As users of horses, few of us are actually involved in the breeding and rearing of foals. Yet, what happens with the young horse before it ends up in our hands, is of critical importance – especially if the horse is destined for the competition arena.

In this edition of SA Horseman, we focus on a few aspects of foal rearing that could ultimately determine whether a young prospect makes it or not. Research into foal behaviour, bone formation and deformities as well as tendon development, may disprove many of the beliefs currently holding sway in the horse industry.

A shocking report on the fate of stolen horses across the Lesotho border is followed by guidelines on managing horses that just don't seem to flourish. At the onset of winter we also look at the issue of clipping horses and we deal with the trauma of losing a horse.

In our section on training, we continue with guidelines to create a good riding horse, while we also look at a few riders who successfully participate at the highest level in more than one discipline.

We look at the various Warmblood studbooks in Europe, and how the characteristics of these various types of Warmbloods affect the approach one needs to take in their training.

In SA Distance Rider we continue our focus on the various Arabian bloodlines that proved to be successful on the endurance trail, while the thorny issue of "Monday Morning Disease" is discussed in some detail. To link up with our focus on raising young horses, we look at the building blocks of a good endurance horse.