Rescue Equine Showing Society

Exciting New and Inspirational Show Society launching in 2024

A new, exciting and inspirational Showing Society is launching in 2024 – the Rescue Equine Showing Society (RESS) will have its official launch event at Equifest on Saturday 3rd August 2024.  Due to there being a lot of interest and enthusiasm already, there are already several shows coming on board and running qualifiers for the RESS Rescue Horse / Pony of the Year Championship, which will be part of the launch event. 

The ethos behind RESS is to encourage people to consider taking on a rescued equine and to showcase that even those horses and ponies that have been subjected to the worst cruelty and neglect can go on to lead happy, healthy and active lives and excel in many equine disciplines. 

‘We want RESS to allow these rescues to shine and to demonstrate how successful they can be’ says Cathy Hyde, founder and Chair of RESS, and ‘we also want to highlight the work of the rescuers and those that take on the task of rehabilitating the equines that have been subjected to cruelty and neglect.  Ideally it will also encourage people to consider adopting from the equine charities – for every equine that is rehomed, this makes space in rescue for another to be brought in to a rescue charity where it can undergo rehabilitation and go on to find kind and loving homes’.

RESS has been a long time in the planning for Founder and Chairman, Cathy Hyde. Cathy has worked in frontline animal welfare since 2001 when she joined the RSPCA Inspectorate Training School.  During her time at the RSPCA, Cathy dealt with some of the worst cases of cruelty and neglect, and having been promoted to Chief Inspector she also took on the additional role of Lead Inspectorate Equine Officer – deploying a team of dedicated equine officers to various events and investigations specifically involving equines. 

At one meeting where the discussion was focused on the increasing equine crisis and the need to encourage people to consider rehoming a rescued equine, an RSPCA Equine Rehoming Officer at the time, Sally Learoyd, came up with the idea of running competitions specifically for rescued equines.  Sally suggested that with Cathy’s involvement in Showing perhaps this was something she was prepared to take on. Cathy immediately thought that Equifest, held at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, would be the ideal platform for these classes, as she says ‘I had had the pleasure of Judging at Equifest on a couple of occasions and the Show seemed to be the perfect event for these classes.' 

In 2011 Cathy contacted Betsy at Equifest and was invited to meet the Committee and proposed to introduce these classes at the 2012 Show.  At the time, Jon Phillips was the Chairman of Equifest and when the pitch was made, he immediately offered to sponsor the classes, which was very welcomed.  It was also agreed that the RSPCA would bring some ponies to the Show to highlight the work done to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome the most neglected and abused animals.  With just two classes to begin with, an Open In-Hand and an Open Ridden Class they proved a great success and several of the ponies taken to Equifest by the RSPCA also found new homes.  Over the next few years, the Classes grew in number and popularity.

Past winner - before
Past winner - after

Due to the amazing response to the Rescue Classes and Rescue Village, Cathy, with the invaluable support of the Equifest team, opened it up to the other leading Equine Charities and again it proved a great success.  Without the assistance of Equifest, in supporting both the Rescue Classes and hosting the Rescue Village, there would not be such a positive opportunity for the equine charities to highlight their work and achievements in equine welfare.  Equifest provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the amazing work that the equine charities do, in rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming the most damaged rescue horses and ponies. 

Sadly, Covid stopped all the shows, and this coupled with the sale of the East of England Showground, made everything uncertain.  However, with the move to Arena UK in 2023, Equifest was up and running again.

RESS has been a long-held dream for Cathy, and it has only been since she has found the right group of like-minded and passionate people to form a committee, that the Society has been formed.  RESS is honoured to have Carey Knox as President of the Society, Carey says ‘When asked whether I would consider being President of the new association for the Rescue Horses and Ponies, I didn’t hesitate. Through the first-hand experience of seeing and reading horrific stories, I really want to help highlight what has and is going on, bring it to the forefront, and also encourage people to look into perhaps owning and loving a rescue horse or pony.' 

In 2024, in conjunction with Equifest and with generous sponsorship from NEDZ Beds, we are reintroducing the Rescue Village with leading equine charities bringing horses and ponies to the Show.  Lisa Cooper from NEDZ says ‘here at NEDZ we are proud to support RESS and are delighted to have been involved from the very beginning. Having had previous involvement in supporting the Rescue Village, the back stories of these horses and ponies are sometimes truly harrowing, and to see the transformation in them with the right care, turning them into the stars they really are, is nothing short of amazing!  To have a platform to show off these horses and ponies and the hard work that has been done is just brilliant!’.

