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.

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.

Continued below…

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/wp-content/themes/keystone-theme/shortcodes/js/collections.js

“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.”

Recent dramatic storms across Britain have highlighted the ongoing dilemma about whether it is safer to keep your horse in or leave him out during thunder and lightning. We take a look at the pros and cons of each approach of dealing with horses in thunderstorms

While cases of horses being hit by lightning are, thankfully, relatively rare, when storms are forecast it is understandably a cause for concern for owners. As well as direct strikes, there is the worry that horses will hurt themselves while galloping around, so is stabling your horse a better option?

Stabling during a thunderstorm

Horses are very sensitive to electricity, particularly lightning, and the British Horse Society’s official advice is to house horses in thunderstorms.

“If you have access to well-grounded stabling, we would advise keeping an eye on the weather forecast and stabling your horse if there is a threat of a lightning storm,” says BHS Head of Welfare Gemma Stanford.

While some horses appear unconcerned by wild, stormy weather, others become very unsettled. For this reason alone, some owners prefer to stable their horses rather than have them galloping about and putting themselves at risk of injury.

“We always bring them in now,” says eventer turned showing producer and judge Michael Cooper. “We had one bolt badly [during a thunderstorm] — it smashed through and then got stuck in the field gate and was a real mess.”

Horses’ natural herding instinct during a thunderstorm can also increase the risk of injury or death from a lightning strike. Often, they will group together for protection from the elements and, if the storm includes heavy rainfall, will shelter beneath a large tree — often attractive targets for a lightning strike.

If this also happens to be near a water trough or wire fence, the combination of a tall tree, good electrical conductors and rain-sodden ground can be fatal for horses. The risk is heightened for horses wearing steel shoes.

The out option

Some owners, however, feel leaving their horses out is the better option. Breeder Julia Hodkin, of the Future Sport Horse stud near Beverley, has lots of youngstock at grass, as well as competition horses grazing during the day.

“We generally don’t bring them in as I’ve actually never really seen any of our horses that bothered about thunder; they almost seem to know it’s part of nature and isn’t going to physically hurt them. If the thunder was being accompanied by serious lightning, howling winds and driving rain, however, we would bring them in because of the detrimental effects of those elements on them,” says Julia.

Showjumper Derek Morton is another with youngstock at grass.

“We always bring young foals in out of heavy rain whether there are thunderstorms involved or not, but once they are over six weeks old I wouldn’t bring any stock in out of thunderstorms. I’m a true believer in treating my youngstock as if they were in the wild and they certainly wouldn’t get a stable in the wild to get away from the elements,” says Derek, who houses all his competition horses at night.

For those who choose to house their horses during thunderstorms, the advice is to ensure the buildings are well grounded and have lightning rods. The grounding system in a building can provide an easy route for electricity to run to earth in the event of a lightning strike or power surge.

While nowhere outside is safe from lightning, as emphasised by lightning expert Grant Kirkby, if you are put in the position where your horse will be turned out in a storm, the advice is to make paddocks as safe as possible.

This includes:

• Site shelters on lower ground rather than in exposed, isolated areas (which can make them a target for a lightning strike).
• Avoid using fields with streams running through them and be aware that lightning can travel along wire fencing, water courses and even ‘jump’ from a tree to your horse. It may be worth fencing off large single trees in exposed locations to stop horses sheltering beneath them. Of course, this decision has to be balanced against the benefits of using these trees to offering shelter for horses from flies and the heat.

Finally, the safety of those handling horses during stormy weather also has to be considered. Planning ahead and bringing horses in before the forecasted bad weather arrives is ideal, but in situations where this hasn’t been possible, it may be too dangerous to safely bring horses in during thunder and lightning.

This article was first published on 6 June 2016

More than half of H&H readers would consider rehoming a rescue horse, and almost a third have already done so.

The results of a poll on horseandhound.co.uk revealed that rehoming is an attractive option to equestrians.

Of those who completed the poll, 65% said they would consider rehoming in the future, while 28% said they had already rehomed a rescued horse or pony. Just 7% said this wasn’t something they would consider.

An RSPCA spokesman welcomed the news.

“It’s great to hear that almost 30% of people have already given a home to a rescue horse or pony,” she told H&H.

“It’s so encouraging that 65% of people said they too would consider rehoming a rescue horse. We’ve seen some of our horses going on to achieve amazing things from becoming super Pony Club ponies, happy-hackers, carriage ponies, showjumpers and even just wonderful companions.”

Thriving in his new home

Coloured pony Mickey was found collapsed in a Leicester park close to a busy main road at the start of the year (23 January).
After being rescued by an RSPCA inspector, he received urgent veterinary treatment from a vet.

