Getting feed to horse owners in Ukraine, and other things the horse world is talking about

Getting feed to horse owners in Ukraine

The equestrian community is rallying to help owners of horses in Ukraine as the situation worsens in the country day by day. There are warnings that stables have run desperately low of feed and haylage. The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF) Charity Foundation has made it possible for those in the UK to buy feed from certain retailers to be sent to an address in Poland from which it will be taken to those stables in Ukraine with the most urgently reported need. Transport is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

Find out how to buy feed to be sent to horse owners in Ukraine

A groom’s view of why there are staff shortages

A groom who spent years earning £200 for working +70-hour weeks in breach of employment law in a top competition yard said she is not surprised by staff shortages. She said she spent four and a half years working for an eventer. She was not on the books, didn’t have regular days off, holiday pay, a contract or other legal requirements. “It’s no wonder if competition yards can’t get anyone,” she said. “I was paid £200 pounds a week. I got accommodation and had a horse there but I had to pay things like my wi-fi, and my horse’s hay, bedding and feed.”

Read more about what this groom had to say

Cheltenham Festival fast approaching

As we build-up to Cheltenham Festival week, we take in some nostalgia with a look back at the career of Istabraq, the treble Champion Hurdle winner with extraordinary jumping ability who was arguably robbed of an unrivalled fourth success.

Read Istabraq’s incredible story

You might also be interested in:

Russian and Belarusian riders, horses and officials to be banned from international horse sport ‘until further notice’

FEI cancels horse sport in Russia, plus £800k relief fund for Ukraine’s equestrian community

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Sarah Jenkins

H&H editor-in-chief

Sarah has more than 20 years experience as an equestrian journalist and editor. She has reported from major championships including the Europeans and the World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on equestrianism including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Sarah has ridden since childhood, owned horses and ponies for over 25 years, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university.