A WOMAN who had never had or wanted horses in her life told the world how without a rescued, non-ridden pony, she does not believe she would still be here.
Debbie Matthews founded Go Racing Green, which aims to help people who love the sport but have challenges to go to events, combat isolation and make racecourses more inclusive. She was one of the speakers at the World Horse Welfare online conference on 12 November.
{"content":"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"}
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
H&H news editor
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.