Veteran Life Winter 2017 Edition

WINTER 2017 

Veteran LifE 

VETERAN 

THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE FOR ALL VETERAN HORSE LOVERS 

HORSE SOCIETY 

INSIDE 

MEET THE TEAM ● CHAMPIONSHIP QUOTES ● CELEBRATE THE VETERAN 

DIARY DATES ● VETERAN WELFARE ● PLUS A ROUND UP OF ALL VHS NEWS AND VIEWS

Outstanding Condition 

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Finnegan, winner of the TopSpec 

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owned by Estelle Thompson 

Photograph by Tom Jeavson Photography 

“Finnegan is 22 years young and is fed on 

some chop and TopSpec Senior Feed Balancer. 

No need for anything else as it has all he needs 

(as well as plenty of grass and hay). People 

constantly comment on how well he looks and 

a judge in a veteran class even asked if we 

were even in the right class! We love TopSpec 

and would never feed anything else.” 

Estelle Thompson 

Multiple Award Winner for 

‘Excellence in Nutritional 

Advice and Customer 

2 VETERAN LIFE Service’ • WINTER 2017 

CREATED WITHOUT COMPROMISE 

by experienced equine nutritionists 

® 

Tel: 01845 565 030 or 

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www.topspec.com

Veteran LifE 

The Quarterly Magazine 

For All Veteran Horse Lovers 

The Veteran Horse Society is solely dedicated to 

the care and welfare of horses and ponies over 

the age of 15 years. 

Launched over 15 years ago the Veteran Horse 

Society has developed into a large professional 

organisation thanks to the help, support and 

belief of many individuals. Starting out as 

simply organisation that people who own or 

care for veterans could join for help and advice 

on their older horse. It now umbrellas and 

range of different aspects of the older horse 

from showing to rehoming. 

Welfare, Rehabilitation and Rehoming 

continue to be headed by Founder Julianne 

Aston, who now will visit yards and other 

establishments to give personal advise and 

help on veteran care and management. 

With these departments adding to the already 

successful welfare side, we are proof that 

people do care about their veterans. 

The Veteran Horse Society, is head office to 

all disciplines connected with the VETERAN 

HORSE. Whether it is Dressage, Performance 

Awards or Showing, all Membership is 

generated from our Head Office. 

Welcome 

Welcome to Veteran Life Magazine, the quarterly 

magazine for the Veteran Horse owner. 

This magazine is FREE to all Veteran Horse Society 

Members. We aim to bring you all the latest news, stories 

and events happening around the country where events 

are taking place for the many wonderful veteran horses 

and ponies. Share your photos and stories with us (remember to get the 

photographers permission). 

We will be introducing an Agony Aunt column for the next issue covering a 

wide range of issues from caring for them, competing whether it be dressage, 

showing, show-jumping. Please do get in touch at zoe@veteranlifemagazine. 

co.uk if you have a question you’d like to ask one of the team. 

Zoe 

ZOE BATESON, EDITOR 

contents 

Contact details : 

This magazine is brought to you by : 

RKB Media Ltd, The Loose Box, Shelton Lodge, 

Shelton, Newark, Notts NG23 5JJ. 

Tel: 01949 851555. 

Email zoe@equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk 

Want to advertise? 

Contact vicky@veteranlifemagazine.co.uk 

VETERAN HORSE SOCIETY 


5-6 Priory Street, Cardigan, 

West Wales SA43 1BX 

Tel: 01239 881300 (10am – 3pm) 

Email: info@veteran-horse-society.co.uk 

Out of hours enquiry line: 07484 088 727 or 

07789 514004 (weekends and 

evenings before 9pm) 

www.veteran-horse-society.co.uk 

Inside this issue 

4 UP FRONT Julianne Aston tells us how it all began 

6 MEET THE TEAM Meet the team at at the Veteran Horse Society 

8 CHAMPIONSHIP QUOTES 

11 CELEBRATE THE VETERAN 

13 FEEDING THE VETERAN 

19 COMPETITION 6 bags of TopSpec Feed up for grabs 

21 DIARY DATES Your 2017 events guide 

22 VETERAN HORSE WELFARE 

WINTER 2017 • VETERAN LIFE 3

up front 

THE BEGINNING... 

FOR THE 

LOVE OF MINTY 

BACK IN 1993, JULIANNE 

Aston’s 40-year-old veteran, 

Minty an ID X, won many 

awards at the Riding Club 

Championships. At 40, 

many events refused his 

entry and at this point 

Julianne had had enough. 

She wanted to stop this sort of discrimination 

against veterans and so she started doing 

research into the veteran as well as the agerelated 

welfare issues that she believed should 

be acknowledged and addressed within the 

equine industry. 

After months of phoning owners and 

writing to companies, an analysis was made, 

talks were started and plans were made for the 

creation of a Society that dealt with nothing 

but veteran horses and ponies aged 15 years 

and over. 

At this point in her life Julianne was now 

also a single parent of a 3-year-old boy. 

She had not only lost her fiancée in a car 

accident, but also her beloved dog Ben and her 

inspiration – her adored Minty – all within the 

space of 9 months. She found herself with little 

income and worked evenings in a local health 

centre to get by. Her mum, Anny, was a huge 

support and would baby sit for her to help her 

maintain her small home. 

With one retired horse called Soda, Julianne 

now longed for a horse to ride after losing 

Minty. She also wanted her son to learn to ride 

so she found a well-managed riding school for 

her son to start lessons. After two visits they 

learned of Julianne’s loss and the owner of the 

riding school offered her a coloured horse. 

That’s when Simon came along. Julianne had 

never really liked coloured horses before 

and had always preferred greys. After much 

discussion with a friend, she agreed to take 

him, as the alternative meant that he would 

have gone into a sanctuary for the rest of 

his life and he was clearly not ready for that. 

Simon who was then called, Mayo, was 

nothing like the horses Julianne had managed 

before. He was rude, wilful and strong. But 

after months of perseverance the pair bonded 

and Simon and Julianne were ready to launch 

the VHS together in Minty’s memory. 

Her son was also continuing to ride 

during this time and after reading a press ad, 

Julianne found a small grey pony in Coventry 

looking for a home. His name was Timmy. 

A friend begged her to take another pony 

for his little girl, so Julianne agreed. But only 

6 months later, the little girl became bored 

with horses and Julianne was told she could 

either give the little pony back to the owner 

or put him to sleep. Not surprisingly Julianne 

decided to keep Misty. That’s when three 

became four. 