RESS is also very grateful to Luke Rees at Hand Tailored Rosettes who has very kindly provided rosettes for all of the Qualifying Shows for 2024. Luke says ‘ all of us at HT Rosettes are delighted and privileged to be supporting RESS.  RESS promotes horse welfare and it is at the heart of all that they aim to do – showing that with the right love and care these rescue horses and ponies are nurtured and thrive which deserves to be celebrated.  We are a family-run business located in the heart of Wales and we are very proud to be supporting RESS and wish them every success and we look forward to working alongside them as the Society continues to grow’.

In the long term, RESS aims to provide a platform to showcase how rescued equines can go on to lead healthy and successful lives and to promote rehoming from the leading equine charities.  RESS will also be looking at providing training and bursaries for members from 2025, and a series of competitions culminating in the Championships at Equifest.  No membership is required for 2024 or affiliation fees for shows wanting to run classes as we want to encourage people to have a go and experience what the classes offer.  All the information required can be found on the RESS website.

Contact Details:

RESS Website:  rescueequineshowingsociety.com and our Facebook page.

For more information contact Cathy: rescueequineshowingsociety@outlook.com or telephone 07860 885752

For Show Affiliation Enquiries contact Debbie:  admin@rescueequineshowingsociety.com  or telephone 07561 260011

Qualifying Shows (to date):

  Date:    Show:
16th & 17th March 2024UK Horses & Ponies Spring Show, Olney
1st April 2024North East Extravaganza
18th May 2024Selston Equestrian Centre
25th May 2024Hambleton District Show
30th May 2024Royal Bath and West
14th June 2024Three Counties
19th June 2024Royal Cheshire Show
26th June 2024Royal Norfolk Show
6th July 2024Durham County
9th July 2024Great Yorkshire Show
13th July 2024Bridgend Country Show
25th July 2024Equine Sports UK Grassroots Championships
10th August 2024Llandi Agricultural Society
13th August 2024NCPA Leicester and Rutland
14th September 2024Usk Show

We are delighted to welcome Strength & Learning Through Horses as a new member of NEWC.

Strength & Learning Through Horses promotes the mental well-being and education (including social and physical training) of people who are not in education or training (NEETS), those at risk of becoming NEET and people with learning difficulties.

They provide equine-assisted therapy, education and other equestrian-related programmes to promote the positive mental health and well-being of children, young people and adults.

Find out more about their work here: strengthandlearningthroughhorses.org/

Animal welfare organisations are calling on horse keepers around the UK to help them assess the effects of the ongoing cost of living crisis. By taking part in a short, free SURVEY, launched today (16 January) anyone who cares for horses will be able to contribute to an understanding of how increased costs are affecting their ability to care for their animals. This information will feed into the development of targeted support for those most in need and help prevent welfare issues from arising.

Rebecca Boulert, Education Officer at World Horse Welfare, the equine charity coordinating this year’s research said “For those of us at the coalface of dealing with cases where individuals are unable to care for their horses because they cannot meet their needs financially, it is imperative for us to understand if the situation has worsened for horse owners and keepers over the past 12 months? We know from last year’s research that many owners were just about coping, and all possible cost savings had already been made, but that left little room for a further squeeze on purses. This year’s follow-on survey aims to show whether things have stabilised, improved or deteriorated, allowing us to plan and act accordingly. We really hope as many horse owners as possible engage with the research and complete the survey, regardless of whether or not they were involved in last year’s project.”

The 2023 survey had around 8,000 responses, a summary of which can be found HERE and the organisers of the follow-up research, all members of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) hope that a similar number will participate this year.  The 2024 survey was developed by World Horse Welfare with support from NEWC partner organisations RedwingsBlue CrossThe British Horse SocietyBransby Horses and Oak Tree Animals Charity.

A tailored version of the survey targeting charities and other equestrian rescue centres will run concurrently to find out how the continuing cost of living crisis is affecting these types of organisations. Those involved will be contacted directly by NEWC and asked to take part. The survey link for welfare establishments can be accessed, here.

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The anonymised results will be made publicly available to highlight any challenges and concerns that horse owners are facing and their potential impact on equine welfare.

