Holly Coetzee is certainly a showjumper with a difference. The Dubai-based rider competes all her horses without a bit and keeps them barefoot, while at home she rides and jumps her horse Prince completely without tack.
“I regularly hack out in the desert with just a neck rope — he is a very special horse,” says Holly, who competes in both eventing and showjumping in the UAE.
“One of my best moments was galloping along the beach and playing in the sea tackless with him.
“While not all horses will be able to do this, I do think with enough time and patience most horses could be taught to be ridden tackless or bridleless because if you are riding correctly, from your seat and using your body not your hands, your horse should listen for those cues without needing to be told with reins. The key though is time and patience and in my experience a lot of riders today want immediate results.”
H&H recommends that you always wear a helmet while riding
Holly’s conversion to the benefits of bitless and barefoot management came in 2015 when, after two successful seasons of competing at 1.25m in the UK, her 17hh 11-year-old German warmblood Connor was diagnosed with gastric ulcers, navicular disease and laminitis.
“I was advised by vets to put him down unless his condition drastically improved within the next two weeks, which of course was devastating,” says Holly, who grew up in Derby before moving to the UAE and has trained with Corinne Bracken, Nick Burton and later worked as a coach at the Emirates Equestrian Centre.
“Although my three previous horses had all been kept successfully barefoot and I had been riding them bitless, I was convinced that because Connor was a ‘proper’ showjumping horse I couldn’t possibly keep him barefoot or showjump him without a bit!
“Despite my own doubts and fears I knew I had to try something different, because conventional shoeing had so far failed me. I agreed to give this more natural approach a try and when I returned to Dubai the following year he came with me newly barefoot.”
Connor was given a year off work and put on a new low-sugar, low-starch diet and “became a new horse” and has since always ridden in a Dr Cooks bitless bridle.
Holly’s most recent “project horse” Prince is a thoroughbred ex-racer.
“I rode him bitless from the word go with no issues,” says Holly, who works as a freelance rider and coach based out of Al Ruwayyah Stables in the Dubai.
“Prince took to schooling and jumping very well and I quickly realised he was going to be a brilliant brave cross-country horse. He moved up to the open class — Dubai’s ‘biggest’ eventing class — after a few months with no issues and he continues to improve at every event.”
Holly now regularly gives talks, workshops and demonstrations on bitless and barefoot riding and competition in the UAE.
“Before setting my clients off over fences, I ensure that they are riding their horses straight, into a steady contact from their leg and are able to use their body, seat and legs effectively to control their horses,” Holly explains. “Many of my riders are now competing successfully in showjumping, eventing and dressage — for national dressage a snaffle bit is used — and we are now well-known on the competition circuit for our extremely competitive bitless and barefoot team!”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
In the mixed zone at the Rio Olympics with German eventer Julia Krajewski
Are you considering a career in equestrian media? Then don’t miss Horse & Hound’s exclusive Q&A session, which will take place at 8-9pm on Wednesday 9 January on the H&H facebook page.
Horse & Hound’s editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins will be joined by website editor and social media expert Carol Phillips as well as senior news writer Lucy Elder to discuss the opportunities and challenges for those looking to break into the equestrian media industry.
Whether you are at school, college or university – or out at work but looking for a career change – then come and join us for an informal chat about what it’s really like to work as an equestrian journalist and what other roles make up the world of equestrian publishing and the wider equestrian media.
Sarah explains: “If you’d asked me when I was 16 what I wanted to do for a career, I’d have said be an equestrian journalist working at Horse & Hound. I’m living the dream, though I have to admit it’s not quite what I expected and it’s changed a great deal in the past 15 years.
“Join us to find out what it’s really like, what jobs exist and what they entail, and anything else you’ve a burning desire to know about equestrian media — we’re looking forward to it.”
This Q&A session is part of Horse & Hound’s careers special, which is running across our website, magazine and social media channels this week. The action kicks off today (Monday 7 January) online, followed by our careers Q&A on facebook on Wednesday, prior to the magazine going on sale on Thursday 10 January.
