Tributes paid to top horse, bridle research, and more things the horse world is talking about

Tributes paid to Trueshan

Jockey Hollie Doyle and trainer Alan King have paid tribute to star stayer Trueshan, who was put down after sustaining a serious injury in the Goodwood Cup yesterday (29 July). The nine-year-old crowd favourite played a major role in both Alan and Hollie’s careers. “He’s coming back to Barbury. We have a graveyard here so he’s going to be with Viking Flagship, Balder Succes and Katchit, which is where he should be,” Alan told ITV Racing.

Read the full tribute

Bridle research

A new study backs up the need to give riders a choice between using a snaffle or double bridle, showing that horses can show conflict behaviours in both. Researchers from Aberystwyth University and the University of Portsmouth looked at the effects of bridle type – double versus snaffle – on equine behaviour at competitions. It highlighted different behaviours between bridle type. “Giving people the option to ride with the bridle they are most educated with will hopefully lead to people using the right tack for them,” said study co-author Sebastian McBride. “That might be horse dependent; some get on better with a snaffle and some with a double, and again that maybe reflects a lot of their training experience.”

Find out more about the findings

Are you travelling legally?

Equestrians are urged to ensure they are not overloading their horsebox this summer. The National Association of Racing Staff (NARS) recently shared a warning to members who drive small (3.5 tonne) boxes, noting that it is “aware of three different boxes that have been stopped recently”. The DVSA told H&H that weigh-in-motion technology – weight sensors in the road surface – linked to numberplate recognition technology is in use at 14 sites across Britain. “The DVSA’s priority is to protect everyone from unsafe drivers and vehicles,” the spokesperson told H&H.

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