The results will be shared with the UK Government, Devolved Administrations, and local authorities to help inform their understanding of the situation as well as policy decisions, including potential financial support to those most in need.

Josh Eustace, an MSc student of International Animal Welfare Law and Ethics (IAWEL) has launched an online survey through The University of Edinburgh for his dissertation aimed at horse owners/loaners, employees or managers/owners of yards who have experienced at least one case of strangles since January 2020. 

Strangles is the most common infectious disease in equids in the UK, with about 300 outbreaks occurring each year. Alongside presenting a major welfare concern to infected animals, outbreaks often cause serious stress to their owners and others involved in their care, while also representing significant economic challenges to those running businesses reliant on healthy yards and horses. Redwings has been campaigning on the issue for years and you can read more about it in their dedicated strangles hub.

Taking 10-15 minutes of your time to fill out this survey (link below) will help us to identify common factors associated with outbreaks. This will provide all of us involved with equids with up-to-date information on how best to avoid strangles spreading between yards going forward, in practical and achievable ways. 

Take the survey here: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/edinburgh/survey-of-owners-who-have-experienced-a-strangles-outbreak

This survey has been designed under the supervision of Dr Richard Newton from Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS), Dr Scott Pirie and Dr Marie Rowland from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, along with the help and support from Helen Whitelegg, Policy and Research Officer at Redwings. 

Equestrians are invited to share their views about how to determine rider suitability with horses or ponies.

The Suitably Mounted Group (SMG) is pleased to announce the launch today of an important survey about the factors that should be considered when matching riders with horses or ponies. 

What constitutes a suitable match between horses and riders has become a much-debated topic in recent years, and this was the inspiration for establishing the Suitably Mounted Group. 

Dr Tamzin Furtado, one of SMG’s founders, has highlighted previously that although the focus often falls on rider weight, many other factors may need to be taken into account when determining rider suitability, including equine conformation, condition, and fitness.

Now SMG’s Research Working Group, comprising Dr David Marlin, Dr Jane Williams and Lorna Cameron, has devised a short online survey to capture the views of equestrians on which factors are the most important to consider when aiming to match riders with horses.

Dr David Marlin explains: “It’s important that we try to understand what riders, officials, vets, and anyone involved in equestrianism, thinks about how to suitably match horses and riders to support horse welfare. The results of this survey will be shared in the public domain, and this information will inform future research, guidelines and education.”

The survey, which can be completed online here, is anonymous, consists of 14 questions, and is open to any equestrians over 18. It should take around 8 minutes to complete. 

When completing the survey, participants are asked to consider each of the factors in isolation. For example, where the survey asks about horse age, the question should be considered on its own and not with other factors, such as health, back strength, rider height, etc. In the future, the group aims to look at scenarios where numerous factors may need to be considered for research. For now, however, this objective falls outside the scope of the current survey. 

Click here to take the survey!

For over two decades, the RSPCA (England & Wales) has campaigned for changes in fireworks legislation. In 2018, they launched the 'Bang Out of Order' report, shedding light on the distressing impact of fireworks on animals. Shockingly, 92% of respondents shared that they received no prior warning of fireworks in their area during the season.

Today, along with Redwings Horse Sanctuary, they have published a video calling for crucial changes:

  1. Limiting fireworks use and sale from Oct 29th to Nov 5th.
  2. Establishing firework control zones to protect animals and wildlife habitats.
  3. Introducing quieter fireworks, reducing noise from 120 to 90 decibels.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

Join us in urging policymakers to make a difference:
- Email your MP: rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks
- Share details of your equine's distressing experiences: rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks/survey

Together, let's make fireworks season safer and more considerate for our animals!

We are delighted to welcome Writtle University College as a member of NEWC. Established in 1893, Writtle is one of the oldest specialist institutions in the UK and offers a range of land-based, animal, sport and health courses at various levels of academic study. Their course provision includes a wide range of FE, HE and post-graduate level equine courses. Situated on a stunning estate of approximately 150 hectares, their Equine Training and Development Centre offers extensive facilities to optimise the student experience.

You can take a look at a day in the life of an equine student at Writtle below. Details of the equine courses offered and upcoming Open Days for prospective students are available here: writtle.ac.uk/

Redwings Horse Sanctuary has released video footage showing the effects of fireworks on some of their residents taken on Bonfire Night, Sunday 5th November.

