A trio of horses looking out of their stablesLivery yard owners and managers are facing increasing challenges and “emotional labour” – as new research shows the need for better support. Researchers at the University of Liverpool explored the experiences of 52 yard managers and managers around yard set-up and management and how decisions are made regarding horse wellbeing. The study, published in…
ANE0G7 Young woman hugs Cleveland Bay cross Thoroughbred horse Oxfordshire United KingdomChanging our perspective on our horses could change their lives, a researcher believes, as a study found that riders’ personality traits have a significant influence on horse-centred riding and the horse-human partnership. The research, led by Manuela Kesselmann of the FOM University of Applied Sciences in…
Horse Magazine. First Aid Feature Shoot. Herne Bay, Kent, UK.Misconceptions around colic and reluctance to change are influencing owner decision-making, research has shown. In a study published in Equine Veterinary Journal, researchers from the University of Nottingham investigated the impact of evidence-based information on horse owners’ decision-making for colic. More than 1,500 UK horse owners…
G05MPY A plateful of cheesy chips in a bar in Brean, Somerset, England, UK. 28th April 2016Cheesy chips could be banned from competition venues, H&H can reveal, as research has found they can have a performance-enhancing effect on riders and horses. The equestrian centre cafe staple has been found to improve concentration and memory in riders, owing to the effect of the combination of ingredients…
DO NOT IDENTIFY THE HORSE having keyhole surgery to remove a bone chip in his kneeThe number of equine deaths associated with general anaesthesia has declined in the last 20 years, data has shown. Researchers – who formed the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities Community Interest Company (CEPEF CIC) – have published their latest phase of the enquiry, CEPEF4, into general…
Library image. An artificial intelligence (AI) system that can detect and pinpoint fractures in horses has been nominated for a top award. Research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has been shortlisted for the STEM for Britain 2026 award, in recognition of its work in applying AI to improve fracture detection in animals. The research team compiled […]
Library image. Horses who get their beauty sleep learn better than their sleep-deprived counterparts, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Helsinki discovered that horses who had more than 30 minutes of REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep at night performed better in a new learning test than those who did not. REM sleep can only […]
New research has shown promise around noseband tightness in dressage – but that stress behaviour increases with competition level and judges are not penalising it. In a study, published in Animals, Czech researchers aimed to assess whether noseband tightness at national competitions would influence how horses “express stress”. But when nearly all of the more […]