Foxfields Livery Stables

31/08/2026

Too many horses go missing. There have recently been horses in my area found. They were scanned for microchips but did not have one.

It is law to have your equine microchipped. Please ensure they are on the equine register and your details are up to date. You can quickly state if you suspect they have been stolen so hopefully are returned in as short a time as possible.

Only the passport authority shows when looking up an equine due to data protection laws. Don't get caught out by thinking an Irish horse automatically is on the register. They have to be overstamped by a mainland society. All horses from anywhere in the world need to be registered correctly, again don't assume the person you bought your horse from has done this.

It also states whether the horse is excluded from human consumption. Just a worse case scenario if your horse is stolen and they end up at the abbatoir.

The images show what to look for to ensure you're up to date. Please take the time to check your equine is registered.

28/08/2026

Finally progress is being made

Progress made in tackling equine obesity – but welfare must be key in judging. Read more below

26/08/2026

New welfare guidance has been published for owners of equines. The guidance provides information on how to care for equines and ensure their welfare and emotional needs are met.

Emphasising the importance of equine welfare, the guidance has been developed in close partnership with the equine sector, and covers everything from diet and environment to horse passports and tethering.

The guidance replaces the previous Welfare of Equidae Code of Practice published in 2009, and recognises that animal welfare knowledge, management practices and science have moved on from previous management principles.

Modern approaches now include mental wellbeing, positive experiences, the need for social interaction and the ability to express natural behaviours as well as the equines physical health.

British Horse Society
BHS Scotland
National Equine Welfare Council
World Horse Welfare

To view the new welfare guidance visit https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781807753627

I cannot wait for this to be rolled out to the rest of the UK. Fortunately, I have most of this in place.

Please try to read it guidance in full. Hopefully we can prevent the awful people in the horse world from getting away with the horrendous things they put these beautiful creatures through.

I would love the police to acknowledge this too. It would have prevented the 2 loan horses that have sadly left from being placed back in neglect.

Don't care who I upset by this comment. It is the truth so deal with it.

This guidance is intended to help all those who care for equids ensure that their fundamental health and welfare needs are met. It is issued by the Scottish Ministers under section 38 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with a view to securing the welfare of equids.

04/08/2026

🐎STRANGLES - STILL A REAL AND ONGOING THREAT TO HORSES & PONIES IN THE UK🐎

🐎STRANGLE is one of the most FREQUENTLY DIAGNOSED INFECTIOUS DISEASES of horses in the UK and leads to significant...

🙁ECONOMIC LOSS
🙁LOSS OF RIDING OPPORTUNITY
🙁EQUINE SUFFERING

🐎There were 479 reported diagnoses in 2025, and a further 290 in the first six months of 2026. These almost certainly are an underestimate as many cases are not formerly diagnosed or reported.

In the period April, May and June....
🦠74% of cases were in Native UK ponies or horses
🦠Nasal discharge was the most common sign (36%)
🦠Average age was 9 years (range 5-13 years)
🦠1.8x more common in male v female horses/ponies

🐎The disease is caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) and is characterised by fever and the formation of abscesses in the lymph nodes of the head and neck

🐎Acute signs of disease can last for several weeks and may lead to life-threatening complications, including purpura haemorrhagica (immune-mediated vasculitis) and bastard strangles (metastatic abscess formation) with mortality rates of up to 10% in some outbreaks. Approximately 10% of recovered horses can remain persistently infected, with the potential to trigger new cases of strangles in horses with which they come into contact.

🐎Hygiene, biosecurity measures and diagnostic testing can reduce the risk of strangles; however, these measures are not always practical or implemented to a sufficient level to prevent and control outbreaks.

💉Vaccination is available to help reduce the risk of Strangles. Strangvac is a recombinant fusion protein vaccine that is associated significantly with protection, including in realworld Strangles outbreak situations.

Have YOU been affected by Strangles?

04/08/2026

28/07/2026

A lovely BHS officer brought the weighbridge to the yard today. So informative and we all had a great time. 3 of our 8 horses got rosettes for being the ideal weight. Us others have a little work to do but I'm made up with everyone. Well done team Foxfields. We are getting her back around March so we have some time to work on our improvements. Go team go ###

26/07/2026

No foot, no horse. Always look after your farrier

20/07/2026

🌼 Ragwort misinformation is doing the rounds again — and it needs challenging.

Horse owners are not demanding that every ragwort plant be eradicated. They are asking for responsible, targeted control where it could spread into grazing land, hay fields or forage.

Fresh ragwort may often be avoided, but the risk changes when the plant is wilted, dried or hidden in hay. Its toxins remain active and can cause cumulative, irreversible liver damage, with symptoms sometimes appearing only when it is too late. 🐴

🌍Ragwort has ecological value, particularly for the Cinnabar moth and other invertebrates, but conservation and animal welfare should not be presented as opposing choices.

🔎So, what does the evidence actually say, and which familiar claims seriously misrepresent the risk?

Read Dr David Marlin’s full article on Animalweb. 👇
🔗https://askanimalweb.com/ragwort-misinformation-madness/