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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 11th November 2021
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Ethical framework for equine sport revealed
"We hope this framework will be a pivotal step forward" - Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare.
The framework was funded by the World Horse Welfare and developed by the RVC. 

An 'Ethical Framework for the Use of Horses in Sport' was unveiled at an industry workshop, where over 90 leaders from equine sport, the veterinary profession, academia and the media contributed their ideas on the topic of ethical issues.

Developed by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with World Horse Welfare, the framework has been designed to deliver an agreed and transparent method of approaching ethical issues across equestrian disciplines.

Attended by representatives from across horse sport disciplines, the workshop explore ethical issues across each discipline, and considered how the framework could be most usefully applied to address them.

Ethical challenges identified in the workshop included fatalities and catastrophic injuries, care and management of equine athletes throughout their life, rider/driver weight and competence, and the use of equipment such as whips, spurs, bitted bridles and nosebands.

Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, said: “We hope this framework will be a pivotal step forward to help equestrian sport make decisions affecting horse welfare that are underpinned by an ethical basis.

“The next challenge is adapting this framework to become an accessible and easily applied go-to tool consistently across equine sport.

“Having a consistent, logical approach to making ethical decisions will help to make better decisions, and make it easier to communicate them to the sport and the public.”

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.