Your veterinarian can help you improve your horses comfort level if he has DSLD. | Courtesy Dr. Robert KoontzQ: How can owners and veterinarians reduce a horses joint pain when they have DSLD?A: Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) results in degeneration of the suspensory ligament in all limbs, but usually we see more clinical signs in the hindlimbs than the forelimbs. The job of the suspensory ligament is to suspend the fetlock joint, hence the name. And so, horses that have DSLD will have progressive hyperextension or a dropped appearance to their fetlocks, typically in the hindlimbs. What you often see isfetlock joint pain and effusion, as well as effusion within the tendon sheathbecause the changes in their fetlock angle, as well as all inflammatory mediators(regulate the immuneand inflammatoryresponses)at the suspensory branches,leak into the adjacent synovial structures,causingsecondary joint inflammation and pain. The other thing to knowisthe suspensory ligament originates at the top of the cannonbone, rightnext to thedistal(farthest from the center of the body)hock joints in the hindlimb.There are a few things you can do to improve horses comfort level if they have DSLD. The first is to have your farrier put a heel extension shoe on their hind feet. This changes the biomechanics of their fetlocks and provides support, so they should drop their fetlocks a bit less. I also put these horses on systemic pain medications. I usually use firocoxib on them and acetaminophen because they do typically need to stay on these long-term due to the progressive nature of the disease over time.The other thing you can do is you can inject their hock joints, their hind fetlocks, and their tendon sheath to make those adjacent joints more comfortable. The product injected into the joint will also diffuse into the surrounding soft tissues, which is the suspensory ligament, so it can make the suspensory ligament feel better too and might help promote a little bit of healing. I always use orthobiologics and I never use steroids when injecting these horses because we know that steroids can worsen ligament injury, meaning it might make things worse instead of better.Also, if your horse is older, I would have your veterinarian check them for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, formerly equine Cushings disease). We know that PPID results in increased circulating steroid levels in the horses body, and that will also weaken the horses tendon ligaments.If you notice your horse losing hair, first consult your veterinarian and determine the underlying cause. Many causes for equine hair loss require medical treatment, but once health issues have been ruled out, investigating the diet is the next step. When feeding to improve coat health, first ensure that your horses basic nutrient needs are met with a high-quality ration balancer, then consider an additional supplement of biotin and an omega-3 fatty acid source. If you are unsure if your horses current diet is meeting his nutrient requirements, reach out to a qualified equine nutritionist.

How to Become an Equestrian Model: Inside the UK's First Equestrian Modelling AgencyPublished 10 June 2026 Just Horse Riders Podcast, Episode 38The Short AnswerTo become an equestrian model in the UK, you don't need to be a certain height, a certain dress size, or have tens of thousands of followers. You need genuine riding ability, a horse-friendly attitude, and the confidence to be in front of a camera. As Charliee Seymour founder of CS Equine Models, the UK's first dedicated equestrian modelling agency explains in this episode, brands hire on the rider, horse and skill-set combination, then build everything else around it.Key TakeawaysHorsemanship beats looks. Equestrian models are signed for genuine riding ability and a calm presence around horses not for fitting a runway template.You don't need a huge following. Charliee and several of her working models have under 10,000 followers. Social acts as a "digital portfolio," not a numbers game.The minimum rate is 250 a day, and the horse is charged for separately its time, prep, plaiting and travel are never expected for free.It's 18 and over only, for insurance and safeguarding reasons, with no upper age limit.Following instructions is the first test. The fastest way to get an application binned is ignoring the brief on the application form.Authenticity sells. UGC (user-generated content) and real campaigns build trust in a way AI imagery and hard-sell influencer posts often don't.AI is unlikely to take over. A computer can't ride, compete, or care for a horse and that physical reality may keep the equestrian industry human.Who Is Charliee Seymour?Charliee Seymour is the founder and director of CS Equine Models, which she launched on Valentine's Day 2022 as the first modelling agency in the UK built exclusively for equestrians. A lifelong rider who has competed across Pony Club, eventing, dressage and showjumping, she still campaigns her own grey gelding, Pinko, and rides freelance for