In Thursday’s magazine Andrea Oakes talks to young equestrian professionals to find out how their education choices set them on the path to their dream jobs and Hanna Lindon investigates options in the equine industry for those looking to change career — at any age. It will be well worth a read.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday
Patrik Kittel and Deja win the freestyle grand prix
Patrik Kittel has been one of the leading lights of international dressage for over a decade and next week will compete for Sweden on Well Done De La Roche CMF at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon — his 11th championship. He is also currently standing for the position of rider representative on the FEI dressage committee, at the same time as preparing to welcome his first child in October. Life is hectic for the 42-year-old, but he finds the time to tell H&H about the riders he most admires.
When asked which other riders he has most admiration for, two names dominate Patrik’s response.
“Isabell Werth continues to amaze me all her time — she has such willpower — and then there’s Charlotte Dujardin,” he says.
“You define a good rider, not for doing well with one horse, but with several. To really educate horses and stay on top for years— that’s an amazing rider and there’s not many who have done that,” he points out.
“When I watch Charlotte ride I get really jealous — she has the most amazing position in the saddle. You watch her ride at lower levels, like elementary, and her horses already look like potential grand prix horses; it’s very impressive to see that. She’ll be back on top of the world for sure — the good riders always climb back up again.
“Success is not about luck or money, but about the ability to educate and the science of keeping horses sound and happy. Everyone has a different approach but it’s the riders doing that who still inspire me every day.”
Patrik and his wife, Australian Olympic rider Lyndal Oatley will welcome their first child this October, a daughter.
“I really hope my daughter will be as good as Charlotte one day,” says Patrik. “I’ve joked with Carl about him training her up to be a new Charlotte.
“My little girl can do whatever she wants to do in life. But horses give people lots of responsibility, and kids who have been involved with animals from a young age generally grow up to do well and have more responsibility in life.”
Read the full interview with Patrik in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out today (6 September). For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
A rider whose horse was struck by a car after the driver ignored her requests to stop has called for hand signals to be made legally enforceable.
Louise Wellings, from Lincolnshire, was riding her 14.2hh cob Azzy with two friends on Eastfield Road, Louth, on 14 October when she asked an oncoming car to stop.
“There was a lay-by on my left full of building equipment and plastic barriers. Azzy stopped to look and turned to face the barrier,” Louise told H&H.
“I could feel him panicking so I put my hand out to ask the woman to stop but she kept coming towards us. I asked her twice more and she never even braked – she carried on and hit us. There was nothing I could do. The wing mirror was taken off and Azzy jumped backwards into the driver’s door.”
Louise said the woman stopped and got out of her car.
“I asked her ‘why didn’t you stop?’ and all she said was ‘bloody horses’. It was unbelievable that someone could do that and not have any consideration – there was no reason for her not to stop. A car can be replaced but my horse and I can’t be.
“I didn’t want to look at Azzy’s back end but luckily he only had some scrapes. We were 100 yards from home so we got him back and I got the vet. Azzy was put on box rest and the vet said he’d been very lucky. He had some swelling and is still a bit stiff but it could have been a lot worse. The vet has since been back and Azzy is allowed out again and to do some gentle work.”
Louise, who reported the incident to the police, said she is the third rider in the area to be hit by a car in the area over the past two years.
“It’s becoming really scary to ride on the roads but we need to use the road to get to the one bridleway we have,” she said.
“What happened has put me off riding on the roads but I need to be the one to get Azzy back out so we’ll do it together. I hope it hasn’t knocked his confidence.”
Louise posted on a community Facebook group about the incident and said she was shocked by some of the responses.
‘I wasn’t sure if the police would do anything because ultimately we were ok, but I felt I had a
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“Some people said that they didn’t know what the hand signal for stop was and others said they won’t stop for horses. We’re putting our lives in their hands,” she said.
“I would like hand signals in the Highway Code to be made legally enforceable so drivers have to acknowledge them. We know our animals, we’re not asking people to stop to be ignorant, we want everyone on the roads to be safe.”
A spokesman for Lincolshire Police said: “A collision involving a horse and rider and a car was reported to us just after 11am and we are aware the horse sustained an injury.”
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
A rider involved in a frightening near-miss on the road has urged others to report incidents after the driver was taken to court.
Alison Prestidge was riding her 17.3hh former police horse Diplomat with a friend, Anna Turner-Bee, along Valley Road in Fawkham, Kent, in February when she heard a vehicle approaching quickly from behind.
“I turned my head and thought the driver must be able to see us – we were wearing full high-vis and riding two abreast,” Alison, a former police horse trainer, told H&H.
“I realised the car wasn’t slowing down. The man saw us at the last minute, swerved and just missed some railings as he mounted a kerb.”
Alison, who was wearing a hat camera she had borrowed from a friend, said the man drove off.
“He didn’t even stop for a split second,” she said.
“Diplomat was fine, he’s very sensible on the roads but I was a bit shaken. I’ve owned him for nine years and always ridden on that roads but I’ve never had a near-miss like that. It upset me – he could have taken my horse out and that would have been it. Diplomat would have been a goner if the car had made contact, it would have hit his back legs. It wasn’t until afterwards I thought ‘that really was a close call’.”
Alison reported the incident to Kent Police and the British Horse Society.
“I wasn’t sure if the police would do anything because ultimately we were ok, but I felt I had a responsibility to report it. The footage had caught the driver’s registration plate and Anna found online that the car didn’t have an MoT,” she said.
“I didn’t hear anything for months but then I received a letter in September to say the driver was due to appear in court. I was unable to attend on the day but I would have liked to have to seen the process and the driver’s reaction to the footage being played.”
‘I can’t believe the driver knocked a child off her horse and left her there. You don’t leave the scene
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Alison has urged others to report incidents.
“I’ve spent loads of time riding on the roads training police horses but ironically country lanes are not as safe as the busy streets you ride around London. I’ve never felt scared on the roads before but watching the footage back and seeing how close it was makes me realise we were very lucky,” she said.
“It feels really good that the police dealt with the incident and it got to court. I received a letter to say the driver received points and a fine – anyone can pay a fine, but the points will have an impact on him.”
The driver appeared in court charged and pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. He received six points, a £169 fine and had to pay £85 costs.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Click image to go to the original article by Alan Day.
Rastus was a Lazy B cowboy who was like family. He couldn’t read or write, but what he knew never ceased to amaze me. When he was eight years old, he ran away from his abusive and dysfunctional home in Pinos Altos, New Mexico. Somehow he made his way to Lordsburg, about 80 miles away. A kind soul noticed the homeless young boy wandering around town and suggested to Rastus that he might fit in at the big Lazy B ranch. They just might need someone to bring kindling to the cook. What’s more, he’d probably get fed for doing the job. So Rastus went out to the ranch, got hired, and remained there for 75 years.
Rastus learned cowboying from the roots up. He went from being a cook’s helper to being the number one cowboy in the crew. For as long as I remember, he was the go-to guy. He had an encyclopedic mind that observed things most of us wouldn’t notice. He always was aware of how much water was in each tank and how the grass was growing. If a windmill pumped a little less water than it should, he’d say the leathers need to be changed. What’s more, he also knew each cow, and Lazy B had 1500 cows. Often he could identify a cow by looking at her footprints. He knew which calf belonged to which cow and what last year’s calf looked like.
One thing that we all learned is that if Rastus told you something, which would be something to do with the ranch, you could go to the bank with that. It was always correct and accurate. The only time my dad argued with him, Rastus was so incensed someone doubted his word that he quit. His word was his bond. When it turned out Rastus was right, my dad had to go to town and hunt him up and apologize.