“When I arrived to catch Mickey he was already in such a bad way that he had collapsed on the ground,” said RSPCA inspector Sharon Knight.

Mickey in the park

“When equine vet Melissa Packer arrived she was keen to explore all avenues to save his life and it’s down to her that he has pulled through. Mickey was thin and exhausted, and he was suffering with a huge infestation of lice.”

Mickey was transported to a boarding yard in the Leicester area.

“Poor Mickey remained on a drip for more than two days after we transported him to our yard,” said Ms Packer.

Mickey was taken to a boarding yard for treatment

“He was covered in lice so we had to clip his matted coat, and underneath, he was just skin and bone, he was in an awful state.

“After a blood transfusion, the drip and lots of TLC, his health started to improve slowly, and I’m delighted to say that he is now in a new home in Leicestershire.”

Mickey’s new owner Mags said she was “so happy” to have him.

“He is a cheeky chappy, and very loving,” she said.

Continued below…

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/wp-content/themes/keystone-theme/shortcodes/js/collections.js

“He has fitted into our family of ponies very well and he is just a super little foal. He has a home with us for the rest of his life, so thank you to the RSPCA and Mel and her team for all the hard work making him better, I feel very fortunate to have him.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the RSPCA’s rescue horses and ponies looking for a home, visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet, or contact one of the charity’s equine rehoming centres.

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

OPINION

Nothing stays the same in this fast-moving world of ours.

Indeed, many of my generation look back with nostalgia at how the shows attracted the public. Some aspects of what’s changed about our sport are good. Breeding, for instance, has now become an exact science compared with the way we used to source our horses.

Other changes are not so good…

Take British Showjumping (BS), which is now run totally differently from how it was many years ago when I sat on the board. Then it largely consisted of a committee voted on by the membership with additional co-opted members from the business and commercial world.

I have to say that it was a privilege to sit round a table and listen to the ideas and acumen put forward by such learned men as General Sir Cecil “Monkey” Blacker MBE, Dougie Bunn MBE and Malcolm Barr MBE, all of whom had the overall interests of our sport very high on their agenda.

This era also coincided with showjumping’s most fruitful years in terms of sponsorship — not just for county shows, but for city shows, too. The number of top-quality riders who were produced for the British team during that time remains unmatched.

Has the sport in Britain moved on or hit new heights since our team gold in London 2012 or Nick Skelton’s fantastic individual gold medal in Rio 2016? Given similarly prolific achievements in their day, would that committee of old have been more dynamic and proactive than their current successors? I know they would.

I realise that today’s BS has, of necessity, become a completely different organisation. It has many things to deal with that we never had to consider back in the day; company law, health and safety, the list is endless. And that’s why they need a different style of committee from the one we had then. However, I have long argued and still maintain that they need professional showjumping experience to steer them in the right direction.

An absurd situation

A few days ago, I was entering Persimmon, a ride of our son Will, for an International Stairway class. I was surprised when my wife, Tina, said that as it’s a grade A class, she’d just make sure the horse is grade A.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, because Persimmon has won more than £15,000 in the past few months alone. But sure enough, Tina was right, the horse was registered as grade B.

How can such an absurd situation possibly occur? Well, it was only when I checked the way they have interpreted and allocated points for different
competitions that I realised the inexperience or naivety of whoever set the points for the various classes.

At a recent young riders Nations Cup for under-21s at Fontainebleau, Will and Persimmon jumped for a clear and four over a big, difficult course. It also happened to be the best British score. For that, the horse was awarded eight points. At Chepstow in the international two-star grand prix, a class with more than 60 starters and fences at 1.45m to 1.50m, he was fourth and was given 16 points. Then he won a 1.30m at a local centre with very few entries — and got 45 points.

I’ll let you do the maths.

I would like BS to justify the reasoning behind a points system that is causing such bewilderment — we look forward to the reply.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 31 May 2018

If you’ve got a penchant for ‘blondes’, take a look at these palominos horses and ponies for sale on the Horse & Hound website this week.

1. ‘Stunning’

Height: 16hh

Age: three

Gender: filly

Selling points: “This homebred mare has been very well handled. She is out of a warmblood and by Kambarbay, the Akhal Teke stallion. She has the metallic coat of the breed and is ready to start being backed. She has a lovely, friendly nature and she’s easy, uncomplicated, has no vices and has never had to see a vet.”

View the advert

2. ‘Mother’s dream’

Height: 9hh

Age: 18

Gender: gelding

Selling points: “‘Rolo’ is a very loving and genuine Shetland. He has been there and done it all and will show any aged child the ropes, always keeping them safe. He can be ridden on or off the lead-rein and is also trained in harness. He is easy to do with absolutely everything and just stands there and falls asleep. He is good to lunge and enjoys flatwork and jumping. He never gets fizzy or over-excited and is never strong — he is snaffle mouthed at all times. He hacks out alone and in company and lives in or out. He has no vices.”

