Heartbreak over two much-loved horses who died within 10 minutes of each other – and other things the horse world is talking about

Death of two equine companions

A heartbroken rider is raising awareness of the danger of atypical myopathy, or sycamore poisoning, even at this time of year, after her two horses died within 10 minutes of each other in early January. Laura Pache’s much-loved thoroughbreds Pops and Nabs succumbed to the condition despite the best efforts of local vets, and Laura nursing them around the clock.

There had been no previous cases of myopathy in the horses’ fields, which have been grazed by horses for decades. Laura walked the fields regularly and raked up and removed sycamore seeds, seedlings and saplings that may have blown in, in spring and autumn. Like many owners she had thought January was a safe month to avoid the condition.

“We don’t seem to have a real winter any more, just a few days of frost but otherwise perpetual autumn,” she said. “The field they were in is quite a long ‘tunnel’ and I think with the strong winds, it just made a perfect sycamore bomb to dump all the seeds in there. I’ve spoken to so many horsey people, vets, people who work in the industry and no one thought it would be a problem at this time of year.”

Read more

Farewell to Olympic dressage rider

Domini Morgan (née Lawrence), the pioneer of British dressage, known for her love of both horses and riders, died on 4 January, aged 99.

Born in 1925, Domini was celebrated when she became the oldest living British Olympian on her 99th birthday on 8 May, 2024.

Women couldn’t compete in equestrian events at the Olympics until 1952, and although Britain had done well in eventing, its dressage performance took a big step forward in 1968, when an all-women team of Domini, Hilda Lorna Johnstone and Johanna Hall came fifth in the team event.

Domini was the highest-placed British individual, in 11th. She later became a renowned international dressage judge.

Obituary: Domini Morgan

Two ‘forgotten’ cobs illustrate increase in horse abandonment

Two coloured cobs who were “left behind and forgotten” have been taken in by horse welfare charity HAPPA and given a second chance in life. The charity has warned of an increase in horse abandonments, using these two geldings, Maximus and Bruno, as just one example. The pair were being kept on rented land when their owners “vanished without a trace”.

“For some time, the kind landowners did their best to look after them, but as time passed, it became clear they began to struggle to meet the horses’ needs,” said a HAPPA spokesperson.

More on this story

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also be interested in: