The BEVA Trust has been very busy over the past few months, continuing their virtual training sessions and restarting their in-person welfare clinics, with even a visit from HRH Princess Anne! Trust Secretariat Leaya Slater tells us more…
This autumn the BEVA Trust in partnership with the BHS have successfully relaunched the Education and Welfare clinics. Now in its 6th year the clinics are very popular with member volunteers. 36 vets and 4 EVN’s enjoyed 3 busy days of camaraderie and teamwork. The clinics were held in Lancashire, Kent and South Wales and gave volunteers an opportunity to gain plenty of experience.
Kent was our 30th Education and Healthcare clinic. The Princess Royal, Vice-Patron of The British Horse Society (BHS), visited the clinic to see first-hand how the initiative supports horse owners and carers, to prevent welfare issues.
Julian Samuelson, BEVA Trust Chair said: “Our BEVA Trust volunteers show a real passion for horse welfare with their support for these clinics and their willingness to donate their time is very admirable ...We are immensely proud that HRH The Princess Royal has shown such an interest in our work and her level of engagement and understanding is truly impressive. We thank her for taking the time to visit our clinic.”
Early this year The BEVA Trust was delighted to support the World Horse Welfare Latin America Webinar Series. The webinars were delivered online, in Spanish, by three volunteers between the end of May to the beginning of June over three weeks.
All three speakers were able to present in a context-specific manner, making their talks applicable to low-resource setting. First, Adrian Allan from Marches Veterinary Group gave a fantastic presentation on the fundamentals of equine dentistry, including a practical demonstration using tools available in the projects in Latin America. Albert Mestres Aldavó from Murrell Equine delivered an interesting and interactive session, including polls, on basic farriery and hoof balance. The final speaker, Jennifer Antpöhler from the Equine Clinic at the University of Justus-Liebig in Giessen, Germany, carried out her veterinary studies in Colombia and so had a good understanding of the common issues seen in this area. Jennifer gave a great presentation on wound management, illustrated by lots of examples.
If you are interested in volunteering and would like to be added to the opportunities mailing list, please email leaya@beva.org.uk.