3 June).

Jonty and Cooley Rorkes Drift (“Art”) — the horse he secured the ride on last year by crowd-funding to raise £500,000 — were lying second after dressage and showjumping in the CIC3* at the Irish event.

But the rider fell at fence 19b, the second element of the Horse Sport Ireland Water Complex, the main water feature on the cross-country. The first part of the fence was a large drop into water, which was followed by an offset skinny brush in the water off a right-hand bend. H&H’s Tattersalls reporter Sue Polley, who saw the fall on CCTV, said that the pair appeared to be lined up for the brush, but Art caught the flag with his off fore and Jonty was pitched off his left-hand side.

A statement from the event at 9.07pm last night said: “Irish eventing rider Jonty Evans, who fell at fence 19b, the second element of the water complex in the CIC3* competition at Tattersalls International Horse Trials, was transferred to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, for further evaluation.

“Cooley Rorkes Drift was uninjured in the fall.

“Following initial evaluation in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Jonty Evans is being transferred to Beaumont Hospital for further treatment.”

The Team Ireland Equestrian Facebook page gave a similar update yesterday evening, adding that Jonty “remains in a stable condition”.

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Jonty and Art first came to public attention when they finished ninth at the Rio Olympics in 2016. They followed this up with an eye-catching dressage test at Badminton the following spring, although a run-out across country put paid to a top placing.

In July that year, H&H broke the news that the partnership was under threat — interest from buyers, particularly in America, had led to the horse’s owner, Fiona Elliott, considering selling him.

Jonty had secured some funding towards the horse’s purchase and decided to start a crowd-funding campaign to attempt to make up the shortfall. He set up a website, jontyandart.com, through which people could donate.

Four weeks after H&H’s first online story, the £500,000 target was raised, helped by two lump sums of £100,000 and £150,000 being donated.

The pair have had a slightly chequered time in competition since the horse’s purchase, but fans hoped a win in The Grantham Cup CIC3* at Belton this spring marked a change of fortune. The pair were at Tattersalls for a preparation run ahead of Luhmühlen CCI4* next week, a re-route put in place after the pair were eliminated across country at Badminton.

Is there anything more annoying than, when looking up a horse’s pedigree, the answer comes back as “unknown”?

OK, in the grand scheme of things there is plenty that is more annoying but, as breeders know, it is right up there. How in this day and age can anyone not know the pedigree of their horse? You might well ask.

In many instances, the breeding is recorded as “unknown” because the pedigree has not been verified — that is, confirmed as correct, nowadays through DNA testing. A passport will usually state that the horse has been DNA tested.

Only studbooks and breed societies are able to record the breeding in a passport. Other passport issuing organisations (PIOs) that issue cheaper identity passports are legally not allowed to record breeding (due to Defra minimum operating standards). Even if it is inserted — which it shouldn’t be — it doesn’t mean it is correct.

If, for example, an identity passport is presented to a studbook in the future by unknowing owners, the pedigree, which was possibly part of the reason they bought the horse, will count for nothing and the provenance of the horse will already have been recorded by databases as “unknown”.

Horses without three verified generations of breeding are now automatically excluded from some competitions.

Cutting corners

What is so surprising is the number of people, including breeders, who choose not to have breeding put into the passport for the simple reason that it will save the cost of a DNA test — or at most two tests. All graded stallions have their DNA put on record as part of their grading assessment, so one just has to take DNA from the mare, if she has not been graded or had it recorded before, and/or the foal, by the simple extraction of a few tail hairs which is done by the vet when he draws up the foal’s identity paperwork.

No one said breeding was a cheap way to procure a horse, so a saving of less than £100 on a lifetime of a horse — around the cost of a set of shoes — hardly seems worth it for the frustration it can cause later. One excuse is that the horse will be a gelding and therefore will not appear in the future gene pool. True, but geldings happen to make up the majority of competition horses and most of us want to know the breeding of our competition horses.

This just wouldn’t happen in other countries, whose breeding many so admire and whose horses we buy. Those countries have systems and rules that all breeders and producers follow.

In France, horses who are not fully registered and verified with the governing body of the Haras Nationaux are not allowed to compete at any level above club level. No affiliated competition, end of.

Part of the British problem is that we don’t have an overseeing body. There is no single set of rules. As long as there are cheap identity passports available as an alternative to studbook passports, then owners, breeders even, will take the budget option.

