Images from Jackie Potts’ illustrious career. The well-respected groom is championing Hallmarq’s newly launched educational hub Talk Lameness.
Legendary Olympics Head Groom Hails Hallmarq Lameness Tool
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Jackie Potts – name a more decorated figure in elite equine care. With six Olympic Games across 33 years as William Fox-Pitt’s head groom, Jackie has witnessed first-hand the transformation of equine welfare, from the Athens Games to the present day.
Now, she is urging horse owners at every level to make use of a powerful new free resource in Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging’s newly-launched Talk Lameness education hub.
Jackie’s own path into the horse world was unconventional. She started in an office, teaching in her spare time, before realising that desk work was not for her.
After training with the Bartles, working for eventer Chris Hewlett and serving as Di Lampard’s head girl, Jackie arrived at William Fox-Pitt’s yard for a week-long temporary role – one which has so far lasted for 33 years!
That longevity speaks to a shared ethos. “Fundamentally, his main concern was the welfare of the horse – that the horse was produced for competition in the healthiest and best way he could be, so he could perform at his best. It wasn't just about him being an athlete, it was about the horse being an athlete as well.”
Across decades at the top of the sport, Jackie has seen how lameness is often misunderstood – particularly by owners without elite-level experience. She points to a common but dangerous phrase of “Oh, well, that’s just how he goes”.
“When actually,” she says, “there is probably an underlying problem there. I don’t think it's that people don’t want to know – it’s just they don’t know.
“That’s where Talk Lameness is great. It draws people’s attention to the fact there may be a problem underneath that you could very easily fix, but you need to investigate.”
While Jackie believes front lameness is relatively easy to spot, hind lameness is another matter, she says.
“Being able to watch videos and see if you think your horse is similar – and then give the vet more information when they arrive – that also helps. It's very difficult to put that into action unless you actually see it.”
Jackie is passionate about sharing knowledge, not hoarding it. She mentors her team of four grooms constantly and encourages anyone with a horse to keep learning.
“Never think you know everything. You are always learning. I’m disappointed if a vet visits and I haven’t learnt something new. Always be asking ‘why would we do this?’. What would we do in that situation? There’s always something you can learn. Never stop learning.”
One of Jackie’s key messages is that diagnostics save money in the long run.
She acknowledges owners can be reluctant to pursue MRI due to cost concerns but argues the opposite is often true.
“You can assess the lameness and get to a certain point, and then you say: yes, we know he's lame there, but what do we do now? It could be a variety of things. Bite the bullet and say, ‘Let’s do an MRI’, because then you know what you’re treating. Otherwise, you can spend a lot of money treating something that actually isn’t there.”
Jackie’s advice to every horse owner, groom and rider is simple: “Just look at the website. Going through the whole process of how you would assess a lameness is really useful.”
With the backing of one of the most experienced voices in British equestrian sport, Hallmarq’s Talk Lameness hub offers an unprecedented free resource – helping to turn “that’s just how he goes” into confident, informed care.
To test your own knowledge, explore the myth‑busting resources and become more confident in spotting the signs, visit https://talklameness.org/.
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