The aim of the course is to ensure that new graduates facing their first stud season are conversant with the theory and practical techniques of equine artificial insemination. Lectures will include health requirements and paperwork for both mare and stallion; assessment of the mare prior to insemination; timing of insemination for chilled and frozen semen; techniques of equine insemination and assessment of the mare after insemination. Small group practical sessions will include microscopic assessments of chilled and frozen equine semen and insemination of mares using conventional and deep intra-uterine techniques. NB this course does NOT cover reproductive ultrasonography (which is covered in the BEVA course running on 2nd – 4th June 2008 in Yorkshire).

Description:

BEVA will again run two clinical workshops in 2008, one on the topic of Investigating Poor Performance on 6th March, and one on the topic of Clinical Neurology on 11th December. Both provide a forum for highly interactive case based discussion with an international panel of experts. Each presenter will introduce a topic and then initiate interactive case based discussion. Delegates will be invited to submit questions, images and cases to the presenters.

The March meeting focuses on Investigating Poor Performance in the Equine Athlete and will cover a range of topics relevant to all those dealing with performance horses at all levels. Subjects covered will include investigation of abnormal respiratory sounds, ECG interpretation, inflammatory airway disease; exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage and muscular disease as a cause of poor performance.

Delegates are encouraged to submit specific cases for presentation and discussion to enhance the interactive nature of the meeting. Please see the attachment below for full details of the programme and how to register. 

This course is suitable for veterinary surgeons in general equine practice, and those in mixed practice with an equine component. It will offer an opportunity to develop and extend existing skills and will introduce new diagnostic techniques readily carried out in practice. The course will cover several diagnostic techniques including ultrasonography, endoscopy and radiography and teaching will take place in small groups. There will be a detailed session on diagnostic nerve blocks of the limbs, ultrasound examination of the fore and hind limbs, and a radiology session. Ultrasound examination of the chest and abdomen will be covered along with endoscopic examination of the upper and lower respiratory tract. A basic neurological examination will also be demonstrated and there will be interactive case based clinical discussion. There is a strong practical element and the opportunity to carry out the different techniques described. As the course is limited to 20 participants, early registration is advised.

Teaching will take place in groups of 10 or less. A full range of BCF ultrasound machines will be available.

Social activities will include an opportunity to see horses exercising on Newmarket Heath and a visit to a trainer’s yard. There will be a course dinner on the evening of 15th March 2008. The EVJ Bookshop will be present for the duration of the course.

This course is designed to provide rescue and emergency training to enable delegates to work effectively with the Emergency Services in equine rescue and to provide emergency care of rescued horses. This is a new course for 2008 and is provided through the partnership between BEVA and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS). Following harrowing reports of unacceptable delays in horses being rescued and receiving appropriate care following road traffic and other incidents, BEVA, the BHS and Hampshire FRS have worked together to produce the Emergency Services Protocol which was launched in May 2007. The Protocol contains a national directory of equine practices, organised geographically, that can be contacted by the emergency services in the event of an incident involving horses where veterinary attention is required. This course is suitable for all veterinary surgeons who work with horses, especially those from practices in the Protocol’s directory.

Day One of the course, led by Hampshire FRS, covers rescue techniques and is a mixture of seminars and hands-on practical sessions where delegates will learn rescue techniques using a life-sized anatomical horse manikin in simulated, but life-like, rescue situations. Day Two is led by equine clinicians who are skilled in emergency medicine and is a mixture of seminars, case-based discussion and hands-on practical sessions designed to cover the practical aspects of veterinary care in emergency situations. We hope that having attended this course, the prospect of attending a road traffic accident, or other rescue incident, will no longer be your worst nightmare.
Course Objectives: Having attended this course delegates will:

• Feel confident to respond to and participate in equine rescues
• Understand the role of the veterinary surgeon when attending equine rescue incidents and how the veterinary surgeon interacts with the Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services
• Understand the techniques used by the Fire and Rescue Service to rescue horses involved in road accidents and other incidents including getting stuck in rivers, ditches,
cattle grids etc
• Be able to work safely and effectively to assist the FRS in equine rescue, including provision of appropriate sedation, analgesia or anaesthesia
• Be able to deal with the emergency medical and surgical care of horses that have been rescued.

These workshops are designed for those who, perhaps, do not spend all their professional time working with horses. Previous delegates have ranged from new graduates, wishing to extend their reach with regard to equine practice, right through to senior members who have felt the need to update their knowledge. The subject covers an area, which has caused much concern in recent years, hence the inclusion of a speaker from the Veterinary Defence Society. The practical programme will include examining horses with particular reference to wind, eyes, heart, ageing, flexion tests, conformation, intended use and much more.