Taking place on Wednesday 27 January 2021 from 19:00, The Great Weight Debate will examine different perspectives on equine weight management from across the equestrian sector, including the views of a horse owner, livery yard owner and coach, equine welfare officer, equine vet, nutritionist and a competition judge.
Lucy Grieve will represent the equine veterinary profession alongside horse owner Helen Gale, yard owner and coach Beth Maloney, welfare officer Penny Baker, nutritionist Liz Bulbrook and showing judge David Ingle. The panel will explore and discuss what they perceive to be the greatest challenges they face in their sector in relation to horse owners' management of their equine's weight, before suggesting solutions to aid owners in long term weight management. Anyone with an interest in horses, ponies or donkeys is being invited to submit their most pressing questions on equine obesity and weight management for the panel to also answer during the evening.
Over the past year Lucy's passion for improving equine weight management has brought about BEVA's Obesity Project. A pilot sticker system was unfortunately cut short at the beginning of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the feedback received was very promising and the second pilot is due to start early next year. The project so far has demonstrated that a key to preventing obesity is to increase engagement between owners and vets: "for owners there is not a lack of information out there about the impact of obesity ... the biggest hurdle is getting owners to recognise that their horse is overweight, which is something owners cannot resolve single-handedly." Lucy emphasises the need for vets to help owners consider and critically assess the weight of their horse and then help them tackle it, something she will discuss at The Great Weight Debate. You can find updates on the Obesity Project as well as resources for tackling unwanted weight gain here.
If you would like to submit a question for the panel you can do so here, all questions must be submitted by 15 January 2021. To find out the answer to your question you will need to register and listen to the webinar live. Tickets are priced at £5 with no booking fee, you can book your place here.
The NEF Great Weight Debate is sponsored by The British Horse Society; The Horse Trust; Redwings Horse Sanctuary; SPILLERS™ and World Horse Welfare.