Ethics & Welfare Committee

Imogen graduated from the RVC, London in 2000 and was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Equine Medicine and Advanced Practitioner status in 2014. She works in first opinion equine practice and mentors new graduates as a VetGDP advisor; she has also been an RVN clinical coach. She is responsible for overseeing veterinary undergraduate rotations in the clinic and examines at the University of Surrey. Imogen is a BEVA council member, sitting on the Education Committee and is current Chair of the Ethics and Welfare Committee. She is passionate about education, improving standards of clinical care and welfare.

Helen graduated from the University of Bristol in 2008, spent two years as an intern at NEH and has been in ambulatory first opinion equine practice ever since. She has a particular interest in lameness, sports medicine and vettings and completed a certificate in equine orthopaedic surgery in 2015. She is an FEI permitted treating vet and was team vet for the British team at the CCI3*-S European Cup eventing championships in 2017 and 2019. Helen is currently a clinical director at Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn. Outside work Helen is kept busy with her two young daughters and their ponies.

Having previously completed a BSc (Hons) in Equine Sports Science, Jenny graduated from Bristol in 2019 and went on to complete a hospital based internship at Langford Vets Equine Referral Hospital. She then worked in first opinion ambulatory practice in Wiltshire, developing her love of teaching, client communication and use of low stress veterinary care techniques. To further scratch these itches, she moved into teaching full time in '24, returning to Bristol Vet School, whilst also providing behaviour modification services to equine clients in her free time. Jenny joined BEVA council in 2024 and is keen to help develop tools and resources that will have a positive impact on the human and equine experiences in clinical practice, encouraging individuals to follow their own unique path to job satisfaction.

Kate is an RCVS Recognised Specialist and Professor of Equine Sports Medicine at Bristol Veterinary School, where she has worked for over 20 years. Her clinical focus has been equine sports medicine, particularly the investigation of poor performance and respiratory disorders. Alongside this, she has led and collaborated on research projects to improve the health, welfare, and performance of horses in sport, and has explored the ethical challenges faced by vets working in this area. Kate also works with equestrian governing bodies on research that may inform policy. She is especially interested in how performance and welfare can be balanced in line with evolving societal and ethical expectations. At Bristol, she teaches across the veterinary curriculum and co-leads Preparing for Equine Practice, a pedagogical research programme designed to define the skills and knowledge graduates need for a successful career in equine practice.

Marie obtained a First-Class Honours Degree in Equine Sports Science in 2005. She started working in clinical equine practice in 2003 and qualified as a Registered Equine Veterinary Nurse (REVN) with merit in 2007. In 2012, Marie completed the Diploma in Higher Education Clinical Veterinary Nursing (DipHE CVN) and obtained the RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (Dip AVN) in equine context, with distinction in 2013. She has been lecturing since 2010 at Bottle Green Training Ltd and is now the Programme Lead for the Level 3 Diploma in Equine Veterinary Nursing. Marie has an interest in the welfare working equids abroad and has twice worked as a volunteer at The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (GHDT) in Africa. Marie’s special interests include donkeys, bandaging, anaesthesia, and intravenous catheter care. Marie is currently the Chair of the Equine Nurses Committee for The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Outside of work, Marie enjoys looking after her horse Harry, her two donkeys Billy and Tilly and her spaniel Petal.

Qualified from Bristol University in 2005 and having discovered a previously unsuspected interest in equine medicine during final year, went out to gain hands on equine experience through spending a month working as a new graduate vet in a SPANA clinic in Morocco. This was followed with 7 years in mixed practice, including first opinion equine ambulatory work and a further period of volunteering for a working equid charity in Egypt. Joined the Donkey Sanctuary in 2012, gaining the CERT AVP in Equine Medicine and eventually becoming the lead vet for medicine. After completing the MSc in One Health in 2023 and cementing a passion for all things One Health both nationally and internationally, started a new position mixing clinical vet work with an advisory role to the Donkey Sanctuary international team. Strong interest in all things welfare, medicine and education, with an enthusiasm for exploring and promoting ways to improve sustainability in veterinary practice.