to the February 2025 issue
As a young rider growing up I was incredibly lucky to have role models such as Lucinda Green and Mark Todd to aspire to and admire. During my own career, I’ve always tried to aim high and work hard, while learning from the very best in the sport, so when Horse&Rider asked me to guest edit this issue, I was delighted to be given the chance to pass on my own top tips and advice, which I hope you will find useful.
I’ve always been a great believer in setting goals, establishing effective routines, and getting to know each horse as an individual. Horse welfare is top priority for me and my team, and keeping
OUR PICKS OF THE MONTH
the horses happy and healthy is really important. That’s why daily checks, targeted fitness sessions and appropriate exercises are key for both horse and rider. The last year has been so busy, and competing at the likes of Badminton and Burghley still gives me a huge buzz. For anyone starting out, follow your dreams and believe you can make it to the top!
Britain’s greatest eventers. In 2003, she was the first winner of the Grand Slam and she is also the author of a children’s book series called
Ensuring your horse is fit for the job is essential. Pippa’s practical tips for every horse and rider are on p42.
Pippa shares a simpleto-create serpentine jumping exercise to test – and improve –balance and rhythm on p46.
Four lucky readers’ questions are answered by our Guest Editor this issue – turn to p75 to find out what she recommends.
Life admin, gym visits, winter showjumping, long hacks, Zoom calls with her publisher and more – Pippa reveals a week in her life on p135. Pippa shares her decades of equine experience to help you keep your horse feeling happy and healthy on p92.
Pippa Funnell is one of
Pippa’s Pony Tales
Pippa Funnell, Guest Editor
Pippa Funnell
February 2025 issue WIN!
IN THE SADDLE
20 Straight and supple Pippa Funnell’s polework playground
26 One for all Susie Berry shares her top tips
32 5 secrets to tackling gates Make light work of gates with our help
36 Early learning Gareth Hughes lays out the ideal young horse schooling plan
42 Get into shape 7 ways to boost your horse’s fitness with Pippa Funnell
46 Around the bend Put your aids to the test with Pippa’s serpentine exercise
MIND MATTERS
56 The year ahead Achieve your dreams in 2025 with Jacqueline Malone
62 Positive pressure Change your way of thinking and learn to thrive
ASK A VET
68 Keep on your toes Vet David Lloyd explains the common injuries in dressage
ASK THE EXPERTS
76 Management know-how
78 Mind matters
80 Ask a vet
82 Horsey shopping
84 In the saddle
86 In brief
MANAGEMENT KNOW-HOW
92 Feel well, stay well Keep your horse at his peak with Pippa’s secrets
98 Risky business Make sure you’re only paying for the cover you need
104 Winter health & wellbeing Improve your horse’s mobility and boost your bond
110 Senior sustenance Provide your veteran with everything he needs from his diet
HORSEY SHOPPING
121 Foot first Topical hoof treatments
126 Tried and tested Country boots
130 Homey touches Add a hint of equine style to your home
132 This month we love... Feed, supplements, heated gilets and more!
Cover stories
February 2025
From riding inspiration from guest editor Pippa Funnell to wardrobe updates and feeding your veteran, the February issue is packed with ideas to get you set for 2025.
IN THIS ISSUE
8 Harnessed horsepower A sustainable future for Scotland’s forests
14 Horseworld hub News, views and what you’ve been up to this month
19 Win! Your favourite Dengie feed!
52 Discover your next great read Our favourite horsey books
74 5 minutes with Meg Elphick We caught up with the YouTube star
90 Perfect prizes Amazing goodies for you and your horse
116 30 tips for a happy holiday Recharge your batteries with a horsey holiday
134 Next month A sneak peek at the March issue
135 My life with horses Eventing legend Pippa Funnell talks us through her week
137 Dream horsey homes Find your ideal equestrian property
138 Free Toggi socks Keep your feet feeling fresh all day long, only P&P to pay
Photo by Jon Stroud
Straight and supple
Step your schooling up a gear with Pippa Funnell’s polework playground
Pippa Funnell is one of Britain’s greatest eventers. In 2003, she was the first winner of the Grand Slam and she is also the author of a children’s book series called Pippa’s Pony Tales EXPERT
Aschooling session without some form of polework is rare for me. I think poles are invaluable because they can be used in so many ways, and you can tailor your sessions to suit your experience and goals.
To begin with
Start your session by walking your horse large around the arena to let him take in the environment. People often start fussing with their horses straight away, so focus on having soft arms, encouraging him to stretch and take the rein forward in a loose frame as you change the rein, and ride a few loops and serpentines. Pay close attention to your own breathing – it will signal to your horse that you want him to work in a relaxed manner and without any pressure.
One of the best things about this? The most simple layouts can be really beneficial for your horse’s training. In this feature, I share five straightforward exercises that will challenge – as well as improve – your horse’s straightness and suppleness. Let’s get started.
Testing, testing
As you ride through your warm-up routine, try this little exercise. Ride large in an active trot, then, as you come onto the long side, ask your horse to bend to the outside through his body so his nose is slightly towards the arena fence for a few strides. Re-centre him by establishing equal aids and then ask him to marginally bend to the inside.
Use your leg to ask for bend rather than relying on your rein, otherwise you risk creating too much neck bend, which will pull your horse out of balance, causing you to lose control of his shoulders.
When you feel you have softness, see if you can push your hand towards the bit a couple of centimetres or so but without losing the contact. If your horse hollows and comes against the hand, send him forwards by engaging his hindleg rather than pulling him down into a contact.
