22nd National Equine Forum Discusses Topics Like Unnecessary Breeding, Ethical Use of Horses in Sport and Much More

The 22nd National Equine Forum, held last week, saw some of Europe’s most distinguished equestrian leaders, charity figureheads and Defra’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer emphasizing that all equestrian parties must take collective responsibility for the future health and welfare of all horses.

Whether addressing the problem of unnecessary breeding and the treatment of unwanted horses, the development of a workable equine ID system and a central database or the ethical use of the horse in sport, the consensus was that the industry should pull together to find long-term solutions, supported by appropriate government legislation and enforcement. The event played host to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the FEI and World Horse Welfare, which provides guidelines for welfare in equestrian sport. It also saw the launch of e.hoof.com, a new online, multi-media educational tool for vets and farriers as well as interested owners and riders.

The Forum was attended by over 200 of the country’s most influential members of the equestrian industry, including NEF President HRH The Princess Royal, international equine vets, researchers, riders and trainers as well as equestrian trade business leaders.

Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, instigated an enthusiastic debate on responsible breeding and horse ownership, saying: “Our aim must be to reduce the number of horses bred, improve the quality of horses bred, and so diminish the number of horses in a perilous situation. We all have a responsibility to rise to the challenge.”

Nicolas de Brauwere, Head of Welfare and Behaviour at Redwings Horse Sanctuary discussed their observation that irresponsible owners cause ‘problem’ horses. Mr de Brauwere called for owners to be more responsible not only with breeding but also buying, selling, training, riding plus general care and that they should “address problems rather than move on to another horse.”

Stephen Potter, partner at LJ Potter Partners LLP concluded this session with a look at the role of the horse meat industry in the UK. He identified media pressure as contributing to the general public’s negative view of euthanasia. He went on to explain that a review of current drug control legislation, which requires permanent exclusion from the food chain without good scientific reason, would increase the value of unwanted horses that might otherwise become welfare cases, and that such value could significantly improve welfare.

Alick Simmons, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Defra, reported that the Tripartite agreement would come into force in May this year, to provide a higher level of protection from the spread of infectious diseases from France to the UK. Mr Simmons also said that that the equine diseases EVA and CEM could potentially have their notifiable disease status removed, bringing the UK in line with most other EU member states.

On the subject of fly grazing he said the root cause needed to be tackled and that police, local authorities and charities can work together to target perpetrators. Better powers were needed to identify owners and issue appropriate penalties and local authorities should be obliged to act.

Of the current ragwort problem he reported that The Secretary of State had taken a keen interest, that a concerted effort was needed and that active talks with industry bodies were underway to tackle the situation.

On the contentious issue of horse passports Mr Simmons said a set of minimum operating standards for passport issuing organisations were now in place, particularly to make passports more difficult to tamper with. In terms of any new equine ID legislation Mr Simmons said: “Inevitably it won’t just be what the government does but what you can do as well.”

Reiterating the crucial need for a workable equine ID system, Jan Rogers, Head of Equine Development, British Equestrian Federation, outlined initial plans for a central equine information system, to provide a robust, coordinated facility for an industry that is estimated to be worth £7 billion. She said, “We have learned a great deal from previous databases and there are things we can improve upon. We need to get the system right for all users, from enforcers to passport issuing organizations to horse owners.”

Presentations were also received from:

· Line Greve, PhD Student, Animal Health Trust: Are you riding straight? Considering crooked riders from the perspective of a vet

· Haydn Price, Lead Farrier BEF World Class Programme, Are you riding straight? Exploring the importance of the limb and lever arm in asymmetry of movement

· Vicky Spalding, Equine Physiotherapist, BEF World Class Programme: Are you riding straight? Factors influencing horse symmetry and the impact this has on the rider

· Mark Fisher, Consultant Master Saddler, BEF World Class Programme: Are you riding straight? Exploring the importance of the role of the saddle in the interaction between horse and rider

· Louise Broome, Human Physiotherapist, Personal Best: Are you riding straight? Discussing the prevalence of rider asymmetry and possible causes

· Dr Isobel Imboden, Research & project Assistant, University of Zurich: Launch of e.Hoof.com

· Andrew Finding, Chief Executive, British Equestrian Federation on behalf of SÖnke Lauterbach, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, German National Federation: The World Scene – Horses in the 21st Century: challenges

· Ingmar De Vos, Secretary General, International Equestrian Federation: The World Scene – the FEI, its growth and development of equestrian sport in developing countries

· Paul Bittar, Chief Executive, British Horseracing Authority: Medication and doping control in racing

· Jennie Price, Chief Executive Officer, Sport England: Driving the legacy from 2012

HRH The Princess Royal, President of the NEF, concluded the day by saying that the Forum gives the horse industry a great opportunity to work together.

The National Equine Forum is sponsored by the Association of British Riding Schools, Bedmax, British Equine Veterinary Association, The Blue Cross, British Equestrian Federation, British Equestrian Trade Association, British Horse Society, British Horseracing Authority, Bulley Davey, Darbys Solicitors, Dodson and Horrell, Donkey Sanctuary, Hadlow College, The Horse Trust, Jeffress Scholarship Trust, NFU Mutual Insurance, South Essex Insurance Brokers, Weatherbys Ltd and World Horse Welfare.

The full proceedings can be downloaded at www.bef.co.uk on the National Equine Forum page. The 2015 National Equine Forum will be held on 5th March at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Westminster, London.