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A lack of safe drinking water for FEI grooms, plus other things the horse world is talking about

Horse & Hound’s daily debrief, brought to you every weekday morning

  • 1. Hydrated happy grooms

    The problem of insufficient safe, fresh drinking water being quickly and easily available to grooms working at international shows has been raised by the International Grooms Association (IGA) as it launches its “Hydrated happy grooms” campaign. The initiative is designed to encourage show organisers and venues to provide “hydration stations” in stable areas and beside arenas, so grooms are not forced to work while dehydrated at FEI events. In the IGA’s 2022 Member Voice Survey, grooms described working while dehydrated as being “often just a reality you are forced to struggle through”, a situation that the IGA says has to change.

    Read more about the campaign

    2. Calling time on tight nosebands

    Checking the tightness of a horse’s noseband

    The FEI is eyeing a move away from using fingers as a measure of noseband tightness.

    The FEI is looking to change its noseband rules by moving away from fingers as a form of measurement to using an “FEI objective measuring tool” for checking tightness. The move would also include elimination and a yellow card for those found to be using over-tightened nosebands in competition. If agreed, the new rule would apply across all disciplines.

    Learn more about the new proposal

    3. Farewell to a stallion who made history

    Tower Clyde

    Tower Clyde and Mathew Lawrence were Heritage supreme champions at the BSPS championships. Credit: David Miller

    Our thoughts are with all connections of leading Highland pony stallion Tower Clyde, who has been put down aged 19 after a short illness. Clyde was the first Highland to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in-hand supreme final, which he did on two occasions. Clyde was shown under saddle by Mathew Lawrence, winning at HOYS and finishing third overall in the M&M supreme final at Olympia. They were champions at Royal Windsor and took the Heritage supreme title at the BSPS championships.

    Read more about this special stallion

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