other professionals. In just four years she has grown the agency to more than 50 models, placed talent everywhere from Horse & Hound campaigns to a prestigious Arabian beauty horse event in Abu Dhabi, and put one of her riders in a global Range Rover advert. In other words: she has done the thing most riders are told isn't possible turned horsemanship itself into a career path. Host Aaron Englander sat down with her to map exactly how it works.What follows is the honest, behind-the-scenes version the bit nobody usually explains.From a Naughty Pony to a Business IdeaCharliee's story doesn't start with a glossy portfolio. It starts with a 12.2hh coloured pony called Dennis who, by her own account, bucked her off almost daily.The Pony Called Dennis"He used to buck me off every time he went into canter. He'd bolt across an open field. But I loved him," Charliee told Aaron. The lesson wasn't about staying on it was about earning trust. "I had to become competent to earn his respect," she said. That early grit became the through-line of everything after it. As Aaron put it, the children who get the difficult ponies tend to develop "this resilience and this grit," and Charliee agreed falling off, crying out of frustration rather than fear, and getting straight back on.Why Mainstream Modelling Didn't FitCharliee had always had a parallel interest in modelling, but the traditional route closed quickly. At seventeen she travelled alone to a Ted Baker casting in London, only to be labelled a size she wasn't. "This agency labelled me in a size that I'm not. I'm never going to get work because I'm clearly not right for the size that I am," she remembered thinking. Years of riding had given her an athletic, in-between build that mainstream fittings agencies simply couldn't slot into a box. Rather than shrink herself to fit, she walked away and that decision quietly planted the idea for everything that came next.Building the UK's First Equestrian Modelling AgencyThe light-bulb moment came from her own audience. After posting equestrian content through the Covid period, riders kept asking how they could do the same. "I can teach these people as long as they're confident and want to do it," Charliee realised. "They don't have to have modelling experience, but they have to have the equestrian skill set and they have to want to do it." Setting up a niche agency, she said, "was kind of like a no-brainer."Doing It Properly From Day OneWhat separates Charliee's story from a hundred Instagram side-hustles is that she treated it as a real business from the start. She spent four to five months on logistics before launch sorting model contracts, client contracts, and a proper website. "I'm so particular with how things are done that I didn't want to start it half-heartedly. I was like, I'm going to do this properly," she said. She funded it entirely herself, using money from selling a young horse she'd produced. As Aaron noted, "everybody always wants to know what you've got. Nobody wants to know how you got it" and the unglamorous groundwork is exactly how she got it.The Cost of Getting It RightCharliee was blunt about money: she had a fixed budget from one horse sale and no outside help. "This is the money that I have to use, and I need to use it in the most productive way," she explained. "I don't care if it does cost me a little bit more, but it has to be right from the start." Notably, before CS Equine she'd already failed at around five small ventures network-marketing schemes that taught her, in her words, exactly what wasn't for her. Those failures weren't wasted; they sharpened her instinct for what to ignore.What Makes an Equestrian Model DifferentSo how is an equestrian model actually different from a commercial or runway model? According to Charliee Seymour, equestrian models are "just built differently mentally" they've grown up around horses, so the skill set itself sets them apart before a camera is ever involved. Crucially, the pressure is different too. Modelling is usually a bonus alongside their real lives, not the whole of it.Do equestrian models have to be a certain height or size?No. CS Equine Models does not sign riders on physical measurements the way mainstream agencies do. The roster includes naturally slim riders and curvier riders alike, because the priority is horsemanship and camera presence. As Charliee puts it, a model being booked at a size 8 or 10 won't be derailed by enjoying a dessert the night before the realism is the point.Getting Signed: How the Application Process WorksIt is not a phone call and a vibe check. Everything runs through the "Become a Model" application form on the CS Equine website. A first submission is reviewed, then a second stage asks for more detail on equestrian background, any modelling experience, and additional imagery. Only then does Charliee move to a one-to-one video call. "I will always have a video call with every single one of my models before I sign them," she said a Zoom to ask questions, explain how the agency works, and take notes before