In 1998 Julianne started to rebuild her 

life. She took a degree in Aromatherapy, a 

diploma in counselling and an A Level in 

Psychology and started to work voluntarily 

with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

sufferers, mainly from the Falklands and Gulf 

war conflicts. While she did this, she also 

had her now 4 year old son to care for, two 

dogs, 4 horses and a part time job with a local 

newspaper. 

4 VETERAN LIFE • WINTER 2017

By September 2000, the business plan 

was formed and in November of that year, 

the Veteran Horse Society was launched as 

a registered company with the backing of 

Super Solvitax and Dodson & Horrell. It was 

a launch that was welcomed with open arms 

by horse lovers around the UK and signalled 

the beginning of a major breakthrough in the 

appreciation and respect of older horses both 

in the UK and around the world. 

In March 2001, the Society was going from 

strength to strength when there was a sudden 

devastating outbreak of Foot and Mouth 

Disease (FMD). It was a very worrying time 

but the Society coped and won enormous 

support from both Members and companies 

in the equine industry. This support led to 

the first VHS championship being held in 

September of that year. Fittingly called the 

‘Minty Memorial Trophy’, the championship 

was won by Mrs Mary Candy’s ‘Bubba Bates’, 

a stunning black Irish Sport Horse that had 

been rescued by the Blue Cross and re-homed 

to Mary in 1998. 

Julianne spoke of the Society’s aims in 

2000: ‘I am absolutely overwhelmed by the 

Minty was 

a very 

special 

horse and 

was my 

inspiration 

behind the 

society 

response to the initial launch, and would 

like to thank all Members for supporting the 

Society as well as the companies who have 

supported our cause. Minty was a very special 

horse and was my inspiration behind the 

society. I lost him in 1998 and just wish he 

could be here to see what ‘we’ have achieved. 

With backing from companies like Super 

Solvitax, Dodson & Horrell and Horseware 

Ireland, we really have been able to move 

forward very quickly. We were a very small 

organisation in a very large field, but now 

deal with 100s of enquiries a week. It is my 

dream, made a reality, but it would not have 

happened without the support and dedication 

of our amazing staff and Members and I 

would personally like to thank them for their 

loyalty through some very, very tough times.’ 

PLEDGE TODAY 

Pledge your support today – get in touch with the 

Veteran Horse Society and Julianne at 



MeettheTeam 


JULIANNE ASTON - Founder 

The Veteran Horse Society and Veteran 

Horse Welfare have been my passion 

and life for over 16 years now. Having 

launched it in 2001, never did I think 

it would grow to the huge organisation 

it is today and this is thanks to all 

the volunteers who work tirelessly to 

expand and create new concepts and 

ideas. I have worked with and owned 

older horses all my life and I owe my 

knowledge and understanding from the 

horses the charity has rescued over the 

years. I set the Society up to change the 

lives of older horses and in just 16 years, 

I would like to think that the Society has 

done that. We receive very few calls like 

we did in the early days asking to rescue 

or help neglected veterans and this can 

only mean that people are learning how 

to care and feed correctly and that also 

people are not afraid to ask for help 

or not just leave them out as 'retired' but 

to have fun at shows or just generally 

out hacking. Not only this but also the 

Classes for both showing and dressage as 

some of the largest in the country and is 

just so popular. 

With over half the horse owners in the 

UK now owing or riding a veteran, it is 

no shock that the Society gets larger and 

more popular each year. 

NIGEL VALE – Senior Judge & Judges 

Coordinator 

Working fulltime in Accounts, I am also a 

volunteer of the Veteran Horse Society as the 

Judges Coordinator, I have been a member and a 

judge of the VHS (amongst other societies) since 

the beginning, and previously enjoyed a successful 

showing career with my late partner and our Shetland ponies. 

Although I no longer have ponies, I spend most of my spare time 

judging and assisting the VHS, which is now growing from strength 

to strength. 

Our Judges conference in association with a Highland and Exmoor 

Study Day will be held on 4th March at East of England Showground, 

details can be found on our website and also Facebook page. 

This season we have introduced a new championship called 

the Spring Festival and taking place on Sunday 23rd April at 

Summerhouses EC, Gloucestershire. Open to members and non 

members. For details please contact festival@veteran-horse-society. 

co.uk 

The National Veteran Open Championships and Supreme Final will 

this year be held 29th September – 1st October at Arena UK. 

Judges – 

We are always looking for new judges to join our panel and we will be 

holding an assessment day on 22nd September at Ingliston, Scotland, 

the day before the Scottish Final weekend. Those wishing to apply can 

email judges@veteran-horse-society.co.uk We are hoping to again hold 

an assessment day in England, date and venue to be confirmed. 

Enjoy your Showing, Judging and most of all enjoy your Veterans!! 

MANDY BRIMSON 

My name is Mandy Brimson I am 

a mum of 4. I live in a small village 

just outside Stow on the wold in the 

Cotswolds. I have been riding horses 

since I was three years old and during 

this time I have done a lot of breeding, 

racehorse pre-training, breaking and 

schooling as well as teaching. 

I am currently the Show Secretary 

for the Veteran Horse Society Spring 

Festival Show, a panel judge for a 

number of societies including the 

VHS, which I try and support as much 

as possible in my spare time and am 

always at hand 24/7 should any of the 

team need a hand or some support. 


CLARE CAMERON 

Many of you already know me from my role as show 

organiser for the National Veteran Open Championships. 

I have been a member of the Veteran Horse Society since 

the very early days - something I am very proud of! 

At that time, there was very little recognition for 

older horses, particularly in the competition 

world. 

I had an 18 year old horse called Fidget and we 

were keen to do more as he was still very active, 

so we signed up as soon as I heard the VHS was 

being launched! I had bought Fidget as a 17 year old 

when he was already considered a veteran and many 

people wouldn't have given him a second glance. We 

went on to do all kinds of things together over the next 

10 years: jumping, pleasure rides, showing and team 

events. We even learned side saddle together - proof 

that older horses can learn new tricks! Fidget (show 

name Falcon Star) won his last show - the VHS South- 

East Regional Final at the age of 27. He was a cheeky 

character and could still buck me off if he fancied it but 

he was and always will be my horse of a lifetime. 

Sadly colic claimed him shortly after this in 2009 and 

we had to say goodbye to each other, but I'll never forget 

him. I have donated a cup in his memory to the National 

Veteran Championships and each year it is a truly special 

moment when I am allowed to present it to the Working 

Hunter Champion. 

The VHS was the first organisation to not only recognise 

the value of older horses but to promote them. I believe 

this has revolutionised the horse world's opinion of older 

horses and I am immensely proud to have been part 

of this journey. I have supported the VHS in various 

capacities over the years. I have been involved with 

Rehoming as a Senior Field Officer and I also ran the 

VHS 'Adopt a Pony' scheme for several years. 

