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Horse healthcare survey receives outstanding response
Horses in stable
Over 7,000 horse owners and non-veterinarian service providers completed the online survey this year.
More than 7,000 horse owners and non-veterinary service providers completed online survey

A survey coordinated by BEVA to discover more about the use of non-veterinarian procedures in equine healthcare, has received an outstanding response from the equine industry.  Over 7,000 horse owners and non-veterinarian service providers completed the online survey this year, as part of Defra's Review of Minor Procedures (RMPR) project.

The anonymous survey was directed at musculoskeletal and dental care practitioners, as well as horse owners to discover more about why, when and how non-veterinarians are used for equine healthcare services.  Together with representative associations, approximately 6,000 horse owners, 600 individual musculoskeletal practitioners, and 400 equine dental care providers took part. BEVA say that the results will provide a framework to help determine how equine healthcare services undertaken by non-vets should be managed in future, in order to best protect the health and welfare of horses in the UK.

There has been an increasing concern over recent years that the number of individuals offering equine healthcare services, and the range of those services, has expanded without there being any system for making sure that the standards of care offered are what owners expect and horses deserve.  BEVA say that current regulations were drawn up decades ago - before many of today's services were routinely available - and there is now an opportunity to review whether of not the current controls are fit for purpose.

The chief executive of BEVA, David Mountford, said: “The results will paint a clearer picture of how healthcare is currently provided for horses in the UK, which groups and individuals carry out these services and what the horse owners’ perceptions are in relation to qualifications and regulations. The next steps will be to consider how the system could be improved to best protect the health and welfare of horses."

The full results of the survey should be available by the end of the year. 

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.