DID YOU KNOW?
People often teach their horses to fall in or out without even realising because they’re not disciplined enough in their training. Turning too early before reaching the track is a classic example of this. ➤
Berendt.
One for all
One four-fence exercise to rule them all? Susie Berry reckons so. Try it for yourself with her top tips
EXPERT
Susie Berry has represented Ireland in the European and World Championships, and was in the Irish team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When you’re short on time and space, the last thing you want to be doing is resetting fences in your arena before you ride. That’s when all-in-one exercises come in handy, because you can leave them up all day – or for several days – and every horse and rider who tries them will benefit, whether they’re learning to put courses together or preparing for a five-star.
Before you even think about leaving the ground, your horse must have a basic level of manoeuvrability
Setting up
You’ll need four sets of poles and wings, which you’ll use as small uprights on each quarter of a large circle. This exercise is all about rideability, so the size of the fences should be well within your comfort zone to allow you to focus your attention on how you ride between them. Once you’ve perfected it, you can then build them up for an additional challenge.
Positive
pressure
Change your way of thinking and learn to thrive with Alison Buttery’s guidance
EXPERT
Alison Buttery is a certified mindset and confidence coach, a BHS APC senior coach and an experienced rider, who specialises in helping riders overcome their nerves. She’s also the founder of The Everyday Equestrian.
Many riders put themselves under immense pressure to perform well in competitions, when training or even on a quiet hack. This pressure often comes from the desire to get everything right, fear of mistakes or high expectations. While it’s a natural part of riding, it can sometimes turn into nerves, anxiety or fear, making it harder to enjoy your time in the saddle. The good news? You can learn to thrive under pressure – and I’ll show you how.
Your perception of a situation has a big impact on how much pressure you feel
Posed by models.
Keep on your toes
All sports have some injuries that are more commonly seen. Vet David Lloyd explains the common risks in dressage...
David Lloyd BVMS Cert ES(Orth) DECVS MRCVS is Clinical Director at Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire. He’s a European specialist in equine surgery and has a special interest in poor performance and lameness issues.
If we’re to understand and, ultimately, prevent injuries in dressage horses, it’s important consider the biomechanics of equine movement.
Horses have a specific locomotor system that allows them to cover huge distances while grazing and, for this, they carry most of their weight on their front legs. Furthermore, as prey animals, they can accelerate quickly and travel with energy efficiency at great speeds to escape danger. However, the specific skills dressage horses use were not on the list during evolution and, as a result, the demands of the discipline can lead to injury if not taken into account.
On repeat
Dressage is physically demanding, and horses require strength, flexibility and balance. Many of the injuries experienced by dressage horses are chronic in nature and occur because of repetitive strain or repeated loading of the joints. Furthermore, collected work concentrates the stresses and strains around the fetlock, as well as the lower back, pelvis, stifles and hocks.
TOP TIP
To avoid both short-term and lifelong physical problems, it’s important to ensure the musculoskeletal systems of young horses in training have sufficient time to adapt to the increasing demands put on joints and ligaments.
Fetlock issues explained
The fetlock joint undergoes one of the highest loads per square centimetre of any joint in the horse’s body. Injuries can involve damage to the ...
• articular cartilage
• subchondral bone (the layer of bone underneath the articular cartilage, which is key to maintaining joint integrity)
• supporting ligaments
Diagnosis can be confirmed using nerve blocks, and your vet will recommend X-rays and/or an ultrasound scan, too, depending on what they suspect to be the underlying issue. Sometimes, specialised imaging, such as MRI, is required to identify the problem – especially with suspected bone bruises (damage to subchondral bone).
Treatment is usually a period of rest from several weeks to months, depending on the severity of the injury, alongside anti-inflammatory medication.
DID YOU KNOW
Some conditions, such as osteoarthritis, can be diagnosed from X-rays, with other softtissue injuries seen more easily on ultrasound examination.
The hindlimb structures are most likely to be affected in dressage horses
Feel well,
stay well
Pippa Funnell shares her secrets that will help you keep your horse at his peak
Pippa Funnell is one of Britain’s greatest eventers. In 2003, she was the first winner of the Grand Slam and she is also the author of a children’s book series called Pippa’s Pony Tales
With more than 30 horses to look after, there’s rarely a quiet day on our yard. But their welfare is always our priority and, even though there’s a lot to do every day, we never compromise on taking the time and effort to get to know each and every personality, so we can cater to their individual needs and keep them happy and healthy.
Getting to know the horses in every aspect of their lives is important, from turnout preferences to feeding requirements, but we also pay particular attention to learning about their bodies. You can apply all of these little checks to your own horse – try to make them part of your routine so they become a habit. Feeling over your horse’s body doesn’t take long and it’s so worth it if it means you can stop a problem in its tracks.
TOP TIP
Desensitising horses to being touched all over is really important. We need to know all about their bodies, so getting them used to this from a young age is a big part of our process.
Initial checks
When we get ready to ride, the horses have their feet picked out in the stable before coming out into the cross ties. One of my main rules on the yard is that when the feet are picked out, we always run our hands down the horse’s legs to check for any lumps or bumps. By doing this, we become familiar with what’s normal for the horses, which means we can quickly feel for anything that might be wrong. As much as we’d like to spend hours pampering the horses to make them look their best, in reality we don’t have time to do this before every ride so that’s saved for bigger occasions. I like to make sure the horses look respectable, though – I don’t want to be caught out hacking on a grey covered in poo stains! ➤
