The evolution of the horse is a fascinating subject, covering over 50 million years of geographical and biological changes, and an important consideration when managing the needs of our modern animal. While such an expanse of time will always leave puzzles for scientists, the horse’s history is comparatively well studied, which makes it easy for horse owners to learn more about the origins of our longtime companions.

With so many options for bits and bridles, it’s easy to forget that riders haven’t always had the choice. All of the tack that we used came from somewhere, and have had different uses and applications as they have evolved to their modern form.

Double bridles can be an essential tool for riders; often seen on warmblood horses competing at dressage or on horses in the show ring. But, for those who haven’t used a double bridle, they are often a source of confusion and fascination. In this article we’ll look at what a double bridle is, how it is used, where it came from, and when you would be expected to use one.

Of all the questions that are asked by ex-racehorse owners on online forums and groups, “is my horse too thin/carrying enough condition?” is almost certainly the most frequent.

Despite the evidence that obesity is by far a greater threat to the UK horse population, thoroughbred owners seem to live with an anxiety that their horse is under conditioned, and turn to online communities for advice on feeding and management.

If you are one of those people, read on to find out how to gauge the condition of your horse, and what you can do to ensure that your ex-racehorse is at his or her best.

An integral part of Welsh culture, the Welsh Section D is for many the focal point of the Royal Welsh Show, and attracts some of the most passionate and loyal supporters of any breed of horse. Strong, striking, and sometimes stubborn, the fourth of the Welsh breeds is for many the most spectacular.

Part cob, part pony, and extremely versatile and practical, the Welsh Section C is the least common of the four Welsh breeds. This is no reflection on its capabilities or temperament, and the Welsh Section C should be an early point of call for anyone looking to buy an all-round family pony.

Small and elegant, the Welsh Section B, known as the Welsh Pony, is the second breed of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society studbook. Often ridden by older children and small adults, they make great competition ponies.

Within the equestrian world it is impossible to have not come across a Welsh Section A, otherwise known as a Welsh Mountain Pony. These small, often furry, frequently grey ponies are a staple children’s riding pony, perfect first ponies, and often passed from family to family teaching the next generation to ride.

But where did these ponies come from, and how are they different to the ponies and cobs of the other three Section of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society studbook?

The classification of horses as hot, warm, and cold bloods can be confusing. As mammals all horses are warm-blooded – they don’t need to lie around in the sun to summon energy for the day, although some do like to! The categorisation is crude, but essentially groups horses according to general temperament and conformation.

Kim K’s Fave

A cob should have the head of a lady and the backside of a cook!

Machinery feature for Farmers Weekly

Feature about endurance riding for Horse & Hound (website)

For most people, farming represents an alien landscape of mud, early starts, low wages, rural isolation, bad smells, and a lack of opportunity for anyone outside of its traditional demographic. Even among those growing up in the countryside it’s rarely seen as an aspirational career choice. It might not surprise you to hear, then, that even in Wales – where 88 percent of the land area is in agricultural use and the industry has a comparatively high rate of regional employment – just 3 percent of farmers are under the age of 35.

Most readers, when reflecting on their school days, will remember that some subjects seemed to be inherently gendered. Few and far between were the boys who chose to study Food Technology or Textiles, and girls very often gave up Physics the moment they left their GCSE examination, never even thinking of the opportunities that this subject would present should they pursue it to a higher level. While society may have moved on from splitting careers into gender binaries, at school level there are still huge divides in subject participation, with half of state schools having no girls at all studying for an A level in Physics. This has serious impacts on women’s university education and subsequent working lives, with just 14% of Engineering graduates being female, and 24% of graduates from core Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics courses being women (2016/17 graduation year).