making a final decision.How old do you have to be to join an equestrian modelling agency?You must be 18 or over to join CS Equine Models. Charliee is strict on this for insurance and safeguarding reasons, even though she's regularly emailed about younger riders. There is no upper age cap her books include models in their late thirties.What's the biggest mistake people make when pitching to a brand or agency?Not following the brief. The application clearly asks for an up-to-date headshot against a plain wall, in dark fitted clothing, in your most natural state and people send cropped Instagram selfies or photos from three years ago instead. "As soon as I see anything that's not abiding by that, I won't even entertain it," Charliee said. "First of all, you can't follow instructions. Therefore, you're not going to be easy to work with." Harsh, maybe but on a shoot day where briefs matter, it's a fair filter.The Money: What Equestrian Models Actually EarnRates vary with experience and what's being asked riding and modelling together commands more than modelling alone. But there's a floor. According to Charliee Seymour, the agency's absolute minimum is 250 per day, with horses charged for on top. "We don't expect models to bring their horses for free," she said, "because that's a horse's day, time, washing the horses, plaiting the horses, getting the horses ready, plus themselves." She also makes brands cover travel, and a helper when a horse comes along because many shoots don't provide hair and makeup, so models arrive camera-ready on their own steam.Can you be an equestrian model without your own horse?Yes. Some signed riders don't currently own a suitable horse, and Charliee can pair them with one through her industry contacts. When model Polly's horse went lame two weeks before a Woof Wear shoot, Charliee sourced "almost like the perfect replica" for her to ride though she's quick to note that not every rider is confident enough to jump an unfamiliar horse on a live campaign.Why the Horse Matters as Much as the ModelOne of Aaron's sharpest questions cut to the reality of pairing: "Has a brand ever gone to you and said, we'd really like the horse to come, but not the model?" Charliee laughed yes, it's happened, and as a self-described "proud mum" to Pinko, she's entirely fine taking the horse along regardless. But the deeper point is temperament. A stunning horse that won't stand still is useless on set. "People will say, oh, my horse is so pretty, but wouldn't stand still for a picture. So it's just not going to work," she said.Welfare on SetCharliee is firm about looking after the horses on shoot days. They're never ridden for too long, always have a stable to retreat to, and get downtime to settle into a strange, busy environment. "You don't want to set the horse up for failure," she said pre-shoot fitness, scheduled rest, and a willingness to step in and call time on a hot day are all part of the job. It's a reminder that an equestrian shoot is far more than "rocking up, taking some pictures and leaving."UGC vs Influencer Marketing: Why Authenticity WinsAaron admitted what a lot of us feel: the moment a post obviously tries to sell him something, he scrolls past. Charliee shares the instinct, which is why the agency leans into UGC user-generated content rather than the influencer market. The distinction matters: UGC is content built around the product, shown in a natural, real-life way, so viewers absorb it without feeling sold to. A polished campaign, she argues, also signals quality. "They know that the brand's worked hard at creating that," she said whereas wall-to-wall influencer posts can strip away a product's premium feel.Does social media following matter for getting booked by equestrian brands?Not much. According to Charliee, campaign work is about the rider's skill set, not their follower count she doesn't pressure models to chase numbers. She does encourage activity, because a current feed acts like a living portfolio that shows brands you're competing and working. As she put it, "the numbers don't really matter. They're looking at you, your horse, your skill set as a rider combination."Is AI Coming for Equestrian Models?This was the conversation's most interesting tangent. Aaron, a heavy AI user himself, raised the flood of "AI slop" appearing in feeds. Charliee has noticed it too some brands that won't pay for content creators are now quietly running AI-generated "people" in their campaigns, with commenters none the wiser. Her favourite paradox: "your campaign's good when someone thinks it's AI and it's not."Will AI replace real models in equestrian advertising?Probably not, in Charliee's view. According to Charliee Seymour, "AI isn't riding these horses or competing these horses" and "AI is never going to take over looking after a horse because it's a physical job." The bigger risk, she argues, is trust: if a buyer suspects a product shot is AI, they may not believe it would look that good in real life, and won't buy it at all.It's a genuinely optimistic take for