View the advert

3. ‘Beautiful’

Height: 15hh

Age: nine

Gender: mare

Selling points: “This Welsh section D is beautiful, but needs a strong, confident rider. ‘Loxy’ was bought with very little education. We spent the first year hacking and past year working on her flatwork, however she can still be green. Loxy can jump, but needs a confident rider. She has had some time off but we are now bringing her back into work properly and are currently furthering her education. This is a very sweet mare who needs a one-to-one owner. Loxy is head strong but once you have her she is a super-willing horse. Loxy had a little fright while out hacking (details on request) — she never suffered injuries, but can be a little nappy. She does hack out in company with no issues.”

View the advert

4. ‘Bags of potential’

Height: 148cm

Age: eight

Gender: gelding

Selling points: “This pony is well schooled on the flat and loves to jump — he has bags of potential. This is a fun, sensitive pony looking for an experienced, competitive home. He needs a quietly confident rider with competition experience who wants to form a partnership with their mount and discover how far they can go.”

View the advert

5. ‘Blank canvas’

Height: 15.2hh

Age: five

Gender: mare

Selling points: “This warmblood x thoroughbred mare is well-handled and socialised, well-mannered and has a very sweet personality. She is good with the farrier, to travel alone or in company, and lives in or out. She was awarded a higher first premium at BEF Futurity as a three-year-old and was placed first in the in-hand riding horse class at the Royal Three Counties Show that year too. She has been lunged, long reined, loose jumped, backed and been on a handful of short hacks. She has never put a foot wrong and is a very quick learner.”

View the advert

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

6. ‘A dream horse’

Height: 15.1hh

Age: five

Gender: mare

Selling points: “‘Hope’ works beautifully on the flat and is a comfortable, easy ride. She has done dressage, showjumping and has been cross-country schooling. She is extremely honest and genuine and always tries her best to please. She is snaffle mouthed and doesn’t get strong or fizzy. Hope has got the most fabulous temperament — she loves people and would stand all day to be brushed and fussed. She hasn’t got a bad bone in her body. Hope is a real head turner and is now ready for someone to bring her on and have lots of fun with. She hacks out alone and in company and is good to catch, box, bath, shoe and clip. No vices and no lumps, bumps or sarcoids. She lives in or out.”

View the advert

View more horses for sale on horseandhound.co.uk

NB: Horse & Hound has not checked the accuracy of the claims made in these adverts and cannot be held liable if the information included above is inaccurate in any way

Unexpected twin foals born on the morning of the royal wedding have been named after the happy couple.

Meghan and Harry, born on 19 May, were a surprise arrival out of a cob mare named Blue Bell, by American Bashkir Curly stallion My Boy Buck.

“It is a miracle, they are doing very well,” said Martin Dewar, owner of My Boy Buck and former owner of Blue Bell.

He added the mare was covered last year, but they didn’t think she had taken.

“All of a sudden, on the morning of the wedding she dropped twins, and that’s why we had to call them Harry and Meghan,” he said.

Martin added he acquired the mare four years ago unbroken and in a poor state.

He looked after her and broke her to ride and drive.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

“Both the mare and stallion have such wonderful temperaments,” said Martin, adding the mare was one of the easiest horses he has ever started.

“I have been in the horse game all my life and I have never come across a mare that was so easy to break, she never put a foot wrong.

“It was enjoyable to get up in the morning and do some work with her — she is very special.

“You don’t need to spend a lot of money on horses. If you have a bit of time, they can turn out to be beautiful swans.”

The mare was sold locally and has gone to a home where they “absolutely love her”.

American Bashkir Curly horses are a rare breed, with curly, hypoallergenic coats.

“The stallion has a temperament to die for,” said Martin, adding this is typical of the breed.

“They are good for all levels of riders and they aren’t at all sharp.”

Twins foals are an unusual sight. While it is common for mares to conceive twins, if they are spotted early enough, vets will usually abort one embryo to give the other foal and the mare the best chance of a safe, full-term, healthy pregnancy.

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

Today, I am going with a friend to the Cal Poly Sport Horse Sale. Should be fun!

HERE WE GO!

Man’s best friend.

Bats look like dogs to me.

A very happy, baby elephant having his neck rubbed with lotion.

Alert and beautiful.

All of the kangaroo photos that I post come from this guy.

From The Gentle Barn.

A friend’s horse…

Elke Vogelsang

Love this!

Yikes! This is lava flow from the volcano in Hawaii!

A gorgeous wild one.

Buddies.

Yup.

