‘The dogs pushed me in’!
When 14-year-old Felix Westgate-Wilson found himself stuck head-first in a haynet, he kept calm and texted his mother Heather from his smartwatch. “Mum, I’m in a bit of a predicament,” he said. When Heather arrived, to find him legs in the air and a dog’s paw on his head, she of course made sure she snapped a picture. “I just laughed and said ‘You have to stay there!’” she told H&H.
Read more about this epic picture
Flying horses
Among the many responsibilities Alan Davies has had as a groom, flying horses around the world has become one of his specialist areas of expertise. Alan, who will this year step back from his role as full-time groom to Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester, estimates that he has been flying horses for about 30 years. Things have changed somewhat in that time.
Find out what equine air travel involves
Working smarter
The equestrian industry has to “work smarter”, do its calculations and know its value to remain viable with forthcoming national minimum wage (NMW) increases. The legal minimum that can be paid to employees is to increase again on 1 April, from £6.83 to £7.49 for 18- to 20-year-olds, from £9.18 to £10.18 for those aged 21 and 22, and from £9.50 to £10.42 for anyone aged 23 and over. For a 23-year-old groom working 60 hours per week, this is an increase of £2,870 per year. “I’m really worried about this, and I don’t say that lightly,” British Grooms Association founder Katan told H&H. “I don’t know how some yards will afford it.”
Find out what action yards can take
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Credit: Heather Westgate
Credit: Jon Stroud Media
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