I am passionate about showing and I am on the VHS 

judging panel. I try to fit in a few judging appointments 

each year and I just love to see so many wonderful 

veterans out enjoying themselves in the ring. The best 

thing about Veteran showing is they aren't all show 

horses. Classes can have veterans of all shapes, sizes, 

breeds and colours and the winner could be any of 

the above. It's such a thrill encouraging new people to 

have a go at veteran classes and watching them grow in 

confidence and experience as time goes on. 

Around 4 years ago I offered to help Julianne with 

putting together the schedule for the Championships. 

I don't actually remember ever agreeing to more than 

that, but from there I somehow kind of 'slipped into' the 

National Veteran Championships Show Organizer role! 

What can I say, I love it! It's a lot of hard work and many, 

many hours of pain, sweat and chocolate binges go on 

behind the scenes to put the show on (thanks to my other 

half for being so understanding!). So many people pull 

together to put the show on and we must be doing 

something right as the show has grown from 

strength to strength each year. 

We pride ourselves on creating a fun and 

friendly environment for people to enjoy their 

Veterans. That's what it is all about for me! 

Aside from my voluntary work for the VHS, I am 

Secretary for Area 8 of the Side Saddle Association 

(another of my passions) and I work full time for a large 

HR consultancy firm. I have two Veterans at home called 

Patience and Barley (you may see me post pictures of 

them on the VHS Facebook group from time to time) 

and I also have an 11 year old 'Veteran in waiting' whom I 

currently compete. 

I look forward to seeing many of you at the 

Championships this year at our new venue - Arena UK. 

Please do make sure you come and say hello, it's going to 

be an exciting show! 

MADELINE HEATH 

I currently only have one veteran myself, 

my 24 year old ex eventer, Jeeves whom I 

compete in the VHS showing series. I also 

have an 11 year old, Romain, who will definitely bw 

doing veteran showing in 4 years time!!! 

I got involved with the VHS initially through my 

own veteran horses, competing them in the now very 

successful showing series. 

I became involved with volunteering for the VHS 

through Clare Cameron, and now I help out with the 

dressage championship run at Vale View Equestrian 

Centre and the dressage classes that are run at the 

Open Championships, thus year being held at Arena 

UK. I love the fact that the VHS provides somewhere 

for people to show off their older horses and shows 

everyone just how versatile veterans are. 

NEW TO THE TEAM FOR 2017... CLAIRE GREEN 

Responsible for checking and collating 

the results for the shows, and also will be 

checking the schedules. 

I've shown for my years up and down the 

country upto county level, and have been successfully 

placed at a lot of shows. I've shown a wide variety of 

ponies, from coloureds to M&Ms. 



Championships quotes 

❶ Jackie Banks 

We really enjoyed the veterans show. This was the first 

time we have competed in pure veteran classes against 

astride riders, having qualified for the regional at the 

side saddle nationals. We were delighted to win our 

regional final on the Friday and qualify for the supreme 

and we're even more delighted to be placed 6th in 

the supreme final. Bizzie B was also riding club horse 

champion as well as taking the 'best horse side saddle' 

title. We were 3rd reserve in the Friday final, second 

in the novice dressage, second in the side saddle 

equitation class and 4th in the style and performance 

as she refused the first fence the cheeky madam. Bb is 

now 20, What a weekend! 

We also attended the VHS/BD championships and 

came 3rd in the prelim (riding side saddle) and 5th in 

the novice (astride). 

❶ 

❷ 

❷Martine Harding 

This is the winner of the Racehorse Championship 

Fools and Horses, rescued from a life of neglect 2yrs 

ago skinny, poor hoof condition and heavy in foal. 

Chance has made a remarkable recovery and has ended 

our first season under saddle on a high. This mare has a 

home for life now. 

❸ Jen Murphy 

My 3rd trip to the VHS Supremes , totally awesome 

as usual, loved every minute of it. My love of my life 

Haysden Nirvana retained his coloured champion title. 

❹ Marnie Ansell and The Artisan aged 21 

Well what a successful 2016 VHS showing season we 

have had! The Artisan, 21, has been in flying form, 

perhaps a little too over excited sometimes to say the 

least! Winning almost every time out, coming away 

with a few championships, a reserve and a reserve 

supreme of show, much to our amazement! It really did 

top off our season with a very successful Championship 

show, where considering he misbehaved somewhat 

on the Friday in the indoor arena, taking off with me 

(I couldn't help 

but laugh, sorry!) 

after our individual 

show, which in the 

years we have had 

him, he has NEVER 

done! He hates 

loud speakers, and 

unfortunately uses 

them as an excuse to 

misbehave, take off 

and squeal! Lucky ❹ 

for him we love him 

dearly! A change of 

gloves and a curb 

chain later, plus 

extra calmer did 

help him keep a lid 

on it, just about, on 

the Saturday where he won a very strong Small Hunter 

class, then to stand reserve champion show horse in 

the evening performance was astounding!! Thank you 

for the incredibly patient judge, especially when he 


decided he wanted to make a beeline for the exit, when 

the back line was dismissed! Eeeek! 

To then come second in an incredibly strong Open 

Supreme Final on the Sunday really did make my year, 

we finally managed to give our best performance of 

the week. 

He will always be a spirited, squealy, very happy soul, 

but I wouldn't ever change him for the world. Afterall 

❸ 

when he's out in the hunting field, absolutely loving 

every second, he's allowed to be his usual excitable 

self! He's been enjoying his Cubbing to say the least, 

poor mum really hasn't got any breaks, though! 

Really looking forward to next year, here’s to hoping 

he's sound and well. 

Photo taken at Great Bookham, where he qualified 

for the VHS supreme and then stood reserve supreme 

of show. 

Heidi Bull and Carrot aged 21 

Carrot has had another brilliant season aged 21 

qualifying for the new Open class with a win at Allens 

Hill. At the Derbyshire festival where we got soaked 

through, not his favourite or mine but he was fantastic 

was ridden champion and reserve in-hand. So now 

he was all qualified. 

Then off to the champs we went in September just for 

the Sunday as I wanted to save him, well we did the 

right thing and won the Open class with a fantastic 

score. He was also a star in the afternoon as the go 

round was rather manic to say the least, he did a good 

show to please Mr Marks and his strip impressed Mr 

Vale so again we had a win with another cracking 

score in a very strong class. I was absolutely delighted 

with my horse of a lifetime, it was also great to meet 

up with friends and make lots of new ones. 

