CATEGORIES

How to protect yourself as a buyer or seller of horses

Equestrian legal experts go through steps that can be taken to safeguard all parties involved

A shared responsibility

Biosecurity measures are not always implemented as they should be, but that needs to change. Liz Richardson MRCVS examines research on the impediments

Homer's magical royal run

A top showing family leads the hunters, a maxi is best of the cobs and a worker steals hearts with his ride

Libby Seed

Libby Seed schools in a field, cold-showers with a bucket before driving to work in hospitals, and prepares for Badminton in her spare time. Martha Terry finds out how she does it

Welsh stallion is the perfect Example

A stallion bred in Holland is the top inhand pony, while a Connemara shines once more at his favourite showground

Slip collector organiser

Fi Norbury on the childhood thrill of being mistaken for a competitor, perfect grooming and Badminton’s crowds

Fox Grant's speed machine blows the others away

Iona Lad and William Fox Grant add the Silver Spur to a recent Cotswold Scurry success

Willy Wonka provides the sweetest result

A flashy Fell pony, a Welsh section B with keen comeback credentials and a wary Highland are all in the winnings

'Stars' are helping repair ruined reefs

Scientists are using steel webs to regrow coral reefs in Indonesia - with impressive results

The importance of child's play

Chimpanzee mothers prioritise playtime with their offspring, even when food is scarce

'Simply extraordinary'

Willie Mullins punches out on a remarkable season as the first Irish trainer in 70 years to win the British championship title - just one highlight of an epic season finale

A case of déjà vu

The same two riders finish first and second for the second successive international show, and an exciting home-bred appears from nowhere”

Aidan Coleman

Just a week after he announced his enforced retirement with a career-ending injury, Aidan Coleman talks through his raw emotions with Kate Johnson as he ponders life outside the weighing room

Pulling power

Carriage-driving horses have a very specific job, and with that can come specific injury risks. Rosie Mould MRCVS explains

Townend leads British domination

The world number one spearheads a British clean sweep of the podium as he contests his 100th five-star

Comeback queens reign

Rehab work pays off for Anna Ross as she makes a winning return, while a pair of young riders' birthday wishes come true

THE PUFFARAZZI

Every summer, an epic survey of Iceland's puffins takes place - and two photographers decided to lend a helping hand

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

A South American frog whose young erupt from the mother's back

TWIST AND SHOUT

Get ready for a dazzling show as courting birds show off their groovy moves and fabulous colours

Turning to a new career

Tessa Waugh marvels as one of her husband’s hunters moves Ws on to anew home where he’s turning his hooves to a surprisingly different discipline complete with yogic cat poses”

Reefs on TV

This one-off BBC special on coral is a must-see

ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Shoebill

THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as 'king of the marshes' as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa.

Slime: protector, lubricant and glue

GOO, GUNGE, GUNK... WHILE THERE are many names for the stuff that makes things slippery or sticky, slime isn't a single material but a label for a variety of substances with similar physical properties. Those qualities are desirable to many living things, which is why slime is made by such a wide range of organisms.

Are there any plants in Antarctica?

CONTINENTS DON'T COME ANY MORE inhospitable than Antarctica, where life must contend with the longest, darkest, coldest winters and a year-round blanket of snow and ice.

Why are walruses so chubby?

AS A GENERAL RULE, TERRESTRIAL mammals are furry, while aquatic ones are fat. It doesn't work across the board: sea otters rarely leave the water but have the densest fur of any mammal.

What is the lotus effect?

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WATCHING the clock on the wall of a dentist's waiting room, you can always pass a bit of time with a rummage through the bowl of fragrant botanical wonders next to the leaflets about expensive cosmetic work.

How do parrots learn to swear?

THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GLORIOUSLY entertaining as the effing and blinding of a potty-mouthed parrot.

Flightless birds

Our pick of 10 curious birds that have lost the ability to fly

LANDLORD OF THE WILD

The humble aardvark is seldom praised for its work digging out homes for other animals

Badminton groundsman

Phil Cole on flawless going for cross-country, perfecting his craft on polo pitches and being at the mercy of the weather