{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

Welfare support for sport horses, hyperflexion – and other things the equestrian world is talking about

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

    • Fund launched to support sport horse welfare

    A research fund has been set up with the aim of improving the health and welfare of sports horses – and takes its name in memory of Chromatic BF, the US showjumper who died at the 2024 World Cup Final. The Chromatic Fund is a collaboration between the American Association of Equine Practitioners, US Equestrian, and Chromatic’s breeder KC Branscomb.

    The “philanthropic donor-advised” fund will enable science-based, equine-specific research and information access “to benefit the health, wellbeing, and career longevity of horses in sport”.

    Chromatic BF collapsed and died in the stables shortly after the second leg of the World Cup competition on 18 April 2024, in which he had finished third with rider Jill Humphrey.

    Find out more about this initiative

    Is this Britain’s oldest horse?

    Roana, a 45-year-old pony, could be Britain’s oldest equine. Retailer Harry Hall have been trying to find the UK’s oldest horse, and believes Roana could be the one. The 13hh mare retired a few years ago owing to an injury that has since healed – and has lived through contracting strangles and fracturing a hock within her four and a half decades. Roana is enjoying life doing as she pleases – including frequent unscheduled trips across her yard owner’s garden.

    Read more about this real veteran

    Focus on hyperflexion in dressage

    In her latest subscriber-only article looking at specific welfare issues in equestrian sport, Pippa Cuckson identifies how and why hyperflexion became an acceptable – and then unacceptable – method of training dressage horses, and what the audience and campaigners want to see change when it comes to witnessing this practice in the warm-up arena at international competitions today.

    Read this H&H subscriber exclusive

    You may also be interested in:

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Sarah Jenkins
    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.
    Sarah Jenkins

    You may like...