Cheryl Giles and 

Golden Opportunity 

- Heidi aged 20 

It was our first visit to the 

show this year, and was 

such a friendly, well run 

show, we had an amazing 

time! I competed against 

some stunning horses 

and ponies, which all 

looked fantastic for their 

age. 

The society has inspired 

me to keep following 

my dreams as anything 

is possible, and that age 

is just a number! Thank 

you for such a wonderful 

championship show, we 

had such a fantastic time. 



Championships quotes 

❺ 

➎ Danielle French 

Can I just say that the VHS Supreme championships 

once again have been a complete blast! 3days of 

excellent competition with Amazing veterans, Nikki, 

Slim and I look forward to this every year and it is 

now the 1st show date in the diary! The members are 

all there for each other and friendships have grown 

out of mutual appreciation of our fabulous veterans, 

making this the most friendliest show around. UEEJIT 

(Slim) came 2nd and 1st reserve in the Pre-veteran 

regional, 3rd in large hunter, 6th in the OPEN Supreme 

Final and 10th in the Pre-veteran Supreme Final. 

Lucy Mae Bush - age 14 Grade IV Para Rider 

"First or Last I owe it all to my wonderful pony 

Rainbow who always looks after me- he is the best 

friend I could ever have " I love you Rainbow and I owe 

it all to you! Thank you to all at VHS for a fab weekend 

we loved it. I came overalls Champion in the Grass 

roots. It was lovely to meet you all and meet some 

lovely new friends. 

Rachael Steele 

Top Hat and his humans’ (Susan Griffin 

owner, Rachael Steele pictured above) first 

championship show ever! He is new to 

showing starting later in life and enjoying it. 

He came 2nd in regional final and 2nd reserve 

in hand on the Friday, 5th in part bred class 

Saturday and although not placed on Sunday 

he did us proud. Hope we make it to 2017! 

Lou Burns - Monty aged 20 

This year was our first year at the championships and 

you could say Monty enjoyed his party so acted more 

like a 5year old all weekend! We managed to pick up a 

rosette in almost all the classes we did. 

My partner and his friend came along who are not 

horsey at all and they had a fab time. 

We are already looking forward to next year, my fav 

class of the weekend was the dressage to music in fancy 

dress. My doggies had a lovely time too. 

Thanks to the VHS team who worked so hard. 


CELEBRATE THE 

VETERAN 

DRESSAGE 

Carly Forbes and Under My Spell 

aka Magic is 19 nearly 20 years 

old. Carly bought Magic when she 

was 15. 

She wasn't well at the time and 

wasn't sure how much riding she 

could do but wanted something 

she could plod around on. As she 

got abit better so did Magic and 

she revealed her strengths. Magic 

has given her so much joy over 

the years. She went from being 

stood in a field doing nothing to 

out competing. Carly was always 

scared of cross country but Carly 

has completed lots of courses 

with her. At One Day Event’s we 

would always be in the lead after 

dressage unfortunately show 

jumping was never a strength but flew round cross country . They have 

ridden for their Riding Club also. Carly stopped Magic about two years ago 

to try and preserve her for as long as possible and took to showing instead 

with dressage. They had an amazing season showing we were second at 

their first ever Championships in the Cob and Veteran class at ESUK and 

then again at Equestrian Life Championships at Oakridge. They then went 

onto do an Olympia qualifier for veterans. Dressage is their main aim 

though and they are now just moving up to medium level. They’ve ridden 

at Area festivals, riding club championships, and Magic loves her dressage 

to music. Not too long ago they came back 

from Bury farm having taken part in the 

Team Quest championships. Said Carly “The 

older she gets the naughtier she gets to hack 

out but I wouldn't have her any other way”. 

Jane Tulloch’s 13 year old daughter and her 17 

year old German FEI dressage pony still going 

strong! 

They are doing FEI team test competition 

(Premier League) also would love to be 

picked for the GB training squad. 

SHOWJUMPERS 

Emma Lee Gale Horwood 

owns a 148cm gelding who is 

30 years old next year. 

She got Gizmo when he 

was 10 years old and he is 

her world. She’s only ever 

competed unaffiliated on him 

till 2014 when her nephew 

needed a 148cm to compete 

for his last years on ponies so 

they registered Gizmo BS and 

he loved it, jumping up to 

discovery and always getting 

placed . Now Emma rides 

him every day, hacking and 

schooling and he still loves 

jumping and he is in no way 

ready to retire yet and is a 

very happy horse. 

Laura Taylor and her 31 year 

old are still very active taking 

part in dressage and showing 

classes and jumping for fun. 


CELEBRATE THE VETERAN 

EVENTERS 

Sarah Healy and her 20yr old ex 3* eventer, Macallum, 

who she bought as a just backed 4 year old. Macallum 

is still in full work and now being competed by her 14 

year old daughter, who has this last season won BE jump 

training championships at Hartpury, arena eventing and 

PC team show jumping at Chatsworth Hunter Trials, 

been placed in the 110cm NSEA arena eventing and 

show jumping championships at Addington as well as 

a number of placing at other competitions! Says Sarah 

“It brings a tear to my eye every time as I thought I was 

lucky to have a horse of a lifetime like him but Maccallum 

is proving to be a horse of a lifetime for Ellie too!”. 

Caroline Baker has have owned her 

20 year old maxi cob Forest for 18 

years. Bought as a 2 year old colt 

from Newark Horse Sales in 1998 

he was her first horse and the first 

horse she backed. He has exceeded 

all expectations winning in every discipline locally before 

focusing on showing which he still loves doing now. He 

was Supreme at the Equestrian Life Championships in 

2011 and has won at Equifest. Says Forest “He is a huge 

character and has been and still is a huge part of my life. 

there is no doubt he is my Horse of a lifetime”. 

Kate Lambert and her 23 year old 

Fell pony competing at Chatsworth 

arena eventing last year year. Prior 

to this he has taken two riders 

through the BS ranks and won the 

95 cm trailblazers championship. 

Stacie Charlton and her 22 year old 

who she competes. They do everything 

from arena eventing to one day 

events. Last year they qualified for the 

BE arena eventing final at Blenheim, 

and won the Novice Arena Eventing 

at Vale View, they also qualified for 

the 90 cms BEDE final at Osberston. 

FAMILY FRIENDS 

Jessica Shelley owns/rides/ 

competes her 23rd old mare. 

She's a new forest X Welsh 

(as far as they know), 

and have owned her 5 

years. They do some show 

jumping, showing and some arena eventing 

around 70/80cm 

Kate Southern and 

Buttons. He is around 

30 years old, and 

they adopted him on 

Christmas Eve 2015, 

after a long career as a 

riding school pony because he was thin and 

poor and had uncontrolled Cushing's disease.; 

his picture shows that they finally have his 

Cushings under control and his condition 

right. He has a fan club whereever he goes and 

Kate’s son, Moses, won points champion in lead 

rein WHP and SJ, this year, having started the 

season unable to do rising trot. Buttons is a true 

legend and will stay with the family forever. 