The result is we will never build up decent studbooks, lines will disappear and future breeders will be none the wiser.

What is the point of breeding if you don’t wish to record it? For future’s sake please have the breeding of your foals verified.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 31 May 2018

The Pony Club efficiency tests provide a staircase of knowledge and progression when taken in sequence, starting from ‘E’ and going all the way up to the prestigious ‘A’ Test.

This quiz is to test your knowledge to see if you could pass your Pony Club C+ test.

The objective of the C+ Test is “to gain practical experience and knowledge of the care of a stabled pony and of a pony at grass”.

The minimum age a child should take the test be is 13 and if they pass, they are awarded with a turquoise felt to pin underneath their Pony Club badge.

Of course, this quiz is not exhaustive of the Pony Club C+ Test syllabus, and doesn’t mean you would definitely pass it in real life, but let’s see how you get on…

Don’t forget to share your result proudly with the world!

NB: The information used to create this test was sourced from the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship

Great Britain’s number one rider Ben Maher won his second Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of the season in Saint Tropez on Saturday (2 June) riding Winning Good. The Hertfordshire rider pocketed a cool €99,000 in prize-money.

“Winning Good is only nine years old and I’m really lucky with the horses I am riding now,” said Ben, who also won the Madrid leg of the Tour with Explosion W last month. “It has been an amazing season so far.”

In a seven-strong jump-off, Ben and the well-named Dutch-bred horse, charged home to win by nearly a second. This was despite a heart-stopping moment at the second element of the double when the pair had to turn almost inside out to clear the top rail. Winning Good and Explosion W are both owned by Poden Farms.

“I just kept telling myself he is better the more he jumps,” said Ben. “I am very proud to be able to ride these horses. In Madrid everything went to plan. Today nothing went to plan at all, but I had a bit of luck. I knew I had to be quick. I saw my stride a very long way back. I don’t know how he jumped it but my luck was in today.”

Joining Ben on the podium for the traditional champagne shower was second placed Colombian rider Carlos Lopez (Admara 2), who delivered a great challenge from last draw, with Edwina Tops-Alexander third on California. Reigning European champion Peder Fredricson of Sweden took fourth as the only other double clear from first draw riding Hansson WL.

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Edwina now heads the LGCT championship race with 154 points overall, with Ben second on 143 points and his team-mate Scott Brash third with 131 points.

As Ben has already secured his spot in the Super Grand Prix in Prague in December — where the winner of every leg of the Tour goes head-to-head for a new end-of-season showdown — the second placed Colombian rider picked up the qualifying place instead.

LGCT president Jan Tops said: “In the [overall] ranking, Edwina has been very consistent. Ben has been fantastic, two times first and Scott is a little bit on the same level. Everything is still possible to the end. With the new Super Grand Prix everyone wants to qualify, and we have some amazing horses and riders already. It is going to be an incredibly prestigious class to win, as is the GCL Super Cup for the teams.”

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

This week’s edition (31 May) is a training special, including a look at the world’s top trainers and whether you should have multiple coaches. Also check out our summer clothing guide, interview with showjumper and recent winner of the Hamburg Derby, Matt Sampson and feature on health problems in miniature horses

A gold medal-winning para dressage rider is appealing for the public to help her on the road to Tokyo 2020.

Deb Criddle has launched a crowdfunding page to help her secure her next star horse.

Deb’s former top ride, LJT Akilles is now 18 and has been out of work due to lameness.

The Somerset-based rider is determined to continue on her path to the next Olympics, but suffered an unfortunate set back last month.

“I was trying out a prospective horse and he didn’t cope with my right leg moving around and was a little bit too sensitive,” she told H&H.

“I fell and injured my right leg, the one that is already compromised, which meant I couldn’t ride for six weeks.”

During that time Deborah learnt that she had lost her UK Sport funding and her place on the British para dressage squad.

“I did take a couple of weeks off when I heard the news I was coming off the squad. It was a huge shock.

“I guess you could liken it to being made redundant, not that it’s happened to me before, but being part of the para team has been a major feature of my entire adult life. It’s obviously not as dramatic as it, but it feels as if I’ve lost another limb.

“I did initially think, ‘Do I just call it a day?’ But I’m not ready to. I live for my riding — it’s what gets me up in the morning.”

Deb has since recovered from her fall and remains positive about the future and regaining her position on the squad next year, but will need to find a new horse.