riders. Where AI threatens to hollow out other creative industries, the equestrian world's stubborn physicality the mud, the mucking out, the actual partnership between human and animal may be its protection. Aaron's half-joking prediction that the horse world might even grow in an AI-saturated future, the way horse prices spiked during Covid, isn't as far-fetched as it sounds.Where the Agency Goes NextCharliee isn't standing still. This year she reshot every model portfolio in studio settings and non-equestrian clothing to prove versatility, and she's repositioning CS Equine from a pure modelling agency toward broader equestrian casting and talent. She's signed two female stunt riders and recently placed model Andrea cantering a horse in the latest Range Rover advert featuring Theo James a global campaign she now sees on cinema screens. The ambition is explicit: equestrian talent on Herms-scale campaigns, TV and film, not just horse brands. "Just because we're an equestrian niche agency doesn't mean we're limited to equestrian companies," she said.The Bigger Lesson: Grit, Horses and BalanceBeneath the business talk runs a thread any rider will recognise. Charliee still rides five or six horses back-to-back as a freelance, partly to stay sharp and partly because it drags her away from a never-ending to-do list. "Burnout is massive," she said, and the horses force the break her brain needs. There's real wisdom in it: "once you become a horse person, I don't think you ever unbecome a horse person." The naughty pony, the failed businesses, the size-ten label that didn't fit every setback became fuel. On rejection, her advice to models is the same lesson Dennis taught her at seven: "It's not that you're not pretty enough or good enough. It's just at that moment in time, you are not what that person is looking for." You need thick skin, and you just get back on.Watch or Listen to the Full EpisodeThere's a lot more in the full conversation the Abu Dhabi trip in front of 6,000 people and the royal family, the difficult conversations behind every model who doesn't get picked, and Charliee's quick-fire myth-busting round. One viral clip that helped start it all, by the way, featured a pair of equestrian boots proof that the right kit photographs as well as it performs. You can browse our boots collection here if it sparks ideas for your own content.Watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen now on Spotify wherever you get your podcasts.Watch Episode 38 on YouTubeAbout the AuthorAaron Englander is the Founder of Just Horse Riders and host of the Just Horse Riders Podcast, with more than 15 years' experience in the equestrian industry. He created the Englander Equestrian product line and works daily with riders, brands and horse owners across the UK and beyond. Learn more about Just Horse Riders.

Two horses in Wisconsin recently tested positive for equine influenza. The cases are located in Iowa and Columbia counties.In Iowa County, a 9-year-old Quarter Horse mare at a private facility tested positive for the disease on June 9. She presented on June 6 with a high fever and dry cough and is now recovering. One additional horse is suspected to be positive for the disease.In Columbia County, a 20-year-old gelding tested positive on June 5 after developing a fever and urine dribbling on June 1. The horse came from a local dealer that rescues horses from kill pens. He was euthanized, in part due to a presumed chronic neurologic condition. There are no other horses on the property.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.About Equine InfluenzaEquine influenzais a highly contagious respiratory disease that infects horses, ponies, and other equids, such as donkeys, mules, and zebras. The virus that causes it is spread via saliva and respiratory secretions from infected horses. Horses are commonly exposed via horse-to-horse contact; aerosol transmission from coughing and sneezing; and contact with humans contaminated hands, shoes, or clothes or contaminated tack, buckets, or other equipment.Clinical signs of equine influenza infection can include a high fever (up to 106F); a dry, hacking cough; depression; weakness; anorexia; serous (watery) nasal discharge; and slightly enlarged lymph nodes. Consider monitoring your horses health at shows by taking his temperature daily, which can help you pick up on signs of infection early and take appropriate measures to reduce disease spread.Vaccinationis an important and inexpensive way to protect your horse. US Equestrian requires proof that horses have had an equine influenza vaccination within the six months prior to attending organization-sanctioned competitions or events. Your veterinarian can help you determine what other vaccines your horse might benefit from.In addition to vaccinating, following strictbiosecurity protocolscan help reduce your horses chance of infection and disease. Such measures include quarantining new equine arrivals at barns, disinfecting buckets and equipment, and preventing nose-to-nose contact between horses.