Liz Tate and Major 

a 15.3hh Palomino 

gelding, who is an18 

years old, go hunting 

every week and quite 

a few Saturdays. 

14th season with 

Grove and Rufford. 

Lives for hunting, 

loves it! 

Rachel Ann Taylor 

doesn’t ride any more 

but her children are 

very lucky to ride/ 

drive their friends’ 

ponies. All three 

are now classed as 

veterans but the real 

golden oldie is Lucifer. He is 30, 31 this year. Her 

11 year old son rode him before he could walk 

and her daughter has also ridden him. Rachel’s 

son recently started scurry driving, making 

his debut at Burghley Game and Country Fair 

driving Lucifer. His owner, Sarah Daley, doesn't 

drive him very competitively anymore but he 

attended the National Championships last year. 


CELEBRATE THE VETERAN 

Natalie Greasley-Woodward has a veteran 

Exmoor pony, Porridge. He is 18 next 

year. Natalie got him at the age of six and 

has broken him and done so much with 

him. He started as a ridden show pony, 

then they moved on to working hunter. 

Qualifying for HOYS in both. He then got 

a bone spavin which slowed them down 

from that level. So now they do dressage 

to novice and he has been show jumping 

and cross country too. Last year he made 

one of Natalie’s dreams come true and 

they galloped along the beach....something 

Natalie has always wanted to do and then 

this October he came to her wedding. 

Everybody loved little Porridge... he really 

her my pony of my lifetime. 

Vicki Smith-west Harden has a 22 year 

old 13.2 fjord called Dora. She is shown 

in hand as a veteran & foreign breed and 

Vicki also drives her 2 -3 times a week 

in winter more in summer. Dora was 

originally bought for her son to ride and 

Vicki to drive but he has become too tall 

for her now. She is ridden occasionally and 

is described as a pocket rocket. 

SHOW STARS 

Ben Ferris has a 20 year old Fell stallion 

on loan by the name of Severnvale 

Hector. He qualified for Olympia in 

2016 in hand, where they took 4th 

place. 

Christine Spiby owns Wicksop Jim Nibbet, 

who is an amazing 24 years old ! He was 

my grandsons pony many years ago but 

was then sold, in march last year he once 

again joined our family and now her 

Grand-daughter, Lexi has the ride on him 

and has done brilliant this last season 

winning overall supreme at Ilkeston Riding Clubs club 

shows, she's looking forward to many more happy years. 

Jayne Elliott owns a 17 year old rescue pony, 

Felledge Crackerjack, who is ridden by her 

13 year old daughter. The love him and say 

he is just fab and hope to get to Olympia 

with him. He came a very respectable 5th 

in the Coloureds last year at Countryside 

Live in a strong class over over 20 where most were 

considerably younger than him. 

Karen Oughton has a veteran who is 30 

this year. They bought him from a riding 

school 15 years ago for their daughter and 

she has done everything on him. He still 

competes mainly in showing, qualifying 

for the national veteran championships, 

brought home reds, blue, and yellows, and has this last 

season at his age, still managed to win championships, still 

hunts , and is the boss of the yard. But says Karen “he is 

my pride and joy, as a family we love him so much, he is 

called Charlie show name Hot Fuss but he's my king that's 

what I call him on the yard”. 

Kay Plummer owns a Fell Stallion called Jack 

who took Reserve Champion at the Equestrian 

Life Championships last year in the Veteran 

Championships. Kay says “he is such a stunning 

boy, you would not believe he is a stallion with 

his calm temperament. We do showing as well 

as Concour classes and he’s a real dude”. 

Lacey Smith owns not one but two Veterans. 

Pictured is Domino Flashy Lad who has 

taken her to Olympia twice as a Veteran and 

has qualified for RIHS for 15 years, including 

this year. He has also been given a Merit 

award and was runner up show horse of the year 2016. 

Laura Wilson owns and rides a veteran TB 

mare, ex racer. She's 19, bred 3 foals with the 

lady she purchased her from. Laura then re 

schooled her and they compete in dressage 

and showing. Laura love her to pieces as she was the horse 

that got her riding again after losing her confidence. 

Linsey Ellis rides and compete a veteran. Tilly 

is 17 years old and was only broken to ride 

three years ago by Ellis. She bought her in a 

sorry state from a dealer and had the vet the 

very next day. It was confirmed she'd been 

used as a breeding machine and was actually 

in foal. After lots of treatment and care and when the foal 

was weaned she began to break Tilly to be ridden. Last 

year Linsey took her to both local and county shows. They 

qualified for TGCA championships three times! They also 

got 2nd in hand at Bakewell county show, 2nd at a hunter 

trials, lots of 1sts at Notts Derby show. Linsey has also taken 

her hunting, done a lot of pleasure rides and just started 

doing some dressage. Tilly takes everything in her stride and 

has had great comments from judges. She has been placed 

every time in hand.

feeding the veteran 

Weight Watching 

for Veterans 

PART OF ALLEN & 

Page’s hugely popular 

Barley & Molasses Free 

Range, VETERAN LIGHT 

has been specifically 

formulated for older 

horses and ponies 

that are good doers 

and for those prone 

to laminitis. 

Providing all 

the nutritional 

requirements for 

optimum health 

as horses get 

older (when fed at 

recommended levels), it 

still achieves a low calorie/ 

energy level which is ideal 

for those who hold weight 

too well. 

Being high in fibre and 

low in both starch and 

sugar (less than 10% 

combined starch/sugar) it 

is suitable for horses and 

ponies prone to laminitis, 

VETERAN LIGHT is also 

highly palatable, even 

to fussy feeders and is 

perfectly suited to 

those at rest or in 

light work. 

Allen & Page 

has produced 

a free factsheet 

on Feeding 

Veterans which 

is available from 

stockists, and 

as a download 

via the website at www. 

veteranhorsefeeds.co.uk 

For further information 

contact the award winning 

Allen & Page nutrition 

team on 01362 822 902 or 

email them at helpline@ 

allenandpage.co.uk 

Have you Got 

a Veteran Horse 

or Pony and 

still compete? 

Join the Veteran 

Horse Society Today. 