“The time Akilles has been off I have so missed going out to train,” she said.

“He is off work through a mystery lameness incurred while indulging in high jinks in the field.

“It is still under investigation as the root cause is being difficult to pin down, but I am hopeful of a final diagnosis that is treatable.

“He is very happy and comfortable being a field ornament at the moment!”

Time is running out

Deb has raised 26% of her £25,000 goal, but the crowdfunding page can only run for 120 days, leaving eight weeks to generate the funds.

“Time is really tight,” said Deb. “I need to find a suitable horse before the end of the summer to meet winter qualification targets and to be eligible for international competitions.

“I have to start from scratch and work through the world class system

from podium potential. They start the next intake for that squad in August this year so I would really need to have a potential Tokyo horse in place before then to stand a chance of being selected.”

Deb explained that the temperament of her new horse, her future long-term partner, is paramount.

“The horse needs to have a clear four-beat walk with good overtrack and an expressive trot and canter,” she said.

“Horses are so adaptive, if the horse has not been ridden by a para rider before that has no bearing what so ever.”

Deb was seriously injured in a road accident, which left her with fractures to her leg and a paralysed arm, which has since been amputated.

“For me, being one handed, the contact is so important. The horse has to be very quiet in the mouth as tension shows up quickly and is, of course, penalised by the judge.

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“My ultimate goal is to make it to Tokyo 2020 and produce the horse so we reach our peak performance where it matters, on the field of play. I want us to be the very best that we can be, and a real partnership.”

Those who donate £1,000 or more towards Deb’s horse will be treated in a similar way to syndicate members.

“They will be part of the process from the start,” she said. “They will be invited to yard visits, training sessions, behind-the-scenes opportunities at competitions and receive regular updates. They will get to know the horse and his routine.”

Tributes have been paid to Granntevka Prince, who won Blenheim CCI3*, competed at four-star level and was a young rider medallist, after he was put down on Monday (28 May).

David and Gerry Mills’ 18-year-old had suffered a severely dislocated fetlock, which was irreparable.

Prince won the British Eventing six-year-old championship with Lucy McCarthy (née Wiegersma) in 2006 and at the end of 2007 finished 10th in the prestigious seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers. In 2008 he moved up to three-star, finishing second in a CIC3* at Burnham Market.

His most successful year with Lucy came in 2009 when he won the CCI3* at Blenheim and finished fourth on his CCI4* debut at Pau. At four-star, he was also ninth at Luhmühlen in 2010 and 23rd at Burghley in 2011.

Lucy Wiegersma and Granntevka Prince. Picture by trevor-meeks-photography.co.uk

In 2014 Prince joined Devon-based teenager Janou (Nui) Bleekman, who rides for The Netherlands. The pair formed a strong partnership and won the CCIJ* at Tattersalls that year and a CIC2* at Bicton Arena in 2016.

They also finished 10th in the junior European Championships in 2014 and contested three young rider European Championships, taking team silver and individual bronze at Millstreet last year.

“We would like to thank Prince’s owners David and Gerry Mills for trusting us and giving us the honour of having such a legend in our yard,” said Nui’s sister Althea. “He and Janou developed the most amazing partnership. Not only were they a formidable pair in competition, but they really did become best friends.

“Prince adored Nui, she was his person, he was her horse of a lifetime. The love and trust they had in each other shone through. She knew him better than she knows herself.

“He is missed so much already, but by none more so than David, Gerry and Nui.”

Welcome to a new arrival

The Bleekmans also welcomed new life into the world on Monday with the arrival of a filly foal who is “exactly the same colour as Prince, even down to the little star,” said Nui and Althea’ mother Clissy.

The foal is out of Grannalyn, who was bred by the Bleekmans by Prince’s sire Grannex. Grannalyn is also the granddam of a mare called Dasj, who is competing with Althea in the CCI3* at Tattersalls this week. She is also the dam of Oralyn, the mother of Laura Renwick’s showjumper Bintang.

This is the Bleekmans’ first foal by Jenson, who they are standing. He is a four-year-old Anglo European Studbook-licensed stallion by El Salvador.

“The Dutch experts really rate him, so let’s hope a star has been born to follow Prince — she is such a close relative and certainly looks his spitting image,” said Clissy.

Althea added: “We can only hope that a small part of Prince’s brilliance is now shining down on the next generation for us. If they can only be half as good as Prince, they will be legends in their own right.”

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