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Olympic items up for grabs in charity auction
Pony Club member Clemmie and her Blue Cross rescue horse, Wispa.
Funds raised will be split between Blue Cross and The Pony Club.

A unique auction to raise money for the educational work of Blue Cross and The Pony Club is taking place in October.

The auction will mark more than a decade of the two organisations working together to teach young owners about how to care for horses and ponies.

Among the many exclusive items up for grabs include a GB tie signed by British Olympic showjumper Ben Maher and a pair of horse shoes worn by Explosion W after his Individual Show Jumping win at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Funds raised from the auction will be split equally between the two charities. 

"This is a great fundraiser which showcases our special relationship with The Pony Club,” commented Kerry Taylor, education manager at Blue Cross. “It also highlights how education and supporting young people to have positive relationships with horses is so important to both charities.”
 
Pony Club CEO Marcus Capel added: “Partnering with Blue Cross reinforces our commitment to animal welfare and supports our members and their horses and ponies 
 
“This auction will enable us to extend our charitable work to support young people who would like to expand their knowledge, build friendships and enjoy time with horses and ponies outdoors. We are looking forward to seeing the excitement surrounding some of these amazing prizes as well.”

A full list of the items available for auction will be revealed at the end of September. To join the action, visit givergy.uk/BlueCrossforPetsandThePonyClub at 9 am on Friday 1 October. 

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.