Find all information at 


22 YEAR OLD HORSE HACKING OUT AGAIN 

HELEN LANDON'S,SHANNON HAS HAD AN AMAZING NEW 

lease of life thanks to Horse and Pony Direct Veteran Feed Balancer. Helen 

reports "Shannon is almost 22 years old and I worry about her joints and 

lameness issues from time to time now, she has side 

bone, has had a bad collateral ligament injury and DDF 

Tendon injury in the last few years - so I was giving her 

loads of expensive Supplements and Balancers, which 

didn't always work, or expensive feeds that she didn't 

want to eat, it was often such a nightmare and very 

stressful for me! So the last time she was off her feed 

(it was unsweetened and not appetising compared to 

her grazing I guess!) I bought a bag of Horse and Pony 

Direct Veteran Feed Balancer and we haven't looked 

back - she loves it and it contains so much - it really is an 

all in one product and has been great for us and we can 

still enjoy hacking and riding out on a regular basis, she 

looks great too! It is so easy to order with fast delivery, 

and the best value at only £23.99." 

www.horseandponydirect.com 


THE BEST VALUE 

FOR MONEY 

VETERAN FEED 

BALANCER 

Can also 

be used as a 

partial hay replacer 

Dougie aged 23 

When You Care Enough 

MolliChaff Veteran 

• With Omega 3 Oils 

• Added Antioxidants 

• Nettle and Mint 

• Delivered straight to your door. 

• Only available on line. 

• Just £23.99, to help your horse 

stay healthy. 

horseand 

ponydirect 

.com 

• High in Digestible 

Fibre 

• Easy to Chew 

• Natural Ingredients 

• Added Biotin 

Like HorseHage & Mollichaff on Facebook 

www.horseandponydirect.com 

BY APPOINTMENT TO 

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN 

MARK WESTAWAY AND SON 

MANUFACTURERS OF 

HORSE FORAGE 

MARK WESTAWAY & SON 

LOVE LANE FARM, MARLDON, 

PAIGNTON, DEVON, TQ3 1SP 

TEL: 01803 527257 

www.horsehage.co.uk


Mollichaff Veteran 

for the Dentally- 

Challenged! 

MOLLICHAFF VETERAN 

from HorseHage is a 

high fibre forage mix 

that has been specially 

formulated for older 

horses and ponies but it 

is also a great product 

for those that are unable 

to consume long forage 

and require a partial hay 

replacer. 

Many equines, 

particularly as they get 

older, have 

loose or 

missing teeth 

and cannot 

chew long 

stemmed 

forage such 

as hay or 

haylage. If 

you notice 

bits of 

partially 

chewed 

forage dropping from 

your horse’s mouth or 

scattered on the floor, 

this is a tell-tale sign that 

he is struggling to cope. 

Mollichaff Veteran 

is made from chopped 

ingredients so it is easy 

to manage and is very 

palatable too, making it 

great for fussy feeders. 

It is made from a 

balanced blend of dried 

grass, dried alfalfa 

and high quality oat 

straw and is topped 

with a unique dressing 

combining linseed and 

soya oil with a small 

amount of low sugar 

molasses and added 

vitamins and minerals, 

plant-based antioxidants, 

biotin, mint, nettle and 

salt. 

Linseed oil is a rich 

source of amino acids 

and essential fatty acids 

including Omega 3. 

Antioxidants from a 

plant-based source are 

included to help combat 

free radicals 

and maintain 

your horse in 

good health 

and nettles are 

naturally high 

in vitamins 

and minerals. 

Mint 

contains 

flavanoids 

that act to 

relax the 

digestive 

tract and most horses 

also find the aroma 

and taste of mint to be 

particularly appealing; 

and salt provides two 

important electrolytes 

– sodium and chloride. 

Mollichaff Veteran also 

contains added limestone 

to provide additional 

calcium and biotin for 

healthy hoof growth. 

If you would like further 

information or feeding 

advice, please call the 

HorseHage Helpline on 

01803 527274 or visit 

www.horsehage.co.uk 

Veteran Life 

Senior Balancer 

Giveaway 

FOUR LUCKY READERS 

will each win a tub of 

the Blue Chip Super 

Concentrated Senior 

Balancer which has been 

specifically formulated 

with the veteran horse 

in mind and combines a glucosamine, 

MSM and hyaluronic acid based joint supplement 

with carefully formulated levels of vitamins, 

minerals and nutrients with a probiotic digestive 

supplement and nucleotides to aid nutrient 

absorption, promoting health and well-being 

from the inside out. CushinComboTM with 

Chaste Tree Berry extract is also included to 

help maintain correct pituitary gland function, 

alongside hoof and respiratory supplements, 

keeping your veteran happy from head to hoof 

For more information, visit www.bluechipfeed.com 

Priced at £24.95 RRP, Telephone: 0114 266 6200 

HOW TO ENTER 

WIN 

with 

To be in with a chance of winning these 

fantastic prizes, write to us stating which 

competition you would like to enter 

along with the answer, please including 

your address and telephone number to: 

VETERAN LIFE COMPETITIONS, The Loose 

Box, Shelton Lodge, Shelton, Nr. Newark, 

Notts NG23 5JJ 


Horslyx Balancer’s 

for Veterans 

Feeding our older equines can present a challenge for 

many horse owners. Declining dental health means 

large bowls of hard feed can often over-face older 

horses leading them to not receive the necessary 

calories, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. 

Horslyx Balancers provide the solution as the high 

specification vitamin, mineral and trace element 

package incorporates Vitamin 

C, Vitamin E and selenium to 

support and maintain a strong, 

healthy immune system. The 

palatable lick provides a natural 

trickle feeding pattern, allowing 

easily digestible nutrition and 

optimum absorption time. Horslyx 

Balancers supply all the nutrients 

required for general wellbeing in 

just one tub and for owners wishing 

to support and maintain their horse’s flexibility, 

Mobility Horslyx Balancer is perfect for those older 

equines in need of a supplement to aid healthy joints. 

Mobility Horslyx Balancer is a nutrient rich lick 

containing optimum levels of Glucosamine HCl, MSM 

and Omega Oils, all vital to support optimum joint 

health. The high specification vitamin, mineral and 

trace element package - which incorporates Vitamin C, 


Vitamin E and selenium - supports 

the body’s ability to absorb the vital 

nutrients, helping promote overall 

health and vitality. An independent 

research study using gait analysis 

technology, proved that Mobility 

Horslyx Balancer improved stride 

length in stiff horses. 

Mobility Horslyx Balancer is a highly palatable 

choice for all equines - even those on a restricted diet 

- providing owners with a fuss-free, weatherproof, 

healthy feed containing no artificial colours or 

preservatives. Mobility Horslyx Balancer is available in 

5kg and 15kg tubs. For more information visit 

www.horslyx.com or call (01697) 332 592. 

VETERANS 

WITH VITALITY! 

