Horse Hound – 5 February 2026

Summary

Horse & Hound 5 February 2026 puts Carl Hester, William Fox-Pitt and other top riders on the cover explaining how they bought their big stars, with Carrownurlaur Pride fronting a "find your perfect horse" issue for Patricia Saintey. Tom Wachman, the 20-year-old London grand prix winner, gives the cover interview.

The news pages lead with a once-in-a-generation reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act: RCVS president Tim Parkin called the near-60-year-old law a historic moment, while Lucy Grieve of BEVA noted vets may have been undercharging. BFBA warned the plans could be the biggest change to farriery legislation in over 50 years. Livery court cases are also rising, with solicitor Lara Davies blaming verbal agreements and unclear notice periods.

Regulars cover letters, Richard Sheane on eventing, Pammy Hutton on dressage, Tessa Waugh's hunting diary and classified horseboxes. The vet clinic handles vaccinations for horses travelling abroad, and features introduce ditches and the unsung crew of showjumping. Anyone about to buy a horse or sign a livery contract gets the clearest value here.

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.30 · 'My best buy ever' The special purchases who changed top riders' lives
Carl Hester, William Fox-Pitt and other top riders explain how they acquired the horses that changed their careers, backing the cover's buying-advice promise. The feature sits between the kit focus and the ditch-training piece. Write down what you actually need before viewing, as these riders did.

p.16 · H&H interview: London grand prix winner Tom Wachman
Tom Wachman, 20, talks to H&H after his London grand prix win, flagged as one to watch on the cover. The interview opens the People and Horses section before the veterinary ophthalmologist's working day. Note how he warms up a young horse and try the order yourself.

▸ News

p.4 · Once-in-a-generation reform to Veterinary Surgeons' Act
Becky Murray reports that Defra has opened a consultation on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act, covering a licence-to-practise model, professional suitability, regulation of veterinary businesses and governance. RCVS president Tim Parkin called it a historic moment on a law nearly 60 years old, and BEVA's Lucy Grieve suggested long-term undercharging may sit behind rising fees. BFBA said the proposals could be the biggest change to farriery legislation in over 50 years, possibly repealing the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975. Read the consultation at horseandhound.co.uk/vets-act-consult before it closes.

p.7 · Rise in legal cases highlights need for livery contracts
Eleanor Jones reports that solicitor Lara Davies of OLS Solicitors has seen a significant rise in disputes between owners and yard owners, mostly from verbal agreements and contracts with unclear fee or notice terms. Oonagh Meyer of the British Horse Society noted livery yards need no licence and urged use of BHS-approved yards, which require written contracts. Get your notice period and damage liability in writing this month.

▸ Health

p.22 · Get set to go… Vaccinations for horses travelling abroad
The vet clinic explains which vaccinations a horse needs before travelling abroad, a necessary read for anyone planning an overseas show or sale. The piece runs before the kit focus and the buying features. Check your horse's vaccination dates against the destination's rules before booking transport.

▸ Training

p.36 · Ditches without hitches — Training
The training feature covers introducing ditches while keeping a horse's confidence, part of the issue's practical core. It follows the best-buy feature and precedes the showjumping crew piece. Approach a new ditch from a walk the first three times rather than at speed.

▸ People and Regulars

p.38 · Join the crew — Unsung heroes of showjumping
This feature looks at the crew behind showjumping, the people who make a show run without entering the ring. It sits after the ditch-training piece and before the hunting pages. Thank your own show's crew next time you collect a number.

p.58 · Goodnight — Tessa Waugh's hunting diary
Tessa Waugh closes the issue with her hunting diary, following reports from the dressage winter regionals, Morris EC, Aintree, Doha, Sandown and Dublin, where Scott Brash thanked Hello Jefferson. The classified ads follow. Check her diary before planning a weekend meet.

—————

Editor's Take

The Veterinary Surgeons Act reform is the most valuable page in Horse & Hound 5 February 2026, because Tim Parkin's "historic moment" and BFBA's warning about 50 years of farriery law give the news real weight. The livery contracts piece is the practical twin: Lara Davies names verbal agreements as the cause, and BHS-approved yards as the fix. The best-buy cover feature delivers what riders want, with Hester and Fox-Pitt naming actual purchases. Weakest is the hunting section, which runs Sennybridge Farmers and a Malachi tribute with little beyond local colour, and the vet clinic on travel vaccination is a checklist rather than a guide. Buy this if you are buying a horse, keeping one at livery, or following the vet reform; show-only readers can browse.

Strengths
• Vet Act news quotes Parkin and BFBA on 50 years of law
• Livery piece names verbal agreements as the real cause
• Best-buy feature has Hester and Fox-Pitt naming horses
• Wachman interview gives a young rider's method

Weaknesses
• Hunting pages offer local colour over substance
• Travel vaccination clinic is a checklist, not a guide

Verdict: Recommended — essential for buyers, livery clients and anyone watching the vet reform.