The financial down turn may not be good news for most but it is a great time to take advantage of all the sales that shops are having.

Joules Clothing is a favourite of many horse riders and with up to 50 percent off at the moment it’s a great time to buy all those items of horsey clothing you’ve been coveting.

You can choose from a wide selection such as horse numnahs, riding breeches, polo shirts, riding jackets and sweatshirts.

Joules Equestrian also plenty of items to keep you snug in the cold weather. Their base layers come in a range of funky colours and will keep you warm when out riding.

Check out the Joules Sale today!

If you’re looking for like minded people to share your horsey passions with why not try an equestrian dating site? Don’t let the word ‘dating’ put you off. Many members are just looking for friends, social contacts and riding buddies.

Of course if you are looking for romance then an equine dating site may be the answer. Many horse lovers join up so that they can meet people who share the same interests.

You can list your favourite disciplines such as showjumping, dressage, hacking, endurance, western riding, carriage driving etc and wait for people to contact you. Or if you’re feeling brave why not take the bull by the horns and make the first move?

A 73 year old man was killed on Saturday while out hunting with the Beaufort. Farmer David Hall was thrown from his horse and catapulted into a fence, breaking his neck.

An air ambulance attended the scene of the accident and tried to revive Mr Hall but he was already dead.

Hunt secretary Nigel Maidment said:

“As I understand it David took his horse into a fence and it stopped – what we call a really ‘dirty stop’, when the horse goes into a fence as though it is going to jump and doesn’t – and he was catapulted out of the saddle and broke his neck.

He died instantly. The air ambulance came and all credit to them because they did a marvellous job and worked tirelessly to revive him but it was no good.

It was a freak accident. I have been hunting for 30 years and I have only ever seen it once before. He was so in tune with horses it was the last person you would expect it to happen to. It is a huge loss to the community.”

As a mark of respect the hunt was immediately called off and the hounds were returned to the kennels.

Mr Hall from Badminton had hunted with the Beaufort for 65 years.

An eight year old pony was rescued from a well in a three hour operation today.

The pony called ‘Steffi’ had gone missing from its field last Saturday and was eventually found by a dog walker.

The 10 foot hole which was located in the pony’s own field was partially covered by plants. It’s thought that heavy rains had uncovered the entrance.

Staff at the stable yard had spent all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday looking for Steffi and had no idea that she was still in the same field as she was nowhere to be seen.

The pony was sedated by a vet then lifted out by firemen using a harness. Steffi appears to have escaped serious injury but is a little stiff due to being stuck down the well for so long.

If you love horseracing and have always fancied the idea of owning your own why not consider joining a syndicate?

You don’t have to worry about losing your possessions to a debt collection company coming for payment of those expensive training fees. You just choose what you can afford to pay and buy your share accordingly.

There is a usually a one off initial payment that covers the purchase cost of your share then a fixed monthly payment to cover expenses.

The monthly fee covers all expenses such as training fees, livery and vets fees. There are no hidden or unexpected bills. You know exactly what it is going to cost you from the day you sign up.

Apart from the obvious excitement of watching your racehorse run there are often other benefits such as helping choose the name for the horse, stable visits to watch the horse being trained on the gallops, photographs of the horse and monthly news letters.

Shares in a racehorse can range from as little as 1% though 5% and 10% shares are common.
The horses are normally bought as yearlings then raced as 2 to 4 year olds. The four year olds horses are then generally sold with the proceeds of the sale being split between the owners.

A share in a racehorse can make an unusual and exciting gift for a friend or why not just buy one for yourself?