COMMUNITY Horses and Ponies Jenny Naylor of Forces Equine explains
F
orces Equine (FE) is an online community information portal dedicated to all equestrians in the Combined Services and
their close family members. Its aim is to keep those interested up-to-date with what is happening at yards and saddle clubs around the community in the hope that moving around the Services doesn’t disrupt (too much!) involvement in the sport.
Many service personnel, both single and those with families travel throughout the UK, Europe and further afield. I am one of those people! With a non-horsey serving husband who is very tolerant of my passion for horse and riding, two pony mad kids and a very kid mad pony, I knows how difficult it can be.
Forces Equine was set up to try and help riders access the saddle in an easy and non- obtrusive way, regardless of which service they are involved with and where in the world they are.
Debi Heath French, founder, set up Forces Equine with her husband Capt David Heath French RAMC. Debi said: “We wanted to provide a service for members of the Combined Services and Police Service who are followers of the equestrian world to allow the sport to thrive and give its members the chance to succeed within the sporting environment”.
I joined Debi at Forces Equine when we were posted back to the UK from Cyprus where I had been heavily involved in the RAF Akrotiri Saddle Club. Things are not the same in the UK and it is not easy to keep up the riding for lots of reasons. Many children I taught to ride in Cyprus had to give up when they came back to the UK because there were so few facilities near where they had been posted.
At Forces Equine you will be able to find the information and links you need to keep you up with what’s going on within the forces equestrian world. We are also on Facebook. We have been given the seal of approval by the
46 Envoy Summer 2013
MoD to operate and have active support from the Combined Services Equestrian Association.
2013 has seen us join in partnership with British Showjumping (BS) to support all riders from the first jump to seasoned competitors. BS will also be helping out our military saddle clubs by organising training which will enable them to hold the new BS Club Members shows at their facilities.
For those who are deployed and missing their equines, and shows like Forces Equine Games (held in May), we have teamed up with Horse and Hound magazine to send copies out free of charge. Forces Equine has also organised military discounts for major equestrian events, around the
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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