On June 8, an 18-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in Simcoe County, Ontario, tested positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). The horse developed edema in all four limbs on June 6. His clinical signs progressed to acute hindlimb ataxia and bladder paralysis, and he was taken to an equine referral hospital that day. He became recumbent on June 8 and was euthanized.Fifteen additional horses have been exposed to the disease. The facility owner has implemented animal movement restrictions and biosecurity protocols.EDCC Health Watch is an Equine Network marketing program that utilizes information from the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) to create and disseminate verified equine disease reports. TheEDCCis an independent nonprofit organization that is supported by industry donations in order to provide open access to infectious disease information.EHV 101Herpesvirus is highly contagious among horses and can cause a variety of ailments in equids, including rhinopneumonitis (a respiratory disease usually found in young horses), abortion in broodmares, and EHM.In many horses, the first or only sign of EHV-1 infection is fever, which can go undetected.In addition to fever, other common signs of EHV-1 infection in young horses include cough, decreased appetite, depression, and a nasal discharge. Pregnant mares typically show no signs of infection before they abort, and abortions usually occur late in gestation (around eight months) but can be earlier. Abortions can occur anywhere from two weeks to several months following infection with EHV-1.Horses with EHM usually have a fever at the onset of the disease and might show signs of a respiratory infection. A few days later, neurologic signs such as ataxia (incoordination), weakness or paralysis of the fore- and hind limbs, urine retention and dribbling, loss of tail tone, and recumbency (inability to rise) develop.Herpesvirus is easily spread by nose-to-nose or close contact with an infectious horse; sharing contaminated equipment including bits, buckets, and towels; or clothing, hands, or equipment of people who have recently had contact with an infectious horse.Routine biosecurity measures, including hygiene and basic cleaning and disinfection practices, should be in place at all times to help prevent disease spread.Current EHV-1 vaccines might reduce viral shedding but are not protective against the neurologic form of the disease. Implementing routine biosecurity practices is the best way to minimize viral spread, and the best method of disease control is disease prevention.

Your Horse Already Has This VirusLast year, EHV-1 dominated conversations across the horse world.Horses were hospitalized. Some were euthanized. Competition schedules were questioned. Owners refreshed social media feeds looking for updates from Texas, Las Vegas, and every major western circuit stop connected to the outbreak.Then the conversation faded.The virus never left.That may be the most important point in this conversation on The NOLLE FLOYD Podcast with equine internal medicine specialist Dr. Bruno Kramm.Listen to the podcast episodeMost horse owners think about EHV-1 as something that arrives during an outbreak. A threat that appears, spreads, and eventually disappears. The reality is far less dramatic and far more complicated.Almost every horse has already been exposed to EHV-1. Most carry the virus for life. A horse can acquire it at a young age, recover from the initial infection, and continue carrying it for years. During periods of stress, illness, travel, or for reasons that remain poorly understood, the virus can begin shedding again.A horse can look healthy while participating in that cycle.That reality changes the way we think about disease outbreaks. An outbreak is rarely the arrival of something new. It is often the point where something that has been present all along becomes impossible to ignore.Part of the challenge is that EHV-1 and the neurological disease associated with it often get blended into a single conversation.They are related, but they are not the same thing.EHV-1 is the virus. EHM, Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy, is the neurological disease that can develop following infection. Most horses exposed to EHV-1 never experience that outcome. Many encounter the virus early in life and move on with little fanfare. The neurological cases are the ones that command attention because the consequences are so severe.The videos circulating during last year's outbreak were difficult to watch. Horses struggled to coordinate their limbs. Some became unable to stand. Those images shaped public perception of the disease, yet they represent only one possible outcome from a virus that exists far more broadly than many horse owners realize.That raises an obvious question.If so many horses carry EHV-1, why do some develop severe disease while others never show signs at all?Dr. Kramm returns to a principle familiar across medicine. Disease is a conversation between the pathogen and the individual. Two horses can encounter the same virus and have entirely different outcomes. Researchers continue studying the factors that influence those responses because the answer remains incomplete.Last year's outbreak highlighted another reality. Modern horses travel in ways that create ideal conditions for contagious disease.Large competitions bring together horses from many regions. They travel long distances. They arrive in unfamiliar environments. They share facilities with hundreds of other horses. The stress of travel and competition creates opportunities for viruses to move through a population with remarkable efficiency.The concern surrounding the western circuit reached such a high level because of how frequently those horses move. A horse can leave one venue, travel to another, and arrive before showing clinical signs. By the time illness becomes apparent, exposure may have already extended across multiple states.Those circumstances place an enormous responsibility on horse owners, trainers, veterinarians, and event organizers.They also explain why Dr. Kramm keeps returning to one surprisingly simple tool: athermometer.Among all the diagnostics available to modern veterinary medicine, temperature monitoring remains one of the most valuable habits a horse owner can develop. A horse's normal temperature range tells a story. Subtle changes often appear before more obvious clinical signs.The goal is not panic, but awareness.That same philosophy applies to vaccination. One of the most common criticisms surrounding EHV vaccination is that current vaccines target respiratory disease and offer limited protection against the neurological form. Dr. Kramm's perspective centers on risk reduction. Vaccinated horses may experience milder disease and may shed less virus, reducing opportunities for transmission throughout a population.Medicine rarely deals in absolutes. Veterinary medicine certainly does not.Throughout the conversation, Dr. Kramm returned to an idea that extends well beyond EHV-1. Science continues moving forward because every outbreak, every study, and every case contributes another piece to the puzzle. The recommendations we follow today are informed by the knowledge available today. Future outbreaks will bring new questions and new data.For horse owners, that means staying curious, staying informed, and paying attention before the headlines arrive.Because the next outbreak will begin long before anyone starts talking about it.

