The Happy Horse Hub

08/01/2026

We know many owners are starting to struggle to get hay, even if you have the money, in a lot of places it's irrelevant, there just simply isn't enough to go round.

We are not nutrition experts so do go and ask or follow people like Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist but do go by the weight of your horse.

Many horses actually could do with losing a few lbs so having less hay is not actually a bad thing. Instead of feeding loose ad lib, putting into smaller slow feeder nets and spreading put their allowance so they also pick at the bits of grass could help keep them healthier. Mixing hay with straw is also a good option for slightly porkier ponies.

Always make sure they have a good balancer to make sure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need too of course but if you are struggling to get hay, ask yourself whether you need as much as you think.

Of course poor doers will need it and may need an increase in hard fibre based feed to replace some of the hay if you don't have enough.

We have found that a lot of our chunkier horses have actually done well on the fields this year, it's been quite dry where we are so they haven't trashed the fields as much as normal and we've been able to get away with less hay and some straw. They are probably better off for it to be honest.

You know your own horse so feed accordingly but remember horses are designed to drop some lbs in the winter and forage for food rather than stand in one spot gorging so don't give yourself too hard of a time if you're starting to struggle to get hay.

Spring is in sight now too and before we know it we'll be sectioning fields to prevent lammi.

Where in the country are you? Are you still able to get hay or struggling now?

A summer drought has pushed hay prices to record highs — now some owners can’t afford to feed their animals. Read more: https://bbc.in/4jBtnGu

07/01/2026

06/12/2025

*** PLEASE ENSURE YOUR HORSES HAVE SUPPLEMENTARY FORAGE IN THEIR WET/MUDDY PADDOCKS ***

Having seen 3 FB posts already this week about horses breaking out of their fields and running around on the roads in my area, let alone countrywide, I thought I would share yet another reminder that horses need to be able to EAT pretty much all day. They are grazing animals, and are not designed to stand all day in mud with just a few blades of waterlogged grass to eat.

If you have acres and acres then it’s probably still going to be ok to have native type ponies out with no supplementary forage. If you are under water/extremely muddy/have grazed the same paddocks all summer, then your horses will need hay out in the fields. Yes, hay is ludicrously expensive now (although a huge thank you to my Haylage supplier, who have only put their prices up by £2.50 a bale for this year’s crop), but horses still need to eat. Introduced gradually and correctly, straw is a great alternative to provide something for horses to eat in the fields.

Grass growth has slowed right down now, fields are extremely waterlogged at the moment, and therefore footfall is churning up any grass that is left. If your yards don’t allow hay out in the fields - and I appreciate it is difficult at livery yards, when one horse may eat most of what is put out and another horse may not eat more than a few mouthfuls - then bringing horses in at lunchtime/early afternoon may be the answer. Yes, that means less time out, where nature intended, but nature didn’t intend for horses to be standing in boggy paddocks with waterlogged grass as their only food source. We’d all love to have 5 acres per horse, but certainly for those of us in the south, we are limited as far as land goes.

I post about this a lot, but having the option of hay to eat in the field is so important, and I’d go as far to say essential at this time of year.

01/12/2025

In shock. RIP 2 beautiful incredible boys. Valegro without a doubt changed the face of dressage forever. 💙💙

Sleep well Blueberry and Uti, two of the greatest horses of our generation.

It is with immense sadness that we have said goodbye to Valegro and Uthopia and without question, this is a loss that just feels hard to comprehend.

Trying to write a tribute to these two horses feels harder than I imagined. The yard just doesn’t feel the same without them, there’s an emptiness in the air.

Valegro and Uthopia did more than win medals and write history, they gave our sport a golden era. They both showed that greatness can be gentle, sensitive and harmonious and they made a nation proud and inspired so many.

Being part of their journey will always remain one of my proudest achievements and the whole team and myself are deeply grateful for the joy they gave to us at home but also to their fans around the world.

Their entire lives ran in parallel; they travelled to the shows side by side, lived in neighbouring stables, grazed in the same fields and retired together. Their bond and companionship were absolute.

