Supporting the next stage of growth for our sustainably sourced equine bedding.
Wood & Slumber is pleased to announce the appointment of equine sales specialist Peter Forster as Sales Manager.
Since launching last year, Wood & Slumber has received a fantastic response from horse owners, competition yards and retailers looking for high-quality, sustainably sourced bedding. Peter’s appointment marks the next stage in our growth, helping us expand our stockist network and make Wood & Slumber bedding more widely available across the country.
As Sales Manager, Peter will focus on supporting our growing network of retailers and stockists, ensuring riders, trainers and yard managers can access Wood & Slumber bedding quickly and easily, wherever they are based.
A lifetime around horses
For Peter, joining Wood & Slumber is a natural step. Horses have shaped much of his life and career, beginning on a dairy farm near Hexham in Northumberland, where he and his twin sister grew up riding ponies through Pony Club and local shows.
“I learnt to ride on naughty ponies that probably weren’t particularly good ones,” Peter shares. “But that was part of the fun and challenge, and it definitely made me a better rider.”
After attending farming college, Peter followed his passion into the racing industry, starting by riding out and working in the yard before progressing into breaking and training young horses.
“One of the first big moments for me was being asked to break a three-year-old colt, something I’d never done before,” he explains. “I absolutely loved it, even when it came out of the stable on its hind legs boxing with its front feet.”
From there, Peter went on to break and train large numbers of young racehorses and leisure horses, helping develop horses with behavioural challenges and preparing racehorses for training and competition.
He also ran his own yard, specialising in point-to-pointers, pre-training and breaking horses full time, while riding in point-to-points and hunter chases.
“I managed a couple of wins despite definitely being too tall to be a jockey,” he says.
Industry knowledge and hands-on experience
Peter later moved into equine sales, initially working for a leading horse feed company before spending 15 years helping grow the Bedmax brand across retail, racing, veterinary and competition markets.
His work also extended internationally into export markets including Hong Kong, Dubai and Europe. Alongside this, Peter has gained further experience across haylage and straw-based bedding products within the equine sector.
That combination of practical yard experience and commercial knowledge makes Peter a valuable addition to the Wood & Slumber team as we continue to grow and strengthen our position within the equestrian market.
“I’ve spent most of my life around horses and yards, so I understand what people need from bedding day to day. Wood & Slumber is a quality product with real practical benefits for horses and owners, and I’m looking forward to helping more people discover it while supporting our growing network of stockists around the country.”
Supporting retailers, yards and horse owners
At Wood & Slumber, we set out to create bedding that works well for both horses and the people caring for them every day.
Our sustainably sourced pine and spruce shavings are kiln-dried and carefully dust-extracted to support absorbency, cleanliness and respiratory health within the stable environment. Our BETA NOPS accreditation also offers added reassurance around consistency and traceability.
“Peter brings a huge amount of industry knowledge alongside genuine hands-on experience within racing, competition yards and the wider equestrian world. His understanding of both the product side and the realities of running yards makes him a fantastic addition to our team.”
Phil Yell, Operations Director at Wood & Slumber’s parent company Arbor Forest Products
Looking ahead
Outside work, Peter still enjoys riding when time and weather allow, alongside cycling, golf and remaining involved with point-to-point racing as a judge and starter.
If you’re a retailer interested in becoming a Wood & Slumber stockist, you can get in touch with Peter by emailing
pforster@arborforestproducts.co.uk.