Rastus lived at headquarters and only went to town about once a month. Ever year, we give him a Christmas present, which often was a nice shirt. No one ever saw the shirt again because it stayed folded up for later use. He probably had ten shirts for later use that he never unwrapped. He had a needle and thread, though. He’d wear a shirt or pair of pants until it got so thin it would start to tear. Then he carefully sewed the tears together with tiny stitches. He literally wore his clothes until they came apart. Yet he never looked anything but neat and clean.
Before my time, Rastus had fallen off a windmill. One leg landed on an anvil and had a real bad break. The doctor had to cut a piece out of it. When it healed back up, it was three inches shorter than the other leg. He had his boot built up, but I never knew him to walk without a limp. If he suffered from backaches, I wasn’t aware of it because he never complained.
So even though Rastus never learned to read, never learned to drive, he was one of the smartest men I ever knew. He was totally loyal to the ranch, and I was proud that he was a part of my extended family.
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The owners of horses killed in a suspected arson attack two years ago hope a memorial ride will make a statement that they ‘haven’t forgotten’ what happened.
Grace Tredgold and Ciera Battson are running the Elmwood Memorial Ride for a second year on 24 November to remember the 12 horses, including Grace’s mare Willow and Ciera’s loan pony Rex, killed at Elmwood Equestrian Centre, Burnham-on-Crouch, on 3 December 2017.
Essex Police investigated the fire but no one was ever caught.
“You learn to deal with it but not having the closure of who did it and why is difficult. Myself and Ciera and some of the other owners will have a moment every now and again where we sit and think about it all,” Grace told H&H.
“It’s a very strange feeling, they were taken so suddenly and it’s now been almost two years.”
Grace said she hopes by raising awareness of the incident through the ride, someone might come forward.
“We want to make a statement to whoever did it that we haven’t forgotten. We want to get people talking about it again especially for people who might not be aware. We hope someone eventually speaks out, someone has to know something,” she said.
Grace said the event will run on the same lines as last year, starting at Elmwood Equestrian Centre
“The ride is around nine miles and we’ll ride up Burnham-on-Crouch High Street,” she said. “The mayor is very supportive of the event and has agreed to come and say a few words again and we have asked the farmers who helped last year if we can use their land and they’ve agreed – without them it wouldn’t be happening. ”
12 horses died in the suspected arson attack on 3 December 2017
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Grace, who will ride her pony Ella on the day, said 66 riders have signed up.
“Last year we had 52. We’ve had a lot of people want to come this year and most of the liveries from Elmwood Equestrian Centre will take part,” she said.
“It’s a good community event and gets people together and talking about the fire again. Last year it was really special as a double rainbow appeared as we set off.”
Anyone interested in taking part in the ride can sign up at the Elmwood 12 Memorial Ride Facebook page.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
Dressage is the picture of harmony and elegance — except for the times when it’s not. Here, 21 Horse & Hound readers recount their hilarious stories of when things didn’t quite go to plan between the white boards…
1. “The end of our test went: halt, salute, shake head, keep shaking head, bridle swinging in the breeze (pictured). I had no clue what to do other than gather it up and amble towards A, then jump off with my horse Red Cell, or Sir Red to his friends, looking rather chuffed. One judge even commented on my test sheet how calm he was. I was glad not to be eliminated, and came fifth.” Laura Eaton
2. “I took my home-bred four-year-old to his first dressage competition, and ‘canter at A’ became ‘buck at A’. I lost both stirrups, my hat tipped forward and Dougal belted off. Unable to see where we were going, we left the arena and careered round the judge’s car. Somehow, I managed to find one stirrup, shove my hat back up and re-enter the arena. I scrambled through something that approximated vaguely to the test and when I halted at X, the judge and her scribe were doubled up in laughter — so I dropped my reins, held up my palms and shrugged. It seemed more fitting than a salute.” Catherine Robinson
3. “My pony once trotted down the centre line straight past C and stuck his nose into a plate of sandwiches on the judge’s table.” Alison Job