IF YOU OWN A 

veteran horse or pony, 

keeping them looking 

and feeling good during 

the winter months, can 

be a challenge. Aloeride, 

is a pure organic aloe 

vera supplement, which 

not only helps promote 

a healthy, shiny coat, but 

also helps to support 

your veteran’s immune 

system, which can often 

become compromised 

with age. 

Ideal for veterans 

and those horses or 

ponies lacking luster, 

Aloeride also helps 

support healthy skin, 

conditions hooves and 

aids rejuvenation and 

recovery too: all from 

one taste-free sachet a 

day! 

Either add the powder 

to your horses’ feed or 

for those that live in on 

‘thin air’: simply mix 

with a little water in a 

syringe and you have a 

supplement, which is 

cost effective and easy 

to feed. Each box of 

Aloeride® contains 30 

sachets (30 days worth) 

equaling a whopping 

12 litres of aloe vera 

juice and its great to 

know that its also been 

tested by an accredited 

Newmarket laboratory 

and does not contain any 

synthetic compounds, so 

you can rest assured that 

Aloeride won’t interfere 

with your veteran’s 

medication or tummy! 

RRP: £55.20 per 

carton (Month’s supply) 

with discounts available 

on multi-purchases. 

www.aloeride.com 

01858 464550 


Only the best is good enough for 

Senior Management 

Five Star Treatment 

for healthy, flexible 

senior joints 

Senior 

New 

For more details please call our Nutritional Advice Line: 

0800 373 106 or email info@naf-uk.com 

www.naf-equine.eu/uk

TopSpec Senior Lite Feed 

Balancer – 6 bags to win 

TOPSPEC SENIOR LITE FEED 

Balancer is a very palatable ‘Non- 

Heating’ very low calorie feed 

that contains a multi-supplement 

including the levels of micronutrients 

and digestive aids normally only 

found in high quality specialised 

supplements. 

And in this issue 6 lucky winners 

will each win a bag. 

Of particular importance to 

elderly horses is the inclusion of 

micronutrients known to help 

maintain mobility. The scientifically 

recommended rate of 10 grams of 

glucosamine/500kg horse/day 

is a key feature of the mobility 

supplement included in this 

formula. 

This superb specification 

provides micronutrients to 

balance the diets of Good-Doers 

at rest or in light to medium work. 

Using TopSpec Senior Lite Feed 

Balancer will help to maintain 

mobility and will not promote weight 

gain. Feeding it will help to improve 

hoof quality and promote a supple 

skin with a shiny coat. 

TopSpec Senior Lite Feed Balancer 

helps to maintain a healthy immune 

system and also includes a highly 

available source of vitamin C to help 

maintain healthy lung tissue. 

TopSpec Senior Lite Feed Balancer 

contains:- 

• The veterinary recommended 

rate of glucosamine in a daily 

quantity of feed to help maintain 

mobility. This rate is 10 grams of 

glucosamine/500kg horse/day. 

• Optimum levels of all the 

micronutrients needed for elderly 

good-doers in light to medium 

work. 

WIN 

with 

• Powerful levels of vitamin E and 

selenium to act as anti-oxidants, 

neutralising the harmful presence 

of excess free radicals which may 

speed the ageing process and, 

together with high quality protein, 

optimise muscle development and 

function. 

• Two yeast products to help 

maintain a healthy hindgut 

environment, important for 

elderly horses and ponies on 

restricted/poor grazing. 

HOW TO ENTER 


• Two yeast products to help 

maintain a healthy immune 

system. 

• Effective levels of biotin 

15mg/500kg horse/day, and 

associated nutrients, to greatly 

improve hoof quality. 

• Generous levels of B vitamins 

to compensate for decreased 

production in the hindgut when 

fibre intake is limited. 

• Organic chelated minerals for 

improved availability. 

• Effective levels of protein, 

vitamins, minerals and trace 

elements to maintain strong bone. 

• Many factors to help calm certain 

horses. 

• Good quality protein, but only 

low levels of sugar and starch. 

It is important to keep the 

starch intake of elderly horses 

relatively low when fibre intake 

is compromised, in order to 

maintain healthy hindgut function 

and avoid loose droppings. 

Senior Lite is available in 15kg sacks, 

RRP £31.50. 

For further information please contact 

the Multiple Award-Winning Helpline 

on 01845 565030 or visit www. 

topspec.com 

Question: Which vitamin helps 

maintain healthy lung tissue? 

To be in with a chance of winning these fantastic prizes, write 

to us stating which competition you would like to enter along 

with the answer, please including your address and telephone 

number to: VETERAN LIFE COMPETITIONS, The Loose Box, 

Shelton Lodge, Shelton, Nr. Newark, Notts NG23 5JJ 



National 

Open Veteran 

Championships 

29th September to 

1st October 2017 

To be Held at 

new venue: 

Arena UK, 

Allington Lane, 

Allington, Grantham 

NG32 2EF 

More information at 


The National 

Veteran 

Championship 

Spring Festival 

Sunday 23rd April 2017 

At: Summerhouse Equestrian Centre 

Hardwicke, Gloucester GL2 2RG 

Open to Members and Non-Members 

Head Office : 07484 088727 / 07789 514004 

Pre-entries close 15th April 2017 

Show Secretary: Mandy Brimson, 5 Home Close, 

Oddington, Moreton in Marsh GL56 0UZ 

Tel: 01451 870020 or 07450 659364 

info@veteran-horse-society.co.uk 

www.veteran-horse-society.co.uk

April 

Diary dates 

Does your veteran need to 

lose some weight? 

Your Events Calendar for the coming months around the Country 

23rd - VHS Spring Festival 

(golden ticket) 

info@veteran-horse-society.co.uk 


29th - Notts Derby Horse Show 

(Direct) 

14th - SWPA Good Friday Show 

Devon, richardatswpa@aol.com 

www.southwestponyassociation. 

co.uk 

May 

14th - Ridden Arab Group 

Wales Autumn Trophy Show 

temarab@aol.com 

www.riddenarabgroupwales.co.uk 

20th - Fife Show 

fifeshow01@gmail.com 

www.fifeshow.com 

20-21st - Royal Welsh Spring 

Fayre 

amanda@rwas.co.uk 

www.rwas.co.uk 

27th-28th - Hambleton Distict 

Show 

claire@hambletonshow.com 

www.hambletonshow.com 

27-28th - Hertfordshire 

County Show (Direct) 

equine@hertsshow.com 

www.hertsshow.com 

28th - Brechin Castle Equestrian 

Spring Show 

val.blewitt@btinternet.com 

28th - United Saddlebred 

Association 

lynnusauk@aol.com 

www.american-saddlebred.co.uk 

Warwickshire 

June 

3rd - Campsie Show 

mailto:susanpwilson@btinternet. 

