Now the clocks have changed and the evenings are darker and unfortunately the weather is only going to worse. With this in mind I thought I’d just take a look at and talk about hacking safely throughout the year. I personally have encountered many rude and disrespectful drivers, walkers, dog walkers and even other horse riders. I’m sure many of you reading this will also have encountered this or know someone that has. So what can we do as horse riders to make our hacking experiences as positive and enjoyable as possible?

We are delighted to welcome a guest blog by Lancashire-based Grand Prix Dressage Rider Hannah Doggett. Hannah is an up-and-coming young dressage rider who has her own yard where she breeds, produces and competes dressage horses, with a special love of PRE (Andalusian) horses. She is 100% dedicated to producing happy, comfortable, successful horses and here we benefit from Hannah's sage advice on keeping your equine athletes warm at all times through the cold winter months.

It's the time of year many animal owners dread - firework night! Although, especially when the 5th November falls on a weeknight, fireworks are let off most nights of the week for 2-3 weeks! Not only a stressful time for animals and their owners, but for grooms caring for horses through the firework period, too. Keeping everyone (both four and two footed) safe throughout this period is a concern for everyone, so we've gathered some top tips for grooms caring for horses and other animals through this time of year.