A recent YouGov pollon public perceptions of the involvement of horses in sporthas found that the majority of the public (65%) think of horses as pets or companions. Under half (49.4%) view horses as sport animals, while 56.1% see them asworking animals and 54.3% as livestock.These stats were unveiled at a World Horse Welfare media briefing in London last week (Wednesday 3 June) in front of150 horse sport leaders from four continents.Those who interact regularly with horses were even more likely to consider horses as a pet, companion or leisure animal than those not involved with horses. They were also less likely to see them as livestock or farm animals. They were only marginally more inclined to think of them as sport animals, said the charitys CEO Roly Owers.We need to be realistic about how views of what a horse is can affect how they are treated and how that is perceived.There were also calls from the panel for the horse world to show greater humility.Urbanisation has widened the gapFormer event rider David OConnor, who is Director of Sports at the US Equestrian Federation and Chair of the FEI Eventing Committee, highlighted how urbanisation has affected thehuman-horse relationship.Within two generations, there would have been a bunch of horses sitting out here, said David as he pointed outside.Everybody would have seen a horse every day. Whether youre in an urban environment or a rural environment, you would have seen a horse every day. Now we have a large part of society that will never see a horse and so they start to question that relationship between a companion or a commodity.Dont confuse ethics with welfareWhile a disconnect between society and horse culture evidently exists,BEVA chief executive David Mountfordargued that the public shouldnot confuse ethics with welfare.Whether someone considers a horse as being suitable for sport carries with it an implicit ethical consideration, he said.Whereas whether a horse is well cared for, i.e. the level of its welfare, thats a purely welfare question, and we have a good degree of science and an increasing amount of science that can demonstrate good welfare. Ethics is a personal opinion so theyre different categories, and we should be careful when we interpret these results to bear that in mind.Actually, every domestic animal that we live with has some degree of welfare compromise, be that a horse in a paddock, be it a dog in a house, be it a cat being kept inside.None of them are living the life that evolution really designed them for, so what matters really is whether we are meeting their welfare needs, both their physical and their mental welfare needs.In reality, a well-managed sport horse can have fantastic welfare. Equally, a poorly managed pet pony in a paddock can have terrible welfare. The label pet or sport horse tells us very little.Weve got to keep our doors openEducation, engagement and inclusionwere suggested as ways to change the publics perceptions, with Minette Batters, Chair of British Racings Horse Welfare Board, explaining the impact that National Racehorse Week, which gives 65,000 free spaces to members of the public, had.The more we can open our doors as horse sport, as British racing, and show people what were doing [the better], because we all know that the people looking after the horse are the people closest to the horse [and they] are the people who care most passionately, she said.I write about my love of a horse who was no good in racing at all, but its usually the ones that arent that good sometimes that will be loved as much as the superstar whos probably really difficult. Its showing that, painting that picture, telling that story that is so important to create that better level of understanding.Weve got to keep telling that story. Weve got to keep our doors open. Weve got to keep bringing people in and taking people with us and looking at this through an objective lens. Main image World Horse Welfare.Related content We can all learn every week: calls for the horse world to show greater humilityThese are the big benefits of regular hacking for horses and ridersHow to tell if a horse is happy: behaviourist reveals 13 key signsEssential horse worming schedule and management tips from a vetThe post Most people see horses as companions rather than sport animals, new poll reveals appeared first on Your Horse.