4. “I decided to enter my four-year-old ex-racehorse Mr Hill (Billy, pictured below), in an intro class. He was so chilled out he didn’t care about the white boards or dressage markers or the scary judge’s box. Smiling away about remembering my test and how well Billy was going right to the end, we halted at G, I saluted the judge, and literally out of nowhere Billy decided to salute too. I was still smiling and the judges loved his salute.” Emma Marshall
5. “My horse Olena hated dressage and was looking to get to the ‘good bit’ of the BE 90. We were doing the dressage on grass, and it hadn’t occurred to me to use studs (I did learn my lesson), so while doing a rather unbalanced 20m potato, aka circle, in canter she slipped and fell at X. Then she sat there for a while refusing to get up — she was unhurt, just disinclined to do any more dressage. I was mortified, not just to have fallen off, but that my horse was now taking a nap in the middle of the arena with all the competitors after us wondering how on earth there could be a hold on course for dressage! We were actually allowed to finish the test and, following a thorough vet check, to complete the event.” Jo Parkes
6. “I travelled to Bury Farm, Bucks, from Edinburgh for the British Riding Clubs dressage to music championships a few years ago, when my horse was badly spooked entering the main arena. Poor startled Onyx bolted and jumped the white boards and flower pots — and we found ourselves in the arena standing in front of the judge at E. Whoops – it wasn’t quite the dramatic entrance I had been planning.” Sarah Johnsen
7. “As the previous competitor finished their test at my first Area Festival, I was allowed to walk around the outside of the arena. As I did so, my horse Harry’s tail brushed on of the plastic bushes decorating the arena. He leapt into the air, then spooked at the audience, jumped into the arena over the white boards, and finally unseated me, leaving me in a pile on the floor. He then trotted up to the other competitor who had just halted at the end of her test. Luckily, as I hadn’t technically entered the arena, they let me get back on and we finished second!” Hannah Burrage
8. “As a teenager I was halfway through a prelim test on my pony Minstrel and everything was going well. Then he decided to throw in one of his special bucks. I slid straight down his neck, and on the way down, I somehow managed to hook my thumb through his headpiece and remove his whole bridle. I don’t know who was more shocked: me or everyone else watching. But I tacked Minstrel back up, got on and carried on with the rest of the test. I saluted to the judge, gave my pony a big pat and left the arena calmly. I made it all the way to the trailer before bursting into tears!” Sophie Irvine
9. “A couple of weeks ago at the British Dresssage summer music championships, I did a beautiful freestyle test. My transitions were spot on to my music changes, I was grinning from ear to ear, up the centre line, salute, big pat for my amazing pony… Then I heard the bell ring — I was facing the wrong way and the judges were sitting behind me! I’d turned up the centre line the wrong way…” Sarah Hayter-Sharpe
10. “Many years ago I entered my 18hh Shire/Clydesdale/thoroughbred, Maisie, into two prelim tests. There was a short break between the two, so I slackened my girth and went for a walk around the warm-up. Unfortunately I forgot to tighten my girth before the second test… We were going well until the 20m circle when my saddle and I slowly slid around to Maisie’s side and gravity eventually took hold. The judge ran over to check I was alright and help me remount. We then carried on and finished our test.” Alison Dummer
11. “In our music test at the Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage at Sheepgate, my horse took massive exception to the hog roast. He decided he couldn’t possibly go beyond P towards it, and that upwards was the best option! Forced to retire I then faced the acute embarrassment of being unable to get out of the arena (and all of this to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight)!” Lesley Wheatley
12. “A few months ago I took my youngster to his second ever dressage show. We entered the arena, went down the centre line and that was that! He didn’t want to dance so plonked his feet and wouldn’t move further than 10m, regardless of what I did. In the end the judge was laughing as I laughed, shrugged and saluted my so-called test. ‘Needs more miles on the clock’ and ‘well tried’ were the comments, with a rather bad mark next to it.” Madeleine Moon
