Fantastic Blog page for Young Equestrians

We have just launched our great new page for Young, Junior Equestrians.

Here, you can post pictures and information of your horse or pony to share with others.

Also enter your own likes and dislikes and write blogs about how you are getting on with your riding lessons and competitions.

Share your experiences with likeminded people and join the online form dedicated to young equestrians.

Along with keeping update with friends, you will also be able to enter competitions to win loads of horsey stuff.

Just register to join and fill out your details to get started.

The ONLY online place for Young Equestrians.

Horsesport launches new Junior Riders section

We have now launched a superb page for all Junior Riders. Here you can upload pictures of yourself and your horse or pony. Tell everyone about how you started riding and what level you are up to.


If you attend shows and events, then take pictures and post you results on the Junior Riders section for all to see.

Houghton International Horse Trials

Four weeks have now passed since The SPC Holdings Burnham Market International Horse Trials 2010 and the site is now hardly recognisable, with the ground recovering well. Spring has arrived and the grass is growing, it is typical that now some rain would be very much appreciated.
Work on-site at Houghton Hall has began, with the cross country jumps being moved into place and the course builders arriving shortly. With the good weather Houghton Hall will soon be looking spectacular with the blossom on the magnolia trees coming out.

The Subaru Houghton International Horse Trials 2010 Entries.

It is starting to get very exciting in the Musketeer office, with the entries for The Subaru Houghton International Horse Trials now being open! They have so far received some notable entries in the form of the ever popular Norfolk girl, Piggy French who is once again returning to the spectacular setting that is Houghton Hall to compete for the newly upgraded CIC*** title. The old favourite Rodney Powell, who has represented Great Britain on a number of occasions, is making the trip to Norfolk.
They also have some world class international riders, such as Badminton 2010 winner Paul Tapner, who also won the CIC*** at Burnham Market and has recently been on top form.
Finally they have also received entries from one of the power couples, Bettina and Andrew Hoy who have both achieved many successes through out their careers.
Entries are still open for a few more days yet, so we will be keeping you updated on who has entered through out the run up to the event.


27TH – 30TH MAY 2010 Fun For All The Family.

Once again Houghton International is offering top class entertainment for all the family. This year there will be a static display of Tiger Moths and the Hoste Super Car Club. Alongside the New Pooch Corner Dog Show there is plenty of entertainment for both the equestrian minded and the non-equestrian minded.
For the younger audience , you'll find bouncy castles, face painting and Raz and Pearls Circus Workshop to keep them enthralled through out the event. There really is something for everyone at Houghton Horse Trials.


Horsesport.com is proud to be a fence sponsor at Houghton Horse Trials.

Official Event Charity for 2010 – The Big C.

Houghton Horse Trials are delighted to welcome The Big C as their official event charity for 2010.
They are a Norfolk based charity who do vital work in raising funds for cancer research and equipment. Much of their funds are devoted to important research which is carried out at the University of East Anglia and local hospitals.
Thanks to this funding, local medical staff and research scientists are working on new ways to diagnose and treat a range of cancers. Continuing this essential research into cancer identification and treatment requires constant investments.
To promote the charity through out their 30th year, The Big C have linked up with Subaru and are offering the chance to win a Subaru Impreza 1.5R. Raffle tickets will be on sale through out The Subaru Houghton International Horse Trials from the Subaru and Francis Wain Jewellers stands. It is supported by Anglia Farmers and Dingles Motor Group and the draw will take place at The Big C Ball being held at The Sprowston Manor Hotel on Saturday 16 October 2010.
For more information on The Big C visit their website at - www.big-c.co.uk

Tack theft warnings in Norfolk

Horse owners are being encouraged to keep their animals and equipment safe following a spate of thefts in the county.

Saddles and horse tack equipment, some worth thousands of pounds, have been stolen from various locations in the Broadland area.

Police urged people to follow some simple rules to avoid becoming another victim of the thefts.

Horse owners should:

Take colour photographs of their horses in summer and winter, recording any special marks; keep their horse's passport in a secure place; have horses and tack equipment permanently marked; check animals at least twice a day; do not leave head collars or lead ropes dangling over gates; do not draw attention to tack room entrances; use padlocks on doors and gates; and keep trailers in well-lit areas with a wheel lock.

Last month, thieves targeted a livery stables near Aylsham.

They took seven saddles and a bridle worth £4,000 to £5,000 from Brampton Stables between midnight on Saturday January 23 and 3am on Sunday January 24.