Last week the largest horse welfare charity in the UK urged people to contact their local MP to ask for a review of fireworks legislation and the impact they have on animals.

Tragically, three ponies have died at Redwings in recent years because of fireworks being set off near their centres. A special podcast episode produced last year, which is still available to listen to here, told Cinders, Sprite and Percy’s stories.

Lynn Cutress, Redwings’ Chief Executive, said: “We are grateful to our neighbours who let us know about firework displays nearby but as you can see from this footage, which clearly shows the distress caused to our horses from firework displays last night, it isn’t enough.

“We have experienced the worst effects of fireworks here at Redwings, with three of our beloved residents dying in previous years because of large displays near our centres.

“We take all measures possible to protect our horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, including moving them to other locations, but as all horse owners know, this isn’t always an option.

“With many fireworks displays re-arranged due to wet weather, we are very concerned that their awful impact on animals is going to be prolonged this year as displays continue through November and beyond, and whilst our horses are so far thankfully okay, we know that other organisations haven’t been so lucky. We hope that by releasing this video people will see how distressing fireworks are for horses, as they are for other animals, and think again about the cost of using them.”

Last week, in a special podcast which you can listen to here, the charity revealed that it spent an extra £300 a night on additional staffing and forage to help protect horses from the adverse effects of fireworks at their south Norfolk centres last year. Staff were brought in for 50 extra hours during four nights in October and November, to counter any incidents caused by firework displays happening nearby. The total bill for the measures was almost £1500*.

Lynn said: “We increase our staffing levels at sites where we don’t have live-in staff over the fireworks season so that we can make more regular checks on our residents, in addition to making lots of other provisions, including putting out additional forage.

“As a prey species, horses are naturally fearful of loud noises. When they’re stressed and frightened, they can exhibit ‘flight’ behaviours, like galloping to the point of exhaustion or trying to escape their enclosure because they feel unsafe. This can be dangerous for the horse and any people who are near them, potentially including road users if horses become loose.

“The financial cost of the extra measures we take during the fireworks season is not insignificant to a charity like ours, but obviously our residents’ welfare is our top priority.”

Redwings supports the RSPCA’s #BangOutOfOrder campaign and staff from the charity will be attending a Fireworks Working Group event for MPs at the House of Commons on 6th December.

Helen Whitelegg, Redwings’ Research and Policy Officer, said: “Currently, legislation in England and Wales allows fireworks to be set off legally on private property by any adult between 7.00 am and 11.00 pm every day of the year, except for Bonfire Night, when the cut off is extended until midnight, and New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut off is extended until 1 am. It is not a legal requirement to have any form of licence or training to let off consumer fireworks.

“Last year the Scottish Parliament passed the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Bill which will tighten regulations in the country. Once the relevant provisions come into force, the Bill will introduce fireworks licensing and they will only be allowed to be supplied to, and used by, members of the public on certain dates around celebration periods. The Bill also grants local authorities the powers to set up ‘firework control zones’, though this is a lengthy, complex process requiring a public consultation and at least a 60-day notice period.

“Horses die or are injured in fireworks-related incidents every year** and Redwings wholeheartedly welcomes the tighter regulations that Scotland has introduced and is calling on Westminster to follow their lead.”

To donate towards Redwings’ care of the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules at their centres at this challenging time please go to redwings.org.uk

Extra staffing and forage to help protect horses from the adverse effects of fireworks cost Redwings over £300 a night at their south Norfolk centres* last year.

The biggest horse welfare charity in the UK brought staff in for over 50 additional hours during four nights in October and November, to counter any incidents caused by firework displays happening nearby. The total cost of the measures was almost £1500**.

Redwings is releasing the figures as part of the latest episodes of their Sounds of the Sanctuary podcast this week to raise awareness of the impact of fireworks.

Tragically, three ponies have died at Redwings in recent years because of fireworks being set off near their centres***. A special podcast episode produced last year, which is still available to listen to here, told Cinders (pictured right), Sprite and Percy’s stories.

Redwings supports the RSPCA’s #BangOutOfOrder campaign which is calling for Westminster to review fireworks legislation and the impact on animal welfare and is urging people to contact their local MP. Staff from the charity will be attending a Fireworks Working Group event for MPs at the House of Commons on 6th December.

Lynn Cutress, Redwings’ Chief Executive, said: “We have experienced the worst effects of fireworks here at Redwings, with three of our beloved residents dying because of large displays near our centres.