As life as old boys advanced, so too did the health challenges, so allowing them to leave this world together was the final act of loyalty and dignity I felt I could give them, honouring a partnership that had never been separated in life.

They leave behind a huge void, and the yard has changed forever and so have we. They were our family and I will love and miss them always. The impact they had will remain but sadly, we don’t get to keep horses forever.
We only get to carry what they leave inside us. And these two left us so much.

Carl x

Photo credit: Rose Lewis

18/11/2025

IMPORTANT INFO

⚠ You might have heard the saying “worm after the first frost,” but while frost can help reduce bot fly activity, our milder UK winters mean this old advice doesn’t hold true when it comes to encysted redworm.

❄️ People can be eager to give their winter wormer, but one frost is not enough and as long as temperatures on the pasture stay above 6°C, redworm remain active which allows the potential for reinfection. For healthy adult horses, It’s best to wait until winter sets in (Dec–Feb) with temperatures consistently below 6°C for several days before tackling encysted redworm. At that stage, either blood testing or using an appropriate wormer is recommended.

🍂🔬 For now, we’re still in autumn, so if it’s been more than three months since your last worm egg count or six months since your last tapeworm test, it’s time to check in with your worm control plan. If your results show a need for treatment, it’s fine to treat now with the right wormer, then plan your encysted redworm control.

High risk horses that are either young, old or immune compromised may need extra consideration, so get in touch if you're not sure and undertake a risk profile so you know your individual horses risk level.

18/11/2025

Delighted to announce 📣 that the PhD Data collection from The Good Doer Project is now complete!!! 13 months and 36 horses (180 visits) ✅ 2 PgCert’s ✅ 2 research conference abstracts written, submitted & accepted ✅ 8640 facial expressions recorded & scored ✅ 720 body measurements taken ✅ 90 interviews conducted & transcribed ✅ 180 horses weights taken ✅ and 216 saliva samples collected ✅ I’d just like to say a massive thank you to all involved in the research & for all those nearest & dearest that have listened to me not shut up about it for the last 3yrs. Next is data analysis and then just 🤣 to write it up. But for now I’m off to celebrate 🍾 with friends. All messages will be responded to tomorrow x

18/11/2025

**NEW**
Thoroughbred Business Development Specialist
Dodson & Horrell
📍 England (please read full advert)
📢 Client Management, Business Development, Yard Visits, Network Events, Sales Growth
📆 Full Time

➡️ For full details - please refer to the full advert on the Equine Careers website.
Link in comments.

12/11/2025

Lot's of posts about Charles Owen ceasing UK operations.

We cannot however find a reliable source to fact check. Nothing on their websites or socials. Their sales team say they are unaware of this?

Can anyone verify where the announcement was made?

We always like to fact check.

Thanks

01/11/2025

Did you know ⁉️
Fireworks can cause severe stress, injury, and even death to horses. Sudden bangs and flashes often trigger panic, leading to serious accidents 🔥

UK Firework Laws 🧨
* It's illegal to set off fireworks between 11 pm and 7 am, except; Bonfire Night until midnight & New Year's Eve, Diwali, Chinese New Year until 1 am.
* Fireworks must not be set off in public places such as streets or parks.
* Only adults (18+) can buy or use fireworks
* Noise limit: consumer fireworks must not exceed 120 decibels

🎇Around Horses & Livestock 🐴
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it's an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal!
* Setting fireworks off near stables, fields, or riding areas will cause unnecessary suffering and could lead to prosecution.
* Always check for animals nearby before lighting fireworks.
* Inform local yards, owners, and neighbours well in advance of any planned displays - please carefully consider and respect any concerns raised by owners of horses or livestock!

How You Can Help 👍
If you are planning a fireworks display;
• Choose low-noise or ‘silent’ fireworks.
• Warn local horse owners ahead of time.

If you see fireworks endangering horses❗️
📞RSPCA Cruelty Line: 0300 1234 999

30/10/2025

So.... is it spring yet 🥶😆

13/10/2025

What a beautiful day! Have you moved your horses onto their winter grazing yet or have you also had a big flush of grass come through?