Horse thefts occur after mysterious plait appears

Police and Animal Welfare groups are warning Horse and Pony owners in the South West of the UK to be aware if they find one of their animals has a mysterious plait appear on their mane.

Travelling horse thieves are entering fields and leaving a small plait on the manes of horses and ponies that they are targeting to steal later. The plait makes it easier for them to 'feel' the right Horse or Pony at night and to ensure they get the right one.

There have already been a number of thefts in Hampshire and Oxfordshire with other reports in Dorset and Somerset.

A recent incident near Blandford in Dorset involved a yearling Shetland pony being earmarked for theft.

Owners returned from a horse show to find the pony cowering in the corner of a field.

On closer inspection they discovered that its mane had been plaited.

Police believe thieves are plaiting mains during daytime visits so the "tagged" animals are easier to identify by touch when they return after dark. The plait also provides a grab handle when thieves strike.

Police are appealing for anybody with information relating any recent theft or attempted theft to get in touch.

If you find a plait on one of your horses, call your local Police straight away and be extra vigilant.

We will update this news as and when we hear more.

Horsesport sponsors talented young Show Jumper

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Horsesport have just finalised a deal which will see us sponsoring a very talented young show jumper.

Hannah Vincent has been in the saddle since she was a toddler.

The youngster, who is 16, was just 20 months old when she appeared on the front page of the Eastern Daily Press in August 1995.

At an age when many youngsters were still finding their feet, little Hannah was pictured already at home in the saddle at the Willow End equestrian centre at Pulham St Mary, near Diss, which was then run by her mother Sue.

At that time the toddler could barely speak but she was doing things on a pony that other youngsters aged five or six were struggling to achieve.

Perfectly balanced, she was able to coax her favourite pony Tommy into a trot, and her sensational skills led to more articles and photos in the Daily Mail and the Daily Express in September 1995, and even in the international press in Cologne.

She said: “My life's goal is to compete as a show jumper at the Olympics, maybe in 2016. I'd be too young for the London Olympics.

“Later this year, as a 16-year-old, I will have to give up riding ponies and instead ride horses. However, I have already started riding horses and have a stallion Ranchwood Banana Split and a youngster called Jabberwocky."

“I love what I'm doing and I would never give it up. I really enjoy it. Some of my friends have given it up but I would not know what to do if I did.”

Now a City College Norwich student, she won the Junior 80cm of the BSJA/Absolute Horse Intro League in November last year and earlier in the year won the Dengie Winter League Area Championship.

She is a keen member of the Norfolk Show Jumping Club and is into her third full year of affiliated show jumping.

We wish Hannah well as she travels up to Aintree today to compete in the National Amateur & Veterans Championships.

We look forward to watching Hannah grow into a true professional rider of which she is very capable.

Your Horse during the Winter months

Some important information from the RSPCA with regard to looking after your Horse or Pony throughout the winter.

All horses and ponies kept at grass need shelter. In summer they need protection from flies and the sun and in winter they must have protection from cold, wet and windy weather.

Most native ponies will winter well on grass, although all horses and ponies will need the right supplementary feeding. But remember... under natural conditions native ponies have hundreds of acres of forests and moorland to roam and are able to seek out both food supplies and natural shelter. Where animals are restricted to smaller areas by their owners, they must be supplied with both adequate food and artificial shelter.




All horses and ponies at grass during the winter need supplementary feeding because winter grazing provides very little nourishment and cold horses need extra food. Grass grows slowly in the winter, while frost and snow reduce available grazing still further. Hay should be provided every day and feeding times should be regular - preferably twice a day. Water must be freely available at all times - in very cold weather, this may mean breaking thin ice several times a day.

Your field may provide natural shelter but generally this will not be enough. High, deep and stout hedges, thickets and spinneys can provide useful protection in all weathers, but this will depend on where they are sited.
Banks and walls may provide protection from wind and rain but not necessarily
from the sun. Trees give protection from summer sun,but provide little shelter in the winter.



Where animals are restricted to smaller areas by their owners, they must be supplied with both adequate food and artificial shelter.

Thoroughbred, Arab or Hunter-type horses and similar ponies, as well as animals in regular work (including donkeys), will need stabling or a roofed shed. In most other cases you will need to construct a simple covered or open (windbreak) shelter.
This could be something simple that a local handyman can build all the way to a mobile shelter that can be moved around by tractor or 4x4 vehicle. Whichever you choose, make sure its solidly built.