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Horse welfare conference explores ‘good life’ theme
Chief executive Roly Owers addresses the conference.

Inspiring talks highlight the importance of research and education.

Equine charity World Horse Welfare (WHW) held its annual conference last week, focusing on the question 'What is a good life for a horse'.

The event at the Royal Geographical Society in London (7 November) was attended by over 750 delegates, who gathered to listen to an inspiring line-up of speakers and panel discussions.

Among the speakers included renowned researchers and leading equestrians, who challenged some of the most widely-held beliefs and traditions about what horses need to live a 'good life'.

In his opening speech, WHW chief executive Roly Owers emphasised how the journey of providing good equine welfare has evolved with experience and scientific understanding.

He said: “Over the past decade and more, this understanding has been turbocharged by mounting scientific evidence of what makes animals, including horses, tick. Only if a horse feels content in themself, from their own individual perspective, can their welfare be good.

“As we now know, depriving our horses of the Three Fs – Freedom, Forage and Friends - is depriving them of a good life. However, is this synonymous with how normalised certain attitudes and practices are in the horse world?”

Next, Professor Natalie Warar, director of the Good Life for Animals Centre and former chair of the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission for the FEI, explored the emerging evidence of the positive emotional responses of horses. She emphasised how it is important to consider a horse's life from birth to death, as well as all of its experiences.

She said: “Most people and animals go through life with a mix of positive and negative experiences. So, for a 'good life', what we are looking for is a life where those negative experiences are minimised and the experiences across all contexts of an animal's life tend to be mainly positive. And that we work hard to ensure that, that is the case."

Dr Lisa Dickle, a post-doctoral researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, spoke about horses from an evolutionary ecology perspective. Meanwhile, WHW's regional coordinator in Latin America, Lorena Barrantes, discussed the challenges faced by working horses, donkeys and mules and how these could be improved.

She said: “We improve the lives of working equids where it is needed. Sometimes these improvements require extra resources but very often they just require the sharing of knowledge. They just require us working hand-in-hand with the communities, which is the most sustainable way to ensure long-term change.

"We don’t just heal animals; we transform entire communities. We lift generations and we prompt a better future for us all, humans and equids.”

The day culminated with a lively panel debate, chaired by Sky News and Sports editor, Nick Powell. Among the panellists were Battersea Dogs and Cats Home chief executive Peter Laurie, racehorse trainer Lucinda Russell, the Household Cavalry’s regimental veterinary officer, Major Dan McRink and the British Equestrian Veterinary Association’s veterinary projects officer Lucy Grieve.

The full conference is available to watch on the World Horse Welfare website.

Image (C) World Horse Welfare.

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

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 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

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All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

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The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.