International eventer SIMON GRIEVE runs a busy yard in Leicestershire. He’s sponsored by Allen & Page, Toggi, Omega Equine, Saddles Up, N.E.W., Bed-Down, Champion, PolyPads, Ruggles rugs and Flex-On stirrups. For all his latest news, follow him on Fa

NICOLA READ is an area sales manager for Saracen Horse Feeds. She owns three Clydesdales and shows them in-hand, under saddle and in harness at county shows and steam fairs. She competes Gharsun in British Dressage at novice level. DOWNHILL CASTLETON

AS WITH HUMANS who are shy, some horses aren’t very confident around other horses and can panic in situations where they feel trapped or overwhelmed by the closeness of other horses. Why does this happen? “Working in close proximity to other horses c

LEONA BRAMALL MVB CertAVP(EM) MRCVS, an equine vet at Oakhill Veterinary Centre in Lancashire, holds an advanced veterinary practitioner certificate in equine medicine. Her primary areas of interest lie in foal medicine, dermatology and gastrointesti

BEVA president Lucy Grieve MRCVS says a lack of understanding about obesity — being able to recognise it, accept it and know what to do — is a problem. A good relationship between vets and their customers is essential, but it’s not straightforward. “

Q What do you look for when determining a horse’s age by their teeth? Sandra Watson, Teesside James says: Ageing a horse is relatively simple, but there are some exceptions, especially in horses that crib bite or windsuck. First, the natural shedding

Q I am desperate to breed from my wonderful Thoroughbred mare, but she is coming up 18 and has never had a foal before. Is this dangerous? What complications might I expect? Melissa McCormack, Stirling Julia says: We would always recommend with an ol

Q My ex-racer is incredibly strong in canter on hacks and I frequently feel completely out of control. How can I get him to listen to me and find his brakes more readily? Sarah Woods, Berkshire Charlotte says: Racehorses are trained to run into a con

YOUR RIDING HELMET is one of the most essential pieces of kit you own and we would always recommend that you wear a helmet while riding, and preferably also when you’re handling your horse from the ground. Head injuries present the most serious risk

Q One of the mares on our yard is huge and very dominant. Getting my horse in from the field is now a nightmare, as she chases the others away from the gate, threatens to kick them and goes to bite me when I try to chase her off. How can I keep mysel

VICTORIA LINDSAY is a PhD student at the Royal Veterinary College. She is investigating the genomic architecture of equine exertional rhabdomyolysis, overseen by Dr Androniki Psifidi Professor Richard Piercy and Dr Emily Clark. Victoria graduated fro

JESS ERRINGTON is very experienced when it comes to turning out manes and tails: she has been head girl and travelling groom to 2014 world eventing team silver medallist Harry Meade for 13 years. WHETHER YOU’RE HEADING to your first show of the seaso

■ Icelandic ponies, famous for their fifth gait — the tölt — pass in front of Skógafoss waterfall. This spectacular sight is on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland and is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country: 25m wide and with a drop of 6

IT WAS REALLY very hot and, as we reached the track on the other side of the river, we were all glad to find that we would be in the shade of the trees for most of the day. We could still enjoy the sunshine peeking through the trees and the crazy sha

Q My new horse has developed a habit of pulling back/rearing when tied up. She didn’t do it when we first got her and I’ve no idea what has caused it. She has also developed an aversion to having her bridle put over her ears, lifting her head and eve

I didn’t used to wear it but now I try to wear it every ride. I already have a sore back from a car crash and don’t need another injury.Eleanor Laws Only for cross-country, or the odd time a few years ago when having jump lessons at a riding school w

ROSS COOPER of Rosca Horsemanship is an international horse agility accredited trainer (IHAAT). He is based in Derbyshire but travels nationwide for lessons, workshops and clinics. Visit rosscooperofficial.co.uk. THE PAST 12 MONTHS have seen enormous

AS TOLD TO JULIE HARDING COLIN MADDAMS is a paramedic with East Midlands Ambulance Service and finds that his Irish cob mare is the perfect foil to a taxing shift spent dealing with medical emergencies in rural Rutland. “What people haven’t seen duri

An equine vet from West Sussex has raised £50,000 for charity by running 73 marathons. Judy Scrine, clinical director at Mayes & Scrine Equine Vets, Horsham, has completed 58 official and 15 unofficial marathons in support of Breast Cancer Now. She h

To enter, visit yourhorse.co.uk/bucas476 ■ Smartex Rain turnout rug ■ Irish stable rug (50g) ■ Therapy quarter sheet ■ Shamrock full neck cooler rug ■ Buzz off Zebra fly rug ■ Buzz off Zebra mask ■ Bucas 2000 travel boots ■ Tail bag ■ Saddle cloth ■

NINA GILL is a BHS Stage Four senior coach who lives in Warwickshire and runs Fancy Footwork Equestrian. She holds regular pole work and gridwork clinics and challenges at locations around the UK. Nina is kindly supported by PolyJumps and Equi-blingu

DR BEN SYKES is associate professor in equine internal medicine at Massey University in New Zealand and has been a vet for more than 22 years. He has worked with a wide range of horses, focusing on racehorses, breeding stock and sport horses. He is e

KATE COWELL is an international dressage rider, based in Malvern, Worcestershire. Alongside competing, Kate also trains riders and produces horses up to grand prix level NOT GOING OUT to compete during the pandemic has meant I’ve spent more time at h

CONFESSIONS OF A #HACK1000MILES CHALLENGER… LOOKING AT EVERYBODY’S pictures of snow, floods, ice and freezing conditions over the UK winter is a far cry from the long hot summer days we are experiencing here in Western Australia. The snow does look l