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Horses

French military horses receive medals for outstanding work

This is the first time that horses have received the award

All horse races cancelled in France as sector protests potential new betting law

‘This is a powerful and symbolic move…a sacrifice of €2.5m to show our determination to the government,’ said union president ahead of a march in Paris

First hobby horse club launches in France

Hailed as an exciting new pony club, it combines a love of athletics and horses

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I swapped muddy Britain for a wild ride in France

Karen Lowell relocated to Saint-Michel in the Gers to fulfil her dream of breeding rare Black Arabian horses

Public saves French horse sanctuary from closure

Un Souvenir pour Gribouille has raised more than €5,000 through donations, enabling it to continue its vital work, although regular donors are needed

French couple innovate horse hoof health with plastic shoes

It may mean the end of the ‘clip clop’ sound but the polyurethane horseshoe is said to be a healthier alternative to metal

PHOTOS: French town uses horses to collect old Christmas trees

A horse-drawn carriage picks up the trees which are then recycled and turned into mulch to use as protection from weeds

Boost for horse and pony clubs in France

A major VAT reduction coming this January will help owners cope with rising costs

‘We travel slowly through France in our tiny horse-drawn caravan’

With just 7m² of living space pulled by a horse called Zorba, this Bordeaux couple enjoy being kings of their own clock

‘I see no problem’: Readers divided over banning horse meat in France

Some readers still enjoy horse meat, while others argue it should be outlawed immediately

Draft bill seeks to stop the sale and eating of horse meat in France

If passed the legislation would give horses the same rights as other pets such as dogs and cats

Cart horses collect Christmas trees and ‘bring joy’ across France

Around 200 towns use horse-drawn carts to collect recycling, take children to school or senior citizens to market

Do I need planning permission to build a horse shelter in France?

Land issues are sensitive in rural France so it is important to know the rules if you want to keep horses and build a shelter or riding arena - there are tax implications too

Cadre Noir de Saumur: Discover France’s unique style of horse riding

Recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage, this technique of riding requires intensive training both for the rider and horse

French ski station replaces closed ski lifts with horses

A ski station in the Hautes-Alpes has turned to an ingenious four-legged solution as ski lifts remain closed

Horse attacks in France: Police make arrest

50-year-old taken into custody in connection with recent attempted attack on two ponies

More horse attacks in France prompt major investigations

More horses have been found injured across France, prompting one investigation in the northeast to include 40 gendarmes and a helicopter, as investigations ramp up into the mystery macabre attacks.

Horse attacks: Owners in France warned against vigilantism

Gendarmerie have called on horse owners in France “not to take justice into their own hands”, even as another horse is killed, and police warn that they believe the attacks to be by “more than one perpetrator”.

More than 30 horse mutilation cases reported in France

Police investigate possible macabre motive

Map: More horse attacks in France, see areas targeted

More horses have been mutilated in France in the latest of a series of gruesome attacks that police are continuing to investigate across the country.

French police release sketch of horse attacker

An owner who recently defended his horses against attackers has helped police make a sketch of one of the aggressors. Killings and mutilations of horses are now being reported outside France as well.

French horse owner surprises animal attackers in the night

The horse owner scared away two individuals armed with knives on his property, after they had already stabbed a horse. This comes following at least 15 other macabre horse attacks in France this year.

More horses found dead and mutilated in France

Another two horses killed as macabre crime spree accelerates

15+ horses killed and mutilated in France this year

One horse, which had already died of natural causes, was found with its ear, eye and nose removed this week. The attack is the latest in a string of around 15 similar incidents in France this year.

Another horse found killed with ear removed in east France

The 18-month-old foal was found dead and mutilated in the latest in a series of deadly attacks on horses and donkeys in France.

More horses with ear removed found dead in France

At least five horses, a pony and a donkey have been found dead with one ear chopped off since the beginning of February in various departments in France.

France’s love of horses knows no bounds

From the Camargue to Chantilly, a guided tour of the country with lovers of all things equestrian in mind

Disabled rider’s round-France five months’ journey

One rider, her dog, a pair of horses and 13 legs...

Banned French race horses drugged due to ‘old hay’

Two race horses in the Haute-Loire (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) that tested positive for the banned drug boldenone had the substance in their system due to inadvertently eating old hay, it has been confirmed.

French riding schools open doors to public from today

Riding schools, pony clubs and equestrian centres across France are opening their doors to the public for free in September, in a bid to encourage more people to take up riding.

What must you consider to bring a horse in to France?

An English friend is planning to move to France and wants to bring her horse with her. What rules are involved? C.S.

Joint plan to save Chantilly racing history from decay

Poorly maintained graves of British horseracing pioneers who created the world-famous Chantilly racecourse are to be restored as the local mairie and British community work on ways to preserve them and their stories for the future.

Horses’ hooves stop rot disease and save vineyard

Slowly but surely, horses are being brought in to work France’s vineyards. In the Bordeaux region, organic Château le Puy has been using its own horses since 2000. It opened its doors to Brian McCulloch, who discovered the advantages of horsepower over machines

Clip-clop of hooves cheers up care home

Horse is a regular visitor and staff see ‘extraordinary positive effect’ on residents

Dordogne pompiers rescue two horses trapped in a pool

Sapeurs-pompiers in the Dordogne have saved two horses from drowning after the animals accidentally fell into an open swimming pool and could not get out.

Normandy stud for Queen’s stallion

A costly transfer

30 animals evacuated from Haute-Savoie centre

An equestrian centre in the Haute-Savoie has been evacuated, with 30 animals rescued due to concerns over their welfare in the region’s current freezing temperatures.

Save the heavy horses with gentle touch

One of France’s oldest heavy horse breeds, the Poitevin, could soon be back at work if breeder Florent Chevreau succeeds in encouraging more people, and especially mairies, to use them.

Couple crossing France for baby girl reaches Picardie

A British couple travelling across England and France in a horse-drawn wagon to raise money in honour of their late baby daughter has reached Picardie, near Amiens.

Say hello to Phill and Emily on their Mersey-Med trek

Couple on 1,000 mile journey by horse-drawn covered wagon in memory of their daughter, Elsie

Stone Age horses are alive and kicking (and biting)

Paris holds its Salon du Cheval this month with 2,000 horses and 450 exhibitors, including two of the world’s oldest and most iconic breeds: the endangered Przewalski’s horses, which are now bred in France, and the famous Camargue white horses.

Moving pets to France is worth the cost and stress

An international move is stressful for humans but it can be traumatic for pets – although some take it in their stride

Dumped horses need care

No precise figures are kept on how many horses are abandoned each year in France but rescuers struggle to find them new homes. Maltreatment or simple lack of care can leave them with behavioural problems but Samantha David spoke to one charity that works to ‘cure’ and rehome them