13. “I was once doing a prelim dressage test with my pony, who is a cheeky chap. He spooked just as we had started the test and his foot went through one of the wooden dressage boards. It was stuck — luckily he is a calm pony and after seeing he was not injured, my Dad and the show organiser ended up sawing the wooden board off his hind leg! After checking he was unhurt — and gathering quite an audience — we went on to complete the test and finished third!” Hollie Blakeston
14. “I have myself a little plane spotter; he will watch planes and helicopters! When I first got him just over two years ago I had no idea about his little hobby. We were competing for our local riding club in the area dressage competition, and coming down the centre line to halt. Just as we got to X the British Red Arrows flew over in full formation, and my horse stopped dead and stuck his head in the air to watch them fly over.” Demi Davis
15. “I had no one to look after my children so I took them out to Field House, and told them to stay in the café as I could see them from the indoor arena. As I started the dressage test my daughter came out of the café — I gave a her a stern look and shouted “back in the café!”. The judge’s comment was ‘stressful entry’ — but we still got a seven!” Julie Barber
16. “I had learned the test but it went completely out of my head, even though a kind person called for me. All I wanted to do was get to the end and get out of the arena. Crossing the diagonal, I heard the caller say “and show some medium trot strides” — and realised I was still in canter. The judge rang the bell and got out of the car, but I was so desperate to finish the test that I ignored her and kept going. I don’t know who was more traumatised: the poor caller who read the test perfectly, the judge who had to mark the last two movements standing at the car door, or me.” Elizabeth Rushton
Who says horses have no sense of humour? Read on if your horse is a master at embarrassing you
17. “Having successfully completed a dressage test for once without any major dramas, I relaxed as we moved off on a long rein after the salute. At that point the judge stood up and pulled back the sliding glass window in the judge’s box. My pony teleported left. I ended up lying on the ground on my back looking up at the judge, who said ‘oh…sorry…was that my fault?’” Jane Sanders
18. “My horse was a jumper, but I misguidedly did a dressage test on him. Cantering down the long side, I felt him suddenly setting himself right to jump the hedge, which was the boundary on the short side. I couldn’t convince him not to jump it. The judges called me back and suggested I should stick to jumping.” Jackie Bell
19. “Competing at local indoor dressage championship, I was incredibly nervous and there was a big silent crowd of local riders watching. As the bell rang to start, I trotted down the long side and my horse farted very loudly — echoing around the arena. I heard the booming voice of my trainer saying ‘Oh! Poor Rebecca, she suffers so badly with competition nerves!’ The crowd collapsed into laughter — as did I.” Rebecca Jackson
20. “I had almost completed a nice novice test on my cheeky coloured pony, Patch. As I came to halt on the centre line, Patch, totally without warning, decided it was the perfect time to get down for a roll. I managed to get her up mid roll, jumped back on, saluted the judge and left the arena with a very red face! Thankfully the judge had a sense of humour to match Patchy’s, and we got a four for the halt, with the comment simply saying ‘rolled’.” Claire Hazeldine
21. “When I was young I attended a local unaffiliated dressage test on a little grey pony called Dinky. The owner was calling the test for me and at A I commenced a 20m circle in trot with the intention of cantering left before X. As I asked for canter Dinky did a huge buck and sent me flying. The owner swiftly gave me a leg-up and I commenced the movement again from A — the same thing happened again. The third time, the bridle came off with me! By that time there was quite a large audience gathered and the judge then popped out of the box to say that she thought it was time to leave the arena.” Katie Rutter
And a bonus story from H&H’s dressage editor…
“During a test on my extravagant Anglo-Arab gelding, Toby, one of my contact lenses got dislodged just as we set off across the diagonal in extended trot – his party piece. Unable to see properly, and to judge how far away the intermittent white boards ahead of us were, we sailed straight out of the arena at M and almost made it to the boundary fence. The judge called after us, ‘Oh do come back!’…” Polly Bryan
An equine care home and therapy centre is desperately seeking new premises after the site it occupied for 12 years was sold for development.
