LETTER OF THE WEEK

I ENJOYED your nostalgia issue (9 July), highlighting some of your more senior readers’ reminiscences of the equestrian world. And the prominent theme was of good, old-fashioned horsemanship.

It seems that not only were complicated gadgets and the like not yet available, they were not needed. People learnt not just to ride, but about real horsemanship. Horses were fit for purpose and kept in suitable conditions for their mental and physical wellbeing. Equine obesity would have been a rarity, yet is now a more prevalent problem than malnourishment.

How sad that we now see many people buying a horse having learnt the basics of riding in an arena, rather than sticking around to learn more from our excellent riding schools. They often over-horse themselves.

Compounding the problem, many horses are stabled for long periods of time, overfed and underexercised. The modern equestrian world has changed in some ways for the better, but I wonder if some leisure horses have a harder life these days. Hannah Wilkins Blackfield, Hants

The writer of letter of the week wins a bottle of Champagne Taittinger