Potential Olympic horse swaps riders, online abuse and other things the horse world is talking about

A new rider

Chris Burton has taken the reins of Ben Hobday’s Shadow Man, as he aims for the Paris Olympics. The 14-year-old owned by Ben and Jane Chambers has been produced by Ben to five-star level, and Chris was on the team that won eventing bronze in Rio 2016. Shadow Man will join Chris for six months with selection for the Games the aim. Ben told H&H the switch was not initially on the radar, “but then we had a good think about it, and thought what were the realistic chances of me doing Paris this year”. He added: “We had a further think about it and we came to the solution that Chris could borrow Shadow Man for six months and aim for the Olympics.”
Read the full article

Online abuse

In her H&H column this week, Olympic dressage rider Laura Tomlinson raises concerns that recent online acrimony has “tarred all competitive equestrians with the same brush”. “The line between abuse and riding a horse in the wrong frame seems to have merged,” she says. “Can any rider say that they have never had a horse get tight in the neck and behind the vertical in certain situations? Yet this seems to be the new standard for whether a rider is abusive or not.” Laura points out that riders can be judged by, and “brutally” condemned online for, still shots, “sometimes while clearly dealing with an issue”. She said: “If we don’t learn to be more respectful towards one another and more understanding of each other’s problems, we will eliminate our sport.”
Read the full column

Rescued pony

The public has been urged to adhere to the Countryside Code after a pony got stuck in a cattle grid – as walkers had left a gate open. Fire crews spent hours freeing Shetland Teifi on 5 March, using road traffic collision and animal rescue equipment. Owner Beth Watkins said she was “incredibly grateful” to the crews, and that Teifi had recovered well. The fire service said: “Teifi was able to reach the cattle grid due to a gate being left open by walkers on a right of way through the farm that he lives on. The Countryside Code urges all those who use the countryside, coast, parks and waterways to always leave gates and property as they are found and to follow instructions on signs.”
Read more

You might also be interested in:

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.