“We increase our staffing levels at sites where we don’t have live-in staff over the fireworks season so that we can make more regular checks on the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in our care, in addition to making lots of other provisions, including putting out additional forage, but the reality is that we can’t eradicate all the negative effects of fireworks on our residents.

“As a prey species, horses are naturally fearful of loud noises. When they’re stressed and frightened they can exhibit ‘flight’ behaviours, like galloping to the point of exhaustion or trying to escape their enclosure because they feel unsafe. This can be dangerous for the horse and people who are near them, including potentially road users if horses become loose.

“The financial cost of the extra measures we take during the fireworks season is not insignificant to a charity like ours, but obviously our residents’ welfare is our top priority, and we do everything we can to keep them safe and happy.”

Currently, legislation in England and Wales allows fireworks to be set off legally on private property by any adult between 7.00 a.m. and 11.00 p.m. every day of the year, except for Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is extended until midnight, and New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut off is extended until 1 am. It is not a legal requirement to have any form of licence or training to let off consumer fireworks.

Last year (June 2022), the Scottish Parliament passed the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Bill which will tighten regulations in the country. Once the relevant provisions come into force, the Bill will introduce fireworks licensing and fireworks will legally only be allowed to be supplied to, and used by, members of the public on certain dates (around celebration periods). The Bill also grants local authorities the powers to set up ‘firework control zones’, though this is a lengthy, complex process requiring a public consultation and at least a 60-day notice period.

Helen Whitelegg, Redwings’ Research and Policy Officer, said: “Horses die or are injured in fireworks-related incidents every year and Redwings wholeheartedly welcomes the tighter regulations that Scotland has introduced and is calling on Westminster to follow their lead.

“Having experienced first-hand the sometimes-tragic outcomes of fireworks being set off close to horses, we know the impact they have on naturally fearful flight animals like horses, alongside broader adverse effects on other animals and people with conditions such as PTSD or autism.

“We hope that the rescued equines who we care for at Redwings Mountains in Aberdeenshire, over 70 of them, will see the benefit of this greater protection from the multiple risks that fireworks present.”

To listen to the new episodes of Sounds of the Sanctuary as well as previous episodes, please click here.

To make a donation towards Redwings’ care of the horses, ponies, donkeys and mules at their centres at this challenging time please go to www.redwings.org.uk

HAPPA Direct, the premier shopping outlet of the Horses and Ponies Protection Association (HAPPA), a registered charity dedicated to equine welfare, is excited to announce its innovative Brand Ambassador Programme. This program seeks to engage a passionate and dedicated equestrian to represent the HAPPA Direct brand across the United Kingdom.

As the face of HAPPA Direct, the chosen Brand Ambassador will play a pivotal role in increasing community awareness about how shopping at HAPPA Direct directly contributes to HAPPA's mission of giving a second chance to neglected, abused, and unwanted equines through rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, and education. Charity bosses are specifically looking for a brand ambassador who owns or loans a horse that has previously been rescued from cruelty or neglect.

Sarah Arthur, HAPPA Chief Executive Officer, explains, “This is an opportunity to celebrate a horse rescue success story. Our brand ambassador will have a compelling story to tell about the horse they care for and advocate how rescue horses can compete against the best in the show ring, dressage or show jumping arena.

The Brand Ambassador will actively spread the word about HAPPA Direct over a six-month period, leveraging their equestrian knowledge and community presence. This entails endorsing the values and goals of HAPPA, fostering camaraderie within the shop community, and encouraging others to support equine welfare.”

In return, the Brand Ambassador will enjoy a host of benefits, including:

The search is on for an exceptional individual who aligns with HAPPA's ethos and can authentically promote its values. The ideal Brand Ambassador will reside in or around Lancashire, and demonstrate a strong passion for equine and rider welfare, the chosen ambassador will be 18 years or older or have parental consent if under the age of 18.

The application process involves two rounds: an initial written submission and a follow-up video introduction showcasing the applicant and their equine partner. The video introductions will be shared on HAPPA Direct's social media platforms, and followers will vote for the winner. Applications open from October 27th to November 27th.

To apply or learn more about the HAPPA Direct Brand Ambassador Programme, please visit the application form linked here. In case of any enquiries, applicants can also contact Amanda at happadirect@happa.org.uk

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