Fancy receiving birthday greetings, good luck wishes or simply a confidence boost from a top rider? Well now you can thanks to an initiative from Stride Media which provides supporters with personalised voice notes and video messages from riders they admire.The Start Box, which launched this month, is the first platform fully dedicated to personalised voice notes and video messages from professional equestrian riders.Event riders Mary King, Tom McEwen, Kitty King, Jesse Campbell, Gaspard Maksud, Will Rawlin and Mark Corbett are the initial group of riders who are on the platform.Six-time Olympian Mary King, one of eventings most recognised names, was the first rider to join the platform.Expansion plannedAdditional event riders are being announced in the coming days and weeks and the aim is for the platform to one day include riders from dressage, showjumping and racing. A personalised message from a rider someone admires can become part of a birthday, a good luck wish, a congratulations message or a confidence boost, and is also a memory kept forever, said Bryony Crowther, founder of The Start Box.How it worksTo receive a personalised voice note or video message, supporters need to complete the form on the website with details of the recipient, the occasion, the occasion date and a brief. You can select whether you want to receive the message directly or whether you want it to be sent to someone else.Voice notes cost 75 while video messages are 150. Standard delivery is typically within seven days but there is a priority delivery option of 20 for time-sensitive occasions.For more information and to visit the website, click here. Main image of Mary King by Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesRelated contentPole exercises that make clever, confident horsesTina Cooks top tips for jumping on grassRichard Waygoods cavaletti exercisesFive common problems with a riders jumping position solvedThe post New platform enables fans to receive personalised messages from top riders appeared first on Your Horse.

New Zealands Tim Price has replaced Britains Harry Meade at the top of the FEI Eventing Athlete World Rankings thanks to his second-place finish with Falco at Badminton CCI5* last month.Tim has 525 points, 39 more than second placed Laura Collett (GBR). Harry, who was third at Badminton with Annaghmore Valoner, is just one point behind in third.Britains Ros Canter, who lifted the trophy at Badminton for the third time with Lordships Graffalo, is fourth with 448 points while USAs Boyd Martin lies in fifth place on 426.It is Tims first appearance at the top of the rankings since 1 September 2023. He has spent 16 months as world No.1 which puts him fifth in the list of athletes with the most number of months at the top.A very nice feelingThis feels very cool, its a very nice feeling. It is something to be proud of, to be top of the rankings, and hopefully it lasts for longer than a month, said Tim.Of course, the key to maintaining such a high level of performance is consistency, having good horses that are well prepared and can go and do a good job at the highest level. It all comes down to having a great team behind me. Louella, Jess and Miles are my guys and I am very proud of their efforts. And obviously the owners, with all the horses right through, the understanding, the trust that they give to support me with competition selections and the overall plans for these horses to hopefully come to fruition. It is just all those things and lots of years of hard graft and learning the little keys to the various horses to get the best out of them. I am very, very happy, and long may it continue.Broken bonesTims runner-up placing with Falco at Badminton was no mean feat given the three-time Olympian broke his collarbone in a fall from his bike at a 4* event in the Netherlands in mid-April. He underwent surgery the same day and took part in the Kentucky CCI5* just days later, finishing fourth aboard Vitali and 16thwith Global Quest. A second surgery took place just days before the start of Badminton.It wasnt ideal. I dont consider myself a tough guy, but needs must and when you hit the ground and break your collarbone about the same time as your horses land in America, I think my options were limited, continued the 47-year-old.I think I owed it to the owners and the situation to at least get myself there and see what I could achieve. It was little steps, step by step and really just a process like that and then to do it again at Badminton after a further surgery.Eyes on LuhmuhlenI was very lucky to have an old friend in Falco who I know very well. I think if it had been a first timer at Badminton it might have been a different story and not achievable, said Tim.I think just the way things were with that horse and I know him so well. I was able to get those (Kentucky and Badminton) done and have a little break afterwards and now I am getting back to business with all the other lovely horses I have.Next up for Tim, who is one of two New Zealand riders to have topped the FEI Eventing World Rankings along with Andrew Nicholson, is the Luhmuhlen CCI5* with Happy Boy.To view the full FEI rankings, click here.Image Tim Wilkinson/Your Horse.More from Your HorseHow to improve poor toplineThe Scales of Training explained, including impulsionPiggy Marchs training exercise: jump out of trot to test rider balanceFive of the most common rider jumping positions solvedThe post Tim Price returns to the top of the FEI World Rankings appeared first on Your Horse.