Suffolk-based French’s Care Haven has been temporarily housed by supporters in Felixstowe but this land has been also earmarked for houses, leaving the centre in urgent need of a permanent home.
The charity, run by founder Jann Turner, cares for 17 rescued horses and donkeys, many of whom are elderly. It also provides equine therapy for a range of local organisations, including schoolchildren with behavioural problems, groups with learning difficulties and people suffering from eating disorders and anxiety.
“We put a lot of work into the farm we were at in Hadleigh but it was sold to some people in London who put planning permission in to develop it straight away,” said Jann. “We’d paid to re-roof buildings, for fencing and to put in ménages and we had plans to add extra facilities, so it was devastating to see it all go.”
She said work was due to start on the development at the current site and she is waiting to hear any day that the charity has eight weeks’ notice to leave.
Jann has been trying to find a minimum of 20 acres with outbuildings to rent anywhere in Suffolk but has so far been unsuccessful.
“We’re not asking anyone to give it to us, we’re happy to pay rent,” Jann said. “The number of doors I have knocked on is phenomenal but we just can’t find anything.
“Finding a farmer who has cut back on cattle and has some land and barns available would be the ideal scenario. We can always fundraise to repair buildings if they are dilapidated.”
She added that she “couldn’t even contemplate” what would happen if the charity couldn’t find a new home but that she “would never give up”.
“I have a love for the horses that I will take to my deathbed,” she said.
The warning to riders comes after high-end riding boots stolen from Zebra Products last year were found for sale on
Jann has 45 years’ experience working in the horse industry and has been an equine physiotherapist for 20 years. She more recently started opening up the care home for equine therapy after finding it was a “magnet” for people facing difficulties.
“The organisations started contacting me and asking if they could bring people up,” she said. “They help take care of the horses, groom them and pick out their feet. We also find little jobs for them to do around the yard — maybe cutting the grass or trimming bushes or repairing fencing. It’s a good environment for people to be, around the animals in the open air.
“We’ve helped people with drug and alcohol addiction, those who self-harm and schoolchildren, it’s so nice to hear from their parents that they don’t recognise them any more, they have changed so much since they have been coming to us.”
The horses at the care home are all rescues from various backgrounds — from former racehorses to ponies who had been “left tied to the fence at the end of the driveway”.
“We were just about to set up a petting and picnic area and I was thinking about starting lecture demos to help with funding before we had to move and I have had to put all that on hold,” Jann said. “We need to start planning for our future and it will be a huge relief if we can find somewhere.
“Hopefully if people are able to share that we are looking for somewhere, someone will come forwards.”
A mare previously written off as “too quirky” has returned to the showjumping ring after a seven-month absence to win a newcomers class at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre.
The 10-year-old Mervs Thanks A Million II, an Irish-bred daughter of Flexible, was partnered to an unexpected victory earlier this month by Newbury-based Poppy Stronge.
“We’d basically given up on her because she was so difficult,” said Poppy, who bought the mare six years ago. “We couldn’t sell her, as goodness knows where she would have ended up, so we just put her in the field.”
“Rowan lunges Blue Movie between shows and doesn’t ride her or jump her at all at home, so we thought we’d give that a try,” said Poppy. “It seemed to be working, so I put her on the lorry and took her to the show. She was really hairy and unclipped, but she jumped brilliantly. I’ve clipped her so she doesn’t look so awful and we have another show soon. I’m now waiting to see if this was a fluke or Rowan’s method really works. If it doesn’t, we’ll probably breed from her, as she’s lovely on the ground and would give us a nice foal.”
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Despite the mare’s quirky nature, Poppy is a fan of mares generally.
“I do seem to get on well with them,” said 23-year-old Poppy, who runs the family’s sport horse livery and sales business.
“Dad’s always off racing and Mum seems to be a permanent babysitter for my brother Sam’s [a former jockey and now a racehorse trainer] son, so I’m doing all the riding and grooming at home at the moment. I love it,” she said.
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