Equine vets are filling up on the latest, smartest research this week at the British Equine Vet Congress.  We all benefit , don’t we?... as new evidence trickles into our barns, it changes our treatments and traditions. It often changes our minds.

Here’s just one of  the top seminar tweets…”Based on Dr. M. Hewetson’s ongoing study of owner-reported signs, most frequent clinical signs of equine glandular gastric disease are temperament changes, decreased appetite, unexpected weight loss, poor performance, and skin sensitivity.”

While a physical discomfort isn’t always the source of behavioural issues, it sure doesn’t hurt to consider!

Credit: Dana's Doodles

Like bookends to the dressage pattern’s rhythm and brilliance, the halt is a moment to compose beforehand and reflect afterwards. This week Jill Irving reflected on her FEI WEG performance regarding the challenge of the halt. She was so proud that her horse stood quietly, despite outside distractions and internal adrenaline. “It’s hard when you fire them up to do other movements, then say, ‘Oh, by the way, you have to stand still.’”

 Do you ever feel you’re running on adrenaline? Overwhelmed? Overscheduled?   I’m becoming convinced that humans were designed to halt at X – to pause, turn off work and turn off the phone.  

I multitasked my way through a 10 year stretch I call the running on adrenaline years.  I felt like there were not…

What are the welfare challenges facing pleasure and competition horses? A four-year research study, led by academics at the University of Bristol’s School of Vet Sciences set to find out. I thought it was cool that experts from across the equine industry contributed to the research- vets, farriers, trainers, welfare charities, breed and competition associations. As we know, these groups are often at cross- purposes!

The priority welfare challenges and solutions identified in the study include:

• Unresolved stress or pain behavior: educating horse caregivers about signs of stress and pain
  
  
  
  
• Inappropriate nutrition: especially, overfeeding and obesity
  
  
  
  
• Inappropriate stabling and turnout: limited turnout, social isolation and poor grazing…

I love this thought from Clinician, Chris Sorensen at the recent EC Convention (Can. Equestrian Team) “One of the most amazing things that you learn as you train with top people around the world is that almost all of them practice basics every day. We all think that these famous riders are going to teach us magical tricks that are eluding us, but the fact of the matter is that riding is a very difficult sport, but it’s not that complicated.”

Agreed! I think of riding as less like magic and more like a fascinating  science.                                                               

If “equestrian science” can be distilled to a theory, I’m going to give it a try!

Love of learning + HOW to apply physical aids + understanding WHY the aids work + applying those skills skillfully and automatically = happy horse.

 Tested in…