com] 

www.campsieshow.co.uk/ 

10th - Kenilworth Show 

(Direct) 

cheryl_brookes@yahoo.co.uk 

www.kenilworthshow.co.uk 

10th - Angus Show 

theangusshow@aol.co.uk 

theangusshow@aol.co.uk 

17th - Alythe Show 

secretary@alythshow.co.uk 

www.alythswhow.co.uk 

28th 29th - Royal Norfolk 

(Direct) 

Kim Austin [Kim.Austin@rnaa.org. 

uk], www.rnaa.org.uk 

July 

30th - GB PRE National 

Championship Show 

30th - Turriff Show 

helen@turriffshow.org 

www.turriffshow.co.uk 

August 

TBC - NPS Summer Champs 

(Golden Ticket) Worcestershire 

shows@nationalponysociety.com 

www.nationalponysociety.com 

6th 7th - Keith County Show 

info@keithshow.org.uk 

www.keithshow.org.uk 

20th - BHS Highland North 

lorna.calder@dounreay.com 

VETERAN LIGHT 

27th - Blair Castle Horse Trials 

info@blairhorsetrials.co.uk 

www.blairhorsetrials.co.uk/ 

28th - Keswick Show 

keswickshow@aol.com 

www.keswickshow.co.uk 

September 

22-24 - Ingliston Grand Slam 

lyric211@btinternet.com 

www.ingliston.com 

October 

15th - 16th - Highfield at Howe 

Anniversary Show 

contact@highfieldathowe.com 

www.highfieldathowe.com 

ALLEN & PAGE 

VETERAN HORSE & 

RIDER DRESSAGE 

CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 

1st - Doune and Dunblane 

jenni8282@hotmail.com • Ideal for good doers 

QUICK SOAK 

8th - Dalkeith Show 

After the huge success of the Allen & Page Veteran Horse 

• For older horses and ponies at rest or 

less than 

dalkeithshow@gmail.com in light work, or those and prone Rider to Championships laminitis over the past two years, British 

www.dalkeithshow.co.uk 

Dressage and the Veteran Horse Society are proud to be 

• Ideal for horses and ponies that 60 

running this popular series for a third year. 

15th - Kirriemuir struggle Show to chew 

seconds! 

Kirriemuir • Barley Show [kirriemuirshow@ and molasses free, The Veteran low in Horse starch, Championships has two age categories – one 

hotmail.com] low in sugar and high for in horses fibre** aged 15 – 19 and one for those aged 20 and over, and 

www.kirriemuirshow.com • Balanced with essential the vitamins Veteran Rider and Championship minerals*** is for competitors aged 55 and 

over. Covering all levels from Intro through to Prix St Georges, this 

22nd -• Cleveland Includes County a carefully selected blend of herbs with added 

is an exciting dressage opportunity for riders and horses who are 

(Direct) vitamin C and a high level of vitamin E 

still fighting fit and raring to go as they get a little older. 

cleveland.show@btinternet.com 

www.clevelandshow.co.uk 

The Championships will take place at Vale 

The low calorie View in feed Leicestershire, for veterans 13 – 15 October * 

2017. 

28th - Border Union Show 

enquiries@buas.org 

For friendly and helpful advice, contact our award-winning nutrition 

helpline today, email helpline@allenandpage.co.uk, 

www.buas.org 

or call 

29th - Banchory Show 

01362 822 902 secretaru@banchoryshow.co.uk 

www.banchoryshow.co.uk 

*Within the Barley & Molasses Free Range **When compared to traditional diets with comparative energy levels ***When fed at recommended levels 

www.veteranhorsefeeds.co.uk 

Please quote Ref: VETLIGHT2 


Veteran Horse Welfare 

THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THE 

Society, there is a greater understanding of 

the specific needs of veterans both physically 

and emotionally. We are now more aware 

of the nutritional requirements, and age 

related problems that those with veterans may 

face. We also have a better understanding 

of the psychology and emotional needs of 

our equine friends so that issues such as 

depression and pain management are taken 

seriously and as a result are better handled. 

Just like elderly people, an older horse may 

have a very active mind but will become 

deeply frustrated without the necessary 

mental stimulation. And the staff have 

witnessed first-hand what it’s like when a 

horse ‘loses the will to live’. If a horse appears 

‘down’ it may be because they can no longer 

be ridden and are frustrated and bored. So at 

the Centre they are taken 

for walks on a lead, 

just as you 

If a horse 

appears 

‘down’ it 

may be 

because 

they can 

no longer 

be ridden 

and are 

frustrated 

and bored 

would a dog, and offered a new paddock or 

even taken to a show for some stimulation. 

Simple things, but they can give the mood of 

an older equine a tremendous boost. 

Above all, the Society maintains the 

importance of quality of life over quantity of 

years and will never keep a horse alive just for 

the sake of it. They aren’t in any competition 

to have the ‘oldest veteran horse’ – just 

the happiest veterans in the UK. So much 

has been achieved, but as far as Julianne is 

concerned there will always be room for 

improvement, innovation and discovery. 

The society also helps with research into 

different diseases and ailments connected 

with the veteran and is at present undergoing 

a national research programme with Hilton 

Herbs to assist in the debilitating ‘Cushings’ 

disease. 

To get involved in the welfare of the older 

equine please send an application and full 

C.V. to head office, marking it for 

the attention of Julianne Aston. 

FIND OUT MORE 

For more information on the Society and Veteran 

Welfare, please contact Head Office 01239 881300 or 

visit their website www.veteran-horse-welfare.co.uk

Does your veteran need to 

lose some weight? 

VETERAN LIGHT 

For friendly and helpful advice, contact our award-winning nutrition 

helpline today, email helpline@allenandpage.co.uk, or call 

01362 822 902 

• Ideal for good doers 

• For older horses and ponies at rest or 

in light work, or those prone to laminitis 

• Ideal for horses and ponies that 

struggle to chew 

• Barley and molasses free, low in starch, 

low in sugar and high in fibre** 

• Balanced with essential vitamins and minerals*** 

• Includes a carefully selected blend of herbs with added 

vitamin C and a high level of vitamin E 

The low calorie feed for veterans * 

*Within the Barley & Molasses Free Range **When compared to traditional diets with comparative energy levels ***When fed at recommended levels 

QUICK SOAK 

less than 

60 

seconds! 

www.veteranhorsefeeds.co.uk 

Please quote Ref: VETLIGHT2

Veteran Life Winter 2017 Edition

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