The same kangaroo guy with Australia’s next Bachelor – and two orphans!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

The post SATURDAY IS PHOBLOG DAY! 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!

Oliver Townend was the underbidder on the top lot in the inaugural Goresbridge Tattersalls Ireland Select Event Horse Sale on Thursday evening (31 May).

The sale was held alongside the horse trials at Tattersalls and 15 horses were auctioned. The horses were chosen by event horse agent Sally Parkyn and Lt Col Brian McSweeney (ret).

The top lot was Master Class Ramiro (lot 10), a four-year-old by Ramiro B, out of a mare who is a granddaughter of Master Imp through her damline. The horse was consigned by Jason Higgins. He was the subject of a bidding duel between Oliver Townend and Chris Gould, with Chris the successful buyer at €49,000 (£43,000).

Master Class Ramiro, by Ramiro B. Photo by Laurence Dunne (jumpinaction.net)

Oliver has enjoyed success this spring with Ramiro B horses — both Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and Badminton runner-up Cooley SRS are by him — and the stallion stands at Harthill Stud, Oliver’s breeding venture with Nina Barbour.

A further eight horses were sold on the evening, with a total aggregate price of €209,500 and an average of €23,278.

Irish four-star and championship rider Trish Ryan signed for the second most expensive horse sold, Lislan Liam, consigned by Sylvia Revill. He was lot six and went for €26,000. He is a chestnut five-year-old by the jumping sire Je T’Aime Flamenco out of a mare by Harlequin Du Carel.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Jerpoint Eclipse, sold for €24,500, made the third best price as lot 12. He was sold by Maurice Coleman and bought by Richard Gordon. He is a four-year-old by Chinook Eclipse, out of a mare with Clover Hill and Chair Lift in her pedigree.

The horses who didn’t make their reserves were led out unsold at between €5000 and €16,500.

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

An equine vet involved in a terrifying hacking incident has pledged to push her case “as far as possible” to raise public awareness of the horrific abuse riders are subjected to on the roads.

Natalie McGoldrick, H&H’s vet of the year 2017, was hacking her eventer Tricky Johnie near Waterlooville in Hampshire on Tuesday morning (29 May) when she heard a car horn behind her.

“I was out hacking on a quiet country lane. It’s a single track with some passing places to pull in,” Natalie told H&H.

“I was on Tricky Johnie, my intermediate horse, who fortunately is my safest one. We were just riding along and I heard a horn sounding quite a distance behind me. I thought ‘that can’t be anything to do with me as it isn’t even close’.”

She added she heard a few more beeps as the car approached and took her phone out of her pocket as she wanted to record the numberplate.

Natalie said the driver wound down the windows and started shouting at her. With nowhere to safely let her past, Natalie put her phone away and continued riding towards a layby around 100 yards further up the road where she could pull in.

As she was riding away, the driver held her hand down on the horn and Jonnie started to become unsettled.

When Natalie reached the layby, she decided she needed to call the police, so jumped off, dialled 999 and put herself between the horse and the car.

Natalie said the driver then drove “albeit very slowly” into her legs.

“What must have been three seconds felt like about a minute — it went through my head that she was going to keep going and I had Johnnie behind me so I couldn’t get out of the way,” said Natalie.

“I was screaming on the phone to 999, I said ‘she’s hit me’.

Natalie said the driver reversed back, before pulling forwards into her legs again, clipping Johnnie’s hocks as Natalie tried to walk him away.

The driver got out of the car, pushing Natalie backwards and then started to pat the horse.

“It was pretty horrific,” she said, adding nothing much scares her, but Tuesday’s ordeal was “terrifying”.

“I’m a pretty strong person and it shook me up. I’m constantly abused on the roads, but that was a step further.”

Thankfully both horse and rider were not injured in the incident.

Natalie added she was so thankful that she was riding her most sensible horse at the time.

“If I had been on one of my others, that would be a completely different story,” she said.

Natalie posted the clip on her Facebook page and it has since gone viral.

“I posted it thinking that I have a following of a couple of thousand and at least it would make people [in my area] aware,” she said.

“The reaction has been 99% supportive and encouragement to press police as far as I can go.

“I don’t have an arena or fields to ride in, my horses do all their work and schooling on the roads. It is a serious sport for me, I have no other way to keep them and this is how the majority of us do keep our horses exercised.

“I’m going to take this as far as possible — that’s the only way it is going to change is when people realise they can’t get away with doing things like this.”

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary told H&H there have been no arrests at this stage.

“We are investigating an incident involving a car and a horse/rider in Hyden Farm Lane, Waterlooville between 11.05am and 11.14am on 29 May,” he said.

“Anyone with information about this incident should call 101 quoting 44180198842.”

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